Determination|| Remus lupin

Chapter Twenty

"I'll be fine Ari." Remus said, a bit flustered by the girl who had her arms wrapped tightly around him and her face nuzzled firmly into his shoulder. "Ariana!" He tried again to get her attention.

"But what if you're not, what if you still hurt yourself." She mumbled.

"I'll be fine, I've got the others with me." He reminded her.

"But what if they get hurt? What if Sirius falls down the stairs, or one of you stand on Peter, or James' antlers get stuck somewhere and he breaks his neck?" She asked letting go of Remus and grabbing hold of the other boys.

"You're really morbid sometimes." Sirius told her with a frown.

"Ari, we'll all be fine, or don't you trust us?" James said with a teasing grin. "Come on we need to get going."

"Oh do be careful." She pleaded with them as she collared Remus for one last hug.

"We will." He promised her. She watched mournfully as he left, the boys waiting a bit before following.

"Here." Peter slipped a chocolate frog into her hand. She smiled and gave him a hug.

"Thank you Peter, you are a darling." He blushed and shrugged.

"I know you're worried, but we've done this before." He told her comfortingly.

"I do worry about you all, especially with Remus' condition." She sighed.

"We'd better go, see you tomorrow Ari." James said as the three waved at her and left the common room. Lily suddenly appeared at her shoulder.

"Where are they off to?" She asked, noticing Ariana's forlorn expression. The girl would have gone with them had they not forbidden it due to the risk on her life. She had tried to argue that she had faced worse, but that didn't seem to convince the boys to change their minds.

"Oh to devise a prank I expect." Ariana sighed.

"And you're not going with them?" Lily asked.

"No, they confuse me." She replied with a shrug.

"Well you're welcome to join us, we're just playing exploding snap and gossiping, I don't know if that's your thing or-" Lily broke herself off with a shrug.

"I would love to Lily, thank you." Ariana smiled and followed the girl over to the others, who greeted her like one of the group, which she appreciated.

^^^
"Arie?" Sirius yelled up the stairs to the girls dormitory. The girl appeared at the top of the stairs and ran down to where he, James and Peter were stood.

"Sirius! How was it?" She brought all three into a hug as she reached them. "Are any of you hurt?" 

"It was fine, we're all fine." Sirius reassured her.

"What about Remus?" She asked.

"Well-" James began.

"What?" She demanded, letting go of them.

"Arie he's in the hospital wing." Peter told her, manning up to break the news to her.

"Well what are we waiting for?" She asked, racing to the portrait hole and down the corridor.

"Ariana!" The boys followed her, trying to catch up with her as she reached the hospital wing.

"Remus!" The girl exclaimed, reaching her injured friend at once. "What happened?"

"There were kids outside, I could hear them, tried to get through one of the windows to get to them." Remus explained gently, seeing worry flare up in her eyes. "The boys stopped me, everyone's okay."

"I was worried!" She exclaimed, gently pulled him into a hug, being mindful of the scratches on his arms and shoulders.

"I know, but I'm okay, I promise." He said, slightly surprised by the way she was sat beside him on the bed, gently clinging to him as though her life depended on it.

"I wish I could go with you." She muttered mournfully, he nodded knowing how strongly she worried about them all and how she wanted to help. He knew that if she did go she would be fine, she could take care of herself, but if she got hurt because of him then he would never forgive himself.

"I can't see you get hurt because of me." He told her, she let go of him and sighed.

"I have faced worse things than you Remus." She said, he glanced at the scars on her wrists from the ropes and then back at her face.

"I know, but even if you get one scratch because of me I would never forgive myself." He explained gently, both were scarred, both were scared, but they had some sort of connection that that brought them together and wiped away the fear, even just for one blissful moment.

"You don't have to worry about me getting hurt Remus." She told him, gently patting his hand. He smiled at her.

"You're being hunted Ariana, of course I'm going to worry about you." He sighed, she frowned as though being reminded she had not yet escaped her past.

"I don't want you to worry about me." She rephrased, she noticed the other three were stood a little way away, watching the exchange curiously, she wondered what they were waiting for.

"I'm always going to worry about you." He responded, placing his hands on either side of her face, he matched his lips with her own and kissed her, hoping that she felt the same. She kissed him back at once.

"Remus?" She pulled away, looking almost scared.

"Ariana Dumbledore, will you go out with me?" Remus asked, hardly daring to breathe. She nodded slowly.

"Of course." She smiled at him. "Does that mean you are my boyfriend?"

"I believe so." He replied. She just smiled at him and jumped as Sirius started clapping.

"Finally!" He exclaimed. Remus shot him a glare.

"Sirius!"

"Oh come on, we all knew it would happen eventually." Sirius scoffed.

"You are very strange Sirius." Ariana told him, he laughed.

"Oh Arie, you sure are a heartbreaker." Sirius pretended to be extremely wounded, she just laughed and shook her head at him.

"When do you get out of here?" She turned her attention back to Remus.

"Tomorrow." He replied. "Go on, go to class, I'll be back before you know it."

"I hope so." She nodded, looking back one last time before following the other boys into the corridor.