Only the Lonely [Remus]

Remus should have gone down to eat. Should have, but didn't. All the other boys had gone but Remmy was too wrapped up in his home work to be bothered. He was doing alright in his classes, and he wanted to keep it that way. There was no sense going to school and failing. Literally, there was no point being there if you weren't going to try. So, Remus planed to study as much as he could. This left him in the boys dorm studying through dinner. Once he looked up and realized he was alone, starving, and tired of cramming potions homework into his brain, Remus stretched out length wise on his bed and sighed. That was about the time his stomach growled.

Sitting up promptly, Remus tousled his hair a bit and closed his book. Maybe he should go down to dinner? Maybe he should just wait here until the guys came back and they could all hit the corridors together.

He decided the least he could do was saunter down to the common room and sneak some candy out of Alice Hallows' stash. Remus Lupin was a natural light foot. He moved very quietly down the stairs, making only the slightest noise as he descended into the warm room. He was however not alone and spotted Juliet laying on the floor. This brought a slight smile to his lips as he very quietly came up behind her and peeked over her shoulder. "Pride and Prejudice huh?"He chuckled lightly sinking to the floor next to her as he propped himself up on one elbow. "It's a good one. I think I've read it two or three times now."

A light chuckle escaped his chest as he smiled at her. His feet pushed him backward and forward, swaying there next to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." As she explained the chapter she was reading Remus pulled back the fond memories he himself held of the book. Naturally it was easy to recall just what she was talking about and a bemused smile crept to his lips. Mr. Darcy was a ponce. She'd nailed that one exactly. 

During her quiet moment, Remus adjusted himself. She seemed perfectly comfortable and Remmy decided to get a little more relaxed as well. Reaching over the boy grabbed the discarded throw pillow and laid down on his back, lounging with his legs crossed at the ankles. He was losing himself in recounting the story in his head until she offered for him to borrow it. His smile turned to her and cracked wider. "It's alright... I've got a copy." 

Juliet, in Remus' eyes, was a sweet girl. He'd had the pleasure of speaking with her a few times and he'd grown to actually enjoy her company quite a bit. So much so, that he'd forgotten already that he had come down with the intention of looking for his other mates and possibly heading down for food. Now he was perfectly distracted with her. "Oh.. You know. Lessons. Pallin' around with the guys." He shrugged a little staring at the ceiling and rested his hands behind his head in an attempt to be more comfortable on the lumpy stiff pillow. "What about you? What have you been up to?? Did you have a good holiday?" With a curious smile, he cocked his head to the side looking up at her.

"Yes, that's a perfect plan. You check on the Bennetts, I'll go.... do what it is I.... am going to do.... Yes." After carefully, though not very beautifully, reiterating the plan Remus ran a hand through his hair and smiled a crooked half smile down at her. She was lovely, there was no denying that. But the plan Remus had baking in his head was not being employed simply because she was, undoubtedly and very unarguably, a stunning girl. He was taking action because he could see quite clearly that Juliet had a heart that couldn't possibly be bigger. It was true he hadn't spent the most quality time with her, and yet he found himself magnetically drawn to her. To her face, to her smile, to her companionship and simple presence. Remus Lupin very much enjoyed just being near his friend.

"I shall come back. I promise to you I will. I swear it! Just stay right there, or I shall be very cross with you!" He laughed as he looked down at her, grinning ear to ear, as he backed away toward the door. "Don't move, Dear Juliet... I will be right back." He gave her one last chuckle and disappeared out the portrait door.

Now he had to move quickly. By a bit of wandering and sheer dumb luck, Remus had stumbled upon a giant room where the staff of Hogwarts kept their non-conjured holiday decorations. He'd been working on the Marauders Map and satisfying his fondness for cartography, when he'd come to the room. That day he'd been nearly drown in a box full of heart shaped table confetti. Valentine's Day decorations were near the front, and the more he studied the way the room was organized the more he realized they moved things around by need. At this time, Christmas stuff was near the front, as was Valentine's Day stuff, being the last big holiday, and the next.

Entirely ignoring the pile of red and pink frills and odds and ends, Remus dove straight into the Christmas things. Obviously, he wouldn't need all of it. He only had the one common room to work with. Grabbing a box, he dumped it over and spilled out what seemed like the entire worlds supply of tinsel. As quickly as he could he grabbed garlands and ribbons and various other odds and ends, lights and baubles, and stars, and shoved them all back into the box. Hurrying down the hall he skipped down the stairs until he reached the kitchen. He politely asked if it might at all be possible for some cocoa to be brought up to Gryffindor tower, and once a sweet house elf agreed, he was off again, panting now as he headed back up the stairs he had one last stop.

"ALICE!! You have to help me." he plopped the box down on the counter in front of her.

Alice had to side step to see past the box and look up at her out of breath friend. "Remus... what the hell are you doing??"

He chuckled. "It's a surprise. For Juliet." He beamed at her with his stupid grin. "Did you know she stayed here for Christmas? All alone."

"Well, yeah but-"

"I'm giving her a better Christmas." He patted the box proudly and finally caught his breath.

Alice narrowed her eyes at him. "And... where do I fit into this?"

"I need you to come up with a gift!! Something I can give her right now. That I don't have to go shopping for. She's waiting upstairs for me. I can't have Christmas without a present for her."

The girl leaned on the library check out counter and smiled, "If I didn't know any better I'd say you have a bit of a thing going for Juliet."

"Alice!!" He whined impatiently.

"Okay okay! Jeesh. Let me think.......OH! I've Got it! Why don't you give her CHRISTMAS!"

Remus groaned, "Alice don't get funny with me. I'm trying really hard to make this nice for my friend."

Alice smiled at him, "I know you are, Remus. But, so am I. A new Christmas is a huge wonderful gift already."

" But this is Christmas we're talking about."

Alice sighed and rolled her eyes before reaching into her hair and pulling out a gold hummingbird shaped hair comb. Her wavy locks loosened and fell around her shoulders. "Here, my mum thought I'd like it, but I think I'll stick to ribbons. They're more my style."

"Alice, you are the best! I can't thank you enough." With that he pulled out his wand, packaged it up and grabbed his box once more are he headed for the door.

"You're welcome! And Remus Lupin you'd better replace any candy you eat from my stashes!!!" called Alice, but he was already long gone and bounding up the stairs again.

The Fat Lady questioned him for a moment but he dropped the box just inside her door and peeked in a Juliet. "Okay, I'm back but you have to close your eyes for a moment. I promise it'll be worth the surprise." He wasn't sure if he should be more excited than her, but at that moment it felt like he was.

Once he was sure she couldn't see, Remus got quickly to work. There was much more to do than just stand up an old spruce and toss on some tinsel! The cat took an interest in the latter however and it made Remus smile to drop little bits of the shiny strings on the floor for it to play with. "I don't blame the little thing. This is a very exciting surprise." His smile was cheeky as he pulled out his wand and began to string up garlands and lights and decorations around the fireplace. He crafted a tree from a tiny little sapling and transformed it into a tall, full Christmas Fir. After it's highest bough was tickling the rafters of the common room. Remus began to decorate it.

He carefully sent baubles and lights and ribbons and ornaments and tinsel and everything that should be on a tree. Remus had only one present to put under the tree and it was relatively small, but he figured it would look fine just the same. Placing the small box under the tree he backed away looking over his handy work. The cat pawed at the low branches and he laughed before turning around and laying eyes on his awaiting companion.

As he approached her, Remus paused behind her and slowly, gently, brought his hands up. "I'm going to cover your eyes. I just didn't want to scare you," he said softly and placed his hands over her eyes. With gentle movements, he lead the girl away from the window, shuffling along slowly behind her. Once they were around the couch he stopped. Remus couldn't help but notice the lovely scent of her hair and imediately he was scolding himself for being presumptuous in even the slightest way. Instead, he ignored the smell and smiled.

"Okay. Open your eyes." With that, he lifted his hands and waited.

Seeing her face light up like the lights decorating the room put a smile on Remus' face. The fact that he could do this for her made him feel better about knowing she stayed behind for Christmas break. She was a very dear friend and a very sweet person. Juliet hardly deserved to have a bad holiday. Now she didn't have to.

"Forgot something?" Suddenly, the good feeling was gone. How could he have missed something? Remus had been rushing, it was entirely possible. But what could he have forgotten? He'd tried to get everything! SANTA! Maybe her Christmas was incomplete without a jolly fat man in a red velvet suit. Just as he was about to dig out his wand and transform his shirt and trousers, Juliet pointed toward the ceiling.

Mistletoe? Perhaps he forgot the leafy decoration as a subconscious way to avoid looking presumptuous. Now, however, it was clear she didn't mind. "Mistletoe... Oh... " his cheeks were swiftly turning pink as he looked back down at her. He would be lying if he claimed he was anything but nervous about kissing her. Everyone knew what obligations mistletoe came with. Remus hadn't actually kissed many girls, not seriously. There were girls when they were only breaching their adolescence, who had thought it funny to kiss boys and then run away. They were eleven and it was harmless. And while his friends had gone on dates and had girlfriends, Remus had not. It never really bothered him. If a girl came along that he felt was worth the trouble, Remus wouldn't balk at the idea. He just wasn't going to seek anyone out persistently.

But now he was kissing Juliet. He hadn't even been looking for her and yet here she was! Though the kiss was a perfectly appropriate length, Remus felt it lasted forever. And what the hell was he supposed to do with his hands?! Eventually instinct sort of took over and his hands rested gently on her upper arms.

"Y-Yeah... Merry Christmas..." He thought he'd be more suave the first time he kissed her. Of course he'd thought about kissing her before. Juliet was beautiful. He'd have to be blind not to see that. And even if he were blind, he'd still be able to tell that Juliet had a beautiful heart, and that's all that mattered to Remus.

Clearing his throat, he pulled away a little, cheeks burning red, and ruffled his hair a bit. "There.. uhh...." He chuckled nervously. "There's a gift for you. Under the tree. It isn't much. I was a little pressed for time. And, admittedly, I had help. Alice gave it to me." He moved quickly to the tree, bending to grab the box, and brought it back to her with a smile. He stood excitedly grinning down at her, and staying half a step closer to her than he might have on any other day.