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Sydney made it impossible to get out of bed.
She was so smiley in the mornings. Her skin was soft and sweet and her eyes glistened with the morning light. Her arms wrapped so loosely around Remus's neck and she would kiss him so many times with that big smile of hers. How could he leave?
Even when he tried, she'd just roll him back over on top of her and his blue covers would deepen the blue of her eyes and all of a sudden Remus would...
What was he doing, again?
Oh, yes. Getting up.
"Come on, then," he urged. He tried pushing himself upwards, but Sydney still hung from his neck, grinning and begging him back to bed. He kissed her nose and let her hang while standing straight up.
He felt her weight plop back to the bed, defeated. "I hate you," she said.
Remus smiled down at her. He took her chin in his hand and curved her face to him. She tried so hard not to smile, but when he pressed his lips to hers, he could feel it.
He loved when she smiled during kisses.
"Come on, love," he said. "It's our last day with my mum and dad."
Sydney narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine," she stated. "But I'm doing it for Hope, not you."
Her attitude was gone when he held her hand all the way down the stairs. She was pretty easy to please.
"Sydney! Good morning, dear." Sydney had never dropped Remus's hand so fast. "Oh, hello, Remus."
"Yeah, whatever."
Already, he'd lost his mother's attention. "I hope you don't mind a low-key morning," she said to Syd, "but Remus usually likes to relax before heading off to the Potters'. Remus's friends, they're, um, what's the word, love?"
"Overstimulating," said Remus from the table. He shoved a forkful of waffles into his mouth. Sydney smiled at him and he almost choked on them.
"That they are," Syd agreed, turning back to his mother. "I don't mind at all. I love relaxing!"
She walked over and took a seat beside Remus. Then she took a piece of his waffle.
"Hey!"
"Hush! You love me, don't you?"
"Who cares about that?" Remus pushed his plate away and turned his back to her. "Pout all you want. There are waffles literally right there."
"Fine!" she sighed airily, grabbing a new plate like a sane, regular person. Remus shook his head. His mum sat down across from them.
"I love having you two here," she said. "You make this place happy."
Remus could feel the way Sydney stopped chewing, frozen in place. Even he was a little struck by this.
"Thanks, mum," he said. "We love being here."
Sydney slowly came back to life, but she didn't say anything. She just nodded, smiled a little, and started poking at the food on her plate.
"I'm serious," said his mum. "I mean, Remus, you know I love you, but I have never seen you this way before."
"What way?" asked Remus. He was hyper aware of how Sydney had stopped pushing her food, of how intently she must be listening. His cheeks felt red.
His mum shrugged. "You're more peaceful. More present. I like it. Love looks good on you both."
Remus's cheeks were definitely red. He could feel Sydney's blue eyes on him.
"Ah whatever," he said. He pushed himself to his feet and went to clear his and Sydney's plate. "C'mon, Syd, we have to finish packing."
He kissed his mum's cheek on the way out of the room.
If he had known this would be his last morning with her, he might have done more, said more, remembered more.
But he didn't.
What was he doing?
____
A/N
okay sorry for the end and bc this was so mid anyways but had to hop back in bc i DID EXCITING THINGS TODAY THAT CANNOT BE SHARED YET HEHE
anyways i just want to get to the plot heavy parts of this book fr like boo fluff booooooo
