Cornerstone Revelations (completed)

.4

trigger warning: talk of sexual violence, and homophobic slurs (surprise, the new tenants suck)

The next day..

Remus got to the post office early,. He was avoiding Sirius, not that anything was wrong with Sirius or something happened between them, Remus just didn't want to see Sirius this morning. And he needed to stay as busy as possible to keep his mind from worrying. He was going to have a hard enough time getting through the day without breaking down, and Sirius would be an added distraction that Remus didn't need right now.

Around 1 pm, the bell over the door chimed.

"Remus," the voice announced and Remus knew exactly who it was.

"Just a minute Josephine," he called from the mail room. Remus couldn't tell if his voice was shaking as he spoke, but he definitely felt his stomach churning.

Remus entered the lobby and found Josephine leaning over the counter waiting for him.

"Hi, Rem, you look good." Josephine looked Remus over like she thought he was a perfectly cook steak. "I've missed the fun we had."

"You and I have very different ideas of fun, Josephine."

"Speak up Remus, you know I can't hear you when you mumble like that. It drove Lyall crazy, and it drives me insane too."

Remus felt his confidence shredding with every word she spoke. "I'm sorry," he apologized even though he knew he wasn't at fault. It was habitual after spending years in the same house as his father.

"That was better. Our keys, now please." She instructed him.

Remus smiled as politely as he could. He thought that this summer was going to be different. Lyall was no longer in the picture, and Remus had hoped that Josephine would have grown out of whatever the hell she was in all those years ago. "Here you are, same as usual."

"Will I be seeing you tonight?"

"At dinner."

"And after that?"

Remus had no response for her other than what he really wanted to do in that moment, vomit all across her low cut t-shirt and tiny shorts. Remus couldn't stand the sight of her.

She took his face in one of her hands and Remus could feel anxiety rising from within. "Fine." She spat, "don't answer me. But, Remus," she said in a softer, more docile tone, "you have to remember that promise you made to your dad so long ago. How you told him over and over that you wanted to change. And who better to help you than me?"

"Lyall's dead," Remus muttered through his distorted face.

"What's that dear?" Josephine cooed, "I couldn't quite understand you." Before relinquishing her grip on Remus' jaw, she ran a finger across the top and inside of Remus' lower lip, "I really did miss you." Josephine finally let Remus go, and began to saunter out of the post office. "I'll see you tonight, Remus." She called over her shoulder before she walked out the door.

After her heard their cars pull away, Remus let himself breakdown. He was reduced to gut wrenching sobs and uncontrollable shaking.

He didn't know how long he stayed propped up against the back of the counter before the bell rang and Sirius' voice boomed through the lobby. "Remus, it's me. Do you want me to wait for you? I was in town and I figured we could ride back to the cottages together."

No response.

"Remus? Are you avoiding me?"

Still silence.