casual - remus lupin

twenty three. spit it out

irl !

MIDTERMS ARE DONE. after her final test, elsie finds remus, who's currently sat with sirius and james. elsie walks up behind the boy, she reaches around him and places a kiss on his cheek. "hi, boys!" she cheers.

"someone's in a good mood," sirius jests the smiling girl.

"of course, i am!" she exclaims, "we're done with midterms and now it's christmas! and i have a cute boyfriend!"

remus blushes as he wraps his hands around her arms. "so... what are your guys's plans for christmas?" elsie asks.

"james and i are going to his parents," sirius tells her, "and your moony is going to meet us there after christmas."

"on boxing day," james interrupts. sirius rolls his eyes, "yes, on boxing day. you should come, too, elsie. it would be fun."

"oh, i don't want to impose," she looks down at remus.

"you should, els," he squeezes her arms, "it would be so much more bearable with you there."

"first off, rude," james points at remus. "secondly, we would all love you there, elsie. my parents would love to meet my biggest quidditch competitor."

"okay," elsie smiles, "i'll see what i can do."

"yay!!!"

★ ☆ ★

"i can't believe you and remus are really together," lila snarks as elsie tells her friends about her christmas plans during lunch.

"me either," elsie smiles, "i'm so happy."

"it's not gonna last," lila deadpans, "what? you seriously think you and remus are gonna work?"

"i don't know," elsie shakes her head, "i'd like to think so."

"well, don't come crying to me when it doesn't." the brunette girl's friends stare at her in shock.

"what's your problem, lila? why are you being such a bitch?" elsie asks, shocking the . "and don't say you don't have one. ever since me and remus split in november you've been a bitch, and now that we're actually together and he's proud of being with me you've been one hundred times meaner."

lila stammers her response out, "i- i'm-"

"you're what, lila?" jackson groans, "spit it out."

"i just feel like you and him aren't gonna work. i'm sorry for looking out for my friend."

"friends don't act the way you've been acting, lila," elsie sighs, getting up and walking over to her boyfriend's table.

"what?" lila asks, not liking the feeling of her twin and pandora staring at her, "i didn't do anything wrong!"

"why can't you just be happy for her?" jackson mutters before walking away, pandora following behind and walking to her other friends.

★ ☆ ★

the next day, everyone is filing onto the train to leave for winter holiday. elsie goes to sit with her sister, but remus pulls her with him to the marauders compartment. the girl doesn't complain though, following behind him like a lost puppy. elsie notices that the boy seems tired today, more tired than normal.

"are you all right, remus?" she quietly asks.

"hmm," remus hums, "i'm good, els, don't worry." he kisses the back of her hand. he looks at the girl, noticing the skeptical look on her face, "i'm just tired, elsie. i'm all right. i promise."

"okay," she sighs. remus moves to put their bags up, but james quickly steps in and puts their bags away as he remembers that tomorrow is the full moon. "thanks, james!"

elsie and remus take their seats next to james, elsie between the two with remus by the window. remus's arm wraps around elsie's waist, who immediately leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"how is remus the first of us to be in a relationship?" sirius asks as he enters the compartment, eyes on the cuddled up couple as he takes his seat next to peter.

"because i'm nice and you're not," remus deadpans.

"sirius," elsie sighs, "you say that as if it didn't take him over a year to make it official." her statement, though true, leaves everyone with their jaw on the floor, that is until james starts laughing, which make all, except remus, laugh, too. "it's the truth," elsie shrugs when she notices remus's shocked expression, which only makes the boys laugh harder.

"oh, remus," sirius says as his laughter dies down, "you can never leave her, she's perfect."

"i know," remus pulls her closer with a smile on his face, "she is perfect."

"speaking of you never leaving me," elsie changes the subject, "you will never believe what lila said to me yesterday."

the boys all look at her expectingly as she tells her story, "at lunch yesterday, before i sat with you guys, she was going on about how me and remus aren't going to last and that i should listen to her. she was saying that she was just looking out for me like a friend would, but a real friend would see how happy we make each other and see how much sense we make together and be happy for me. she's just been a real bitch about everything since like october, maybe even before."

"wow," james breathes out, "what did everyone else have to say?"

"well, jackson is pissed at her, and pandora is really upset with her, as well." she informs the boys, "it's kinda crazy, though. like lila and i have been friends since we were 1st years, but i guess some friends aren't the people you thought they were, no matter how long you've known them."