Romeo and Juliet (A Remus Lupin x reader story)

Chapter one: The Ball

Y/n POV
Y/n was exhausted. She spent all summer waking up at exactly five o'clock in the morning and was busy working with her until late at night, normally around eleven thirty.
    It wasn't her first choice to work at an animal conservatory all summer but after the first week, she was fascinated by everything to do with animals. Besides, anywhere is better than home. One thing that interested her the most was that for one week a month, a man came around the villa. It took y/n a month to find out why.
    He had lycanthropy and the only safe place for him to transform was her uncle's villa. Y/n had worked up the courage to talk to him and learned everything about lycanthropy there was to know, even the things that weren't in the textbooks.
    Her uncle had sworn her to secrecy about the whole thing, even to her older brother. People see werewolves as dangerous so her uncle bribed her with another illegal thing. He told her that if she kept it as a secret, he would help her become an animagus, which y/n obviously agreed to.
    So she spent her summer helping out with the animals turning into an animagus, and having fun with her uncle.
    The last week of the summer her older brother, Barty Crouch, came and stayed with them. She and Barty had been best friends since birth and when y/n was sorted into Slytherin her first year, where her brother already was, their bond just became closer. They added on to their duo with their other three best friends, Evan Rosier, Caius Avery and Regulus Black. Regulus was the same age as y/n and Evan and Caius were both one year older, same as Barty. The age difference didn't matter much since y/n and Regulus got moved up in their classes.
    After four years, y/n and the boys had grown closer than siblings to each other. That was why y/n was so relieved that the hard work of the summer was over and she could spend her last few days of break at the Black manor with her friends.
    "Hey kid, ready to go?" Barty popped his head into her room, only to see his sister flopped down on her bed. "Kid?"
    "Just give me a second," y/n responded, having no intention of getting up.
    Barty put down whatever bag he was holding and grabbed her arm, dragging her out of her room. Y/n got up from the floor and grabbed her bag, begrudgingly following her brother. They walked to the fireplace where their uncle was waiting for them.
    "Now, are you sure you have everything?" Their uncle asked the twins.
    "Yeah, we've got everything," Barty said.
    "Y/n?" He asked his niece.
    Y/n nodded with a slight smile.
    "Alright, make sure to write!" he reminded them.
    Y/n nodded while her brother rolled his eyes with a smile. Their uncle said his goodbyes and the siblings disappeared from the fireplace and reappeared in the fireplace at the Black manor.
    "Y/n! Barty!" Regulus jumped up from where he was sitting.
    He, Evan, and Caius were waiting for them and immediately gave them a welcome hug.
    "Let's go upstairs," Regulus said, sounding slightly nervous.
    He led them up to his room and slumped down onto a couch with a big sigh.
    "Dude, what's up with you?" Barty sat down on the ground.
    Y/n sat down next to him while Caius and Evan took a seat next to Regulus. Regulus looked around at his friends with an exhausted expression.
    "My mother has been unbearable with the preparations for the ball," Regulus admitted.
    Y/n understood. The Black Ball was a yearly masquerade party that the Black family held. They cast a spell on the entire grounds that the house lay on that disguised everyone's identity. The only way you knew who you were talking to was if you told them your name. Even if you saw the people beforehand, you wouldn't recognize them. Obviously, because of the spell, people didn't have to wear the normal masquerade mask but most people still did.
    As a special surprise, Mrs. Black had set up a room for each of the guests to stay overnight with a dress or suit and a mask already made.
    "She can be a little much, can't she?" Caius laughed awkwardly.
    "Well, what time is it? Do we have enough time to have some fun?" Barty smirked, pulling out some weed.
    The boys grinned as y/n rolled the boys some blunts. Since they discovered this muggle drug halfway through their third year, they had all become addicted, except for y/n. She tried it but the taste made her gag.
    They all hung out for a couple of hours, relaxing before an evening of socializing when they heard stomps come up the steps. They all put out their blunts and shoved the remains under Regulus's bed. Y/n quickly cast a spell to get rid of the smell just as the door opened.
    "Master Regulus," it was only their house elf, Kreatcher. "Your mother says it is time for you all to begin getting ready,"
    Kreatcher closed the door and everyone stood up, trying to dictate what was real and what wasn't.
    "Y/n, your dress is in a room where you can get ready," Regulus said. "It should be the one right next door,"
    Y/n nodded.
    "Remember, we'll meet by the bar before the spell is cast. And tell our names right away," Caius reminded everyone.
    Another plus. No one knew if you were old enough to drink or not.
    "Yeah, I'll come back over before we go down though," y/n said before leaving.
    She walked over to her room and opened the door where she saw her dress. It was a simple sleeveless black dress with a black and gold masquerade mask. Y/n picked up the dress with a smile before beginning to undress. Just as she took off her pants, leaving her in just her underwear and bra, the door opened. Y/n screamed, trying to cover herself with her hands.
    "Wha- oh shit, I'm sorry," A voice said. "Sorry, sorry, wrong room,"
    Laughter erupted and y/n opened her eyes and saw the source of the voice. It was Remus Lupin, a Gryffindor one year older than her, and his friends that call themselves the Marauders. Remus looked extremely embarrassed and was trying to close the door but his friends were making it extremely hard. Regulus's brother, Sirius, was laughing at his best friend's reaction while James was just smirking at y/n.
    "Get out," y/n yelled at them, grabbing the end blanket off of the bed to cover herself.
    "Nice bod y/n," James smirked.
    "Get out!" She yelled again.
    She grabbed the nearest things off a shelf and started throwing them. Suddenly she heard more footsteps come down the hall and watched as Barty slammed his fist into Remus's face. Regulus and Caius were right behind him, each hitting the other two Marauders. The boy's focus shifted to the fight and quickly forgot about y/n. Remus shook off the punch he took to the face and looked at y/n.
    "We're sorry y/n," he said.
    Y/n walked up to the door, blanket fully covering her and shut the door.
    Y/n threw back on her clothes when she stopped hearing yelling from outside and she opened the door to see her friend holding Remus by the collar of his shirt up against the wall.
    "Evan, stop," y/n said.
    Evan turned around and saw his friend, immediately putting the poor boy down. Remus slunk down against the wall, giving y/n a grateful look.
    "Y/n, he tried to watch you change," Evan defended himself.
    "I don't think so," y/n said. "He seemed sorry. He didn't know,"
    Remus looked at y/n with his large brown eyes, silently thanking her from saving him from a beating. But when she walked up to him and crouched down to be eye level, fear crossed his eyes.
    "But never, ever do that again," she glared at him.
    She turned around and went back into her room, casting a spell on the door to make sure it stayed locked this time. She changed into her dress and did her hair and makeup to her liking. Once she was satisfied with how she looked, she walked back to her friend's room. She made sure she knocked on the door, to not have the same situation happen to her as it did the boys.
    "Just a couple minutes," someone called back.
    Y/n leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She wanted to change into her animagus form but it was too risky with so many people around. She heard footsteps walk down the hall but didn't open her eyes until the person spoke.
    "I really am sorry y/n," the voice spoke.
    Y/n opened her eyes and saw Remus standing there. Y/n never had anything against him. It was his friends that were the problem. She tried her hardest to avoid them at all cost but when she and Regulus moved up a year in classes, it made it extremely difficult. The Marauders wanted it as frustrating for them as possible. But she and Remus were both sort of the mediators in their group so she tolerated him more than the others.
    "I know," she said.
    "You waiting for them?" He gestured to the door.
    She nodded, closing her eyes again.
    "So," he dragged out the word. "How was your summer?"
    "Good," she said.
    "Just good?"
    She nodded again.
    "Why are you trying to make conversation with me?" She asked.
    "I'm waiting too," he gestured to a door down the hall with an awkward smile. "What'd you do this summer?"
    "I learned about animals," she said.
    "Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "You don't strike me as an animal person,"
    "And you don't strike me as a small talker," she shot back, slightly offended.
    It was true. She didn't really give off 'animal lover' vibes.
    "You look really nice," he tried to switch the conversation.
    "You do too,"
    She knew it was just the normal response to that compliment but she really did mean it. He looked elegant in his simple black suit. It was outlined with white and he had matching black leather gloves. Just then Regulus opened the door, immediately glaring at Remus. Y/n sauntered into the room, leaving Remus there.
    "What the hell did he want?" Evan asked as Regulus closed the door.
    "To apologize. Again," y/n said.
    "Well you look awesome," Regulus looked at y/n, a soft smile on his face.
     "You do too," y/n smiled at her friend. "Where's Caius?"
    Just as she said that, Caius came out of the connected bathroom. He looked like a goon with his slick backed hair but he thought he looked good, so that was all that mattered.
    The group walked down to the ballroom, masks on and ready to have fun. The boys plan was to get as wasted as possible and have as much fun as possible before they had to get on the Hogwarts train tomorrow. Y/n's plan was to either babysit them or ignore them.
    She loved her friends but they were just a little too wild at parties.
    But she planned to have some fun of her own.