Miserable Without You (Harry Potter: Remus LupinXOC)

Chapter 5

It was late in the evening when they went to serve their detention. Allison met up with the Marauders in the halls, right before Filtch's office. She wasn't mad about getting detention, although Remus seemed to think so. He misinterpreted her rigid stance and placid expression for anger, although really, Allison was feeling nervous about being so close to Moony. She couldn't deny her infatuation with him. She was charmed by his handsome looks, cleverness, and humor.

"Sorry that I got you into trouble." He whispered to her when they all entered the office. Mr. Filtch looked at them all with disdain.

"Alright you lot, you're all to be cleaning the trophy room." He sneered. They all huffed and nodded reluctantly. He gave them all their jobs and put them to work.

James and Peter were put to the task of polishing trophies, Sirius was cleaning the glass, Remus was moping, Lily was sweeping, and Allison was dusting. They followed the light of the lantern that Filtch carried and they came to the trophy room which was lit with firelight.

They all scattered to get their jobs done so that they might go off back to their common rooms. Remus followed Lily after she swept and Sirius would curse James and Peter every time they left fingerprints on the glass he had just cleaned. Allison was using a ladder to reach up to the tops of shelves and she was extremely self-conscious that Fitch was looking up her skirt.

They were a few hours in and nearly done. They were all weary from exhaustion and were all dreaming of their soft beds and warm blankets. Sirius no longer quarreled with the others over fingerprints, Lily was lazily sweeping her broom, Remus carelessly pushed the mop around, and Allison's legs were sore from climbing that ladder over and over again and she had stopped caring about whether or not anyone can see up her skirt.

Remus had noticed this. He had noticed at first that she was tucking the fabric close to her, but now, every time he walked by he couldn't help himself but to admire her smooth legs and round buttocks. He was making his rounds again and he stopped close to Allison, not to look up her skirt, but to actually mop there.

Allison was now very drowsy. She got up early in the morning anyways and it was way past her bedtime. She would catch herself slowing down and her eyes would involuntarily slide shut. Then, she'd jerk her head and she'd resume her dusting.

Remus noticed something swaying above him and looked up just in time to see Allison's knees buckle. She awakened with a sharp gasp and was now and was falling to the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the impact, but instead she was welcomed by warmth.

Remus had seen her just in time to catch her. She fell into his awaiting arms. He looked down at her and she looked up at him with wide eyes. Allison's heart was pounding in her chest so hard that she could feel her pulse in her fingertips.

"Thank you." She said with a trembling voice.

"You're welcome." Remus gently set her on the ground. Lily was by her side in a second asking if she was alright and the Marauders were also amazed at Moony's reflexes.

"Alright off to bed you lot. That's good enough I suppose." Filtch grumbled.

The teens all muttered something along the lines of 'Thank God' and they were out of there and on the way to the common rooms.

Allison parted with her good friend Lily and the Marauders. Thanking Remus one more time. They were all silent as they made their way through the halls. Lily didn't hear a word out of James, Sirius was too tired to joke, and Remus and Peter respected the silence.

Allison felt lonely as she made her way to the common room. The cold air bit at her skin, she felt a longing to be with her friends, but mostly Remus.

She was very impressed with him. He was one heck of a man. He was smart, funny, handsome, and strong. Allison's interest in him was growing.

As soon as Allison made her way to the common room, she muttered 'yellow jello' to the painting and it opened to reveal the golden common room. It was quiet as she made her way up to the dorms and Allison didn't even bother to undress before she crawled into bed, falling to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The Marauders are much the same. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs all shuffled up to the boys dorms, and Lily to the girls.

"That was practically murder." Sirius finally broke the silence.

"Yeah." James said tiredly. He moved over to his bed and pulled off his slacks and shirt before hopping into bed.

The other did the same as Remus grabbed his night clothes, making his way to the bathroom. There, Remus stripped out of his clothes and shivered as the cold air bit at his skin, goose bumps rising on his flesh. He looked in the mirror at himself.

Remus was covering in scars. Not just his face, but his arms, torso, back, and legs. He never undressed in front of the others for this reason. He could imagine their pitiful looks when their eyes landed on the red and swollen scar tissue.

With a  huff, he finished dressing for bed and he went to bed, trying to ignore the snores of the other Marauders.