Lula Kensington sat at the pub, nervously waiting. She spun the straw in her glass, watching the ice move in circles, worrying she was losing the color of her lipstick as she pressed them together, biting back a panic attack. Her painted black fingernails clicked as they drummed against the glass. Condensation rolled down and pooled on the table beneath it. She slid a coaster from a stack of them by the napkin holder and put her glass on top of it.

Every time the pub door opened, her eyes shot to it, praying she'e see Spencer Stewart there.

It was ten minutes past the time they'd agreed upon when Remus Lupin entered the pub, looking nervous. He glanced around the pub and spotted her at a table by the bar, tucked into a corner, and he started toward her, ducking between the crowded bodies that filled the room. Laughter - too loud and so at odd with the feeling coursing through her - echoed about the room.

Lula's eyes filled with tears and she looked down, closing her eyes, her heart breaking. She'd pinned too many hopes on the idea that Remus Lupin might be able to talk Stewie into coming to the pub, and now she felt foolish for having expected anything. She had dared to believe that she and Stewie were unbreakable, deep down, that if she just had the chance to apologize things would go back to normal, things would be alright again... But she had truly and completely ruined it all hadn't she? Her jealousy and her anger and her self doubt and obstinance had all played a perfect storm, and Stewie had truly gone from her life, hadn't he?

Remus cleared his throat and she looked up at him.

Spencer Stewart stood beside Remus next to the table - and Sirius Black and two others of Remus's friends she remembered seeing at the Halloween party. She barely saw any of them besides Stewie, though, and she rushed to her feet, nearly knocking over her chair and threw her arms around him.

Sirius was dragging two additional chairs up from another table so all six of them had seats 'round the table as James pulled a chair out for Lily, and Remus sank into the third at the table. Sirius pushed one up beside Lula and dropped the second beside Remus, spinning it so he could sit backwards in the chair, propping his arms up on the seat back. Remus tucked his arm 'round Sirius's back and James grabbed the little menu on the table, looking it over as Lily took a deep breath and said something smelled amazing.

"Sean Buckner says the chips here are incredible," James said.

Sirius watched Lula hugging Stewie and his eyes sparkled with mischief, "Well reckon we ought to get the pair of you a room?" he teased, elbowing Spencer's hip.

Lula drew back, dabbing her eyes with her finger tips, afraid her make up might be running down her cheeks and looked up at Stewie. "I missed you," she said.

It had been a month since she'd seen him, and it was too long. She couldn't believe how much he appeared to have changed in the time apart, he had lost weight (and had very little to spare to begin with) and seemed scruffier about the chin and cheeks, as though he hadn't shaved in a few days. His eyes were sharper, or something - the color in them brighter.

Remus watched Spencer closely, his eyes riveted, reading his emotions as Lula stood, waiting for him to speak, to return the sentiment of missing her. Spencer looked squirmy and uncomfortable and he murmured something that might've been agreement, then slid into the seat at the table. Sirius's arm reached over and clapped onto Spencer's shoulder as a comfort, making Spencer jump slightly and look at Sirius in surprise. Sirius squeezed his fingers - a motion that Remus imitated on Sirius's own shoulder - and patted twice before letting his hand fall away. Remus's hand stayed on Sirius's shoulder and his eyes stayed on Spencer.

"It's been a month, Stewie," Lula said, "And I've felt guilty and horrible ever since Halloween. I was such a brat to you all through October and I'm terribly sorry. I - I took you for granted and I've realized it in the weight of your absence." Her eyes sparkled as she stared at him, pleading him to speak.

Stewie murmured, "Lots has changed, Lu."

Lula looked worried and Remus felt the tension, so to break it he looked 'round to James. "So the Chips, huh?"

"Yeah," James said, looking up from the menu he was still looking over. Lily's eyes were on Spencer, wide and worried, and James glanced at her, then at Remus, "Buckner says they're brilliant."

"Chips all around!" Sirius declared. "On the Prongses." He winked at James.

"Apparently chips on me," James said, laughing. "Drinks orders? I'll go and put in an order at the bar."

"Firewhiskey!" Sirius called out.

"Dunno if they've got that here, mate," James said, laughing as Remus coughed and squeezed Sirius's shoulder.

"Just a cola for me," Lily said and her hand went over her stomach protectively and James nodded.

The others put in their requests - Sirius adjusting his request to a regular whiskey - and James slipped away from the table, headed for the bar. Lily turned to the others, "So - Lula," she said, smiling, "It's lovely to meet you. I didn't get a chance to talk with you at the Halloween party, I'm afraid, but I've heard quite  lot about you from the lads." She gestured at Remus and Spencer. "You're an artist?"

"I try at it," she said, "Mostly I just wanted to spend more time with --" she glanced at Spencer, then back to Lily. "He took a literature course with me and I took art with him."

"Oh literature!" Lily said, "What is your favorite book?"

"Emma," Lula said. She laughed, "I'm afraid I'm terribly dull and enjoy the classics - like everyone else."

"But Emma's such a fun story," Lily said.

"I found rather boring," Sirius spoke up.

"Like you've read Jane Austen," Remus snorted.

Lily smirked at Sirius.

"I've read it," Sirius argued.

"What's it about?" Remus challenged.

Even Spencer was looking at Sirius with a raised eyebrow. It did not take long to learn who was the reader of the group, it seemed.

"A girl," Sirius said, then added, "Named Emma."

"And what does Emma do?" Remus asked.

"Falls in love, obviously," Sirius guessed.

"Uh huh," Remus nodded.

"I was so shocked when it turned out Mr. Knightly was from another planet," Lula said, looking to Lily, "Weren't you?"

"Positively shocked," Lily answered, struggling to keep her lips from curving into a smirk. She looked down at the menu James had left sitting on the table.

Sirius was looking at Lula with surprise. "I mean, who wasn't shocked by that? I mean... Mr. Knightly. Who knew?" he said.

Remus patted Sirius's head.

"What?"

James swung into his chair then, "What are we talking about?" he asked.

Sirius said, "Alien boyfriends of classic literature."

James blinked, "Alright...?" He paused. "What book is this now?"

"Emma," Sirius said, seriously.

James's face crumpled in confusion. "Wait - what?"

Lily's laugh escaped her then at James's genuine - and very valid - confusion.

"Mr. Knightly, Prongs - do keep up!" Sirius said.

Lily's laughter doubled.

"What?" Sirius looked over at her, then at Lula and Spencer and Remus who were all laughing with her now and he swore, "Bollocks, you lot are dicks."

Remus leaned in and kissed Sirius's cheek as his husband flushed and Lula said, "I'm sorry. Truly."

"At least you're handsome when you're confused," Remus said.

Spencer stared as Remus kissed Sirius's cheek and said the words. His face flushed when Remus's eyes met his and he looked away quickly.

"You could give a go of reading it though, it's actually rather funny," Lula said.

"Austen is actually quite good at satire," Lily said. And that sparked a conversation with Lula, which let the group fall into an easy comfort that was precisely the sort of tension breaking mood that Remus had hoped would be the result of bringing along his mates to Spencer and Lula's reunion.

When Remus had first posed the proposition, Spencer had been fiercely against the idea of it, but Remus had managed to talk him into the little meeting with the promise that he and Sirius would be there and that they'd break the tension for him. He was happy to see Spencer and Lula getting on well again. Things had been terribly tense at the art classes and Remus hoped this meant Stewie would return to the classes and he, Remus, wouldn't be left alone with Lula anymore.

He didn't like the feeling of being alone with her. Things had been becoming increasingly awkward for Remus, and he couldn't shake off the thought of the looming painting he had to work on to turn in - he only had a bit longer to do the work, he'd been putting it off because he didn't really want to revisit the image of her. But perhaps if Stewie was there to diffuse the tension again, maybe Remus could move past it and things at the art course could go back to normal.

Maybe.

But even as he thought it, his eyes were watching her accept her glass from a server, her fingers sliding around the stem of a wine glass. Her fingernails were shiny with French tips and her lips were painted a vibrant pink color that made her mouth fascinating to watch as the light caught it, making the tone appear pink and then red and then violet.

"MOONY!!!" Sirius's voice sliced through Remus's distraction.

Remus blinked and looked to Sirius in confusion, "Huh? What?"

"Darling, Lilith was asking if you wanted salt for your chips," Sirius pointed and a general laugh rippled through the group - from everyone but Spencer, that is, and Remus flushed. "What planet was your brain on Moonpie?" Sirius asked.

"The same one Mr. Knightley is from, I suspect," James muttered, and Sirius chucked a chip at James, who dodged it. The chip hit the wall with a wet sound and James laughed at the noise before turning to pluck it up from the floor. He sat up just in time to get hit in the nose by another flying chip and Sirius's laughter.

"Bugger," James hissed.

"Salt is fine," Remus said, though he wasn't very hungry at all, really. Lily shook salt over the plate and pushed it down that end of the table. Lula and Sirius each reached for chips at the same time and Sirius waved one like a sword at her, and they laughed as she joined in the feud.

Lily elbowed Remus and he turned. "Alright, sweetie?" she asked, sounding a lot like her husband.

Remus nodded, "I'm alright," he replied.

Lily laid a hand on his elbow. "You're sure?"

He nodded again.

Suddenly Sirius let out a shout that made everyone jump in surprise and Remus looked around to him.

"QUEEN!" Sirius shouted, pointing to the ceiling to indicate the noise. "WE MUST DANCE. Come, Moon-Moon. Dance with me!" And Sirius grabbed Remus's arm and yanked him to his feet.