Marauders One Shots

Full Moon (R.L./LE)

Warnings: mentions of food

Word count: 1.4k

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He always went away for it; didn't want you anywhere near him when he transformed. You understood why, but you also wanted nothing more than to be with him through the full moon. There had been argument after argument over it, but the minute he turned to you with fear in his eyes and whispered about how he would never be able to forgive himself if he harmed even one hair on your head, you stopped arguing and you finally understood that his love for you surpassed the hatred he felt for the monster within.

It never made it any easier though. The week leading up to the full moon would be full of anxiety, full of preparation on his end. It never mattered how many moons you had sat through; you would always be a ball of fear and anxiety until he returned home to you.

The week of the full moon, Remus would press kiss after kiss to your face before leaving. You had packed his bag enough times to know that he would have enough with him for you not to worry too much.

While he was away, you tried to keep busy, but your mind would always drift back to wondering about his wellbeing – was he okay, was he eating enough, was he warm enough. Thoughts like this would run through your mind all day and night, making sleep near enough impossible. Remus had asked you once why you stayed with him when he was a monster, a beast – you hushed him with a kiss and told him that no matter the monster, no matter the challenge, you would remain by his side through it all for he wasn't a monster to you; he was simply a man that you had fallen in love with and you would take the rough with the smooth any day rather than live a day without him.

The front door clicks open and you are up from the couch in an instant, meeting Remus halfway. The first thing you do is look him up and down, checking for any major injuries that need attending to immediately.

A small smile spreads across Remus' face once he realises what you are doing, "Nothing major – a few scratches and I'll be a bit stiff for a few days."

You nod, not trusting your voice for the time being. Instead, you pull him into a hug, burying your face against his chest, just needing that closeness.

The both of you stand there for a few minutes; you with your face hidden in his chest, him with his face hidden in your hair. Simply, taking each other in again. The routine was always the same, you would always do this, and he knew that, and he was more than happy to entertain it.

You pull away first, dragging Remus to the bathroom attached to your bedroom so you can get a good look at the scratches he mentioned earlier. In the light of the bathroom, you finally get a good look at the love of your life; and he looks tired. Your heart starts to break at the sight of him – Remus has aged beyond his years, he has scars that litter his body and bags under his eyes that no amount of sleep will ever fix, but looking at him now, you're even more in love with him than you were when he left.

Remus takes a seat on the edge of the bath as you grab the first aid kit from the cupboard above the sink. The first thing you pull out of the kit is a bar of chocolate; something for him to focus on as you clean his scratches to stave off any infection.

He grimaces as you clean his cuts, but he doesn't say anything. Neither of you do through this bit – the emotions are too high and a word from the other will likely set off unwanted tears.

When that is over, you take his hand and pull him into the bedroom where the bed has laid untouched for a week. Remus asked you about this once and had kissed you senseless when you told him that you refused to sleep in a bed where he wasn't with you. Now, though, he squeezes your hand in a form of comfort and lets you sit him on the edge of the bed.

He dresses in the pyjamas you give him, then pulls you into a hug. He presses kisses to your head before finally seeking out your lips – it's unhurried, but passionate. A week's worth of emotions being poured into an instant moment.

You pull away, whispering, "I'm glad you are home, but you need sleep."

Remus nods, "As always, my love, you are correct."

You smile up at him, "Get into bed, I'll have breakfast waiting when you wake."

Remus kisses you again - slowly, sweetly. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"You were you, Mr. Lupin. Now come on, into bed. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

Remus shakes his head, his grip on you becoming tighter, "No, stay please. It was a rough one."

You look up at him, taking in the look in his eyes, but also the new lines on his face that seem to have sprig up overnight. You brush a hand over his cheek, and he leans into your touch as you murmur, "Okay, I'll stay."

The both of you get into bed; Remus immediately pulls you to him so his front lines up against your back. He wraps an arm around your waist and grabs one of your hands. The first few nights after the full moon involve being wrapped in Remus' arms through the whole night. The aftermath of the full moon leaves Remus feeling touch starved, and he craves physical contact.

Remus sighs happily as he places a kiss to your hair, and it isn't long before his breathing evens out. You fall asleep quickly after that, feeling content with Remus being home safe and sound.

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You wake before Remus as you always do after a full moon. You leave him in bed, knowing that he more than deserves the extra hours of sleep he's going to get over the next few days, and head downstairs to the kitchen. Looking through the fridge, you decide to cook a full English breakfast despite the fact that it was coming to late afternoon. It is easy to fall into the same routine – at this point in your relationship, it is engrained in your very being to have enough food cooked for when Remus wakes.

You are plating up the food when a pair of arms wrap themselves around your waist. You relax back into them, relishing in the feeling of Remus.

"Have I told you how much I love you?" Remus asks.

"After every full moon."

"It's true though. I love you very much, I didn't think I would ever find anyone who would accept me the way you do, and you do it so gracefully."

You turn in his arms, wrapping your arms around his waist, "Remus, I love you. I will always love you. The full moons are an add on that we simply have to deal with every month. They do not change my feelings for you in the slightest."

Remus ducks his head, blushing. Even after all this time, he still wasn't used to your feelings for him. He never believed that he would get to experience a healthy relationship such as this. His feelings for you completely overwhelmed him on the best of days – he knows that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you, and he could only hope that you felt the same especially since there was a ring box hidden behind one of the bookshelves in the living room.

You lean up on your tip toes to kiss him, "Come on, let's eat."

Remus nods, reaching behind you to grab the plates of food. Every now and then, Remus likes to thank every god and deity out there for bring you into his life for since your arrival he finds it easier to cope with everything; he finds it easier to breath as if the whole world isn't going to collapse in on him any minute.

Full moons will always be hard, and he will always struggle with them, but the load is lightened when he knows that you are at home waiting for his return.