Her Single Rose (Remus Lupin)

Forty-Eight

Aries didn't feel any better throughout the day when Sirius forced her to go to classes.

She wouldn't pay attention, wouldn't do work, and tried multiple times to sneak back down to her dorm.

It was up until she cancelled her tutoring session and tried to reschedule with Remus when he had to drag her up to his dorm.

"I'm in physical pain, I shouldn't have to think." Aries grumbled as he opened up his textbook.

She followed suit with a sigh and realized she forgot her glasses again. Aries looked up to Remus hoping to make an excuse but he had already taken a pair of James and was holding them out for her expectantly.

"You know me too well." She muttered suspiciously as she took the glasses and slid on the pair. "Thank you though, I feel like I don't say that enough." She admitted.

"Your welcome, now let's get back to studying, shall we." He asked.

"Alright, so there's a difference between Werewolves and Lycanthropes. Werewolves are completely covered in hair and Lycanthropes have none, there skin and bone." She told him.

"That's good, what else?" He asked.

"Lycanthropes don't normally try to physically injure any other animals, their main goal is to get to people." She told him.

The mood seemed to break off into a depressant.

"There's no cure for the disease, but there is a solution." She told him, making his head snap up. "The solution is called Wolfsbane, it doesn't cure a lycanthrope, but allows for the one to have their own mind and be able to know what it's doing while in their changed form. Though the transition is still painful." She told him.

"You found a solution?" He asked breathlessly, disbelief written all over his face.

"Yeah, the wolfesbane. But it's supposedly really hard to make, and all the ingredients are extremely expensive. I had to look in three different sections to find the book that states it." His expression didn't fall as she rambled on.

The only thing that was on his mind was the fact that the girl he cared the most for just found him the closest he could get to a cure.

He leaned in, grasping her face and pulling his lips into hers, stopping her from speaking another word.

Remus didn't know what to say, he was in shock, excited, nervous, he was thrilled and couldn't contain the level of happiness he was feeling, he felt so cared for. He was eager to show her the same once they went on their date.

The kiss was far from hungry, it was passionate, relief, loving. It was nothing that Aries was expecting, but she melted into it nonetheless.

Not a moment later did the door swing open and the boys walk in, the two separated, Aries getting bit by accident on her lip as they pulled apart.

"Blimey. Guys can we not be walking into makeout sessions please?" James whined. Peter looked as red as a ripe apple, Sirius was glaring at Remus.

"You bit my lip." Aries deadpanned as she touched her lip, a small drop of blood came out of it.

Remus swiped his thumb over the cut but shrugged. "You're fine." He said simply before getting off the bed and taking her notes with him and shoving them into James hands.

"There's a solution, wolfsbane, it'll keep me sane." Remus breathed out in relief. Excitement all over his face again.

Aries laid on Remus's bed, pain shooting through her abdomin all over again. James went ecstatic. "This is great, Moony...but all these ingredients, does that say four hours?" James said, though his excitement came back.

"Now this, this is great news, Moony." Sirius said clapping his friend on the back, "though I thought I told you, no more than snogging." He whispered to Remus.

Remus tensed beside him the day after the Halloween Ball present in his mind as he looked over to Aries now sleeping figure. "We were just studying, got a bit excited. Nothing more." He said relaxing his shoulders.

"I just don't want to wake up to tiny Lupins running around." Sirius told him as James and Peter quietly praised Aries notes.

"Trust me, that won't happen for a long, long time." Remus chuckled.

——————

Aries woke up, once again, confused where she was. A blanket had been pulled over her, and her ponytail had been pulled out.

Aries remembered that she had stayed in her brothers dorm that night and fell asleep. She also noticed the head of chocolate brown hair on the ground by the bed.

A pillow under his head and a blanket reaching just above his hips. His shirt was laying on the ground near his head while he snored softly.

His back was scarred with healed over cuts and bruises, she couldn't help but step out of the bed and lay beside him. She ran a finger over each scar, careful not to wake him as she did so.

Aries felt around one cut, it looked like it had heeled over recently, she couldn't help but wonder if it had been from the last full moon.

"You know it's rude to stare." Remus's voice startling her as she pulled her hand back slightly, her curiosity locking back under a wall she had held up.

"I'm sorry, I was just..." she ran a hand over her lip and smiled slightly when she felt over her cut.

"Curious?" He asked, sitting up slightly as he lifted his thumb like he had the day before and swiped over it slightly. "How's the lip." Remus asked.

"Never better." She said rolling her eyes slightly. "How are you?" Aries asked as she traced circles on her leg.

"Never better." He mocked.

She smiled, chuckling slightly, but decidedly stood up. "Classes don't start for another three hours and I'm not going in for a Hospital Wing shift today, so c'mon and get more sleep." She told him before getting on the bed and under the covers.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked, hesitantly getting on the bed.

"If I wasn't I wouldn't have asked, now stop trying to be a gentlemen and get on the bed." She told him, "no guy of mine is going to be sleeping on the ground." She shook her head.

I'm her guy...

Aries smiled as she read his thoughts. To Aries, Remus was smart, handsome, playful, and a great teacher. She honestly didn't know how much better the two could get.

She moved her body closer to his for more warmth, laying her head on his chest, listening to his quick heartbeat.

While she did so, Remus's hand felt underneath her sweater gently caressing her back in strokes up and down to make her body relax more.

As soon as she did, he felt her body go fully limp with soft snores able to be heard. Looking down at her, Remus felt everything in his body begin to grow and flutter. She looked so angelic and soft and calm. Almost fragile. Suddenly he felt protective, a new emotion bubbling in his system. He wanted to protect her from pain, from hurt, from her parents at that wretched house.

He also realized at the pit of his stomach that he wasn't able to protect her in such a way as just a friend. He wanted the label of more. The title of a boyfriend and...with much hope and time...the title of husband.

On their next date, he made a promise to himself that he would ask her to become his girlfriend.