Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 43 - Selene and Tonks, The Best of Friends

The morning that Selene and the children were supposed to leave for Hogwarts, Selene woke up very early. Way too early.

She left Sirius still asleep in their bed and crept down the stairs to the basement kitchen, hoping to get some time alone with a cup of coffee.

That didn't happen.

When she got down there, Tonks was already sitting at the kitchen table, looking tired.

Selene considered turning back around, hoping that the younger woman hadn't seen her, but it was too late.

"Selene?"

Selene rolled her eyes, slowly trudging farther into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Tonks," she said stiffly, taking a seat at the table.

"Good morning," she said pleasantly. "Sleep well?"

Selene merely grunted in reply. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, trying to look tired enough for Tonks to get the message that she didn't want to have a conversation.

Tonks didn't get the message.

"I get the sense that you don't like me very much," Tonks said casually, leaning across the table towards Selene.

Selene looked startled. "What? What makes you think that?"

"You tell me," Tonks said good-naturedly, seeming not at all bothered that Selene could dislike her.

Selene heaved a big sigh, a little ashamed that she had been called out. "I don't dislike you, Tonks. Not really."

"Then what is it?" the younger woman pressed.

Selene gave her an exasperated look. "You like Remus, don't you?"

Tonks looked surprised. "I mean, I suppose. He is a good-looking guy."

Selene stared at her, frowning.

Tonks widened her eyes in realization. "Are you – are you in love with Remus? But – but you're married to Sirius!"

Selene sighed heavily. "I know."

"Does Sirius know?"

"Yes."

"Are you and Remus together?"

"No, we're not together."

Tonks frowned.

"We used to be," Selene continued. "But Sirius and I had been arranged to be married, and along with that, there were some – other – issues holding us back."

"What other issues?" Tonks asked curiously.

"I don't know..." Selene said awkwardly. "It's a lot to explain..."

"I'm here to listen," Tonks said kindly.

And so, with slight hesitation, Selene filled her in on everything relating to her and Remus, from the very beginning when they met in their third year, to when they started dating, to their break-up a couple years later, to her and Sirius' engagement, to her and Remus' living together after Sirius' imprisonment, and – finally – to the entire incident a little over a year ago, when Remus gravely injured her as a werewolf. She neglected to tell her, however, some of the finer details, her mind still plagued by her and Sirius' conversation from yesterday.

Tonks was a great listener, and she gazed at Selene in rapt attention the entire time she spoke.

When Selene finally finished, Tonks could only say, "Whoa..."

"Exactly," Selene huffed, resting her head on her fists.

"He's a big idiot," she said resolutely, "but I don't think it's going to last."