Circle the Drain | R. LUPIN

7 | broken hearts and borrowed love

R E M U S  L U P I N

Remus had been playing the conversation he had with Sirius on repeat since that night. What did it mean? Was it over between them? Was that supposed to be his closure? His sight trained on the floor ahead of him. He had been walking around like this since Reggie had died. He didn't know what to do with himself and he hadn't fully wrapped his head around the situation.

"Oi, Lupin!" an all too familiar voice shouted. Okay, he thought to himself as he slowed down, He had officially lost it. "Get over here and give Ophelia a hug for me, would you?"

His head shot up. When his eyes landed on the boy his eyes widened. While he had a rather grotesque bite on his neck and he was transparent, it looked exactly like Reggie. He shook his head slightly, taking a moment to process what was happening.

Reggie had just said something to him. The dead Reggie who had been gone for almost a month now had just talked to him. Reggie was a ghost?

He snapped out of his trance and made his way to the other side of the corridor. He looked around to see if anyone else thought this was as bizarre as he did but the only person who seemed to notice Reggie was Ophelia.

"What-" he began but cut himself off, shaking his head. "You're a ghost?"

"No, I came back from the dead," he retorted and Remus narrowed his eyes. "Too soon?" he inquired before nodding, answering his own question. "I'll give it a few weeks."

Ophelia wiped the tears that had slipped out from her face and cleared her throat. Remus stared at the ghost in awe. His neck was torn from the bite but it was him. More or less.

"You see him too?" Ophelia inquired, trying to figure out if this was really happening.

"I think so?" he replied as he looked the ghost up and down. It had come out more as a question, "No, he's definitely here."

"I do have one question," Reggie announced. "Does being a ghost make me look fat?" Remus and Ophelia exchanged a look. It was definitely him. His head perked up and he looked off in the distance, "I have to go but I will see you later."

Before either of them could reply, he vanished. Ophelia shook her head as she slowly turned to face Remus, "That was..."

"Weird," he finished for her and she nodded in agreement. "But also-"

"Wonderful," she finished. They knew it was selfish because Reggie being here meant he wasn't going to the light or whatever but they didn't care. Because he was here.

Ophelia flung her arms around Remus's neck and he stumbled back slightly. He wrapped his arms around the girls waist after a moment, "It's crazy but it is wonderful."

She laughed into his neck before pulling away with a grin on her face, "Agreed."

Remus had parted ways with Ophelia, off to find his friends to tell them the news. "Hey," Sirius said, "I'm heading to the library to find James, did you want to come?"

He was offputed, not expecting that to come out of his mouth. So that conversation had been it then? They were done. Remus felt a lump form in his throat, his stomach growing heavy but he forced himself to nod.

They made their way to the library in silence. As Remus opened the door, Ophelia came running out. They turned in to find James who appeared frustrated.

"What happened?" Sirius asked from behind him, watching the girl's retreating figure in confusion.

"I have no idea," James huffed. "I said the wrong thing?" he assumed although it certainly felt like it had been a lot more than. He took a step forward, "Maybe I should try and talk to her."