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| �I just can�t believe you punched him.�
James Potter was indignant after hearing about his two best friends fighting. He had tracked down Sirius as soon as possible. They were in their dorm. James was pacing as Sirius stared at his hands while he sat on his bed. James paced by the door, burying his face in his hands. �Oh, Sirius. I really wish this hadn�t happened.� �So do I.� �Have you talked to Remus?� Sirius shook his head and James heaved another sigh. �Maybe you should apologize to him,� he suggested. His friend stared at him from the bed, his big brown eyes sorrowful and hurt. �I don�t know how to apologize to him. It feels like he betrayed me.� �Oh, please,� James said, rolling his eyes. �It�s not like either of them planned on what happened. It just did and you are the one that needs to accept it.� �I can�t accept it.� �And why not?� Sirius sighed, feeling his eyes well up with tears. �Remus can take care of himself, I�m not worried about him at all. Except for the usual� you know� but that�s exactly what I�m worried about. I don�t want Shaia to fall in love with Remus just in case something should go terribly wrong and she gets in the way.� �I think it�s too late to hope for that, Sirius.� �I know that, James,� he snarled, frustrated. �But I can�t help it! For two whole years I have been in love with Shaia and I realize now that I was lucky enough to hold her affections for a short period of time, if any. I�m not the right person for her, obviously. The right person for her is, well, dangerous.� �He may be dangerous, but don�t you think it�s up to him to decide if he can handle it or not?� Sirius said nothing. He stared out the window, his mind reeling with thoughts. �Don�t you think they deserve at least a chance to be together? I�ve warned him already,� James sighed, sitting on his own bed now. �I told him to be careful, to put her before himself, do what was in her best interest. And like you said, he�s a mature person. He knows when it�s time to go. It�s up to you where you�re going to be when he makes the right decision.� Sirius sighed now, lying back on his bed and blurry-eyed, stared at the ceiling. He had many things to figure out, and that was just one of many. Shaia crept slowly into the Astronomy Tower during a very cloudy night. It wasn�t the telescope she had plans on visiting, however. She pulled out her wand and muttered, �Lodix.� A dark blanket appeared on the floor below her. She took off her shoes and settled onto it, staring out the dark window. The clouds were thick, covering up any trace of the sky. She pulled her long, bushy hair into a ponytail and jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice behind her. �Your hair looks much prettier down.� Whirling around, Shaia saw Remus standing in the shadows by the stairs. She smirked. �You scared me to death.� �I�m right, you know,� he said smugly, walking toward her. �It looks better down.� �Oh. You�re right?� �Of course, I always am.� He stopped in front of where she was sitting on the floor and looked at the blanket. �Let me guess� ludix?� �Lodix, and wow� you really know a lot,� she said, settling herself back on her elbows. �We were in the class together, genius. What were you paying attention to?� Remus continued to stare at Shaia, biting his lip nervously. It had been only three days since they had learned that particular spell in Charms. He knew exactly what he had been paying attention to. Shaia only sat three desks away from him with Lily, and her hair had had been down that day. She was sweeping around unknowingly, laughing and smiling and letting her teeth sparkle to the world. Unbeknownst to her, Remus had been more and more entranced by the second. He had not caught any of the lesson. �Oh, well, I�m not like you. I can�t learn one small thing and keep it with me until the end of time.� She glared at him and then moved her feet. �Are you going to sit down or make me feel intimidated just standing there, all cute and stuff?� Remus smiled shyly. He pulled off his shoes and sat down beside her. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he gingerly took her hand. As he stroked the soft skin of her fingers, Shaia opened her mouth to speak. �Um� Remus�� she whispered. �Yeah?� he asked, his voice sounding miles away. �I�m sorry for� for everything.� He stopped and looked in her eyes for a moment. �Excuse me?� �I�m sorry for� for you and Sirius� I never meant to�� He gazed into her hazy eyes, and spoke quietly, but forcefully. �Shaia, what happened with him was not your fault.� She blinked and didn�t speak. �You can�t control what he does or how you feel. Just because I fell in love with you doesn�t mean any of this is your fault.� A tear threatened to roll down her cheek as she shook her head in disappointment. �No, no� if it wasn�t for me, you two would still be friends. None of this would have happened.� Remus was becoming agitated. �No! No!� He desperately grabbed her face in his hands and forced her to look him in the eye. �Listen to me. I love you. You didn�t do anything! You are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I have never smiled this much in my entire life, Shaia. I would never wish anything about you away. I�m sorry that Sirius was in love with you, but that-that, Shaia, it has nothing to do with you and me.� Shaia felt herself sob dramatically. �Remus, I don�t want to be the cause for you and your best friend to fight.� �That can�t be helped. He�ll get over it. He�s a mature person. He�ll know when to move on. But me, I can�t live without you. I need you to be here, making me feel like everything is worth it. I have so much weight on my shoulders and because of you, I can no longer feel it.� �I don�t know anymore, Remus,� she cried. �I-I love you so much?� �Then that is all that matters!� With one hopeless look at each other, they closed their eyes and leaned in for a kiss. Pressing their lips together hungrily, they dug into one another. Greedily clinging to each other, they allowed their passion to take hold. Remus gently pressed his weight on Shaia, causing her to lie flat on her back. After a few more kisses, Shaia pressed her hand on Remus� chest, breaking contact. �What? What is it? OH! I�m sorry, Shaia,� he said. His breathing was still ragged and heavy. �I-I�ll stop.� �No, no,� Shaia said. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and smiled, surprising herself by feeling so warmed at his touch that she wanted more of it. He stared at her strangely. �Are you sure?� Her brown eyes twinkled lovingly up at him. The rose in her cheeks flushed even darker. �I love you, Remus. I know you so much better than I knew Hayden. I�m older now, as well. I know what I�m doing.� �But, Shaia, are you sure?� �Just shut up and kiss me.� Remus smiled. �Fair enough.� And with that, Remus leaned in and kissed Shaia softly on the lips. She allowed his body weight to press against her as she ran her fingers through his light, silky hair. His hands gently touched her face and drifted down to her neck. They stopped nervously at the collar of her robes. He tugged for a few seconds, pulled it down her shoulders, and waited while she shrugged it off. Staring up at Remus, Shaia knew in her heart she wasn�t making a mistake. �I love you.� Remus only bent over, kissed her cheek, and tenderly breathed into her ear, �I love you more.� |