|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 6:26:53 GMT
a | | Remus' absolute favorite thing about his tiny little flat was that he was on the top floor of a small building, and when it was raining, like it was that afternoon, he could hear it all perfectly. It was no secret that Remus had Ravenclaw tendencies. In fact, he had a theory that everyone in Gryffindor was only there because they asked to be there. Asking for a specific house had to qualify as courage, right? (And why eleven year old Remus had decided to reason with the sorting hat that he really belonged in Gryffindor was another story entirely, but there it was). James was born and bred Gryffindor, but he could have passed as Slytherin. Sirius, too, though Remus would never tell him that. Peter probably would have been best in Hufflepuff (though, strangely, he could also see a very faint Slytherin streak in him). And Remus and Lily? A shock neither of them had been sorted into Ravenclaw. But that meant at four o'clock on a dreary, Sunday afternoon, Remus was curled up at the end of his couch, feeling very much like a Ravenclaw might with a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other that was too hot to drink. Eventually, Remus would set it down, become engrossed in the book he was reading, and completely forget about the tea. He could certainly be a creature of habit, but then, they all had their comforts. There were worse things he could have turned to, he supposed, so tea and good book were healthy where he was concerned. He was just starting a new chapter when the rain began to fall harder, pulling him out of the book, but relaxing him at the same time. He dropped his head back, resting against the cold window, and closed his eyes. He supposed London could be depressing with all the clouds and the almost constant state of drizzle, but he found it cleansing and refreshing. It was as much home to him as anywhere else he'd ever been. A knock sounded at the door, startling him out of his accidental meditation, and his long legs straightened as he unfurled himself and moved towards the door, taking a quick glance through the peep hole. At least it was a familiar face on the other side, someone who wouldn't require him to exert too much energy to entertain them. He looked over his shoulder, assessing his apartment. Tidy enough, he supposed. The bed was at least made, if a little rumpled, and none of his dirty laundry littered the floor, so he considered it presentable. He slid the deadbolt open, coming face to face with the honorary fifth Marauder. He looked the girl up and down for a moment, sighing although he smiled genuinely at her. "I should have known you'd come over when I didn't answer your owl this morning." Lily Evans, soon to be Lily Potter, was always welcome in his home, but he was guilty of not responding to her owl. It had been a quiet, difficult day for him, though he didn't really know how to express that. He was exactly a week away from a full moon, and when he considered his birthday the following month, he knew he wasn't going to celebrate since that full moon was only three days later. He'd been unemployed for close to a month at this point, and it was starting to get to him. "Well, come on in. Get warm." He stepped aside to allow her in, closing the door behind her and offering to take her coat. "You didn't bring James with you."Tag: Lily Joanne Potter Words: 610 Notes: Let me know if I need to change anything | |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2018 20:29:49 GMT
 L ily had not exactly had a relaxing day but then again, she very seldom did. Her career was not one which was conducive to quiet days. Any Healer worked too hard for too many hours, but in her personal opinion, Spell Damage was one of the worst wards for having to work late. Bugs and Diseases had it rather easy; someone with a bug was likely to wait until a reasonable time in the morning before coming in, whereas someone with their nose hanging off was likely to be just a little more impatient. Which was understandable, but nevertheless annoying when you were literally just about to go home and instead found yourself dealing with a minor catastrophe. Still, it was what one expected when one signed up for the job, and Merlin knew that Lily loved the job. It was just that at the end of a long week, when one was really looking forward to a relaxing few days off and watching the last few minutes disappearing on the clock, it was incredibly frustrating when someone walked in and you were the only Healer free to deal with it. But it was part of the job. Therefore, the redhead's stress levels, often high as it was, were more or less through the roof as she reached home, and neither could she attribute it all to work. She'd written to Remus this morning, and despite the fact that she could say with ninety nine point nine recurring per cent certainty that he would have been doing next to nothing all day while she had been hard at work, through no fault of his own, of course, she had had no reply. Which was worrying; it was very worrying. But then Lily was by nature a worrier. Especially where her friends were concerned. And so here she was, after making only a brief stop back at her flat to pick up some things, still in her work clothes, knocking at the man's door. Lily was not a particularly patient person by nature, and she was worried about her friend. Remus was a conscientious person, and whilst he might occasionally forget to answer a letter if he was occupied with something else, it was not a common occurrence, and hence, Lily was investigating. Woe betide anyone who had dared to harm her friend, because Lily was in a bad mood. Again. "Yes, you should." she agreed, managing to maintain a serious expression for a moment or two before finally giving in and allowing a grin to spread across her face. In truth, being in a room with Remus always made her feel better, even when Remus himself wasn't feeling too good, which had all too often been the case. Of course the redhead knew the reason behind it; she had actually paid attention in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and she was, as she would eventually admit, not exactly unintelligent. But Remus had not decided to tell her, and since she respected that decision, she had thought it best not to inform him that she knew. She accepted his invitation, stepping into the room behind him and sighing in relief at the sudden absence of the freezing weather which was prevalent outside. The redhead gave her friend a nod of thanks, passing him her coat as he offered, and then glanced over the room with a critical eye. It was in a reasonable state- she had no doubt that James, if he were deprived of both parents and house elves, would manage to turn an entire mansion into something more resembling a pigsty within a week. "We're engaged, Remus; not surgically sewn together at the hip." the ex-Gryffindor pointed out rationally, giving her old friend a smile as she presented him with the tin in her hands. Outfit || Words: 642 |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2018 21:22:57 GMT
| | At her slight admonishment, Remus tilted his head every so slightly, offering her what could only be described as apologetic puppy eyes. "I know. I'm sorry. No excuses." He had excuses, of course, but Remus had never been the kind to offer them to get out of any kind of work or trouble. Especially not with Lily. He had tremendous respect for the redhead since the first time he met her in the Great Hall. She was lively, intelligent, and funny. Of course he'd had an instant crush on her. It didn't last long, of course, because then James had seen her, and the rest now was history, but even when Lily and James were not on good terms, she and Remus had always been friends. Finally, she smiled, and he stepped aside, welcoming her inside his little, humble flat. The assessing glance she gave the room did not escape his notice, and sighed playfully. "I saw that look. It's not that bad, all things considered." The implied, unspoken comment was that he hadn't been expecting company, but he wasn't even sure he would have done too much clean up if he had expected her. This, of course, lead him down a train of thought that he wasn't willing to mention in conversation at all. She was right to think that he'd done a lot of nothing during the day, and it was getting to him more than it should have. It was getting to him in ways that made even less happen the next day. In his defense, he'd scoured the newspapers for job openings, sending his owl to a few of them with his resume. It seemed pointless. Even if he managed to get an interview, and by some form of luck managed to land employment, it wasn't like it was going to last very long. Two months, maybe three, and any employer wouldn't care that his 'mother was sick' again, and he'd be back to scouring the Daily Prophet for the next thing. He hadn't really expected life after Hogwarts to be this difficult. Maybe he should have planned better, but he never saw himself as an Auror or a Healer or a journalist or anything like that. From the beginning, he'd wanted to be a professor or a book editor or something that involved a lot of bound parchment. He knew it started with assistant positions and ladders to climb, proving himself. He was just not given the chance. He even spoke to Dumbledore, but there were absolutely no positions available at the school. It was a daunting wall he faced, and trying to keep a positive attitude in the midst of it was proving more and more difficult, especially when he was alone. When he was with friends, it was easier to act like everything was fine. In some way, maybe it was, because he didn't feel so alone. Hence a fairly non-productive day of feeling sorry for himself. "In all fairness, I have seen more of the two of you separately than together in the last few weeks. It was a fair question." He had yet to decide if he was glad that she came alone or not, but that all depending on just how motherly she was feeling in the moment. He hung up her coat, taking a quick second to realize how good she looked. Clean, powerful, businesslike. It was a good look on her. He was a second or two from voicing this to her as well when she pressed a tin into his hands. "What's this?" He should have known the answer to that, too, because this was certainly not the first time she'd dropped by with food, but he was still surprised when he pulled the metal lid from the container. You didn't have to do this. The words were on the edge of his tongue, but when he glanced back at her face, he could see that she already knew. He could also see that it wasn't an argument worth having, or one that he would win by any means. Lily was a force to be reckoned with even on a good day, but when she really sank her teeth into something, there was no stopping her. Tag: Lily Joanne Potter Words: 715 Notes: | |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2018 22:21:35 GMT
I should think not, indeed." the redhead responded to her friend's lack of excuses with a sharp tone that didn't carry across into her eyes. Lily did tend to worry when she didn't get replies from Remus- she didn't think that he was in a very good place, psychologically speaking, and though she would never think the worst of her friend, knowing just how strong he was; how strong he had had to be; she still experienced just the tiniest hint of panic every time that she went a prolonged period of time without receiving any communication from him. Yes, Lily worried. It was a part of who she was, and she had probably inherited it from her mother- which, ironically, worried her just a little. Her mother had been overprotective to a degree, and it had driven both Lily and her sister right up the wall. Lily did not want to be that kind of mother- in fact, she didn't particularly want to be a mother at all, at least not just yet. But she found herself indulging her own nature rather more often than she would have liked, despite all her good intentions, and she really didn't know what she could do about it. She laughed aloud at his protestation. "I suppose not." she conceded with bad grace. "I know that James would manage to make an awful lot more of a mess if I left him alone for a week." Even so, the room wasn't spotless... but then again, neither was Lily's own flat, so she supposed that she really couldn't criticise. But she could do it anyway. It was her privilege as a visitor and as a woman. Uninvited, the redhead threw herself down into a seat with a sigh. It had been a long day and she had spent most of it on her feet, as was usual for her. Healing was somewhat difficult when sitting down, after all. "Life's been busy." Lily defended herself to one of her oldest friends. Perhaps she was a little touchy at the moment. But then she was tired, she was grumpy, she was stressed and she had spent most of the day in being worried, so she felt that she could cut herself a little slack. And these were stressful times that they were living in. More and more frequently, she was seeing casualties of bad hexes, dangerous explosions... things were getting worse, whether or not the rest of the world wanted to recognise it, and there was no doubt that St. Mungo's was taking the brunt. "James and I are just fine, thanks, Remus, so you can stop worrying." She gave the man, who had been the boy, a grin. The more Remus changed, the more he stayed the same. And Lily wouldn't have him any other way. Outfit || Words: 479 (sorry!) |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2018 1:37:10 GMT
| | Remus set the tin on the counter by his sink. Even a little irritated with him, Lily was still trying to take care of him. James better know just how lucky he was to have her as his bride to be. Of course, he knew that his friend was well aware, all ego and posturing aside. The boy had spent the better part of seven years doing absolutely everything he could to make her fall in love with him. At times, it was amusing to watch him truly humble himself in the attempt. It was good for him, and he was glad that Lily hadn't made it too easy on him. He hated it, though- the way his friends silently took care of him. The occasional meal from Lily, the way Sirius would pay for him any time they went out, the fact that James was basically paying for his apartment. It didn't sit well with Remus that he was becoming a burden on those closest to him, like he must have been to his parents for so long. Some part of him knew that these thoughts were not healthy, nor particularly true because there was no way that Lily or the Marauders saw him as a burden, but the doubts in his mind could be so loud and drown out all logic. "Frankly, I'm surprised James keeps it clean at all, even with you around." An unfair comment- he had lived with James, practically, for longer than Lily had at this point, and between the four of them, they'd managed to keep the dormitory at least navigate-able during their tenure. Still, he was picking up what spare clothes had been tossed across his bed and the couple of dishes that remained on the coffee table. Her comment was enough to spur him into just a bit of action, while being careful not to ignore her in the act. From the kitchen, placing the dishes in the sink, he asked, "Can I offer you a cup of tea? I'm going to make myself one and just need to put the kettle on."With the water boiling (it tasted better done that way than heated magically, Remus swore), he came back around and sat opposite Lily, leaning forward. Like his favorite redhead, Remus was a worrier, especially where his friends and family were concerned. Hell, half the reason he joined the Order was to keep an eye on them and make sure he could still protect them. "Don't worry, says the woman who showed up, with dinner, I might add, when she didn't hear from me for a day or two." The smile on his lips was gentle, teasing almost, but he wasn't going to let her get away with calling him out on something they shared. "Still, I'm glad you stopped by. I've missed your company." Being alone at all was taxing anymore, but he wasn't about to admit that to his friend. "You look really good, Lils. When did we become such adults, hm?"Tag: Lily Joanne Potter Words: 510 Notes: <3 So sorry for the delay! | |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2018 17:58:14 GMT
L ong ago, Lily had made a decision. Right back in her first year, the redhead had come to the conclusion that, all in all, taking one thing with another, to be fair, Remus Lupin was not one half so bad as the other idiot Gryffindor boys in her year. He actually seemed to have more than half a brain cell bouncing around in his head, and as a girl who was very much focused on the academic side of life, Lily appreciated someone who could make thoughtful comments and hold intellectual conversations, and she was certainly not likely to find that with, to take a particular example, James Potter. Despite the fact that he insisted on addressing her at every possible opportunity- generally loudly and irreverently in a public place- Lily had to confess that she didn't think she'd actually had a conversation with her current fiance up until their sixth year, and even then, it had mostly been her complaining about him. To be fair to the girl- who had at the time been a prefect- there had been an awful lot to complain about, and Lily stood by her first assessment of James. He was an arrogant toerag, and while she might still stick to that- albeit with rather less rigidity- she had condoned the addition of the word 'loveable', which somehow made everything all right. She didn't know why, or how, but although the black haired Quidditch lover still drove her right up the wall, and halfway across the ceiling as well come to that, some kind of affection had developed. Well, she supposed that it was more than that. It had bloody well better be; she was going to marry him! "I've got him well trained." Lily assured her friend with a grin. She wouldn't say that she was obsessive, but she did like things to be tidy, and she had made it perfectly clear to her fiance that if he ever intended to inhabit the same building as her, never mind the same bedroom, then he was going to have to learn to do things her way- which meant that underwear did not spend its life hanging over the back of the sofa. She couldn't imagine ever living in that way... but then, Lily had always been very private about her underwear. Unlike some other people she could mention. "And Remus, have you ever known me turn down a cup of tea? That sounds great, thanks." Leaning back into her seat, the redhead let out a long sigh. She had a stiff neck and a sore back, which really shouldn't have been a surprise after a long day of standing up under intense stress, but it was irritating nevertheless. Lily merely smiled resignedly as the man called her out on her worrying- it was a part of her personality, and a part which she didn't see herself losing any time soon, so Remus would just have to put up with it. His compliment surprised her, and she glanced down at herself, a hint of pink rising to her cheeks. "Thank you."Words: 522 |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2018 19:31:36 GMT
| | "How absolutely British of the two of us," Remus joked, putting the kettle on and helping it heat up a bit with his wand. As patient as he often was, there were times when waiting was just strictly unnecessary. Typically, and as a general rule of thumb, when it came to people and emotions, patience was key. When it came to things, it was less important, and it was this way of thinking that lead Remus to believe that he'd be quite a good as either a psychologist or a teacher. And then, he immediately sighed, because no matter what he did, his mind wandered to jobs and professions and things that currently seemed like pipe dreams. He didn't want to be a downer, which was also why he didn't bring it up constantly, or ever, but it never left his mind. It was crippling and suffocating, really, and he forced a couple of deep breaths while he poured hot water into the teacups. He knew that was why Lily was visiting, too. She had to know, on some level- and it went beyond worry that he hadn't answered her owl. He hated this. He hated that it was the only thing on his mind constantly, he hated that there was nothing he could do to change it, he hated that it seemed to be changing who he was as a person. What if it was bad enough that James and Sirius and Peter and even Lily couldn't deal with him anymore, and they left, too? He knew hanging around someone who constantly had a storm cloud over their head wasn't exactly fun. All the more reason for him to just keep this to himself. He'd figure it out and work through it eventually. Something had to give. "You're very welcome," he told her, handing her the teacup and saucer and returning a moment later with a couple of lemon slices and sugar cubes. "We are going to be wonderful old people together, with tea and blankets on our laps and grandchildren begging us for stories." It was a cute image to think of, and he did believe that the boys and Lily would be his friends well into their old age. They were inseparable, and he really didn't see anything changing that. His relationship with Lily, especially, was strong because it existed outside of and before his bond with the boys. "So, have I passed your evaluation?" he asked, eyes sparkling and his fingers wrapped around the warm mug. The kind of cold he felt was bone deep, but the warmth of the tea and Lily's presence certainly helped. "The flat is decently in order, I'm still up and moving, and freshly showered. What else are you assessing?" He smiled, soft and gentle, but made it clear that he knew why she was visiting. Lily may have thought she was subtle, but Remus knew her too well. He appreciated her, too, and really, it was sweet of her to bring him dinner and check on him. If anyone was going to make him feel loved and cared for, it was her. Still, he had no problems calling her out on it, either. Tag: Lily Joanne Potter Words: 533 Notes: <3 So sorry for the delay! | |
|
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2018 21:55:49 GMT
L ily laughed, brushing her vivid red hair back behind her ears as she sank contentedly into her seat. Remus seemed to have a knack of ensuring that he lived in at least relative comfort, she reflected with some satisfaction, which was an absolutely wonderful thing considering the situation that he was in- and she was not at all happy about that, either. Time and time again, she had considered writing to the Prophet to complain about how werewolves were treated- worse than criminals, which was ridiculous considering that some of them were entirely peaceful law-abiding citizens for thirty nights out of thirty-one and that they couldn't help their condition. But she had refrained for one reason, and one reason alone: she knew that, sooner or later, Remus's name would have to come into it, and that was the one thing that Lily knew he would rather avoid. Lily respected the man's wishes, even if she didn't agree with them. In her view, trying to hide things made it look as though you had something to hide, and if you had something to hide then that made you look guilty. Remus was guilty of nothing, and Lily knew that very well. She couldn't think of anyone less likely to break a law- just the idea would probably bring the man out in a panic attack; he hadn't been a prefect for nothing. Neither had she, come to that. "Well, it's no good having a national stereotype if we don't perpetuate it." the girl remarked lightly, accepting the cup from her friend with a smile of thanks and delicately squeezing a little lemon into it. She didn't touch the sugar- it was terrible for both your teeth and your figure, and while Lily was admittedly not too concerned on the latter front since she was well aware that it would require a crowbar to separate her from James- a few pounds here or there would stand no chance- she was very much concerned about her teeth. They were, in the redhead's humble opinion, good teeth. And she was rather fond of the idea of hanging onto them. With any luck, she would need them for at least another eighty years or so. "Planning on grandchildren, Remus?" Lily probed lightly, taking a sip of the searing tea and closing her eyes as it flowed across her tongue. She did adore tea, and it kept her awake through her ridiculous shifts, so that was a win-win situation and one which the redheaded Healer was all too happy to take advantage of. "I didn't see you as the type." Admittedly, she did definitely see him as the marrying kind- he just seemed the kind of person who would be happiest with someone by his side, and the redhead had to concede that, much as she loved James, the lucky girl who snagged Remus some day would not be at all hard done by. She laughed once again at the man's question- Remus knew her so well, but then she supposed that she had to expect that from someone who had known her ever since she was eleven. Still, she wasn't going to be swayed. "What have you eaten this week?" Lily demanded. Words: 537 |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2018 0:26:10 GMT
| | "Quite the opposite, Lils. Stereotypes are meant to be trashed." He might have responded with particular vehemence, but he thought of most the people he knew, Lily could appreciate the need to break free of stereotypes as much as he did. At least, Lily and Sirius. Lily, as both a woman and a muggleborn, had her own struggles to work through. "Which I have every intention of doing, except that I rather like my tea." He could break through more damaging stereotypes some other day, when he wasn't so keen to stay in and hide under his covers. To his credit, at least he wasn't doing that. Lily's presence made him feel lighter and her bright, lively personality, even in her irritation, made him feel better. "Don't I seem the type? I think I'd be great with kids." He leaned back, pulling his legs up under him Indian style. He'd yet to touch his tea, just holding it and enjoying the warmth. "Sure. At least, I've always pictured grandkids. Getting ahead of myself a bit, I suppose, but it's a lovely picture, isn't it?" Asked to paint the picture of success and happiness, Remus would have described a loving partner and kids. One day, tiny little grandchildren padding around a cozy home, no want for money or shelter. Being comfortable and loved. Maybe it wasn't in his future, but he could hope. He tried not to take it personally that Lily evidently did not see the same future for him. In fairness, it was rather idealistic, and the realist in him knew that it was a pipe dream at best. He had a lot of things to overcome if his future would mirror anything like that, and while he knew Lily hadn't meant anything by it, he couldn't help the darkening of his mood. He his it well enough, anyway, because he didn't want her to think he was angry with her. Instead, he shrugged. "Maybe I'll just get my fill babysitting any of your future little ones." Remus was a natural people pleaser, which often times translated to being a natural caretaker, and he thought it would fit perfectly in being a parent. As always, there would be other things to consider, but at that juncture, he certainly was getting ahead of himself. He'd have to settle down first, and he didn't see that happening for a while at least, his own choice. Her laugh confirmed his suspicions, and he smiled to mirror her mirth. "I'm fine, Lils," he managed to assure her before she asked her next question. His smile remained, if softened, and he made a show to exaggerate rolling his eyes. "I have eaten. I'd be wasting away otherwise, wouldn't I? You're sweet to worry, though." He did appreciate her concern, and Lily, far more than Remus ever would be, was a caretaker. She'd been doing it with him since first year, and at this rate, he'd know she was fed up with him if she ever stopped fussing over him. "And what you brought me tonight smells lovely, thank you for that."He was never going to starve, nor was he going to be without a roof over his head. They would never allow it. In fact, his current situation could have been a lot more lavish if Remus found it at all easier to accept hand outs. He absolutely detested being a charity case, though, and his friends had already done more for him than he could have ever asked of them. They didn't need to support him on top of it. "I'll figure it all out, you know. I still fancy myself rather clever."Tag: Lily Joanne Potter Words: 613 Notes: | |
|
|
|
