thread: remus lupin + felix dawkins WHO: Felix Dawkins + Remus Lupin WHEN: Saturday, April 25 WHERE: In the kitchens, and then off in the tunnels somewhere WHAT: Remus has been feeling drained by the situation going on in his group of friends, on top of the paranoia of lying to the entire community, and so he's started chatting with someone new. And, of course, lying to someone new. WARNINGS:Probably none. Discussion of sexually-transmitted diseases, namely HIV/AIDS. Mild. Warning probably not necessary but just putting it there for safety's sake. STATUS: Complete!
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Sometimes Remus felt he should have been ashamed of how easy it was to lie. By now, it was something of a practiced art: he was unfailingly polite, he had vague but seemingly informative answers, and when he was backed against a wall he had a particularly bashful smile. Lying had become second nature after nearly twenty years of refusing to disclose information about himself or his condition, and he had dozens of explanations, excuses, and other clever tactics. Failing that, Remus simply left before someone got too close.
After the war, he toed the line between desperately wanting friendship and being afraid to have it again. He felt like he didn't dare trust anyone, despite the fact that loneliness and isolation was crushing. Being here didn't change anything; he'd been wrong about who betrayed them all but even more blindsided, considering Peter's betrayal was even more insidious than what everyone thought Sirius had done.
Being here didn't make anything easier. He had friends he knew he'd never see again, he had Peter from a time before things went to hell, he had Sirius bitter and angry over the fact that Remus was attempting to even speak to Peter, and knowledge of his future that he could barely even handle: a wife, a son, a violent death midway through his thirties. And he was clumsily attempting to keep his condition private despite the fact that there were books that featured him, disclosing his worst secret to complete strangers.
He was grateful, then, that Felix wasn't much of a reader.
Honestly, he knew it was a bad habit. Chatting someone up, going home with them, leaving before breakfast. Remus didn't do it often, but sometimes loneliness got to be too much and he simply wanted to connect. The difference here, of course, was that there was nowhere Remus could go. He couldn't simply disappear and part ways after fooling around, not when everyone was in such close quarters.
Besides. He had business.
He ducked into the kitchens, a set of shoelaces wrapped around his right hand and his left hand tucked into his pocket. When he caught sight of Felix, he smiled.
"Hullo, you." He held up the laces, letting them dangle between his fingers. "Did you really need these, or is it an excuse to see me?"