Run With Me - Remus Lupin

11: Hold My Hand

Everyone seemed quite surprised when I walked into the Slug Club Christmas party on the arm of the best Ravenclaw Quidditch Chaser.

"Ah, Ms Black!" Professor Slughorn greeted. "With Cooper Knight? I have to say that this is an unexpected pairing."

"I figured I'd bring a friend. I hope that's all right, Professor," I said, forcing a smile and doing my best not to grit my teeth at the word 'friend'.

"Oh, of course. Now go on! Mingle. Have fun!"

"Cassie!" Lily called. I dragged Cooper to where Lily, Remus, Mary, and Severus were standing, "Is that Cooper Knight?" she asked in a whisper.

"Sadly," I scoffed.

"I can hear you," Cooper grumbled.

"I'm aware."

"You are very ungrateful," he said, glaring at me.

"You forced me to bring you!" I retorted.

"I'm doing you a favor," he said.

"You're ridiculous."

"And you're a daft- Ow! That was uncalled for!"

I removed the heel of my combat boot from his foot and crossed my arms, "Tosser."

"Cow."

"Knobhead."

"Ninny."

"You two obviously have a great relationship," Severus murmured.

"How could you tell?"

Cooper signed and turned towards Lily.

"Evans, right?"

She blushed.

"Uh.. yes? I mean- yes. Yes, Lily Evans. That's me," she stuttered.

He cast her a charming Cooper Knight smile and held out an arm.

"Would you like to dance?"

I smacked him over the back of the head.

"You're three years older than her!" I scolded.

"Your parents are cousins," he retorted.

"I don't want you tampering my friends."

"Cassie," Lily hissed, elbowing me in the side. Her face switched from annoyance to admiration as she looked from me to Cooper. "I'd love to dance with you, Cooper."

He winked at me as he took Lily's hand and lead her to the dance floor. When the two had walked away, Snape turned towards Mary.

"Would you like to dance with me, Mary?"

Mary looked mortified.

"Remus, you wanna dance?" she asked, staring at him with a pleading look in her eyes.

"I'm not the dancing type myself, thanks," said Remus, sitting down in the closest chair.

Mary shot Remus a glare and followed Snape to the dance floor.

I sat in the seat next to Remus and laid my head on the table.

"You look nice tonight, Remus," I muttered into the table cloth. "I like your sweater."

He was wearing a button down and an oversized cardigan. While it wasn't the most formal thing anyone at the party was wearing, it was the most him.

"Oh... thanks. My mom likes to knit."

"You go home and see her sometimes don't you? Because she's sick?" I asked, rolling my head over enough to see him.

"Well... I kind of just say that. So the others don't question where I am on Full Moons," he said awkwardly.