Remus could smell something divine in the air even before he began to wake up. Opening his eyes, he looked around, a bit disoriented. The last he remembered he and Raya had been chatting. A wave of embarrassment washed over him as he realized he must have fallen asleep. Rubbing his eyes, he got up and headed for the kitchen where the mouth-watering scents were emanating from.
He was surprised to find Raya standing over the hot stove, but even more surprised to find the table had been set, complete with a tablecloth and candles. He smiled, touched that she had gone through so much trouble, but then noticed that there were only two place settings.
�Who isn�t invited to dinner?� He queried mockingly. Raya jumped and spun around at the sound of his voice, her hand over her heart.
�You scared me!� She accused with a laugh, receiving an apologetic smile from him. �No one isn�t invited. Tonks won�t be home tonight. She told me that she was called to an overnight mission, but assured me it was nothing dangerous and told me to give you something.�
�Give me something?� Remus asked in a wary tone, furrowing his brow slightly. Raya nodded, then crossed the room to him, leaning up to kiss his cheek. �Oh.� Remus stated stupidly, a blush coloring his face.
Raya chuckled and returned to the stove. �She said she should be back tomorrow evening.�
�Hmmm, so you�re stuck with me then.� Remus wondered aloud, almost sympathetically. �Sorry for that.�
�I don�t know, it might be fun.� Raya commented with indifference.
Remus watched her curiously as she continued to cook, the inappropriateness of the matter weighing heavily on his mind. He was attracted to her, plain and simple. Not just because she was beautiful, but also because she was intelligent and funny. She was everything Tonks wasn�t, and while Remus loved his wife dearly, there were times he felt that he needed something more. He�d always thought that it was the age difference that had made Nymphadora seem so childish to him, but after spending even a moment with Raya, he knew that it was the maturity level. Tonks was a wonderful person, kind and generous, but she and Remus had nothing in common. He loved to stay home and read, whereas Tonks wanted to go out or listen to loud, obnoxious music. Sometimes it felt as though Tonks were more of a rebellious daughter to Remus than a wife.
Deciding to just let whatever happened, happen, Remus made his way to the icebox where he kept his wine. Granted, he didn�t have anything expensive, but he still enjoyed a glass with dinner. �Would you care for a glass of wine?� He offered to Raya.
�That sounds lovely, thanks.� Raya replied. Remus looked at her in mild surprise, noting yet another difference between the two women. Tonks hated wine, preferring sparkling cider to it. She refused to even drink it on special occasions, and Remus had found himself drinking it less and less around Tonks. He poured two glasses of the sweet burgundy wine and held onto them as Raya brought the food from the stove and arranged it on the table.
Remus smelled the aroma appreciatively, and handed her one of the glasses. �It smells delicious. Thank you.�
�Well, I figured my cousin probably doesn�t cook for you very often and I thought it might be nice.�
�Often?� Remus joked. �Try never. This is very nice, but I didn�t want you to trouble yourself. You�re a guest here, not a house elf.�
Raya laughed softly. �It was no trouble, Remus. I don�t have anyone to cook for, so it was nice to be able to do this for someone.� Remus held her eyes with his, softly clinking his glass against hers in a wordless toast.
�Cheers,� he smiled. They moved towards the table and Remus pulled out a chair for Raya.
�It�s nice to know chivalry didn�t die in the Middle Ages.� She goaded playfully as she sat.
�Well don�t get used to this kind of treatment,� Remus joshed her as he took his own seat.
They filled their plates, talking lightly over the meal. Raya had turned a simple stir-fry into a tasty and elegant dish, by adding chicken and colorful peppers. Not only was it marvelous, it was very filling and by the time Remus had gotten through with his second helping, he felt thoroughly stuffed.
�I can�t eat another bite.� He groaned, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his stomach. �I think that meal will last me until next week!�
Raya laughed nervously as she finished off her own plate, looking modest. �It wasn�t bad.�
�Wasn�t bad!� Remus exclaimed. �I was about to ask why you�re not cooking at some world famous restaurant.�
�I�m not that good,� she disputed. �This was easy. Making Yorkshire Pudding or a souffl� is something else entirely!�
�Well I thought it was wonderful.� Remus concluded, draining the last of his wine. �Care for another glass?�
Raya nodded and Remus got up to get the wine bottle, refilling both of their glasses. He leaned over and blew out the candles on the table, and wordlessly turned and headed for the common room. Raya followed him, and to her surprise he chose to sit on the couch this time. She sank down beside him as he pulled out his wand, igniting a fire in the hearth and dimming the other lights so that only the fire and the twinkling of the Christmas tree illuminated the room.
For a few minutes, the topic of conversation drifted about aimlessly. They sat facing one another, apprehensive to touch or stare too long until Raya abruptly brought her hand to his face, lightly tracing the scar that stretched diagonally from his right temple to his left jaw. Remus closed his eyes as her fingers fluttered across his brow and nose, and he shivered slightly as she traced the second scar that ran across his lips.
�Did it hurt?� She asked curiously, still tracing the distinct claw marks.
�Yes.� He replied. �I was very young when it happened, but I still remember it vividly.�
�Tell me how you got bitten.�
Remus regarded her warily for a moment; not many had asked him to recall his attack out of sheer interest. He didn�t mind of course, it just always caught him off guard to find someone truly fascinated by it. �Well, like I said, I was very young, six in fact. I thought I was a force to be reckoned with. I think I inherited my curiosity from my father, who was always studying myths and legends. There was a great werewolf scare that year, and I was so determined to see one that I snuck out of the house one night on a full moon and hid in a thicket just down from our house. I waited for well over an hour before I heard a howl coming from the woods, but it seemed far enough away that I thought I could venture out a ways for a clearer view. I was very wrong. As I cleared the thicket, I could hear it snarling, it must have caught my scent, and I heard it running towards me. The only thing I saw before it leapt at me was glowing amber eyes. It pinned me on the ground and slashed my face before sinking its fangs into my neck. The only reason I lived was because I had worn my mother�s silver necklace for protection and the damned thing bit into that as well.�
Raya shivered, her eyes traveling slowly down to his neck, but the collar of his sweater prevented her from seeing the scar. Knowing what she was looking for, Remus pulled the collar down enough for her to see the pale marks of distinct K-9 teeth on either side of his windpipe. Raya let her fingers lightly trace those marks as well.
�You�re really lucky you were smart enough to wear something silver.� Raya commented dryly.
�I wish I had been smart enough to stay inside.� Remus replied, letting go of his collar and taking a sip of wine. �My parents were so furious with me, and had I not just almost been killed by a werewolf, I probably would have been killed by them.�
�Who found you after the attack?�
�No one. I didn�t know if anyone had heard the attack or not, so as soon as I had my wits about me, I managed to crawl home. My mother took one look at my face and about fainted. I always thought the scars would fade with time, but alas, no such luck.�
�They�re not so bad,� Raya comforted, once again tracing the longest scar across the middle of his face.
�I always thought they made me look like a bit of a freak.� He admitted with a cheerless laugh.
�Well, they don�t. I think they make you look quite handsome.�
This time Remus laughed loudly, tossing his head back. �Now I have heard it all.�
�What?� Raya asked awkwardly. �You are. Any witch would be luck to have you.�
"I guess I'll believe that when I have women throwing themselves at my feet." He teased.
"Only at your feet?" Raya asked, cocking an eyebrow mischievously at him. Remus blushed furiously and gave a nervous laugh.
"Well, it's just an expression." He shrugged meekly, but as the words left his lips, Raya leaned forward and kissed him.
Chapter Three
Main | Fan Fictions