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

- 35 -

Mavis made her way up the stairs of the Astronomy Tower making sure not to make too much noise. She saw the silhouette of Remus Lupin against the starlight, leaning on the railing.

She walked up to him.

"Hey," she said.

"You came?"

"No," she deadpanned.

"What?" Remus asked, confused.

"I'm joking with you, relax. Merlin, I'm really out of practice with this whole socialising thing," Mavis chuckled.

Remus smiled.

She never realised how much everyone had changed since she'd last talked to them. Seeing them by passing wasn't enough to tell how much they had grown. She barely reached Lupin's shoulder now.

"It's been a while," he agreed.

"So..." she said awkwardly. "Still dating Ash?"

"Yup."

She nodded slowly.

"You?" he asked.

"Considering you're the first person I've spoken to, excluding teachers and my dad, in the last year? More than a year? Well, let's just say no."

"You know, if you'd only let me tell them-"

"-No."

"But-

"Nuh-uh."

"If only-"

"Nooooooo."

Remus opened his mouth.

"Nope," she snapped, lifting a hand to stop him.

He sighed.

"At least I tried," he muttered.

"I'll make sure to tell God when I die that you should go to Heaven because of that, but for now, let's keep it between us."

"I don't know how Ashley put up with you."

"Oh, so you think Ashley's all honey and warm sweaters? She's a viper beneath all that, I'm telling you."

"Oh really?" Remus asked, lifting a brow.

"Oh yes. One time she put a live spider in my boot right before I put it on. I screamed so loud that I swear that Potter's could hear me all the way across the field."

Remus snorted.

"Why'd she do that?"

"I may have eaten the last of her honey supply."

"Then, I think, the consequence was not worse than the crime," Remus told her with a smirk.

"You're just biassed. She got more honey the next day while I almost suffered a heart attack."

Remus rolled his eyes.

"Ah! The sass! It hurts!" Mavis clutched her heart with her hands and stumbled back dramatically.

"Geez, you basically quoted Sirius's morning routine," Remus muttered.

Mavis tried her best to ignore the name.

"You know what," Mavis said. "I better go. I've got a Transfigurations test tomorrow and I don't think I've stressed about it nearly as much as I should have."

Remus just nodded.

"We should do this more often," Mavis told him and she went down the stairs.

She sighed when he was out of earshot.