By the next morning, Abby knew she couldn’t let what happened with Remus go. She got dressed hurriedly and Apparated to the woods behind James’ and Lily’s cottage in Godrics Hollow. She planned on asking James to help her to find Remus.
As she started walking through the woods towards the back of the house, she saw someone leaning against a tree. Drawing her wand, she approached the stranger carefully. As she drew closer, she realised it was Remus and that he was sound asleep. At least she hoped he was just sleeping.
The thought he may be injured ran through her mind, and she rushed to him and dropped to her knees in front of him. She reached out a hand to shake him awake.
The next thing she knew, she was on her back with Remus’ wand pointed in her face and his other hand around her throat squeezing, painfully.
“Remus,” she choked out as she tried to pull his hand from her throat. She felt the pressure momentarily grow stronger, before he released her. Her hands went automatically to her throat in an effort to rub the soreness away.
“Godric, Abby, I’m so sorry,” Remus said as he reached down to pull her to her feet. The force of his pull overbalanced her and she fell into his arms. He reacted instantly and wrapped his arms around her to keep her from knocking them both to the ground.
Neither saw the man just inside the tree line watching them. He turned and walked away without revealing his presence.
Abby laughed softly. “Seems you are again the victim of my clumsiness,” Abby said to him as she stepped back.
“Abby, I’m truly sorry. You startled me and...and...” Remus turned away.
Abby reached out and grabbed his arm and turned him back towards her. “Remus, it is perfectly understandable. You didn’t know who was shaking you. I should have thought, but when I saw it was you, I got scared something happened to you.”
Remus nodded his understanding. “I guess I pushed myself a bit this month, with everything going on with Regulus. I’m still not quite myself,” he explained.
“About that,” Abby began, “I am sorry about my careless question last night. I didn’t think...I mean, I guess I forgot about you being...being a-”
“Werewolf?” Remus finished for her. At Abby’s nod, Remus smiled bitterly. “Well, at least that makes one of us who can forget.”
Abby reached out and wrapped her arms around him, drawing him into a hug. “You know none of us care about your condition.”
“Are you sure about that?” Remus asked. At Abby’s questioning look, he continued, “Never mind. Doesn’t matter anyway.”
“Of course it matters. Who? Who has a problem with it?” she asked, anger evident in her voice.
Remus looked down at Abby’s face. Shaking his head, he repeated, “It doesn’t matter. Were you on your way to Lily and James’? Or leaving there?”
“Actually, I was going there to ask James where I could find you. I wanted to apologise for last night,” she said. “What were you doing out here, anyway?”
Remus lowered his head, a soft blush of embarrassment showing on his cheeks. “As soon as I walked out the front door, I realised I had taken a page from your book and overreacted. I decided, like you did, to take a walk and then come back and apologise. I sat down over there to rest for a few minutes, and I guess I fell asleep.”
“Well, it probably isn’t a good idea to follow my examples,” she said teasingly.
“Probably not,” he agreed seriously. “So, Lily was okay after I left, right?”
“Yeah. She is just doing too much,” Abby answered.
“That’s what I thought. I remember when my aunt was pregnant with my little cousin, she was always fainting.” Remus looked towards the house sniffing the air. “Smells like Lily is cooking. Think she will feed me after I ran out on her last night?” he asked.
Abby smiled. “Oh, I’m sure she will. She knows it was my fault you left so quickly.”
“Stop blaming yourself. It wasn’t you; I am just a bit oversensitive sometimes. Let’s go see if we can get some breakfast from her.” Remus pulled back out of her arms that were still around him and throwing an arm over her shoulder, lead the way out of the woods.
*****
Sirius slammed the kitchen door so hard, the glass in it shattered. Lily screamed and dropped the bowl she was holding. James jumped up and whipping around, held his wand pointed at Sirius.
“Sorry,” Sirius said as he waved his wand at the glass in the door, repairing it instantly. He stormed over to the table and dropped into a chair.
“Where’s Abby?” Lily asked. “I thought you said you were going to wait in the woods for her to show up.”
At Sirius’ growl, Lily raised her eyebrows and caught James’ eye. He motioned with his head for her to leave them alone. She turned the stove off and slipped quietly out of the kitchen.
As the kitchen door slid silently closed behind her, James looked at his best friend. “What’s up, Pads? Did you two have a fight again?”
“Fight?” Sirius laughed mirthlessly. “Nope, no fight. Would have been kind of hard to fight with her draped all over Remus.”
“Abby? Remus? What are you talking about?” James asked confused.
Sirius sighed heavily. “I was just entering the woods to go to the spot we use to Apparate, and what do I see? Abby and Remus locked in an embrace. He had his hands all over her,” Sirius said bitterly.
James let out a sigh similar to Sirius’. “Let me guess, you didn’t let them know you were there. You didn’t ask them what was going on; you just turned and stormed away.”
“Of course, I left them alone. I...it...they...” Sirius shook his head and stood up. As he began pacing around the kitchen, he tried to put his thoughts into words. “I just never thought... one of my closest friends and Abby...I thought we had something, but I guess I was wrong,” he said.
“Pads, I am sure there is some logical explanation for what you saw. Remember the night I came home from that mission and found you holding Lily on the couch?” James asked. When Sirius nodded, he continued, “I believe my reaction was similar to yours, but...but I gave you a chance to explain. And it was innocent, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it was. I should have waited to tell her about the Prewetts until you came home,” Sirius said apologetically. “This is different though. I know it is.”
At that moment, the kitchen door opened and arm in arm, laughing, Remus and Abby walked in. They both instantly broke off the laughter at the look on Sirius’ face.
Abby rushed over to him. “Sirius, what’s wrong? Has something happened? Is it about Regulus?” she asked in a rush.
At the furious look from Sirius, Abby backed up a step. She looked from Sirius to James.
“I don’t think anything happened, Abby. At least not in the way you mean,” Remus said. “I think Sirius has a problem with me and you.” He looked at Sirius and raised his eyebrows. “Just spit it out, Padfoot. What’s the problem?”
Sirius stared at Remus incredulously. Could he really not know? he thought to himself. Could he be that stupid?
“Oh, I don’t know. What could possibly be wrong?” he asked snidely.
Abby looked blankly between Sirius and Remus. Remus suddenly smiled. “Oh, I think I know what is wrong,” he said. “I think old Padfoot here happened to be in the woods a few minutes ago and saw something he assumed to be something else.” Remus looked at Sirius questioningly.
Remus looked at Abby and then back at Sirius. Sirius didn’t say anything. Remus walked over closer to Abby and stopping in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
“If I am not mistaken, Padfoot here saw you and me in the woods.” Looking over at Sirius, he asked, “What did you see? When she stumbled and I caught her to keep her from falling on her face, or when she was consoling me because she thought I was upset over her question last night?”
“That is what has you so angry?” Abby asked. She pulled away from Remus and stalked over to Sirius. Remus turned and sat down next to James.
“Five galleons on Abby,” he said quietly to James.
“No way. I wouldn’t take Pads on this,” James whispered back.
Abby shot them a furious glance before turning back to Sirius. “I cannot believe you. You are angry because of something you saw and took all out of context. You didn’t even ask us what was going on. You just believed one of your best friends could do something like that to you. You believed I would do something like that?” Abby drew a deep breath. “For your information, though I have no idea why I am justifying your asinine behaviour with the truth, I startled Remus. I came upon him sleeping against a tree and didn’t think. I just ran over and started shaking him.
“Needless to say, he reacted as I expect any of you would and I found myself on the ground. He realised immediately it was only me, and pulled me up. I, of course, lost my balance and fell forward. He managed not only to catch me, but keep both of us from crashing to the ground, again.” She moved closer to Sirius as Lily came into the kitchen.
“I explained about last night and I upset Remus again. Far be it from me to offer comfort to a friend, whose feelings were hurt by me. Now, I am going to sit down and perhaps Lily will be so kind as to give me some breakfast. You, Sirius Black, are going to walk out that door and come back when you can be civil and apologise.”
Sirius opened his mouth, but Abby forestalled him with a pointed look. Sirius closed his mouth and walked out the kitchen door, closing it gently behind him.
“So, any chance of getting breakfast?” Abby asked.
Lily smiled and then began laughing, James and Remus joined in. There was a soft knock on the front door, and Abby looked towards the living room, fury evident on her face.
“If he thinks just walking around the house is long enough, he is sadly mistaken,” she said as she stood. She stormed out of the kitchen amid the increased laughter of the remaining occupants of the room.
As Abby pulled the door open, she was already yelling, “If you think for one minute, you self-absorbed, arrogant, obnoxious git, that just walking around the house was time enough for me to calm down, you are sadly mistaken. I swear to Godric, if you don’t turn around and find someone else to bug, I am going to turn you into a flubberworm.” She pulled her wand out and as she raised it up, her eyes fell on the man standing at the door.
“Oh, Peter. I am so sorry! I thought you were Sirius,” she said embarrassed.
“Right at this minute, I am very happy I am not Padfoot,” he said smiling. “Just what did he do?” he asked.
“He...he...Oh, it doesn’t matter. Come in, James and Lily are in the kitchen with Remus,” she told him as she stepped back from the door.
“So, where have you been hiding?” she asked. “I haven’t seen you in ages.”
A look of something that to Abby seemed suspiciously like guilt crossed Peter’s face. Before she could respond, Peter said, “I’ve been busy. Order work, you know.”
Abby nodded. As they entered the kitchen, Abby saw Lily at the stove frying eggs. The smell of just cooked bacon scented the air.
“Abby, Sirius, take a seat. These will be ready in just a few minutes,” Lily said without turning.
“Only half right, Lily. That miserable, lower than a slug’s belly son of a-”
“Hi, Peter,” said Remus cutting off Abby’s tirade. Remus laughed at Abby’s huff of annoyance. “Abby, while I agree with you on many of the characteristics of Padfoot, he is not worth the aggravation. He was just being his usual-”
“Stupid, conceited, egotistical self,” she supplied and then she smiled. “You are right though, being mad at the pompous prat isn’t good for the digestion.”
The room was filled with laughter. “I can’t believe you were able to come up with so many words to describe Sirius,” Lily said as she placed the platter of food in the centre of the table. “But, then again, you always were good at adding extra description to your assignments in school to stretch them out.”
At Abby’s look of shock, the room once again filled with laughter. It was that laughter that Sirius walked into.
“Well, isn’t this a cosy little gathering,” he said.
Love Beyond Forever by mudbloodproud
Chapter Notes: I again need to thank Alyssa (harry4lif) for her beta work.
As you already know, anything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling. I am forever thankful to play in her world, even badly.