morning sun {r. lupin}

forty four

"Man I just love walking through this tunnel." Remus says sarcastically. "So many great nights start and end with it."

"Well hopefully tonights the best one." Greta forces a smile as she grabs Remus' hand and squeezes it not quite sure the appropriate response. Even after years of Remus making jokes about his lycanthropy, Greta, along with the other boys, still arent completely sure how to respond. Sirius and James are usually one to test the waters with jokes of their own despite Remus making it clear that he wants it to be something they can joke about. From it came the title, furry little problem, which was pitched by James.

"Already is." Remus replies looking to Greta with a genuine smile.

They walk in comfortable silence, the cloak draped over Greta's shoulder, their feet scuffing against rocks poking up out of the damp dirt floor below them. Finally they reach the shack, Greta dragging Remus through to one of the boarded up windows at the back of the shack. She dropped Remus' hand and threw him the cloak as she flicked several latches on the left side of the window, then began to fold the wood boards over onto each other like some sort of blinds.

"I didnt know that did that."

"Spotted it a few moons ago, glad it worked because I really wasnt sure." Greta laughed nervously.

"Thats my girl." Remus laughed earning a punch in the arm from Greta before she climbed up through the window.

She jumped down from the window onto the steep hill the shack sat atop, sliding slightly from her initial landing spot.

"Watch yourself, love." she called, reaching her hand up to help Remus out of the window. he handed the cloak back to her then jumped, grabbing her arm to brace himself as he slid, slightly quicker than she did on the steep, damp ground.

"Usually its the man saying that." Remus started, but quickly added "But we arent that kind of couple. Breaking gender norms!"

"There we go." Greta smiled. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

They carefully made their way down the hill to flat ground, following a grown over path to Hogsmeade. The March air was cold, Greta could feel it biting at her cheeks and the tip of her nose causing it to turn pink. She was glad Remus forced her to wear the sweater because she would have been shivering like mad without it. She bunched the hem of one sleeve into her left hand, blocking it from the nippy air, her right hand buried under Remus', hidden from the wind, surrounded by warmth.

They step into the village, passing the Hogshead whose lights were still on, a few sketchy looking wizards could be seen through the window, occupying seats at the bar. Greta pulls the cloak over them before they continue any farther.

All the shops are closed, but their window fronts were still lit, showcasing each unique display that gets changed weekly.

"Why havent we done this sooner?" Remus asks as they stop infront of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop where a variety of quills, all shapes, sizes, and colours, were enchanted to scribble nonsense onto their respective pieces of parchment.

"Not sure. I suppose it was best we waited until we're both of age, just in case."

"In case of what?"

"I dont know. You see the stuff in the papers, I know its not likely something would happen here but I rather be able to get away quickly if it ever did, y'know?"

"I suppose. I didnt like the looks of those wizards in the Hogshead, not to make assumptions or anything but..."

"Exactly."

"I wonder if any teachers are out and about at this hour on a school night." Remus said changing the subject.

"Maybe McGonagall is secretly a party animal." Greta joked.

"You could be right." Remus smirks as they peer into the Three Broomsticks.

"Merlin, she is in there." Greta says shocked as she spots McGonagall sitting around a table with several other teachers and wizards she hasnt seen before, but looks important, ministry workers perhaps.

"Dumbledore is there too. Looks like a bloody cult meeting or something."

"They all look rather tense. What do you think theyre discussing?"

"Must be rather importan- Is that Frank Longbottom?"

"Shit it is." Greta didnt even recognize their old schoolmate who graduated the previous year.

Remus pressed his ear against the window, usually able to hear the chatter in the pub from several feet away, but he straightens up and shakes his head.

"Must have put a charm on it, cant hear a thing."

"Maybe we can read their lips."

"We're both absolute shit at that and you know it."

Greta thinks back to one instance in particular, Sirius and James were trying to mouth something to Greta and Remus from across the green house in herbology to which they both kept shrugging their shoulders and mouthing "what?" back to the two boys. After several minutes, Sirius got impatient and gave up, and in a burst of frustration yelled "HOW ARE YOU BOTH SO HOT BUT SO DENSE". The whole class burst into laughter, but Professor Sprout was less than pleased and took 5 points from Gryffindor.

"Do you have any other suggestions?" she asked.

"Um... N- Wait look whats that?" Remus snaps, pointing back at the group.

"Its just the news paper articles about the muggle murders. What if theyre trying to stop the wizards that are committing them?"

"That would make sense. We have to tell the other guys tomorrow, I'm sure Sirius and James will have theories of their own."

"Oh I bet they will." Greta chuckles. "We should get out of here. I'm starting to feel a little uneasy."

"Gladly."

Remus grabbed Gretas wrist tightly and the quickly sped back through the village to the shack, as they passed the Hogshead they noticed the lights were now out, causing them to pick up their pace. Remus boosted Greta up slightly to the window then when inside she helped pull him up before locking it up. Once in the tunnel, the began sprinting, dodging the familiar rocks that stuck out from the dirt, then climbed out of the hole under the Whomping Willow. With the cloak back over their heads and their feet back on Hogwarts grounds they felt safer. They caught their breath as they made their way to Gryffindor Tower.

"Pig Snout." Greta said, startling the sleeping Fat Lady into opening the portrait hole.

The party was still very much alive despite the hour, and the room smelled strongly of sweat and firewhiskey. James and Sirius were jumping on the couch leading the crowd in a not so great rendition of Dancing Queen, a muggle song Remus introduced them to last year as band who sings it, BABA, Greta thinks is the name, is one of his mothers favourites.

Greta smiles, and she sees Remus is also sporting one as he turns to her.

"Oh no." she warns.

"Oh yes." she smirks as he pulls her into the crowd and begins sing-screaming the lyrics to her as he spins her around.

The situation in Hogsmeade could wait, Greta was going to soak up every last second of her seventeenth birthday.

a/n

hi! sorry for such a delay but hey, this was a decent length chapter compared to my last few so i hope you enjoyed <3 thank you so so so much for 26k reads!!! it really does make my heart so happy to see people reading this so thank you :)

question of the day: have you ever snuck out

my answer: no... im quite boring and ive never had a reason to so...