She couldn't help but laugh softly at his reaction, but it was such an amazing sensation to see a familiar face so joyful, to know she was the cause of it. She imagined her own expression was a reflection of his, and she could definitely feel the pull of her smile in her cheeks.
Not in a hurry to let go of him, she held his hands as tightly as he held onto hers, pleased beyond words to have him here. If James couldn't be here, then she had Remus, and that was nearly as good. Better, perhaps, in some ways; Remus had been her voice of reason more often than not. He'd certainly played the part for James, and he'd talked her out of a temper or two.
"Yes," she replied to his question. "I assume so, at any rate. I ... had posted a note asking if James was about, and I don't know anyone else who'd reply with so much acid as he did. The note's probably still up on the board somewhere," she murmured. She hadn't taken it down, at any rate. "The writing looked like his, and he didn't deny being him when I used his name, but ... it could have been anyone, I suppose." She didn't think it was anyone but him though.
She assumed Remus hadn't seen the note, or hadn't connected the names mentioned to her; otherwise, she assumed he would have replied. "James ... James isn't here, is he? Severus said he's been here a month himself and that James wasn't, but if it took me a week to find out that you were here, then maybe ...?" There was such bald hope in her face, a burning desire for Remus to say that yes, James was here.
Which was ridiculous. If James was here and Remus knew, then James would be standing here as well.