Who I Really Am (A Remus Lupin Love Story)

Chapter Twentyone

I sob. I don't know how long I sat there for, but it was for at least an hour.
I continue sobbing when I hear the door open, and someone gasps. I don't look up, I keep sobbing, ignoring whoever came in. I hear them walk over to where I'm sitting, and I feel them sit next to me on the couch, where I sat ten years ago. I still don't look up when they wrap their arms around me.
We stay like this for a while. Until I calm down enough to finally care. I look up.
"R-R-Remus?" I say, stuttering. "W-W-What are y-you doing h-here?"
"The real question is, what are you doing here?" He asks me softly.
"G-G-Get your arms o-off of m-me." I protest.
He slowly does, and then scoots a little farther away from me. "Sorry." He whispers.
"W-What are you d-doing here?"
"I come into the Room of Requirement to study sometimes, because it's quiet. I was confused because the door was open, and I came in and saw you like this..."
"W-Why couldn't y-you just l-l-leave me alone?"
"You expected me to just ignore you and study here? Or to walk out?"
"Y-Y-Yes."
"That wouldn't be very nice."
"D-D-Do you know w-what's not n-nice-" I start saying, but Remus cuts me off.
"I know, I know. Can't you forgive me, Bria?"
"I-I'll have to t-think about it."
"I think you've had plenty of time to think about it."
I don't respond. Part of me does want to forgive Remus for what he did. He tried to help me a couple times in the past, and lately he's been trying to make up for it... But he let me get bullied by them for six years. He let them do it. Why should I forgive him?
"What is this place?" Remus asks me after a while of silence.
I'm starting to calm down a bit, so my stuttering isn't as bad. "I-It's my house."
"Your house?"
"Y-yes."
"But why would it take the form of your house? The Room of Requirement takes the form of a room you need. Or want."
"I w-want to go home." I reply simply.
"Why?"
"N-none of your b-business."
"Okay. How did you know about the Room?"
"I d-didn't."
"Then how did you get  in?"
"I w-was pacing, and I guess it w-was in front of the R-Room. I was t-thinking that I wanted to go h-home and the door a-appeared."
"That makes sense. Do you want to show me around?"
"N-no."
"Why not?"
"N-none of your business."
"Please?"
"Why do you care, R-Remus?"
"Because if you don't show me around, I'll look around myself."
"F-fine. I'll show you." I say, getting up off the couch.
I gesture to the living room. "That's the l-living room." Then I walk to the dining table, and say "This is the dining table." Then I show him the kitchen, and my parent's room. We stop outside of my room, and I sigh. He'll see my six-year-old self's room. "Don't make fun of me, okay?" I say, noticing that my stutter is gone. "This is the house I lived in when I was six. Don't judge my room."
"I won't." Remus says, and we walk inside.
"Dark blue?" He asks.
"My favorite color." I answer.
"Nice paintings."
"Shut up, I was six and I wanted to be a painter."
"I think they're good."
"No they're not."
He shrugs. "Just my opinion." He walks over to my posters. "You've always wanted to be a Gryffindor?"
"Yeah. My sister was... She gave me the Gryffindor things." Why am I starting to forgive Remus? I don't want to forgive him...
"I was stuck between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw." He says, and then he points to another one of my posters. "The Holyhead Harpies?"
"Yep." I say, "Are you bored with my room yet?"
"No, but I'll leave if you want me to."
"Okay, let's leave." I say, and he follows me out of my room. I walk down the hall, purposely passing Serenity's door.
"Wait." Remus says, stopping in front of it. "What's this room? Is it your sister's room? You said you had a sister."
I purse my lips. "Yes, it's my sister's room. But we're not going in it."
"Why?"
"Because."
"That's not an answer."
"Yes it is."
"No, it's not." He says, opening the door. He steps inside, and motions for me to follow him. "Come on." He says. I just stand there and shake my head, so he grabs my wrist and pulls me inside.
"What's wrong with this room?" He asks, looking around.
I stand in the same spot and say nothing, tears threatening to escape.
"Come on, what's wrong with it?" He asks, but I don't reply. Then he carefully pulls one of my paintings off the wall. "Did you paint this?" He asks, holding it up. It's a painting of the view of our front yard from Serenity's window.
"Yes." I answer quietly.
He flips the painting over, and he reads what was written on the back and smiles. I swear, he's trying to torture me. "Your sister's name is Serenity?" I nod. "And she's the best sister ever?" A tear slips down my face, and I nod again. I know what the back says, and I hope he doesn't read it out loud... Just thinking it is enough. Please, Remus... I think, and then he walks over to me, holding the painting. He grabs my left hand, and he puts the painting in it, the back facing up.

Deer Serenity
Mum tawt me haw to spell your naym today. Ar you prowd of me? I am. She tryed to tech me haw to spell sum thgs today but I forgawt tem. She tawt me abut tese ? and tese ! today to. Your windo wus so prety to that I had to paynt it. I hop you lik it! You ar the bes sistr evr! I luv you Serenity! I hop we can b bes sistrs fourevr! No one wil b az grate az you! Your the bes!
Luv you fourevr
Bria

"Bria? What's wrong?" He asks me when I turn away.
I don't answer. I'm not going to cry again. I think, biting my lip. I'm not going to cry again.
"Bria?" He says, putting his hand on my shoulder.
I still stay silent, turned away. Eventually his hand falls, and I get tired of standing. I sit exactly where I am, and I pull my bag off my shoulder. My mistake.
Remus takes my bag, and sits down next to me. I watch him out of the corner of my eye as he pulls out my dad's book. "Why do you have this in your bag?" He asks, but I don't answer. Then pulls out Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. And when he pulls it out, Serenity's list falls out too. He reads it, and when he's done he sits there for a while in silence. "What does she mean by 'Enjoy what little time you could have left with Bria'?" He asks. But this time I know he won't accept silence for an answer.