Rose Petals ✿ Remus Lupin - Discontinued :(

Chapter 44

Belle never liked divination.

In fact, she despised it so much that she refused to take it as her other friends had, choosing much more difficult subjects in its place. She had always thought 'determining the future' and 'reading tea leaves' were idiotic and unreasonable, and that anyone who claimed to believe in those things weren't to be trusted. But now, as she lay completely awake in her bed in the early hours of the morning, she wished nothing more than to be able to interpret dreams like the divination teacher claimed to teach.

She couldn't go to her friends about it—heavens no, they'd tease her and say it was nothing. She also couldn't go to her grandparents, mostly because they refuse to acknowledge Belle being in a relationship with a half-blood. Though they say that blood status doesn't matter to them, they've been adamant about her marrying one of their friends' kids—who were all pureblood.

She also was burdened with the decision to trust her own mind. Her dream made it seem her friends were hiding something, something important. Was she just being paranoid? Or was she really being left out? And why was it Remus that told her? Why was she so upset about Remus not wanting to kiss her?

Belle was alarmed at her sudden realization.

Why did she want to kiss Remus?

"Belle!" She jumped as she heard her grandmother call to her from the foyer. Her eyes glanced at the clock hanging on her wall and groaned at the time. It wasn't as early as when she first woke up, but it wasn't her normal wake-up time during the summer. She groggily pulled herself from her bed, wrapping a robe around herself and stumbling down into the foyer.

Her eyes, once she rubbed them thoroughly, spotted someone she hadn't seen in a long while.

"Maurice!" She gasped, wrapping her arms around him.

He chuckled and pulled her into a warm hug. She immediately felt her mood brighten as she hugged the only positive memory she had left of her childhood. When he didn't arrive for her birthday she had felt almost left behind. But she should've known he would've come later—Maurice always makes time for her. "You came..."

"Hey, petal."

She grinned at him and gave him a hopeful look. He ruffled her hair and reached into his pocket, pulling out her next rose for the collection. She gazed at it in awe just like every rose she'd every received from him; it was a gorgeous white rose—and though she had received white roses from him before, this one had to be the most unusual. It was bright and almost seemed to glow under the light.

"It's stunning, Maurice."

"A pretty rose for a pretty girl—you remind me so much of your mother, Belle. Happy Late Birthday."

Belle smiled, a smile that was no at all sad, but one of pleasant memories. She really did see her mother in herself now—she hoped that she'd continue to look just like her mother when she was an adult.

"I'll leave you two to talk, then," her grandmother, who had been watching them from the corner, excused herself and the two took a seat on the bench.

"I just need to speak with you for a moment, Belle, and then I'll let you be."

She nodded, carefully handling the rose.

"Before you do, can I ask you something first?" She nearly whispered. Now that the initial shock of Maurice was over, her dream crept back into her mind and brought her back down to earth.

"Of course, petal."

"Do you think I'm... odd?"

"My niece...odd? Where did you get an idea like that?"

"It's just a dream I had, and some other stuff. Tell me the truth."

"You're odd, Belle."

Belle let out a startling cough, one that cracked her throat and made her gasp for air. She wasn't expecting Maurice to take her seriously, more or less agree.

"You are odd, and your mother was odd, and I'm odd. Your father wasn't very odd—in fact, he was a form of melancholy normal. He was boring. Now tell me, wouldn't you rather be odd than boring?"

"You always know what to say, Maurice."

"I'm glad you can trust me—you're gonna have to trust me again, okay?"

She furrowed her brow, "Why? Did something happen?"

He let out a huff and rubbed the back of his neck. She could see the way his eyes darted across the room, nervously, but his facade was strangely calm. She'd never seen Maurice in any other light than cheerful, other than when him and her father had been arguing shortly after her Mother's death.

"Not yet—I mean—the world is dangerous now, Belle. Pureblood's are dying out, and normally I wouldn't care—we're all inbred anyways—but the Death Eaters are constantly recruiting new followers and He prefers to go for Purebloods first—"

"What are you saying Maurice?"

"Come stay with me—we'll run away, and find somewhere in America—somewhere He won't find us. We'll be safe."

Belle couldn't seem to process what he was saying. Run away? She couldn't, there was no way. She loved her grandparents and they were safer with someone able-bodied to protect them. She couldn't just leave them, not now. Especially when she was supposed to take her O.W.L.S. this year—and she couldn't leave her friends out of the blue. She was not some coward that ran away from her problems; she was a Gryffindor.

"I can't just run away, Maurice," She shook her head, "Not now."

"Please, Belle. I promised your mother I'd keep you safe, and this is the only way—"

"The only way? What do you mean the only way? We're perfectly fine."

The look in his eyes told her they weren't completely fine.

"A-Are we not fine? Do you know something?"

"No, of course not," He dismissed, wiping his brow with his sleeve.

She couldn't understand why Maurice was being so strange and why he suddenly wanted to leave. He'd always believed in sticking it to the man and courage and bravery. What could of changed him so quickly? And why on earth was he being so jumpy and nervous? He had experienced more danger in his life than anyone else she knew, except for maybe Professor Dumbledore, from his numerous adventures around the world. Now he was scared?

"Think about it, will you? I'll be back in a few days—please, I can't leave without you."

"I'll think about it."

"And don't mention it to your grandparents, okay? They won't want you to leave—they don't truly care about you like I do..."

Belle felt like she was suffocating. Her uncle, someone who she grew up with and loved tremendously, was telling her to keep a very big secret from her grandparents and leave her whole life behind. He was telling her that her own grandparents didn't care about her as much as he did, but all of it sounded fishy. She knew she couldn't leave and that she'd tell him she'd have to stay when he returned, but part of her considered it. What if Maurice is right and she's safer to leave? What if someone she loves ends up getting hurt because of her?

She nodded.

She was quiet as he left. She was quiet as her grandparents made breakfast. She was quiet as she got dressed. She was quiet as she walked to the Potter household.

"Belle? What are you doing here?" James frowned as he opened up the door. She could see Sirius behind him on one of the sofas, throwing the snitch he'd swiped that year up and down in the air. She glanced at his eyes and immediately broke down.

"I need advice from people I can trust."

He gave her a half-smile and pulled her into the house.

She told them everything.