Nem (Host)

Chapter 51.

Third Year.

The Man Who Cried Wolf.

Christmas Day, 1973.

Remus's odd late-night conversation with Philomena had caused him to re-evaluate his anxieties about girlfriends.

His ability to comfort her had stirred no particular feelings of chivalry or affection, only a mild sense of relief that he'd got her to stop crying.

He definitely had no desire to get that close to any other girl.

He thought about Narcissa for the first time in a while.

Remus had secretly thought Narcissa was the most beautiful girl he knew, before she'd dyed her hair anyway.

She had a regal sharpness which appealed to him on some base level.

But even she was made foolish by love, risking her own life, in fact.

The sight of Philomena sobbing in her nightie only cemented in Remus's mind the revelation that love and relationships were not worth the misery.

He had enough pain in his life.

Let Sirius and James work it out for themselves.

But for the time being, Remus felt very intelligent for having come to this realization so early in life.

He had probably saved himself a lot of needless stress.

Christmas morning was as wonderful as it had been the year before.

Even Philomena perked up once she saw the gifts under the tree with her name on them.

Remus was able to enjoy the immense satisfaction of handing out his own presents, and Sirius and the potters were all suitably pleased and thanked him profusely.

He himself received a chess set from the Potters, which was perhaps the most expensive thing Remus had ever owned, and bought just for him, not secondhand.