Jade Eyes

May, 1977

"Remus! Hey Remus, wake up..."

The figure in the bed slept on, completely oblivious to the impatient young woman poised above him.

"Remus, come on, wake up! Earth to Remus Lupin!"

She was shaking him now, poking and prodding him, but still he slumbered, his snores further evidence of the depth of his unconsciousness. At last she lost patience.

"Ugh, Rem, you are such a prat... That's it. I didn't want to have to do this..."

And suddenly, Gryffindor seventh-year Remus Lupin found himself very much awake and very much without oxygen, thanks to the pair of well-manicured hands situated over his mouth and nose. He jerked into a sitting position, gazing wildly around in search of his attacker. When at last he discovered the grinning young woman perched on the edge of his four-poster, he sighed heavily and attempted to glare at her with sleep-blurred eyes. "Jesus, Evie... if you wanted to kill me, you could've just smothered me with a pillow," he groused, stifling a yawn as he ran a hand through his tousled light brown hair.

"Shh, you'll wake up the others," was her whispered response.

Remus glanced around the dorm at his roommates. In the next bed, James Potter lay with one arm flung over his pale hazel eyes, which were normally hidden behind glasses. To the right of James, Sirius Black was sprawled half-on, half-off his bed, head thrown back at an awkward angle as he snored loudly. Beyond Sirius, Peter Pettigrew slept with knees curled tightly to his chest and mouth slightly open as he murmured sleep-induced nonsense into his pillow.

"Somehow I doubt that anything short of an explosion would wake those three," Remus mused with a snort of laughter. Then he returned his attention to his late-night visitor. "So what is it, Evie? What made you feel the need to sneak out of your dorm, break into ours, and attempt to suffocate me, all at--" he squinted at his watch, "two-thirty in the morning?"

Excitement danced in her glittering green eyes and she leaned in closer to him, as though they were conspirators sharing in some mischievous plot. Which, of course, they were, or would be soon, if he knew Evie.

She smirked, instantly confirming his suspicions. "I've got a surprise for you, Rem. So c'mon, get up, get dressed, let's go." She tugged at his arms, effectively dragging him from the warmth of his bed and to his dresser, where she began digging through his clothing. "Here, put this on." The various pieces of his school uniform were systematically flung at him, leaving the sleep-muddled Gryffindor grasping blindly in an effort to catch them.

When Evie turned back around, she had to bite down on her tongue to keep from laughing at Remus, who in turn glared at her from beneath the pair of pants that had landed on his head.

"This better be something spectacular," he grumbled as he struggled into his clothing, numb fingers fumbling over the knot of his red-and-gold striped tie.

"Oh believe me, it is," she insisted, affectionately knocking his hands away and finishing his tie with one quick fluid movement. "Spectacular doesn't even begin to describe it. In all honesty, I can't think of single word in the English language--or any other, for that matter--that could be accurately applied to this. It's just something you've got to see... to feel."

He raised a curious eyebrow at her as he slipped his cloak over his shoulders. Rarely did Evie wax poetic, and when she did, there was usually just cause for her words. A tickle of interest began to bloom inside him. "What is it?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Now if I told you, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, would it? Let's get going; it'll take us a while to get there."

She led the way out of the dorm, Remus stumbling sleepily behind her. Out the Gryffindor common room and through the silent, moonlit corridors of the Hogwarts castle, they at last arrived outside. Cool, crisp spring air assaulted the male seventh-year, instantly chasing any lingering fatigue from his system, and just in time--Evie broke into a run once they'd made it down the granite front steps of the school.

"Evie! Evie--dammit!" he grumbled, and urged himself into a loping jog after the girl as she sprinted across the lawn. He caught up with her at the edge of the lake and, gasping for breath, he stopped her. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

Running had brought an attractive pink flush to her cheeks, and she grinned brilliantly at him as she replied, "What's wrong, Rem? Can't take a little exercise?"

He frowned. "Eves, don't be a prat. You know I'm a bookworm. The most exercise I get is walking to and from the library and lifting old, dusty textbooks." He swiped hastily at his sweat-beaded forehead with the sleeve of his cloak, then added, "And I definitely do not break a sweat with those particular activities."

Shaking her head, she giggled, "I love you when you whine, Remus."

With that, she started off in her previous direction--walking this time, much to his relief--and despite various misgivings, not to mention a very strong desire from his body to go back to bed, he followed her. He would always follow Evie, no matter where she led him, because he loved her.

But she was Sirius Black's girlfriend, and therein laid the problem.

Sirius was one of Remus's best friends, and one of only a handful of people who knew the secret of his monthly transformation to werewolf. He would never betray Sirius, even if it meant spending the rest of his life watching the woman he loved be held by someone else.

"Are you coming, Remus?"

The sound of her voice, calling from up ahead, snapped him from his musings. He hurried to join her, until their strides were even. "Sorry. Got lost in my thoughts," he explained as they wound their way through a thicket of willow trees growing at the lake's edge.

She shot him a smile. "Somehow I'm not surprised," she teased, and burst into laughter when he fixed her with a disapproving frown. "All right, all right. We've still got a ways to go, so I'll try and restrain myself from verbally abusing you... until we get there, anyway." And with that, a comfortable silence fell between them, only the sounds of the cool, clear May night keeping them company as they traveled. She led him beyond the lake and slowly up into the wooded foothills to the west of the school. Soon, trees and foliage were pressing in all around them, and Remus could only catch the occasional glimpse of stars through the thick treetops.

After nearly an hour of walking, Evie suddenly stopped. Remus, who'd let his mind wander off again, plowed directly into her, but she seemed not to notice.

"We're here," she said simply, a tone of quiet awe in her voice.

At last, the male Gryffindor glanced up--and found himself at the edge of small clearing, and beyond... was nothing but sky. Five feet from the tree line, the earth dropped steeply away, an immense cliff face that fell over a hundred feet to the ground below. Glancing over the edge, he could just make out the tops of yet more trees, the forest below stretching out far as the eye could see. Above, a liquid black sky glittered with a million stars and a sliver of silver moon cast pale, ethereal light over the couple as they admired the view.

Remus felt his breath catch as he took in the sheer wonder of the vista before him. She was right, he thought with a sense of wonder, there are no words for this.

"Makes you feel kind of small, doesn't it?" she mused as she sidled up next to him. "We so often get wrapped up in the tiny details of our lives, and yet we forget just how big everything is out there, and what a small part we play in it all." She turned to him, the corners of her lips curling into a soft smile. "What do you think?"

"I think... I need to sit down," he murmured, his head spinning slightly at the vastness of it all. They eased themselves to the ground, legs kicking over the cliff edge as they contemplated the world below. Finally he queried, "Have you showed this to Sirius?"

She shook her head. "Mmm, no. Sirius doesn't get into this sort of thing, really. Sitting and thinking aren't exactly his fortes, if you hadn't noticed," she said, smiling fondly. "Besides, I knew you'd appreciate it. You're a dreamer, Remus, and a person can do a whole lot of dreaming in a place like this. Plus, it's my birthday gift to you, since my parents refuse to send me money till I apologize to Severus Snape for shrinking his head in Potions last week."

Remus laughed as the memories of that particular event played through his mind. "That was a stroke of brilliance, Eves. I wish I could've gotten pictures of that."

With an impish grin, she replied, "I did."

Slowly he shook his head at the marvel that was Evie Rhodes. A slow, genuine smile crept over his features and softly he told her, "Thanks, Evie, for bringing me here. This is... this is incredible. This is something I'll keep with me--" he gently touched his chest, "--for as long as I'm still breathing. Thank you." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drew her into a sideways hug, intoxicated as he always was by the scent of her hair as she tucked her head into the hollow of his neck.

"I'm just glad you like it, Rem," she whispered back. They remained huddled together for a long moment, their shared body heat keeping them both warm against the icy wind whipping up over the edge of the precipice. Suddenly Evie's lithe frame heaved with a deep sigh.

Glancing down, Remus found a troubled expression on her features. "What's wrong, Eves?" he queried, lifting her chin up to meet his gaze. "Talk to me."

She was silent for a second, then at last she said, "It's Sirius."

"Well of course it's serious; you wouldn't look so depressed if it was a laughing matter."

Quickly, she corrected him, "No, not serious, like important, I mean, Sirius, my boyfriend..." she trailed off as she noticed his teasing smile. "Oh, you are not funny. I mean it, though. I think Sirius... well, I've been getting the idea lately that he feels... I don't know... stuck with me or something, like he's obligated to be with me. He'd never admit it, of course, but..." She sighed again and repeated, "I don't know, Remus."

"Eves, no offense, but you're crazy," he replied solemnly, ignoring the glare she gave him. "I know Sirius Black better than he knows himself, and he is absolutely head over heels for you. He doesn't feel stuck. What gives you that idea?"

"I told you, I don't know. It's just this feeling I get." She frowned, confusion and irritation battling for control of her features. "We've been together five years, Remus. The other day, he started talking to me about getting married, and kids. And suddenly it hit me: he's only eighteen years old. He shouldn't be thinking about settling down or starting a family. I think he believes that because we've been together so long, he owes me those things, like a reward for my loyalty or something. And that's not what I want."

She fell silent for a moment, and just as he opened his mouth to say something, she spoke.

"I know that he cares about me, Remus. That's never been a question. Sirius does love me... but I can't help feeling that there may be someone out there he'll love more. I mean, it's not like he had a huge base of experience before he started dating me at the beginning of third year. How can he really know that it's me he wants to spend the rest of his life with?" It was almost as though she was speaking to herself now, her gaze focused somewhere off in the distance as Remus studied her.

"If that's how you feel, why don't you talk to him? Offer to spend some time apart, date other people or something so he can be sure?" he suggested.

As if she'd forgotten he was there, Evie startled, and stared quizzically at him for a second before replying, "I tried that. I did everything in my power to convince him to take a break from me, after we graduate next month. Even if it was just for a week or two. But he won't listen. Nothing short of completely shunning him will make him leave me, and I don't want to hurt him like that, Remus. I just... don't want to tie him down, if there's someone else out there for him."

He let her ruminate for a moment before he asked softly, "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," she said, and as she stared evenly up at him, a sudden flash of warning rippled through his system. Her eyes, something in her eyes wasn't right, and he couldn't quite figure out what it was. But then she was looking away, and the thought was pushed to the back of his mind for later deliberation.

Glancing at her watch, she mused, "It's after four. You better get headed back."

"What about you?" He cocked a curious eyebrow at the green-eyed Gryffindor girl as he climbed to his feet. "Aren't you coming back too?"

"Nah. I want to sit here a little longer, think about some things. Don't worry though; my classes don't start till after lunch tomorrow, so I can sleep in. But if I remember correctly, you've got Advanced Transfiguration first thing in the morning?" She fixed him with a knowing gaze, keenly reminiscent of the glares Professor McGonagall frequently gave him.

Remus laughed. "Okay, okay, I'm going. Just be careful, all right? I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning and have to hear that your clumsy arse fell off this cliff."

Rolling her eyes, she replied, "You're hilarious, Rem. Now get out of here."

"Bye, Eves." He gave her hair a quick tousle and started back off into the forest, hoping he could remember the path they'd taken. He'd only gotten a few steps when the sound of her voice brought him back.

"Remus, wait!"

He turned and found her jogging toward him, a folded sheaf of parchment in one hand. She met him at the tree line, and shot an uncertain look down at the parchment before at last thrusting it into his hands.

"Give this to Sirius for me, huh? When you see him tomorrow," she instructed, and then, to Remus's surprise, she leaned forward and swiftly kissed him. The male Gryffindor's head swam as she pulled away, gently touching his cheek with a soft smile on her lips. "You're a good friend, Remus. You always have been." She stared up into his eyes for another long moment, and Remus got that same foreboding feeling, though he still couldn't place its meaning. "Go on now. I'll see you later."

Slowly, and against his better judgment, he started back into the forest, casting the occasional glance over his shoulder, back toward Evie, until the trees blocked his view completely.

* * *

"Jeez, Rem, you look like death," commented a grinning Sirius Black as Remus dropped ungracefully down into his seat within the Great Hall. Across the table, James Potter raised a curious eyebrow, his silent way of echoing the remark posed by Sirius.

Remus glared at them both. "Yeah, well... I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night," he grumbled, reaching past the semi-conscious Peter Pettigrew for a plate of kippers. Before his friends could ask him why he'd gotten no sleep, he quickly added, "Sirius, I swear, you should have Madam Pomfrey take a look at you. No one who snores as loud as you do can possibly be healthy."

Sirius feigned a fit of hysterical laughter. "Oh, oh Rem, you're bloody hilarious! Oh Merlin, that was a knee-slapper!"

Rolling his eyes, Remus muttered, "Shut up," and occupied himself with his breakfast.

"So really though, Rem, why'd you get no sleep last night?" Sirius queried when at last he'd worn himself out with his own antics. The black-haired Gryffindor put on a cheeky grin as he regarded his friend. "Is there something you'd like to tell us, Moony? Or maybe someone we need to know about, hmm?"

James's grin glittered as he joined in. "Does our little Moony have a girlfriend?"

With a heavy sigh, Remus put down his fork and the bite of sausage he was about to take, staring back at his friends with weary resignation. "Yes, James, that's exactly it. I have a girlfriend. Because you know how many girls are just dying to fall into the manly arms of a dedicated library nerd."

"Mmm, I don't know, Remus," James replied. "There's something about that dusty smell of books that makes the ladies go crazy."

Remus blinked. "I hate you guys."

James traded a smirk with Sirius. "Well, he may have a girlfriend, but we know for a fact he's not getting shagged," mused the glasses-wearing Gryffindor in a not-so-quiet whisper.

As Remus chose to ignore the comment, Sirius announced, "And speaking of girlfriends, anybody know where mine is? It's almost eight in the morning and I haven't had my kiss yet!" Lips slightly puckered, he looked imploringly over at James. "Will you kiss me, Jimmy?"

"Hey! Keep your lips off my man, Black!" came a playful voice, and the four Marauders turned to find the lovely Lily Evans making her way toward them. As she reached the table, she folded her arms over her chest and glared sternly down at James. "Are you cheating on me with Sirius again?" she demanded.

Abashed, James stared down at his feet. "Only on weekends."

As the redheaded Gryffindor gave her boyfriend a teasing smack on the arm, Remus couldn't help but smile, shaking his head slightly at the antics of his friends. But there was something missing, and it took him a moment to realize this was normally the point in time where Evie would pull off a witty one-liner, breaking them all down into hysterics. A momentary flutter of concern rippled through his system, before he remembered she would likely still be in bed, sleeping off their previous night's adventure. A secret grin came to his lips at this.

"Hey Lils, you didn't happen to see my girlfriend on the way out of the dorm, did you?" queried Sirius, munching noisily on a fresh pear as he watched Lily ruffle her fingers lightly through James's unruly black hair.

Lily's brow wrinkled thoughtfully. "Mmm, I'm not sure, actually. Her bed curtains were still drawn when I left to come down here. She might still be asleep."

"Why didn't you wake her up then?" Sirius demanded.

"I'm not going to wake up Evie just because you think you need to have someone holding your hand at all hours, you prat," she shot back with mild annoyance. "I think she deserves a bit of a break once in a while from putting up with you."

"Ooh, she told you," interjected Peter, looking a bit more awake now that he'd had some breakfast. He raised a supportive fist. "Girl power, Lily."

She shot a smug look at Sirius before smiling sweetly at the blond-haired Marauder. "Thank you, Peter."

Desiring to go one whole morning without an argument, Remus searched quickly for something to break the tension--when he suddenly remembered the letter still folded away in the pocket of his robes. He retrieved the folded parchment and held it out to its recipient. "I almost forgot. Evie asked me to give this to you, Sirius."

Accepting his letter with a skeptically raised eyebrow, Sirius queried, "When was that?"

"Um... I don't remember... sometime yesterday evening, I think," Remus replied quickly, only half-lying to his friend. He knew Sirius wouldn't mind if he told him about Evie's late-night gift, but something kept him from explaining, something inside that wanted to keep that moment special, secret.

Luckily, Sirius didn't seem overly concerned about the matter. He was too busy gleefully opening his letter. "Love note from my Eves," he said cheerfully, his resplendent grin that of a man deeply, wonderfully in love.

Remus watched as Sirius began reading his letter, mouthing the words as he glanced over them, his smile growing at various phrases and sections. But then a change came over the usually-jubilant Gryffindor, a transformation that was altogether startling in its extremity. An expression of horror and disbelief came over Sirius as he slowly shook his head, continuing to stare at the parchment as though the message inside was written in Greek. At last his eyes rose to Remus, and there was a chilling terror in Sirius's gaze that shook Remus to the core.

"Is this--is this some sort of sick joke?" Sirius choked out, his voice strangled and weak.

"What? No, Sirius..." A slow tremor of alarm was swiftly working its way through Remus's body, and he noticed that now James, Lily, and Peter were all gazing at them with similar expressions of unease. "Why? What is it? What's..." he trailed off, struck with a new wave of distress as tears sprung suddenly to Sirius's eyes. In the seven years Remus had known him, Sirius had never cried. Not once.

"Hey mate... what's going on?" This from James, who reached over and tentatively put a hand on Sirius's arm in an uncertain gesture of encouragement.

The other Gryffindor swallowed several times, his breaths coming in short, painful gasps, until at last he somehow managed to relate in a barely audible whimper, "This is a suicide note. Evie's dead."

Remus heard several anguished cries ring out around him before the world went black.