The Mask Title: The Mask By: McKay Pairing: Remus/Alice (unrequited) Word count: 100 Rated: G Challenge: #242
People assumed Remus was too shy and inexperienced to talk to girls, and Remus let them. He liked Alice – liked her a lot – but it was easier and safer if he pretended he didn't notice when she flirted with him.
She smiled, she touched his arm when she spoke to him, she complimented his aptitude for Defense Against the Dark Arts; he was polite but distant. When she tried to catch him under the mistletoe, he swerved away.
Eventually, she turned her attention to Frank, and Remus hid his aching heart behind the same mask that had driven her away.