Someone left a review (which I greatly appreciated) about the story containing their three favorite things: chain smoking, drinking, and tension. Well my friend, there's plenty more where that came from! This chapter and the next also contain delightful flashback vignettes, and there will be plenty more of those too. I have a Hogwarts years prequel in the works that I am eager to start writing after I finish the Second Wizarding War sequel. I hope you stick around :) -theo

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Ch. 6 - Brandy and Bruises

Remus didn't think it wise for him to be by himself after that catastrophe, so instead of going home to flirt with some undoubtedly self-destructive behaviors, he apparated to Sirius' house in Tutshill. With the help of James' parents, Sirius had purchased the property last summer with some gold left to him by his uncle Alphard, and Remus was quite fond of the house. The boys had often congregated there to spend time together and/or partake in whatever tomfoolery James and Sirius were in the mood for.

When Remus touched down in the entryway, Sirius charged out of the kitchen, wand in hand. "Bloody hell Remus, we thought you were a death eater." He quickly put his wand away and welcomed his friend inside.

"Sirius, I'm terribly sorry to trouble you-"

"Remus?" Marlene popped her head out from the hallway.

"-To trouble both of you. Hi Marlene." Remus had forgotten that his intrusion would inconvenience Marlene as well, but was very glad to see her. It was not uncommon to find Marlene staying at Sirius' house; they had practically moved in together. ("Not taking things too seriously" indeed.)

"It's no bother...you don't look too well," she observed, approaching him. "What's the matter?"

"Well...I've just spoken with Emmeline."

Both Marlene and Sirius made a face like they'd just watched Remus hit himself over the head with a beater's club. "Say no more, I'll put the kettle on," offered Marlene, starting towards the kitchen.

"To hell with the kettle Marlene, I'm grabbing the brandy." Sirius went to the cupboard while Marlene gingerly led Remus to the kitchen table. He reached for his pack of cigarettes and had already selected one when he was chastised quite hypocritically by Sirius: "Oi! Not in the house." Had Remus been in a better state, he would have taken great pleasure in pointing this out to him.

Remus finished the first brandy poured for him in one colossal gulp. Marlene glanced at Sirius apprehensively, but Remus had already set the glass back down in front of him, indicating that he wanted another. It seemed self-destruction was imminent, regardless of location or company. Sirius hesitated, but obliged.

They gave him some time to muster his words, but Remus didn't really know where to begin. So he just came out and said it.

"She was pregnant."

"What?!" they uttered in unison, gawking at him.

"She never told anybody." He supposed that maybe he shouldn't have told anybody either, but he thought that if he kept this to himself for one more moment, he might burst into flames.

Sirius reached across the table towards him. "Remus, is she okay? Are you okay?"

"I don't think I'm in a position to answer either of those questions right now."

Marlene sank down in her seat, recalling one of the conversations she and Emmeline had a few weeks prior. "I knew it had to be something more than 'I couldn't take the fighting anymore.' It just didn't seem like her to run away from the Order because she wasn't up to the fighting. She left because she was scared for the baby. Oh Emmie…"

"Wasn't that not long after-"

"I nearly killed Peter during a transformation? Yes," said Remus, finishing Sirius' sentence as well as his second drink. "That's why I thought she left." This time, he took the bottle for himself and poured another.

"...I was going to ask if it was not long after her dad died."

"...Good Lord, you're right." Remus didn't know it was possible to feel worse. He had completely forgotten to take into consideration that Emmeline's father had been murdered by death eaters during their final year at school, and that this had probably influenced her decision.

"Where's the baby now?" Marlene inquired. Remus couldn't bring himself to say that a child he had taken part in creating had ceased to exist, so he simply shook his head, which conveyed the message. Marlene's hand flew up to her mouth in sympathetic shock. "No," she breathed.

Sirius knew he could not fathom how something like this must feel, but laid his hand on top of Remus' comfortingly. "Remus, I...goodness. I'm so sorry."

"You two should have seen her," Remus croaked before emptying his third serving of brandy. "I've never watched her break like I just did…" He reached for the bottle again, but Sirius pushed it away from him.

"I think you should take it easy on the drink, mate."

Remus continued with an empty glass. "I've just spent so much time despising her that I never even considered…" An incessant guilt bubbled up inside of him, exacerbating the burning in his throat.

Marlene had a sudden epiphany. "Hang on. Why are you here?"

"What do you mean?" He knew he was intruding, but-

"Why are you here, and not with her?"

Remus grumbled vexedly, rubbing his eyes. "McLaggen showed up."

Again with the faces like he'd clubbed himself. "Can't imagine that went well," said Sirius.

"How perceptive of you, Padfoot."

Marlene shook her head in disapproval. "I must say, I was very annerved by the news of that engagement...and now it makes even less sense."

"To you and me both," Remus agreed, standing up and snatching the brandy from Sirius.

"Moony, don't-"

"I'm fine," he insisted, pouring another drink.

"...She's not really going to marry McLaggen, is she?" Sirius asked, grabbing the brandy bottle from him again.

After tonight's emotional whirlwind, that would be the icing on the whole bloody cake, wouldn't it? Remus couldn't stomach the idea, and washed it back down with a sip from his glass.

...

1976: Sixth Year, First Term

"Em...Emmeline!"

She was shaken awake by Lily, who had looked back to make sure that Dorcas, still asleep in the next bed over, had not stirred. Still half asleep herself, Emmeline squinted outside her window and saw the full autumn moon fading into the dawn.

"It's Remus."

That was all it took for her to shoot out of bed and race down to the common room with Lily close behind, both of them still in their pajamas.

They had placed him on the couch, writhing and whimpering in pain. Emmeline flew to his side and dropped to her knees, frantically searching for his injury. Underneath his jumper, she found a bruise the size of a dinner plate beginning to form on his torso.

"What the hell happened?!" she screeched, her hands hovering over the wound.

"Shhh!" Peter hissed. It wasn't yet six in the morning, and the rest of Gryffindor house was still fast asleep.

"He got into it with a bloody centaur," James panted, running his hands nervously through his hair. He was starting to develop a black eye.

"What were you thinking?! A centaur could have killed the lot of you!" Lily reprimanded them.

"Well it's not like we set out looking to fight one! Next month you're welcome to come try to reason with him!"

Peter stepped between them. "Will both of you pipe down?!"

Emmeline gently touched the purpling skin, causing Remus to cry out. "Shh, I'm sorry-,"

"He's going to wake up the whole castle!" whined Peter, pacing anxiously.

"No he isn't," Sirius assured him, having just limped back from the boys' dormitory with a small phial. Sirius poured the contents into Remus' mouth, and he instantly fell asleep. "I nicked some of the sleeping draught Fenwick uses for his insomnia."

"We have to get Madame Pomfrey. His ribs might be broken," Emmeline urged them, getting up and heading for the door. James blocked her way.

"Wait, wait, wait! We can't go to Madame Pomfrey, otherwise she might figure out how we took him out of the shack!"

"...You did WHAT?"

"Oh no," muttered Peter.

"You TOOK him out of the shack!?" she repeated, louder this time.

"SHHH!" All three boys hushed her in unison.

"Keep your voice down!" James snarled authoritatively. "Do you WANT everyone in Gryffindor tower to find out about him?!"

Emmeline took a menacing stride towards him which caused James to retreat back behind the couch. Not only was she especially protective of Remus, she was almost as tall as James and a beater on the Quidditch team, so he wasn't incredibly interested in sticking around to find out what she might do if she got her hands on him.

Lily gawked at the boys, baffled. "Why did you do that?!"

"He hates it in there! We leave all the time, he's completely tame," Sirius explained, defending James.

"Apparently not around centaurs. If you're going to go galavanting off, you have to take into consideration that you're not the only creatures roaming about the forest."

"Again Evans, when YOU become an illegal animagus, I'll let you come down and boss us around all you want. Until then,-"

"Potter, if you don't-"

"Look," Sirius interjected, breaking up their argument. "He was calm last night and we thought he'd be okay."

Emmeline turned and jabbed Sirius in the chest then pointed to Remus. "Does he look okay to you!? He can't just get up and go to Herbology like this!"

"Does anybody know any healing spells?" Peter inquired.

Lily shook her head in dismay. "Maybe if he had a broken nose, but we don't learn any advanced spells until next year."

"What if we nab one of the seventh years' spellbooks?"

"No. Even if we tried one of those spells, we could end up making him worse. Maybe I should go get Sev-"

"We are NOT asking Snivellus for help. I can't believe you would suggest it, the two of you aren't even friends anymore."

"James, I TOLD you to stop calling him that, and he knows more spells than all of us combined."

"We don't need him."

"I hate to say it, but Snape is too clever," Sirius conceded. "If we get him, he might figure out what Remus is."

Emmeline gestured desperately back to Remus. "Are you three really going to leave him like this just so you can avoid suspicion? LOOK at him. He HAS to go to the hospital wing. I don't care what lie you tell to get him there, just tell one."

James looked back at Remus' injury. It did look pretty critical. "Okay, fine," he agreed. "You get her Peter, since you're the least scraped up. Tell her you found him like that and carried him up, I guess."

Peter shook his head vigorously. "I don't think I can lie convincingly to Madame Pomfrey, she never believes me when I fake sick to get out of class-,"

"Merlin's beard, I'll just go!" Lily announced, storming out of the common room, confident that she would be able to fabricate the most persuasive lie. Emmeline trotted back to kneel by Remus and took his hand as they waited for help to arrive.

...

Twelve hours later, Remus awoke groggily in the hospital wing. His eyes fluttered open to find Emmeline sitting quietly at his bedside with a book in hand. He attempted to sit up, but a sharp pain on his right side caused him to grunt.

Realizing he was awake, Emmeline tossed her Tolstoy aside and slowly lowered him back onto the mattress. "Don't try to get up. Madame Pomfrey fixed up your ribs, but you've still got bruising from the internal bleeding. She said you just about punctured a lung."

Confused, Remus carefully lifted his t-shirt and looked down at himself, ogling at the large purple and red splotch on his ribcage. In the darkest spot, he could make out what looked like two large hoof marks. "What've I done this time?"

Emmeline pulled his shirt down for him and lifted the covers back over his body. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to pick fights with centaurs?"

"Oh for pity's sake," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Is everybody else alright? Did Madame Pomfrey ask questions?"

"The others just have some minor bruises and a sprained ankle, so she bought the Quidditch practice excuse. You got the worst of it."

"Oh, good."

"No, it's NOT good. Suppose it had kicked you in the head instead?" She lowered her voice. "You shouldn't go wandering outside the shack when you're in that state, it's not safe."

He clenched his teeth. "You have no idea what it's like to be shut up in there..."

Sympathizing with his frustration, her tone softened and she changed the subject. "Everyone else was here earlier, but they've just gone to dinner. We brought your school work from today." She motioned to a few pages of parchment on the nightstand next to him. Sitting atop the stack was a small wrapped rectangle of chocolate.

"Aren't you supposed to be at dinner as well?"

She blinked rapidly a few times. "Wasn't hungry," she lied, clearing her throat to mask the sound of her growling stomach.

Remus observed the rest of the hospital wing. There was only one other occupied bed at the end of the hall accommodating someone who appeared to have a case of the mumblemumps. He shifted uncomfortably on his cot. "Merlin almighty, I feel like I'm burning up."

"Really?" She asked, moving from the chair to the side of the cot. "Let me see." Instinctually, she pressed her lips to his forehead like her mother had done for her, leaving them there for a few moments to feel his temperature.

Caught off guard, Remus felt his heart begin to pound in his chest. It was thumping so hard that he was sure it would break his ribs all over again. The warmth of her breath on his skin and the scent of her jasmine perfume had his insides flipping like a gymnast on a balance beam.

Realizing the affectionate nature of what she'd done, Emmeline suddenly felt very foolish and pulled away from him. "Well," she started, her eyes darting away. "You don't have a fever, so-"

"Wait," Remus said, barely above a whisper.

Slowly, her hopeful eyes came back to meet his. "...Yes?"

He could feel himself flushing bright pink. Remus hadn't the confidence to date or fool around with girls like James or Sirius, but Emmeline had really been there for him over the last year and he had developed a bit of a crush on her. Those hazel eyes of hers…they seemed to pierce right through him, and Remus could not explain why he found it to be so frightening.

"...It's nothing, forget it."

Emmeline let out the breath she had been holding on to. "...Oh."

"Remus you daft duffer, you blew it!" he thought, clenching his fists under the covers. He had mucked up his chance, and didn't know if he'd ever have the nerve to seize another one. He noticed Emmeline straighten back up and cast her gaze disappointedly down at her shoes. Wait...why did she look disappointed? Had she wanted to...?

"...Emmeline?" he choked out, changing his mind.

She whipped her head back up to face him. "Yes?" she said, more eagerly this time.

Oh God. No going back now. "Actually, there was something-" And just then, Emmeline leaned forward and gave him a soft, clumsy kiss.

It was over in an instant. They remained frozen with their faces close to each other, still not sure what had just happened. In the time it took for him to blink, Emmeline had jumped to her feet and was headed swiftly towards the door.

She had never kissed anybody before.