***if you're over here going "hey wait she missed that one thing that happens on November 3rd" no I didn't keep reading you nerd.
From the playlist:
The Night We Met - Lord Huron
19th Nervous Breakdown - The Rolling Stones
I Only Want to Be with You - The Tourists
Something - The Beatles (continues into next chapter)
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's flat.
Thanks to a hefty sum of gold left to him by his Uncle Alphard, and the assistance of James's parents, Sirius had purchased a flat in Bromley two summers ago. Decent-sized, but not immodest; nothing like where Sirius had grown up. It sat on the first floor atop a divey pub aptly named "The Barrister's Bender," which the boys liked to frequent, especially when Padfoot played host. It was right in the heart of where muggles lived, with nobody around to tear down his posters, and just about the furthest thing from what his parents would've wanted for him - which was alright by Sirius.
When Remus touched down in the entryway, Clad in a Rolling Stones t-shirt, Sirius charged out of the kitchen, wand in hand. "Moony," he heaved gratefully, bringing his hand up to his chest and stashing his wand. "You gave me a right good scare."
"Padfoot, I'm terribly sorry to trouble you-"
"Remus?" Marlene poked her head out from the hallway.
He glanced at her apologetically. "To trouble both of you." Remus should've considered that his intrusion would almost certainly inconvenience Marlene as well, but was very glad to see her. It was not uncommon to find her spending the night here. ("Not taking things too seriously" indeed.)
"It's no bother...you don't look too well," she observed, approaching him.
"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," Marlene offered, passing Sirius on her way to the kitchen.
Sirius pivoted and followed after her. "To hell with the kettle Marley, I'm grabbing the brandy." He strode to the cupboard, motioning for Remus to sit at the kitchen table.
Settling into his seat, Remus reached for his Rothmans 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, but tapped the cigarette back in its pack nevertheless. He'd step out to smoke it later. Or more likely, the whole bloody pack. "I just wasn't sure what to do with myself."
"S'okay mate, you know you're always welcome." Sirius returned from the cupboard and slid a glass to Remus. He then set down two more for himself and Marlene, uncorking the brandy bottle with his teeth and pouring a dram in each of the glasses.
Before Sirius even had a chance to sit, Remus finished the first pour in one colossal gulp.
Sirius twisted around to where Marlene was leaning against the counter and they shared an apprehensive glance; 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.
"So what'd she have to say?" he asked, taking a sip from his own glass.
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 it to himself for one more moment, he might burst into flames.
Sirius blinked to get his eyes to focus. "…That's…fucking hell, that's a plot twist."
"That's one way of putting it."
"You do know there are charms to prevent that, right?" he wondered, as this would not have been the first time Sirius had to catch Remus up to speed on sex ed.
"Yes, but it's a bit late now," he jeered.
Marlene came away from the counter to sit at the table, recalling a conversation she'd had with Emmeline. "I knew it had to be something more than the fighting. It just didn't seem like her to run because she wasn't up to fight." She remembered how hard she'd been on Emmeline, and sank into her seat. "She left because she was scared for the baby. Oh Emmie…"
Sirius swirled the contents of his glass uncomfortably. "So are you…you know…the father?"
Marlene thwacked his arm. "Of course he's the father, you arsehole!"
"I don't know, I wasn't there for the deed!"
"I'm n-not-…" Remus stuttered, "Well I was, I think, but not anymore…"
Sirius furrowed his brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"…She was pregnant…but it didn't-…it never-…" Remus didn't really know how to say it. He looked to Marlene for assistance.
It hit her before it hit Sirius, and she clutched her stomach. "…Oh…Oh no..."
Sirius turned to her for clarification.
"It bled away?" she whispered, her eyes still on Remus.
He nodded.
"Rowena have mercy," she exhaled.
Sirius's lips had parted in shock, and he sat up in his seat. "Remus, that's…that's a lot."
"Is she okay?" Marlene laid her hand on top of Remus's.
But he pulled his hand away. "I don't know," he croaked before emptying his second serving of brandy. "I don't think I've ever seen her break like that, not even after her father…"
"I can imagine her dad was probably a big part of the reason she wanted to get the hell out of town," Sirius concluded.
"...Good Lord, you're right." Remus didn't know it was possible to feel worse. Emmeline's father had been caught in the crossfire of a Death Eater attack during their final year at school, and this had probably influenced her decision to leave. He reached for the bottle again, but Sirius pushed it away from him.
"I think you should take it easy on the drink, mate."
He continued with an empty glass. "I've just spent so much time resenting her, I never thought this might have been her reason…" An incessant guilt bubbled up inside of him, exacerbating the burning in his throat. "I figured that, after we moved in together, she realized she couldn't live with my condition."
"See, you'd said that, but Em never had any disillusions about who you are. It didn't make any sense to me," Sirius admitted.
Marlene had a sudden realization. "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."
"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.
Remus couldn't stomach the idea, so he washed it back down with another sip from his glass.
...
1976: Sixth Year, First Term
"Em...Emmeline!"
She was shaken awake by Lily, who looked back to make sure that Mary, still asleep in the next bed over, had not stirred. 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 dropped to her knees at his side, frantically searching for his injury. The bottom hem of his jumper had lifted up, revealing only a fraction of a bruise the size of a dinner plate that was beginning to form on his torso. Whatever happened to him had taken place too close to the sunrise. Something hadn't set right after he changed back, and his human form was suffering the consequences.
"What the hell happened?!" she screeched, her hands hovering over him.
"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 anxiously 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?!"
While trying to discern the origin of the injury, Emmeline inadvertently pressed down on the purpling skin, causing Remus to cry out. "Shh, I'm sorry-"
"He's going to wake up the whole castle!" whined Peter.
"No he isn't," Sirius assured them, having just limped back from the boys' dormitory with a small phial. With Emmeline's help, he unclenched Remus's jaw and poured the contents into his mouth, instantly knocking him unconscious.
Emmeline shot Sirius a terrified glance. "What did you just give him?"
"I nicked some of the sleeping draught Fenwick uses for his insomnia," he replied, examining the bottle. "I didn't know it was that strong-"
"Well did you read the dosage?" asked Lily, snatching the phial to examine the label.
"In hindsight, that probably would've been wise-"
"One-quarter phial, Sirius-!"
"Oh shit-"
"SHH!" James and Peter shushed them.
"We have to get Madame Pomfrey," Emmeline urged them, getting up and heading for the door. James blocked her way.
"Wait, wait, wait! We can't go to Madame Pomfrey! She might figure out how we take him out of the shack!"
"...You 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, but James retreated back behind the couch. Not only was she especially protective of Remus, she was also nearly 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. "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 animagus, I'll let you come down and boss us around all you want. Until then-"
"Potter, if you don't-"
"Okay look," Sirius interjected. "He was calm 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?"
"Even if we tried one of those spells, we could end up making him worse."
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's injury, thinking. Madame Pomfrey was as clever as they come, but even she would have to jump through a lot of hoops to figure out their secret. And Remus was in really bad shape… "…Okay, yeah, you're right," he agreed. "You get her Peter. You're the least scraped up. Tell her you found him like that and brought him back. If we're lucky, she'll chalk it up to an opportune moment with the Willow…"
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 as she stormed 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 reading silently at his bedside with A Tale of Two Cities 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 the Dickens aside and slowly helped lower him back onto the mattress. "Don't try to get up. Madame Pomfrey reset your ribs, but it still left you with some bruising. She said you just about punctured a lung."
Disoriented, Remus carefully lifted the sheet with one hand and the bottom of his t-shirt with the other, then looked down at himself. He ogled at the large purple and red splotch on his ribcage and abdomen, where in the darkest spot, he could make out what appeared to be two large hoof marks. "What've I done this time?"
"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to pick fights with centaurs?" she reprimanded him quietly.
"Oh for Godric's sake," he sighed, squeezing his eyes shut in exasperation. "Is everybody else alright? Did Madame Pomfrey ask questions?"
"She bought James's Quidditch practice excuse. I think Sirius is going to come back tomorrow saying he rolled his ankle 'on the stairs' to space out the injuries a bit. You got the worst of it."
"Okay, that's good."
"No, it's NOT good. Suppose he had kicked you in the head instead?" She lowered her voice further. "You shouldn't be 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..."
Trying to empathize with his frustration, she softened her tone and 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.
"Aren't you supposed to be at dinner as well?"
"Wasn't hungry," she fibbed.
Remus surveyed the rest of the hospital wing. There was only one other occupied bed at the very end of the hall, and by the looks of it, the patient had a case of the mumblemumps. He shifted uncomfortably on his cot, propping himself up on his elbows. "Merlin almighty, I feel like I'm burning up."
"Are you?" she asked, wondering if a fever warranted fetching Madame Pomfrey, and moving from the chair to the side of the bed to check. Instinctually, she pressed her lips to his forehead like her mother used to do 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 lips 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 pulled away from him. "Well," she started, her eyes darting elsewhere. "You don't have a fever, so-"
"Wait," Remus beckoned, barely above a whisper.
Slowly, her hopeful eyes came back to meet his.
He could feel himself flushing bright pink. Remus had neither the freedom nor the confidence to mess around with girls like James or Sirius; but Emmeline had really been there for him over the last year, and even though he knew he shouldn't, he had developed a bit of a crush on her. Her eyes 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'd been holding on to.
"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 muster 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 her name, changing his mind.
Eagerly, she whipped her head back up. "Yes?"
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.
Remus just stared after her, feeling warm all over. He wasn't sure; but he thought he might've just kissed a girl.
Leaning back onto the mattress, he looked up at the ceiling, waiting for his brain to catch up to the rest of him.
Yes, now he was sure of it.
He did.
He'd kissed Emmeline Vance.
No; even more astonishing than that.
Emmeline Vance had kissed him.
An idiotic grin slowly crept its way across his face.
He wasn't sure he'd ever get to have a first kiss, maybe for good reason. But he didn't want to ponder that right now. He just wanted to replay it over and over in his mind.
It wasn't scripted or rehearsed. He hadn't led with some romantic pick up line like Cary Grant. He hadn't even been standing up for it. It wasn't at all like the black and white films he'd grown up on.
It was better.
It was perfect.