Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 80 - At Long Last

Selene's POV

Even a month later, Selene continued to stress about the situation with Draco, despite what she had told Remus – though she thought that Remus had known that she didn't feel as brave as she tried to make herself out to be. In truth, she was terrified. She'd always thought that she'd been incredibly lucky to have escaped Voldemort's clutches, especially since she was about the only deserter that she knew of that had made it out alive.

Her fears had begun to affect her more and more, apparently becoming pretty obvious.

Harry seemed particularly worried about her, though he didn't know what had gotten her so upset.

"Are you sure you're all right, Mum?" he kept asking her.

"I'm fine, Harry, don't worry," she kept telling him.

She hated to lie to him, but she didn't think this was something for Harry to worry about. Dumbledore had Harry working on enough as it was; Selene could shoulder this issue alone.

Of course, this didn't stop Harry from pestering her about it.

"Mum, come on," Harry said quietly one afternoon in April while sitting in her office, watching her grade essays. Ron and Hermione were in Hogsmeade, taking their Apparition test, and since Harry was not yet seventeen, he'd stayed back and found his way up to his mother's office. "I wish you'd cheer up... Or at least tell me what was wrong."

"I'm fine, Harry, see?" Selene said, plastering a smile on her face. "Doesn't this smile look so cheerful?"

Harry looked skeptical. "Mum, you're worrying me."

Selene pressed her lips together. "Harry, I promise, there's no need to worry. It's just – work. Work's piling on, and it's getting to me."

Harry frowned. "Are you sure that's it?"

"I promise," Selene said, setting another essay aside before starting on the next one. "Being an adult sucks. Never become one, alright?"

A reluctant smile broke onto Harry's face. "If you say so."

"I do say so," Selene said. "Please stay a kid forever, Harry. You growing up is already hard enough on me."

"I'm sorry, Mum," Harry said, and he looked as if he really meant it. "If it makes it any better, though, I'll always be your son, and you'll always be my mother."

Selene looked up, and she smiled. "It does, Harry. Thank you." Then she hesitated. "Harry, you don't ever feel like I'm trying to replace your parents, do you? Lily and James, I mean?"

Harry looked surprised. "No, I don't."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I mean, I love my parents, and I know they sacrificed themselves to save me. I know they loved me a whole lot, too, otherwise they wouldn't have done that. And – and I wish they were here, but they're – they're not. You are, and you love me too, and you'd do the same for me that they did." He frowned thoughtfully. "You haven't replaced them. They're still my parents, and I love them a lot, but... but you're my parent too." He hesitated. "You and Remus, really."

Selene felt her eyes well up with tears, and she blinked rapidly, hoping to stop them.

Harry grinned at her. "I love you, Mum."

"I love you too, Harry."

Later that evening, Selene walked alone in the corridors, hugging one of Remus' cardigans tightly around her. She'd just left the kitchens, having gone there in the first place in search of dinner, but nothing the house elves offered had sounded good. So instead, she'd left empty-handed, walking around the castle aimlessly.