cherry wine ( remus lupin )

5.6 ; wishing slumber

"Psst. Mr Lupin." The sounds of older women filled his ears. Remus swore his arm was cramped up because of the position he was in. Not even remembering when he fell asleep. Holding on for a second, he slowly began to wake up with the sounds of him being called to continue to play inside of his ears. Until his eyes were fully open. 

Quickly before his eyes could adjust to the sun, dark ginger hair had filled his vision causing him to retort his head back and Arabella moved slowly; putting her head into his chest instead of shoulder now. For a second his heart started to race since he had expected Arabella to be gone whenever he woke up the following day. 

Yet here she was, still sleeping. "Mr Lupin." Continuing the hear the sounds of someone calling him. Remus had turned his head back and saw a portrait of a young woman, with flowers in her hands had been talking to him. "Reckon you and the lady should move, everyone should be wakin' up any moment now." Giving him a kindly smile with a bit of taunting inside of her voice. 

"Ah- Yea, thanks." Shifting where he was lying, squished between the couch and Arabella's body. "I guess." 

The next thing she knew, Arabella felt poking to her shoulder. "No." Muttering. One thing Clara knew how to do was wake her up correctly. When the wrong person woke her up. Arabella was known for sleeping over time. "no." Moaning and placing her head into whatever was closer trying to cover the noise. 

"You can't say no, to being woken up," Remus commented his voice had caused her to jolt a little. 

She woke up in a moment squinting her eyes to adjust to the sun surrounding them and rising off the castle's side. Which was one of the most beautiful things to watch, when she was awake early. But that was on the rarest time. "But it's Tuesday." Complaining to him. 

"Exactly it's Tuesday." Remus softly smiled. "Everyone's about to wake up," 

Sitting up from the couch, Remus was finally able to move. Arabella is trying to adjust to everything around her. Not like being woken up. "It's too early." Continuing to complain to him, dragging her voice out and throwing her head back leaning on the other side of the couch hoping she could continue to sleep. 

"Bella, I'm so sorry for waking you up." Arabella started to speak with her head down into the arm of the pillow. This grabbed Remus' attention as he couldn't help but laugh a little at her childishness. "I owe you pancakes with margarine on top." Standing up and waking herself up, she turned to him. "Oh okay, thank you, Remus. Bye" Smiling at him, tiredly before making her way out of the common room before he was able to say anything else. 

. . .

A few days they had slipped by, each marked by the relentless rhythm of classes and the looming pressure of the upcoming O.W.L.s. The days were packed with intense study sessions and challenging lessons, particularly in Transfiguration and Charms, where the professors seemed determined to drill every last bit of knowledge into their students' minds. The classrooms buzzed with the nervous energy of students trying to absorb every spell, every theory, as the exams approached like a tidal wave on the horizon.

The sun was beginning its descent when Sirius and Arabella finally emerged from the Charms classroom, the last rays of light filtering through the castle windows and casting long shadows on the stone floors. 

The lesson had been particularly gruelling, with Professor Flitwick pushing them to master complex charms that would undoubtedly feature in the O.W.L.s. Arabella, on the other hand, felt the strain in her every step as they walked side by side through the corridors. 

She had always been diligent in her studies, but the pressure of the O.W.L.s was something else entirely. It was a rare moment of quiet between them, the usual banter and laughter subdued by the exhaustion of the day.