turning page | A REMUS LUPIN STORY

xxvi. WANDERING WITH WEREWOLVES

Adeline woke up before Alexander that morning. Her eyes drifted to the boy to her right, who had been curled into her side sleeping peacefully. It gave her much comfort that he came to her in a time of need - he felt safe with her, and that was something to be grateful for. She'd wondered whether things would be different between them now: admitting you were in love with the other surely would change the dynamic. Lying next to someone who felt so strongly about her was peculiar, to know he felt more for her than she did for him. The guilt was eating her alive.

It wasn't that Adeline didn't love Alex. She adored him with every fibre of her being, blessed to be able to call him one of the most important people in her life. Perhaps a part of her could see them together in a romantic way, but they'd put off being together so long that she couldn't risk losing him now as her best friend. 

The way she'd felt around Remus had been different. She didn't love him, not quite yet, seeing as they hadn't known each other too well in the first place, but whatever she had felt - attraction, infatuation, adoration - had been overwhelming. Whilst in Alex she found friendship and security, Lupin brought passion and an intense desire. If she had to choose which kind of romantic love she wanted, she knew which she'd prefer. The problem was that the one she wanted didn't want her back.

She moved carefully, cautious to not wake him, climbing over his body to leave the room. Jumper was tugged on with shorts, and she stepped into slippers, leaving him to sleep without making any noise. It was a Monday, meaning her parents would be working, and she was glad.

Except they weren't. Esme Montgomery sat at the kitchen island with a cup of coffee, looking up as her daughter entered the room.

"Adeline! You're awake early." she smiled, looking much brighter than she had the day before. 

"Oh - yeah. Slept early, I suppose." hummed Adeline in response, walking behind the counter to make two cups of coffee. "Just so you know, Alex is here."

Her mother looked surprised. "He is? So you two are dating?" The excitement in her voice only furthered Adeline's strong feelings of guilt.

"No, no." a mumble released from her lips, and Esme nodded in acknowledgement.

"Ah, I see. Not dating, but something, right? I get it, you know. I was your age once." There was some nostalgia in her voice, and Adeline turned, shaking her head.

"No, nothing like that. I told you about his step dad, didn't I? Well, he turned up last night with a black eye. I couldn't exactly turn him away."

Esme's eyes widened, and she pursed her lips. She wasn't a strict mother, and never had been, but she had strong maternal instincts. This had been evident in the way she took Margo under her wing ever since first year, and the thought of Alexander going through any kind of pain hurt her heart. She'd lost her mother, too. "Of course not. You did the right thing."

She thought silently about all the things she had done wrong in her life - there'd been a lot of them. Lately it had felt like things were catching up with her, lies she told others, secrets she wasn't ready to be exposed. When she watched Adeline, however, she knew she'd done something right along the way.

"Right, well, I'm going to bring him a coffee." she said in response, and her mother stood, beginning to prepare him a breakfast.

Adeline walked up the stairs slowly, weary to not spill the drinks held, and pushed her door open with her back, brows furrowing as she noted that Alex was no longer asleep in her bed, but sat on her windowsill. He faced away from her, legs dangling over the ledge as he smoked a cigarette. She scrunched her face.

"Really? This early?" 

He smirked, shrugging his shoulders. In the daylight his bruise looked much worse, and she resisted the urge to stare at it as she passed him his coffee. "Heard you talking to Esme. She's alright that I'm here?"