A Love Without Time (Remus Lupin)

Eight.

Since Remus and I were on speaking terms again, everyone was so happy to hear the news. He has no idea that there was truth to that story that I let my friends believe. He didn't believe that I actually fancied him, but he was willing to pretend that I did. Well, at least he thinks it is pretending.
   
It wasn't awkward anymore to be around him, and that is what really is important. Remus seemed to put what happened on Christmas behind him, which I was certainly grateful for. I really needed his help with Defense Against the Dark Arts homework. He's the best Gryffindor in our year at this subject. So I need his help.
   
On a night that Remus was helping Dorcas and I with our homework, James, Sirius, and Peter came into the Common Room and sat next to us on the couch. James was next to Remus,and he ran a hand through his messy, dark brown hair, and let out a very frustrated sounding sigh. Remus and I looked at each other and then Remus looked at James.
   
"You alright, mate?" Remus asked him, who sighed again before he answered his friend's question.
   
"She's spending Valentine's Day with Snivellus. Can you believe that? Why would she want to do that? Valentine's Day with that slimeball."
   
Dorcas, Remus, and I all suddenly understood what he was talking about. He must have asked Lily what she was doing on Saturday, and she told him that she was spending the day with her Slytherin House friend, Severus Snape. They don't live far from each other in the Muggle World, and they had met and became friends with each other before we started school, and James cannot stand him.
   
James claims it's because Severus has an interest in the Dark Arts, but I believe that's only part of it. James is simply jealous. He wants to be Lily's best guy friend and then more than friends. He has bullied Severus relentlessly since first year, and it doesn't make Lily want to be his friend, let alone his girlfriend.
   
"They're friends, James," Remus says, putting on his best supportive voice.
   
"I don't understand," admits James, "He's the world's biggest prat."
   
"It could be worse, mate," said Sirius, then he added, "She could be friends with my little brother."
   
We all looked at Sirius. He never mentions Regulus at all. He usually pretends he's an only child. So to hear him mention his brother was so odd. He had a point though. If Lily was friends with Regulus, it would be so weird. Her friendship with Severus, however, I understand, and I don't think it's as hard to understand as James says it is. He was just jealous.
   
"Whatever," James huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
   
"What are you doing on Valentine's Day, Ellie?" Sirius asked, looking directly at me now.
   
"Homework, probably," I tell him, shrugging.
   
Sirius scoffs, "On a Saturday?" 
   
"Why not?" I ask, shrugging again. "It's just a day. And I'm single so why do I need to do something on Valentine's Day?"
   
"What about you, Remus? What are your plans?" Asked Sirius.
   
"Probably homework, too. Actually, I was planning on asking Ellie if she would help me with that Astronomy chart we were assigned on Monday."
   
"Oh yeah, I finished that ages ago. I'll help you with that." I tell him, smiling.
   
"It's a date then!" Exclaims Sirius, who was smiling happily and wide.
   
"No," I say, quickly. "Just two friends doing homework together on a Saturday."
   
James and Sirius share a look and then James says, "It's so a date."
   
"Totally," Peter agreed.
   
"Ignore them, Remus," I say, bringing my eyes back to my homework.
   
"I always ignore them when they act like idiots, Ellie." Remus assures me.
   
When Saturday arrived two days later, Remus and I took off to the library to do the homework we told our friends we needed to do. We worked on the star chart first, during which I explained to Remus that Astronomy was my favorite part of school. And the Astronomy Tower was my favorite place in the school.
   
He kind of looked around awkwardly at that information and then he said, "Yeah, Sirius mentioned that to me before."
   
"Does Sirius mention me a lot?" I ask, curiously. "Because he's mentioned to me before that he thinks you and I would be a good couple."
   
"Um," he says, sounding awkward again, "Yeah. He does think that, and he doesn't mention you as much as you used to. I think he might have given up."
   
"Yeah, me too," I admit, trying not to sound like I was actually kind of sad about that. Sirius was annoying sometimes but I did appreciate knowing someone wanted Remus and I together as much as I did. Unlike me he has the guts to be vocal about it.
   
"Do you actually like anyone in school?" Remus asked, looking at me like he was watching my reaction to this question. It was a simple yes or no question, but for a moment felt my heart stop. I could tell him the truth, or I could totally lie to him. I chose the easier option. 
   
"No, not really," I tell him. His face showed no evidence of being disappointed about this information. He nodded his floppy brown hair in agreement.
   
"Yeah, I don't fancy anyone, either."
   
For the most part, that was our day. We finished our homework, and we even did some studying for the O.W.L. Exams that we would be taking in June. Of course all of the girls asked me how it went as soon as we were all in our dorm room. I started to think that maybe it was time that I gave up on my crush on Remus. He didn't like me beyond friendship, and I have to accept it. I can't force the guy to like me, so I think it's time to put it behind me.
   
About a week later, Matt had booked the Quidditch Pitch bright and early for practice. Marlene and I weren't excited to have to wake up so early on a Saturday but we did it anyway.  She cursed her brother the entire walk there. James was having an animated conversation with Matt when we entered. It wasn't anything new to see. They're always bouncing ideas off each other. I will be surprised if James isn't our Captain next year when Matt is finished with school.
   
It wasn't long after his sister and I entered the locker room that Matt made his way over to me. His dirty blonde hair was messy. He still had a total bedhead still as he said, "I need a favor from you, Greene. Chase needs to get his Astronomy marks up or McGonagall says he's off the team. You're the best at Astronomy that I know of. I need you to help him out."
   
Garrett Chase was one of our Beaters. He was a great player, and if we lost him we could kiss our chances at the House Cup goodbye. I had to help him, for the team. "Of course I will," I tell him without thinking about it.
   
That was how I got roped into tutoring Garrett Chase. He was a quiet boy with wavy, dark blonde hair, not too far off from our captain's hair color. He had very kind, but yet sad, looking light brown eyes. He also had a lot of freckles over his olive toned skin. He certainly wasn't ugly, but he 
   
During our first tutoring session, Garrett didn't look like he was interested in Jupiter's many moons. He seemed not just totally uninterested, but also distracted. Like his mind was somewhere else. I didn't like it, of course. I wanted him to do well in school. He was only a year ahead of me, and we've been on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team for the past two years together. I don't want him off the team.
   
"Okay," I say, and I lean back in my chair. "You don't seem very into this."
   
He sighs, "I'm sorry, Ellie. I'm not. I've always been dreadful at Astronomy. I just can't get into it."
   
"What do you like to do?" I ask, trying to get him interested in being here with me by talking about something that he was interested in for a moment.
   
"I like to be outside, explore new areas, play Quidditch. I'm a real Bask in the Sunlight kind of guy."
   
"But you don't like the stars? Yeah, daytime is great but the night sky is so beautiful. Laying on the grass, looking up at the stars hunting for constellations. Watching the stars move depending on the time of year. It's just as interesting as being outside during the day."
   
He nods like he was considering it. "Okay. I'm listening now."
   
So we started talking about the stars and their many constellations, because that's what he has the most trouble with. I quickly found out that it wasn't the subject that he had trouble with, it was the professor. He thought our Astronomy Professor was boring, which made it hard for him to pay attention. I understand that completely. That was me with Professor Binns most of the time.
   
We ended up having a good time. Over the next week, I taught him all of my tips and tricks on how to remember where the constellations are and what they're called. I also taught him how I remember the order of the planets and their names as well. He picked it rather quickly. It seemed to be going very well for both of us.

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Here's part 8!

So I know that I said that I wasn't going to tell you who  to picture while you read, but I saw this edited photo of David Thewlis and this is how I see Remus in this story so far.

This was from a Tik Tok by _harrypotter92 that I saved and took a screenshot of. This is my Remus.

-Emily Winchester.