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Under the Moonlight	By : chrmisha Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 1558 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Under The Moonlight: Chapter 3

There were still three days to go before the full moon. Spring was fast approaching and Remus was working in his garden. Ameranda had given him a list of plants to grow for making herbal teas. She promised it would help him feel even better during the new moon phase of the month. As he sat on the stone wall surrounding his garden intently studying a seed packet for Moonflowers, a sweet, familiar scent filled his nose. His senses were always heightened before the full moon. He looked up in time to see her walking towards him. A familiar warmth always seemed to spread through him whenever she was near.

�Hi Remus.�

�Well, hello, I wasn�t expecting you,� he said, slightly surprised but happy to see her nonetheless.

�I was going to send these by owl,� she said, handing him a package, �but I needed to get out, so I thought I�d deliver them in person.�

He opened the velvet sack to see an assortment of items that Ameranda had put together for him.

�We thought you might want to try some of these with this transformation.�

Remus pulled them out of the bag one by one, studying each in turn. �Very interesting,� he muttered. �I think I�ll try these two.�

�Remus.�

He looked into her now uncomfortable eyes. �What is it Raiyna?�

She was fidgeting with her robes and avoiding his eyes. �Would you mind if I checked in on you after the full moon? Not that you aren�t perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, of course. But, I�d just feel better knowing you were all right if you are going to try some of these new things.�

�Are you telling me these might not be safe?� He raised his eyebrows in a mocking way.

�No, of course not. I�m sure they are fine. My aunt has been doing this for years.�

He looked at her curiously. Why couldn�t women just say what was on their mind?

�Suit yourself,� he said, shrugging his shoulders. �I don�t recall you asking last time.� She recoiled slightly, but he shot her a mischievous glance and she laughed.

�Ooh,� she said, looking at the Moonflower package. �Have you grown these before?�

He shook his head.

�They are absolutely beautiful! They open to their fullest with the new moon, and sleep through the full moon. They make a wonderful tea as well, especially with a little mint and catnip.�

�Well you�ll have to make it for me sometime.�

�I�d be delighted,� she smiled. She hesitated a minute as if lost in thought.

When she didn�t say anything Remus asked, �Would you like to join me for lunch?�

He made sandwiches and tea and they sat together in the garden, enjoying their lunch and wriggling their toes in the warming earth below.

�It�s very peaceful here, you�ve done a nice job with the place.�

�Well, I haven�t had much money to fix up the inside, but I like to spend as much time out here as I can��weather and moon permitting, of course.�

She caught his eye again. He forgot about the sandwich growing cold in his hand. For a moment they were locked in the same space and time, connected in a way he hadn�t been with a woman in a very long time.

This was her only chance. She had to ask him. They were almost to the hospital wing. If she didn�t do it now, she never would. �Remus, can I ask you a question?�

�Sure.�

She noticed that he was trying very hard to match her uneven stride. �Well, I was just thinking�� I mean, I was just wondering�� well�� if�� if you were planning on going to the�� ah�� Yule Ball�� with anyone, of course.� Her face was burning. She felt him staring at her but she didn�t dare look up.

�Uhhh�� he stammered.

�Oh, I�m sorry, it was silly of me to ask, I�m sure you�ve already got a date.� She was so embarrassed she wanted to run away. She hung her head even lower and started walking faster. She couldn�t believe what a fool she�d made of herself.

Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

�Raiyna, wait.�

She stopped, her face red and hot.

He stepped in front of her and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. �Raiyna, I can�t go to the Yule Ball.�

She looked away quickly, tears of embarrassment filling her eyes.

�But if I could go, I�d have been more than happy to go with you.�

She stared at him in awe. He, Remus Lupin, would go the Yule Ball with her, Dotty Blotty, if he could. She wished he could. He was still smiling at her. She felt light all of a sudden, like she might just float away. His eyes were so alluring, and for the first time, she noticed his lips. Soft, pink. What would it be like to�

�Dear child, what happened to your wrist?� Madam Pomfrey�s voice bellowed. �Remus, you�ll find what your looking for in my office, help yourself.�

Remus handed Raiyna her schoolbag and walked in the direction Madam Pomfrey had pointed. Raiyna looked after him helplessly as Madam Pomfrey led her away.

�Well,� she said abruptly, �I�d best be getting back. They�ll be wondering where I disappeared to.� She brushed his shoulder with her hand as she left the garden, �I�ll see you soon.�

He smiled and leaned back against the rock wall, letting the sun warm his face. For once in his life, he was actually looking forward to this transformation, because he�d see Raiyna shortly thereafter.

***

He wasn�t feeling particularly well on the eve of the full moon so he decided to forgo trying anything new just yet, other than the chocolate drops which he�d been taking every day since she�d visited him after his last transformation. He felt the pull of the moon as strong as ever, and instead of focusing on the prickling sensation in his skin and the painful tearing and stretching in his muscles and joints, he tried to focus on Raiyna. As the wolf emerged, he lost all conscious thought.

In the morning he felt groggy and stiff. His limbs felt as though they�d been twisted into positions they didn�t belong. It occurred to him that the morning after a transformation felt quite like getting the tar beat out of you the night before. To make matters worse, he was sure he was spiking a fever. He felt cold and shaky. Although he�d managed to pull his robes on for warmth, he was too tired to get off the couch and make the Morning After Stew. By the time the afternoon sun was shining through his window, he�d completely forgotten that Raiyna was even coming. He was alone again��the man and the wolf. He was running in the forest, his legs pushing him faster, his paws dancing agilely over the ground as he went. Suddenly he stopped. Something wasn�t right. Trees were cracking and crashing to the ground all around him. The earth was shaking, he was shaking.

�Remus, REMUS, wake up!�

The haze lifted slowly as he looked groggily into frightened brown eyes. Raiyna was kneeling in front of him, one hand on his shoulder, the other hand resting on his forehead.

�Remus, what did you take?!?�

He didn�t know what she was talking about.

�What did you take, Remus, please, it�s important that you remember. Did you take the Wolf-eez?�

Oh, that, he remembered. �No, I� I didn�t take anything. I wasn�t feeling very well��like maybe I was coming down with the flu or something. So I didn�t take anything.�

�Well that was smart. Even so, you�re burning up. We need to get your temperature down.� She conjured up a small basin of cool water and a stack of towels, sponging his face and forehead. �Have you eaten?�

He shook his head. His eyes were burning and the world was spinning again.

�I will fetch you some stew, can yoouuuuuu doooooly laaa looouuuliii��

Her voice sounded desperate but he could no longer understand what she was saying.

He was in the forest again, the trees were crashing down, pinning him to the forest floor. He couldn�t get out from under them. He thrashed around, trying to fight them off. �NO!� he shouted, his eyes were open and wild.

�Remus, please, wake up. It�s okay. No one is going to hurt you.�

When he finally awoke, he realized that his fists were clenched around her robes. She looked frightened. Had he been shaking her, fighting her?

She must have seen the stricken realization of his actions cross his face because she put her hands over his then and held them there, �It�s okay Remus, you didn�t hurt me.�

He looked away, knowing that he very easily could have. His breath was coming in short, shallow bursts as he struggled to remain conscious.

She sponged his face with a cool cloth. �What were you dreaming about?�

He just shook his head, too weary to speak and not quite sure he remembered anyways.

�You need to eat, Remus,� she coaxed gently as she scooped bubbling stew into his mouth.

He was so tired he just wanted to sleep. He tried waving her away, but she was persistent. �You know, I think I�ll be fine if you just let me sleep it off, really.�

�You do, do you,� she said, her voice betraying that she didn�t put much faith in his proclamation.

�Do you mind if I use your fireplace?�

He shook his head. Through half open eyes, he could see her leaning into the flames, talking to someone.

�Do you have any Mertlap syrup?�

He considered this. If he did, he wasn�t sure where it was. He shook his head.

�What about onion juice?�

He nodded. �In the kitchen.�

She promptly got up and came back with a pink colored drink. �Aunt Ameranda says this should help bring down your temperature.�

Although it tasted bitter, he drank it graciously, squinting only when he was finished.

�Sorry, no time to improve the flavor,� she smiled weakly.

She took the glass from him and just looked at him, waiting he supposed. He closed his eyes again and felt her hand gently stroking his hair.

He was in forest. It was clam and quiet. The earth had stopped shaking and the trees stood tall and strong again. And he wasn�t alone anymore. A feeling of serene contentedness washed over him as he curled up under the moonlight, Padfoot and Prongs lying on either side of him.

He didn�t wake again until morning. He was in his bed. He remembered only vague bits and pieces of the night before. Raiyna had come, hadn�t see? Or was that just a dream? He slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. On the bedside table he saw a large glass of Lemon-AID and a cauldron full of bubbling stew. And there was a note.

Remus,

I hope you are feeling better when you awake. Your fever broke around 4am. I had a meeting first thing this morning. I will be back to check on you as soon as I can.

Raiyna

Remus lay back on his bed, his hands clasped behind his head. A smile stole across his lips before he could stop it. The sun was filtering through his bedroom window.

When Raiyna returned, he was sitting at the kitchen table with a pot of tea brewing on the stove.

�Good morning.�

He took in the relief that washed over her face at the sight of him.

�Thank you for last night. Honestly, I don�t remember much of it. I� er� hope I didn�t do anything too embarrassing,� he said, with a bit more sincerity in his voice than he had intended.

�Well, you�ll just never know, will you?� She flashed him that brilliant smile, the one that always sent an odd tingling sensation through his body. That warm feeling was brewing in his stomach. Perhaps it was just the tea.

As he looked at her in the morning light he wondered if she had any idea how beautiful she was. He decided she mustn�t have a clue. �Are you free for dinner this Saturday? I�ll make you my specialty.�

�Hmmm�. And what exactly is your specialty?� she said, raising her eyebrows in a way that made her look like she was thinking naughty thoughts.

He smiled, �Well, you�ll have to wait and see, won�t you?�

***

Now that he was finally receiving a regular paycheck, he was able to afford more than the menial staples he was barely getting by on. After thinking carefully about what he would prepare for dinner, he bought some budget gourmet foods and managed to find some raspberry swirl cheesecake in a Muggle bakery for dessert, which, he had found out quite by accident, was her favorite. He also stopped by Madam Malkin�s Robes for All Occasions and picked up a midnight blue robe that fit him perfectly on the Only Worn Once rack.

This was, after all, just a friendly dinner, he kept reminding himself as he conjured up a table with floating candles in the garden and arranged a fresh bouquet of Moonflowers he�d just picked from his garden. He was nervous and his stomach seemed to be doing something strange of its own accord. I�m losing my mind, he thought.

Raiyna arrived wearing emerald green robes that made her appear even more beautiful to him than usual. She sauntered over to him, carrying a strangely shaped bottle.

�It�s Muggle-wine, it�s surprisingly good!� She conjured up two crystal goblets as he led her away from the kitchen and back to the gardens.

�Oh! This is beautiful!� her voice echoed in the warm evening air. As their eyes met, his heart skipped a beat.

�The food smells wonderful!�

�I cooked it myself, I mean, without magic.�

She looked at him admiringly. If he wasn�t mistaken, she seemed to be trying not to laugh.

�You�d be surprised how much work that is! I don�t know how they do it.�

She laughed, nodding, �Yeah, I tried it once and your right, too much work!�

For the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt at peace with the world. When he was with Raiyna, nothing else seemed to matter. The stars revolved around her. Her beautiful eyes and her radiant smile were all that seemed to matter. He found himself smiling more, laughing at her playfulness, and just generally relaxing around her. He shook his head at the oddity of it all.

He pulled out her chair for her before sitting down beside her.

�It is a lovely evening, isn�t it?� she said, staring off into the stars.

She complimented him on the food all throughout dinner. He tried the wine and was pleasantly surprised.

�I have something for you.�

�You do?� she looked at him curiously.

He brought out the cheesecake,

�Oh you found some!� the look in her eyes and the smile on her face caused a wave of warmth to sweep over him, even though a cool breezed had started blowing through the gardens. �How did you know?!?�

He smiled warmly again, �Hmmm� wouldn�t you like to know?�

After dinner, they lay on their backs in the grass and watched the stars. As the breeze grew colder, she snuggled closer to him. Instinctively, he put his arm around her. He couldn�t remember a time when he felt so contended, so serene.

�Can I ask you a question?� she inquired.

�Of course.�

�The other night, when you were with fever, you said something strange to me.�

�Oh, did I now?� he said, trying to sound casual but feeling a bit of fear steal over him.

�You said, �Are you sure you�re not an Animagus?��

A bittersweet smile spread across his lips as he closed his eyes, his body sinking farther into the ground.

She propped herself up on her elbow to see his face more clearly.

�Well, are you?� he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

�No, did you think I was?�

�I must have been reminiscing about my past. He looked into her brown eyes again and felt the compassion they exuded lighten his load. He looked back at the stars before continuing. �It�s a long story, but I made some very close friends at Hogwarts. They couldn�t understand why I disappeared once a month. They were pretty smart, though, and it didn�t take them long to figure it out,� a laugh crept up on him that he wasn�t expecting. �Anyway, they knew they couldn�t be with me as humans when I transformed, so they learned to be Animagi so that they could accompany me on my journey and keep me safe.�

She seemed riveted by his words. �So, what happened to them?�

He looked at her briefly, then took his eyes from hers and stared at the sky again. It seemed so long ago now that the tears didn�t even come to his eyes. �Oh� well� they were all killed.�

He saw the shock of comprehension spread across her face, but before she could tell him how sorry she was, he�d placed his hand gently on the back of her neck and pulled her towards him. When her lips touched his, he felt a jolt of energy surge through his body as if someone had stunned him momentarily and then enervated him again. He pulled away long enough to look into her eyes for reassurance��but there had been no need.

�You have no idea how long I�ve been waiting for this,� she murmured before leaning back into his kiss.

He wrapped his arms around her and felt the smooth material of her robes slipping beneath his fingers. He inhaled her torturous scent and thought for sure he would drown in it. As they kissed under the moonlight, he felt desire swelling inside of him. A desire he had not known in many years��a desire he had not let himself know. He wanted her more than anything and it frightened him. The only other desire he�d felt this strongly was his uncontrollably draw to the moon.

He was falling, fast. He had to get control of himself. He couldn�t let this go any further. What was he thinking? It was too dangerous; he couldn�t risk it.

As if sensing the change in him, she pulled away slowly. He wasn�t sure what his face looked like, but she looked quite shocked by it. She slid off him and straightened her robes.

�Remus?� Her breath danced on his face. �What just happened? Everything was going wonderfully, and then, you pulled away from me. I felt it.� She looked like a shy schoolgirl to him just then, looking at him nervously and biting her lower lip.

He sat up and pulled his knees to his chest, willing the strong desire to abate so he could pull himself together. He couldn�t look at her any longer.

�Remus, I�m sorry��

�Oh, it�s not you,� he said, but she looked even more worried by this statement. He touched her face and felt himself slipping away, promptly pulling his hand back. �Or rather, it is you. I feel very drawn to you right now. I just feel like if we go any further�� he trailed off, not looking at her.

�That you wouldn�t want to stop?�

He nodded, feeling a bit foolish.

�And, of course, that would be just terrible, wouldn�t it?� Her voice was teasing.

He looked at her and frowned. He couldn�t bear to see the look in her eyes when she saw him, saw his body, saw him for what he really was. He looked into her willing eyes longingly. Then, he shook his head as if to break the spell and said,

�Would you like another glass of wine-Muggle, I mean, Muggle-wine?� She looked disappointed for only a moment, and then, much to his relief, took him up on his offer.

�I had a wonderful time tonight, Remus. I do hope you invite me over again soon.�

He sat in front of the fire later that evening thinking. He had been so close to making love to her he could taste it. And he wanted that more than anything. He shook his head. Who was he kidding? What kind of life could they have together? But a small voice was whispering in the back of his mind, You of all people need to set an example so that others like you know there�s hope. He chased the thoughts from his mind and headed to bed.
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Under the Moonlight