Forbidden | Remus Lupin

12. Bonds

Neither Poppy nor Remus attended classes on Friday. Remus had remained in his quarters, recuperating, whilst Poppy had been kept in the hospital wing until dinner.

News of the incident had quickly traveled around the school. Many theories occurred, the most popular being that Sirius Black had cursed her with the Crutiatus curse. Poppy quickly shut down these rumours and lied. She had told her peers that a younger student had jinxed her, a lie that everyone seemed to buy into it. Her Gryffindor companions were pleased to see her well. Ruby, despite having a distinct lack of interest in school, had collected her homework for her.

The following day was the weekend. Poppy had awoken bright and early. She quickly headed down to breakfast and had her fair share of toast with jam and a cup of tea. The majority of students were still in bed but Poppy was determined to spend as much time with Remus as she could this weekend.

Once she was full, she leaped up onto her feet and waltzed down towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom where Remus' quarters were near. Making sure no one was nearby to see her, she gave a light, but loud enough to hear, knock on the door.

A much better looking Remus answered the door. Poppy was pleased to see how much better he was looking. She stepped into the room, and once the door was closed, she immediately connected her lips with his. On her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning deeper into the kiss. His arms found their way around her waist and he held her tightly to his body. After a few moments, they pulled away, each out of breath.

"Good morning," Poppy breathed out. "I missed you."

He grabbed her hand and led her towards the bed. The pair both sat down and laid back, getting cozy under the covers.

"I missed you too, my love," he replied with his ever-so-kind smile.

Poppy grabbed his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. She then brought his hand up to her face and planted a soft, gentle kiss on his hand.

The two lay in peaceful silence, taking in each other's energy and basking in the love that radiated through their embrace. Poppy placed her head so it was resting on his shoulder and let out a sigh contentedly.

"I wish we didn't have to keep this a secret," Poppy said with a small huff. "Don't get me wrong, I love what we have. I just wish I could show us to the world. I wish the world wasn't so cruel."

Remus toyed with the ends of her long strands of hair, twisting the curls between his thumb and index finger.

"My love, one day we will get to show the world," he whispered, joy and pride in his voice. "But for now, unfortunately, our relationship must remain within the confines of these dear walls. At least we have Dumbledore's approval."

Poppy hummed in agreement. She was more than grateful to have his approval. Dumbledore was a very courteous and understanding man, and given the uniqueness of this situation, she was overjoyed to have his blessing. She only wished that she knew more about this situation. Mates. It was nearly unheard of.

"What is going on in that pretty little head of yours, sweetheart?" he asked, propping himself up to have a better view of her heart-shaped face. "You seem ever-so-busy up in there."

Poppy let out a deep breath, "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Remus queried, staring intently and inquisitively at her.

"Us," Poppy responded simply. "Us being soulmates. It's still a lot to take in. I'm happy that we are, but there's still so much we don't know."

Remus moved to the edge of the bed and stood up, shuffling his feet over to his desk, which was covered in a plethora of books and unmarked parchments. His hands scanned over the stack, eventually selecting a book. He handed it to Poppy.