Queen of Disaster | 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑢𝑠 𝐿𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑛

Chapter 69

Remus gaped back at Diana, his mind blank and his whole body frozen as he let his thoughts catch up with that one word which she had just said. The same word that haunted his worst nightmares each night and possessed his body on each full moon.

"You're insane," was all that Remus managed to say as he got off the ground and shot to his feet.

"I know the truth, Remus," Diana muttered as she remained seated beneath the tree, looking down at the fallen leaves on the ground with a frown. "It's okay... You don't have to hide it from me."

"Hide what from you?" Remus forced himself to let out a laughter, shaking his head frantically. "I don't know where you got that idea, but it's pathetic. I'm not a — I'm not — Just get it out of your head, okay!?"

"Fine. But if it's not true then why have you gotten all worked up about it?" Diana asked, getting up to her feet as well.

Remus looked away from her, his jaw clenching in fury. He could see the light of hope vanishing right before his eyes and there was nothing he could do to retrieve it. It was gone. Everything was over. Just when he had thought that he could have his shot at happiness, it was taken away from him with only a single word. He felt like a fool for thinking for even a second that he could be with her without her knowing what he truly was.

"Remus, listen —" Diana tried to reach out for him and touch his arm, but he quickly moved out of her reach, still avoiding looking into her eyes.

"Forget it. I mean, if you want to walk around and accuse everyone of being a werewolf, then be my guest!" Remus snapped, not sure what he was even saying. He just wanted to get away from her before she could get the chance to treat him like the monster he was.

He always heard people talk about werewolves and had read the articles written about people like him. He could see the fear in their eyes and the hatred on their faces.

Filthy half-breeds. Undeserving to live. Vicious. Heartless. Dangerous.

He had heard it all before. But he wasn't sure if he could bear to hear it from her, too.

So, without another word, Remus turned around with his hands still in his pockets and started to walk away from her.

"Remus, wait!" Diana called after him desperately, trying to catch up with him even though she had no idea what she was even supposed to say. "Wait!" She finally caught up with him, grabbing onto his arm to stop him and forcing him to turn and look back at her.

"What!?" Remus rasped in a hoarse tone that even surprised himself afterward. It sounded nothing like him, as though the beast within him had been unleashed again for a moment.

Diana fell silent, staring back into his chocolate brown eyes. She felt a pang in her heart when she suddenly realized that he had tears in his eyes, but whether they were from anger, fear, or frustration, she couldn't tell.

"What do you want me to say, Diana?" Remus said as she remained at loss for words, this time speaking more softly as he held back his tears with everything he had left in him. "Would you like it if I congratulated you on your discovery? Would you like me to stand here while you tell me how vicious I am?"

"No, I'm not going t—"

"Do you think I don't know what your parents have told you, growing up? Trust me, my parents were even worse before I turned to the monster I am now!"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake! Do all werewolves talk this much or is it just you!?" Diana huffed out in frustration, shutting him up.

Remus looked away from her again, breathing heavily through his nostrils angrily.

"Look, I'm not going to stand here and pretend that I wasn't shocked when I learnt that you're a — that you transform during full moons," she went on more gently. "Honestly? I was afraid at first, and I kept remembering everything that our society had told us about werewolves. But... Remus, you're — you're nothing like them. You're nothing like the myths my parents had told me while growing up. You would never hurt anyone. I know you wouldn't."

Remus scoffed bitterly, giving a light shake of his head. "You don't know that."

"I do. At least, you would never do it on purpose. I mean, the way you just helped that little bird... no man would ever do that. Let alone a so-called monster."

Diana managed to form a little smile over her lips. When he wouldn't look back at her, she mustered all her courage and raised her hand, hesitantly placing it over his cheek, where an old scar was visible.

His heart suddenly fluttering at the feeling of her cold fingers against his skin, Remus finally dared to look back at her. He had to stop his eyes from wandering down to her lips, holding back the urge to grab onto her face and kiss her lips.

"I'm sorry if I'm still not as okay with this as you might wish. But I want to be, believe me," Diana said in a soft and quiet tone. "I want to forget everything my parents have taught me. I want to change. And I promise that I'll try my best."

For you. She didn't say those words out loud, as much as she wanted to.

Remus couldn't bring himself to speak as he looked back at her. Instead, he raised his hand and slowly placed it over hers as she kept it on his cold cheek.

And then, timidly and hesitantly, he lowered his forehead and rested it against hers, closing his eyes as he let the moments pass them by in the silence of that misty day.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Instead of answering, Diana pulled her hand away from underneath his, and then did something that caught him completely off guard. Without even thinking, she suddenly brought him into a hug.

Remus froze on the spot, his eyes widening in surprise as she rested her head against his chest. With a smile finally brewing on his lips, he wrapped his arms around her as well and took her into his warm embrace, hugging her back.

He was just hoping that she couldn't hear how fast his heart was beating.