Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 60

Pat opened the door quietly and peaked inside. No one was inside, they were probably all upstairs. Probably already asleep, in fact.

Pat sighed quietly and closed the door behind him. He leaned against it, grinning up at the ceiling.

"How was the festival?" Pat jumped. Remus was leaning against the kitchen counter, half in shadow.

"Um- What?" Pat tried, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Kid, you aren't the first person in this family to sneak out to see someone." Remus said. "I know the signs. Now, come on, how was it?"

"It was, um," Pat glanced up the stairs, "I- uh, I was going star-gazing-"

"Horseshit." Remus pushed himself onto the kitchen counter. "Don't tell your papa I said that. And he and Ro are asleep. I said I'd wait up for you. So," he gestured to the table, "how was it?"

"Promise you won't tell Dada or Papa?" Pat asked nervously.

"On Ro's life, I won't tell anyone." Remus promised. Hesitantly, Pat sat down at the table. "So? How was it?"

"It was... nice." Pat said, twisting his hands in his lap. "There were lots of people dressed in fancy clothes. But lots of trees to climb, that was fun. Means I could hide easily. I didn't really see many common-like people, it was mostly princes and princesses."

"Alright." Remus nodded slowly. "Why did you go?"

"Why did you let me go?"

Now, Remus was the one to hesitate. Pat tilted his head to the side. "Uncle Remus, why did you let me go? You said I couldn't but then convinced Dada that I could. Why?"

Remus shrugged. "Because I thought, you know, 'it's his life and he's not really been living it stuck out here. Why not let him get a little excitement in?' Plus," he shrugged again, looking away, "if you're going to break your own heart with this boy, who'm I stop you? Stopping people from seeing people they love doesn't really work, in my experience."

Pat shuffled in his chair, glancing down. "Well, I- I wouldn't really call it love. It's, um, we're not, um..." He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts a little. "What d'you mean?" He asked. "When you said that it doesn't usually work?" Remus didn't reply. "What were they like?"

Remus shrugged. "They were fine- He was fine, it was all perfectly fine until it wasn't." He met Pat's gaze. "Kid, trust me on this, yeah? If Roman says he doesn't trust someone or to stop seeing someone as often or at all, you trust him, okay?" Pat's brow furrowed. "Pat, promise me you will. It'll save you a lot of heart ache in the future."

Pat glanced down. He didn't reply.

"Pat?"

Pat nodded slightly. "I promise." He mumbled.

"Kid, I'm not saying it's going to happen with this boy," Remus said, "I'm just saying be careful. Do you know what he wants with you?"

"He wants to run away with me." Pat thought. "And live a happy life with me. He wants to be happy."

Pat shook his head. "But he's really kind, Uncle Remus." He sat up and leaned forward. "Honestly, if you met him, you wouldn't be worried at all. He's really sweet and honest and kind and respectful and awkward and funny and so, so smart. He'd never do anything I wasn't comfortable with."

"You're sure?" Remus asked.

"Uncle Remus, I promise you that if I ever get uncomfortable or Dada ever finds out and tells me to stop, I will. I promise, I promise, I promise!" Pat took a breath. "But until then, I really like him. And he really likes me too. And he makes me happy."

Remus looked down and nodded slowly. "Alright." He glanced up at Pat. "Alright, alright! I can't ask you to do anymore." He nodded up the stairs. "Now, you'd better get up to bed. Got a big day tomorrow."

Pat's brow furrowed as he tried to remember what was tomorrow. His face broke into an excited smile.

"Blackberries!"

Very short chapter compared to yesterday but... what can you do?
Bye,
Blaize