Dec 31, Harry Potter, Severus/Remus, To the Future... Title: To the Future... Author:shadowycat Fandom: Harry Potter Pairing: Severus/Remus Word Count: 500 words Prompt: 31: gold stars Rating: PG Warning: unbeta'd
Severus stood on the Astronomy Tower and watched as Flitwick and McGonagall fired off round after dazzling round of fireworks to the delight of their colleagues, eager to usher in a new year and put the last one behind them. Bright gold stars, radiant red streaks, and glittering green streamers lit up the sky over and over again.
Each new burst of brilliance was followed by an exclamation from someone in the avidly watching crowd. Yet despite having his face tilted up toward the show, none of it really registered with Severus. His thoughts were miles away in a tiny little English backwater far from the highlands of Scotland.
Though he stood still as a statue, his fingers kept slipping, unbidden into his pocket and restlessly toying with a crumpled invitation. An invitation he was ignoring.
~OvO~
Remus slumped disconsolately on his old, lumpy sofa in front of a dying fire. Tiny gold stars sprang at regular intervals from the tip of his wand, arced gracefully through the air, and vanished into the glowing embers on the hearth. The small flare of brilliance each star produced glinted off a pair of stemmed glasses and a bottle sitting on a nearby table.
“Please come, Severus. Please...” That one plea repeated itself over and over in his mind as his mantle clock, half hidden in the gloom, ticked away the final hours of the year. When midnight chimed, Remus got to his feet, shoved his wand into a pocket, and headed for the door.
Obviously, Severus wasn’t coming, and he could either drink that entire bottle of wine alone or take a long walk through the snowy countryside. Grabbing his cloak, he opted for the walk. At least he wouldn’t have a headache tomorrow to go along with his heartache. He flung open the door, only to be brought up short by a figure in black standing on the doorstep.
“Severus!” he exclaimed.
“Am I too late?” The quiet question hung in the silence.
Remus simply stepped aside, allowing Severus to pass. Closing the door behind him, Remus watched Severus walk into the centre of the small room and stand silently, obviously ill at ease.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” said Remus.
“I almost didn’t.”
“What made you change your mind?”
“I was watching the New Year’s fireworks at the castle, and as I stood in the midst of all those people... I suddenly realized I was lonely. That there was only one person I really wanted to be with and you weren’t there. Then I thought about all the long years ahead, years that I never expected to see, and how empty they’d be if I had to live them all without you by my side. In short, I finally realized that I was being a stubborn fool, and I hope I’m not too late...”
“Oh, Severus, of course you aren’t too late!” exclaimed Remus happily before pulling Severus into his arms and kissing him deeply. Finally, the future looked bright.