And There Were Always Two... - oc x r. lupin & oc x s. black

- 26 -

Mavis shoved herself against the window of the train, trying to ignore Remus and Ashley across from her. Peter, James, and Sirius were sitting in a different compartment and now she was regretting not going with them.

"Watcha doing over the next two weeks?" Remus mumbled as he leaned against Ashley, reading the book over her shoulder.

"Is that an invitation?" she asked, smiling coyly.

"No, it's called a question."

"You little git, you know what I meant."

Remus bit back a smile.

"Maybe I did and maybe it was. Aren't you staying by James' house anyway? I'll be there for a week around Christmas, maybe you and Mavis and drop by."

"House?" Ashley scoffed. "I've seen his house, it's Buckingham Palace is what it is."

"Have you ever seen Buckingham Palace?"

"No, what's your point?"

Remus shrugged, "no point, but maybe I'll have to take you there sometime."

Ashley smiled up at him and settled back, leaning against him. Mavis groaned at their sickening puppy love.

"Got something to say there, Mavis?" Remus inquired.

"Yeah, Mavs? You seem to be in a worse mood than when Sirius kissed Dorcas."

Mavis' nostrils flared at the memory, but she didn't reply.

"Nothing, nothing," she muttered, shaking her head. Then, after a pause, turned around to face them. "I just want to know, are you two dating or something? Cause, you know," she said shrugging angrily, "Nobody tells me shit nowadays."

She hated the way Ashley shrank into Remus' side at her venomous words. Remus turned his head down to look at Ashley in a questioning way. He looked surprised and hurt... Mavis wondered why.

"You didn't tell her?" he asked Ashley in a broken, disappointed sort of way.

"It just slipped my mind," she answered, with a look that reminded Mavis of a shivering bunny.

Remus frowned with his mouth hanging slightly ajar.

"Tell me what?" Mavis snapped.

"I'll tell you later," Ashley said.

Mavis was slowly being pushed over the edge. She hated that her own sister was keeping secrets for her. She wanted to snarl back, but she was beaten to it.

"Why later?" Remus asked, his voice low and quiet in a dangerous sort of way. "So you can forget again?"

Ashley sat up, no longer leaning against him. She bit her lip.

"Now's not the time."

"Its not fucking life changing, just tell her."

Ashley flinched, and Mavis had to admit she did, too. She'd never heard Remus swear before. He was still acting eerily calm, but his tenseness told a different story.

"Remus..."

"-why?" he asked, standing up and making Ashley almost fall over because she had been leaning on him. "Why?"

His voice broke away.

"Seriously," Mavis interjected again. "What aren't you telling me about?"

Remus looked at Ashley expectantly. She looked miserable, but didn't say anything. Remus sighed, shaking his head.