the_debt_of_time

Remus stared at it.
"Go on, then." She shoved her palm closer to him. "I ain't gonna bite you."
Remus laughed loudly, much louder than he had intended to—had he even intended
on laughing in the first place. He covered his mouth and blushed apologetically.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you, just.. ." He winced, embarrassed, and stood
on his own, ignoring her hand. She appeared to take no offence, dusting her hands off
before spinning around—literally spinning—and darting off toward the Leaky.
"Wotcher, Tom!" she shouted as she entered the pub, making her way to an empty
table and taking a seat, but not before knocking over a chair in the process, clearing her
throat as she righted it. "Two butterbeers and a big plate of chips, if you please!"
As though lost, Remus followed her inside and sat down opposite, blinking wide-
eyed as she ordered the drinks, one of which was presumably for him. It suddenly and
strangely felt like a date. But it could not be a date. They had never actually,
technically met before, despite Remus having previously met her mother on numerous
occasions, not to mention being best friends with her cousin for over twenty years. She
didn't even know his name.
"So, Death Eaters," she said, bringing her attention up to Remus's face. "You seen
'em?"
"What? Umm... no, I was just—I mean, I heard that there had been sightings."
"You were following me because you heard there had been Death Eater sightings?"
She watched him carefully, and when he was certain she could tell his discomfort
had reached an all-time high, she winked at him and sent his heart plummeting into his
stomach.
"Do you think I'll protect you?" she asked with a grin.
Remus huffed indignantly, swallowing as he waited for his heart to climb back up
into his chest. "I can take care of myself quite well, thank you," he retorted with an air of
smugness. "You're much too friendly. You shouldn't trust people so easily. In fact, I could
have been a Death Eater myself. You kept your back to me the whole walk over here. It's
not safe for you to just―"
She snorted in amusement, the sound interrupting him. "You're no Death Eater."
Remus scowled, not sure if he should be offended or not. "And how do you know
that?"