Meretricious | Professor Lupin

153. Like old times

Remus looked around Spencer's room, taking note of every detail.

He noted the candles by the window, her socks on the floor by her bed, the notebook on her nightstand, Harry's comics on the table-

"So what'd you finish?" she asked as she left the bathroom.

"How's your dad?" he sat on her bed.

"... fine?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah" she answered. "Excited for me to start uni."

"And are you excited?"

"Yeah" she shrugged. "It'll be interesting."

He smiled at her, "you'll do great, I know you will."

"Thanks" she awkwardly smiled. "We've been going out more" she supplied.

"What do you do?"

"Museums, dinner," she shrugged, "he liked it when I drove around town. He gets to shut his brain off."

"And your grandfather?"

"He's back in Mexico, apparently my garden needs more white."

He smiled, "did you like your house?"

"It's very pretty" she nodded. "The bathroom is my favorite room, the one in my bedroom has blue tiles" she added. "The doorways are also arched at the top which is cool."

"You had fun?" he asked.

"Yeah, most of the time."

"Sirius told me about your bar adventures" he nodded.

"Summer time" she chuckled as she nodded back.

"What about your mom?"

Spencer shrugged. "I'm still hurt about... you know, but that's how she wants to be."

His lips turned inward as he nodded. "Family can be tough, but it's important."

"What about your dad?" she asked.

He took a deep breath, "we haven't talked" he shook his head. "Don't think I need to."

"So not that important then" she smirked.

He shrugged, "when I was younger I had this idea of how we'd reconnect and he'd apologize for being a shitty dad. The shelf life of those fantasies expired when I was 25."

"Yeah... I get that."

"I've always been somewhat by myself anyway. I had my mom, and then she died. I know I had Lily, James, and Sirius- even Peter- for a while, but I couldn't really be myself in those early years. And when it was just me... well, you become used to it I guess."

"Do you think if he apologized you'd be close again?"

"I doubt it. I don't know what good he'd be in my life anyway, you know? It's not like I need him buying me pants like when I was a kid. I feel like if there was a moment it would've been when we were at the cabin."

"He was an asshole" she said.

"Yeah... he was" he nodded. "I'm not heartbroken about it like I was before, it's just a shitty situation that won't be fixed."

"Hmm" she hummed.

"Do you still see Emily?" he asked.

"You should tell him you see me" James smirked.

Spencer looked over wide eyed as she realized he was there.

"She's here" he noted.

"Um, yeah I still see her."