“I-I… had a really nice time tonight Miss Gibbons.” Remus Lupin spoke as steadily as he could, despite the slow churning in the pit of his stomach. He looked stupid, he just knew it.
She smiled warmly, “Remus I’ve told you, call me Olivia.”
He honestly hoped his ears weren’t as red as they felt, “Uh, yeah of course, Olivia.” Her name rolled so easily off of his tongue, and he had to suppress the urge to repeat it by the dozens. Merlin, he was embarrassing.
“I did too Remus,” She nudged him gently with her hip, “You’re such a gentleman.” Remus’ lips pulled back into a wide grin, one he could never hope to subdue.
“You don’t deserve anything less.” He answered quietly, his brown eyes falling to the pavement below their feet. When she remained silent, his brow furrowed in puzzlement, and he managed to muster up enough Gryffindor courage to look back up at her features. Her expression caused worry to deepen his already creased brow. Her smile had shrunken to a mere shadow, and her own brown eyes glistened oddly.
They were tears.
“I- Olivia?” He took a step towards her, his hand outreached. She quickly pulled jerked backwards, out of his range. Something sliced cruelly at Remus’ insides. His hand slowly dropped from where he had held it, and now hung pathetically at his side. Merlin, what had he done? She quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and looked back over at Remus. She shook her head vigorously.
“No, no Remus, it’s not you. It’s not you at all.” She closed the space between them once more, and resting the palms of her hands on his jacket, pressed her lips lightly to his own. The slashing of his insides quickly repaired as a whirlwind of sensations doused his numb body. She pulled away, albeit reluctantly, “Goodnight Remus, I’ll see you soon, okay?” He opened his mouth to ask where it was she lived, as they were currently situated under a streetlight at the corner of 5th and Elm, shops in view but not a home in sight. She shook her head, “No, its okay, I’m very close to my home, wouldn’t want to make you walk any further.” He nearly said that it was okay, he could apparate, but she had made it quite clear she did not want him to follow her home.
He watched as she turned, and crossed the street, glancing over her shoulder once, before disappearing in the gloom of London, “Goodnight… Olivia.”
Merlin, he was in love.
--
Charles Thomas’ face at the present moment looked very much like a fish gaping for water. He watched with wide eyes, and a partially opened mouth as Olivia Gibbons planted a meaningful kiss on the lips of Remus Lupin. Wha.., ? How… how was this possible? By the looks of it, the two were very much in like, and he struggled to get around that little fact. But the longer he stood there, staring at the place the two once stood, the lovelier their actions became.
This could be the answer.
They could stop the war.
With a thoughtful expression upon his face Charles apparated with a small pop, leaving the street completely empty.
--
“Where have you been?” A deep voice growled.
Olivia sighed heavily, and took of her jacket, and hooking it on the coat hanger beside the door, “I really don’t think that is any of your business.” She replied quietly, although with bold defiance. Amycus Carrows stepped out from the doorway where he had been leaning, and approached her, staring down at the woman with narrowed, angry eyes.
“Oh, but it is Miss Gibbons.”
Miss Gibbons.
As if he’d ever be so polite.
She stood her ground, raising her brown eyes to stare rebelliously into his own, “No. It doesn’t Amycus. We are no longer together; I believe I have made that quite clear.” An animalistic sort of noise came from the back of the larger man’s throat as his hands curled around her wrists, backing her up forcibly against the door. He leaned into her, his lips resting on her ear, “I believe I make that call.”
“No,”
She could feel his muscles tense with poorly suppressed fury as the pressure on her body increased tenfold. She forced any sound of pain back down her throat. She would not back down, “You possess no power, Olivia. You never have-“
“Oi, Carrows.” A familiar voice sliced through the tension, sending fresh waves of anger coursing through his body, Amycus attempted to keep his frustration under control.
“What in the hell do you want, Rosier?” He growled lowly, glaring daggers into the wall next to Olivia’s head.
“Rape her upstairs, could you? I’m trying to eat.” Amycus wheeled around to look at the other man, who stood leaning against the doorway, a newly-made sandwich in his hand, “I don’t really like to associate bologna with sex, I believe they should be separate obsessions, unfortunately.” Against her will Olivia jumped slightly as Amycus slammed his hand against the wood beside her wood. And then he was gone, stalking away, his hands balled into white fists, and eyes dark from suppressed anger.
“Thank you Evan.”
“No problem luv.”