Ana tied her hair up and took a glug of ice water.

The UK was at it's hottest of summers, and it wasn't helping that she was stuck in a cottage with no air conditioning.

"Hey Ana," Remus said, entering the room. "You look deathly."

"Yes, thank you for noticing, Remus," said Ana sarcastically. 

Ana was sitting on the relatively cold wooden floor of Remus's room.

"Well, someone's grumpy," said Remus, sitting down on the floor next to her. 

"Well..." Ana exhaled. "Normally, I'd be psyched for the next year at Hogwarts. Now... well... not really."

"Why not?"

"It's just another step closer to leaving, and becoming more vulnerable," Ana said, wiping her sweaty forehead. 

"Vulnerable to what?"

"I feel like I'm being interrogated," groaned Ana, setting down her glass of ice water. "Vulnerable to everything and everyone out there- You-Know-Who, his supporters, anything. Normally, I'm not one to talk about how doom is closing in on all of us, but it sure feels like it now."

Remus looked thoughtful. 

Ana wondered how he wasn't dying from heat stroke.

"I suppose I agree," said Remus. "But we do have quite a big of time left, don't we? Ought to enjoy it while we can. Come on. Mum's made strawberry milkshake."

They walked downstairs into the kitchen, only to see Mrs Lupin at the kitchen table, reading the Muggle newspaper.

"Hello," she said with a warm smile.

"Hi, Mrs Lupin," Ana said with a wave.

"Just Hope, dearie," said Mrs Lupin with a chuckle. "Milkshake's on the counter, if either of you want some."

Mrs Lupin had a head full of thick blonde curls and sparkling brown eyes, exactly like Remus. The biggest thing he had gotten from her, however, was her unconditional kindness.

"Thanks, Mum," said Remus, picking up the pitcher of milkshake and pouring some delicately into a glass. 

Ana, too, picked up a glass of strawberry milkshake and followed Remus back into his room. As they sat back down onto the floor, she asked, "So what are the plans for this year?"

"What do you mean?" Remus asked, sipping his milkshake.

"Like- you thinking of doing anything special this year?" continued Ana. "For example, I'm trying out for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team."

"You play Quidditch?" Remus asked, mildly surprised. "I've never seen you as that big of a Quidditch fanatic."

"I mean, I love Quidditch, but I'm not as crazy about it as James and Sirius," Ana said. "Do you remember the things they were screaming at Ravenclaw's team last year? I'll give you a hint- a lot worse than idiot."

"I remember," sighed Remus. "You should have heard how much they were complaining about getting a detention that night. Peter and I had to sleep with a silencing charm around our beds."

Ana snorted. "Really?"

"It's happened more than one time," said Remus tiredly. 

Ana grinned, and took a sip of her milkshake. "Er- Remus?" she finally said after a bit of silence. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," said Remus. "But go ahead."

"You obviously don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Ana said quickly. "But what exactly- er- happened to your father? Everyone speaks about him all the time, but I've never actually met him. Or seen him, even."

"He left," Remus said, not really sadly. It was more in a tone of 'I don't really care'. "Left when Greyback bit me. I don't like him much, and I'm honestly glad he's not here today."

A/n: ik ik that lyall lupin never actually left according to canon, but i've never really liked him for what he said about werewolves. So lyall's cut out from this book, simply because he's annoying. LOVE Y'ALL

Ana nodded. "Oh. What about your mum? She never seems ro mention him."

"She hates him," Remus said straightforwardly. "I don't think he ever really had a true liking for Muggles, anyway. The day he found out about my lycanthropy was the day Mum kicked him out."

A/n: Hope Lupin (Remus' mother) is a muggle, in case y'all weren't sure :)

"Your mother is a national treasure," Ana said quietly, making Remus smile slightly.

"Thank you," Remus said, even quieter.

"No problem," said Ana. "It's my duty as your bestie to keep you alive. I mean- keeping you alive is the bare minimum."

"Thank you for ruining the moment," Remus continued, looking amused. "But to the original topic- Quidditch?"

"Oh, right," Ana said, drinking the rest of her starwberry milkshake. "Well, I do enjoy playing Quidditch sometimes, and I do have a relatively nice broom at home."

"Oh, you do?" asked Remus curiously. "Which one?"

"A Cleansweep Three," Ana said a bit hesitantly. 

"You're right," agreed Remus. "That is a pretty good broom."

"It was made in the 1930s, Remus."

"So? I'm sure it still works fine," said Remus nonchalantly.

"It does work fine, but I don't think it's enough to get me into the Hufflepuff team," sighed Ana. "They all have Cleansweep Sixes! The captain would never let me in."

"Hang on-" Remus said abruptly. "Isn't Amos Diggory the captain?"

A/n: ok y'all don't get crazy on me for being mean to amos in this part he's just an innocent pawn in the remus/ana relationship don't come after meeeeeee  😭😭😭

"Yeah," shrugged Ana. "He's not bad, too, from what I've heard."

"Maybe in Quidditch," mumbled Remus.

"What's that?"

"I said, 'Maybe in Quidditch."

"What do you mean?"

"He's not that good morally," Remus said, in a tone Ana had never heard from him before. "Not very nice."

"Is he?" asked Ana curiously. "He seemed quite nice the last time I met him. Stupid Slytherins tripped me and Amos helped me get up."

"You're on first-name terms with Diggory?" asked Remus, not sounding very happy.

"Not really," shrugged Ana. "It's not like we're really friends, but it's not like we're enemies either."

"I told you, he's not the sort of person you ought to consort with!" Remus hissed.

"'Consort with'?" said Ana, with raised eyebrows. "You act like he's a madman waiting to terrorize us. It's not Hitler we're dealing with! He's a kind Hufflepuff!"

"Kind," scoffed Remus. "Yeah, right."

"And what has Amos done to hurt you?" asked Ana, folding her arms.

"And there it is again."

"What?"

"You keep calling him Amos!"

"That's his name!" said Ana indignantly. "What am I supposed to call him by?"

"W-well-" spluttered Remus. "Don't call him by Amos! It makes it sound like- like-"

"Like what, exactly?" asked Ana exasperatedly. "Like we're 'in love'?" Ana put mocking finger quotes when she said 'in love'. "Do you honestly think I like someone I barely know? And if I did, why would you care so much?"

"Because Diggory's no good!" snapped Remus. "He's rude and disrespectful."

"And do you really think James and Sirius are any different?" asked Ana rashly, not thinking.

She had touched a nerve.

"Yes!" said Remus, the anger now strikingly clear in his voice. "Yes, they are different, because at least they care! If it were Diggory, he'd out me to the Ministry without a thought."

"And how do you know that?"

"I-"

"How do you know that Amos would out you to the Ministry, huh?" interuppted Ana. "I thought you lived by the motto to never assume things about people before you got to know them! Guess your motto is just about being a hypocrite."

She stood up, turned on her heel, and walked as quietly as possible into the bathroom so as not to startle Mrs Lupin

Ana clearly thought Remus couldn't hear her.

But the tears that he heard still pierced his heart like a dagger.

Um... well... that was- er- dramatic.

You'll be seeing a LOT more of ✨jeLly LuPin✨ in their 6th year

also I apologize to anyone who heard of my hatred of amos diggory

HE WAS SO MEAN TO OUR HAROLD POTTERSON IN THE BOOKSSSSSSS

he can't just hurt mr potterson like that 😔

LOLLLLL EHEHHEHEHHEH

Next chapter will probably be out next week

Sorry for the long wait between chapters 😭

love, jui weasley