The Sun and Her Moon- Remus Lupin

Can we stay like this forever?

Truthfully, Aveline didn't mind the pain of glass in her hand, if it meant she could watch Remus's concentrated face all night.

They sat on the small couch in her office, her legs draped over one of his thighs as the man held her hand in his lap. He had a pair of reading glasses perched on the edge of his nose, face scrunched as he slowly took pieces of glass out of her hand with tweezers.

There were simply somethings you had to do the muggle way, this was one of them.

Though Aveline had a high pain tolerance, and the smell of him— mint and cigarettes — seemed to turn the pain into numbness instead. She was more focused on the way the lamp shone across the left side of his face, highlighting every hair on his eyebrow, mark on his skin and ever so slight change in the color of his eye.

"If it hurts too much let me know," he whispered softly, gently the way he always was with her.

Everything he said made her heart melt.

She couldn't explain it. Everytime his voice hit her ears she felt her entire body warm a little. Just for a moment everything felt okay. She felt safe and cared for, and if she was being honest she could be content with spending the rest of her life tucked away in this office as long as she had him.

She leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on his jaw, feeling the fuzziness of growing beard under her lips.

A soft smile fluttered over his lips as he raised an eyebrow in her direction, "what was that for?" he asked.

"I'm just so grateful I get to love you," she told him.

And she meant it. There was times that she looked at him and couldn't comprehend how lucky she was. It seemed unreal.

He chuckled softly, still staring at her hand and taking out pieces of glass piece by piece.

"You're adorable," he muttered, giving his head a bit of a shake, "but sit still so I don't accidentally
stab the glass farther into your hand."

They fell into silence after that. Remus working and Aveline watching — his hands, his breathe, the way his eyebrows furrowed together when he was going for a particularly tricky piece.

"There," he sighed, looking up at her with a content look on his face. "I'll try my best to do a healing spell to clean up the —oh."

As he was talking, Aveline quickly flicked her hands together and he watched as the little tiny cuts sealed themselves up as if they had never been there. She smiled softly, watching her own magic take place.

"You know I'll never get used to that," Remus told her, giving his head a shake. "You are quite remarkable."

She rolled her eyes, throwing her head back towards the couch in a dramatic very Sirius Black like fashion.

"Being a teacher has really worn off you hasn't it?" she teased, poking him in the shoulder. "You're all sit still young lady blah blah blah you're remarkable blah blah."

He scoffed in amusement, leaning his head nexts to hers, neck tilted so he could look at her face.

"Don't lie to yourself love," he whispered softly, playfulness in his tone, "you know you like it."

Red— her face was bright red. You'd think after all these years she would've gotten used to the Remus Lupin charm, but she wasn't. He still had the ability to turn her into a blushing smiling mess.

She tilted her head towards him, and for a moment all they did was stare into each-others eyes.

Aveline reached a finger out, tracing it on the edge of his face, as if she was trying to remember the shape and every detail of his skin.

"Are you sure you're alright though?" he asked in a soften tones, eyes moving over her face.

He reached out, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. Effortlessly, she folded into him. Her head finding its place in the crook of his neck, and her hands bundling up in the fabric of shirt.

"And you know," he continued, pausing only to place a soft kiss on the top of her head, "you don't have to be. I'm here. I'm always here Aveline. No matter what. The good, the bad and everything in-between— I'm yours."

It was times like this she really realized how much time had passed since they had last been together.

As Aveline remembered their relationship, it was full of love, but also full of chaos and the miscommunication of two young kids just trying to survive.

This was different. There was a maturity to Remus, to their relationship that made this feel safer.

They were no longer shaken and thrown by the excited feeling of young love, but hugged by the warmth and safety that came with real love.
The type that you work for. The type you become a better person for.

She let out a little sigh, grabbing one of his hands in hers and holding onto it tightly.

"I froze," she told him, and she couldn't help it, her voice sounded small. And she hated how pathetic she sounded.

"Hm?" Remus encouraged, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. "What do you mean love?"

"I froze in there Remus," she repeated softly, tilting her head up to look him in the eye, "with Igor. I used to be an auror. And a good one Remus. If that was 14 years ago I would've kicked Igor's ass. But I didn't. I just stood there and for a moment it was like I forgot I was a witch. I couldn't find my magic. I couldn't find a spell. All I could do was throw a chair and run. I couldn't even dodge his punch."

She could feel Remus' squeezing her a bit tighter as she spoke. His fingers rubbing her skin as if he was trying to rub comfort and calmness into her body.

"Everyone has moments like that," he told her, "I promise. Besides, that man has no right to be bothering you like that, and anyone would be shaken by that situation. I know you are the most talented witch I have ever met, but you were also dead for over a decade. Give yourself time to warm back up to things, hm?"

He was right. She knew he was. He was always right.

Perhaps a younger version of Aveline wouldn't beat herself up for this, but she was so tired of holding herself to the impossible standards she set herself .

So instead she just sighed, nodding her head and sinking back into Remus's warm arms.
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