Reading Between The Lines ~ Remus Lupin

chapter 52

Wednesday, 10 August 1977

"Stop it, Aaron!" Layla frowned at her younger brother.

"Yeah, you and Reg said you'd play Mousetrap with me today!" Aaron protested, holding out the board game in front of his older sister.

"That was before we knew Lena ws coming today," Layla sighed. "We'll play another time.

Lena shrugged. "I like Mousetrap. Let's play."

"I call the green mouse!" Regulus said, leaping from the couch and laying on the floor with Aaron. They high-fived each other animatedly.

Layla looked at Lena and rolled her eyes. "I keep forgetting my boyfriend is a five year old."

"Really, how?" Lena joked back. "It's the first thing I notice about him whenever I see him."

"Hey!" Regulus said.

"Sorry, babe," Layla said. She got on the floor and kissed his cheek.

She plucked the blue mouse from the carpeted floor. Aaron had already taken the red mouse. Lena took the yellow one. She didn't mind picking the last pieceIt matched her house colors.

"So," Layla began as Aaron rolled the dice. He rolled a four. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"A new bicycle," Aaron said at the same time Lena said she wanted new art supplies.

"I wasn't asking you, you little toerag," Layla said as Regulus rolled the dice. He only landed a two. He was giddy anyways because he got to build the first part of the trap. "I was asking Layla."

"You weren't clear. And besides, my birthday's coming up soon."

"Your birthday is in January!" Layla said in exasperation. Regulus and Lena couldn't help but to laugh.

"Well it's best to tell people what you want ahead of time!"

"Honestly, maybe I should ask for a new bike instead," Lena shrugged as Layla took her turn. "The one I have now is a rather obnoxious pink and is covered in Trolls stickers."

"Why would you put stickers of trolls on your bicycle?" Regulus asked. "Mountain trolls are dangerous!"

"Oh, no. Trolls are Muggle dolls people play with as kids," Layla said.

"And you all say I'm the weird one," Regulus said.

"You are the weird one," Aaron said, making Layla and Lena.

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Friday, 19 August 1977

"What's your mum's favorite flower?"

"What?" Lena said into the telephone. The cord twisted around her body as she paced.

"For tomorrow, my mum says that I should bring flowers for your mum when I come over," Remus said into the telephone. "So what are your mum's favourite flowers?"

"But it's my birthday tomorrow. Why does my mum get something? I thought I was supposed to get a present."

"Because she gave birth to you. And I want her to like me. And of course you will be getting a present."

"She already likes you, Re. You don't have to bring her flowers," Lena said with a smile and a roll of her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes," Remus said in a light tone.

"How did you know I was rolling my eyes?" Lena asked as she jumped on the counter.

"Because I know you," Remus replied simply. Lena couldn't help grin. "Now, tell me what flowers your mum likes."

"And if I don't?"

"I won't kiss you anymore."

"Well, we can't have that now, can we?" Lena said, a teasing tone evident in her voice.

"No, we can not." Lena could feel him grinning through the phone.

"Well, since you've been so convincing, my mum really likes orchids."

"Right. See you tomorrow. I'll be the guy outside your door with a bouquet of orchids."

<><><><><>

Saturday, 20 August 1977

"Oh, Remus! These are absolutely lovely!" Lisa said, taking the bouquet of flowers out of Remus' hands. "Orchids are my favourite, you know."

Peter smirked. "Kiss arse," he whispered to his friend.

"I've got to be. Your dad hates me. I've got to win at least your mum over," Remus replied.

"Well, he seems to hate you less now that he knows you gave Lena that pen," Peter shrugged as he and Remus walked towards the kitchen.

"He does?"

"Oh, yeah. I mean he doesn't love you, but he doesn't hate you."

"That's a result," Remus said as they walked into the kitchen.

He came face to face with Mark. He extended his hand out for him to shake it. "Hello, Mr. Pettigrew. How have you been?"

Mark shook Remus' hand. "Good. Yourself?"

"Very well. Thank you for having me over and letting me come with you all to Brighton to celebrate Lena's birthday."

"Yep. My idea of a perfect day," Mark said dryly.

Remus glanced, slightly panicked, at his girlfriend out of the corner of his eye. She was biting into one of those popular American cinnamon buns. Lena grinned and walked over to him. She slipped her hand into his own while elbowing her father lightly. "C'mon. Let's sit down. There's a chocolate chip muffin with your name on it."

"I could kiss you," Remus whispered quietly with a smile.

"You could," Lena said, handing her boyfriend a muffin.

"Not with you dad watching us like a hawk."

"Later then?"

"But of course."

Lena grinned.

<><><><><>

Lena grinned as she looked around the bonfire that lit up the dark night sky. Just like on her birthday a year before, Maggie and Ava had come and set up tents in the backyard and started a bonfire. The only difference from last year was that Remus was with her.

Everyone looked happy as they sat around the bonfire. Peter's face looked a bit red from the flames that separated the two siblings. Maggie grinned as Ava chastised her for throwing marshmallows into the fire and wasting them. Ava didn't mean a word of it, though. Her toothy grin and shining eyes were proof of that.

Lena's charm bracelet, which had a new charm in the shape of a pen, jingled as she put together her s'mores. Lena looked up to her boyfriend, who was holding onto his own s'mores. He smiled down at her. "Rwy'n dy garu di."

"Of course they're really good. They're s'mores," Lena grinned before biting into her treat..

"What?" Remus said, his mouth falling open.

"Rwy'n dy garu di," Lena said to the best of her ability. "You said that means this is really good in Welsh."

"Um, yeah. I can't believe you remembered that. That must have been in what— January? February?" Remus said. His cheeks were red from embarrassment. Lena just thought that they just looked from the fire illuminating his cheeks.

"It tends to remember most of our conversations," Lena said.

Remus bent down and kissed her. Remus really wished he told Lena that he loved her in English.

Here are the Welsh translations

Rwy'n dy garu di: I love you