I must go
Title: I must go.
Author: pinkhairedauror
Rating & Warnings: PG to be on the safe side. Warning? It's mostly fluff
Prompts:
"I simply must go
(but baby it's cold outside)
The answer is no
(but baby it's cold outside)
Your welcome has been
(how lucky that you dropped in)
So nice and warm
(look out the window at that storm)"
Word Count: 1 090
Summary: It's December 1997. And the full moon is rising soon...
Author’s Notes: We're talking something hovering between fluff and... slight angst. However incredible this sounds :D
A reference is made to an incident described in my fic Hunt (rated a tentative R for violence) for All Hallows' Moon Jumble first challenge, here on metamorfic_moon.
Many thanks to r_moony for betaing. <3
Remus was drowsing on the sofa, his head in Tonks' lap, his cheek resting against her already-growing belly. It was a miracle, he knew, no matter how bad his fears were to him at times. He'd never thought he'd have a home of his own like this, not after his parents... gave up on him. And he'd never, ever thought he'd end up a parent himself.
But right now, right here, with the fire cracking in the fireplace and his wife's fingers brushing through his hair lightly, it wasn't fear that he felt. It wasn't even the deep, painful exhaustion that he could do nothing about.
It was peace. A moment outside of time, where no words needed to be spoken; no actions to be taken.
Just a moment.
And then the mantelpiece clock struck the hour.
The sound made another shiver run through his body, and his eyes to snap open. The first thing to see, Dora's own eyes looking down at him with concern, so soft and warm, distracted him for a moment and he felt his lips tugging up a little. The back of her fingers brushed over his forehead and he caught her hand and kissed the palm.
"I simply must go."
She sighed lightly. "Love... it's so cold outside. Couldn't you use one of the spare rooms..." There was hope in her voice, but he knew she was just trying, for his sake - she'd not fight him over it. Just try to persuade him.
"The answer is no. After what happened in October, I couldn't... I cannot risk you and the baby. I must not." If he harmed her... if he... He'd go positively insane. A nightmare come true. He recalled breaking out that window - he knew he could have broken through the door just as easily.
He saw her eyebrows draw down. "You know I haven't made a mistake with the potion. Ever. I should have been back to make it for you then."
"Dora..."
He felt, rather than heard, the sigh. "It's just that you've been so ill this week,--"
"-- again."
"Yeah. Again." The fact that it happened every month did in no way diminish her concern. The fact that he didn't stop and rest despite it all didn't help her worrying either. "And you were out already, for the wireless transmission, and it is so cold.... The potion will work all right, I'm positive."
Remus gave a little sigh of his own and gingerly levered himself into sitting position, then wrapped an arm around her slumping shoulders. "I know, love. I'm going to be all right. My energy is all back when I transform, I'm going to run, and besides I don't feel the cold that bad when I'm in the other form." He rested his chin against her hair. "And yes, I was out. And your welcome after it has been..." he smiled softly, and felt her body finally relent and lean towards him. It had been just half an hour.
"So lucky you did drop in, instead of just disappearing off as you meant to, right after Romulus told River good-bye."
"Yes, I am glad I did come back. Briefly, true, but you made it so nice and warm that I am grateful. But now I must go. The moon will rise in less than an hour and I want to be safely away by then." He didn't need to add that he wasn't moving very fast right now.
"I know. But just look out the window... the storm's really blowing up hard." She rubbed her face, then rested her head on his shoulder. "I just want you safe."
"Yes, Dora, I know. And I want you safe, so please. I must go. And you must stay and keep the place cosy and nice, and not blow up the cellar if you please this time."
She puffed up a laugh, if a small one, and turned her face to look at him again, upwards this time. "I was... nervous."
"And you aren't this time?"
"Well... Right. I'll try not to blow the cellar." And, after the briefest of pauses. "Or the library." She must have seen the corners of his eyes crinkling softly, because her own eyes smiled. "Or anything else." Again they turned so soft and warm that his breath caught. "You'll stay safe, won't you? And let me know where you are in the morning, I'll come pick you up." Oh yes. He'd almost gotten himself splinched trying to apparate home last month. She'd not be happy if he succeeded this time.
"I will be fine, love. I've survived this for years, you know."
"I know. But now you have more reasons to survive and stay as well as you can, you know."
He did smile again at that, his fingers tracing her cheek and then gently settling on her stomach, and had the gratification of seeing the strain of worry melt from her face as her small hand covered his. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time, don't you?" Then her eyes clouded as she felt another shudder shake his frame. "Okay, okay..." She lifted up her face and kissed his lips, barely more than a peck, then wiggled out of his arms onto her feet and held out her hands to help him hoist himself up.
Remus chuckled softly, despite how close the transformation was getting - at how she could be resting and her touch, well, almost feather-light, and the very next moment she'd be bouncing, a ball of pure energy. It always took him by surprise, that energy that seemed almost infinite. "Thank you, Dora. For... everything." His voice was small, barely audible as he took her hands and squeezed them briefly, before rising up and heading to don his cloak again. "For everything."
"Anytime, love. Anything that will make it all easier." He shook his head quietly to himself... she shouldn't have to bear it all with him, but he'd started to fully realise that she would, whether or not he allowed her to be involved.
She did help. It may not be kinder on his body, that she was near - but it certainly felt that way.
And the words she saw him off with, yet again, which never seemed to mean less - for her to speak or him to hear. They rang in his ears during his solitary, snow-blown walk away from her till the moonrise.
And I love you, Remus Lupin.
Author: pinkhairedauror
Rating & Warnings: PG to be on the safe side. Warning? It's mostly fluff
Prompts:
"I simply must go
(but baby it's cold outside)
The answer is no
(but baby it's cold outside)
Your welcome has been
(how lucky that you dropped in)
So nice and warm
(look out the window at that storm)"
Word Count: 1 090
Summary: It's December 1997. And the full moon is rising soon...
Author’s Notes: We're talking something hovering between fluff and... slight angst. However incredible this sounds :D
A reference is made to an incident described in my fic Hunt (rated a tentative R for violence) for All Hallows' Moon Jumble first challenge, here on metamorfic_moon.
Many thanks to r_moony for betaing. <3
Remus was drowsing on the sofa, his head in Tonks' lap, his cheek resting against her already-growing belly. It was a miracle, he knew, no matter how bad his fears were to him at times. He'd never thought he'd have a home of his own like this, not after his parents... gave up on him. And he'd never, ever thought he'd end up a parent himself.
But right now, right here, with the fire cracking in the fireplace and his wife's fingers brushing through his hair lightly, it wasn't fear that he felt. It wasn't even the deep, painful exhaustion that he could do nothing about.
It was peace. A moment outside of time, where no words needed to be spoken; no actions to be taken.
Just a moment.
And then the mantelpiece clock struck the hour.
The sound made another shiver run through his body, and his eyes to snap open. The first thing to see, Dora's own eyes looking down at him with concern, so soft and warm, distracted him for a moment and he felt his lips tugging up a little. The back of her fingers brushed over his forehead and he caught her hand and kissed the palm.
"I simply must go."
She sighed lightly. "Love... it's so cold outside. Couldn't you use one of the spare rooms..." There was hope in her voice, but he knew she was just trying, for his sake - she'd not fight him over it. Just try to persuade him.
"The answer is no. After what happened in October, I couldn't... I cannot risk you and the baby. I must not." If he harmed her... if he... He'd go positively insane. A nightmare come true. He recalled breaking out that window - he knew he could have broken through the door just as easily.
He saw her eyebrows draw down. "You know I haven't made a mistake with the potion. Ever. I should have been back to make it for you then."
"Dora..."
He felt, rather than heard, the sigh. "It's just that you've been so ill this week,--"
"-- again."
"Yeah. Again." The fact that it happened every month did in no way diminish her concern. The fact that he didn't stop and rest despite it all didn't help her worrying either. "And you were out already, for the wireless transmission, and it is so cold.... The potion will work all right, I'm positive."
Remus gave a little sigh of his own and gingerly levered himself into sitting position, then wrapped an arm around her slumping shoulders. "I know, love. I'm going to be all right. My energy is all back when I transform, I'm going to run, and besides I don't feel the cold that bad when I'm in the other form." He rested his chin against her hair. "And yes, I was out. And your welcome after it has been..." he smiled softly, and felt her body finally relent and lean towards him. It had been just half an hour.
"So lucky you did drop in, instead of just disappearing off as you meant to, right after Romulus told River good-bye."
"Yes, I am glad I did come back. Briefly, true, but you made it so nice and warm that I am grateful. But now I must go. The moon will rise in less than an hour and I want to be safely away by then." He didn't need to add that he wasn't moving very fast right now.
"I know. But just look out the window... the storm's really blowing up hard." She rubbed her face, then rested her head on his shoulder. "I just want you safe."
"Yes, Dora, I know. And I want you safe, so please. I must go. And you must stay and keep the place cosy and nice, and not blow up the cellar if you please this time."
She puffed up a laugh, if a small one, and turned her face to look at him again, upwards this time. "I was... nervous."
"And you aren't this time?"
"Well... Right. I'll try not to blow the cellar." And, after the briefest of pauses. "Or the library." She must have seen the corners of his eyes crinkling softly, because her own eyes smiled. "Or anything else." Again they turned so soft and warm that his breath caught. "You'll stay safe, won't you? And let me know where you are in the morning, I'll come pick you up." Oh yes. He'd almost gotten himself splinched trying to apparate home last month. She'd not be happy if he succeeded this time.
"I will be fine, love. I've survived this for years, you know."
"I know. But now you have more reasons to survive and stay as well as you can, you know."
He did smile again at that, his fingers tracing her cheek and then gently settling on her stomach, and had the gratification of seeing the strain of worry melt from her face as her small hand covered his. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time, don't you?" Then her eyes clouded as she felt another shudder shake his frame. "Okay, okay..." She lifted up her face and kissed his lips, barely more than a peck, then wiggled out of his arms onto her feet and held out her hands to help him hoist himself up.
Remus chuckled softly, despite how close the transformation was getting - at how she could be resting and her touch, well, almost feather-light, and the very next moment she'd be bouncing, a ball of pure energy. It always took him by surprise, that energy that seemed almost infinite. "Thank you, Dora. For... everything." His voice was small, barely audible as he took her hands and squeezed them briefly, before rising up and heading to don his cloak again. "For everything."
"Anytime, love. Anything that will make it all easier." He shook his head quietly to himself... she shouldn't have to bear it all with him, but he'd started to fully realise that she would, whether or not he allowed her to be involved.
She did help. It may not be kinder on his body, that she was near - but it certainly felt that way.
And the words she saw him off with, yet again, which never seemed to mean less - for her to speak or him to hear. They rang in his ears during his solitary, snow-blown walk away from her till the moonrise.
And I love you, Remus Lupin.