ATHENE {remus lupin}

FOURTY EIGHT

When Athene awoke from her nightmare-filled sleep and went into Remus' tiny kitchen to make herself a pot of tea, she found him awake on the sofa, staring at her expectantly. She ignored his piercing and questioning gaze for as long as she could, willing herself not to ask him what he wanted. When she had her drink, she sat cross-legged on the armchair opposite him and looked at his bookshelf. A Room of One's Own landed in her lap and she opened it to where they had left it the last time she'd stayed. Remus was still staring at her suspiciously. 

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Mhmm," Athene replied, not looking up from the book.

"Is it something I've done? I know you're not thrilled about being here, but Molly needed-"

"Remus," Athene interjected. "You're fine. We're fine."

"What is it, then?"

"Nothing!" She exclaimed.

"I'm not an idiot, I can see something's wrong. And you left so early last night."

"I was tired and I didn't feel well, that's all."

He huffed and ran a hand through his hair, this witch was truly impossible.

"Are you coming this morning?" He asked her. She gave him a confused look, "Harry's birthday," he said.

"Oh... I'm not sure."

"What's goi-"

Remus was interrupted by a cheery "Wotcher!" and a pink haired witch emerging from his fireplace, followed by a blonde and a dark haired woman. Tonks seemed to be back to her usual happy self, whereas Celine burst into tears the second she saw Athene. Athene seemed to be willing herself not to cry, but when her old friend threw herself on top of her, the two witches sat sobbing together on the armchair.

Fleur and Tonks watched their friends sadly. Remus was glancing around at the four women with utter confusion on his face. 

"What the fuck is going on?" He whispered to Tonks. 

"Didn't 'Thene tell you?" she muttered back. "Ashley's death...day?" 

"Merlin, I knew something was up with her." Remus said sadly.

"I thought she'd have told you..."

"We haven't really been speaking much lately."

"Or I thought she would have last year."

"We weren't speaking much this time last year either," he said gravely.

Tonks nodded and looked back to her cousin and partner. She cleared her throat.

"Do you two want to go to the Burrow? There's birthday celebrations for Harry?" She asked. 

Celine shook her head, "Not that I can risk being seen by Fleur's parents anyway, but I'm just going to go back to your parents', Dora."

Fleur smiled, "I'll go too, I don't want to see Bill too much before tomorrow."

"Can I come too?" Athene said quietly.

Tonks smiled, "okay, we won't go to the Burrow, but my parents-"

"You can stay here for the day, if you'd like." Remus said. "I'll be out all day spending time with Harry anyway?"

"Thank you, Remus," Fleur said to him sweetly, putting her hand on his arm.

The man smiled back at her and stepped towards his fireplace to floo to the Weasley's. He looked towards Athene before he left, unsure exactly what to say to her.