I Do What I Want (Drarry)

Finally

             Remus flooed into the Manor a little later than normal. Andromeda had wanted to take Teddy to her annual knitting club or whatever else she liked to do and his son had been a little fussy this morning.

            "Sorry that I am..." He trailed off when he entered the room and noticed that only Severus, Lucius and Narcissa were there. "Late." He finished before sitting down next to Severus.

            Narcissa smiled warmly at Remus before she had to hide a grin when she noticed that Severus was just staring at him.

            "Where's everyone else?" Remus wondered before he slid the book that he had last been working on yesterday to him.

            "The quartet is at their shop. Something about hiring more testers for their products." Narcissa said in amusement as Severus still just continued to stare.

            Lucius raised a brow at his longtime friend. What was with him? "Harry and Draco said that they had business to take care of at Gringotts, something to do with laws because Draco was checking up on creature rights before they left." Lucius said with a slight frown. They had been dressed in suits with briefcases, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what they were doing. He just hoped that they didn't insult the goblins. The last thing that they needed right now is more enemies.

            Remus raised his brows in surprise. He wondered what they needed to do with creature rights at Gringotts. Maybe the goblins were needing their help with something but he highly doubted it. The goblins were still upset with Harry over the break-in. Remus turned to look at Severus because he had yet to say anything but he was surprised to find the man staring at him. The softness in his eyes took his breath away.

            They had been growing closer and closer over the past month and Remus was wondering where this might lead them. He was unsure of what exactly Severus was feeling regarding whatever was between them but he was growing tired of waiting. Severus was not the easiest person to get along with but when you look behind the harsh words there is a delightful person underneath all of that. Someone who knows the cruel aspect of the world, someone who has been hurt before and trusted by no one. Someone who is lonely but cherishes the bonds he does make. Someone who Remus couldn't help but yearn for.

            Part of him was terrified of falling for someone so shortly after losing Tonks. What would people say? Was he breaking mourning etiquette? Is there a time limit that he is supposed to be following? He wasn't sure what to do. He loved Tonks and he always would but she wasn't here and he couldn't spend the rest of his life hiding himself away in her memory. The rest of him was guilty. So guilty. What he had felt for Tonks was nice, warm and comfortable. Falling in love with Tonks was easy. It was like falling asleep at night after a long day. It was something that he never had to think about, well once he got over the age issue. But it wasn't meant to be. He knew he had a soulmate out there but that wasn't what he was meaning. It wasn't meant to be, in the way that she was just the best thing for him at the time. People don't want a werewolf for a lover. The stigma of being a magical creature carries over into their chosen partner as well. It isn't just him who faces the prejudice. Any partner of a magical creature then in turn gets judged as well. So a lot of werewolves only marry other werewolves or magical creatures. Mainly because they understand what the prejudice is like but also because being with them won't cause any unjust prejudice.

            Being with Tonks made her social status drop. Tonks didn't talk about it too much but he knew that her job at the Ministry had gotten a lot tougher. They treated her badly just because she married a werewolf. He had known going into the relationship that Tonks wasn't the one meant for him. Not in a soulmate way or even just a normal way. But he loved her regardless. He knew that Tonks would eventually grow tired of the stigma and tired of the way that he couldn't love her as much as she loved him.