remus j LUPIN (sapphiremoon) wrote in rebel_rebel, @ 2008-05-03 23:56:00 |
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Entry tags: | nymphadora tonks, remus lupin |
RP: A Date with Destiny
Who: Remus Lupin and Tonks
What: That aforementioned date
When: Saturday, 6pm
Where: Gladrags, then the Eagle & Child pub in Hogsmeade
Rating: NC-17 adult PG-13. Really.
Status: Partial log/rest comments; incomplete
Leaning against the brick wall of Gladrags, Dora crossed her arms nervously, keeping an eye out for Remus. She'd arrived a little early, knowing that if he was looking for her, he wouldn't find her, and it was best that she be there to point herself out.
She'd morphed from the appearance she kept at Hogwarts, having promised Remus they wouldn't be caught. Not that there was anything to catch, really - while this was supposed to be a 'date', she knew damn well he was just placating her. This was something to be amusing, not anything to take seriously, and she knew better than to even think of this 'date' that way.
Remus wasn't quite sure what he was doing and why he agreed to this farce of a date. It had been to throw her off balance and she was supposed to giggle and say she was just kidding and they'd go on their merry way. Instead, he was taking her out to dinner and praying to god Sirius or Andy didn't spy them. Hands shoved in his pockets, it was just warm enough to not need a jacket -- or else his body temperature was keeping him warm. He moved towards Gladrags, keeping his eyes peeled for Dora.
It didn’t take her long to spot Remus walking toward her – or at least toward the building. She didn’t exactly look like the Nymphadora Tonks he was undoubtedly expecting. She’d changed out of her school uniform, as well as morphed into a closer version of her natural appearance, which would hopefully help hide who Remus was with. Still, with a wide smile, she banished all of her nervousness, determined to treat this just like she’d treated the lunch with her mother and Sirius – like a meal with family.
“Wotcher, Remus,” she said in a chipper voice. “I’m surprised you even showed up.”
Remus had been so deep in thought that he jumped a mile when he heard Dora's voice. He stutter stepped, catching himself before he completely pitched forward and to the cobblestones.
"Why wouldn't I?" he asked with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "I don't back out of things." Often he added silently.
“True,” she said with an impish grin. “I keep forgetting you had to deal with Sirius for seven years straight. Can’t have much backing out with him.”
Tucking her hair self-consciously behind her ears, she took a step toward him. “Shall we discuss the rules then, or save that for later?”
Remus chuckled, trying to put himself at ease. "No, there wasn't much backing out with him. Unless you wanted to be ribbed incessantly for the rest of the millennium."
Remus arched an eyebrow, cocking his head to look at her. "Rules? There are rules?"
She grinned. “Know how that goes.” And really, she did. Having been raised with Sirius as such a strong influence in her life, she wasn’t all that sure why he and Remus were friends – until moments like these happened, and Remus showed his backbone.
Dora cocked an eyebrow right back at him. “You mean there aren’t any?”
There were many different reasons as to why Remus and Sirius were friends. THen again, some did say that opposites attract and... well, that was quite apt. Then again, things were quite different when they were kids with no sense of repercussions. Then Remus grew up.
Remus rolled his eyes. "If you're expecting... well, I don't know what. Or rather, we both know exactly what you're thinking and no, you don't need rules. I am not taking advantage of you."
Dora frowned slightly, mulling over what he was saying. “I’m not expecting anything,” she said, genuinely confused as to what he meant. And she was pretty sure he didn’t know what she was thinking. “I meant – well, you making rules for me to follow. Not the other way around. So I don’t take advantage of you.”
There was something vaguely disconcerting about the idea of her attempting to take advantage of him. To be quite frank, it was entirely disturbing. "I think I can handle myself," he said with a smirk. With a tilt of his head, Remus nodded in the direction of the pub. "Come on. May as well get there before it gets too late and you have curfew."
His smirk was surprisingly reassuring. Considering she’d been the one who’d been pressing the issue, she’d been worried about his concerns – if he’d been worried about her trying to push him into another corner, or if he’d been worried about this turning into something serious. Clearly that wasn’t in his plan, and she didn’t want him to feel any more uncomfortable than he already was.
“Brilliant, good to know you can handle yourself,” she said cheekily. “Now, if you’ll trust me to handle this whole pesky curfew business, then we’ll be all right, won’t we? And agreed, let’s go. Dunno ‘bout you, but I’m starving.”
Oh he was worried about all of that, he was just determined not to let it get the better of him for once in his life. And while he may have been strangely calm right now, it didn't mean he wouldn't degenerate into a panic attack later on.
Shoving his hands back in his pocket, Remus led the way to the pub, a small, not-often-visited pub called the Eagle & Child near the outskirts of Hogsmeade. "I," he began, holding the door open for her, "don't want to hear how you're planning to handle the curfew. So leave me out of that one, please."
She smirked a little to herself when she saw him shove his hands in his pockets. Oh, yes, he was nervous. Walking beside him in silence, surprisingly calm and relaxed, all things considered, Dora raised an eyebrow at the name of the pub. Figured. At least Remus wasn’t a Ravenclaw, then she’d have had to smack him.
“I didn’t say a word,” she said with an innocent smile as she entered the pub. It was an entirely different environment than what she was used to, but she did her best not to show it. She was adaptable, and she forced herself to relax and not look like a lost little child. “Bar or table?”
As usual, the pub was nearly deserted. There were a few people about, but it wasn't nearly as crowded as the Three Broomsticks, nor with such questionable folk as the Hogs Head. "Table, I think," Remus said, moving towards one in the back corner. Broader field of vision and all that.
Watching her for a moment, he wondered how the hell he had actually agreed to this 'date'. "So, is this you looking older?" Remus asked, "Or what you're supposed to look like?"
“Table sounds good,” she said, relieved he’d said that. She thought that there was absolutely no way she could ever possibly look comfortable on a stool. Following him, she sat down, taking a brief look around. It looked nice, all things considered, and she wondered why she’d never found this place before.
Aware of him watching her, it took a great deal of effort to stop herself from squirming. “I’m supposed to look the way I want to look,” she said with a slight smile. “If you mean a non-morphed me, then yeah, pretty much. As much as anyone ever gets to see, anyhow.” She nodded to him and added with an impish smile, “So, is this you looking younger? Or is this what you’re supposed to look like, without all that professor garb on?”
With a flick of his wrist, Remus gestured to the barkeep to come and bring them a set of menus. Granted, there wasn't much the place served, but menus would help in any case.
"I'm aware of that," Remus said with a roll of his eyes. "I used to watch you change hair colours as often as some poeple change their trousers. But yes, that's what I meant." That little bit made him feel better. At least she didn't look as young. Still. He was the professor and she was his pupil. "Pardon?" Remus asked, vaguely aware he had gotten lost in his thoughts. "Oh... this?" He tugged at the collar of his blue button down shirt. "Only difference is the lack of robes, really."
Softly thanking the barkeep when they received menus, it only took Dora a brief glance before she decided what she wanted. Setting it down, she watched Remus closely, wondering what he was really thinking about this whole thing. He could’ve easily been treating it like taking Sirius’ baby cousin out for drinks as a belated birthday present, or he could’ve actually been treating it like a date. She wasn’t sure which option made her more uncomfortable.
“Yeah, I do that a lot,” she said with a grin. “I like changing things up when I can. Keeps life a little more interesting. At least I’m never boring, yeah?” She tilted her head, amused that he hadn’t realised she’d been joking. “Yeah, that. You’re a bit less…professorish today. It’s nice. Although I wish you’d relax and enjoy yourself,” she added with a smile. “I’m not going to bite you, I promise. Unless you want me to, which I don’t think you do, so there you have it.”
To be quite honest, Remus wasn't sure which option he was operating under. Taking Sirius' cousin out for a drink was patronizing. But a date... that was another ball of wax entirely. Remus was wondering how Dora was looking at this whole thing. Then again, maybe he didn't want to know.
"No, you're never boring," Remus said, rubbing at a small scar on the back of his hand. How nice it would be to be able to change certain things about one's appearance at a moment's notice. "Well, it is Saturday," Remus pointed out with a shrug. "I don't know, I suppose I've always dressed well. When I had the money to do so, of course."
Dora beamed. She liked being interesting. “It’s not being boring that’s important,” she said with a nod. “I mean, you – in the general sense – could be beautiful – well, you are beautiful, but that’s beside the point. The general you could be the most beautiful person on the planet, and be completely void of thought. And then you’ve got someone who’s average, or not so average, maybe even a little…well, you know. But if they’re interesting and smart and thoughtful, doesn’t matter what they look like. Everyone’s so bloody concerned with appearance that it amazes me that we aren’t all idiots after hundreds of generations of this.” She shook her head and flushed. “Sorry, didn’t mean to go off like that. It just bugs me, I guess. It’s why I haven’t told anyone at Hogwarts about being a Metamorphmagus. I don’t want to just be something to look at.”
She gave him a curious look. “Yeah, what’s with that? Am I allowed to ask?” She’d noticed that his occupations, especially when she was younger, were shaky at best. He always seemed to have a different job.
As Dora continued to go on and on, Remus' eyebrows slowly higher and higher. First the compliment about his own looks and then her... opinions. By the time she had finished, his eyebrows nearly reached his hairline.
"There is a difference. Some people are attracted to beauty, others to... other things. And sometimes it's a combination of a great many things."
He did order that drink, glass of Ogden's Finest. "Not much to say about it," he lied easily. "I couldn't keep jobs when I left school. I was sick often and employers don't take to kindly to that."
“I guess,” she conceded. “But how long do those relationships last? The ones based on looks, I mean. You see two pretty people together, and you have to sort of wonder why they’re together – if they really are such a terrific match, or if they looked at each other and thought of how beautiful their kids would be.” She shrugged. “It just seems a bit silly to me, that’s all. I like bits of the unusual or the different – things that make people stand out.” Dora gestured to Remus. “You’ve got scars, for instance. I like that. My Aunt Narcissa, on the other hand – well, there’s nothing really unique about her, is there? She’s like plastic.”
Dora ordered fish and chips – plain and simple, and not too messy, and enough to keep her stomach from rumbling and her body from absorbing too much alcohol. In addition, she ordered a vodka and pineapple juice, having absolutely no idea what it was called. “So then,” she said cheerfully. “What did you want to do while you were at Hogwarts? What were you aiming for during your N.E.W.T.s, I mean?”
"Then again, look at James and Lily," Remus replied, pointing out one very good looking couple in his book. "Sometimes, it can happen. Not saying always, but on occasion..." Of course, Remus agreed with Dora on looks as he never considered himself to be good looking. Logically, he knew he was, but he always thought the scars marred that potential perfect visage. "Scars does not automatically mean a 'bad boy' if that's what you're hoping for. Just a few unfortunate potions accidents."
The more one told the lies, the easier they came.
Shepherd's Pie was his order and the waiter took the menus and everything else back to the kitchen and Remus rested his chin on his hands. "What did I want to do? I actually had wanted to go into the Ministry and do work with research. I did the best in Defence and Transfiguration. But in the end, I ended up teaching."
Dora tilted her head in concession. “They got lucky,” she said with a shrug. “And with those specs, James lowers the bar a bit. But Lily’s gorgeous. Dunno why she settled for him.” She grinned cattily. “James might be a bit of a Clark Kent though, I’ll give you that. I doubt you’re in the habit of evaluating your friends’ looks though, yeah? Although…” She eyed him, remembering their conversation in detention the week before. “Maybe you’re a bit more up on that than I thought.”
She snorted. “I’ve had enough of bad boys, thank you. And like hell those are a few unfortunate potions accidents.” She pulled up her sleeve and undid the morph that hid a burn-like scar on her right forearm. It wasn’t hideous, not really, but it was big enough to prove her point. “This is an unfortunate potions accident. But it’s all right,” she added, morphing her skin back. “You don’t have to tell me where you got them.”
Leaning toward him, as if sincerely intrigued, she propped her chin in her hands. “You’re a teacher? Really? I’d have never guessed. How’s that going for you? I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to teach a bunch of snotty-nosed little brats arithmetic and charms.”
"I've always suspected a love potion to be quite honest," Remus said with a grin. "But that's just me." Once more he shrugged. "Well, there was that man in the fifties who did the reports on human sexuality and that we all look at members of our own sex and attractive features they display."
Remus' eyebrows lifted when he saw the scar. He subconsciously resumed rubbing the back of his hand once more, not quite meeting her eyes. Yes, he knew he could tell her and she wouldn't reveal his big secret yet at the same time... he simply couldn't trust her. Not yet.
With a roll of his eyes, Remus kicked Dora under the table. "That's for the sarcasm."
Dora tapped her chin, pretending to consider it. “Mm, a love potion…y’know, that does make sense.” She’d heard all the stories about how James had been after Lily for ages, after all. “Wonder if we ought to tell Lily. It’d be the humane thing to do, all things considered.” She nodded, for once not completely unknowledgeable. “Kinsey, yeah? I think I read about him a few times. Probably something Sirius had.” She made a face. “I don’t get the appeal of girls. Women. Whatever you want to call it. Never have.”
She saw the signs of him trying to hide something, and she appreciated that he hadn’t tried to insist he wasn’t lying. She wasn’t an idiot, after all, despite popular belief. But she didn’t push the issue any further. It probably didn’t matter, in the end.
Yelping softly when he kicked her, she kicked back. “Don’t make me come over there,” she warned in her sternest voice, even as her eyes shined with mirth.
"May be the humane thing to do, but I'd rather like Harry to grow up with James around," Remus said with a chuckle. "That, and James is too much of a kid himself to be wholly responsible for a kid all on his lonesome." To which, if James heard that, Remus would probably end up with his ears boxed. "Not sure if Sirius had it or not. There's a difference between seeing the appeals of the same sex and wanting to be with them." Remus shrugged. "You can appreciate a woman has a nice figure without wanting to hop into bed with her, you know."
Remus was more than glad that Tonks didn't try to push the issue. If this was to be more than a one-time thing, her ability to let an issue slide was going to be quite a help.
Chuckling, Remus reached under the table and rubbed his shin. "You started it," he said quite maturely.
“Mm, good point.” She laughed lightly. “Wouldn’t want poor James stuck raising Harry by himself. Poor bloke wouldn’t know which way to turn.” Not that she was particularly good with kids either, but still. “You ever plan on having kids someday?” she asked, forgetting for a moment that this was a ‘date’. “I mean, really, Remus, if you are, you better get on that horse. Clock’s ticking,” she teased, then nodded slightly. “I suppose. I notice what men tend to like, if that counts, but not because I like it – ‘cause it helps to know with morphing and all. Know how the masses react to certain hair colours and styles and all.”
Again she snorted. “Did not. You’re the one who kicked me first. I was only trying to be conversational.” She sniffed, mockingly offended. “If my conversation topics aren’t good enough for you, then what d’you want to talk about?”
Remus chuckled, biting his lower lip. "No, James stuck by himself with a kid is not exactly the best idea. My luck he'll end up depending on me to raise him." Kids, in Remus' estimation, were fine with others. He had no intention on having kids for a goodly long while. "One day, perhaps." Remus shrugged slightly. "Technically, I have a couple hundred kids so I don't need any more of my own right now. I have more than enough otherwise." Remus arched a brow. "So, have you altered yourself further to what you think I'll like?"
Remus rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Conversational my arse," Remus said, playfully sticking his tongue out. "That statement of yours was absolutely laced with sarcasm."
Dora laughed. “Don’t you and Harry get on well? Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Mr. Mum.” Relaxing considerably, she leaned back in her seat, watching him. “One day, perhaps? I guess your kind have the advantage, don’t you? Don’t have to worry about ticking clocks or anything. You could be a dad at seventy.” She wrinkled her nose. “Wouldn’t recommend it though. They’d drive you mad. Early grave and all. And even if you’ve got a couple hundred kids, there are, what, a dozen other parents?” She grinned. “You’ve got it easy, you do.”
She tilted her head. “What do you think? Do I look altered to you?
Laughing lightly at his gesture, she returned it in kind. “Maybe. Doesn’t mean you couldn’t have answered it though. And you still haven’t answered my question, y’know – if my conversation topics aren’t good enough for you, then what is, eh?”
Remus shuddered slightly at the term 'mr mum'. "Sure, Harry and I get on just fine. But there's a difference between getting on and spending every moment together too." With that, Remus had to agree. "I really don't want to hear anything about ticking clocks where you are concerned to be quite honest," Remus said, barely suppressing a shudder. In a few years, yes -- but definitely not now. "Yes, it's like joint custody or somesuch," Remus said, grinning. "We each have to deal with them for a few hours each day and then pass them off to parent number two. Or three... or four..."
Remus mimicked the motion of her head, giving her a silent appraisal. "Well, given the fact that you look a fair bit different than usual, it's hard to say one way or another." He tilted his head the other way. "Are you going to tell me or leave me to wonder?"
"I also," Remus said, taking a quick sip of his drink, "never said your topics of conversation weren't good. I merely said I wanted to avoid the sarcasm."
“True,” said Dora with a shrug. “Harry’s decent though, for a kid. Loads like James, isn’t he?” Again she grinned. At his next words, she gave him a confused look until she finally realised what he was saying. “Oh – oh! No. No.” Her eyes widened slightly. “Not happening. And if it does, I will be – I don’t know. But no. Not until I’m thirty, at the youngest. Maybe I’ll have a kid, but I want to be an Auror,” she added, as if this explained everything. And to Dora, it did. Her grin returned. “Deal with them, eh? That’s how it is? I don’t envy you, y’know. Except for the whole bit where you get to pawn your students off to another ‘parent’ whenever you want.” Except her. She wasn’t so easily pawned off.
She smiled. “Maybe I’ll show you sometime.” She didn’t mean it to be terribly alluring or seductive or anything of the sort, but after she’d said it, she worried it had come out that way. Still, not entirely sure how to fix it without making them both uncomfortable, she let it be.
Snorting, she said in an amused voice, “Okay – no sarcasm. How is teaching?”
"Looks quite a bit like James," Remus agreed. "The spitting image, save for the eyes. I have a feeling half the professors who had us lot in school will shudder the moment Harry steps into the castle. But that is neither here nor there." He couldn't help it. Hearing how emphatically she turned down the notion of becoming a parent anytime soon, Remus tossed his head back and laughed. Strangely enough, the 'Auror' comment did explain everything. One couldn't really be a mum and expect to go through all that training. "I don't think one can tote around a crumb grabber and expect to make it through training," Remus reasoned. "And yeah, it is pretty brilliant. However, there are some students who refuse to be 'pawned' off," Remus said, looking pointedly at Dora.
Oh it had come out that way alright, as evidenced by the blush colouring Remus' cheeks. He only hoped the pub was dimly lit enough to keep it from being too evident. He let the comment slide, having a feeling that to respond at all would lead them down a path of no return -- as if he wasn't already heading in that direction.
"Without the sarcasm -- I do enjoy it. There are some days when it's more challenging than naught. Other days that I'd rather toss up my hands and say screw the lot of you. But... in the end, I enjoy it. I truly do." He leaned his elbows on the edge of the table. "Under no obligation to say Defence, what is your favourite subject?"
Dora contemplated this. “I know Sirius was bad, but James was, too, eh?” She shook her head. “If he was anything like Sirius, Merlin help those poor professors. You, too, for that matter, though I suspect Harry will behave for you, wouldn’t he?” Enjoying his laughter, she grinned, although admittedly she wasn’t entirely sure what was so funny. “Crumb grabber?” Now it was her turn to laugh. “That’s one way to put it, yeah. I’ve heard how difficult training is, and even the first few years after that. Probably won’t have much time to myself, let alone for a kid. Plus, y’know, my motorbike doesn’t fit a baby seat.” She didn’t mention how the prospect of being responsible for another life terrified her. Giving him a wry smile, she smirked. “Yeah, yeah, you know damn well you don’t want to pawn me off anyhow. I’m brilliant. Don’t pretend to deny it.”
Able to detect his blush, although thinking it was much slighter than it actually was, Dora let out an embarrassed little laugh. “Sorry, didn’t mean it quite like that.”
Listening, she smiled at the appropriate times and was rather intrigued by the whole thing. He seemed to be dropping his guard, and she liked it. “Yeah, that’s how I tend to feel about school and professors in general,” she admitted. “Defence. Really, not trying to kiss your arse. Transfiguration and Potions come in second and third, but they’re distant. Defence is just – everything I think magic should be, I suppose. It just fits.”
Remus adopted his best look of pure innocence. "Both of them were. I highly suspect I was made a Prefect in the vain hope I'd be able to control them. Then again..." Remus smiled impishly. "I will take credit for some of the more brilliant plans, no matter what Sirius tries to say otherwise." Really, Remus' value in life had been stopping them from doing anything truly stupid. Mostly stupid, however... he let them earn their detentions on those. "A motorbike? You and Sirius," Remus said with a shake of his head. "I don't? There could be some guy waiting in the wings in the back corner of the pub, waiting for me to use the loo and will sweep in and take my place. Could have planned it out, you know."
"I... I know you didn't," Remus replied softly, hoping the blush was dying down. Praying it was. It was the implications of what could happen between him that made him a prude. He had to admit that, if she wasn't his student and were a few years older... Well, that was the fantasy and he needed to focus on the reality.
It may have been the alcohol that was helping to relax him or some outside force that was making him relax. Irregardless, Remus began to breathe easier. "You're just hoping I'll pick up the tab tonight," Remus teased. "Really, though... I'll agree with you on almost all of it. Potions, however... can go take a flying leap as far as I'm concerned."
She snorted. “I don’t think anyone can control them. Lily, maybe, for James, but Sirius is…well, Sirius.” There was really no more explanation needed on that. “They didn’t make me a prefect ‘cause I lacked the ability to behave myself. Sprout thinks I take after Sirius too much sometimes.” She couldn’t disagree with that. “Oh, Sirius didn’t tell you?” Her eyes lit up. “He got me a motorbike for my birthday! The wanker told me for ages that he wasn’t getting me anything, and he got me a motorbike. It’s brilliant, it really is. I’ll take you for a ride sometime.” Her eyes widened a little. “You’d better not! That’d be horrible. Talk about stealing the last shred of my self-confidence.”
Giving him a bit of a strange smile, she wondered exactly what he was thinking, but didn’t have the brass to ask. There was a part of her – bigger than she was willing to admit – that would have liked this. She reckoned that had things been different, he could’ve made her very, very happy. And she hoped she could’ve made him happy, too. But he did make her happy already. It was selfish of her to be picky about what sort of happiness it was.
“Nah, no such hopes,” she said with a grin. “I don’t mind picking it up, if you’d like. And I like the challenge of Potions. That’s my favourite part, I think, having Snape sneering at me and implying I’ll never be good enough. I like proving him wrong and making him look like an idiot.”
"Sirius is Sirius and that's all there is to it," Remus finished for her. Chuckling, Remus agreed with the sentiment. "I... no offense intended... but think that was quite the wise decision. I think I rather agree with Sprout's estimation." Maybe that, in the end, was why they got along. Remus refused to term it anything else. Remus' jaw practically hit the floor and he didn't even notice when the waiter brought their dinner. "He... he bought you a bloody motorbike?" Remus hissed. He shook his head, sighing. Sirius was going to be the death of him, plain and simple. "Alright, caught me -- there isn't. I'm not going to break you or anything." Oh god was that the wrong thing to say.
They really had to stop watching these sexual innuendos.
The periods of silence were becoming longer and longer between them. Was she regretting this? This date that had started in jest but Remus was wondering if this was becoming... more serious than either of them intended. Remus, frankly, wasn't quite sure how he felt about something serious. The age difference was there -- plus their professional differences. He didn't want to think about that yet -- the cart before the hippogriff and all that.
"No, it's not right," he said, in regards to the tab. "I don't mind. Honest." He didn't suppress a shudder about Snape. "I went to school with the git. He hasn't changed in all the years I've known him. In fact, I think he's getting worse."
Thanking the server with a smile when their dinner arrived, Dora immediately cut into her fish, eyeing the steam as it poured out. Nice and hot, but too hot to eat without embarrassing herself. “Yeah, yeah. Mum and Dad did, too,” she said with a grin. “Or at least I think they did. I think Sirius was proud when he heard. Wouldn’t want to be a Prefect anyway, to be honest – a little too much like babysitting, I think.” Dipping a chip into the catsup, Dora popped it into her mouth nonchalantly and chewed as Remus reacted to Sirius’ gift. “He did,” she said happily once she’d swallowed. “Don’t worry, I’ll take you for a ride sometime. Maybe I’ll even let you drive.” Now that she certainly hadn’t meant sexually, but it seemed innuendo wasn’t her friend that evening. But it seemed Remus was having a bit of a problem with it as well, and she laughed softly, amused. “I’d like to see you try. I’m made of tougher stuff than you think, y’know.”
Pulling her legs up Indian-style as she took her first bite of fish, Dora chewed and mulled over her thoughts. She really wanted to know what he was thinking, but for now, the food was distracting enough. “Good?” she said, nodding toward his Shepherd’s Pie. “You’ve awfully quiet.”
Again Dora shrugged. “Really, whatever you’d like. I came prepared to pay, and they can’t exactly be paying you a whole heck of a lot for such a thankless job. And I sort of roped you into this, anyhow.” She gave him a guilty smile, then took a deep breath and added hesitantly, “How seriously are you taking this? I mean – I can’t tell, that’s what I’m trying to say, I think. Is it still just a joke, or…?” She nodded in regards to Snape, but didn’t say anything. She’d heard all the stories growing up about how much of a git Snivellus Snape was.
Remus, however, wasn't as concerned with the temperature of his shepherd's pie. He poked his way through the mashed potatoes on top, letting some steam escape before digging in. Sure, he'd end up burning his tongue most likely, but the pie was best when it was piping hot -- just as it was right now. "Oh, it is quite a bit like babysitting," Remus agreed. "The only good part was being able to be out and about past curfew... which... I used to spend more time in the library," Remus said sheepishly. He really shouldn't have taken that bite before she spoke. He began to cough and sputter, his mind jumping straight to the gutter. "Might let me drive? You say that as if you expect I'll crash your gift," Remus said with a sniff. "I happen to be quite the good driver." Remus chuckled. "Hey, you're the one who said it would strip away the last shard of your self-confidence. Not me."
He watched her shift in her chair, Remus marvelling over the flexibility of females. If he tried a move like that, he wouldn't be able to move for the rest of the week. "Yes, it's quite good," he said after swallowing. "How is your fish and chips?"
Remus shrugged. "You may have, but I also believe in that little thing known as chivalry. Let's just say... if there's a repeat performance, you can pay next time." Oh god. He just insinuated there would be another date. Remus drew in a breath. "I'm... not sure," he answered trutfully. "It's... not feeling much like a joke anymore is it?" he asked softly.
"On that, trust me, he's a git. Theoretically, I shouldn't tell you to hate a professor or tell you stories of his past, but then again, I shouldn't be on a date with you either." Chalk it up to another of their little secrets he supposed. "He was insufferable during our years at Hogwarts and I daresay his hygene has yet to improve at all. I don't think he knows what a bar of soap is if it bit him on the arse."
The library. Somehow that didn’t surprise her. “Figures,” she said with a wide grin. “You certainly seem the type. I can get around after hours without much trouble though, too. No need for a Prefect’s badge. Just a pair of bug specs and a green shawl.” He certainly seemed to be enjoying his meal, and she took another bite of a chip as she watched, then burst into another soft fit of laughter as he sputtered. “You’re funny. And of course you’re a good driver – you’ve probably got loads of experience, haven’t you?” This time she winked. “I’d trust you not to crash my motorbike. Or break me. Or strip away the last shred of my self-confidence. I haven’t got a lot, y’know.”
She took another bite. “Brilliant – better than the school food. Want a bite?” She childishly opened her mouth for a moment to show him the half-chewed fish.
Her eyes widened ever-so-slightly at the implication that there would be another one of these. Another date. “I see my Befuddling Spell is working,” she teased. “You want another one of these, do you? Let the record show that you’re the one who asked me this time.” Flashing him another wide smile, she took a sip of her drink. Not bad. Shaking her head in agreement, she also hesitated before saying, “It sort of doesn’t.” She watched him for a moment before adding in an equally soft voice, “I don’t mind.”
Relieved he was loosening up, she nodded. “Oh, it’s all right, I already know. Five years of having him as a professor – well, you know.” She wrinkled his nose. “Every time he talks to me or breathes anywhere near me, I want to conjure him a toothbrush. Glad to know he hasn’t changed much though. Sort of a relief, really.”
"Figures?" Remus asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Just because I am exceedingly well-read doesn't mean I'm a bore, you know." He shook his head, hiding a smile. "Should have known when I see Trelawney down from her tower it was someone was playing a prank." The hot meal burned the roof of his mouth and not even a sip of Ogden's did much for soothing the burning sensation. He wiped his mouth with his napkin, glaring at her utter amusement at his misfortune. "I do have loads of experience. But that is utterly beside the point."
About to agree to the bite of fish, Remus quickly shut his eyes when she showed him a mouth-full of half-eaten food. "Dora... please. You are seventeen now," he chided her, peeking out of one eyelid to make sure she had closed her mouth and swallowed.
"So that's the reason," Remus said, taking any excuse for why he was acting as he was -- even if he knew deep down that there was no Befuddlement spell on him. "Well, you asked for the first one, I suppose it's only logical that I offer the second. Otherwise it'll look like you're desperate and we can't have that, now can we?" he teased. The teasing smile was gone when she agreed with his estimation. Remus drew a breath in, pursing his lips. "I... yes," he said, growing uncomfortable once more.
Talk about something safe. Back to the teaching subject. Remus snorted. "You do that, I'll find a reason to give Hufflepuff back the points he'll take away from you."
Dora arched an eyebrow. “Whoever said anything about you being boring? As it so happens, I think the opposite’s true. You’re really interesting, you know.” Flashing him a winsome smile, she tucked her hair behind her ears and continued to eat, stopping only long enough to reply. “Yeah, sometimes that’s me. Not always though. And I know you’re experienced.” She grinned impishly. “We’ve already had that particular discussion, haven’t we?”
Amused, although also slightly embarrassed, it was Dora’s turn to blush now. Her mouth had only been open for a quick moment, barely long enough for him to get a look, but still. Wasn’t the whole point of this to prove that she was mature? No, she thought after a moment. It was to show him who she was outside of the child he remembered and the student he taught. And like it or not, that was something she’d done because of who she was, not the person she wanted him to think she was. So all in all, nothing to be embarrassed about. “What?” she said innocently after swallowing. This time she did cut a piece off for him and offered it to him on her fork. “It was just a little chewed. Delicate stomach?”
She laughed. “Exactly. That’s the reason.” Although they both knew damn well that it wasn’t the truth. Things were certainly taking a turn away from what they’d both expected, it seemed, and Dora wasn’t quite sure what to make of it just yet. “It’s only logical,” she agreed, “although we won’t have another Hogsmeade weekend for ages.” Which put an unfortunate crimp in their plans. Still, when he agreed once more, she pressed her lips together, recognizing how uncomfortable he was. Giving him a friendly smile, hoping to stem that, she made herself relax even more. He wouldn’t relax if she wasn’t relaxed as well.
She snorted. “Double it and I’ll do it.”
Remus wasn't quite sure why it seemed so imparative that she like him for him at this moment in time. He couldn't help the way his chest swelled when she called him interesting, inspite of his bookish ways. The winsome smile also did something to him and Remus was determined to gouge out his own eyes before he did anything stupid. He concentrated on his dinner, moving the mashed potato layer out of the way to give the rest of it time to cool. Glancing up, Remus gave Dora his best impish grin. "We have. I can't tell if you keep bringing it up as a subtle hint or not."
She was blushing now -- they were even one apiece. "I do not have a delicate stomach. I wasn't expecting to see a mouthfull of partially chewed food," Remus replied, leaning forward to take the bit off her fork without realising the implications. While he couldn't get drunk... it was most likley that Ogden's was doing a fair amount to relax him. It was the only explanation. "sgood," Remus said around a mouth-full of fish, silently offering her his spoon with a nice helping of the Shepherd's Pie.
Remus wasn't quite sure what to make of it either. Logically, he knew ending this date as soon as humanly possible would be the best thing for them both. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead, he poked at his food, moving it around on his plate.
"Double it? I don't know if I can justify that to the rest of the professors. Might be able to throw in a few more, however."
His reactions surprised her, both his actions and his strange silences, but Dora didn’t know how to ready body language well enough to interpret them properly, or even interpret them at all. Instead she took them as signs that things were going well, not knowing if she was right or not. But she liked that impish grin of hers. She really liked it, and she returned it. “Subtle hint? What would I be trying to subtly hint at?”
Dora snorted good-naturedly. “Well, it’s a bloody good thing you weren’t born a bird then, isn’t it? Dunno how you could’ve possibly survived being fed. Bird as in animal, bird,” she clarified before he got too confused. “Sorry for surprising you then, although not really, but I’m apologizing anyhow.” She grinned, then watched him as he took the food from her fork. There was something overtly…intimate about the way he’d done that, and it puzzled her for a moment. Still, she did like the sense of closeness the gesture brought with it, and when he offered her a bite of his, she did the same, although a bit more clumsily. It was hot. Fanning her mouth after just barely being able to keep the food in there – no point grossing him out twice – Dora pressed her lips together and silently laughed, even as she was trying to prevent her tongue from burning.
“Hot!” she finally managed to spit out. “But good. And you’re creative – I’m sure you could find some way to double it. Hell, as an impossible question and just tell me beforehand. Or spread it out over a few weeks. That’d be all right, I think, though the other students might tease me for brownnosing. But if there’s one teacher I’d brownnose, it’d be you.” She gave him a lopsided smile, partially to indicate she was kidding and partially to indicate that she was also serious.
To be honest, Remus was glad she wasn't picking up on his silent cues, at least not yet. If she could read him that well already, it could have been quite a bit disconcerting. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine that she was older... no, that was going to send him down a horrid path he really didn't want to go down. Breathe, Remus. Settle down and get your head out of your arse. "I'm not quite sure, but given how you managed to get me to confess a few things that detention..." he tilted his head, chewing on his lower lip, "I think you could be hinting at anything."
Remus was quite confused until she clarified completely. He chuckled, wrinkling his nose. "Yes, but when you eat worms, what's a little bit of already chewed food?" Of course, he managed to burn her with the food. Just his luck and all that rot. "Sorry," Remus apologised quickly. "I thought it had cooled down enough already."
He took the spoon back and finished off the rest of his dinner, pushing the plate away when he was finished. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, thinking over the ideas. Hell, any of it would have been worth it just to see the look on Snape's face. He'd just have to fabricate a reason to be there to actually see it. "You mean you haven't been brownnosing yet?" Remus teased. "I must have gotten my signals crossed."
Dora regarded him closely. He seemed surprisingly nervous all of the sudden, but she didn’t mention it. That detention wasn’t something she was terribly fond of remembering, but she held her tongue about that as well. “I like knowing that sort of thing,” she said with a shrug. It was no great secret. “It intrigues me. The way people interact and gain experience and choose to react to certain people or situations – I like it. You’re interesting on loads of levels, but that sticks out sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes. When I realise just how experienced you are, versus me having little to none. Sometimes it’s a bit disconcerting, but mostly it’s just intriguing. I’m not hinting at anything though. Well, nothing too big, anyhow,” she added with a grin.
Beaming, she sat up a bit straighter. “Exactly? See – you’d make an awful baby bird if you can’t even handle chewed human food with that delicate stomach of yours. It’s a wonder you can even eat Shepherd’s Pie.” When he apologized for burning her, she waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it,” she said after taking a drink to cool her mouth. “I do that all the time. My mouth’s really sensitive to temperature for some reason. I’m trying to teach myself how to morph my tastebuds back, so this actually helps, even. So thank you!” No reason to make him feel bad about the whole thing, really. It was hardly any big deal. She could’ve easily made a comment about how he ought to kiss it and make it better, but that had implications she was fairly certain neither of them were ready for just yet.
Dora also finished with her fish, and by the time they were talking again, she was munching idly on her chips. “’Course I’m not brownnosing,” she said with a laugh. “Why would I do that? No need to, really. You know that if you fail me, Sirius’ll kill you, so it all works out well for me, no brownnosing necessary.”