Oct. 10 '79: I'm Falling Into Pieces, How Are You?: Remus

[Charlotte Fudge]

While she hated herself for it, Charlotte couldn't bring herself to go home right after work. It wasn't even as if Flourish & Blott's had been particularly busy today (really the only busy time she'd seen had been the last weeks leading to September 1st, this Wednesday in October had been tame), but she'd had to be "on" for her coworkers and the customers regardless. She generally enjoyed the work, going on journeys to find the perfect book with the customer as her traveling companion through the store, but it still took quite a bit of energy out of the introvert.

Dawdling on her way home wouldn't be such a cause of guilt, though, if the last few days had been different.

Remus' mum had died unexpectedly last Friday. She was still struggling with holding her composure about that while at home - Remus was rightly torn up about it, as were all of his closest friends, so the young woman felt she needed to be strong for him. Exhausting, that. Especially as she'd felt she was bonding so well with Hope, who was the warm and loving mother-figure she hadn't ever had. But her grief was incomparable to her fiancé's, naturally...

As if that wasn't enough, The Prophet and other news sources in their segment of the world were bringing it upon themselves to spread the word about the suspected allies of You-Know-Who. Specifically, they had been targeting werewolves. Even more specifically, unregistered werewolves. They were calling upon citizens to "escort" werewolves they knew to the Ministry (or one could contact representatives from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, who would gladly do their civic duty and collect the werewolves themselves). This was all in the name of "public safety," of course. To "provide support" to those who could so easily be recruited to serve the dark forces. The generalizations were acutely painful, but she made herself read every article she saw, to stay as informed about what was being spread as she could.

Bullsh*t.

The prickly uncomfortableness of angry tears hit her, and Charlotte coughed into her elbow, hiding behind her umbrella, as she tried to regain her composure. Her walk down Diagon Alley, far from being the people-watching distraction she'd hoped it would be, was doing nothing to settle her nerves about returning home. As one could expect, Remus had been on-edge. And she just...felt absolutely helpless.

How could she make this better for him?

    "Hi, love - sorry your mum's dead and the media is attempting to make prejudice not seem like prejudice. Right shame. Tea?"

She wasn't equipped to process this, to get a handle on her grief and try and alleviate his pain all at once.

But the sky was darkening, the days becoming shorter as they were, and her getting a cold wouldn't help their situation one bit. And so she ducked under the next awning, shook the droplets from her umbrella and closed it, and was soon whisked away to the Apparation point near their flat. Umbrella above her again, heart and feet heavy, she made her way up to their place. Adding to the surreal nature of this last week, her nineteenth birthday was only days away; she'd never made a big fuss out of birthdays, and honestly was hoping people would let the day come and go without notice. No one felt like celebrating, and she wasn't about to force the people she loved to put on happy faces.

A purring Benvolio greeted her as she came inside, locking the door behind her, propping the umbrella up in the corner. She gave the cat a tired smile as he wound around her legs, picked him up, and went looking for Remus. He'd gotten a slight leave from the Order, and was scheduled to go back tomorrow. Unsurprisingly, Char found him in the living room with a book, although he very well could've been lost in thought for these long hours, not having read a word. She settled in next to him, kissing his cheek without a word. She sighed, Benvolio moving out of her lap already and heading onto his. Leaning her head to his shoulder as she reached to pet their cat, she tentatively asked, "What've you been up to today?"

[Remus Lupin]

This world was f*cked.

He knew he shouldn't have been so bitter, but it as hard not to. Because while he comfortable flat, a steady job, and a beautiful fiance, the world was doing everything in it's power to drag him through the mud and keep him from ever getting back up. He was beginning to think it has succeeded. So much had happened within the past few weeks, things out of his control. Things that shouldn't be happening, because it wasn't how life was supposed to go. He blinked, wiping his eyes on the back of his jumper. He'd been staring at the same page for an hour now, tears burning in his eyes as he replied the events of last Friday in his mind.

It had been another Friday night, another full moon. The nights were getting longer, and he had barely gotten a chance to see Charlotte before he had to leave to transform. A romp through the woods with his friends, a tradition that they had managed to get back into. He'd come out of it bruised but laughing. They had seen each other off, talked about meeting up later that weekend. But when he had returned to his flat, it was quiet. And seeing Charlotte with concern on her face, and his father in their living room. He had known. Right then, he knew something had happened. He'd barely heard the words his father said, the situation turning into a fight.

She wasn't supposed to die.

And on top of that, Lyall Lupin had tried to insist that the two of them go to the Ministry, it would be safer if he registered. Remus had practically thrown him out of the house, before the anger and tears had set in. He hadn't seen his father since then - and wouldn't until his mother's funeral this weekend. Dumbledore had given him the time off work, but that didn't make anything better. Sitting in this house by himself wasn't helping. But he'd been useless Monday morning, and he'd grown tired of hearing the sympathies of his coworkers.

He checked the time, the nervousness in his stomach growing stronger. Because Charlotte should have been home by now. He ran a hand across his unshaven face, trying not to worry. His mind went two directions these days - the first being worried for her safety. But with all the propaganda being spouted about werewolves, another fear had been eating at him. A fear he'd been discussing with his mother, who was no longer around to reassure him. And with her not being home, his mind could only run wild. Her parents already disliked him, and if he was ever found out she would be in just as much trouble as he would.

He was convinced she was going to leave, and was only brought from his thoughts by Benvolio leaping from his lap to run to the door. He straightened the book, doing his best to look like he was indeed reading and not simply drowning in his own bitterness. It wasn't long before she was curled up next to him, their cat returning to his lap. He cleared his throat after she asked him about his day, setting the book down on his lap after marking the page. Because he'd done nothing except pretend to read and sleep. No dishes had been done, the bed wasn't made. He hadn't even bothered to change out of his pajamas.

"Benevolio and I cuddled while I read," he answered quietly, turning to look at her. He leaned to give her a kiss on the forehead, resting his head against hers briefly before he pulled away. "Was it busy today? I hope they didn't make you stay past the end of your shift."

[Charlotte Fudge]

An apprehensive nervousness she hadn't felt around him in nearly a year had cropped up since Hope's death, and Charlotte didn't know how to manage it. There had been nerves when they'd started talking back in her sixth year, which had slowly ebbed once their secret was out and they'd confronted Rufus. There had been nerves again last fall, when their time together had been so limited, and she'd felt a distance from him more-so than just their physically being apart. It was during that time they'd actually fought, and she'd determined the cause - a secret of his kept quiet out of necessity. But since then, even though she'd had months more left of school...there had been good nerves (she'd been mad to accept his proposal so young, hadn't she?), but not anything like what had been clenching her gut since this most unwelcome news.

She knew Remus well - Char wouldn't have agreed to a life with him if she hadn't felt that, after all. But, that being said, she knew that her usually calm and collected, polite and put-together, fiancé could have outbursts. Outbursts that were much warranted, given everything he was trying to cope with. She wasn't frightened of him - how could they be engaged if she was? - as she knew he'd never harm her, but for being so calm and collected, polite and put-together, herself...

Grief and anger were nearly unprecedented territories for her to explore. And she was supposed to be his rock now, help Remus through everything life dealt them. And it was overwhelming. She didn't want him to feel ignored, but didn't want to push him to talk if he didn't want to...but he really should, if he was going to process the grief and not let it fester within...

Charlotte made herself comfortable as she could next to him as she asked about his day, slipping off her shoes as she took him in. Scruff was building up on his cheeks and jawline, something he usually kept clean, and he hadn't gotten out of his pajamas. Although his words were few, she could tell his mind was racing about, his usually warm eyes worried and preoccupied. How can they expect you to go to work tomorrow? Giving him a soft smile that hopefully hid worry of her own at his question, she replied, "That's a good day anywhere, I'm glad you had company." The cat had been a cause of stress for him when she'd suggested them getting one, but, honestly - Benvolio adored him, much more than herself. She was glad he hadn't been alone while she was working, if nothing else having a purring cat next to him was hopefully comforting. "It wasn't incredibly busy, but I wanted a little fresh air once I was done - they had me and Miles cleaning and rearranging some of the infrequently shopped sections by the end of the shift to try and bring new light to them. You wouldn't believe the dust that'd piled up in the Muggle Studies department." Her words weren't untrue, but they weren't entirely honest, and she hoped he'd not inquire more. "I was thinking we'd try a new soup recipe tonight, if you want. Daisy suggested one the other day, we should have everything we need."

[Remus Lupin]

It had not been the first time the fight had come up between him and his father. For Lyall's sake, it had always been best to keep his condition a secret. Especially considering Lyall's crusades against his kind of the years, the crusades that got them all into this situation in the first place. But with the war ever present in everyone's minds, Lyall had told him after graduation that registering would be for his benefit. Remus hadn't done it then, and he certainly wasn't going to do it now. But he would have been lying if he didn't say there was a growing fear that someone he had trusted with this secret was going to turn him in. Every knock at the door, he wondered if this was the end of things for him. His secret wasn't safe - hadn't really been safe for years now. And if Charlotte was here when if that day came? He could only imagine the things her family would say.

He was already not their ideal match, and if the girl sitting next to him had any sense she would leave him. There was nothing safe about a life with Remus Lupin, werewolf and Order member. He listened quietly as she discussed her day, forcing himself to take her words at the truth. But she felt so distant, and all he could do was nod at the mention of soup. Nudging Benevolio out of his way, he sat his book down on the table before he stood, moving quietly into the kitchen. He picked up the prophet from the counter, eyes scanning the ever present call for public safety. "They rounded up a den in Wales apparently, brought them into the ministry." What was someone like him supposed to do when the Ministry came? He had been given a chance at life, but most others turned so young didn't have a wand or proper schooling. He sat the paper down, turning his gaze to Charlotte. "Do you think you will be late tomorrow as well?"

[Charlotte Fudge]

It seemed like Remus wasn't going to press her on her story, for which she was grateful, and consequently guilty for being grateful of. How could she have put her needs first today, when the man she loved was in such a state? Maybe it was true what her parents had said, that she was too young to bind herself to someone...While she'd never been thought of as immature, wasn't today proving just that? You can do better. Charlotte rose and followed him to the kitchen as he took her suggestion, wondering if he'd had anything to eat while she was at work. Was she imagining a thinness to his shoulders, or was he really losing weight...Benvolio mewled after them, taking up residence on one of the dining chairs while Remus took up today's Prophet. Charlotte began getting out ingredients for Daisy's soup recipe, but froze at her fiancé's words, slowly setting the bag of dried lentils down. As if you haven't enough to worry about, Remus. They're not going to find you, and if they did, Dumbledore wouldn't let anything happen...

Char sighed, eyes warming as they met his, and went to him. The girl reached up, hand gentle on the back of his neck as she pulled him down to her for a soft kiss. "I'll be here before you get back, I promise," she whispered, meaning it. His day was going to be stressful enough without him worrying about whether or not she'd be home. Do better, Charlotte. "You're still on for tomorrow, right? Have you spoken with anyone on your team?" She dearly hoped that his adjustment back into Order business would be a smooth one, and good for him. Remus' active mind was best kept busy with something productive, she felt, and while they had distractions at their apartment in the way of books...focusing on missions, on problems that he could help fix, would be good for him...Her worry, though, was that he would allow himself to turn vengeful. That he or his brothers would use their connections to orchestrate an attack on those who had killed his mother. That was best left to others, those who weren't personally involved. Their judgement would be clouded, even though they were professionals. And with clouded judgement came mistakes...

[Remus Lupin]

Bringing up the pack of werewolves that had been rounded up was risky, he knew that. Because they simply didn't talk about this, not the two of them. The war was his work and his life, not a discussion over the dinner table. There were plenty of people reading the prophet over dinner, telling their kids that it was good work that was being done. It was easier for people to be ignorant than to be compassionate, something he knew all too well. He had been given a chance at life, a priveliege most werewolves never got. And while he would never join the Death Eaters, it wasn't that hard of a jump to see why wolves fell under Voldemort's command. He promised them life outside of hiding, and he could see why they wanted that.

And even with her reassurance that she would be home before he returned from work, he wasn't feeling better about anything. "I spoke to Minerva, she knows I'm planning on returning tomorrow," he murmured quietly, eyes watching Charlotte carefully. To doubt her was killing him, and his mother had told him that he was being silly. Charlotte loved him, she was going to marry him. His condition wasn't a deal breaker, no matter how much he thought it was. But that was before people were being dragged before the Ministry for hiding werewolves. No one would give up his secret willingly, that much he had to believe. But she would be better off without him, safer without him.

"Please don't leave me," he stated suddenly, looking back up to his fiancee from the newspaper. It was selfish of him to ask her to stay, he knew that. But his life was so much less without her, and he could still give her a good life. He knew that he could make a difference, or he wouldn't have joined the Order. "I understand if you do but I don't want you to leave."

[Charlotte Fudge]

The nerves in his eyes didn't dissipate at her words or her kiss, and Char tried to not be hurt by that. Her fiancé had worries on top of worries, some suffocating and known and immediate, but some were rolling in like stormclouds, the timing of downpour uncertain. Her attempts at reassurances couldn't assuage everything in his mind, but...What good are you for him if you can't comfort him? They'd never had things of this magnitude to handle as a couple - while those in their group of friends had most assuredly tackled the unknown early on in relationships (how Lily and James had made it through their first summer certainly was a mystery that, to help Remus, she really should inquire about), many people their age didn't have to process the death of a parent. Many people, in general, don't have to worry about being taken away by the Ministry. Although this was certainly a growing fear among the community, with muggleborn witches and wizards, halfbloods even, taking more care...Remus' was an extreme case. Very few people knew of or had proof of his condition, one was - they knew with certainty - working with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. With the increase of werewolf suspicion, was Remus concerned that Severus would tell the right person?...

Charlotte nodded as he spoke of Professor McGonagall's knowledge of his return, glad that he had reached out to her. The Gryffindor Head of House had been a steadfast supporter of him for years, she knew, and had hopefully given him a measure of the tough love she specialized in. Feeling his eyes on her, Char met his gaze and stayed put; making their dinner could wait.

As he spoke abruptly, gooseflesh spread over her arms, an eerie chill numbing her center. Had she truly been this awful to him as of late? Her uncertainty about how to approach the subject of Hope, or of war events, was making him worry this much? How could you do this to him?

"Listen to me, Remus," she said firmly, willing tears not to form. "I am not going anywhere. I made up my mind after I knew, and that's not changing, no matter what the papers tell us." The young woman took a steadying breath and perched on the dining table, taking his hand in both of her suddenly cold ones. Admitting to wrongs, admitting to feelings - it wasn't a strong trait within the Fudge bloodline. Vulnerability left you open to targeted hurts and embarrassments, after all. But they were in this together, weren't they? You need to try, even if it's uncomfortable. "I'm sorry if I've been distant lately, but I just...I don't know how to...I don't know how to make any of this less painful for you, and I keep getting frustrated at myself for that," Charlotte let out in a rush. "I miss her, and I know it's foolish, since I hardly got to know her and you had your whole life. But I do. And when I think about the funeral, I - "

She cut herself off with a shake of her head, the prior numbing of her stomach turning to lead at the heaviness of the upcoming event, hands tightening around his at her own rush of nerves. She'd been to the Potters' funerals with him as support, doing what she could to keep Remus centered throughout the difficult days. But as lovely as people as she knew Mr. and Mrs. Potter had been, she hadn't known them on a personal level. Hope, though? She'd been growing to love her, truly. How was she supposed to keep herself together this weekend? But mustn't she, for his sake? The stress of something so personal was becoming crippling, clearly, if Remus was having such doubts about her intentions...She sighed heavily, detaching one of her hands to swipe at her eyes before looking back up at him. "What can I do?"

[Remus Lupin]

Did it ever get easier to be in a relationship? He had been so certain that she would accept his proposal earlier this year that he had surprised her at school. How could go from being so absolutely sure of things between them to this. For the first time in his life things had been perfect and now everything was breaking apart around him. He felt nothing, not since he had found out about his mother’s death.

How was he supposed to process this? His sweet mother had so much life left and he was supposed to accept that she was just suddenly gone? He understood that these sorts of things could just happen but he never expected that it would. Had she secretly been sick and simply not told him - she had seen what Sirius and James had gone through a year ago. He caught himself in the morning thinking about calling her before he remembered that she was gone.

And while he felt so alone, he wasn’t. Charlotte was here and her words brought a lump to his throat. He had put her in a tough situation by blabbering out his thoughts but to hear her say she wasn’t leaving gave him the same feeling her defense of werewolves on their first date. And to hear her talk of Hope hurt because she truly had just gotten to know his mother, the two of them would have been so close if this hadn’t happened. “She loved you, thought you were absolutely amazing. We talked about you often, she was always the one to remind me that you already made your choice about me,” he finally murmured after some time, before pulling her tight to his chest. He didn’t know what he needed, other than her. “I just need a reminder sometimes that all of this is real. You have no idea how much I love you Charlotte.”

Because at the end of his thoughts was always a reminder that her life was in danger. Not just due to his condition, but the war that was raging all around them that he was involved in. “I’m not ready for the funeral.”

[Charlotte Fudge]

It was with an incredible relief that Charlotte was brought into her fiancé's arms, and she hugged him back with all of her strength. It was as much of a relief to be held by him as to hear his words, his affirmation that his mother had truly cared for her. That Hope had been reminding him that she'd long ago made up her mind. Will you believe me now, with her not here to remind you? She nodded against him at his request, making a firm mental note to be kinder, to be more attentive, to be more vocal. Remus was the partner she'd, growing up, never thought she would find. Because who could grow to love her? Ordinary, unexciting, not terribly pretty - his entrance into her daily life had been the unexpected surprise of the century, but now, even the thought of life without him...Can you even picture it?

They would find ways to make this work, for both of them. To ease worries, to soldier through hard times like these. They were built to last, on a foundation of mutual respect, of love...We can do this. The girl let out a slow sigh at his last, loosening her grip on him enough to start rubbing his back. We can do this. But how? "I'll be there with you, the whole time," she said quietly. "Your friends, too. It's not going to be easy, I don't know how...Do you want me to talk to your father? About the plans?" Charlotte offered, looking up at him. Perhaps if they knew more about the logistics, had more concrete imaginings about the day instead of nebulous ones, it could help ease their minds...

[Remus Lupin]

Last summer had been a test of strength for them all. Mia had passed before James and Lily's wedding, and then the Death Eaters had ruined that event by showing up. They'd barely recovered from all of that when Monty had died, leaving them all stunned. Sure they had known Monty was feeling under the weather, but had chalked it up to the loss of his wife and the stress of dealing with it all. But they had managed past that, and moved on with their lives. James and Sirius were doing well these days, with their work keeping them busy and their lives still going. Surely if they could survive that, they would get through this. He knew he needed to talk to his brothers more, reach out to them with how he was feeling. If anyone could understand the loss he felt, it was their friends. So many people had already been lost in this last year, and all so suddenly...

So, Professor Picardy, you haven’t fooled anyone today. You and your bigotry would be more useful as a satirical work. Or a coaster.

He'd never forgotten the way she looked up at him after her rant, he'd been so surprised by her take on werewolves he'd almost blurted it out back then. Charlotte loved him for him - werewolf and all, and he needed to try and remember that. More than that, he needed to stop giving into his curiosity and reading the Prophet. It wasn't like any real news was coming from it this days, no, people were so ill informed about what was really happening in their world. "Could you? I'm not ready to talk to him," he mumbled into her hair, unwilling to let her go. "Do you remember our first date? Although I'm not entirely sure you knew it was a date at the beginning."

[Charlotte Fudge]

"I'll take care of it," she promised; the prospect of speaking with her future father-in-law about something so personal wasn't something she was thrilled about, but she would do it to help ease Remus' mind. She did need to feel helpful, purposeful, and being more candid about this would help them both. Won't it? She leaned into his embrace, her fiancé's arms still solidly around her. This was what they needed, it felt like to Charlotte - some openness about their mutual struggles, some progress towards alleviating a bit of stress...We can muddle our way through this. You've just got to talk to him more, even when it's uncomfortable...

But Remus sure had a way of surprising her. Charlotte laughed quietly into his chest at his next, so unsure of where he was going. Their first date? In the library? Merlin, she'd been so nervous, gone on way too long with talking about anything to try and have a decent conversation with him. They'd gone on a hunt for books that meant something to them, starting to bond over their love of the written word. And she'd gone on such a rant about werewolf rights, not knowing that she was sitting across from one...

"Yes, I remember," she said through her light laughter, giving him a squeeze. "And no, I didn't quite realize it was at the beginning. I had my suspicions, but I think I knew once you started holding my hand. And, well - when you'd said it was." She looked up at him with love, incredibly relieved to be feeling more like herself, and them to feel more like them. "What's making you think of it?"

[Remus Lupin]

Part of a life with Charlotte meant letting her take some of his stress, and while he felt a pang of guilt as she confirmed she would speak to his father about things, Remus knew it was for the best. Lyall had a soft spot for the girl, and would hopefully be willing to work with her when it came to the plans. Remus was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his mother truly was gone. Hope had always been the one thing that was constant in his life. With that constant gone, it was hard to understand this emptiness that he was feeling inside of him. But Charlotte had been a new constant in his life, and underneath it all he did know that she would continue to be. This was something the two of them could handle, he was sure of it.

The laughter that followed at his question was a nice way to move on from the awkwardness they didn’t quite know how to get past when it came to his mother. He had been so unsure of things back then, worried about being too forward with her. It had taken all of his courage to even hold her hand that day, but it had been such a wonderful moment. “I was kicking myself mentally for bringing that book by Professor Picardy back to the table, but to hear you express such an unpopular opinion back then…” he trailed off, before dropping a kiss onto her forehead. “You stole my heart that day.”

[Charlotte Fudge]

Charlotte was left with a wondering smile as he explained himself; she’d thought back to that day in the library many times, especially after piecing together his secret. What his motivations for bringing that book to her could’ve been were still mysteries, but to hear Remus speak like this… "I'm keeping it," she promised, her own heart burning brightly in her chest, and Char wrapped a hand around the back of his neck to pull him into a kiss. If she had known back then about his battles, would her response have been so candid? Or would she've been more guarded, worrying about offense? Maybe some things do happen for a reason. "And I'd half thought you wouldn't want to see me again after that," Charlotte admitted, smiling adoringly up at him as she thumbed the scruff on his cheek. "Good thing we are who we are, hmm?" As he'd said, the opinion she'd so freely expressed had been an unpopular one then, and it was hardly any more so now. Faulty reporting and incentivized turning in of "fugitives" did none of these honest people well…

She separated from him slightly to take her wand from the pocket of her dress and use it to get dinner readying itself behind them. Tomorrow she would leave Flourish & Blott's over lunch to head to the Ministry and get details from her future father-in-law, and would be sure to be home early to have tea on by the time Remus got back. She'd update him on the goings-on for the funeral, hear about his day at HQ…We'll be all right. We are all right. Char scooped a meowing Benvolio from the dining table and deposited him into her fiancé's arms with a smile.

I love you. I'm not going anywhere.

    It's not enough to just think it, Charlotte.

"I cannot wait to marry you." Smile turned to smirk as she looked up at him before scratching their cat behind his ears. Their wedding was a promise, something they knew that they would turn to reality, but the planning of it hadn't yet taken off, so to speak. When are we going to do this? Even with so much unknown, she hoped that bringing it up would keep a smile on his face. "Have you given any more thought about where we should go? I still think that the bookshop should be on the list, they did say they'd love to have us. Imagine the space usually reserved for readings and book club all lit up with..." Charlotte laughed, having been about to say fairies, which couldn't, unfortunately, happen at the muggle shop down the road that they so loved. And candles were out of the question, what with so much precious but flammable material about. "All right, maybe not lit up with anything, but with daisies or something nice around."

[Remus Lupin]

Charlotte’s words pulled a smile from him, something he wasn’t sure he had done since he had learned of his mother’s death. Happiness was often something fleeting in their world, but Charlotte made him unbelievably happy. She had accepted him for who he was, every little part of it. And so he pulled her close as she kissed him, letting himself not worry about anything for the moment. “Good thing indeed,” he replied softly, previous worries about his relationship so easily squashed when she was close. And while he didn’t want to let her go, he did as she took a step back to get dinner started, his stomach reminding me of how little he had truly eaten in the past few days.

Remus happily accepted the cat being deposited into his arms, placing a kiss on Benvolio’s head as he squirmed to try and escape. But Charlotte’s statement caught him off guard, and there was no stopping the grin that he shot her. He didn’t think their lives would change much, once they were officially married - but how was he supposed to know? He did look forward to calling her his wife, even if he hadn’t told her that. Marriage was a promise to always work through life together, and it was something he’d never truly dreamed of. Not until recently, at least. He hadn’t a clue what he would have done if she had said no to his proposal, but that wasn’t something he needed to bother himself with anymore.

“I do love that book store,” he answered with a smirk, well aware of the fact that having their wedding in a muggle place could end up being complicated. With Peter and Daisy’s wedding only a couple of months away now, he hadn’t really given much thought to their own wedding. “Although I don’t know which we should work on first, picking a date or figuring out how many people we are inviting. Better question, where can we find a tux for this one?” Remus asked with a nod to the cat now content in his arms. “We can’t leave him out.”

[Charlotte Fudge]

Her heart beat a tender pattern as Remus smiled, something so rare these days, something she was extremely proud to pull out of him. Their kiss finally felt right, the way he held her to him, so close; not to keep her from drifting, for she wouldn't after this reality check, but just...because he wanted her there, and knew she needed it too. The comfort lingered after they parted, and she tsked at the cat shortly, for he was so needlessly protesting being with his favorite human. Don't pretend Benvolio, you rascal. She casually got dinner going, working off of scant memory of Daisy's soup recipe and hoping that it wouldn't be an inedible pasty disaster due to her inattention, and was extremely gratified with the response she got from her equally nonchalant mention of their marriage.

Don't you lose that grin, she thought, eyes shining bright as she took in his ideas. Truly, and against her nature, she hadn't done much planning at all. Daisy and Peter's nuptials weren't far off, so her energy had been going there. But it would be fun to tackle wedding tasks for Remus and herself, wouldn't it? But she laughed as he spoke of dressing up their cat. "No, no, I don't suppose we can. He'd be utterly dashing in a bowtie. Perhaps Tris could whip something up for us?" The young woman thought for a few moments, turning his questions over. She didn't want a large wedding, not by any means, and she didn't think he would either. So nailing down a date?...

"What about this spring? Yes - yes, spring would be lovely. There's the weather to consider, obviously, unpredictable, but we could plan to be inside, take it as lucky if we get some sun. And it's not like we want anything lavish that would take years to plan, right? What do you think?" No, no, their wedding would be sensible, and not just because the couple was mindful of a budget. They were sensible people at heart, really. You're marrying a werewolf, you can hardly call yourself sensible anymore. Charlotte cornered away the little voice that sounded damnably like her elder sister, who did not yet know all of her fiancé's life. And...it wasn't just Violet. And there was no room for that yet. For their parents, Rufus, Violet - they couldn't know, not with so many of them at the Ministry, stringently working to uphold the laws that would, to say the very least, hinder Remus' life. He wasn't doing anyone any harm, and hadn't ever put himself into a position to do so. Mistakes occurred, as with anything, and lasting marks of them, physical and otherwise, littered his friend group. And yes, he could be revealed by someone none of them trusted, any day. But...registration is out of the question. We'll deal with it, together, if Severus talks...