Summer '78: Time Alone (Charlotte)

[Remus Lupin]

Looking at his face in the mirror, Remus was displeased. There was more gray starting to show in his brown hair, it was starting to become, well, noticeable. He rubbed his eyes and turned away, leaning back against the sink. It had been the first full moon since school had ended, and it wasn't exactly easy. He never thought he would have missed waking up next to his friends, most of them time stark naked and cold. At least they were all close enough to were it wasn't weird after a few years of doing it. He'd transformed by himself this full moon, no friends around. It had been rough. His mind was calmer when they were around. This time, everything had been different. He was covered in bruises and scraps, most of them safely hidding undereath his jumper. However, he knew there was one on his neck that wasn't quite hidden by his collar. Hopefully Charlotte wouldn't ask questions, or would accept a lame answer. He wasn't ready to explain his condition to her.

In fact, his condition was all he could think about. Things were going well, and he was so happy with her. But he wasn't ready to tell her, he wasn't sure if he ever wanted to tell her. "You can't keep it from her forever stupid. If you want things to last, you'd have to tell her eventually." He shook his head and stood up straight. Hiding in the bathroom all day wasn't going to help this situation. Turning to look back in the mirror, he ran a hand through his hair before leaving the bathroom. She would be here soon, and while he looked mostly presentable, he was beginning to worry about the state of his apartment.

It was clean, mind you, he wasn't a messy sort of person. But it was rather plain and simple. He was lucky his parents had given him some basic furniture, a kitchen table, a sofa. He had also saved up enough money to afford a bed, and a frame. Although he wouldn't have been too upset about sleeping on a mattress just on the floor. Either way, it wasn't super nice and he wasn't entirely she what she was expecting. He pulled on the edge of his jumper, it was begininng to fray, and checked the clock on the wall. He was starting to panic, and he wasn't sure why. They had spent plenty of time together during school just the two of them. This would be the first time they would be really and truly alone though. And at his place. Remus was very tempted to send an owl to Sirius and ask for some advice.

Pacing around the room, he gave a sigh. He was a terrible boyfriend, he had to be. He checked the time once more before opening a kitchen counter and pulling out some chocolate. He could do this, just a bit of chocolate to brighten the mood and he totally would not screw everything up.

[Charlotte Fudge]

outfit

Usually Charlotte wasn't a fan of the summer holiday. Apart from friends in a home-that-never-felt-like-home, she had lots of reading to look forward to, yes, but...there were only so many times one could read the same collection of books. In the past few years she'd taken to exploring the nearby bookstores to supplement the family stores with items of her own choosing. Granted, she was usually the only one who read them anyway - Muggle histories and fairytales were just as often picked up as old magical textbooks, as her wanderings took her into the Muggle and magical sectors of London - as the others kept amused and busy in other ways. Arranging Violet's wedding had taken up most of her mother and older sister's time last summer; her father always worked long hours and came home tired; her brother went out with friends or to practice flying, but did try to make time for her too...She supposed it could be worse. If she hadn't the habit of leaving the house without notice, she was sure she would've run into some problems today.

Instead of the note she had left on the dining room table - Out visiting a friend, back tonight - Charlotte - she would have had to engage in an awkward conversation of:

"And where are you off to, dear?"

"Going to see Remus, Mum. The boy I told you about."

"How lovely - do give him our best! But, dear, he's still living with his family, isn't he?"

To which she wouldn't have known how to respond, as she honestly didn't know what her parents would feel about it. They had rather left the protect-Charlotte duties to Cole, once it had become obvious she wasn't into the lifestyle of the pureblood "elite" she'd been born into. Instead of pushing her to accompany them to events, as they had done when she was a child, the Mr. and Mrs. let her go about her own business. Which was good, as Rem had just moved into a flat of his own, so there wouldn't be any parental supervision, and she didn't fancy having that sort of chat with her rather aloof mother.

Not that there needed to be anyone watching over them! She was just going over to see him, see the place - it'd been a few days since the train ride home, and they'd gone a few days before, but she was just looking forward to seeing her boyfriend -

Breathe, Charlotte. Him trying for anything too much should be the least of your worries. 

The young woman supposed her nerves about the event could be traced back to her brother's influence - Cole had insisted, for years, that boys were foul creatures who would take advantage of a girl like her. They weren't to be trusted. They weren't people she should be around. And she, perhaps too trusting, had believed him when she was a girl. Of course, as she got to know a number of boys it turned out they weren't the horrid beings Cole had painted them to be, but she'd still abstained from pursuing anything, not wanting to put pressure on her relationship with her brother.

Needless to say, Cole hadn't been too pleased to discover that she not only had feelings for a boy, but that it was a boy he'd shared a room with for years, and that yes, they were seeing each other. Things were still tense between the two of them - which had put a damper on the last few days, as she felt even more alone in the large house than before - but she was hopeful he'd change his tune soon enough. He'd always only wanted the best for her, but her growing up faster than he'd anticipated had been a blow...and she did hope that he would see that being with Remus really was what was best for her.

Nevertheless, Char had much more to look forward to this summer. Now seventeen, she could go see Remus and friends via Apparating over to them instead of being stuck at home, and she planned on taking full advantage of that. She'd pulled on a sundress she'd gotten on a shopping trip with Alex the summer before and a light cardigan - although she would prefer one of Remus' jumpers, if she got cold, as this was merely for modesty's sake, the girl not being used to showing the skin that the dress allowed - and pulled her hair back into a low ponytail. After living with the girl for so long, she could hear Alex's voice in her ear, telling her ever-so-gently that if she just put a little eyeshadow on it would -

Doing this my way, dear.

Satisfied with her look, and hoping he would be too, Charlotte thought back to the instructions he'd given her on how to find the place from a better-known location, and Apparated away. Before long she had tucked her wand into her purse and was looking up at the apartment building, double-checking the number against the letter he'd sent about it, and, nerves replaced with a sense of happy anticipation, she quickly climbed the steps to his flat. Although she felt some of her hair coming loose already, she didn't bother fixing the wayward strands - Char gave the door that was now his a few steady knocks, and rocked back on her heels as she waited for his arrival.

"Hi there!" she said brightly, smiling up at him on impulse as soon the door opened.

[Remus Lupin]

Remus' pacing was getting worse, as was his chocolate eating. Stopping, he set the rest of the chocolate bar down on the counter. Things were going to be fine. She wouldn't stand him up, she wasn't that kind of person. And it wasn't going to be weird or uncomfortable just because it was the first time they had any alone time together. He wasn't like Sirius. Then again, Sirius did know more. Remus panicked and grabbed a piece of parchment from a drawer, before frantically looking around for a quill. He had enough time to send Sirius a letter and beg him for some advice before she arrived. Hearing the knock on the door, Remus went to open it without thinking. 

Remus couldn't find words, and he knew she had just said hello to him. But it was real. She was really standing on his doorstep and she was absolutely beautiful. She was his girlfriend and she was at his apartment and things were going to be fine. Really. Get it together Remus he thought, before smiling at her, "Hello there to you as well," he said, moving aside so she could enter the apartment. Hello there as well? What kind of stupid line is that. You are screwing this up. He closed the door behind her, and then realized he was still holding the parchment in his hand.

"Oh uh I was just about to pen a letter to my Mum and let her know I was settling in ok," he mumbled, stashing the paper atop a nearby shelf. He moved towards her and brushed hair from her face that had escaped her ponytail. "You look beautiful today, he said with a pause, "I mean you always look beautiful but you also look beautiful today. I like the dress. Not that I don't like when you wear other things. I'm going to stop talking now." 

He looked down at the ground, and could feel his face turning red. Was he always going to be this bad at things? He'd gotten so much better at talking to her during the school year. He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, trying to ignore the pain he felt when he brushed up against the scratch from a couple nights ago. You're such an idiot. 

[Charlotte Fudge]

Remus' bright face at the door, always that darling open smile with her, sent the girl's heart racing, and she didn't much mind that they took their time in this moment. This was a first - a good first, and she wanted to remember it. Just as she always did when there had been a few days between them seeing each other, Char eagerly took him in, eyes darting from his tousled gray-streaked hair to that familiar jumper to his kind dark eyes, and was struck at her luck of boyfriends. He was her first, and she couldn't have asked for a better partner. She knew she didn't always make it easy, what with not having any sort of experience with managing a life with someone else, but they were figuring it out together, and she was glad for it every day. It wasn't always easy for her to express this, but she wanted to get better, for both their sakes, as she knew he had a bit of a worrying streak, to put it lightly.

At his greeting the girl's smile broadened and she stepped inside, just starting to take a look around and form a thought to tell him when her attention was drawn to his speech. She gave a slight nod, glad to hear that 1) he was keeping in touch with his folks and 2) that he was adjusting well. And as for the flat, Charlotte...would get a better look around later. Remus was here, fingers gentle on her skin as he fixed her hair, and although she was, of course, excited to see where he was living, she was rather distracted by the tingles his simple touch had left.

As he spoke those kind words, getting right flustered, Char waited patiently for him to finish, smiling up at him. He hadn't been this stammer'y with her in quite a while, and it was bringing back the butterflies she'd felt when they'd first started considering the two of them being an anything. Not that she didn't still get that fluttery feeling when around him, but he was just...so honest-to-goodness sweet. She could practically see the gears working overtime in his mind as she met those eyes of his, and it still struck her as so incredible that she made him feel like this. She was just Charlotte, after all. And he had nothing to worry about with her - didn't he remember? Had it really been that long since they'd seen each other? Remus turned to watch their feet, but she could still see the flush that had crept up on him, and...

"Rem?" She leaned towards him playfully, their considerable height difference coming to her advantage as she tried to find his eyes. "Thank you," she said sincerely, grinning once she'd found him. What this boy needed was to be reassured, and - although the Charlotte of this time last year would've blanched at the thought, never having done this - she had an inkling that she could help. The girl rose up onto her toes, steadying herself with a hand against his chest, taking hold of the jumper, and teasingly bumped his nose with hers before she kissed him.

[Remus Lupin]

Remus was weak to that smile, something he was sure the girl was aware of. He had never had feelings for anyone before her, at least not these kind of feelings. So watching her smile up at him as he stumbled through his words only made it worse. Today was supposed to be a good day and here he was making a downright fool out of himself. Why didn't Sirius ever seem to have this problem talking to girls? He was smooth and collected. But he did not need to be thinking about Sirius right now. Not with this absolutely beautiful girl standing in front of him. He didn't want to hear words of advice from Sirius in his mind today, not one bit.

As she said his name, he tilted his head up slightly to meet her eyes. As she thanked him, he knew that he had to be turning even more red. "You're welcome, he stammered out. Real Smooth. His thoughts were cut short, however, when her lips met his. He mentally wondered if he tasted like chocolate, and if that was a good thing or not. Which was probably not what he should have been contemplating while his girlfriend was giving him a kiss. When she pulled away, Remus moved his hand to her face to stroke her cheek, before touching her bottom lip with his thumb. He leaned down to give her another kiss, prolonging the feel of her lips against his for as long as he could. He was very happy that she had agreed to wait until this week for their first visit at his flat. The week before the moon was an interesting week, and he wasn't always aware of his own strength then. He smiled at her, a sad sort of smile, and pulled away. He couldn't forget what he was, that wasn't safe. No matter how comfortable she made him feel. He was a monster.

"I really like kissing you," he said, before taking a step back to put some more distance between them. He took a look around his flat. Maybe he should give her a tour? It wasn't like there was very much to see. "Did you want a tour? It's not very big or grand but I like it. I could also put on some tea. Yea, tea would be good." With that, he turned and walked into the kitchen that was directly behind him, busying himself by filling the teapot up with water. He really needed to pull himself together before she got annoyed with him and just went home. He sighed as he stared down at the water pouring into the kettle. She likes you, idiot. She won't leave. Just keep it together.

[Charlotte Fudge]

After a time she pulled away, but didn’t get too far - his hand on her cheek kept her in place, and her eyes found his as he stroked her lower lip, her breath coming short even before he, thankfully, kissed her. As they kissed - Charlotte, as always, thinking - it struck the girl that this was the first time they’d been able to do this without taking guilty looks around them after, or worrying that they’d be seen, or having anything other than them to worry about in these moments. It was wonderful and nerve-wracking at the same time, as that worry had always held her, at least, back. Just a bit. Even after Remus had stood up for them, for her, to her brother, she hadn’t felt absolutely comfortable being this affectionate around Hogwarts with him. There had still been worries in the back of her mind that, although Cole had said he’d try to come around, the sight of them would cause him to do something rash.

But Cole wasn’t here.

No one was, actually.

So it was wonderful, as she could simply focus on Remus, the way he was making her feel, and she smiled into the kiss, pulling herself closer to him. But without the conscious need to control herself about him, lest words get back to her brother, Charlotte felt unfamiliar nerves springing into action as she wasn’t able to predict what would happen. How she would react. Not that she was planning on taking any drastic steps, but it was simply freeing to be here - an unfamiliar feeling, to say the least. Unfamiliar and a little frightening - but not a bad frightening, just...Char liked to be sure. And this had pushed her out of that realm.

However - based on his words, that soft smile down at her once he’d pulled away - being in the unfamiliar wasn’t turning out to be a bad thing at all. Seeing as Remus was the only person she'd ever kissed, naturally she hadn't heard anything like that from anybody else, and the fact that it was him - her handsome and intelligent and caring young man - caused the girl to flush in embarrassment. Introvert as she was, she wouldn't have even thought to say something like that, and was warm from her nose to her toes at the sincere flattery. She smiled, her turn to look away, and was thankful for the slight distance he gave them so she could take a moment to process that.

Not like it should've been any surprise, since he always seemed pleased, and she sure had hoped that was how he felt, that she did this sort of thing all right. But it was grand to hear. And he deserved to hear it too. Mustering some of the courage that had brought her to Gryffindor, she belatedly said, "Good, I like kissing you too."

The boy's nerves seemed to have returned as he spoke, and she nodded along with him, following behind him to the kitchen. She watched him fondly as he took the kettle to the sink, but her brows furrowed slightly as she heard a sigh escape him. "Tea and a tour would be lovely," Charlotte said, laying a steadying hand on his back as she came to his side. She chuckled lightly before continuing, "Believe me, the size of the place doesn't make it a home. This is cozy, comfortable - and it's for you. You're happy here, and that's the important thing. Now, point me - mugs? Tea leaves?" She gave him a grin before looking about, wondering what each cabinet held, how he had taken to organizing the place...

[Remus Lupin]

There were thoughts in Remus head that he wasn't entirely sure what to do with. Not dirty thoughts mind you, just wants he wasn't exactly prepared for. Like why he wanted to tell her that she meant the world to him. And why he wanted to tell her about who, or what, he really was. She was a good person, and everyone else he thought would never accept him had. He shouldn't be so rash though. He would talk to James, that was a good person to talk to. After all, James would be a lot more helpful when it came to romance. Especially on thinking of ways to tell Charlotte that he, Stop it. The voice in his head was not pleased with him, and he could understand why. His whole life had been taken from him when he was five, and while he was fortunate enough to have been able to go to school, the rest of his life he would not get to be so lucky. He glanced back at Charlotte, admiring her as she looked around his kitchen. She deserved so much more out of life than he could offer her. He imagined that she had her whole life planned out. Most people did, it seemed. There were people he knew that had been a few years ahead of him in school that were married with kids already. That was a crazy thought. He let a small smile escape him as Charlotte waited for his reply. "You're wonderful," he murmered, setting the kettle down next to the sink. Moving up behind her, he pulled her against his chest and rested his lips on her hair. He had to cherish these moments.

"Well, tea and a tour I can manage. As for mugs and tea leaves, your guess is as good as mine. I let Sirius unpack the kitchen and I haven't exactly been home for the past few days," he answered with a laugh. The boys had insisted on helping him move, even if it was only a few boxes of stuff. They'd had pizza and beer and just hung out, it was a good time. Sirius had stuck around a little longer and helped unpack, which meant that Remus wasn't entirely sure where things were. He wouldn't have been surprised if everything was shoved into a single cabinet. "I'll let you explore," he said, letting her go as he went to put the kettle on the stove. "But if I had to guess, pick a cabinet and look on the top shelf. Probably next to the sink." He turned and picked up the chocolate he had left on the counter. It wasn't quite lunch time, but he didn't want to eat a ton of chocolate and ruin any appetite he might have. Of course, he wasn't entirely sure what to make for lunch. He had soup, and that wasn't too complicated to make.

"What would you like to do today?" he asked, before breaking off a piece of chocolate and putting in his mouth. He wasn't going to be hungry later, but it was chocolate. He'd already started eating it anyway, there was no point in letting it go to waste. Holding the bar out towards her, he nodded at it, "And would you like some chocolate? I don't share with just anyone."

[Charlotte Fudge]

She really was never going to get used to this.

He was just so...affectionate with her.

Charlotte had stopped doing the double-takes that had been her reactions when he'd first started giving her such casual compliments. The only people who had given her that sort of attention had been her brother and closest friends, but, coming from Remus, the words and touches hit her much differently. Those kind words, which she wasn't exactly certain what she had done to prompt, had come out so low, a tender murmur, and her heart was pounding as Remus gathered her to him. She closed her eyes, leaning back into him with a happy sigh, her hands idly stroking his at her waist.

She chuckled lightly at first, at his next - but then the oddity of what he'd said struck her. Haven't exactly been home? The past few days?

Charlotte looked up at him, raising her brows in her slight confusion. "Been out and about with the boys?" she asked, wondering what she could've missed. As he gave her the freedom to roam the kitchen, the girl did begin going through the cabinets, but couldn't fully ignore a tinge of worry hitting her gut. He'd said it so nonchalantly that there really shouldn't be a reason to worry...She did wind up finding tea and a set of mugs after a bit of searching, stretching up to reach them as, as Remus had forewarned, Sirius had put them up on a top shelf, and set them next to the stove. She was brought back to him at his question, and leaned back against the counter, giving him a thoughtful smile. "I'm not sure," she said, drumming her fingers against the countertop. "You've been away, so - have you been around about here at all? Explored the area? We could take a look around, see what there's to do - I'm not picky," she said, suddenly at a bit of a loss at what they were to do now that there was no schoolwork, no books, none of their usual haunts...

At his offer of chocolate, the young woman eyed him, knowing that this was, indeed, true. However, she felt like having a bit of fun - this was new for the girl, accepting this silly side of her that Remus brought out, and it was one that she hoped wouldn’t be lost when she was back at school, no longer able to see him on the daily. Not that she was - not that she was anticipating the two of them -

She'd gone into this relationship with a very open mind, and the gradual, natural progression of it had been good for the inexperienced Gryffindor. There hadn't been pressure from the boy for any of it - commitment or kisses or anything in between - but simply a mutual understanding of this mutual undertaking. They'd simply begun growing together, over time, easing into a comfortable coexistence. Well, not entirely comfortable, as there had been the ever-present, at least for the girl, looming overhead threat of Cole, but when she could forget about that, things with the other Gryffindor were always good.

Never having thought about balancing her life with someone else's, she wasn't banking on anything with this boy at this point in time - but she wouldn't have wanted to commit to him if she didn't see a possible, if nebulous, future with him. They were more than proficiently compatible, as far as she could judge, and she expected they could reasonably tackle the challenges of life, expected and otherwise, as a strong team.

Romantic, Char.

That being said, she had partially been expecting him to break things off at the end of term, and although it would've hurt, Char would've understood. He was starting a new chapter of his life, and if he had wanted his freedom for it, she would have - reluctantly - let him go. His was an uncertain future, what with committing to the Order, which was a career path she did not foresee in her own timeline. Not that she had anything nailed down at this point - sure, her dream to write was still alive and well, but she'd have to do something for actual money along the way, not wanting to live off of her family -

Charlotte. Focus.

So, no, she did not have a set expectation for the two of them. Instead she had high hopes that they would continue through the summer, through her final year at Hogwarts, and beyond. This young man made her feel more whole and happy than she ever had, as he encouraged her to express herself, be the best that she could, and, simply, be herself. To have found that support in him, such an impressive person himself, was astounding.

“Sharing your chocolate? Do you really think we’re at that point?” she teased, stepping towards him to show she wasn’t being serious. Char grinned, breaking off a piece of the mostly-eaten chocolate bar.

[Remus Lupin]

Remus cleared his throat. He supposed that he shouldn’t have mentioned the fact he had been gone for a few days. He’d wanted to only be gone for the one night, but due to the extent of his injuries he’d had to spent some time recovering. He hadn’t told the rest of the Marauders where he was going to transform, which was a blessing since they hadn’t been able to check on him after. They would be furious if they saw the damage he had caused to himself.

”Yea, you know. Just hanging out while we still can. The guys are going to start working soon and you know, Lily and James are pretty serious and stuff,” he replied, watching Charlotte move about the kitchen. She was graceful and perfect, he couldn’t help but smile as she brought the mugs and tea leaves over. He should have helped her reach them down, but it was adorable to see her try and figure out where Sirius placed all his dishes.

He shrugged, ”I mean, I have all the time in the world to go explore. I’d rather do what you want to do. It’s not like I get to keep you here all summer with me.” He wished he could. And not in a weird sort of way. He just wanted to be able to see her when he woke up in the morning. Brush her hair as she napped on the couch. Make her soup and tea when she wasn’t feeling well. He would do anything to spend all his days with her. Well, not anything. After all you can’t even tell her.

He wondered if this was how James felt when he looked at Lily. It wasn’t a conversation they had ever really had, but he knew he cared a lot about Lily. He regretted not talking to James more about Lily when he had the chance. He gave a small smile, they would have the rest of their lives to joke about school. He couldn’t wait until they could joke with their kids about how much Lily and James used to hate each other. Kids. Something he would never have. As much as he thought he could be a good father, there was too much at stake. A daughter could survive, a son would not. It was too much of a risk.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts just in time to catch Charlotte talking to him. He was concerned, for a moment, until she realized she was joking. ”Well I mean, we are official now Ms. Meyers. An offer of chocolate is simply the next step,” he teased back. He set the rest of the chocolate bar down and busied himself with getting the tea leaves ready in the mugs, as the kettle was just beginning to whistle.

”I do believe there is a bakery down the street, if you want to see if their pastries are any good.”

[Charlotte Fudge]

She nodded along to his explanation, her worries mostly abating. She supposed it wasn't unusual for them to spend days together - they were so incredibly tight - and James and Sirius and Peter had separate places now as well, she assumed, so there were many safe places for Remus to be spending his nights. Although she had to eye him over her shoulder at his words about James and Lily. "Pretty serious and stuff?" she asked, grinning. "Usually you're so eloquent about this sort of thing - we'll work on that before there's ever an occasion for speaking about them." She knew that the two ex-Heads were going to marry - there was no way James Potter would be letting go of Lily Evans - and she was happy for the two of them, glad that they'd found each other. Surely Remus, as one of their best friends, would be asked to speak!

Remus' casual straight-forward endearments were always stunning to the girl, as she knew that he meant them sincerely. She turned to him, searching for his eyes as she grinned up at him. "But it's not like I'm actually far away," she said encouragingly. "Easy enough to pop over. I know you'll get busy with the Order, but if you let me know when you're free - well, I'd be glad to be here."

The girl couldn't and didn't want to hold in the grin she got from his continuing the little tease. What he said was exactly the truth - they were officially an item. Getting to this point hadn't been easy, but here they were, comfortably sharing a bar of chocolate at his new flat. In the inevitable confrontations that first Remus and then she had had with her brother, Char had finally found her voice. She'd been told for years by friends to stand up to Cole - to stop doing his work, to stop letting him dictate who she was allowed to be around, to stop letting him, in short, use her - but for years she had tried to brush off the concern of her advocates. She was just fine, they simply didn't understand that this was what she needed to do. But their words never truly left her, simply layering and layering within her...

It had begun with Alex, really, her beginning to distance herself from that relationship. Well - not distance, but attempt to modify. Her constant encouragement that Char could do whatever she set her mind to along with her unwavering belief that she could turn, as she so affectionately would say, her little caterpillar into a butterfly had a gradual effect on the other Gryffindor. Her low sense of self-worth was buoyed up as she realized Alexandra needed her as much as the opposite was true, and although she'd always taken pride in doing her work well, she started to take compliments and constructive critiques from professors to heart, lifting her confidence in her abilities. So instead of agreeing with him when Cole said she'd just have to learn to write with his handwriting as McGonagall wanted something written by him, she'd gently suggested that he try his own hand at the work. Little steps, little steps...

But it'd been getting to know Remus that had shown her how much she had been missing out on. How much time she had wasted, allowing herself to be kept underneath her brother's thumb. How many emotions she had stunted during her teenage years to appease him. How many relationships and friendships she'd never even considered the possibility of in the fear of turning him against her.

Having Remus take a stand for her had been the tipping point. The fact that he'd not only expressed wanting to be with her in an official capacity, but was actually going to make it happen, and did have words with Cole about it, had endeared him to her more than she knew was possible. It'd given her the strength to have her own talk with Cole, and yes, they were still working on finding a new normal that both could agree on, and with her never being fond of confrontation it hadn't exactly been easy - but it was a necessity.

She was seventeen, after all. An adult in the eyes of the wizarding world, with just one more year of schooling to do before she could fully be independent. But that didn't mean she couldn't, or shouldn't, start taking the steps now.

"I do like these next steps," she mused, enjoying a satisfying mouthful of the treat as she affectionately watched him ready their tea. She took the mug that he offered, and let the heat warm her hands just as the boy before her had warmed her heart. Char contentedly held the mug, allowing the tea steep for a time, and raised her brows at his words. She wasn't the sort of girlfriend who would ever demand that money be spent on her - as she assumed would be done, if she agreed - and not that they'd spoken about it, but she knew Remus wasn't well off. And he was now going to be supporting himself, and she knew the Order was going to be good, fulfilling work, but the money wasn't exactly going to be raining in -

"Maybe," the girl said sweetly, looking at him over her tea. "Or I saw a used bookstore and a little park on my way in, could take a walk...I'm just happy to be here. With you," Char added hurriedly. She was trying to get better at this, make him feel as accepted as he always did for her.

[Remus Lupin]

Remus chuckled, ”Eloquent? Are you sure you’re speaking about me?” While Remus was many things, he wouldn’t have used the word eloquent. Sure, he knew Shakespeare by heart, but those weren’t his words. Besides, getting words out around her could sometimes be a feat, which was hardly an eloquent sort of action. Either way, he was correct. He was pretty that being engaged fell under the stuff part of pretty serious and stuff. Engaged! Goodness, he was out of it today. How could he have let that slip his mind, after all it had just happened a few days ago. ”After all, I have the honor of tell you the news. James has finally stopped being….James. And proposed.”

Remus shifted his feet and leaned back against the counter. ”Well, you’re in luck. Other than paperwork I won’t have too much to do, so you can pop over whenever you’d like.” While he needed to get some other form of income at some point, he wasn’t quite ready to tackle that task yet. So most of his summer would be spent here, and it would be nice to have her around the place. She made his whole world brighter.

He wondered, for a moment, how he could have gotten so lucky. Not only was he in a happy, and healthy, relationship, it was with this girl. She could had taken her pick of any boy, at least once Cole had left the school. Remus, quite honestly, hadn’t been sure if this was something she would want to pursue after the school year had ended. As it got closer and closer to graduation he had been waiting for her to talk to him about their future after his graduation, but it never came up. They had agreed on the train to meet today, and that had been the end of the conversation.

It was a talk he had been contemplating, and mostly because of Willa and Benji. The two had been dating during school, but Willa had broken things off before graduation. He wasn’t sure if they’d fought or if had been due to the fact he would be returning to school in the fall and Willa would not. He knew Doe and Arnie were staying together, but could he make it work with Charlotte? It would be hard to see her during school, especially if any of her free time fell during the full moon.

He gave another smile to her as he teased him right back,”I have to say I’m glad, because I’m enjoying these next steps as well. Both chocolate eating and well, this.” It felt nice to have something that was real, he couldn’t not be happy while she was around.

He sat his mug down as she mentioned the bookstore and the park down the street, and nodded to her, ”That’s true. We could combine them all, really. Bookstore, pastries, and a walk in the park sound nice to you? I’m sure we could find some other food in the shops down there as well, since chocolate and pastries don’t make an actual lunch.” He took another sip of tea from his mug, before moving away from the counter.

”I did promise a tour, so here’s the kitchen. You already saw the living room, and well, the table is behind you. So I suppose that’s a dining area,” he moved out the the kitchen into a small hallway, ”This door is the bathroom, this a linen closet, and the one at the very end is my bedroom.” He turned to look at her, not sure if he was supposed to be showing her what his bedroom looked like. Was it strange if he did, or strange if he didn’t? Trying to avoid the topic, he cleared his throat and scratched his neck, before he let a small wince escape.

Blasted cut. Putting his hand down, he looked at the floor. ”It’s not much but the neighbors are quiet.”

[Charlotte Fudge]

She gave him a grin at his self-depreciating humor, as - granted - perhaps that wasn't the right term for him. But he was always so sincere in his expressions that additional eloquence wasn't necessary, and the occasional stumbles were endearing rather than something that needed to be embarrassed about or forgiven. Remus went on, and Char's eyes widened in surprise at the wonderful news. "He did? And she said yes - she must've said yes, didn't she?" she said, excitedly running her mouth. She'd become close with the older girl over the last few years, and had been delighted when she'd finally accepted James - and she'd felt that marriage between the two would be inevitable, but this was awfully soon, wasn't it?

Oh, no matter - this is lovely.

They needed as much happy news as they could get, these days. The girl kept up with the news, and...this had been the first piece of good news, honest good news, she'd found out about so far this summer. The Prophet tried to lighten things up with human interest stories - Witch helps wayward giant, receives honor at homecoming feast - but they couldn't distract her from what was truly going on in their world. There was something larger than any of them brewing, and Remus was...

He's already committed to it, Charlotte, and he will be such help. It won't do to worry, it's been decided.

She smiled over at him at his words, glad to let them distance her from her wandering mind. He was always so kind to her, but beyond his kindness was his genuine want of her to be near, be with him, and it simply filled her with worth. Few had expressed a sentiment such as this, and her small smile quickly grew as she thought of this opportunity. "Thanks, Remus - just let me know if I ever become a bother, wouldn't want to intrude, now that you've got a space for yourself."

It was these little moments when he took her suggestions and added onto them that the girl felt simply valued. She took a drink and gave him a happy nod, thinking that that sounded like a fine way to spend an afternoon. She'd just pitch in, that was all. "I'd like that," the girl said with a smile. Char perked up as he began the tour, following the tall boy with her tea as he lead her about the small flat. She had been eager to see what he'd do with a place that was just his own - at school he'd had to share with all of those boys, and while at his home he surely had his own space, but his parents were there and this was all for him. It made her wonder what she'd do with that sort of freedom, and she gladly looked about, taking in the details that made this flat so perfectly homey and Remus. It wasn't long before the tour was up, though, and he'd mentioned his...bedroom. There was no need for any sorts of feelings to come up at that, she told herself as an odd rush of unidentifiable ones came at her, but Char just couldn't help but want to keep learning more about him, and see where he'd be sleeping.

Char reflexively nodded along to his last, unable to stop the concern on her face as she looked at him intently, her mind perseverating on the oddness of his last gesture more than the fact he seemed unsure about showing her his bedroom. Which was a feeling she shared, so he needn't have worried, but - that absent scratching of his neck was a gesture she'd become familiar with over the past few months, a nervous tick of sorts, and given the situation it made sense that it'd happened but he had looked honestly pained. Maybe she was reading too much into it - it'd just been a brief not-even-moment - but...

She was learning to trust herself more, and she knew she'd seen something to be worried about.

"The place is lovely, Rem, it'll do you well," said Charlotte, not as emphatically as she would've liked as she was still eyeing him - was it his arm? his shoulder? - as she approached him, her mug held in both hands. Not that they were far apart to begin with, both in the narrow hall, but once closer she was able to see him more fully, and her light eyes traveled up his back to find...well that can't feel good. There was an open cut on the back of his neck that most certainly needed tending to. Char wasn't incredibly adept at healing, but had been called to help patch her brother up enough times after a rough game or practice that she felt she'd be able to be of assistance here. The mystery of how he'd gotten this injury was another area of concern, but one she hoped they'd breach once he'd accepted a little help.

"And I - I can help you with that cut, if you'd like," she said, the words tripping over themselves as they left her. The girl wasn't certain why she felt so unsure about this all of a sudden, but perhaps it was just one of those firsts that, in retrospect, she'd laugh about her initial worry of.

[Remus Lupin]

Remus grinned at her excitement about Lily and James. ”James swears she said yes, but I haven’t it from her so it could be an elaborate lie.” He was joking, of course. The pair had told him together, of course. Lily was just as excited as James. Remus was incredibly happy for them, he had been expecting James to propose soon. It had been very welcome news the morning after his transformation, even if he’d refused to let James and Lily actually see what sort of state he was in.

Not to mention, he was allowed to bring Charlotte. He was hoping she would be willing to accompanying him, although he couldn’t see any reason that she would say no. He cleared his throat, readying himself to ask her. The words, however, did not come. Instead, he just nodded along with her words, and placed his kiss on her forehead, ”You? A bother? That would be impossible.”

As he walked throughout the apartment, he mind didn’t stop going. Without homework and school, he was sort of at a loss for things for them to do after they went out. He’d never gotten time with her alone, even in Hogsmeade there were other people about. Did people do this sort of thing and not run out of ideas? He was already at a loss and it hadn’t even been a day.

Give it time. He needed to stop panicking over everything. He was pulled out of his thoughts as she approached, and he gave her a smile. She was right, of course. This place was good for him. While his parents were more than happy to have him stay there, forever, the space was a good change of pace. Which was another thing he had needed to discuss, his parents had found out that he was seeing someone, and were insist on meeting her. The problem was he had assured them that she knew of his condition. A simple lie to them, but one that he knew he was going to pay for.

He stumbled back as she mentioned the cut, cursing at himself for forgetting it was there, ”Ah uh, no it’s ok. Just a bit scratch. Sirius and I were, uh. I fell out a window.” He did not think those words through. A window? Sure, that will make her drop it. He needed something to distract her from his injury and quick. ”Wedding! We should do that.”

Yes, because that was so much better.

[Charlotte Fudge]

Charlotte laughed, shaking her head at his tease, because surely that's what it was. James took his relationship with the redhead too seriously to ever joke about something like an engagement, of that she was sure. "Well, I'll just have to look her up and let you know so that we're sure," she said brightly, grinning.

At his assurance, that sweet kiss on her forehead, the young woman blushed and nodded her understanding. She needed to stop saying things like that, she reminded herself. If he said he wanted her there, he wanted her there, and she shouldn't question it, lucky as she was to be welcome with him.

Remus took a few hurried steps away from her and she wished she could take back her offer, part of her wishing she hadn't seen the cut, as he suddenly looked so worried, so flustered. Her brow furrowed at his stumbling words, her look hardening with concern at his explanation - her mouth was open to question it when he proposed that. She blinked and looked up at him, so surprised that her face fell to neutral as her mind whirled, taking this all in.

Now, Charlotte wasn't daft. She knew he was covering something up by saying this, but she also knew he wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean it.

He wanted her to go with him - go with him to James and Lily's wedding. She supposed that shouldn't have been a surprise, they had been dating for a few months after all - but it was James and Lily's wedding. With how close the group of friends was, she knew this was an incredibly big moment for not only the happy couple, but also for Remus, Sirius, and Peter. They had not just seen James chase Lily - they had lived it with him. They knew his heart, had helped him through the ups and downs of the last years of the chase. They were invested in this, in each other, and she knew it was an event full of memories the boys would hold dear for the rest of their lives.

Remus wanted her to be in those memories.

She knew that he cared for her, about her, but that short, hurried statement - We should do that. - truly spoke volumes.

So although Charlotte wanted to immediately question the words about Remus falling out a window, this had to come first to reaffirm that they were in the same place. Because of course she wanted to go with him, share such a wonderful day together with friends. She tentatively stepped towards him again, giving him a gentle smile. "Yeah, we should." She paused, fingers drumming on the mug she held with both hands, as she mustered up the nerve to continue. She had to address this, but it was with uneasy eyes that she met his. "And you don't need to tell me everything you all get up to, but I just..." I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt. "I hope you're safe, is all." She quickly took her tea, unable to keep his gaze. She'd never want to interfere in the Marauders' relationships or habits or anything like that, but if when he was with Sirius they were doing things that not only put him in danger but cause him to get hurt -

You're going to have to get used to this, Charlotte. Once he's not doing paperwork for the Order, every time he goes to work he'll have a target on his back. And there's nothing to do about that.

[Remus Lupin]

Remus felt bad as he saw her expression change when he took a step back from her. She had only been offering to help, which was such a kind thing for her to do. She had no obligations to deal with any cuts or bruises he ended up with, but she was willing to help him and he had just completely rejected the idea. It wouldn’t hurt to have her look at it, he had some rubbing alcohol and bandages after all. He couldn’t even see the damn cut himself anyway.

Besides, he was stubborn. He was determined to go these next few months without the guys with him during the transformation. He told them it was something he needed to do for himself, but in reality he was terrified. He’d never been around them during that time without the Wolfsbane potion, and now they he was done with school he didn’t have access to it. It was a complicated potion, one that he wasn’t capable of brewing for himself. He couldn’t live with himself if he hurt them.

As she spoke, he nodded with her words, moving around her to set his mug down on a nearby end table. He met her eyes with his, unsure of how to process her words. Safe? He was perfectly safe, he couldn’t do much more damage than he had already done to himself throughout the years of his transformations. But it wasn’t a word he could use with her, he couldn’t tell her was safe. He wasn’t safe, he was a monster that could kill someone and it was a fact he was never going to forget.

Luckily, she hadn’t specifically questioned the window incident, and for that he was glad. He gave a sigh, before forcing a smile, ”First things first, yes. But that was a terrible way for me to ask. Let me try again.” He took a breath, forcing himself to calm down so he could actually look happy while he asked. ”Charlotte Meyers, I would be honored if you would attend the Potter wedding with me.”

He did note, however, that she was very good at keeping up with his train of thoughts. He had a moment of concern where he thought he was going to completely make her panic with his wedding comment, due to his lack of well thought out phrasing. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if she had thought he was suggesting the two of them get married. An idea he wasn’t opposed to, just one he wasn’t entirely prepared for.

Moving his gaze back to the ground, he ran his hands through his hair. He had to give her an answer, had to reassure he was safe. ”I can’t…promise that. The whole window thing wasn’t a big deal but,” he paused, looking up to meet her eyes, ”Char, things are bad. They’re going to get worse. Safety is relevant now.” His words surprised him, but he knew they were true. ”I’m not safe. But I promise that this cut is nothing too be concerned over.”

He was upset with himself, for making the situation so dire. They didn’t need to talk about the Order, and the things that were going on. Not today. All over the fact that he couldn’t handle a stupid cut on his neck by himself. He had taken the conversation so far off the topic to avoid his secret and now he felt absolutely terrible. ”I have some bandages and stuff if you want to take a look at the cut.”