More // A Remus Lupin Story

15 Remus

"Holy Shit!"

"Wha-oh. What the hell is she wearing?"

"I get it, it's halloween. She's in costume."

"Okay, but what is she?"

"I dunno. Let's ask her. Hey, ASHLYNN. ASH. ASHY. GET OVER HERE NO-"

"Sirius, you're making a scene."

"Oh, sorry. I forgot that JAMES POTTER hates attention."

"Shut up. Lily's over there, she hates me enough as it is."

"Well, I guess you should have thought of that before you made er hate you!"

"It wasn't my-"

"WILL YOU TWO STOP ARGUING FOR THREE SECONDS?" I shouted, rubbing my head. Ashlynn had made her way over to us amidst James and Sirius' argument, and was now staring at us amusedly. 

"Oh, no. Carry on. I wouldn't want to disturb your lover's quarrel," she teased, turning to me. James glared at her. 

"We aren't fighting!" he argued. She raised an eyebrow. 

"Yes you are." 

"No we-"

"So Remus, how has your halloween been thus far?" Ashlynn changed the subject. I grinned. 

"It's been fantastic. These two haven't stopped arguing all day, it's been nice and loud and that dreaded peace and quiet is gone and forgotten..." I trailed off. She smirked. 

"I know a place where they won't dare tread. You want to come with me?" 

"Please," I agreed. Sirius turned. 

"Wait! Before you leave, Ash, what are you supposed to be dressed up as?" he asked. She looked down at her outfit. 

"I don't even know, Narcissa just threw clothes at me. I'm going to guess something like a muggle punk, or....nope. No idea. We'll say I'm a...something or other. I think her goal was to get me in one of her outfits; which as you can see, is not at all my style. She made me charm my hair long again, too. I hate it. I think I'm going to make it short after today. Anyway, goodbye!" She chirped, grabbing my hand and skipping away. I laughed as she pulled me down the halls, trying to ignore the fact that she was holding my hand. 

"Ashlynn, where are we going?"

"To the library, of course."

"Ah. Perfect."

We finally pulled in, but she kept pulling me. 

"What are you doing?"

"I found this cool secret room in the back to explore."

We finally ended up in a dark, dusty corner that had a bunch of empty shelves. She pushed one of them, and it opened into a small, dark corridor. 

"What is this?" I asked her quietly. She turned and grinned. 

"This isn't even the best part, come on," She whispered, guiding me through the hall. At the end was a black door with an intricate doorknob, that seemed to have a complex lock system built in. 

"Is it locked?" I asked.

"Yup. But don't worry, that's what this is for."

She pulled a hairpin out of her pocket, twisting it inside the handle until we heard a clicking sound. She pushed the door open, grinning. The sight I saw made me gasp quietly. 

"Holy shit," I whispered. 

The corridor opened into a beautiful greenhouse-like room. The ceiling was high and domed, with vines growing and intertwining at the top and along the walls. The ground was grassy and soft, with flowers growing along the edge. A small gazebo structure stood in the center, with four armchairs and a small table inside. A stone corridor led to the gazebo.

"It's beautiful, huh? And completely secret. I actually have a key, I just wanted to look badassey picking the lock."

"How did you find this place?"

"I dunno. I just kind of stumbled upon it when I was looking for books. I found that corner and leaned against the shelf, and then I found the key on the ground by the door."

We walked into the gazebo, sitting in two of the chairs. 

"It's so peaceful in here," I commented. She looked at me, smiling softly. 

"I can make a key for you if you want. Just don't tell the others, they might destroy the plants," She offered. I grinned, knowing that James and Sirius would definitely mess up the serenity of this place. Besides, I needed a place to myself every now and then. 

"You'd do that?" 

"Sure, why not? It can be our thing," She grinned. Glancing at her watch, she stood quickly. 

"Shit! We have to go, it's almost time for the halloween feast!" She grabbed my wrist, stopping at the doorway. 

"Wait, there's something I've been meaning to do. Might as well do it in our secret hideaway," she whispered, her voice back to its sweet softness. 

"And what's that?" I whispered back, looking into her eyes. She bit her lip. 

"This." 

And then her lips were on mine. 

The kiss was soft and sweet, slow. I froze for a second, before responding. After a few moments, she pulled away and put a finger to my lips. 

"Now we have two secrets," She whispered, barely an inch away from my face. Pulling me out of the room, she locked the door and we left the corridor, entering the library again. Once she had closed the bookcase and everything was back to normal, she turned to me. 

"Happy Halloween, Remus." 

Then she ran out of the library, presumably to the great hall for the feast. I followed, though very slowly. I was still in shock from what had happened. 

Ashlynn Elmer, the girl I'd been crushing on since first year, had kissed me.