JULIET {remus lupin}

SIXTY SEVEN

Juliet inwardly rolled her eyes at herself as her stomach fluttered at the sight of Remus Lupin approaching her on the Wednesday evening before the Easter break. She hadn't seen him since Christmas, Slytherins were rarely paired with other houses for patrols, she'd had one with Colin Jones, where he'd told her that her father knew about her. 

She'd pondered on this for a while. Did she need a father? Did she want one? He had urged her to meet him, describing him as 'lovely'. Since her fall from pureblood princess status, Juliet was less bothered by her blood than ever, all she cared about was her friends, and as many of them as possible making it through this war. She certainly had no place in the muggle world, though.

"Hello," she smiled, standing up straight from the wall she'd been leaning on.

"Evening, Romilly," he grinned, not knowing how to greet her. Kissing her felt like an eternity ago, there had been subtle smiles, a wink in potions class, and yawning at each other in Dumbledore's speeches. She'd seen him smiling at her while she played quidditch. But beyond that, nothing. Nothing since the new year. He settled with an awkward nod which she smirked at and returned.

"Well, this is unexpected," she said, falling into rhythm beside him.

"How so?"

"A Slytherin and a Gryffindor paired together. I heard they were all flat out refusing to be paired with us."

Remus sighed, it was true that Hogwarts remained divided, and that Gryffindor's opinion remained solid on every single Slytherin. Only he and his friends cared to know the few that they did. And even then, there was suspicion. Never for Juliet, and never for Arabella Greengrass, but the Christmas they had spent with Persephone Parkinson had been widely assumed to be the last time they would speak to the girl. They saw her with Juliet, laughing, arms linked, acting normal. But they also saw her holding hands with Caius Avery, whispering to him in the library, and kissing him at Slugclub. Her future seemed to be secured.

Sirius was resentful about it, but with the war approaching, he didn't seem to give it much thought, there were darker matters to think about.

"Yes," Remus smiled, breaking out of his thoughts after a few silent seconds. "I requested this."

"Ah."

"How've you been?"

"Fine, strangely. After-" she felt awkward broaching the topic of Christmas, but did it anyway. "After everything that happened at Christmas, I dreaded coming back here more than ever. It's better without Lucius here, he was always on my back."

"The Rosiers?" He asked, remembering the trouble she had had with them in her fifth year.

"Fine, oddly enough. Both a bit quiet after their Christmas at home. They both know I have a task, everyone does. And that's enough to make them trust me, apparently."

Remus nodded as they walked, he wasn't sure how to ask about Regulus without sounding annoyed.

"Regulus?" He asked, trying to sound as calm as possible.

Juliet shrugged, "being kind to me. Didn't ask any questions about Christmas-"

"That's good." Remus said, a little too quickly. 

"Yeah, well, he wouldn't be happy with-"

"Yep," Remus nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"He's quiet, though," she began, missing the man next to her rolling his eyes. "I keep wondering if Sirius ought to try to speak to him?"

He shrugged d in response, "Dunno, maybe he would. Isn't bothering with Persephone though. They've both picked their side, I suppose."

"Yeah, I guess so."