Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
murmurs in the kitchen
"BETTY, PLEASE JUST stop for a moment!" A voice called after her as she hurried down the corridor, in no particular direction, but away from the boy in Gryffindor robes.
"It's fine. I'm sorry it happened. I'm sorry that it pushed you two apart. I shouldn't have done it in the first place! I'm sorry that I dragged you into all of this mess." She yelled over her shoulder as she sped away.
"Betty, I swear to all that is good and holy," the voice grumbled as he eventually caught her arm. She whipped around, her cheeks flaming.
"Remus, I really am sorry." Her voice was small as she looked up. "And you don't have to make me feel better about it—"
"Could you please just listen?" Remus's voice was strained. He sighed and looked at the floor. "I've missed you—"
"I thought you'd be angry with—"
"Could you please just stop thinking for a moment and listen?" Remus raised his voice. She nodded meekly. "You and James," he sighed, "Jesus Christ. I should've seen it. You're so similar. I should've seen it." Remus ran a hand through his hair. "I've missed you. You're my sister. I've known you longer than anyone else here, so of course you're going to matter more to me—"
"Remus—" A stern look from Remus made her close her mouth again.
"You've seen me at my best and my worst and fuck you'll probably be the best man at my wedding if I ever get married and . . . what I'm trying to say is that you matter more to me than any boyfriend you'll have . . . even if he's one of my friends. And if you really do love him—"
Betty's heart immediately plummeted at the word as her face went starkly white. "I don't . . . who said . . ." She paused for a moment before turning, like a deer in the headlights. "Did he say that?"
Remus realized his mistake and started to stutter. "Fuck. No. He didn't say that. Sorry. I just—Sirius just sort of—we assumed and you could not be there yet. But anyway, I don't want to stand in between you and someone that will make you happy because lord knows you deserve it after the year you've had."
"I appreciate it." A knot had lodged itself in her throat as she struggled to speak. "I shouldn't have done it. It was stupid and reckless and I wasn't thinking about anyone other than myself. It . . . it wasn't like me."
Remus looked down at her, melancholy washing over him. "Isn't that maybe a good thing?"
She furrowed her eyebrows. "How could that be a good thing?"
