Miserable Without You (Harry Potter: Remus LupinXOC)

Chapter 17

With a groan of pain, Remus came to. He opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by the Marauders, Lily, and his girl, Allison. He cracked a smile and looked around to his friends.

"Hey." His voice was hoarse.

"Hi." Sirius said happily. They all laughed for a second, happy that Remus had finally woke up after two days of being in a comatose state.

"You had us worried there for a second mate." James said.

"Sorry." Remus apologized.

They caught up on everything and throughout all the conversations, Allison stayed silent. She was surprised at how calm he was. She expected him to be talking about his attacker or how he was lost in the woods, but he didn't and it made her curious. But she didn't act on it. She let him be happy for the time being. She was glad that he was awake and alive. Soon, it was late in the evening and it was almost curfew. They all bid their goodbyes, waving as they left.

"I'll come back tomorrow morning." She said. Allison pecked his cheek and met up with Lily who waited outside the door for her.

"Thank God they found him." Lily said.

"Yeah." Allison agreed.

The next morning, she was walking up the stairs toward the hospital wing. She was excited to see Remus. When she entered the doorway, Remus heard her footsteps and smelled citrus. She smiled to him and he returned with a crooked grin.

"Good morning." She greeted.

"Morning." He replied in a raspy voice. Allison sat in a chair at his bedside.

"How'd you sleep?" She inquired.

"Good. I've done plenty of sleeping though." He said jokingly.

"Yeah." She breathed, smiling. She didn't want to be so blunt as to ask him what happened, but she wanted to know.

"You had me worried. I didn't know if you were coming back." Allison said more somberly. Remus bowed his head.

"Why were you in the Forbidden Forest?" Allison asked.

"I-uh... I was looking for flowers." Remus lied pathetically. Allison knew this and frowned.

"Remus, tell me the truth. I have extended the same curtesy to you." Allison said firmly. She didn't want him to be a liar.

"Allison, you won't understand. It's personal." Remus tried to reason.

"I don't like being kept in the dark." She said. Remus sighed.

"Alli, maybe... Maybe we should take a break." Remus said softly. He didn't want her to leave because of what he was. He didn't want his heart broken over it. Allison was fuming on the inside. She felt small. Was she untrustworthy? He obviously couldn't trust her with whatever secret he was keeping. 

"Alright. If that's what you need, then I'll leave you alone." Allison said emotionless. That made Remus feel even worse.

"It's for your own good." He said cryptically. Allison took a deep breath, pulling some chocolates out of her bag and putting them on the bedside table. She gave him a sad look before she left. Remus's heart clenched as he watched her leave.

Once she was out the door, her emotions came crashing down and she felt her lower lip wobble before she let out a small sob, tears sliding down her cheeks. Remus could hear her anguish but figured it was for the best that she was angry with him. Then her footsteps faded and he too felt his heart lurch. He let out a shuttering breath, trying to push the feelings down.

As Allison trotted down the steps, headed to the common room, she heard incoming voices and quickly wiped wet cheeks.

"We need to get there before Allison so Remus knows his cover." James stated.

"She gets up earlier than us. She's probably already there." Peter said sourly.

"But, maybe not. She-" Sirius was cut off when he spotted Allison. She had red, puffy eyes, slumped shoulders, and she looked dreadful. She didn't even look at the boys as she past them. She didn't want to talk to anyone, or else she might start crying again.

When she was out of sight, the boys all glanced at each other before they raced up the stairs and into the hospital wing. They went to Remus's bed and found him with a sad face.

"What did you say to Allison?" Sirius questioned. 

"I didn't tell her." Remus said.

"We ran into her coming up the stairs. She was a mess." Peter said. He was quite fond of Allison and her caring nature. Not once had she commented on his weight, greasy hair, or his pimples. She was kind.

"I broke up with her." Remus says, his voice was low and filled with sorrow.

"That much we gathered. Why?" Sirius asks. He too was close with the Hufflepuff. He didn't want to see any of his friends hurting.

"Do I even need to give you an explanation? I'm never going to make her happy, I'm dangerous, and I don't want to be the one heartbroken when she leaves after she finds out what I am." Remus rambles. His eyes were glassy. Why did it have to be him with this disease? He was a good kid. He didn't deserve it.

"Mate she loves you. You didn't see her, but she was a wreck. She'll probably be melancholy for the rest of her days here at Hogwarts." James said, being the romantic of the Marauders.

"Not to mention you'll be dragging us down with your negativity when we go pranking." Sirius said, more of a joke, but they realized how true it would be.

"I can't do that to her. She deserves better." Remus said.

"I'm sick of the pity party. Either you get back with Allison for both your sakes, or be miserable without each other." Sirius said, fed up with trying to convince Remus. That boy was like a brick wall sometimes.