Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 8 - The Marauder's Map

Things were finally getting back into a steady swing, as the semester began to pass.

First, Gryffindor got a win against Ravenclaw, and Harry produced a wonderful incorporeal Patronus. Remus and Selene, who had been watching in the crowd, were able to witness it from across the field, as well as see the so-called "dementors" that Harry had come up against.

Selene had been furious to find out that her nephew and his cronies had tried to sabotage Harry's game, and she let them know it, joining Professor McGonagall in scolding them after the game was over, while Harry and Remus watched and laughed.

Secondly, Hogwarts castle was paid another visit by Sirius Black, and this time he got further than he had last time. This time, he made it inside Gryffindor tower, making Harry dangerously vulnerable. Professor McGonagall had come in the middle of the night to let Selene and Remus know, and they had spent another night discussing whether or not they were doing the right thing.

"I'm just saying, Remus, that we know something everyone else doesn't," Selene said urgently that night. "I just don't know that we're doing the right thing by keeping it to ourselves."

"That's not how he's getting in," Remus had responded, but Selene wondered whether he was just trying to convince himself. "He probably knows sort of elaborate Dark Magic and that's how he's getting in."

Nevertheless, Sirius Black had made his way back out of the castle, because no one was able to find him. Security was increased greatly around the castle; Gryffindor tower got itself a pair of security trolls, the Hogwarts ghosts were sent on patrols at night, and every single way in or out of the castle was being watched with increasing scrutiny.

Naturally, Selene was convinced she was never not going to be the subject of whispered conversations in her classes.

"I'm just so tired of this," Selene said irritably, looking at Remus. "I'm so tired of being whispered about and stared at. I didn't do anything wrong. I'm not the criminal!"

Remus frowned. "I know, I'm sorry, Selene. I know it's not easy."

They were sitting in Selene's office, perched in a window seat behind her desk. Selene was staring glumly out the window, head in her hands, while Remus was sat next to her, holding her feet in his lap and playing with her shoelaces.

He looked up at her with an intent look on his face. "Do you ever miss him?

Selene didn't need to ask who he was talking about, but she did look up at him, surprised. "Perhaps who he used to be. He was a good friend... a good companion. If you'll remember, he was my childhood best friend... but then I wonder if that was ever real... if it was all fake."

Remus gazed out the window for a moment. "You know, I was devastated you two were engaged."

Selene frowned. "I know... and I'm sorry about how it happened."

Remus sidled up to her. "It's okay... I knew you had no choice. I didn't want you to break an Unbreakable Vow, obviously. I just knew it meant I had no chance."

"Oh." Selene said, looking down sadly.

"I knew there was no changing it, so I sat back and tried to be happy for you... Obviously, I don't think I was that good at keeping away..." he said, looking at her sheepishly. Selene, in return, gave him a tight-lipped smile. "But I hoped for your sake that you and him would fall in love and be happy.... And then you got pregnant, and I knew that you must've been happy. I really did try to keep my distance after that, because I knew that if I saw you too much... well, it'd just be too difficult... for both of us."

He sighed. "But then he... he made his choices... and you were left alone.... It wasn't my original intention to come and sweep you off your feet. I just missed you, and I needed you. You made me not feel so alone in the world... But then as the years went on... old feelings were rekindled.... or maybe they just never went away... We were in love, even if we couldn't admit it to ourselves. I couldn't be happier, Selene, I really couldn't. You make me feel like a whole and complete man."