Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 92 - Crash and Denial

A/N: the alternative chapter title for this was "Remus and Selene Spend a Couple Chapters Being Really Freaking Oblivious" but it seemed much too long.

Remus returned the next morning, collapsing into bed beside his wife just as she was waking up for the first time that morning.

Not.

As if she could've slept while waiting on Remus to get home after a night like that.

"Good morning, Mrs. Lupin," he said hoarsely, pulling her close to him and kicking his shoes off as an afterthought. "Did you sleep well?"

"Are you just now getting home, Mr. Lupin?" Selene asked, blinking blearily at him.

Remus nodded, nestling his head just above her shoulder, giving no indication that her hair might be tickling his face. He seemed ever so glad to be back in her presence, splayed out beside her, their legs clumsily intertwined. The deep sigh that rumbled out of his chest, exhaling warm breath by her ear, seemed to further indicate this, making Selene so deeply regretful when she shoved him off of her to sprint towards the bathroom.

She was so impressed, however, when he'd joined her just seconds later, seizing her hair off her neck and pulling it away from her face as she retched into the porcelain bowl.

After the measly contents of her stomach had emptied themselves into the toilet, she groaned, resting her head on the seat, pushing her disgust out of her mind.

Remus was looking at her, worry evident in his face.

"Darling, maybe we ought to go to St. Mungo's," he said quietly, his palm pressed gently against her lower back. "It's not that I don't trust your cousin Andromeda's healing abilities, but you honestly don't look well."

"What are you trying to say?" Selene mumbled into the toilet seat. "You don't think I look pretty right now?"

She heard sigh exasperatedly. "Selene, love, you're worrying me," he said softly, and her heart fluttered a bit at his tone.

"I'm okay, Remus, I promise," she said, angling her head to look up at him. "Don't you remember when I got that concussion at the Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff match in fifth year? It felt just like this, and I felt better after a couple of days. Let's just give it until tomorrow before we jump to any life-threatening conclusions."

Remus looked unconvinced.

"Will it make you feel better if I see if Molly's got anything to take the edge off?" she asked him.

"Very much so," he answered her.

"Well, alright then," she said, and after a quick exhale, she pushed off of the toilet seat, crawling up into a standing position, and Remus' arms shot out to steady her. "I honestly feel much better."

"You're still talking to Molly," he said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Alright, alright," she said, waving a hand at him. "Are you going back to bed? You've been up all night."

"Only if you come with me," he said, finally unearthing a smile out of the worry on his face. "I know you didn't sleep a wink, I'm sure you stayed up all night fretting about me."

"Clever man," she remarked weakly, looping her arm through his and leading him back to bed.

Regretfully, they didn't make it downstairs until noon, a fact of which Molly was careful to remind them of by way of mentioning how much work that still needed doing before the wedding in a few days. Selene and Remus, wishing not to anger the Weasley matriarch, promptly asked her how she would like them to contribute.