𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐅, REMUS LUPIN

- Alternate Ending

THE WOLF

[not a cowards choice]

It was an odd thing, love. An odder one was first love, fickle first love. Especially for Astronomy Professor Jackie Emmerson. If you asked her who her first love was she would simply say, a fellow classmate, and totally not Remus Lupin, current Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

    The two now adults had been playing a game of hide and seek, except there was no seeker, Ever since the day they had kissed. Their first kiss, and their last. A short story with a slow start, a happy middle, and an unwritten ending.

    Despite the years Jackie had never wanted kids, Instead she chose to pursue her career, she became an astronomer right out of hogwarts then went on to become the youngest astronomy Professor ever seen. Despite her choice she had still ended up with a boat load of godchildren.

    Harry potter, Lily and James son, who had been coming to her to hear stories of his parents and their adventures since his first year. She told him all about how on their graduation night they all camped out in the gryffindor common room, and refused to sleep. Just to have one last night together, before everything changed. She had offered him the extra room in her apartment above honeydukes anytime he wanted it.

    Jasmine Prince-Black, Sirius and Vivian's daughter, who sported more pink then her mother, and who's gryffindor tie was studded with pins in every array of color. The young girl lived with her aunt, seeing as her mother had disappeared and her father had ended up in azkaban. The pink haired girl had a magnet for mischief and had found herself the third musketeer of two red headed twins.

    Walter the second, Marina, and Morgana Emmerson. All her Nieces and Nephews had managed to become their godmother. The three blondes who were all children of Marlene and Stefan. The two young girls ended up in hufflepuff like their father but their son was a ravenclaw through and through.

    One sunday morning when the snow had finally stuck to the ground.  Jackie was leaving her first teachers meeting since coming back from break. She allowed herself just a moment or two to watch the snow fall, before she was going to rush off to her office in the astronomy tower to meet the five young children of her friends. It was a moment of peace, where Jackie could feel how far she had come and how much she had grown, when years ago she had been crying in these halls. Unable to slow her life down, and unable to let people in.

    She wasn't perfect even now, her friends leaving still hurt, but it helped to tell their children and what she remembers of them. She holds tight to the laughter and the settled agreement of avoidance yet friendship she had with Remus.

    It was quiet in the halls, the children were probably sleeping in, or already working on their assignments. A loud cough had stirred her, she turned to see Remus, clad in a brown jacket and obviously very tired. All that left her mouth was a small laugh.

    "I don't think i ever received an answer for that question i asked years ago."

    "Oh and what question was that if you don't mind reminding me. What question was that again?" The two were alone in the corridor, yet did not face one another, Jackie still faced the window and Remus watched her long brown hair. Which she never seemed to cut.

    "If you recycle your eye bags or are they fresh?"

    A small hmm escaped the man, and he moved to stand next to her. Shoulder in line with her head. He finally looked down at her face, and noticed how different yet the same she looked. Her hair obviously longer but her small wrinkles had started to appear on her face. Smile lines from her years of laughing.

    Seeing her, hearing her almost made him think that he made the right decision years ago. The cowards move, He hid the truth, that he was a werewolf. She never pushed for it, She could never find him all those years ago. Eventually she let him go, moved on. He never did, in the nights where he let himself cry over the loss of a possible love, a possible life, he could only remind himself that he did it to protect her. But when she finally turned to hear his answer and let their eyes meet. He decided to fix his decision. That he was done, letting that life slip out of his fingers.

    "I actually get new ones."

    "Oh no, i was nearly sure you recycle them"

    The two laughed together for a moment, Before Jackie turned back to the window, pressing her hand to the glass. "You could've told me you know, I wouldn't have judged you. I wouldn't have ran off on you."

    "I know now, i thought i was protecting you-"

"I don't need to be protected" Another beat of silence fell over them. Even now, after all the years, it still felt that same as when they were more than something. "I tell them stories about their parents."

"I know"

"You should come, mr know it all."

"How can you talk about," he inhaled as if trying to avoid having to say it. "Them"

"I have to, I think, if i dont then I let it all sit inside me. Plus it's nice to talk about them. There's more good memories then the bad ones, so it's nice to remember the good ones. The ones I won't let myself forget. Come today, you knew them longer than I did."

Jackie held out her hand, a silent offer. Write the rest of the story with me.

authors note
i may not leave this up forever but umm it kinda just came to me in my ap world class