Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 96 - The Size of a Raspberry

Selene's POV

"Selene, dear, please eat something. You've barely moved for three days now, and it's not good for the baby."

Selene blinked, stirring reluctantly at Molly's words.

It had been three days since the wedding. Three days since Remus had dropped her off at the cottage and abandoned her there. Three days that she spent worrying about why he hadn't returned and if he was going to be alright.

If he was even still alive.

"That's a good girl, come on, I'll fix you something in the kitchen," Molly said soothingly, as Selene got up off the sofa and followed her into the kitchen. "You've got things to cook here, right?"

Selene nodded numbly.

Molly had appeared briefly each of the three days to check on Selene, but on this day, when she'd noticed that Selene had not moved every time that she'd come to check on her, she'd stayed longer, bustling about the house, cleaning and tidying up, cooking, and trying to convince Selene that she needed to breathe again.

The jury was still out on that last one.

"How do you feel about some french onion soup?" Molly said, holding the pantry door open and peering inside. "You've got the stuff to make that."

"That's – that's fine," Selene muttered, her voice coming out hoarse. It had been largely unused for three days, so her voice sounded as if it had to be cranked back to life.

As Molly continued to flit around the kitchen, banging pots onto the stove and setting knives to chop  onions, Selene lowered herself into one of the barstools at the countertop, resting her head in her hands.

"Molly," she said quietly.

"Hmmm?" Molly hummed in response, her eyes not leaving the pot on the stove, which was now bubbling merrily, completely unaware of the solemn air of the household it was in.

"What will I do if Remus doesn't return?"

Molly's shoulders tensed, but she didn't turn around. "He's going to come back, Selene. Arthur says he figures that one of the Death Eaters may have followed him after he left the Burrow, and he didn't want to bring him here – for obvious reasons."

"The thought of a Death Eater tailing my husband does not make me feel any better, Molly," Selene said. "If anything, it makes me feel worse."

Molly turned around to meet her eyes then, her face drawn in with worry. "It'll be alright, Selene. Try not to worry."

"You're asking me to do the impossible," Selene said softly.

Molly bit her lip. "I know."

Silence descended upon the little kitchen, and Molly turned back to the stove, obviously trying to occupy herself with something to do. Selene continued to sit there at the counter, watching, waiting, being consumed by worry; she had no idea how she was going to sit here for who knows how much longer, agonizing over why her husband hadn't returned to her.

And then there was a knock on the door.

Molly and Selene jumped, and they looked at each other, stricken in fear. Their hands seized the handles of their wands, all thoughts of french onion soup forgotten.

"No Death Eater should be able to get onto the property," Selene said quietly. "Remus' Fidelius Charm made sure of that, and he was the Secret Keeper so –"

The rest of her sentence died in her throat. They had no idea where Remus was, or if he was still alive, and if he wasn't... then the charm would've died with him.