I know this is short. Very short. And I wouldn't have posted at all if it weren't for circumstances, but at the moment I feel that something is better than nothing. And this isn't the completed chapter. This is about a third of it, actually. The rest just hasn't been written, and will be updated in due course.

I'm sitting on my bed, writing this Author's Note in the dead of night, because I'm graduating tomorrow. And I am fucking terrified. However, my usual coping method of binge-watching The Nanny and drawing in Photoshop has been unable to assuage my fears, so I am turning to the usual way that people deal with their problems in this day and age – by putting them on the internet.

Though you wouldn't be able to tell, I am the most hideously co-dependent person on the face of this planet. I've been at that same school for 12 years of my life, and now I'm being punted out into the world of jerkish adults and *shudders* taxes. Mentally, I'm still about five years old, and though this may say horribly ungrateful, I hate being forced by social constraints to grow up too fast. I still want to be a kid, yaknow?

Though, in terms of FF news, this means I'll have more time to write. Though, we all know I probably won't. We'll see how it works out.

We'll see.

JustARandomGirl: Thank you for your faith in me, though I know I don't deserve it. Your dedication to this miserable story has been astounding, and I don't feel like I tell you enough. Thank you.

74 – Fighting the Inevitable

Remus

When Remus woke, he was made painstakingly aware of a dull ache up the left side of his body, and a lovely headache. He groaned quietly and gradually opened his eyes, the white, clinical ceiling of the hospital wing swimming into view above him.

He then realised that he was not alone.

A tiny figure was curled in the chair beside his bed, her top half resting on the bed beside him. Kayla looked pale and soft in the dark, her edges faintly kissed by moonlight. Her long, dark hair was spread out around her, reflecting the light like a silvery halo. Her beautiful, elfish face was blissfully calm in sleep, and she looked so serene that something warm settled in the depth of Remus' gut. He reached out with his right, undamaged arm, and gently brushed his fingers over her fringe.

She let out a quiet sigh at his touch and stirred a little, snuggling further into the pillow. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled groggily.

'Hey.'

'Hey,' Remus whispered. 'Hey. Hi.' He shifted a bit. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.'

'All good,' she murmured. She lifted her head up a little. 'Can I . . .?'

'Yeah,' he replied, though he did not know what she was asking.

She got up and gently slipped her hands over his shoulders in a careful approximation of a hug, burrowing her nose into his collarbone. 'How are you feeling?'

'Honestly?'

'Yes honestly, you goose.'

He snorted quietly, grinning a little. 'Like rubbish. Everything aches.'

'I'm sorry,' she whispered. 'I wish I could do something to help.'

'I know,' he replied. 'It's okay. Seeing you is more than enough.'

She gave him a tiny smile, worn soft with sleep. 'Oh shush, you sap.'

'C'mere.' He looped his arm around her waist and tugged gently, until she slid under the blankets beside him, tangling her legs with his. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she smiled again.

'Hello,' she whispered, eyes bright.

'I thought we already did that,' he replied softly, tilting her chin up so he could see her better.

'I know,' she replied. 'But that's okay.' She leaned forward and kissed him softly, looping an arm over his chest. He drew her closer so that her tiny body was pulled flush up against his, and deepened the kiss, bringing a hand up to tangle in her hair. Her fingertips gently roamed his torso, and he immediately knew what she was subconsciously doing; carefully sussing out the most recent injuries and cataloguing every single one.

It was what she always did after the full moon. Well, when he was preoccupied with the snogging, anyway.

He huffed a laugh at the thought, and she drew away ever so slightly, looking at him indignantly.

'What?' she whispered, the spot between her eyebrows wrinkling in suspicious confusion.

'Nothing,' he replied, shaking his head a bit. 'It's just – you're adorable, you know that?'

If anything, the suspicious look increased tenfold. 'What did I do?'

'Nothing,' he repeated, feeling his grin broaden. 'I just . . .' He felt his cheeks redden a little, now that he was voicing it out loud. 'I like it when you're looking after me. Like this.' He placed a hand over the top of hers, which was presently tracing a fresh scar that Madam Pomfrey had healed as soon as he had returned to the Hospital Wing.

Kayla blinked a little, her gaze flickering briefly to the spot beneath the sheets where their hands lay, and she smiled slightly. 'That's okay,' she replied. 'I just like knowing that you're alright. And you are, aren't you?'

'More than alright,' he replied softly, and rolled her so that she was mostly on top of him, but not aggravating the abrasions he had acquired. Her squeak of surprise was cut short as he drew her back in for another kiss.

Kayla was someone who kissed reservedly, like she wanted to push further but always held herself back. It was something that puzzled Remus to a degree, especially since they had been snogging rather enthusiastically for about six months now. She could probably do absolutely anything and he wouldn't object in the slightest. But she was always very careful, so particular about exactly what she did that Remus couldn't help but feel a little fond.

This time however, she cradled his jaw in her palms and deepened the kiss, drawing him in so beautifully that he unconsciously leaned toward her in response, tangling his hands back in the comfortable familiarity of her hair. She hummed a little in approval, and angled her head so that their mouths slotted together in a more comfortable manner.

They stayed like this for several comfortable minutes until the distant snap of a door closing jolted them apart. Remus groggily looked around to confirm that they were still alone, and Kayla burrowed back into his collarbone, drawing the sheets up so that she was almost buried beneath them.

'Speaking of which,' Remus murmured, referring to the noise, 'how did you convince Pomfrey to let you stay?'

'I didn't,' she whispered with an elfish grin, her eyes glittering in the moonlight. 'James lent me that cloak of his.' She craned her neck to peer over the side of the bed. 'It must have fallen off me.'

'You little sneak,' he teased. 'Your perfect record isn't as clean as it seems.'

'Oh shush,' she replied. 'And go back to sleep. It's too late for this.'

'Too late for what?' he posed innocently.

She rolled her eyes. 'It's so – wait a minute, I did want to talk about something, actually. But it can probably wait 'til morning.'

'What?' he queried, furrowing his brows.

With a little grunt, she shuffled her position, before saying, 'Never mind. I'll come back at breakfast and talk to you about it. Don't want to upset your sleeping.'

'My sleeping's fine,' he told her stubbornly. 'Now what's wrong?'

She sighed, and pursed her lips in that cute way she did when she was exasperated. After a long moment, she let out her breath and looked back at him. 'Have you heard what's been going on with Marley?'

He gave her a dry look. 'Until now, I've been dieting on wild forest animals. I wouldn't be surprised if I'd missed a bit.'

She huffed. 'Do you want me to tell you or not?'

He winced apologetically and rubbed her shoulder. 'Sorry. Go on.'

She simply watched him for a moment, before saying, 'Please don't panic.'

'I won't,' he promised.

'Marley knows. About -' She cut off and gestured vaguely.

Remus' heart stumbled in his chest. 'Is it – is it . . . is she upset?' he asked carefully, trying not to let his worry show on his face.

'She's not upset about that,' Kayla assured her quickly. 'It's just . . . we've all kept her in the dark for five years, and she found out by pure fluke. She's mad that we didn't tell her sooner. She thinks we don't trust her.'

Remus chewed his lip. 'To be fair, she is loud.'

Kayla scowled. 'Don't you start.'

He held up a hand in surrender. 'I know, I know . . .' He trailed off, the full meaning of what had happened settling in. 'Oh Merlin.'

'Yeah,' Kayla agreed.

'So . . . she's not talking to anyone?'

She shrugged. 'Kind of, kind of not. I think it will straighten itself out if you talk to her, though. And Sirius. He made a few mistakes about it, too.'

Remus winced. 'Oh no. What happened?'

'He said some things he didn't mean, she said some things she didn't mean – oh, and she walked in on him with some girl. That never helps a situation. She's a bit . . . well, muddled up. I think the stress of OWLs are getting to her.'

'Somehow I doubt that,' Remus told her seriously. 'I personally think she just needs to smack Sirius over the head and things will straighten themselves out. They have these little spats from time to time, you know; maybe not as big as that, but I think they'll figure it out.'

'That's what I think,' Kayla agreed. 'I just want to make sure you won't start beating yourself up about it.'

'I'm getting better at this,' he replied, but he couldn't quite squash down the burning feeling of shame in his gut that was quickly developing.

She rolled her eyes. 'I told you it should have waited until morning.'

'No, no,' he said quickly, 'it's fine. Really.'

She knew he was lying – the look in her eyes told him as much, but she carefully settled herself back down on his chest and closed her eyes. 'Fine,' she replied softly. 'Now go back to sleep.'

He didn't, of course, but at least had the decency to pretend, and put her mind at ease.

16/11/17