❁ BOTANY; r.lupin

19.

"The Gryffindor Boy's Bathroom"

REMUS CAST VARIOUS healing charms while Janice perched on the countertop beside the boys' bathroom sink.

"This might hurt a little bit, love," Remus explained as he poured out a small amount of an unfamiliar potion onto a cloth. Jan nodded and allowed him to gently pat down her arm with the liquid. He was right, it did sting quite a bit, but it was nothing compared to actually acquiring the wound. She watched intently as he concentrated on healing her up; she was finding it difficult to think of anything but him when he was breathing so close to her. His chestnut hair that she knew was soft to the touch, his hazel eyes that shined when he smiled, the small freckles and thin white scars that littered his face.

He glanced up quickly and smiled smugly as she looked around, pretending that he hadn't just caught her staring. "You can look," he whispered, "I wont bite."

Their eyes met each other, and not just briefly like every other time. Janice didn't need to use her words with Remus - he saw it all by just looking at her, and they both understood that. She gazed down at her hands, and then down at his. Silently, he moved his fingers over hers and let his skin kiss the small lines on the back of her hands, her palms, her index finger, ring finger, thumb.

Finally, he spoke, "Let me take you out on a date."

She opened her mouth to object but he continued, "I wont mess it up like last time."

Remus took his pinky finger and slowly intertwined it with hers, "I promise."

"This weekend?"

He took his spare hand and used it to rub his forehead, "I'm sorry, J, and you're not going to believe this but I can't this weekend."

She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows, "You can't do either day this weekend?"

He shook his head.

"Why?"

"You can't tell me."

"I can't tell you."

They spoke in synch.

She moved her fingers to remind him that she was still there as he looked away, "Do you not trust me, is that what it is?"

"No, of course not, J."

"Then what is it?" she whispered and moved her head so that he was looking at her.

He removed his hand from hers and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. His fingers were live wires and they left her charged.

"I don't want anything to change."

"It won't, Rem."

"You can't promise that."

"I can if you tell me whats going on."

His palm was now in contact with her cheek and she leant into his touch. "If I tell you then everything changes, all of this stops."

"No, Remus," she shook her head, "If you don't tell me then this stops. I'm sick of you stringing me along."

He looked down at the ground in shame, "I'm not sure that you'd want to be with me if you knew."

She moved her hand atop of the one on her cheek, "I'll love you just the same."

He shook his head and closed his eyes. Jan removed his hand from her face and placed it on her chest. "Do you feel it?", she asked, "My heart?"

He met her eyes once again and nodded. Janice whispered in a measly attempt to stop her voice from breaking, "It beats for you."