Breathing an inward sigh of relief, Remus was able to smile a bit more naturally as he shook his head. "Sorry, with the way everything's been these last few weeks, I'm a bit pessimistic about news out of the blue. So, you're on guard duty today, then?" he added, tidying up his desk and watching her move around the room. he couldn't help but wince as she connecting with the desk corner.
And then it came...somehow they always wound up talking about the past that was his never-to-be-future. Still, it sounded different, this time, the sincerity of the apology effectively cutting off any exasperated comment that might have been building. Instead, he stopped to really look at her, weighing her words for a moment before deciding that it didn't really matter to him any longer. He'd truly put that man behind him and moved on.
"It's all right," he said quietly. "You aren't the only one who's had difficulty reconciling the two versions of me. Most people are still trying to shoe-horn me into his image. If anything, you probably have more reason and right than most to wish he'd been the one to come back instead of me. You and Ted both." It just wasn't a wish that was ever going to come true for her, unfortunately.