A/N: please review this story it will help me choose to keep writing or not with this story it was an idea I took and ran with after a long battle with myself thanks!
Chapter 1, Pink in a Grey world.
It was around noon in London and it was poring rain outside the surprisingly busy café that a 19 year old Remus Lupin ducked into to avoid the storm, he found a spot in an open booth near the window.
"Nymphadora! Your break ended 5 minutes ago get back to work!"
Barked a man behind the full counter.
"Yeah yeah, I hear you stop your barking."
The bell like voice floated over the other voices of people in the café, Remus looked up as the voice got closer to him and blinked seeing the girl before him, she wore ripped and faded jeans, a red shirt with a black cord running from it's collar to the ear bud in her ear hidden behind bright bubble gum pink hair that hung to her shoulders, she took out a note pad and pen from her apron looking at him with grey that resembled gleaming onyx gemstones.
"What can I get for you handsome?"
She smirked at him making him blush and look away from her, he cleared his throat before meeting her eyes again.
"Coffee please."
She wrote it down on the note pad her eyes flickering from his to what she was writing before looking to him.
"Anything else?"
She smiled softly shifting her weight to the other foot, he shook his head a smile tugging at his lips as he watched her tuck the note pad into her apron before she turned on her heel and walked away stumbling when she glanced back at him, he stifled a chuckle as she ducked behind the counter.
He looked outside at the sheeting rain that didn't seem to be letting up at all, his attention was pulled from the rainy street by the yelp that came from beside him, he looked just in time to seen the pink haired waitress trip over her own feet and fall to the floor the cup of hot coffee falling into his lap.
He jumped wincing as the hot liquid seeped through his jeans, she got up quickly grabbing napkins and apologizing panicked multiple times trying to help.
Once things calmed down and he was sitting in the booth dabbing the spot in an attempt to dry it while in the back she was getting harshly scolded by her boss, she came out into the café pulling on her deep purple coat tears pooling in her eyes, he watched her walk out into the pouring rain stopping by the bus stop pulling the collar of her coat up as the rain pelted her making her pink hair become a messy pink mop.
He looked at clock, the next bus wasn't for a few hours and if stayed out in the rain that long she'd catch her death, he wasn't sure what it was, maybe how she was wiping rain mixed tears from her cheeks or what, that made him get up from the booth and pull on his own coat before going to the door grabbing a black umbrella someone had left behind and stepped into the storm.
He made his way across the street to the bus stop where the girl was trying to keep her pink bangs out of her face as she shivered nearly soaked through, he held the umbrella over her head making her look up surprised though still shaking he wasn't sure what to say as her trembling frame and big grey eyes made his throat dry and his cheeks flush.
"U-um if your waiting for the bus it would be quicker to walk home."
She dropped her gaze to the puddle bellow the curb as the rain drops made ripples in the glass like surface.
"My flat is on the east end of town, it would take forever walking."
He glanced at the street before back at her catching her stealing a glance at him her cheek flushing like his.
"Well it would take less time than standing in the rain for two hours and you won't get so wet if you take this."
He gestured to the umbrella above their heads and gave a small smile which she returned before her cheeks darkened slightly.
"I don't want to walk alone, it will be dark soon."
She looked away clearly embarrassed, Remus Lupin was not the normal 19 year old he wasn't like his friends Sirius and James, he wasn't out on the town every night and he didn't have much experience in dating, no he was more of the type that would rather stay in the flat he and his two friends shared and read one of the many books he owned by the fire place with a mug of hot chocolate, Sirius had told him that he just hadn't found the person that would be wild enough to break him out of his boring life but he didn't believe it for a moment though out of all the things he wasn't not being a gentleman wasn't one of them.
"I-I could walk you home if you don't mind."
She looked back up at him with a bright smile, he'd only just met her so why did seeing her smile like that make his heart skip a beat and race wildly?
"I would like that, your very much the gentleman most men would have ducked their head and kept walking."
He raised an eyebrow as they began to walk ducked slightly against the rain.
"Why? Granted most young men aren't as eggar to extended a hand to a beautiful young women in need like I am."
He stopped speaking as he realized what he'd just said and glanced side ways at her seeing she was blushing wildly.
"Most people try and turn a blind eye to me, don't like the way I dress and my hair but I figure if they don't like it they can sod off."
She laughed and the sound made Remus' heart pick up pace again before it nearly stopped as she watched her feet and not where she was going, he grabbed her waist and pulled her from the street just in time for a car to barrel through where she had just been walking making her look from the street up to him blushing as she felt his arm around her waist and her body pressed against his.
She moved away from him a bit as he blushed and let her go.
"T-thanks."
"Don't mention it, are you alright?"
She nodded and as they crossed the street she looked up at him with a look of realization and a slight chuckle.
"This is a bit odd seeing as you just saved me from being road kill but I don't know your name, I'm Nymphadora Tonks by the way."
Remus smiled seeing how she shuddered at her first name grimacing slightly before smiling again.
"I'm Remus Lupin it's nice to meet you Nymphadora."
She grimaced again looking at the tall buildings containing flats looking over the numbers.
"Please, must you call me that?"
He looked confused as they passed a theater with posters advertising an old black and white love story movie.
"Well what am I going to call you if not your first name?"
She paused looking at the poster a smile dancing on her lips before continuing to walk with him as the rain began to lift.
"Dora, Nymph, Nymphie or Tonks, just please anything but my horrid first name."
She peeked out under the umbrella as the rain stopped and golden rays of setting sun broke through the clouds.
"Alright then Dora, so are we near your flat."
She nodded looking back at the buildings and going to the steps of one that made Remus' heart jump, it was the same building as the flat he shared with Sirius and James was in, she seen the shock in his eyes and went back to him confused slightly.
"Hey you okay Remus?"
He shook his head clear and smiled putting the umbrella down and shaking it off.
"Yes but it just so happens this is where my flat is as well, third floor flat 3B."
She smiled the same smile that made his heart pick up pace in his chest again and his cheeks flush.
"Really? I just moved in not long ago into 2C on the second floor, wonder why we haven't seen each other coming and going before."
He smiled and shook his head.
"I can't say but you've probably seen my roommates before."
She thought as they climbed the stairs to the second floor before she made a face.
"Are you roommates with the guy with wild black hair and glasses?"
Remus sighed with a nod knowing already that James had done something to make her give a face like she did.
"Yeah that's James, he's harmless his girlfriend would skin him if he was flirting with you, now Sirius well he's a smooth git so I can't say he's harmless."
She stopped outside her flat door and took a key from her pocket smiling at him.
"Him I'm aware of, he's actually my cousin so I grew up around him."
Remus felt his heart stop for a moment as he heard her say the words 'He's my cousin' and he felt his smile fall as his mind raced, she seen the shift in his mood and opened the door to her flat and blushing stood on tip toe and kissed his cheek.
"Hey I have to go back to work at 8 tomorrow if you want to join me for the walk that is."
The kiss snapped Remus from his thoughts and made him blush like crazy as he looked into her eyes.
"I would be glad to accompany you I have work tomorrow to so we can walk together."
She smiled brightly again with a small giggle.
"Until tomorrow then, goodnight Remus."
He smiled as she stepped into her flat.
"Good night Dora."
She waved as he went up the stairs before closing the door, as he unlocked the door to his flat his heart hammered against his chest and he couldn't get her face out of his mind and the more the image lingered in his mind the more his heart raced at her smile, he walked into the flat and closed the door before slipping off his shoes looking up hearing James and Sirius laughing from the living room, he fallowed the sound and found James sitting on the couch with a red haired young women in his lap, Lilly Evens his girlfriend who had a temper fiery as her red hair but a kind and loving side soft as her green eyes that could melt the hardest of hearts, and Sirius was in one of the chairs with his feet on the coffee table all three were watching some cheesy horror movie in black and white.
"Feet off the table Sirius."
Sirius looked up and with an eye roll removed his feet from the coffee table before looking back at the television set pointing lazily to the small kitchen.
"There's pizza on the counter if Lil didn't eat it all."
He smirked but was smacked in the head by a pillow that Lilly threw making James and Remus laugh as he went to the kitchen as a small pillow fight broke out between the trio in the other room, he shook his head opening the pizza box and taking a piece of the less than half pizza and ate it as he went to back to the other room joining James and Lilly on the couch looking at the cheesy remake of a werewolf movie.
He shook his head and took a book from his bag on the floor and tuned out the other sounds, he was just getting half way through the third chapter when the book was snatched from his hands making him look up at Lilly who was holding the book in one hand and the other on her hip making him raise his eyebrows.
"What Lil? You know I'm not terribly found of these movies."
She looked at the book cover and shook her head as she set it on the coffee table.
"I know you aren't but I won't be able to hang out over here for some time after tonight so let's just have some fun."
Remus sighed in defeat, she was right Lilly was leaving for university the next day and they wouldn't see her again for some time apart from James who swore he'd make weekend trips to see her, he looked at the tv as Sirius switched it to an old copy of Dracula and as the opening credits began there was a knock on the door that made Sirius hurry to answer it, Remus watched after him confused as did Lilly until he came around the corner talking to someone happily as he came back into the room fallowing him was Nymphadora who was now wearing a black t-shirt, neon pink jean shorts, a pair of warn pink converses and her same bright pink hair.
"Remus, Lilly I'd like you to meet my cousin Nympha-OW! Dora Tonks, she just moved into the apartment down stairs."
Dora smiled at the trio in the room and waved to Remus with a soft smile before looking at James where the smile faltered till she met eyes with Lilly who was now on her feet and standing before her with her hand extended.
"I'm Lilly Evens it's nice to meet you finally Nymphadora."
Dora gritted her teeth in an attempt not to punch the girl in front her and instead shook her hand.
"Nice to meet you to Lilly though for future references please do NOT call me Nymphadora. Dora, Nymph, Nymphie or Tonks work just fine."
Lilly nodded going back to James and sitting in his lap turning her attention to the tv as Sirius looked to Remus who he noticed had stayed quite, he smiled at her.
"Hello again Dora."
She smiled and was about to say something before Sirius cut in.
"Again?! You two have already met?"
They both nodded and blushed faintly before she spoke up looking at the floor.
"He walked me home during that storm, I was told to leave work and I left without my umbrella this morning so he walked back with me, saved me from being run over by some jerk in a car to."
She looked sheepishly at Sirius who was looking between her and Remus both shocked and lost and Remus could see the shock raise in his friends eyes as Dora slipped off her shoes and settled onto the couch beside Remus smiling at Lilly taking a handful of popcorn that was offered to her.
"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to watch the movie Sirius?"
Sirius shook his head clear hearing James and made his way to the chair and sat down trying to focus on the movie but found himself glancing at Remus and Dora who was watching the movie leaning into Remus' side as her eye lids began to droop and her head was starting to mimic Lilly's by lightly resting on Remus' shoulder though he tried not to pay much mind to it Remus could feel her head on his shoulder as if it were a white hot iron that made his heart race as she inched closer to him her damp hair brushing under his chin and a small shiver ran through her body.
After mentally fighting with himself he hesitantly placed his arm over her shoulders feeling her relax and her head get heavy on his shoulder as she fell asleep, beside him Lilly gave a small yet audible 'Awww' looking at them and he felt his cheeks flush wildly as he tried to focus on the movie as it came to an end, he was about to make the suggestion to call it a night but Lilly had already gotten to her feet and was swapping the vampire movie for another movie making him sigh as he caught Sirius watching him carefully before disappearing into the kitchen and the sound of him digging in the fridge was drowned out by the opening music of an old love story movie.
Remus did his best not to let his eyes become heavy as he watched the movie but he was swiftly failing as his cheek rested lightly on top of Dora's head as she slept soundly curled against him the last thing he remembered was watching the unlikely couple meet in a café before his eyes closed and all sounds were drowned out as he fell asleep, he woke suddenly with a start when a huge crash sounded around the flat his eyes snapping open he looked around struggling to see in the dark but all he could see was the out line of Sirius sleeping slouched in the chair, James and Lilly's forms curled up on their end of the couch and he was very aware of the head that rested now on his chest while he had shifted so his head was on the arm of the couch and Dora was curled up on the couch on top of him, he waited for a moment listening carefully before the source of the sound made it's self known in the form of a flash of lightning and a loud rumble of thunder outside the building.
He sighed relaxing slightly looking down at his chest seeing Dora was still asleep though she seemed uneasy at the sound of the thunder and it stirred something in his chest a sudden urge to hold her and make her feel safe consumed him as his arm wrapped more securely around her her body slowly relaxed again the sounds of the passing storm appearing to not have even reached her ears as she nuzzled closer to him so her head was tucked happily under his chin, he smiled faintly holding her and closing his eyes letting sleep claim him again.
The next time he was awoken it was by being nudged in his ribs making him open his eyes, it took him a moment to register the stormy eyes looking up at him from where Dora was between him and the couch a soft smile on her lips as she poked his ribs again.
"Remus I need to pee."
She blushed but he chuckled slightly before carefully getting up and letting her up watching as she made her way to the bathroom in the hall, it surprised him to see she had some how ended up in her shirts and a tank top she must have had on under her shirt, he looked around at the others seeing Sirius had woken and moved to his own room same with James and Lilly leaving the couch to himself and Dora.
He looked at the floor and sighed with a smile picking up her shirt and shoes moving them from the middle of the floor before sitting back on the couch picking up his book and reading where her left off, he jumped slightly feeling arms rest on his shoulders and he looked over his shoulder seeing Dora with her chin on her arm looking half asleep at his book before she yawned and released him to sit back on the couch and lean into him closing her eyes.
"You make a good pillow and snuggle partner."
She joked half asleep as a yawn slipped over her lips again, chuckled lightly wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she fell back asleep after mumbling something about being 'awake so early', he let her sleep as he read but after awhile her light snores seemed to be contagious as his eye kids began to droop and he was having a heard time keeping them open to read so he gave up and closed the book setting it aside and shifting carefully so Dora was between him and the back of the couch again his arms around her as she nuzzled close her head under his chin again as he fell asleep the early morning pink rays of dawn streaming in through the curtains as he let himself sleep in for the first time in years.
He was surprised when he woke up again and Dora was still in his arms sound asleep but Lilly was up and gathering her things from the end of the couch, she seen he was awake and smiled winking at him before whispering a good bye with a wave before she slipped out of the flat a glance at the clock told Remus it was just after 8 in the morning and the time tickled something in the back of his groggy mind until it hit him all at once, he and Dora were both late for work!
He moved without thinking and ended up falling onto the floor waking Dora in the process and pulling her down on top of him as he landed on on his back on the floor while she yelped surprised.
"Ow sorry Dora."
He made to sit up but she whined and refused to move.
"Five more minutes."
He smiled shaking his head looking at her before lightly shaking her shoulder.
"No, we are late for work Dora you'll get fired."
It took a moment but her eyes opened and she looked up at him lazily and pouty.
"I don't go back for a few days they are making me take a brake from work, I was going to walk with you then either sit and bug you or walk around the block."
He blinked a bit surprised but it faded into a smile as he coaxed her up to sit on the couch so he could stand.
"Your more than welcome to come along but my jobs a bit boring to most though."
She rubbed her eyes stretching.
"Where do you work?"
He made his way to the door to his room in the hall pausing to look back at her.
"The library not far from the university, I put back books and some times take copies of textbooks to the professors at the school."
He watched as she took in the information before he slipped into his room and shut the door to get changed when he came back she was standing by the mirror in the hall messing with her hair trying to fix it as it stick up in nearly every direction, mixed in among the pink strands he could see the brown roots she was making an attempt to cover, silently he made his was to her side carefully inching her a bit to the left so he could get his shoes.
"Urg looks like it's time to re-dye my hair, my roots are showing again, new stylist had not clue what she was going to do when I said the brightest pink they had."
She rolled her eyes giving up before she picked up her shoes moving to the door pausing to look back at him blushing slightly.
"I'll see you later, right now I need to go get these roots taken care of."
He grabbed his bag hoisting it onto his shoulder going to her side.
"I'll walk you to your apartment, if I don't leave now I'll be way to late to keep my job."
She smiled happily and fallowed him out the door leaning on the wall as he locked the door before walking down the stairs with her.
"I think you should let your hair turn back to it's normal color.."
He had barely finished speaking when she gave a sour look shaking her head.
"No way! My normal hair is this melancholy brown that makes people think of a little brown mouse, when I was a kid all my classmates called me 'Little Mouse' because I was smaller than most of them and my hair color on top of being shy, they'd bully me with the name up until high school when I shocked everyone one day by cutting it short as possible and dying it the brightest pink I could, most of them left me alone after that but this one guy still called me Little Pest and so in our last year he walked past me while I was helping a bunch of first years find their way when I heard him yell something about being the queen of pests so I stepped away from the first years called him over and punched him right in the face, he was a good deal bigger than me so it was a bit surprising when the teachers came over and seen me with my fist at my side with a broken knuckle and his nose broken and bleeding while he wailed his head off."
Remus looked at her a bit surprised and without thinking he took half a step away from her but she noticed and looked down blushing wildly.
"Don't worry I haven't hit anyone like that since and I won't without reason."
He felt guilt creep into his stomach as she looked up at him her eyes held the slightest tone of betrayal though she was smiling, he was about to apologize but they had reached her flat and she was digging the key from her pocket and unlocking the door, she turned the nob and let the door fall open reviling the same lay out of his flat upstairs but as she flicked on the light he was surprised to see it was nearly empty a few boxes laying unpacked in the corner and a few opened reviling articles of clothing that were also strewn across the deep purple claw foot couch where a black cat was curled up sleeping on top of a dress of some sort, the walls were painted much more different than upstairs as well with one being painted white with pink splatters on it and at the center the pink splatters turned into elegantly painted birds that faded into the white color of the wall at the other end, the others had similar designs in different colors and shapes.
"Sorry it's a mess! I've been living out of boxes since I moved in."
She hurriedly entered the flat and picked up the clothing shooing the cat of the dress before setting the arm load into a box turning to him as the cat watched her grumpily from the floor before walking to Remus and past him into the hall window.
"Stubborn animal, that's my friends cat Shadow I'm cat sitting while she's in Paris with her fiancé but he's so stuck up he's already destroyed three of my shirts."
She shook her head looking around the flat fallowing his gaze to the pictures she had taped to the large wall mirror and smiled inviting him in joining him as he moved to get a closer look at them, one taped to the golden frame showed a small girl, 3 or 4 years old, sitting on a old wooden swing smiling broadly as she held a bouquet of wild daisies in one hand and her other hand held down a straw hat that was adorned with the same daisies her brown hair was the color of a mouses fur as it peeked out from the hat and her grey eyes were bright and happy.
"I was 5 and we had gone to visit my father's parents on their farm in the country, they had a daisy felid I liked to play in and that swing was hanging from an apple tree my grandfather planted when they built their house, about two days after that visit is when I began getting picked on in school, that one there by your hand,"
He looked down at the picture of the same girl but now she was no longer smiling and her grey eyes were large and watery as she stood in front of a set of stone steps in a little white dress that gave her pale skin a soft glow and her brown hair to seem darker as it hung in a small set of braided pigtails to her shoulders where the straps of a pink school bag hung.
"Was my second year of primary school I was 7 and the smallest in my class but mum didn't see why I didn't want to go even got cross with me when I came home with that dress covered in dirt and mud from where a girl had pushed me into the mud but she didn't believe it she thought I'd tripped and fell in the mud myself."
She looked at the images lining the bottom and as he looked he could see a steady change in them from child to young teen up until they ended at one of a girl who was about 16 wearing a black dress that reached her knees and her hair was not brown like the others nor was it long it was short and spiky and it was a flaring florissant pink with a black ribbon clipping back bangs, her arms were crossed showing off black laced gloves, her lips were painted a crimson red like her nails and she was standing in black boots that reach halfway up her thin legs.
"That was the year I punched the guy in the face for calling me a pest it was just after graduation I had received a letter from the university they had excepted me for my grades in English and writing but I didn't go."
He looked at her seeing she had her arms folded in a similar way to the picture leering at the girl in the image before she shook her head and looked at the one eye level with her of a young women sitting on the same swing as the child in a white cotton dress her head bent down as she strummed the guitar she was holding, in her brown hair there was a wild daisy tucked behind her ear.
"This wasn't long after, my grandmother had passed away and we were at the house with my grandfather and I had found an old Spanish guitar that was hers I sat on the swing and started to play, I was surprised at how well I could play for never having touched a guitar in my life but it just came naturally to play each cord."
She smiled fondly turning on her heel and disappearing down the hall and after a moment she came back with the guitar and her fingers were moving effortlessly on the strings making the sweet sound reverberate from the guitar and surround them, he smiled watching her play and like she said the way she played seemed so natural for her, she giggled and her fingers slowed on the strings before stopping as she blushed looking up at him.
"I'm not the best but I enjoy playing when I can."
She glanced at the clock on the wall and as he fallowed her eyes he seen the clock looked like something out of the pages of Louis Carols' Alice in Wonderland with each number being a different shape, size and style no two were the same of all three against the pink backing.
"Oh! You should get going before your late!"
He looked back at her as she set the guitar aside and walked him to the door leaning on the door frame waving as he went down the stairs, all the way to the library he couldn't get his mind off her the photos of her through the years flashing in his head to the sound of her guitar it wasn't until noon when the university students were leaving from their study times that he began putting left books back where they belonged.
"Umm excuse me but where can I find the romance novels?"
The bell like voice made him look over his shoulder and no sooner had he did his heart jump into his throat and beat wildly as he was met by Dora who's hair was now the color of a mouses fur save the pink streak that was her bangs, she was in a soft faded yellow sun dress that just reached her knees and in her hair was a lace headband with a white rose pinned to it, he opened his mouth to speak but his throat was dry as she giggled closing it for him.
"You like?"
He cleared his throat and smiled watching as she spun showing of the dress and her hair finding his voice.
"Very beautiful but how did you get your hair back to this color from pink?"
He reached out and lightly took a strand in his fingers making her blush but smile.
"Hair bleach remover and a lot of shampoo, I wasn't joking when I said it makes me look like a mouse."
He felt something bubble in his stomach as she looked down worried he'd laugh at her or make the same comment she hated years ago.
"Well if it does I can't see it, I'm sure that if you were a mouse though you'd be just as beautiful."
He watched as she refused to lift her head and he felt his heart sink worried he'd crossed a line until she looked up at him smiling brightly a blush coloring her cheeks.
"Really? You maybe the first person I wouldn't mind calling me Little Mouse."
She laughed and the bell like sound made his heart ten tons lighter as he walked with her out of the library to a café for lunch, once they were sat down she looked over the menu but set it aside quickly looking at him.
"Say Remus I've told you a deal about myself what about you? You don't have to say your life story just anything I just think that since we slept together I should know something."
He looked at her over top of the menu before with a smile he folded it and put it away.
"First I don't think that can count as sleeping together and second what would you like to know?"
She thought for a moment looking up at the sky.
"I'm not sure, what's your favorite book, favorite color, favorite song, what do you look for in a partner just little things I guess."
She smiled looking at him and he couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head before folding his arms on the table looking her in the eye.
"One at a time, hmm well I don't really have a favorite book but if I had to chose one story it would be Romeo and Juliet, as far as colors go I think pink is starting to grow on me over brown."
She giggled catching he was talking about her hair.
"Favorite song that's hard I don't much have one, and as for what I look for in a partner well loyalty, a good heart, sweet but with a temper some times but always believing what she thinks is right."
He watched as Dora smiled thinking over what he'd said before ordering a chocolate strawberry smoothie before looking back at him with curiosity.
"Say Remus your old enough to be at university why aren't you?"
He looked at her his smile fading as he looked down at the table.
"I never had a mind to, but there were a lot of universities that wanted me because of perfect grades all through but it never interested me to go, what about you how come you aren't at university?"
She shrugged looking up at the sky before back at him.
"I never did care for school and I have my job at the café making enough to get by on my own but mum wanted me to stride for a big league school back when I was little Harvard and Yale but those went away during high school I got offered a scholarship from Juilliard but I didn't take it mum hounded me for weeks after I said no because it was a payed scholarship for two years at the school."
She paused chuckling as she seen his shocked look at the mention of the scholarship.
"You didn't go? There are people who would kill to get a scholarship there, why didn't you go?"
She messed with the straw of her smoothie as it was set in front of her.
"This is going to sound childish but I had the feeling that if I was going to find my true love it wasn't going to be at a school of university but as of the past couple months I wonder if I choose wrong the guy I have my eye on is a bit shy and I don't think he himself knows I like him."
Remus felt his heart hammer wildly in his chest as she looked up at him with large grey eyes that locked with his for a moment before she laughed though it didn't reach her eyes.
"I think I've been reading love novels to much! I sound like some hopeless romantic."
He faked a chuckle trying to calm his heart, after lunch she walked him back to the library and hung around for a bit looking through the love novels and children's stories until his shift was over and they walked home talking about books they had read and liked, as they passed the movie theater she paused looking at the poster he fallowed her gaze and seen they were playing a cluster of old movies from a few different genres his heart hammered in his chest again as he glanced at her before biting his lip and swallowing his fear.
"D-Dora?"
She looked up at him her pink bangs falling over her eye slightly making him smile and gently brush them aside.
"Would you like to go out on a movie date with me?"
She blinked up at him and he began to fear she'd turn him down but to his surprise she smiled broadly and nodded nearly bouncing on the spot.
"I would love to Remus!"
He smiled relaxing a little as they continued to walk home arranging a time to go and as he dropped her off at her flat door she reached up on her tip toes and placed a kiss to his cheek before saying good bye and closing the door softly behind her as he climbed the stairs, later that night his stomach tied itself in a knot as he lie awake in bed looking up at the dark ceiling listening to Sirius' snores through the thin walls he couldn't bring himself to sleep because each time he closed his eyes he seen her and not just the one he'd spent the afternoon with but the one from the pictures, he was unaware his thoughts had become dreams as he watched the girl who could only be around 14 sitting on an old wooden swing hung from the branch of an apple tree in a white dress a wild daisy from the field behind her tucked behind her ear, a soft breeze blew around them casting the scent of daises around him as he closed his eyes music from the guitar sounded and as he opened his eyes he seen the girl playing the guitar effortlessly her eyes on the strings until he took a step closer to the swing and she looked up with a soft smile.
"Remus."
He was shocked how real her voice sounded and yet so dream like as it harmonized with the sound of the chirping birds and the soft wind that rustled the tree leaves, he wanted to say something but she didn't give him the chance.
"Remus, wake up!"
His eyes flew open and it took him a moment to register the face from his dream was leaning over him her grey eyes pale in the light that shined in from outside then her face was illuminated by a flash of lightning and she cringed at a clap of thunder with a whine he could feel her hands clutch the blanket on the bed as well as a blush cover his cheeks.
"Dora what are you-how did you get in here?!"
She looked at him like a scared child but took a key from her pocket showing an exact replica of the key to the door.
"Sirius told me where the spare key was if I ever wanted to drop by,"
She paused looking at the window her form lit up by lightning again and the thunder that sounded made her yelp and shake.
"D-don't laugh but I'm going to tell you something only a few people know, I'm afraid of thunder storms, it's childish I know but I've never liked storms, it helps me sleep having someone there but I'm alone in my flat could-could I sleep in here tonight please?"
He watched as she shuddered hearing the rain beat the glass of the window he felt his heart ache and there was no way he could tell her no so he moved over leaving her room moving the blanket, it took her a moment but she smiled gratefully and crawled in beside him nuzzling into the pillow he listened as she fell asleep beside him but his heart was beating to fast to let him sleep as he felt her warmth against his back when the storm outside made her move closer, his heart sank slightly as he felt her shake in her sleep so against his better judgment he rolled to his side and lightly wrapped his arm around her it seemed right to hold her like this as if her body fit perfectly against his as if they were made for each other.
His eyes slowly became heavy as he listened to the sound of the rain and Dora's soft breathing he held her close taking her scent before he fell asleep muttering lightly while still half awake.
"Good night my little mouse."