Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 64 - Late Night at the Burrow

"I'm sorry, Molly, I know you don't particularly enjoy these late-night chats."

Summer had begun rather mundanely. Selene had come back to her cottage to find it covered in dust, and she and Remus had spent a week restoring it back to its comfortable state after he had moved in all of his things. Then, they'd tried to go back to business as usual, as odd as that sounded to either of them.

"Don't be silly, Selene. We're family. I'm here for you," she said, waving her hand tiredly and shaking her head.

Selene smiled gratefully at her, as she waved her wand towards a coffee pot on the counter so that it flew towards the mug sitting before and began pouring a generous amount of steaming black coffee in the mug.

"Are you feeling any better as of late?" Molly asked, as Selene raised the mug to her mouth and took a scalding sip.

Selene gasped, her throat burning. "I'm – I'm okay, all things considered... I have my good days, and I have my bad days."

"Well, of course, Selene," Molly nodded kindly. "Your husband died. No one could say that wasn't difficult."

"My husband that sacrificed himself to save me," Selene said quietly. "My husband who knew I didn't love him."

"You did love him," Molly corrected her. "Perhaps not in a typical husband-wife way, but you know you cared for him. He was your best friend... that's why he died to save you."

It was then that Selene finally allowed a few tears to escape her eyes. Molly bustled over to the younger woman, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I miss him," she said, crying weakly. "He was a prat, but he was a wonderful man, and I miss him. I feel like Voldemort is just picking off everyone I love and care about."

"Scourgify," Molly muttered, pointing her wand towards a splash of coffee on the table, for at Voldemort's name, she had given a horrible jump. "That's what he intends to do. He intends to weaken us from the inside by taking away anyone we hold dear. Dumbledore is right –" Selene scowled. "– love is what we need to survive."

"Well, I certainly didn't love Sirius the way he deserved," Selene said thickly, looking up at her. "He was my husband, and I shacked up with his best friend."

"And you know very well that Sirius supported that wholeheartedly," Molly said knowingly. "You forget that it was an Unbreakable Vow that brought you and Sirius together; it wasn't by choice. Everyone knows that otherwise it would have been you and Remus."

Selene hummed softly, leaning her head on her hand.

"How is that going, by the way?" Molly asked, narrowing her eyes at her. "You've been very tight-lipped."

"Things are fine," Selene said. "Just fine."

"Seems like they could be more than fine," Molly said. "He's moved back into the cottage, he's at your side every time you're over here... It seems there's a little more going on than what you're telling me."

"It could be the fact that he's seeking solace in his grief," Selene said.

Molly shook her head. "I don't believe that one bit." Then she frowned. "How is Remus dealing with Sirius' death?"

Selene gave her a sad look. "He's... he's sad. He won't say much about it, but I think it's hitting hard that that's the last of his friends gone. The last of our friends..." She sighed deeply. "This war has taken everything away from us... I just don't want it to split us apart too..."

Molly gave her a startled look, and she opened her mouth to respond, but just then, there was a knock on the door.

Molly and Selene exchanged an anxious look.