Her Single Rose (Remus Lupin)

One-Hundred & Nine

"It's really not as bad as it looks, Rem." Aries spoke softly, her back was up against his headboard, her legs crossed in a pretzel.

Remus had asked his father to leave the room so they could talk. That was an hour ago and he still hasn't said much.

"Then tell me how bad it really is." Remus spoke quietly. She knew he didn't just mean her arms.

She took a breath, thinking of how she could possibly tell him about her week, how absolutely obliterating it was to have blood on her hands. Not physically, but emotionally.

"Stop doing that." He bristled, "just tell me. You know you can talk to me."

Aries shook her head, "you don't understand. I promised I wouldn't-"

"You promised you'd be here-"

"I'm here-"

"You promised James the same thing." Remus cut her off, "He said you told him you'd be with me last week, Aries! Where have you been all this time!"

His frustration was evident, so was his fear. But that was exactly why she didn't want to tell him. He would only tell her to stop.

"I've been with Andromeda-"

"And now you're lying!" Remus stood, waving his hands in frustration, "what could be so terrible that you have to lie to me. To me."

Aries felt her arms begin to itch, but this time was different, she could scratch this itch away. She couldn't even touch it, "Remus please."

"I have been writing letters to you all week. I actually thought you were messing with me because of summer. Trying to get even with me or something. But when I have to find out from my best mates that my own girlfriend lied to all of her friends and me, I think that calls for some concern." Remus breathed, but he wasn't done.

"It's not even just this week, you've been gone since last year! You need to talk to Dumbledore. You need to go see Ben Crawford. You need to tutor today and then again tomorrow, you just can't tell me who. You need to take extra classes. You need to cut our time short. It got worse after last break!"

"You couldn't even come stay with me for a week because you needed to stay at the school. I-...you don't have time for this anymore. You don't have time for us anymore. Is this what it's going to be like for the rest of the year, because I don't know how much more I can take."

His words died in his throat at the sight of a tear rolling down Aries face.

Her heart broke. It turned to ice and then shattered on the floor between them.

This was it. This was what Dumbledore had meant when he said, "All is fair in love and war."

But how could this be fair. Aries knew how the bend or twist the rules as she saw fit. This was different. There was no way to bend or twist this.

"Is that it? Is this it, for us?" He asked, his body somehow feeling completely hollow.

"Is that what you want?" Aries asked, a second tear falling.

"No- I-...Merlin Aries I just want you to be honest. I want you to tell me what's been keeping you away. Do you want this to stop here?" His voice sounded raw.

Aries took a shaky breath, her mind running rampant while her heart was beating out of control, "No, I don't want this- us to stop. I just need...I need a minute to breathe."

"All is fair in love and war." But it wasn't fair. It wasn't. And Aries remembered that she didn't like playing by the rules. Dumbledore may want to wait. But that wizard wasn't going to tear her relationship apart. Not again. Not like her parents did.