Stars {Remus Lupin} ✓

43. ENGAGED

| CHAPTER FORTY-THREE |

ENGAGED.

THE NEXT HOGSMEADE VISIT WAS strange, to say the least. Cass practically dragged Remus everywhere she saw James and Lily going, her grin wider than her face as she noticed her plan working as they kept ducking behind anything they could. As much as Remus loved his best friend and was incredibly happy to see the spectacled boy grinning and blushing wildly as he hung out with his Lilypad, he couldn't shake the feeling of that something was wrong. 

The way Cassiopeia was acting was the strangest he had ever experienced. And after knowing the Slytherin for six years, he could easily see that something was bothering her, because as wide as she was grinning, the smile had never reached her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" 

Cassiopeia looked away from James and Lily, a puzzled expression on her face as she let her eyes fall upon her boyfriend, "I'm good, thank you. How are you, Remmy?"

"Are you actually, though?" He questioned, not answering her one.

Cass' smile didn't falter, "Of course, why wouldn't I be?" She shrugged before going back to look at her friends on their 'date'.

Remus sighed sadly, "You're pushing yourself into something new," He stated, his eyes burning holes in the side of her head.

"I'm just trying to set our friends up," The Slytherin chuckled nervously. 

Hoping Remus wouldn't notice the saddened look that seemed to linger in her eyes, but he noticed. He noticed it the day they came back to Hogwarts for their sixth year. He had hoped that it was simply the fact that she didn't like being back at home, but now over a month into their year and that look still remained, "Cass..." Remus breathed out.

Cassiopeia let her lip get embedded between her teeth. She could feel him breaking down her walls, the same ones that she worked for years to put up around herself, "I'm engaged."

 Remus' dark eyes almost bulged right out of his skull. He didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't that, "W-W-What?"

Cassiopeia didn't reply.

"Cass, what do you mean by that?"

The Slytherin finally tore her eyes from Lily and James causing Remus to instantly spot the tears that were threatening to spill from them. Her bottom lip trembled as she grabbed the Gryffindors boy's hands, her cold ones contrasting with his warm ones, "Not-Not like properly engaged," Her voice wavered, "But...But my parents...They want to marry me off, Remus," The tears finally fell. Her broken voice made Remus' chest tighten as his own eyes watered, "I wasn't going to tell you guys...because...because I'm trying to-to save up money. To get a place for Regulus and I. I--I didn't want yo-you to worry."

Remus didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. What do you say to your girlfriend who had just told you she might be kind of engaged to someone else? He watched as she finally broke down, her whole body shaking violently. Without a second thought, the werewolf wrapped his arms tightly around Cassiopeia's shoulders; tighter than he had ever wrapped them around her before and simply held her, letting a few of his own tears slip out of his eyes.

"You-You should've said, Cass," Remus muttered into the top of her head as he lulled her from side to side. He could feel the tears soaking through his shirt but he didn't care.

"I-I didn't want to worry you," Cass muttered into his chest, she had some of his shirt clenched tightly in her fists, scared to let go, "I thought--I thought I had it all under control, but then the day after I set up th-this plan...I got a letter from home," She let out a shaky breath, "And--And it just brought everything back-back to the surface. Please don't hate me. Please."

Remus didn't care about the tears that were now racing down his cheeks. He pushed the black haired girl from his chest, his hands gently grabbing her cheeks. Turning her head up, he felt his heart break. Not only could he see the tears that were covering her face, her flushed cheeks but he could also notice small scars scattered across her face. Ones that you could miss if you weren't looking close enough, the majority of them looking freshly healed, "Cass," She didn't look at him, "Cass, look at me."

Closing her eyes briefly, he heard her let out a shaky sigh before she re-opened them and finally looked right at him. Blue meeting brown. 

"Listen to me very carefully okay?" 

Cassiopeia nodded. She could feel her heart hammering loudly in her chest as negative scenarios swarmed her thoughts. What if Remus broke up with her? What if he never trusted her again? Or wanted to never see her again? She didn't know how she could live without him. The both of them had always been the closest out of her and the rest of the Marauders and she couldn't bare to think about her life without him in it. Whether he was in it as her boyfriend or her friend she knew she always wanted him in it.

"I don't hate you," Remus told her sincerely, his eyes never leaving hers, "I could never hate you. You are quite literally my whole world, Cassiopeia Black and I--I love you," Her eyes widened in shock, "I really do. I am in love with you Cass. We will get through this together, okay?"

Cass' heart felt like it was trying to leap right out of her chest. Her tears were still very prominent and she couldn't tell if they were from sadness or joy. Shaking, she let her hand touch his one; the one he kept pressed against her cheek, and through the tears Cassiopeia smiled, "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Remus Lupin. I love you too."

AN- They finally said the L words!! I'm so happy for them (I think I need to get a life lol) And also, I did it! I made another Remus story, it's called Scars and it's out now.