Remus <3

12 More of a Writer

4th year snuck up on Ash but she was determined to cherish it. Right after she stopped by the library and studied for a few more hours. As she walked into the library her face lit up at the sight of Remus Lupin. Clearly she wasn't the only one with the studying idea. She took a seat next to him and peered over to see what he was doing.

"It's called 'A ghoulish end'," Remus says.

"It is?" Ash says not able to hide her excitement.

That was her book. The one she had been working on for the past 3 years and that she finally got published that summer, she gave Madame Pince a few copies immediately upon arriving. She used a Pen name. Ashton Clayton.

"Yeah it's really good. About a school where things just don't seem all the way there. You don't even really know the conflict for the first few chapters. It's a really good mystery and I'm not even half way done. As soon as the main character figures something else out I'll remember something from the first chapter or the third or fifth or forth or really any that'll just tie back and make sense. It's brilliant," Remus gushes.

Ash couldn't help but blush, "Really."

Remus spent a lot of time being oblivious but even he didn't miss the fond smile Ash was giving him. Like he was the best thing in the world, the most wonderful all around good person that's ever walked the earth. Of course he didn't interpret the gaze as such, "You know something I don't."

"You'll have to be more specific."

"You've read this before," Remus smiles.

"A few times," Ash gives in.

"And... what do you think?"

"I think you really like it."

"I do, I'd even say it's one of my favorites."

"And you haven't even finished it," Ash grins.

"I think I'll reread it too," Remus agrees.

"Then I have something to give you," Ash reaches into her bag, grateful that she had decided to take the leatherbound book with her today. It was just a feeling she had that she needed it.

She handed the boy a dark-blue leather bound version of the book she wrote. It was beautiful, Remus looked at it as such.

"Ash this is..."

"Borrow of course but read it once regularly and then read it again with this. I have quiet a few annotations," Ash smiled.

When Ash had written it she included many plot points and hidden meanings to gestures that she hoped the audience wouldn't miss. She included all of them in her private annotations.

"I know but it's still... thank you Ash," Remus turns to put the book in his bag allowing him time to hide the blush on his cheeks.

It was just a silly little crush so why was there a sharp pain in Remus's heart. And why could he feel it drawing stronger when he was doing his best for the opposite to happen.

"You said you weren't a reader?" Remus questions.

"I dabble. I'm more of a writer," Ash shrugs.

Remus nods, he had never seen her eyes light up like that when talking about a book. He ahd never seen her so in her element. He made a mental note to one day read some of Ash's writings. He hoped she would write a book one day, he wood inspect every word.

"Who's your favorite character?" Ash asked.

"The side character with the stabbing issue," Remus says, "Kind of reminds me of you."

It should, Ash thought, I based her off of me after all.

"I like the love interest," Ash says, "reminds me of you."

"Rumes? I guess he's an okay character, seemed a little out of place though."

"I think that's his charm. Everyone is so different and he's just him."

"Kind of the opposite of me," Remus laughs.

"Not at all... but I guess you'll have to keep reading to understand it."

"I guess so," Remus softly smiles as he opens the book again.

Remus finished that book the same day. He had reread it with Ash's version by dinnertime. The book wasn't something he could let go of. Ash's annotations opened his eyes even more to the genius of the book. Things hidden in the sentence structure, the grammar, even the mannerisms were clear if you looked closer. Just reading the second page of the book could give you the ending if you looked close enough.

The thing that struck him the most were Ash's annotations of Rumes. She wrote about him with absolute adoration. Rumes had gotten the best character development in his eyes. Before he was just an odd addition to the book but by the end of it, it seemed like Rumes truly was the best person to have ever existed. One of the more jarring twists that Remus hadn't expected was the shift from a love story between Rumes and the main character, a girl who seemed so perfect, to his romance with the girl with the stabbing issue.

The annotation Ash made of this struck him even more, Rumes deserved someone perfect but I couldn't bear to write him ending up with anyone else besides Lyn. Ash's full name was Ashlyn and Remus and Rumes were practically the same name, yet Remus didn't notice it. He didn't even notice that the annotation implied.

Remus would reread the book again. Slower this time. The only thing he didn't understand was the piece of paper that had flown out of the book. A plain sheet filled with dots and lines, stars was the only thing Remus could think of.

"Moony give the book a rest, some of us would like to sleep," Sirius complains.

"At least I know how to read," Remus responds.

He ducks in time to dodge the pillow Sirius had thrown at him.