A Love Without Time (Remus Lupin)

One.

*1975*
   
Today was the start of our fifth year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. We were on the train, heading there. My friend Lily was made Prefect this year, so she was off at the Prefects meeting that they have every year.
   
My friend Sirius is in a different compartment next to ours. He's a good friend of mine, but we don't travel together. He likes to hang out with the other boys in his dorm. Peter, Remus, James, and Sirius have been inseparable since first year. I became friends with Sirius our third year, when I got the news my dad had passed and he saw me up late crying alone in the Common Room.
   
I sat with Marlene, Mary, and Dorcas while we waited for Lily to return. We talked about who it could be out of the four boys in our year who made Prefect. We all agreed that it wasn't James or Sirius. They get into too much trouble. It was either Peter or Remus, I think it's Remus. He's the smarter, calmer one out of the four boys. He keeps them in line already as it is.
   
When Lily came back, I could hear the other boys cheering, "YAY MOONY!" as Lily closed the door to the compartment behind her.
   
"It's Remus," says Lily as she sits next to Marlene. "I know you guys were wondering who it was."
   
"I knew it," I say, happy that I was right as Lily sat next to Marlene.
   
Dorcas looked at me, giving me a look that only I understand. She was my best mate, and she knew I had a major crush on Remus Lupin. Only she and Sirius knew. And Sirius only knows because he said he could just tell. Sirius has assured me Remus has no idea, but I'm careful not to be too obvious around him ever since Sirius put it together.
   
It wasn't that I was embarrassed about my crush on Remus, but I just knew that I didn't have a chance with him at all. Sirius says he's more into his school work, which makes sense because he's our newest Prefect. He said that Remus would marry a book before he ever looked at a girl. Which made me laugh the first time he said it. But then the reality of it set in, and I knew I had no chance.
   
We spent the rest of the train ride catching up on each other's summers. Lily had another fight with her sister Petunia before she left for school. That happened every year though, so it wasn't anything new. Lily was Muggle Born, and she was the only witch in her family, and her sister thought she was a freak for being able to do magic.
   
When we arrived at school, we went into the Great Hall and took seats at the Gryffindor House table. Sirius came over to me and hugged me from behind and said, "Good to see you, Ellie! How was your summer?"
   
"It was great, Sirius, what about you?" I say as he sat next to me, James sitting next to him. I saw Remus take the seat across the table from him next to Lily and Peter was next to Remus. I had a perfect view of Remus and I had to keep my eyes off of him. Or if I did look his way I couldn't for too long.
   
"Oh you know," he says, "I had to spend another two months putting on the act that I was the perfect son of Orion and Walburga Black."
   
"And how did that go?" I ask, curiously.
   
A proud smile takes over his face, "They still wish I was never born."
   
"That's my boy," says James, also smiling proudly at his friend, and they share a quick fist bump. Sirius hates his family. They're what are called Purebloods, and they have a knack for not being the most kind people. They believe that Wizards only matter if they're Pureblood. Muggle borns and half-bloods are an abomination in their eyes. Sirius is nothing like them. He never has been and he never will be. Which is why he's in Gryffindor House when his entire family have been in Slytherin House.
   
The sorting of the first year students began, and I got more and more hungry as the time went. Every year it seems like it takes longer and longer. When that was over, we were able to eat. When Remus and I reached for the same biscuit I retracted my hand back so fast.
   
"You can have it, Ellie," says Remus, being the nice guy that he is.
   
"Oh no, you take it, Remus," I say, waving it off.
   
"Oh no, you take it, Remus," repeated Sirius in a high pitch, mocking tone. I elbow his side to get him to shut up. He laughed at me but I knew he wouldn't tease me anymore. "So, Ellie, how's your brother?"
   
"What do you think?" I ask, and I nod my head towards the Hufflepuff table. Archie was surrounded by a bunch of girls, as he usually is. They flock to him. He's very conventionally attractive. Sharp jawline, dark curly hair, pretty pale skin with a perfect complexion. He has no acne or blemishes of any kind. And that's not even mentioning his ice blue eyes.
   
He's Hufflepuff Seeker on the Quidditch Team, and he was made Captain of that team two years ago, when he was in his fifth year. Despite all of the girls on him all the time, he was a very nice guy. He was in Hufflepuff House for a reason. He was kind, and caring. We're not the closest of siblings, but we're not as estranged as Sirius and his little brother Regulus are. They don't even talk to each other, and they pretend that the other doesn't exist most of the time. Archie and I aren't like that.
   
I spent the rest of the time eating and not really talking unless I was directly spoken to. I didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of Remus again. As we were walking back to Gryffindor tower that night Sirius put an arm around me and whispered, "Are you going to talk to Remus this year or what?"
   
"Shut up," I hiss. He laughs.
   
"It's alright, Ellie. No one can hear us," he assures me. "You should talk to him, one-on-one, alone. It will be good for you."
   
"No," I say, shaking my head, "just no, Sirius."
   
"But why not? Moony is so uptight, having a girlfriend would be great for him."
   
"So what you're saying is that you want your friend to get laid."
   
"Well yeah," he says, shrugging, "he needs to relax."
   
"Can't you find anyone else?"
   
"Why would I do that when I know you're dying to jump his bones."
   
"I am not," I protest, he doesn't buy it.
   
"Don't lie to me, Ellie, I can see it when you look at him. I'm telling you, just talk to him. If you don't, I'm going to tell him to talk to you."
   
"What? Good luck with that. You said it yourself that he'd marry a book before he even looked at a girl."
   
"And I'm trying to change that," says Sirius, sounding slightly frustrated, "He's one of my best mates. I want him to be happy."
   
"And you think that I can do that?"
   
"I know you can," he assures me, smiling. "He just has to get to know you. So just promise me you'll consider it, okay?"
   
"I'll think about it," I lie. I had no intentions of talking to Remus. Every time I did I got tongue tied and I make myself look stupid. I was not going to do that anymore.
   
"Thanks Ellie," says Sirius and he kisses the top of my head. "I promise you I'll put in a good word if he comes asking."
   
"Thanks, Sirius," I say, offering him a small smile. He smiles back.
   
"Anytime El," he says with that smile on his face again. He knows I hate being called El but he still does it anyways. He knows it drives me insane. Ellie is fine but El, I don't know why but it drives me crazy.
   
Marlene was at my side in an instant. "You are sure getting close with Black, huh?"
   
"What? Oh yeah, he's a great friend."
   
I knew what this was. Marlene likes Sirius, and when she saw that Sirius had his arm around me, speaking to me in hushed tones, and he also kissed the top of my head, she got very jealous. Now she's trying to figure out what is going on.
   
"Yeah. Friend."
   
"I don't like Sirius, Marlene. You know that, right?"
   
"I know you don't," she says, "but I think he might like you."
   
"No he doesn't, trust me."
   
"How do you know that for certain?"
   
"Because he knows who I like," I say, quickly, "And he was actually trying to convince me to talk to him instead of being all shy like I always am."
   
"Why does Sirius know who you like but not the rest of us? Unless it's one of his friends. Which in that case you must tell me. If it's not Sirius, could it be James? Is that why he wants you to talk to him? To get him off Lily's back?"
   
"No," I say, "it's not James."
   
"So it's Remus," she says, smiling proud. "I know it's not Peter. He's nice, but I know you. You want a guy with some actual brains. So you have a crush on Remus?"
   
"Will you keep your voice down?" I hiss.
   
"Oh come on it's okay. He's off with Lily bringing up the first years. I can't believe you didn't tell me this. This is so exciting. Eloise and Moony. That is what his friends call him right? Moony."
   
"Yes that is what they call him."
   
"Eloise and Moony, that's so cute. You have to tell him."
   
"No," I say shaking my head.
   
"But didn't you tell Sirius you would?"
   
"I said I would think about it," I point out. "And if Sirius brings it up again I will tell him I thought about it and I decided not to talk to him."
   
We were walking through the portrait hole to the Gryffindor Common Room now. Marlene kept me next to her, keeping an arm wrapped around mine. She wanted me to stay with her so she could continue talking to me about Remus.
   
"Oh come on, Eloise. It's Remus Lupin we're talking about here, who could be less intimidating? He's super sweet. You shouldn't be scared to talk to him."
   
"I just don't want to embarrass myself, okay?"
   
"Are you talking about Remus?" Asked Dorcas as she and Mary approached us. Marlene pulled me onto the couch so I couldn't leave.
   
"Of course you knew but we didn't," scoffed Marlene. "Well, yes we are. Sirius told her to talk to him, but she won't."
   
"It's okay," I say, shrugging, "he doesn't like me. It's fine. I'm not going to waste my time."
   
"You don't know that for sure unless you talk to him." Says Dorcas, her tone hard.
   
It was then that Remus and Lily entered the Common Room with the first year students behind them. Remus watched them all travel in before he started talking to them, pointing in the direction that they had to go, and then he took the boys up to the boy's dorms and Lily traveled off with the girls to the girl's dorms.
   
They both returned a moment later, smiled at each other, and did a tall high-five. They were obviously proud of their work. I saw Sirius walk over to them, James and Peter following him. I watched as Sirius hugged Remus for a moment, and then said something that I could see but not hear. Remus looked in my direction, and it shocked me. I couldn't look away in time. Then Remus looked back at Sirius and shook his head no.
   
I had a feeling I knew what just happened. Sirius obviously mentioned me, I didn't know what he said, but obviously it piqued his interest enough to look over at me for a second and then tell Sirius no. I hope he wasn't asking Remus if he liked me or anything because that would just be embarrassing. I really hope that he didn’t do that.
   
"Did you see that?" I ask, he doesn't like me.
   
Lily was over with us then, and Marlene asked her what Sirius asked Remus, and she said, "He told him he was going to get him a girlfriend this year, and then he asked him if liked any of you guys, and he said no."
   
"Of course he did," I say, shrugging. "If he did he would have made it known by now, right?"
   
"That's not entirely true, Ellie," says Marlene. "It's Remus Lupin we're talking about here. He's kind of shy."
   
"No, he would have said something by now." I say, my tone matter-of-fact.
   
"Wait," says Lily as it hits her, "Ellie do you like Remus?"
   
"It doesn't matter," I say, "he doesn't like any of us like that."

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Here's part 1!

So, I know that people have their own fancasting of the young Marauders, so you may invsion who you'd like to. I'm not going to tell you who to see while you're reading.

-Emily Winchester.