Robyn Morrow was a legilimens and when it came to Remus Lupin's big secret...she didn't have to be told.
Reading was Robyn's only escape from the countless thoughts running through her head, that was until a certain lanky, scarred, chocolate-loving...
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Remus sighed as he read over Robyn's excuse for the third time. He had asked her to visit him in his home in Wales a week after he returned from the Potter's but she had told him she was visiting her grandparents in Devon. Remus then asked if she could at least meet him for the day at Diagon Alley but apparently she had come down with a nasty case of the chicken pox. Remus knew she was lying because she had told him the story of her dad doing a dot-to-dot on her arms when she was six. Remus didn't know why Robyn didn't want to see him but it certainly upset him. As his four other friends were splashing in the lake behind James and Eloise's house, he was sat under a tree holding Robyn's crinkled letter in his hand, trying not to be pessimistic.
"Why so sad, Moonpie?" Eloise sat down next to him and gave him a huge grin. Her face was tanned from the sun and her hair was dripping on Remus' shoulder as she held her towel around her shoulders. Her hazel eyes flickered to the letter in the boy's hand and her smile faltered,
"She has chicken pox? How awful." she muttered and pushed her hair out of her face, giggling softly as she watched Sirius and James wrestling in the water. Remus looked over at her and noticed that she was biting her lip nervously and her fingers were fiddling with the pendant of her necklace.
"You know she's lying too." he said and Eloise turned to face him, frowning, "But you know why." he examined her face as she shook her head, trying to find a giveaway. Eloise was an excellent liar, but she didn't like doing so to her friends.
"I don't know-" she started but she was interrupted by her owl landing beside her, a piece of parchment tied to its leg. Eloise thanked the owl softly and stroked its head before taking the letter. As soon as Remus looked at it he recognised the handwriting and tried to read it. Eloise, noticing this, stood up in an attempt to hide it from him but Remus wanted to know the truth. He grabbed Eloise's hand, pulled her down so she was sat on his lap and wrapped his arms around her so she couldn't move. He could feel Sirius' glare on the side of his face as he held on to Eloise but he didn't care, he needed to read the letter. Eloise tried to fold the letter back up but he grabbed it from her, using one arm to keep her still and the other to read Robyn's writing.
Hi, Elle!
My Dad says he's happy to paint that picture for your mum's birthday, I'll send it to you as soon as it's done. Remus asked me to see him again...I had to lie. I want to see him and hold him more than anything in the world but I can't keep secrets from him - not to his face - he'll know I'm hiding something from him as soon as he lays his eyes on me. I just can't let him find out about my uncle, he'll hate me for it and I can't have that.
I'm sorry for burdening you with this but I had to tell someone. I'm not risking sending that information all the way to Bora Bora where Ara is and Rory still isn't talking to me so I just had to tell you.
I hope everyone's alright where you are and I can't wait to see you soon.
Lots of love,
Birdie xx
p.s. give Rem a hug for me please.
Remus put down the letter as soon as he was finished and pinched the bridge of his nose,
"Remus," Eloise began and he let go of her, softly pushing her off his lap and standing up, running his hands through his hair,
"She's lying to me. I knew it." he muttered and turned to Eloise who had stood up. She looked very guilty as she played with her hands, "And you know what she's keeping from me." he pointed a finger at her and she swallowed,
"Rem-"
"What is it?" he asked and she shook her head,
"It's not my place." she said quietly and Remus closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath,
"Eloise." he said and put his hands on her shoulders, "What is Robyn keeping from me?" he asked again and Eloise bit her lip. He noticed that she looked over his shoulder and he presumed she was looking at Sirius for help as he appeared at their side.
"Leave it, Moony." he said sternly and took Eloise's hand, trying to pull her into him but Remus didn't let go,
"I need to know!" he raised his voice and he didn't notice when his fingers dug into Eloise's shoulders. The full moon was only a few days away and it always heightened everything: his strength, his emotions, his anger.
"Let go of her, Remus." Sirius told him again as Eloise whimpered softly. Remus' eyes widened and he let go of her shoulders, his eyes softening as Sirius pulled her into a hug, asking her if she was alright.
"Elle...I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"I know, Moony." she muttered and offered him a weak smile, "But I can't tell you. You should talk to Robyn."
------
Robyn was painting little flowers on her dad's newest mural when she heard a shout from downstairs.
"RED! THERE'S A BLUE GLOWING WOLF IN THE KITCHEN!" he bellowed and Robyn's eyes widened - Remus. She threw down her paintbrush and sprinted downstairs. Tim was staring worriedly at the patronus and patted her shoulder awkwardly as he passed her, "Tell me if it either eats you or has blue glowing wolf babies." he whispered, still eyeing the patronus as he backed out of the room. Robyn took a deep breath and approached it, waiting for the message.
"Robyn, I'm coming to your house on Friday, the day after the full moon. We need to talk." Remus' voice echoed around the kitchen and Robyn took a seat, covering her face with her hands. She could tell by the absence of light that the patronus had gone and she exhaled sharply.
'They need to talk? She's not pregnant, Tim! She's sixteen...IT'S LEGAL. Oh bugger balls and damnation. That's it, I'm asking her. If it comes to it, I'll have to be the youngest and sexiest grandfather of all time.'
"I'm not pregnant, Dad." Robyn called and she heard a sigh of relief come from the other side of the door followed by the sound of it opening.
"Oh, thank the lord." he said as he approached her and Robyn took her hands away from her face. She looked up at her dad and he pouted at her, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "What happened?"
"I keep making excuses as to why I can't see him because I don't want to tell him about the fact that my uncle turned him into the thing he hates most about himself and I have a feeling he didn't believe my very plausible reasons." she chuckled humourlessly and Tim sighed, squeezing her softly,
"You have to tell him, Red." he whispered and she nodded her head,
"I know I do, I just don't want him to hate me." her eyes welled up and she closed them, trying desperately not to cry,
"He won't hate you, Red. It's not your fault any of this happened - you never even met my brother!" Tim pressed a kiss to her temple and she sniffed, "And if worse comes to worse I'll trap him in the basement until he realises none of it is your fault."
"You'd do that for me?" she looked up at him and he smiled tenderly,
"I'd go so far as to torture anyone for my little princess."
