Ebb and Flow

Hogwarts, Late September 1975

***

"Althea, didn't you hear what I asked?" Remus asked, placing his quill before him. "Althea?"

Althea sighed dreamily as she twirled her quill, creating spirals and other doodles on her homework parchment. The warm autumn sunset flooded through the library windows, causing Althea to grow drowsy. How could she concentrate when she received a letter from her father? Since her father's new assignment in Romania, his letters were few, but each significant for Althea. She reread each of his letters continuously, memorizing each part. She desperately missed her father. He was unable to spend most the summer before her fifth year with her, and Althea was forced to spend the majority of her summer with her grandmother. Her only joys that summer were spending time with Lily's family, the trip to Greece (until it was ruined by Sirius--oh, of all the people she could see!), and the gift her father gave her for her birthday. It was a book of classic Muggle poetry, but to Althea, it was a cherished treasure. She had already bookmarked a few of her favorite poems, and read them--sometimes aloud to Lily and Jane, her two closest friends.

Remus sighed and gently took Althea's quill from her hands. "Althea, this Arithmancy paper won't finish itself," he said, pointing to the paper before him.

Althea yawned, leaned back in her chair, and stretched her arms above her head, arching her spine. She quickly sat up straight, and noticed Remus quickly turn his blushing face away from her. Was he just looking...at my breasts, she wondered with eyebrow raised. Althea bit her lip to hide a smile.

"I know," Althea lamented, taking her quill from his hands, "but how many essays do we have to write on the number seven?"

"Too many, I think," he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "We should probably take a break anyway. We've been working on this paper too long."

Althea lazily shook her head in agreement. The paper for Arithmancy was not due for another week, but Remus always liked to finish papers early. He never knew when something would come up--like another paper or another visit to his sick mother. It seemed as if every month Remus had to leave to visit his sick mother.

Remus ran his fingers through his light brown hair, his sleeve moving, exposing shiny pink scars on his wrist. Althea knew where these scars came from and had known for a long time, but she did not dare tell Remus that she knew he was a werewolf. She had known since the middle of her fourth-year, when her father sent her the book he had written on shape shifters and werewolves; otherwise, she probably would never have known--he hid it so well. She wondered if his friends even knew. Remus's lycanthropy did not scare her; on the contrary, it intrigued her, which she knew it should not have. Everything she had been taught in Defense Against the Dark Arts suggested that the werewolf was a dark creature--one of the darkest of creatures--a damned soul. Althea wondered when it happened--was he bitten? Was he born that way? Althea frowned slightly. No, werewolves were only created with a bite upon the full moon. She swallowed--who would bite a child? The thought sickened her.

However, the thought of Remus as werewolf still held some disbelief for Althea. To her, Remus was kind, gentle, good-natured, and calm--not the qualities of a werewolf. Werewolves were like Sirius Black. Althea pulled a face. Black wouldn't hesitate to bite me, she thought. She could never imagine the mild-mannered, prefect, Remus turning into some voracious killer, but he did every full moon...or at least she imagined so. No, she was jumping to conclusions--her father's books had the tendency to do that in her. When she was twelve, she was convinced the Astronomy teacher was part vampire. Her assumptions, of course, were false, just as those of Remus. Remus was not a werewolf--his mother was truly ill. As she boarded the train this year, she saw his mother--she did look so ill. It must be difficult to tend to a mother that is so ill, she thought, tracing small circles into her parchment. I do hope they discover some treatment that will help her.

Althea humorously studied Remus, as he sat next to her, enveloped in his Arithmancy textbook. How could he show such deep concentration on such a boring subject? He probably doesn't want to waste time, so he wants finish this horrid thing, she thought as she continued to observe him. Remus sat in deep concentration, methodically running his fingers along each paragraph, and only stopping to write deliberately with his quill on his homework parchment. So entranced in his work, he did not notice as his hair loosely fell into his pale face. Without realizing it, she lifted her hand and stroked the loose strands behind his ear as he reread a paragraph.

Remus turned toward her--his cheeks a pale shade of pink--and Althea took in a small, sharp breath.

"Er--your hair--it was falling in your eyes," she said and gently bit her bottom lip. "It couldn't have been comfortable."

"Thank you," said with a small smile. "I really should get it cut--shouldn't I?"

"No," she whispered and her eyes widened slightly. "I mean--it's--"

"Right," he breathed.

Althea felt her neck flush with warmth, but she did not have the courage to adjust her collar for fear of the blush traveling up to her face.

Remus took in a gulp of air. "Let's finish this paper," he said quickly, looking into her eyes.

Althea breathed in a deep gulp of air and nodded her head. "Right," she managed to say, and turned back to the homework paper before her.

Althea sighed and nervously tapped her quill against the edge of her textbook as she read and reread the paragraph on the eighth property of the number seven. This is not working, she thought as she reread the last sentence at the end of the page. I can't understand this--not now. Slowly, she turned her eyes in the direction of Remus. He looked as if he was struggling to keep his concentration as well. Althea saw Remus' pale eyes slowly turn in her direction and she quickly looked back at her book as if deep in thought. Suddenly, she felt his hand brush gently against hers. Her body became rigid and, with forced concentration, she reread the last sentence again. This time, the letters meshed together forming words she had never seen before and Althea quickly closed her eyes.

Althea abandoned the idea of finishing her Arithmancy paper. I want him to kiss me, she thought as she pretended to read. I've waited for two years...two years working together, revising together...and I've hinted about Hogsmeade! This waiting, this touching...if he doesn't, I will.

Althea gazed at Remus as the setting sun highlighted the amber and light blond strands of hair that fell into his pale eyes. To her, Remus was very handsome. He was quiet--some thought bookish (Althea did not agree, she saw him often nod off during classes)--and one would not notice him right away in the presence of Sirius and James. No one would notice the queen in the presence of Potter and Black, she thought as Remus turned toward her. Althea caught her breath as Remus smiled. Gradually, he leaned closer to her, closing his eyes. Althea leaned closer as well, pausing before she closed her eyes so she wouldn't end up kissing his nose or chin. Closing her eyes, she could feel his warm shaky breath against her cheek, and she slowly let her lips intermingle with his....

Remus slightly moved away, biting his lip as if unsure of something. "So," he whispered and held her hand in his.

"So," Althea repeated quietly.

Remus cleared his throat. "Er--would you--I mean if you want to--I understand if you wouldn't want to--maybe go out with me sometime?" he asked and looked away from her.

"When?" Althea replied and smiled softly.

Remus turned his face toward her--a mixture of relief, shock, and amusement. "When--I mean--you--you--do want to go out with me then?"

Althea nodded. "Yes, I'd like to go out with you," she answered, smiling as she blushed.

Remus relaxed and let out a small laugh. "Right," he breathed and grinned.