Remus returned to his quarters just after dawn. The full moon had drained him entirely, leaving his body aching and his mind heavy with exhaustion. As soon as he collapsed onto his bed, sleep claimed him. Today, he knew he would be incapable of anything more than resting—his body demanded it, and there was no arguing with that.
At some point during his restless sleep, the faint sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears, followed by the soft creak of the door. He stirred slightly but didn't bother opening his eyes. He assumed it was Madam Pomfrey, as she often checked in on him after his transformations, her concern a steady constant. He shifted slightly under the blankets, intending to drift back to sleep.
Then, a voice called out softly, one that wasn't Pomfrey's.
"Remus? Remus, are you asleep?"
Aurora.
His heart gave a small, tired flutter at the sound of her voice, but he didn't react outwardly. He thought about pretending to be asleep, but something about Aurora made pretense impossible. She always seemed to know.
"I am trying," he mumbled, his voice hoarse and muffled against the pillow.
"Merlin, I am sorry for intruding without asking," she said, stepping further into the room, "but I didn't want you to get up. How are you feeling?"
"I've been worse," he admitted. "Sorry, but I really need to sleep. You can stay."
Her voice softened, a quiet reassurance that felt like a balm. "I didn't mean to leave."
A faint smile curved Aurora's lips as she looked at him. Even though his eyes were closed, she could sense that he smiled back in his own subtle way.
The mattress dipped beside him, and he felt the faint pressure as Aurora sat down. A gentle warmth spread through him as her hand rested on his chest, lingering for a moment before moving to his face. Her touch was soft, unhurried, and soothing in a way that defied explanation.
Remus didn't mind it, quite the opposite. Her presence calmed the storm of lingering pain and restlessness that always followed the full moon. The weight of his burdens seemed to lift, even if only slightly, under the quiet strength of her care.
For the first time that morning, he felt like he could truly relax, the haze of exhaustion and unease fading into a background hum.
And then came the knock. Loud and sudden, it shattered the delicate peace they'd managed to create. Both of them froze, tension replacing the calm they had just shared.
Aurora sighed softly, standing to answer the door. Her steps were slow and reluctant, as though she wanted to preserve the moment a little longer.
Opening the door, she was met with a surprise she hadn't expected. Harry stood there, looking slightly sheepish, his gaze darting between her and the room behind her.
"Professor Moonridge?" he asked, his voice hesitant.
Aurora's brow furrowed slightly, but her tone remained gentle. "Is something wrong, Harry?"
"I... I just wanted to talk to Professor Lupin," Harry said, looking more confused than anything else.
"Professor Lupin is unavailable at the moment," Aurora replied carefully. She stepped slightly into the doorway, blocking Harry's view of the room behind her. "But I'll tell him you were here, okay?"
Harry nodded, though his expression was uncertain. "Okay, but..." He hesitated, his eyes flickering past her for a moment. "What are you doing here, Professor?"
Aurora didn't immediately answer, her mind racing for an explanation that wouldn't give away the personal nature of her visit.
"You know, Professor Moonridge..." Harry spoke again, his voice slightly hesitant but direct. "I don't think anyone would mind if you were in a relationship with Professor Lupin. It's really noticeable, Professor. Goodbye."
Aurora blinked, taken aback by Harry's words. She hadn't expected such bluntness from him. Of course, she had suspected the students might gossip about her and Remus, after all, their closeness hadn't gone unnoticed. But hearing it spoken so plainly, with such certainty, made her realize just how much attention they had attracted.
Harry turned on his heel and walked away, his footsteps echoing down the hallway, leaving Aurora standing there in stunned silence. She remained frozen for a moment, her mind reeling. Was it really that obvious? Had they truly been that careless?
With a deep breath, she slowly made her way back to Remus's bedroom, trying to move quietly, not wanting to disturb him. She was certain that he had already fallen asleep, the toll of the night's transformation likely leaving him utterly drained.
Aurora entered the room, carefully closing the door behind her. She took a moment to stand still, letting the weight of the conversation with Harry settle before moving to sit on the edge of the bed. The room was dim, filled only with the soft glow of early morning light filtering through the curtains. She gently took Remus's hand, his warmth still there despite the stillness of his sleep.
As she sat there, her thoughts drifted back to everything they had shared. She knew, deep down, that they were no longer just ordinary coworkers. There was something more, something that neither of them had dared to define, not yet. They had kissed a few times, but those moments had always felt natural, as if it was something they had both needed. And there were the times they stood just a little too close, their conversations stretching into hours as they spoke of things most would consider too intimate to share.
Still, they had never explicitly addressed what they were to each other. The unspoken understanding that hung between them made it difficult to pinpoint. Were they more than just friends? Were they a couple? Neither had voiced such a thing, and neither had pushed the other to answer. But Aurora couldn't help but feel a deep, undeniable connection, a bond that grew stronger every day.
Remus meant everything to her. There was something about him, his ability to understand her, to know what she needed without her even saying a word. He had an uncanny way of acting exactly as she needed him to, always knowing how to be there without being overbearing. It wasn't just the big things he did for her, but the small gestures, like how he always knew how to make her laugh when she was at her lowest.
In his presence, Aurora was always smiling, always laughing. There was never a time she felt worse when he was around. He had a way of turning the darkest moments into something brighter, something more bearable. Remus was, without question, the most wonderful man she had ever met. Perfect, in every sense of the word.
Aurora, in turn, was Remus's ray of sunshine. She was the light in his life, and he couldn't imagine a day without her. For the first time in over twelve years, he could truly smile, smile without the weight of the past bearing down on him. She made him feel things he had long buried—joy, laughter, peace. When she was near, the world around him seemed to fade away. The haunting images of his past, the faces of his lost friends, the guilt he carried, all of it disappeared when Aurora was there.
When Remus closed his eyes, there was no image of James lying dead on the floor in his head, no image from the Daily Prophet of Peter's mother receiving the Order of Merlin, which had been awarded to her only son, of whom nothing more than a finger remained. There was no image of Sirius laughing like a madman as he was thrown into Azkaban for life. And there was no image of Mary, whose naked, dead, and most likely raped body he had found in her house the night he had wanted to ask her to marry him. No. When Aurora appeared before his eyes, the world took on color. There was only her then, and only she mattered to him.
"Aurora, you didn't have to buy me anything. It's just a birthday," Remus protested, glancing at the small package in her hands.
"Just a birthday?" Aurora repeated, her voice gentle but firm. "Remus, you deserve to be celebrated, especially on your birthday."
Aurora had visited him in his classroom between lessons, determined to give him something meaningful. It wasn't anything extravagant, she wasn't interested in giving him some generic gift like a book, but rather something small and significant that might make him smile. That's when she had decided to enlist Harry's help. His mission was simple: find out what Remus's favorite sweet was.
Sweets might have been a cliché gift, but there was something special about giving someone their favorite treat. While a book might have been thoughtful, chocolate would delight not only his heart but also his stomach. It felt more personal, more warm.
"Open it already and stop complaining," Aurora urged with a teasing smile. "We don't have much time; the students will be here soon."
Remus hesitated for a moment, clearly about to protest again, but Aurora's words made him relent. He finally sighed loudly and carefully untied the ribbon. As soon as he opened the package and saw the chocolate bars inside, his eyes lit up in a way that was unmistakable.
"Merlin, Aurora! Thank you! How did you know I loved chocolate?" he exclaimed, his face breaking into a wide grin.
"I have a secret agent for special assignments, my little spy in your circles."Aurora smiled mysteriously "Your cub."
Remus blinked. "My... who?"
Aurora raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on, you know who I mean. Harry."
"My cub... I like that nickname," Remus said with a small laugh. "What's my nickname then?"
Aurora's lips curled into a sly smile. "I guess you're still Professor Lupin to him."
At her words, Remus's expression shifted slightly. His smile faltered, and for a brief moment, a shadow seemed to pass over his face. It was a fleeting change, but Aurora noticed it immediately. He looked down at the chocolate bars in his hands as though trying to hide something deeper.
"Remus? Are you okay?"
Remus sighed softly, his voice quieter now. "Yes, but... you know, when Harry was little, and his parents were still alive... I always dreamed that he'd look at me one day and call me 'Uncle Moony.'"
Aurora's eyes softened, her gaze gentle. "Moony? Why Moony?"
Remus chuckled wistfully, but there was a trace of sadness in his eyes. "That's what the Marauders called me. No one else did. To everyone else, I was Remus Lupin, Gryffindor Prefect, the shy, quiet kid. But to them, I was just Moony."
Aurora's smile appeared again, this time with a tinge of nostalgia. "You were a Gryffindor Prefect too?"
"Yes," Remus replied with a soft chuckle, clearly warmed by the memory. "Along with Lily. We made a pretty good team."
Aurora smiled at this information. Being Prefects suited the two of them so well.
"Why don't you suggest he call you 'Uncle Moony'?" Aurora asked, her tone light yet thoughtful.
Remus shook his head, his expression clouding just a little. "Because... no one has called me Moony in so many years. I'm not ready for him to do it. I don't think I'm ready for... that part of me to come back." His voice trailed off, a faint sadness lingering in his words.
Aurora didn't push him further, sensing that there was more to it than he was willing to share. Instead, she simply gave his hand a gentle squeeze, understanding that some wounds took longer to heal.
"Good morning, Professor!" Lucrecia called out cheerfully as she entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, accompanied by Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Her voice rang out with the energy of a bright, early day, filling the otherwise quiet room.
Lupin quickly let go of Aurora's hand, though the faint trace of a smile lingered on his face. His fingers tingled where they had just been intertwined with hers, a warmth he wasn't ready to let go of but knew he must.
"Hello," Lupin replied warmly, his voice calm and composed as he turned his attention to the students.
Aurora raised an eyebrow at Lucrecia, who gave her a knowing look. "Aurora, don't you have your own classes, by any chance?" Lucrecia asked, her tone slightly teasing.
"No," Aurora replied with an easy smile, clearly unfazed. "I have this hour free."
The corners of Lupin's lips twitched as though he were fighting the urge to chuckle. Aurora had a way of disarming people without even trying, her natural charm and warmth making her presence in the room feel like a ray of sunshine.
"Anyway," she continued, brushing an invisible piece of lint from her robes. "I won't bother you anymore, Professor Lupin. Have a nice day."
With that, she turned on her heel, her robes swishing lightly as she made her way toward the door. Passing Harry on the way out, she reached out and ruffled his already messy hair with playful affection.
Harry blinked in surprise, then grinned as Aurora winked at him, a gesture that carried a secret, shared understanding. It was so quick and lighthearted, but it left the boy feeling a little lighter, as though he were carrying something less heavy on his young shoulders.
As the door closed behind her, Lupin glanced at his students, who were all watching him with varying degrees of curiosity. He cleared his throat softly, his composure returning.
"Well then," he said, gesturing for them to take their seats, "We'll start as soon as the rest of you show up."