Bitterblue [Lena!]

[Lena Marie Becket]

Clothing: click meeee

"I really recommend regular visits to the kitchen, you know. Gotta make sure you don't miss out on any vitamins." She laughed and waved a hand at him, pointing out, “looks like you seem to be getting plenty of vitamins.” He was taller than her and, while it wasn’t that obvious, he did have some muscle to him. “Maybe I should make more visits to the kitchens, if it’ll help me grow taller than this blasted 5’2”.” Her eyes were bright with laughter, not really minding her height all that much. She liked to pretend to complain about it, but it did set her off as being different than other girls. And Lena did love being an individual.

"My family? Well, it's not much in terms of, you know. But it's absolutely wonderful. We live in this cottage in the middle of nowhere, in Wales, no one around for miles - I think my mom has the largest garden I've ever seen, and she's pretty much continually busy, in the summer at least. My dad works a lot, but he usually manages to get some time off when I'm home. It's peaceful, you know - perfect place to empty your head after the chaos at Hogwarts." Lena smiled and they continued on together. “It sounds amazing and perfect. I live in the middle of London so it’s pretty loud and busy. But you get used to it after time I guess. Your family sounds amazing. And money can’t buy a good family.” She bumped her side into his softly, her smile having softened. “I think your life is pretty awesome, even without the money.” And she did. He had a good family that loved him and a life that was, mostly, peaceful. Lena would have loved to have a life like that.

With all the talk about her dance, Lena winked at him and stepped away before doing a gentle, smooth pirouette right in the middle of the hall, before stepping next to him again. “I really can do just about anything they throw at me, once I learn it. So I help out with all kinds. It depends on what they are trying to do and what they need help with. As for the age group, I help teach younger kids, probably about 10 down to 4. But I do dance with the others during things like shows or concerts, and they are the same age or older than me.” She shrugged. “We have a showcase at least once a summer and I’ve helped out with it for 4 years now. This will be my fifth year.” Lena bit her bottom lip at a thought and decided to go ahead with it, turning to him. “I understand if you’d be too busy this summer for it….but would you like to come to the showcase maybe?” She did want him to come, because otherwise they wouldn’t see each other until next school year, and she wanted to see her friend before then. But if he couldn’t come then she would understand. Things happen and people were busy. Her head tilted up to look at him, wondering what his answer would be.

"True, but don't you think relaxing through dancing might make you preform better study-wise?" She raised an eyebrow and thought about it. “I guess it maybe would. I never really thought of it like that. I just love to dance. It’s who I am, what I do. I just never really thought about putting it together with studying.” And she really hadn’t. Most of the time she was pretty relaxed and everything about studying but she did have some bad days and she would want to just get up and do something, but she wouldn’t because she never really thought about there being a place she could dance. But now Remus had given her a good idea. She smiled widely. “As for you participating, I might not make you dance all the time. But I fully expect at least one dance with you at some point Remus.” Lena pointed a finger at him and tried to look completely serious about it but the look quickly disappeared as she started to smile and laugh softly.

Lena almost laughed at the silly name of the elf but she didn’t. For some reason it seemed all house elves had silly names. Did they come up with the names themselves or did they just take the names their masters gave them? She always wondered. The house elves she lived with even had silly names almost but she knew she hadn’t named them and Lena just didn’t think her grandparents, as serious as they were, would have named them something like that. She honestly could only guess at her only family’s seriousness because she’d never even spoken to them before. But she didn’t need them in her life. She had been just fine without them so far. When Remus introduced her to the little elf she smiled and said, “Hello Fotsy. Nice to meet you.”

She relaxed in the chair at the table and watched him, amused how he couldn’t seem to keep still. Remus was so amusing like that. He seemed like such a quiet and unobtrusive person, and he was, but he couldn’t ever seem to sit still for nothing. Even when they studied together, he would be on the floor and fiddle with things while working. It was cute. "Yeah, or for comfort food. Nothing says loving like something from the oven, you know." Lena shrugged and sent him a small smile. “I guess so. I never really thought about it.” She really didn’t. “I’d consider ice cream or chocolate comfort food too but those aren’t usually from the oven,” she added, teasing him a little bit.

[Remus John Lupin]

“Looks like you seem to be getting plenty of vitamins.” Remus raised an eyebrow slightly, a little surprised she had noticed he had grown, but then again - she was a good friend with a keen eye. "I wonder how many vitamins cheesecake contains," he said with a bit of a grin. Yeah, he was taller than Lena, but that wasn't very difficult. Still, yes, he was growing and this year he'd noticed he was starting to become less willowy - something Remus didn't mind at all. About time he stopped looking like a girl, especially when next to Sirius.
“Maybe I should make more visits to the kitchens, if it’ll help me grow taller than this blasted 5’2".” Remus chuckled. He knew Lena didn't mind her height much, and he liked people who could laugh about themselves. "Maybe you can ask Sprout for some fertiliser?" he joked.

Remus smiled when Lena told him money couldn't buy a good family. It was true, and he knew it, but it occasionally bothered him that his parents had lost opportunities and had gained a number of sorrows because of him. Well, not him - it was Greyback's fault, ultimately, but still. They had been managing better and better the last year, though, but then there'd been the threat of Death Eaters and War, which cast a shadow over such things.
"Well, I could always ask them if you can come and stay over in the holidays?" Remus was sure they could plan a week(end) when there was no full moon, things would be fine. Besides.. the middle of London really was rather busy, Remus couldn't begin to imagine living there, and he thought Lena could use some quiet, or at least that she'd like it.

He grinned widely as Lena did a twirl (he couldn't remember the actual ballet term and twirl sounded just fine in his mind). If he were poetic, he'd have said she seemed lighter than air when she moved like that, but Remus decided to keep his thoughts inside of him. Still, he very much respected her for having such control over her body - Remus didn't, really. As said above, he had grown quite a bit this year, and longer limbs meant more occasional clumsiness.
“I help teach younger kids, probably about 10 down to 4. But I do dance with the others during things like shows or concerts, and they are the same age or older than me.” Remus smiled. "I'm sure you're great with the children," he couldn't help but say, imagining what she'd be like with them. “We have a showcase at least once a summer and I’ve helped out with it for 4 years now. This will be my fifth year. I understand if you’d be too busy this summer for it….but would you like to come to the showcase maybe?” Remus smiled even wider. "Of course I'm not too busy," he said, without thinking, without considering the date might not be very convenient. "Someone would have to die for me not to come," he assured her. Maybe saying a thing like that would be jinxing it, especially with the current situation in the world, but the words had escaped him in his enthusiasm without thinking.
Lena hadn't considered the effect on dancing on her studies and Remus was glad that she seemed to think it was a good suggesting. “As for you participating, I might not make you dance all the time. But I fully expect at least one dance with you at some point Remus.” He laughed softly. "Yeah, uhm - we'll see about that." He just hoped she'd forget if the time came, but Remus doubted it - Lena had an exellent memory.

Remus had trouble being still, indeed. When he was quiet, he would usually be busy thinking, and when he wasn't thinking, that would occasionally show in his physical restlessness. He couldn't help it, he liked being busy and disliked ennui.
“I guess so. I never really thought about it. I’d consider ice cream or chocolate comfort food too but those aren’t usually from the oven.” Remus grinned widely. "I'm sure the House Elves could arrange a chocolate cake with icecream, if you liked." Remus knew they could, they had done it for himm before. He wasn't very fond of pure chocolate, because he had often eaten it as a child on his 'mornings after', but luckily that didn't spoil his enjoying of chocolate cake, amongst other chocolaty things.

[Lena Marie Becket]

Clothing: click meeee

"I wonder how many vitamins cheesecake contains," Lena smiled and shrugged. “No telling. But I think the fact that it tastes so good outweighs the vitamin necessity.” She raised an eyebrow at him, playing at being serious. "Maybe you can ask Sprout for some fertiliser?" She laughed and shook her head, bumping against him slightly. “I don’t think that would work very well. Maybe we should ask her from some weed killer for you to stop you from getting any bigger?”

"Well, I could always ask them if you can come and stay over in the holidays?" Lena blinked and looked at him, surprised at the invite. It took her a second to actually speak, though she had a shy smile on her lips. “Really? That…that would be amazing. If your parents don’t mind, I mean. Thank you for asking.” No one had ever invited her to their home over the summer. Whenever summer hit and school was out, she was alone and wouldn’t see anyone from school unless they somehow crossed paths in Diagon Alley.

"I'm sure you're great with the children." Lena smiled, highly flattered. “Thanks. I try to be. They’re just so young and innocent, they still are able to enjoy life. And I enjoy knowing that I get to help them enjoy that life.” She shrugged, thinking about it. She also believed she was helping the children stay innocent to the ways of the world but Lena couldn’t comment on that without sending up a red flag on how she isn’t exactly innocent to the world. "Of course I'm not too busy," he said, without thinking, without considering the date might not be very convenient. "Someone would have to die for me not to come,” She blushed slightly, happy that he’d accepted. Lena hadn’t really expected him to say yes because he really could have been busy. But she was really really happy that he was going to try and come watch. “Hopefully nothing that extreme. I can’t wait till the showcase now. It’ll be nice, you coming to watch. Hey, you could even bring your family if you wanted.” She turned her head to look up at him, wondering what it would be like meeting his parents. They sounded so nice and they had a son like Remus so she knew they had to be really good people. Would they like her, though? She wasn’t exactly normal around here even in a wizard school.

"Yeah, uhm - we'll see about that." Lena grinned at his answer to him dancing with her and she shook her head. “Do you honestly think I’d let you off the hook easily?” She raised an eyebrow at him, still smiling. She would get him to dance with her at least once, at some point. And she knew that he knew that she would. "I'm sure the House Elves could arrange a chocolate cake with icecream, if you liked." Lena just relaxed back in the seat, smiling in thanks at the house elves when they brought over the tea and biscuits. Then she turned back to Remus. “I think I’m just fine with tea for tonight. But maybe I could take a rain check on that splitting that chocolate cake with you?” She smiled softly before sipping her drink.

[Remus John Lupin]

Remus chuckled. "If taste really oughtweighed vitamins, wouldn't we all just eat nice things and end up with vitamin shortages?" Oh, he was joking. The only reason he brought up vitamins in the first place, was because his mother had always seemed so obsessed with him when he was a child, telling him he was a growing boy, and that he needed his vitamins and all that. (She had made Remus eat oranges, which he had hated as a child, and when part of the pulp had fallen from his mouth while chewing, he had not-so-smartly asked her if he had dropped a bit of vitamin. It was an anecdote his mother liked to bring up.)
He liked joking around with Lena; she really did have a capital sense of humour. “I don’t think that would work very well. Maybe we should ask her from some weed killer for you to stop you from getting any bigger?” Remus chuckled. "And what makes you think it would work? Oh - well, it might kill me, that would stop me from growing, wouldn't it?" He grinned. "Admit it, this is all just a conspiracy against me!" Sirius would've made a more convicing piece of drama out of those lines, complete with dramatic silences and poses - Remus wasn't so outgoing, but that didn't mean he wasn't spontaneous.

To be honest, Remus was a little bit surprised at Lena's surprise that he had asked her. Why not? They had grown closer and closer throughout the year and he couldn't imagine Lena not being invited by others, aimable as she was. Then again, Lena was careful in picking her friendships, as observed before, so considering that this might just be the first time someone asked her. Remus felt sort of proud to be the first. “Really? That…that would be amazing. If your parents don’t mind, I mean. Thank you for asking.” Remus smiled. "I don't think mom and dad would mind - we'd just have to agree on a date and how long you want to stay," he assured her. He was quite sure it wouldn't be a problem. Part of him realised that if he asked Lena home, his parents might think she was Annelise. He should ask Annelise to stay over for a few days as well - it seemed unfair not to ask her, and besides, he would miss her if they didn't see each other for such a long time.

Remus smiled in a way that clearly sayd 'yeah, children are wonderful'. Remus had no idea what he would like to be after school was over (he wasn't even sure if he could be anything, really). He had always liked children, but he realised there would be not be a lot of jobs for him in the magical world, let alone with children. Maybe muggle primary school - he could always say he had a kidney disease and needed monthly dialysis.
Seeing how Lena was so happy that he'd accepted her invitation made him smile. Somehow, it kept surprising him that she always seemed to expect him to decline such things. Remus couldn't put his finger on it. Then again, it might not be anything dramatic. Maybe she'd been betrayed by some girl friend in an earlier year - Merlin knew girls could be best friends one day and perfect enemies the next. “Hopefully nothing that extreme. I can’t wait till the showcase now. It’ll be nice, you coming to watch. Hey, you could even bring your family if you wanted.” Remus nodded, smiling. "I think they'd like that, they haven't gone out in a while." He knew his parents would be delighted to meet any friends of Remus.

The moment Lena shook her head, Remus could imagine her grin and he had this idea he knew what was coming. “Do you honestly think I’d let you off the hook easily?” Lena raised an eyebrow, Remus grinend sheepishly. "I hoped," he joked. "I really can't dance, I might injure you," Remus added in jest.
He was sort of glad this topic was interrupted by the house elves bringing them their tea. “I think I’m just fine with tea for tonight. But maybe I could take a rain check on that splitting that chocolate cake with you?” Remus happily dipped a biscuit in his tea. "Splitting a chocolate cake some day sounds fine to me," he said with a bit of a grin before devouring the biscuit. Yum, biscuits.

[Lena Marie Becket]

Clothing: click meeee

"If taste really oughtweighed vitamins, wouldn't we all just eat nice things and end up with vitamin shortages?" She laughed with him. “Maybe so, but wouldn’t it be nice if all the things with vitamins that we needed tasted good? I know that would make me happy.” Lena normally ate healthy food anyway so it wasn’t that big of a deal. But she did love sweets occasionally too. To be honest, she was lucky she wasn’t as big as a mountain troll by now, considering how much sugar she ate while studying.

"And what makes you think it would work? Oh - well, it might kill me, that would stop me from growing, wouldn't it?" He grinned. "Admit it, this is all just a conspiracy against me!" Lena started laughing and couldn’t stop, even though she tried. She tried to school her face and said “Maybe it is. Maybe I do have a nefarious plot against you.” A second later she was back to laughing, unable to hold it in for the life of her. It was just too funny, messing around with him. "I don't think mom and dad would mind - we'd just have to agree on a date and how long you want to stay," Lena smiled, still happy he’d asked her about staying at his house for a little bit during the summer. She really hadn’t expected it, which was probably another reason why she was so happy about it. “Well you can ask them when they think is a good time and I’m sure I’ll be able to match up to it.”

Lena really didn’t expect him to take her up on anything she suggested. She was actually very quiet and a little bit shy because she didn’t want to get hurt and because she just wasn’t used to having all that many friends. So it was nice that Remus stuck by her side and even seemed excited about coming to see her dance show. “That sounds great. I’d love to meet your parents and the showcase is always fun, seeing new talent and just having fun.” And it did. Lena had never seen his parents; she’d honestly hadn’t seen anyone’s parents. The only time you’d see parents would be on the platform for the train and she went through that place as fast as possible to avoid seeing happy reunions that she would never have.

Lena laughed as he commented that he hoped she would let him off the hook and that he’d end up hurting her if they did dance. She rolled her eyes with a smile. “Remus you wouldn’t injure me. And I bet you’re secretly a good dancer and you just don’t know it because you’ve been dancing with all the wrong people.” She nudged him slightly, teasing. When the elves brought the food over, she grinned and grabbed a biscuit, eating it in a few seconds because she was so hungry for something to eat that she didn’t mind too much that she looked very ungirly when eating it. With that first biscuit gone she wasn’t as hungry and could control herself and so sipped her tea. “We’ll have to do that on a study night. Bet that would help.” She smiled at him.

[Remus John Lupin]

"Wouldn’t it be nice if all the things with vitamins that we needed tasted good? I know that would make me happy.” Remus chuckled as he dipped another biscuit in his tea. "Well, apples are good." They were.. and cherries. Yum. Remus liked healthy food, but he occasionally needed coffee or sweets to keep up his energy levels. Oh, well, at least it didn't make him fat.. and he didn't eat candy too much. Okay, so maybe he did, but Remus needed the sugars. He was a growing boy. Or something. Not that he would stop once he was done growing, hah!

Remus laughed - he still couldn't believe how he hadn't noticed how nice and funny Lena was before. “Maybe it is. Maybe I do have a nefarious plot against you.” "Nefarious, eh?" Remus chuckled and sipped his tea. He liked words like that, they had a nice ring to it. Okay, and maybe he was a bit of a study geek, which meant he liked long words to impress teachers. (Plus they sometimes made Sirius shut up. Mostly didn't, though.)

If Lena would come and stay in the summer, it couldn't be summer soon enough for Remus. It was usually his favourite time of year, with its short nights and long days, good weather, plenty of time and freedom to be outside. It was a nice contrast to being at school. “Well you can ask them when they think is a good time and I’m sure I’ll be able to match up to it.” Remus nodded enthusiastically. "I'll owl them tonight." He didn't want to risk accidentally forgetting about it, with the OWLs coming up and all that.
Remus tried to imagine what Lena's showcase would be like. He'd never been to see one, nor had he ever imagined one, so he had no idea what to expect. New talent and fun sounded good, though.

“Remus you wouldn’t injure me. And I bet you’re secretly a good dancer and you just don’t know it because you’ve been dancing with all the wrong people.” Remus half stuck out his tongue at her, which was difficult, as he was munching a biscuit at the same time and it was difficult to multitask two things going on in your mouth at similar moments. "I just can't dance, Lena - accept it," he said with a bit of a grin. "Last time I danced, I was rubbish, and my partner was rather awesome." Remus blushed lightly - he meant Annelise, of course. He wasn't too sure how much everyone knew about them, as they hadn't really made it public, though they hadn't been trying to keep it a secret, either.. At least Skeeter was shutting up about it, that was good.
Remus grinned widely at Lena's next suggestion. "Studying and chocolate cake sounds perfect to me," he admitted. "I can't imagine anyone turning down an offer like that. Well - unless they're lactose intolerant. Or something like that."

[Lena Marie Becket]

Clothing: click meeee
OOC: I am so sorry it's so late.

Lena made a slight face at his observation. “I don’t really like apples. But I guess some fruits do count as healthy and tasting good.” She playfully poked her belly slightly, as if checking for how fat she was. “Maybe I should eat more fruit?” She looked back up at him, smiling, knowing there was really nothing wrong with her shape or curves or body. Then she shrugged, still smiling. “I still would rather have a sugar quill any day.”

"Nefarious, eh?" Lena nodded, biting into a biscuit and swallowed before speaking. “Very nefarious. It’ll hit when you least expect it.” Her brown eyes were bright with mischief and she found herself just enjoying this time with her friend. They’d both needed it. To just enjoy being around someone who understands you and believes in you, and to just relax.

"I'll owl them tonight." Lena smiled brightly, hoping that his parents wouldn’t mind her coming to visit over the summer. They were so lonely for her, no one to talk to except during the times she danced. But that wasn’t every day or all day. The rest of the time she just moseyed around London, trying to find things to do. “I really hope it works out. It would be really nice to meet them and be able to spend a little while hanging out with you over the summer.” She would make sure there wouldn’t be anything in the way to stop her from visiting him. She didn’t want to ruin this first chance she’s had to visit with a friend over a break.

"I just can't dance, Lena - accept it," he said with a bit of a grin. "Last time I danced, I was rubbish, and my partner was rather awesome." She shook her head, smiling. “Not going to happen. I will not accept defeat in my pursuit of making you dance.” At the silly grin on his face when he talked about who he’d been dancing with, Lena’s smile softened into one of happiness for him but also sadness that she didn’t have that. She knew it had to have been Annelise, no one else could make her friend smile like that. “I bet in that instance you were too shy about dancing with her. You have nothing to be shy about with me. I’ll get you to dance some day, Remus Lupin.” Her gaze was playful before she looked down to sip her tea.

"I can't imagine anyone turning down an offer like that. Well - unless they're lactose intolerant. Or something like that." She laughed. “And neither of us are lactose intolerant so I believe we’re safe when it comes to that. So studying for OWLs and eating cake sounds like the perfect idea for later on.”

[Remus John Lupin]

[Sorry I'm even later ]



Remus laughed softly. "You don't like apples? But there's so many different kinds - you're almost bound to like one of them." Not that he minded Lena not particularly liking apples, that was her own choice, of course. He had somehow expected Lena to like them, though he wasn't sure why. Showed how good he was at reading people, huh?
"You now, there is such a thing as too much fruit," Remus chuckled. "You need to balance it out with sugar quills." He grinned a little, indicating he was joking, and sipped his tea.

He was glad Lena was there for him, it was really making him feel better. "Of course it'll hit me when I least expect it." Remus chuckled more nervously than he wanted. "I never expect any friends of mine to hit me with anything." Yeah, and that had just worked out great, hadn't it? He shrugged a little and focused on another biscuit.
Remus turned his thoughts to brighter things. Lena was going to come over for the summer, that was going to be nice. He couldn't imagine his parents refusing anything like that, they were too hospitable. "I can't imagine them refusing," he therefore said, also to reassure Lena because she seemed quite excited about it all.

Remus rolled his eyes, but chuckled. "You can't make me dance, Lena - the imperius curse is forbidden and unforgivable, you know that." He was joking, but he still was sort of hoping Lena would forget about making him dance. He hadn't seen Annelise since the fight either and he wasn't sure what to think of it. She had been through difficult times, of course, and he longed to be there for her, but if she didn't want him to.. It made him doubt the bond between then, and then it made him doubt himself, because somehow he couldn't bring himself to doubt Annelise. Oh well.. he was just going to give it time. Things would work out, right?
“I bet in that instance you were too shy about dancing with her. You have nothing to be shy about with me. I’ll get you to dance some day, Remus Lupin.” Remus laughed softly. "Okay, now I feel threatened," he joked back and ran a hand through his hair.

To be honest, Remus was looking forward to the OWLs. With all the personal drama around him, it felt good to look forward to just studying and eating chocolate cake with Lena. He was quite sure all the OWL studying he'd need to do would keep his mind off other things, plus Lena was good company.
So he smiled. "Cake it is, then."