#(remus)

And you, his incomparably lovely girl, had always received it with such radiant warmth: a smile that could rival the sun’s gentlest rays, a kiss to his cheek that left him flustered still, even a year into the comfort of your love.

You would unwrap the chocolate bar with familiar eagerness and take a bite, your laughter trailing behind you as you walked toward your next class.

That was all it took for Remus to make certain he never left his dormitory without a piece tucked away—because the joy that bloomed across your face whenever you beamed “Thank you, Remmy,” before pressing your lips to his cheek, was nothing short of a reward in itself.

To him, that small exchange was a thread that stitched itself into the very fabric of your love story.

Which is why, now, standing across from Lily Evans in the quiet corner of the library, Remus could scarcely process the words she had just spoken.

He stared at her, lips parted, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and silent injury. His voice, when it returned to him, was low and flat. “She hates chocolate?”

The words felt blasphemous, treacherous, as they escaped his mouth.

Lily gave him a look that balanced both sympathy and exasperation, as if she had long anticipated this moment and dreaded being the one to deliver it. "I’m sorry, Remus. I thought you knew. Honestly, I assumed you’d figured it out by now."

He shook his head slowly, brows drawn in quiet confusion. "No, no, that makes absolutely no sense. She eats it all the time. I give it to her every day, Lily!"

"Yes, Remus," Lily said gently, her tone soft but firm, "because she doesn’t want to hurt your feelings. She knows how much it means to you."

Remus stared at her for a long moment, and something subtle but significant shifted behind his eyes. "But I only ever gave it to her because I thought it made her happy."

"It does," Lily replied, placing a careful hand on his arm. "Because you gave it to her. Not because of what it was."

Remus looked past Lily, eyes unfocused, his thoughts spiraling.

He tried to recall every moment. Every time he had handed you a bar of chocolate with a gentle smile and a kiss to the temple. Every time you had taken it with a thank-you and a laugh, like it made you happy. It had felt like something sacred between you. He had always thought it was.

"How long have you known?"

"Since forever?" Lily said carefully, watching him. "Everyone knows Y/N hates chocolate, Remus. I thought you did too."

Remus exhaled, a slow and disbelieving sound. He pressed a hand to his mouth as if to ground himself. And then, faintly, as though speaking more to the universe than to her, he murmured, "I have been feeding her tiny instruments of misery every morning like clockwork, and she accepted it with grace I did not deserve."

Lily smiled, but her eyes were soft with understanding. "That’s love, Remus, and it goes both ways. But maybe next time… ask what her favourite treat is."

He gave a faint, breathless laugh, still trying to reconcile the odd ache blooming in his chest. "I will. Merlin, I will."

Which is how Remus, now two days later, found himself back in routine, standing just outside your arithmancy classroom with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers, waiting for you. 

The hallway smelled like parchment and ink and something faintly sweet from the kitchens, and when you emerged—laughing at something one of your friends said—Remus stood a little straighter.

Your eyes found him instantly, bright and warm as ever, and you gave him that smile, the one that always made his chest feel too full.

"Hey, dovey," he murmured as you reached him, wrapping an arm around your shoulder in a quick hug. "How was your day?"

You beamed, already beginning to ramble as the two of you started walking down the corridor, hands laced. "It was so boring in the morning, but then Slughorn paired me with Mary for the new potion, and we actually didn’t mess it up for once. And oh, you know that weird Ravenclaw boy who always brings pickles to class? He—"

God, Remus had never been more in love.

He let you talk, content to let the sound of your voice wash over him like sunlight through a window on a cold morning. Your fingers stayed laced with his, as you gently swung your joined hands back and forth in that familiar rhythm you always slipped into when you were truly happy.

In that moment, with your laughter filling the space between you, Remus was especially happy to know that you were happy with him.

You suddenly paused mid-sentence and looked up at him with a soft frown. "Wait—what about you, Rem? How are you? Does your knee still hurt?"

His heart tugged at the way you remembered. He gave your hand a squeeze and shook his head. "No, love, it’s alright. I wrapped it up this morning. Feels much better today."

"Good," you said, then smiled when he reached into his satchel.

He pulled out a neatly wrapped little bar and offered it to you. "Brought you something."

Your eyes lit up at first, the way they always did when he gave you something, but then you blinked, taking the bar from his hand.

“This wrapping looks… different,” you said curiously, turning it over. “Did you change the chocolate brand?”

Remus didn’t say anything at first. He just watched you, his expression soft as ever, fondness written in every line of his face.

You unwrapped the bar, expecting the familiar scent of cocoa, but instead—

"Wait—this is caramel?" you said, sniffing.

"Mhm." he hummed, the sound low and pleased.

You looked up at him like he’d just handed you a puzzle you weren’t expecting. “Since when do you get caramel?”

He just smiled, slipping his hands into his coat pockets as he leaned a little closer, shoulder brushing yours with that casual, familiar ease that always made your heart skip.

“Thought I’d switch it up,” he said lightly, like it was nothing — even though, from the way he glanced sideways at you, it clearly wasn’t nothing at all.

You took a slow bite, still suspicious, but your eyebrows rose as soon as the caramel hit your tongue. “Oh! Wait—this is actually… really, really good.”

Remus turned his head just enough to catch your reaction, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. “I had a feeling you’d think so.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, lips twitching. “You’re being weird.”

“Am I?” he asked, all innocence and wide-eyed mischief.

You nudged him lightly with your elbow, the wrapper still in your other hand. “A little.”

He laughed under his breath, then reached over to gently swipe a bit of caramel from the corner of your mouth with his thumb. The touch was warm and brief, but it made your breath catch just slightly.

“So,” he murmured, “does that mean I should make a permanent switch to caramel?”

Truthfully, Remus had sworn to himself he’d never let you near chocolate. Especially now, with the knowledge Lily had casually dropped like a grenade two days ago, everything made horrifying sense. The way you’d force a smile, the slight wince you tried to hide, the polite little nod as you bit into something you clearly couldn’t stand.

But you were also you. And so, despite that little white lie he was keeping tucked behind a caramel-flavored peace offering, he couldn’t help teasing you anyway.

You rambled before you could stop yourself. “I mean—I don’t mind anything from you, obviously. I just think the caramel’s a really nice change from the chocolate, y’know? But of course I’d love whatever you gave me. Really. I just think this one is, like, such a good choice, Rem.”

Remus blinked in surprise, then laughed—an unrestrained, genuine sound that rose before he could stop it. His heart pulled tight in his chest, aching in that soft, familiar way it always did around you.

Because of course, even now, even with your clear dislike for chocolate, you’d still accept it if it came from him.

You’d eat something you couldn’t stand just to make him happy. You’d sweeten your words, cover the truth in kindness, and act like it didn’t bother you at all.

And here you were now, flustered and stammering and still trying to be gentle about the switch, just in case it hurt his feelings.

He looked at you like you were the most precious thing on earth. “Well then,” he said softly, “I guess caramel it is, dovey.”

You brightened immediately, smiling so wide it made Remus feel like he could float.

You stood on your tiptoes without thinking, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Remmy!”

And as always, he blushed.

Truth be told, Remus didn’t mind carrying two different bars in his pockets now—chocolate for himself, caramel for you. Because in the end, he still got his soft little “thank you, remmy,” still earned his daily kiss on the cheek, and—most of all—he still got to watch you smile like he’d hung the stars just for you.