CHAPTER 13 ━━━ INSANELY

REMUS WASN'T ONE FOR SPEAKING UP, he knew that, and hated it about himself. He knew he should, he was a prefect for heaven's sake, but the action of confrontation deeply scared him. He could never ask for help on anything, it would be too embarrassing, and he thought it would be an inconvenience for the other party. 

  This habit seemed to have proven itself today. It shouldn't have to be that difficult to make a simple tablecloth appear out of thin air, at least that's what everyone thought at first. He scanned the room, only a few students had been able to get it, and seemed to be casting the spell over and over again as 'practice', but to James and Remus, it was just a way to shove it in their faces that they could not do it. Around the room students had been asking for help, and have been getting better, but for the two that would be a mere last resort in desperation. Remus and James prided themselves on the fact they could usually learn things on their own.

  Remus was very bright, and he'd gotten along just fine without asking for assistance. His friends had gotten just alright as well, in fact they were practically as smart as him, granted they weren't that scared to ask a question. Remus knew he could probably learn the spell by the end of the week, the problem was that Professor McGonagall had made it clear that this spell was to be mastered tonight as homework, and preformed again tomorrow. How great.

  "She's got to be playing a prank on us, this spell probably isn't even real," James complained, teetering his wand in-between his fingers.

  "Prongs, do you seriously think that Professor McGonagall would be playing a prank on us?" Remus asked.

  James just grumbled back a "No," the boy looked to a certain person sitting just a few desks in front of them, she grinned triumphantly as she managed to successfully do the spell for the third time, "Yeah, yeah, go on and make a medal and wear it everyday why don't you?" Prongs retorted. 

  Remus rolled his eyes smiling at his friend's incompetence, "Leave her alone, it's not her fault for your idiocy, mate. She hasn't done anything to you," he soothed looking back to Mila, raising his wand trying to repeat the spell again, but as it had done for the whole period, it did not work.

  "Yeah well she's surely done something to to you," snorted the spectacled boy, pushing up his lenses.

  Moony furrowed his brows, "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, tapping his wand against his arms as if to knock some extra magic into it. 

  His friend raised his eyebrows smirking, "Well, y'know since you fancy her so much," he said. 

  Remus groaned beside him rolling his eyes, "Why are we still on this, it's been weeks."

  James made sure to note how he didn't deny liking her this time, "Moony, ever since that last fucking party all you've tried to do is get a chance to talk with her, it's quite sad actually," he tilted his head, sending him a teasing condoling expression. 

  Remus turned back to the desk, uttering the enchantment in-between his sentences, "And if I, in another world, told you I did like her- would it stop this, or would it just give you incentive- to tease me relentlessly forever?"

  "Definitely incentive to tease you relentlessly forever!"

  "And that's why I don't tell you all that I fancy her."

  "But you do fancy her?"

  "If you keep pressing, I will silencio you right now, James Potter."

  Remus never had a chance to follow through with the threat as the professor began telling all the students to begin packing up their items, along with reminding them about the homework assignment. Everyone began shuffling around, leaving the classroom at McGonagall's dismissal. Just as James started walking to the door he quickly turned around to Remus. "Y'know Moony, just on the oh so off chance you do like her, it wouldn't be so bad of an excuse to say you needed her help on the transfiguration homework, just because she did it so well of course. Just some advice from your best mate y'know?" James grinned innocently, patting Remus' shoulder as he watched his eyes narrow. Turning around James maneuvered around the wooden desks and left the classroom, Remus very slowly, and from afar, trailing behind him.

  He sighed, over turning the suggestion in his head. It wouldn't be bad after all, he did desperately need help, and she seemed perfect for the job. Of course he could ask Sirius for assistance as he was top of the transfiguration class for the past few months, but who really could get any work done with Sirius anyways? Mila was just a more reasonable option.

  As he walked the hallways trying to get back to his dorm, he could see the flow of dark brown hair trudging up ahead him. He wasn't sure how he had known it was Mila, in fact he could've picked anyone in the crowed with long dark hair and said it was her and anyone else would've believed it. He quickened his pace, moving to the very side of the hallway of where she seemed to reside in until he was able to catch up and stroll along side her. "Hi," he breathed, quickly tousling his hair.

  Mila's pace staggered as she noticed the new presence, "Remus!" she smiled, "Sorry you kind of startled me," she said, returning to her original pace. Remus opened his mouth to speak but paused, he hadn't exactly planned what he was going to say. 

 "Uhm, I was, uhm, I was having trouble with the spell in class just now, and well you've seemed to have gotten it so I was wondering if you could help me with it, today, sorry if it's too much trouble. And you're free of course! I just..." he elongated his sentence as they hit the daily traffic crowd of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors trying to head upwards towards their respective towers.

  As they stopped Mila fixed the strap of her bag to sit better on her shoulder, "Yes I'm free, and you'd never be any trouble," she replied, slightly shaking her head. The crowd picked up again, shoving their way through the crowd Remus had to keep an eye on where Mila was going while she focused on her wrist watch, "Let's see, I usually do my homework in the library around four, so you can find me in there from then on!" she advised, the two following the clump of students crossing the large wooden suspension bridge.

  "So four o'clock in the Library?" he asked.

  "Yes Remus, your ears heard correctly," she reassured watching a smirk grow on his face.

 "Sorry I wasn't sure since you're all the way down there, just couldn't hear you all too well," he teased, addressing her height, she was at most a head shorter than him.

  She scoffed at his remark, "It's not my fault you're like seven feet tall!" she said, helping him weave around their peers to the spiral staircase. "Ah see you're wrong, I'm 6'3!" he claimed proudly, getting a laugh from her.

  "I don't think that helps your case, that's only nine inches away from actually being seven feet. If you got on your tiptoes you would hit your head on the stairs above!"

  She watched him raised his eyebrows, "That's why we need to speak up about tall people rights. They need to start accommodating for the people over 5'11!"

  "Well, when your in your usual, terrible, posture, you're about 5'11, so I think you'll be okay!" she quipped, noting how Remus held open the portrait for her to pass through.

  "Terrible?! That's only because I have to adapt for you tiny, tiny ants!" he voiced, holding his hand to his chest in a justifiable way. 

  Mila sighed happily, pushing her way through the students around her, trying to get up the the dormitory entrances. Finally as they made their way to the upper level of the Gryffindor common room Mila stepped in front of Remus turning to face towards him, "Well you can complain to this 'tiny, tiny ant' in an hour about all your height prejudice!" she stated.

  Remus had realized he'd walked her all the way to the foot of the stairs leading to the girls dormitories, meaning he could not go any further, unless he wanted to hurt his arse falling down a transforming slide. Remus pursed his lips and tilted his head thoughtfully, "Hmm, I dunno about that Mils, it'd be so hard to see you I might accidentally squash you," he joked. 

  Mila stopped walking up the stairs backwards and turned herself forwards, "Ha, ha," she said sarcastically, her voice fading as Remus watched her disappear up the stairs.

  "Remus Lupin, you big flirt!"

 Remus' body whipped around, only to be faced with big round frames. 

  "Merlin, Prongs, you scared the shit out of me!" he scolded, a mischievous smile written on James' face. Remus' face slightly distorted as he registered what James had sad, "And I wasn't flirting!"

  James raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "I was walking right behind the two of you the whole time! I could hear everything!" 

  Remus began walking past him, but he just followed. James cleared his throat and began switching from a high to low pitched voice, "'Oh Remus, you'd never be any trouble, with you and your big height,'  'Oh Mila you're so short and sweet I could just kiss you!'" Remus put on an annoyed glare, hiding the fact that he was absolutely ecstatic to be around Mila today. "'Oh 4 o'clock works with me, you can come around any time you want.'  'Oh of course 4 o'clock yes? Just double checking so I know exactly how long I get to be around you today!'  I mean really Moony you could've been loads smoother-" Remus stopped, gripping the back of James' clothes and robes, "Don't you have homework to get to, Prongs? I think we should go work on that."

  Entering her dorm, Mila quickly shrugged off her robe tossing it on her bed. She looked in the small mirror on the shared desk, adjusting her bangs before looking over to Ruby and Serenity suspiciously. The blonde was beaming, extremely happily with a spark of smugness. "What's up with her?" she asked to Ruby, the girl smiled lifting her eyelids, "Sirius Black said 'hey' to her in the hallways coming here," she explained, motioning for Mila to bring the mirror over to fix her own hair. Mila gripped the mirror with her left hand as she slung off her bag, amused she raised her eyebrows sitting right next to Serenity on her bed.

  As she passed the mirror on to Ruby, Serenity looked to her grinning, "He's done it, he finally knows who I am!" she giggled.

  Mila laughed, "Well he's already known who you are, you're relatively popular I mean, what you do mean is that he's finally noticed you in terms of possible romance."

  Serenity rolled her eyes, laying all the way back on her bed, "Don't bore me with your technicalities and smarts M', speaking of that I need help on potions homework today," she demanded.

  Mila seethed, "I can't I'm already helping someone else on their homework!"

  Serenity trilled her lips in annoyance, so Mila continued, "Why are you asking me anyways? I suck at potions, Maisie's good at them."

  Her friend groaned sitting up as she ran her fingers down her hair, "Yeah well Maisie is not around is she?"

  Mila tutted, going towards her drawers and finding more casual clothes to change into, "If it's not due by tomorrow, then I promise I can help you some other day," she quickly grabbed the first shirt on top, a new ABBA shirt her friends had garnered her for Christmas last year, she smiled grabbing some quick jeans and turning back around, "Besides, you're quite bright you can figure it out."

  "Figure it out? Figure it out! Yes of course, if I could just figure it out I'd never have to be asking you in the first place. Otherwise I'd be in that bloke's stupid 'Slug Club,'" she complained. 

  Ruby pouted, shifting her focus from her hair to Serenity, "I wouldn't be calling my professor some 'bloke' he's easy to get an extension for an assignment anyways." 

  Serenity mimicked Rube's expression, "He's incredibly boring, and he's starting to bald, meaning he's old, meaning he'll be deaf soon, so he won't hear me slagging him off anyways." Mila almost tripped over herself as she tried putting on her pants standing, she threw her tie and sweater on her bed before tossing the rest of her clothing in the laundry bin.

  The door knob twisted behind them, creaking open Ida softly closed it behind her. "Hullo," she said out of breath, she'd walked all the way from her Herbology class. She plucked a few small leaves from her hair quickly shuffling her way into the small bathroom. Mila watched as Ida delved into the cupboards for a brand new curling cream that had come out. She'd been using it everyday as the product had become popular from the pick up of the civil rights movements a few years ago in the Americas. "Mila, I'm going to be gone this afternoon, I volunteered with some other students to go back and help Professor Sprout." Ida had told, scrunching up her hair back and forth with her hands.

  Mila moved to her bag bringing out her current read, "It's fine, I've got something with someone later anyways," she asserted swinging her legs over onto the mattress flipping to her last page. 

  Ruby tilted her head from side to side stretching her neck, "I'm not trying to insue anything M', but when did you have other people to make plans with?"

  Mila narrowed her eyes, "I have other friends!"

  "That's a lie," Ruby paused, "I'm just saying, last time you made any actual friends, not acquaintances, it was Simon, so..." Mila subtly rolled her eyes at the name and statement, delving her eyes back into the pages of the book in front of her.

  "I do have other friends," she mumbled.

  Remus nodded to the few peers as they walked by him, taking his arm away from the door he was holding open for them he heard the creak of the wood shut close behind him. He smiled at the smell of old pages that flooded his senses. He looked up to the clock behind him above the door, 4:15. Quietly he made his way through the library, looking in between each aisle and table groups looking for Mila. Blindly he returned a few "Hello's" from others, he hadn't bothered to pay attention to who they even were.

  Finally he let his satchel fall down from his shoulder into his hand as he saw the back of an ABBA t-shirt, recognizing it as she'd worn it before. Her back was arched and huddled over, her hand resting on her arm against the table, scribbling with a quill in her hand. "Hey," he greeted softly behind her, he'd learn his lesson not to spook her anymore. Mila's head lifted, turning around her eyes followed Remus as he pulled out a chair sitting down.

  "Hi! Let me just finish the astronomy chart for yesterday and I can help you!" she smiled, looking back down to her work.

  Remus chuckled, he knew how everyone hated filling out the astronomy charts. Professor Sinistra made the class fill out a constellation chart for one week once a month, she promised them it was to make sure they were learning from her class, for her students, it was extremely painful. You were to fill out the exact coordinates for the Godric's sake, it wasn't a very easy task.

  Remus looked around at the table, her bag was on top, wide open as her papers were scattered everywhere on the wood surface, upon closer inspection they were actually in loose piles. Quills and pens were laid out, a bottle of ink knocked over as Mila shifted her arm. He made a quick move picking it up, looking back Mila hadn't even noticed, she just continued working.

  "You know what's strange?" he said, scooting the bottle father away from her elbow. 

  Mila continued writing, looking back and forth between her textbook. "What?" she asked. 

  "You're insanely messy, yet insanely put together," he stated. And he wasn't wrong. She was relatively on top of her grades, she stayed on top of her responsibilities, and always kept her papers in order. Although one look into her bedside table drawer, and her side of the closet of rubbish could probably give any mother a heart attack. She did have a habit of not knowing what to do with her belongings, but she promised that if you were to know her she'd be the most put together person you'd know.

  Now did she find Remus' statement rude? Absolutely not, it was a compliment. But was she going to let it slide? Absolutely not either.

 "You know what?" she said slyly, turning back to her chart.

  "Hm?"

  "I can say the exact same for you," she grinned, quickly finishing up her work, her handwriting becoming sloppy. 

  "Really?" he asked, he was about to counter, except for when he remembered who he was. One look at his appearance, and then one look at his grades would tell you everything. Mila began combining her piles of paper shoving them all into her satchel. Out from her back pocket, she grabbed her wand. "Alright, well I'm finished!" she declared standing up, motioning for him to do the same. "Where do you want to start?" she questioned.

  "Uhm, I dunno. You can just perform it and we'll go off from there?" he suggested. 

  Mila nodded, she took her satchel off the desk placing it on her chair before raising her wand to the table. "Inanimatus Conjurus" she recited, waving around her wand. Before them a whoosh of white came, and a folded table clothed appeared in front of them. Mila smiled, "Now you try it!" Remus winced to himself, he was about to make himself look like a fool.

  "Inanimatus Conjurus" he said, but to no avail, nothing was conjured. 

  Mila raised her eyebrows, she'd already spotted something wrong, "I think it's your pronunciation," she commented, "You're saying your As way to quickly, and you need to say them in more of an  'uh' not an 'ay'" she helped. 

  Remus nodded and tried again, "Inanimatus Conjurus," he didn't know if his eyes were tricking him, but he could've sworn he had seen something. "That's better!" she emitted, "Now, your movement, you wave left, right, flick, but you need to go left right, middle, flick!" she said, doing the motion herself as an example. Remus attempted again, but this time he knew, something had most definitely flickered in front of them. 

  Mila watched from the side as he did the spell multiple times over, giving him some pointers only here and there. From this time she was able to take in his appearance, he had always seemed to have the most perfect case of bed head atop his skull. Her bed head was always in cases of tangles and knots, taking minutes to even brush through it. Not to mention how incredibly long his eyelashes were. Now Mila was always extremely grateful to have had inherited her mother's lashes, and always got comments on how lengthy they were, but his seemed to be on another level, she and many women could quite possibly kill for them.

  But everything almost ended when he turned to her beaming after he had successfully completed it for the fifth time. Along with his lashes, the sun lightly so perfectly lit his eyes so that the deep brown within them showed. Mila smiled a bit more after she noticed the dimple that only seemed to appear on his right cheek. Remus Lupin was actually quite cute.

  No, he's not, stop that.

  No, he is, you can find a man attractive. Mila justified, she could very well find a man attractive without feeling anything. Just as she could accept the fact on why girls swooned for Sirius Black or James Potter. Rick Springfield was attractive, but that didn't mean she'd turn into Maisie and find a hold of every magazine of him she could find. So she could accept the fact that Remus Lupin was handsome, and it didn't mean anything. And for the fact that it didn't mean anything, means that this whole idea was stupid, and what she was thinking, or not thinking, really had no matter, and everyone was just wrong.

  He watched as her expression faltered for a quick second before picking back up again, "See, you could do it, all you needed was some help!" she assured. Maybe the idea of asking for help didn't seem so daunting anymore. That was a lie, the idea of asking for help was definitely still terrifying. But, the idea of garnering help from her, might have been the best idea James could ever come up with.

  Remus didn't want to leave. Being able to do the spell now should mean he was done, and he should go, but he didn't want to go. He desperately didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay around her. And there was still the quest of what to do now that they had around 10 plain white table cloths of no use. He needed an excuse to stay put, "...I have some other assignments to do, could I do them here...with you? Because you could be busy or something I just-" he cringed at himself for rambling, though he didn't mind how the corners of her lips curled at his awkwardness. "Yes, Remus. I told you you'd never be any trouble to me," she affirmed as the two sat down.

  Remus returned that night, a large grin scrawled against his features. "What's up with you, you old hag?" Sirius queried, quirking his eyebrows eyeing Remus up and down. James giggled off to the side as he fixed the hang of his quidditch poster above his bed. Peter looked to Remus as Padfoot's comment, he did seem awfully airy. Remus rolled his eyes, shoving his bag beneath his nightstand.

  Sirius trailed behind him, quickly grabbing Remus' wrist before he would be able to shove Sirius' face away. Remus yanked his arm away, walking towards their bathroom stepping over clothes and records. He stepped through the doorway just enough to keep Sirius on the other side, but enough to be able to shut the door.  "You look high as kite, Moons."

  "I always hate to admit you lot are right," he started, "But maybe I do like her." And he shut the door between them.

a/n: Don't yell at me, I know it's taken 3 months to post I'm aware. BUT I SWEAR I'VE BEEN HIT WITH MAJOR INSPIRATION THIS WEEK. I SWEAR ON ALL THEIR GRAVESSS. (Please do not hold me accountable for this when there's another 3-month gap.)

Also, enchanted for chapter 13? BECAUSE TAYLOR SWIFTTT. I didn't plan this you guys it's just fate. (I planned it)

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