Beauty and the Beast (Remus Lupin)

68.

Sure enough, Fred was right. Remus rushed over to the burrow as fast as he could. But here they sat in front of everyone who was waiting for some sort of explanation.

"So, why didn't you tell us anything?" Fleur was the first to ask.

She didn't sound mad like Rose had expected. Rose was really Fleurs only friend at the burrow. Even though Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were warming up to her, they were still a bit distant.

And through it all, both girls were there for one another. So this must've felt like a slap in the face.

"We wanted to. Ro just wanted to wait till after the wedding." Remus explained, "She wanted you two to have your moment."

"Please, growing up in a family of seven kids hardly calls for certain moments." Fred joked.

"Fred!" Mrs. Weasley warned.

"He's kinda right mum." Bill agreed, "I mean we all kinda took over our big things. Like quidditch, and then Ginny being born. That alone lasted all this time."

"I can't believe Hermione knew and I didn't." Ron said.

"You're upset because you didn't know ONE thing? I didn't even know they had gotten together until months later." Harry said.

"So what? This is exciting news!" Mrs. Weasley said.

"Very. Oh, can you imagine? If one of your kids gets married with one of ours?" Fleur asked.

Bill and Remus shared the same terrified look.

"Oh, funny." Rose nervously laughed, "that would be great if this was years...years...and a few more years down the road..."

"I just hate that such a happy occasion had to be ruined by Rita Skeeter." Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes.

"Face it mum, look at her name." George said.

"She's like a mosquito...but instead she sucks all the life out of you for her own good." Fred added.

"Harry knows a thing or two." Hermione said, "I still know she's an illegal animagus. I can report her you know?"

"It's fine. She's done enough damage." Rose said, "maybe we should get along with Harry's birthday."

~

They all sat outside ready to sing happy birthday to Harry. He was officially 17 and of age in the wizarding world. Everyone went to celebrate, including Hagrid.

It was nice to see everyone. It was really the first moment any of them enjoyed seeing one another after the 7 Harry attacks.

The atmosphere seemed more at ease, especially now more so than ever since Rose and Remus were openly married. Though they wished they would've done things differently, they couldn't have asked for better people to share it with.

And Madam Delacour took a particular interest in Remus.

"The scar, it's so familiar to Bills. It looks very manly, I'd say." Madam Delacour told them, "I don't know why either of you two would try to hide it."

Rose smiled at a nervous Remus. No one had ever been so upfront with him like she's being. But Remus being Remus tried his hardest to sound kind to her. Though, she had only just met him. He knew she wasn't trying to be blunt.

Then Mrs. Weasley came out levitating the cake towards the table. Everyones attention moved towards the giant snitch cake that was heading to them.

"That looks great!" Harry said.

"Oh, it was nothing." Mrs. Weasley smiled as she set it down.

"Yeah, before Rose exploded the flour." Ginny laughed.

"It explains a lot now though, considering she always gets extremely clumsy when she's stressed." Harry mentioned.

"Mhm. Like when she nearly killed you before the lake task." Ron said.

"We don't need to bring that up..." Rose said.

"I still will never be able to forget her attack Professor Flitwick. She shot him up in the air and Mcgonagall had to come in and yank him down." Ron laughed.

"We were in the middle of transfiguration when that happened." Fred joined in.

"That's right, you all followed along to watch." Harry reminded them.

"No counter spells worked too. Mcgonagall had never seen anything like it before." George laughed, "he was upside down for an hour."

Again, it felt like old times. They were all here talking, laughing, smiling, enjoying each other's company while shutting the world out. Just taking in as much as they could.

But in this world, you don't get these long moments of peace.

"I have to go." Remus stood up once the Minister of Magic made his way over to the burrow. "I'm sorry, Harry."

"We're sorry." Rose corrected him before they both hurried over to the fence. Once they got over it, Rose grabbed his hand and they apparated to her old house.

"You should've stayed." Remus said.

"I could've stayed. But you're what's important to me." Rose reassured him.

"The ministry is just getting stricter on werewolves everyday. It's almost as if Umbridge is overruling the Minister himself."

"But...That's what fear tends to do to people, you said it yourself. And since we've left so early, I suggest we rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."

"It's the wedding, right?"

"Yep...I should go look for the dress Fleur and Bill gave me. It's got to be somewhere." She started walking up the stairs.

"Maybe I should help?" He called from down below.

Smiling to herself, Rose answered, "that would be ideal."