Dirty Little Game ♠ Professor Lupin

Nineteen: Hide It Well

I stayed with Remus for the night. Moreover, we both slept in his bed. I didn't ask for that and he didn't ask me for my opinion, knowing very well what my answer would be - he just went with me when I said I was tired and wanted to sleep.

It was weird. Whenever I landed on someone else's bed, it was for one simple reason which didn't apply here. I knew that nothing was going to happen between us, that he wouldn't let it. It was supposed to be an ordinary, everyday event.

Yet I couldn't find a comfortable spot in his huge bed. My frustration was made worse by the fact that I was wearing his shirt, which he kindly gave me. I wasn't used to it, I felt like an intruder. It was not the place for me.

"Stop fidgeting like that." I heard his sleepy voice. I wasn't even aware I was moving.

"Sorry." I mumbled in an embarrassingly squeaky voice. I wanted to hit myself in the face.

I couldn't fell asleep. I stared at his bedroom ceiling, but sleep wasn't coming and if I were to spend the night awake, there was no option for me to stay in this bed. I couldn't stand the fact that he was close by but inaccessible.

A guttural low groan sounded from where he lay. Apparently I was a terrible person to sleep with. I heard the sheets rustle and the mattress sag under his weight, then his hands were around me, pressing me to his body as if I was a pillow. I felt the heat radiating from his body.

"Go to sleep." He muttered in my ear. His hot breath brushed against the back of my neck.

He was insane.

We haven't yet been that close, so intimate. His legs intertwined with mine, warming my ice cold skin, his arms wrapped around my torso and I swear I could feel his calm breath against my hair. And I was supposed to fall asleep feeling every inch of his body?

It turned out to be easier than expected. I felt so warm, cosy and safe in his embrace that I don't even know when I closed my eyes and drifted away. I slept so deeply that I woke up later than I should have, and so did he. It was very bright in the bedroom, the curtains were not pulled over the windows, which made the winter sunbeams hit my eyes. It must have been really late because I could hear the bustling castle behind the walls.

We weren't in the same positions as we had been the night before. I felt Remus' hand under my head as we lay on our backs and I was certain I had cut off his blood flow. I turned around, carefully moving his hand so as not to wake him up.

His hair was messy as usual, falling across his face, but he looked well rested. As if he could let go of his worries only when he was sleeping, then they would all come back to him when he awoke. It was apparently too hot for him at night, for he pulled all the covers away and was wrapped just from the knees down. I seized the opportunity and studied him for a while. There were thin, almost silver lines on his legs, which were quite noticeable. As my eyes moved on, I stumbled on his black briefs fitting exactly where they should be. I didn't look away, although I felt a bit as if I was invading his privacy because he would never show himself to me like this.

A little higher, on his abdomen, I noticed another scar disappearing under his shirt. The guy appeared to be scarred all over. What happened to him? Why haven't the scars faded away? Healing the scars shouldn't be difficult for a wizard, particularly one who knows some dark arts. Only incredibly powerful magic could leave such a mark, so he must have been through something extreme.

One deep breath and I knew he was waking up. I watched as he slowly opened his eyes, blinked a few times, then his eyes fell on me. His lips curved into a friendly grin right away.

"You look good in my clothes." He croaked. He cleared his throat a few times before speaking again in his normal voice. "How was the night? I mean- Did you sleep well?"