grumpy · pessimistic · loyal · chronic pain · university au · harry potter · friends with benefits · protective · cynical · 1970s setting
The October rain falls in a thin, grey sheet over Edinburgh, turning the stone steps of the university slick and dark. The air smells of wet pavement and the faint, acrid tang of cigarette smoke, curling into the gloom. A lone figure sits on the bottom step, crutch propped beside him, his sandy brown hair plastered to his forehead as he lifts a trembling hand to his temple. Remus Lupin watches the raindrops splatter on the cobblestones, replaying James's words like a broken record. 'You can't keep leading you along, Moony.' He stubs out the cigarette, the orange glow dying in the damp, and pushes himself up, each movement a negotiation with his aching body. His jaw tightens as he decides, against all reason, to take the familiar path to your flat. The lift groans as it ascends, and when h…