"I want to love you."
"But you don't."
He looked at her, but she wasn't looking back. Instead, her eyes were locked on them, standing across the room. They were laughing, tilting their head back as Marlene pushed them of the sofa.
"I want to, though. Maybe with time-"
She turned to him, "I can't see that happening."
His mouth gaped open, "But you love me."
"So what?"
His head flopped against the window in anger or confusion, maybe a mix of both.
"So, I'll return it."
"You can't return it."
"I will. You can't stop me from doing that. I just need a bit of time, maybe it just takes me longer to fall in love but I can do it-"
"Remus!"
He looked at her, her eyes wide and filled with sorrow and knowing. She always knew.
"You do love me, just not enough. Just not in the way we both want."
"What?"
Sybill huffed, turning her head back to them, "How do you feel about Black?"
"Sirius? What the fuck is this?"
"Just- describe how you feel about them, please."
Remus shrugged, "I don't know... they're one of my closest mates. We hang out a lot. People think they're unpredictable but they're the most predictable person I know, maybe because I know them so well. I'd trust them with my life."
Sybill leaned forwards, "What's it like to touch them?"
Remus jumped up in panic, "Sy, what the fuck?"
"Have you ever kissed them?"
He froze.
"While we were together?"
Panic seeped into him, "Why would you think that?"
Sybill pointed to herself, "Seer... And Mary might have seen you, it's why she's been ignoring you, on my behalf. Sorry about that."
"Why are you apologising to me? I cheated on you!"
Sybill shrugged, "I don't really blame you for that. Well I do, but I know I'm partially to blame. I knew you loved them, yet I still went after you, knowing you'd never like me in the same way you like them."
Remus grabbed her hand, "I'm really sorry."
"I know", she smiled, "But I'm strangely glad it happened. Neither of us deserve to be in a relationship where only one of us truly loves the other."
"So... are we broken up?"
Sybill lifted an eyebrow and smirked, "Geez, Re. You couldn't wait at least an hour before dating someone else?"
Remus groaned, "That is not what I meant!"
Sybill laughed loudly.
"Are you really okay with all this?"
Sybill shrugged, "I kinda want to see what dating a girl would be like... but I'll wait at least a week unlike some people."
Remus flopped his head in his hands with a small grin, "that wasn't what I meant!"
Sybill grinned, "you know I'm forever going to be making comments about you cheating on me."
"Fine", Remus folded his arms with a smile.
-
1993
Remus stood in the great hall, the rest of the teachers all sitting down. He recognised most of them, teachers or classmates from his time at school.
Then a familiar face smirked at him. A face he hadn't seen for almost 15 years now. A face that was about to ruin his reputation amongst the staff.
"Mr. Lupin", Sybill grinned, "I see you're not married, still having commitment issues?"
