It was September 12th. Selene stood from bed and rushed to the bathroom. She leaned over the toilet and retched. She sat back and thought. She didn't feel sick. She only feel nauseous, until she puked, now she felt fine.
She had missed two periods!
She leaned back against the sink. She was pregnant. She knew it. Remus wasn't going to handle this well.
With that she flushed the toilet and started the shower. She would tell him later.
She went downstairs to find Remus sitting on the couch, just finishing a book. She sat down and watched him. He closed the book and looked up at her with a smile.
"How are you this fine morning?" He asked. Apparently it had been a good book.
"Pregnant." She said, looking at him.
"What?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing together.
"I am pregnant this fine morning. How are you?" She asked, smiling. She didn't know how else to do it. She hoped he would be happy, but knowing Remus, he would want to protect the unborn child from himself.
"Are you serious?" He asked, very quietly. His face had gone quite white.
"I believe I am." She replied.
He sat there. Very quietly. He didn't move and his stillness made her nervous.
"Are you still going to see Arnaud today?" He asked suddenly.
"Well, I hadn't really decided. I didn't cancel yet." She replied.
"He is expecting you soon. And you should go, you've missed him. You even said so last night." Remus said, smiling. He went and pulled Selene from her chair and kissed her. She gave him a small smile. He was being weird.
Selene got ready and left to visit Arnaud. He was as happy as usual when she arrived. She sat for three cups of his special tea - which was half blood - and then excused herself. She went back home, only to find it empty.
She ran up to their bedroom, and in the middle of the bed, was a letter. She slowly crossed the room, and lifted the piece of parchment. She had to read it five times to get the meaning. Remus had left her. He didn't want to hurt her or the baby. Didn't he realize that leaving did hurt her?
She just sat on the bed. She couldn't feel anything. She laid back and placed the letter on his bedside table. Then she curled up in the middle of the bed and cried herself to sleep.
~oOoOo~
Remus slammed the door of the room he was staying in. A coward? How could Harry think that? Remus had made a mistake by marrying Selene, and now she was pregnant, possibly with a werewolf. He would never forgive himself for passing his condition to an innocent child. And it would be better off without a father of which it would be ashamed.
A few weeks passed, and what Harry said still haunted Remus. Was he a coward? Selene didn't want anything to do with him unless she could have everything to do with him. And she knew that he was a werewolf. But the child, could he ruin its life? No, he couldn't. But Harry was right, every child needs a father. And Harry would know better than anyone.
Remus got up and began throwing his belongings back into his trunk. He was going back to Selene. She needed him, and he needed her. Badly.
He walked in the front door and dropped the trunk, closing the door behind him. The house was still. The kitchen table was covered with used glasses, each stained red with blood. He didn't see any plates in the sink. Was she eating?
He walked upstairs and opened their bedroom door. It was very dark. He opened the curtains and looked at the bed. Selene was there, her green eyes watching him. She was only in black underwear, wearing no bra. She was laying half on her stomach, half on her side. Her hair looked ratted.
Remus walked to her. She didn't move. Her eyes only followed him. Her legs were slightly skinnier than when he had left, but her belly was slightly larger. He sat on the bed next to her, and she turned her head to see him better, still not saying anything.
"I'm home." He said. She just stared at him. Her skin was very white, and her lips were as red as ever. "I won't leave you again. I swear."
She only blinked, and a tear slid down her face. She didn't say anything. She didn't move.
"Selene?" He asked. He was even more worried than he was about whether the child would contract lycanthropy.
"You can't be real. You're never real." She mumbled, monotoned.
"Oh, no. I am real, Selene. I am home. I love you." He said.
Just then, the front door slammed and someone yelled up "Who's trunk is this? Selene?" Then there was a pounding on the stairs and the bedroom door opened, and Vivienne walked in, holding a little bundle in her arms.
"Oh, Remus! Thank god your back! She has laid there, just like that, since you left." Vivienne came over. "Why is she still laying there?" She set the child, who was now a little more than a year old, on the bed. She was just as pale as Selene, and had Vivienne's dark hair. She crawled over and leaned over Selene's waist. She patted Selene's stomach with her chubby hands and giggled.
Selene only reached up and pulled the child in front of her, the child curled up to Selene's chest and smiled at her. Selene smiled back. Remus only watched, wishing that she would have pulled him to her like that.
"Selene, did you see Remus was here?" Vivienne asked, looking worriedly at Selene.
"He's always here. He just never stays so long. And I can never touch him, so I've stopped trying." She responded, as monotone as before.
"Try to touch him this time, Sweetie. He is here. And I'm sure he'll stay." This last bit was punctuated with a glare at Remus.
Selene slowly reached a pale hand out and tentatively laid it on Remus's thigh. "You are real." She mumbled, still not moving. "Must be sleeping." She sighed, closing her eyes.
The baby pulled out of Selene's hold and toddled over to Remus. He smiled and gave the child a hug. She giggled and fell back onto Selene's stomach. Selene shot up and held her stomach, eyes closed and breathing heavily. She calmed and opened her eyes, and found Remus staring at her.
"Are you really back?" She asked, sounding more like herself.
"If you'll have me." He responded.
"Well, I don't know..." She said, and Remus's face fell. She didn't want him anymore.
"Remus, you look like an of man. Of course I'll have you." She leaned forward and kissed him. "I've missed you."
"Well, I think we will be leaving." Vivienne said, standing and pulling her daughter to her. "If you ever have the audacity to leave her again, please send me a letter so I know to come take care of the girl." She said to Remus as she closed the door behind her.
"You won't leave again?" She asked, looking down slightly.
"No. Never."
"Not even when the baby is here and scares you again?" She asks, leaning closer to him.
"Not even then. I am here for good." He said.
"Good." Then she kissed him and pulled him in the bed with her. He held her to him and she was asleep almost instantly, like she hadn't slept in the weeks they were apart. Which, by looking at her, could very well be true.