Reading Between The Lines ~ Remus Lupin

chapter 17

Monday, 6 December 1976

Remus Lupin was in a foul mood. The weather was bloody awful, his professors were bothering, and his friends were getting on his nerves. But to be fair to the weather, his professors, and his friends, Remus Lupin was always in a foul mood the day of the full moon. In the days leading up to the full moon, Remus would become aggressive, possessive and easily irritated. Anything could set him off.

He didn't want to see anyone so he remained alone in his dorm room as friends did Merlin knows what. He laid on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head as he scowled at the ceiling. He was about to doze off when he heard a knock on the door. Remus groaned and ignored it. He assumed the person who knocked on the door would just walk away. He assumed wrong.

The person at the door knocked again.

Remus shot up and growled, "Come in."

The door flung open and Remus hid his scowl and hoped whatever anger that was on his face would fade away after he saw Lena standing in the doorway. Remus wasn't angry with Lena and he hated the thought of her thinking he did. She was trying to hide her smile by biting her lower lip as she entered the room.

"Guess what," she said as she approached him. She stopped biting lip and graced him with her beaming smile.

"What?" he replied in a calmer, lighter tone than he thought he was going to be able to muster.

She sat cross-legged behind him on the bed and moved her right arm in front of him and shook a piece of parchment in front of him. "Look! I got an A on the Binns quiz you helped me study for!"

She kissed him on his left cheek out of excitement. Whatever anger he was feeling all day dissipated. Her kiss sent him soaring. Yes, Lena had kissed him before but only ever as a hello or goodbye or as a source of comfort, like how a parent would kiss their child's scrapes and bruises. She had never kissed him out of pure happiness before. Remus knew it was silly to get so overjoyed about a kiss from a girl who only saw him as a friend, but still he was happy.

Remus turned around on the bed to face Lena who was rambling. "—And I know it's just an A, which is barely passing, and most people get higher than As, but I am so pleased right now."

Remus let out a laugh and hugged. "An A is nothing to scoff about, Lena. And I'm so happy for you. You should be really proud of yourself."

Lena blushed as Remus pulled away from her. "I'm just— thank you so much for helping me when you didn't even have to. I could not have done this without you."

"Yes, you could have. And I wanted to help."

Lena grinned. "Where's everyone else? I want to tell Peter that I got an A."

Remus did not want to tell Lena that had been angry and aggressive all day due to the full moon. He did not want Lena to see the angry side of him, his werewolf side. So he lied.

"They left so I could get some rest before tonight. I don't really get any rest during the full moon."

Lena's widened in realization that it was the full moon. "Oh, I forgot it was tonight. I'll leave so you can rest."

Remsus grew slightly possessive. He did not want her to leave. "No, stay for a while."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Lena paused and patted the bed. "At least lie down."

Remus turned around and put his back to her. He laid down and the back of his head fell into Lena's lap. He looked up at her and she looked down at him, her hair forming a curtain around her face. He smiled up at her and she smiled back. She combed his light brown hair against his forehead with her fingers. Her touch put him at ease.