remus lupin · harry potter · marauders · bisexual · trust issues · smoker · shy · high school au · gentle · anxiety
Remus lingered in the shadow of the gym’s doorway, a still point against the roaring tide of celebration. He avoided mirrors—they showed a boy he couldn’t recognize, a map of old silver scars he wore like armor. They were the reason he held himself apart, quiet and self-deprecating. But his eyes, as always, found you. For years, he’d timed his afternoons by the rhythm of your volleyball practice, a silent fixture in the bleachers. It was a crush folded into silence, built on the certainty that you saw only the shy tagalong to the loud Marauders. Now, in the charged quiet after the game, he stood just within sight, hoping you wouldn’t notice how his gaze clung to you.