Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 75 - Remus' Big Secret

Remus' POV

"What about this dress, Remus? I think this looks appropriately festive."

It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve, and Molly had invited them over to the Burrow for dinner. Remus and Harry were already dressed and ready, but Selene, for some reason, was being particularly indecisive about her holiday attire.

Remus looked up from his book, and he felt all of the breath in his lungs leave him.

Selene was standing at the foot of the stairs, her silvery hair falling about her face in shimmery waves, wearing a festive red dress. She had a hesitant look on her face, and she was fiddling with the flowy material of the skirt of her dress.

Remus couldn't respond. He was still trying to take her all in. Her dress looked like it was made for her, tucking in tightly at the waist and flowing out with the swell of her hips –

He choked.

"No?" Selene said worriedly, already turning back to go up the stairs and change again. "I thought it might've been too much. I haven't worn this dress since I was in my twenties –"

"No, no," Remus said quickly, jumping up from his seat on the couch and making his way over to her. He felt his face growing hot, and he was sincerely glad that Harry was upstairs in his room, writing a letter to Hermione. "I like your dress very much. Perhaps – perhaps too much, if I'm being honest."

Selene smiled widely, holding back a laugh. "Oh – alright. Not too much for me not to wear it tonight, then?"

Remus tugged her closer to him, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I don't know, if you wear that dress, we may not be making it farther than our bedroom..."

"Remus!" Selene giggled, whacking him on the shoulder playfully. "You'll have to control yourself, mister!"

"I'll try my best," Remus said quietly, grinning at her. "No promises, though."

Selene shook her head at him.

"Mum! Remus! Are we ready to go?"

Harry's footsteps thundered down the stairs, and he stopped on the landing as soon as he saw them, looking at them inquisitively.

"Yeah, ready to go," Remus said, releasing his hold on Selene. "Just in time, too."

Harry climbed down the rest of the steps. "You look nice, Mum."

"Thank you, Harry," Selene said, beaming. She winked at Remus when Harry turned his back to grab his coat off of the coat rack.

Remus grabbed his own cloak, and he grabbed Selene's shawl, throwing it around her shoulders. "Are we ready?"

"Yep!" Selene and Harry chorused.

A few minutes later, they found themselves outside the Burrow, after Apparating there from the cottage. Remus and Selene exchanged a humorous glance as Harry looked a little nauseous.

Instead of knocking, Selene pushed the front door open, gesturing for them to follow her inside. "Molly! We're here!"

They rounded the corner into the kitchen, where the Weasley matriarch was busy at work making Christmas Eve dinner. Molly looked up from a pot on the stove to smile widely at them.

"Hello, you lot," she said cheerfully. "Happy Christmas Eve!" Her gaze fell on Harry. "I think Ron's upstairs, if you want to go up and tell him you're here."

Harry nodded, hurrying through the kitchen towards the stairs.

Molly looked back towards Remus and Selene, who were shrugging off their winter things and handing them to the coat rack by the door that had extended its arms to take them politely. "You two look... cheerful." Her eyes widened excitedly. "Did you get engaged?"