How Soon Is Now?

The morning of the 2nd day of January was only filled with headaches and more instability in Remus' body than usual because of his beloved flatmate James' decision to celebrate a second ‘new year’, his argument was something with Chinese new year but he had been far too painful for Remus to listen to. He found himself waking up in his favourite armchair, an old 70’s wooden designer armchair with green cushions that James had found in a secondhand shop. That was the only thing good with London, he thought to himself as he brood down into the chair even more like a dove with its egg. This armchair is my egg. He rested his eyelids as the continuous tunes of different jazz bands played on a stereo. Suddenly he heard bottles fall over on the wooden floor and grunts and shit!’s and the distressed noises of a certain flatmate. Remus pretended to have already fallen into a deep sleep and merely fake snoring but James was no fool.
“Remus! Remus!” He said and ‘tried’ to wake him up.
Remus opened his eyes and gave him an annoyed stare.
“What is it? I haven’t slept enough.” He complained.
“Your lecture begins in 30 minutes!”
“WHAT!?”
Remus jumped up in a storm from his armchair as he began running around their flat like a crazy hen without a head. While running around he had James on his heels answering every question he was asking, such as: Why didn’t you tell me sooner? When did you know this? The students are gonna hate me! With the answers: I was sleeping! Just now! They’re not gonna hate you, they love you because you’re gay! And with that Remus stopped immediately and turned to James with his hairbrush in his hand, pointing it to his chest, and said;
“I’m not gay, I’m straight. Big difference.”
“Okay, but I’m calling Tonks telling her you’re late!”
Every morning since he and Nymphadora, or Dora as he called her, had been dating, she always picked him up since his lectures and her job as a lawyer both began at 7 in the morning sharp. It had been almost a year since they started dating and he quite enjoyed the relationship, they went on dates, had sleepovers sometimes and that was it. Although he didn’t live with her. Sometimes she complained that he lived with James and sometimes he did too, but Remus had no plans on moving in with Nymphadora. He kept running around the flat, making breakfast, brushing his hair, changing shirts, tying his tie, putting on socks - all the things at the same time. And then he heard it.

Toot! Toot!

“She’s here now!” James had yelled across the flat.
“I know, I heard it too!” He answered in return.
He managed to tie his tie and tie his shoelaces at last before he ran out from the flat. The entrance of the flat was met by a long couple of metal stairs going around the brickbuilding. The sky was pitch dark, as it usually was at 7, and covered in clouds that littered enormous amounts of rain on every visible inch. Downstairs by the street a purple, old Volkswagen stood waiting for him. As he finally scurried to the car and jumped in he was met by Nymphadora’s disappointed, silent expression.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Blame it on James!” He exclaimed nervously as she started the car and they were off in a second.
Remus looked at himself in the reflection of the rearview mirror, his beautiful brushed hair had been absolutely destroyed in the rain. He let out a sigh and rested his head upon the window by the passenger seat. The headaches started to flare up again and as the car drove over speed bumps, pot holes and so on his nauseous feeling only grew larger and larger. The car ride took about 45 minutes to the university and the clock was too much to not make him any more anxious than he was. He looked over at Nymphadora who still had the disappointed look on her face. She can’t be this mad over being late, can she?
“Hey Dora, are you okay?” He asked and tried to see if her reaction changed in any way.
“Don’t talk to me. You know what you did.” She said, obviously angry with him …but at what?
“What’s wrong? Are you mad because I’m late? It never happens, I’m always on time and James just wanted to drink more. You know how he is.” He tried to explain, yet the look on her face didn’t change.
“Dora?” He asked, he wanted her to say something.
“You stupid man!” She shouted and hit the steering wheel with her hands with a loud sigh escaping her body. “How can you be so selfish?! I wasn’t even sure if I’d pick you up this morning!”
“What? I don’t understand, what is it?” He asked while trying not to sound more stupid than he already did.
“URGH! I’m just so– At the new years party at your place, when the clock hit zero, when the clock hit a NEW YEAR, you threw yourself over a fucking man!” She yelled.
Remus sank down into the seat, he had no recollection of that night. A man!?
“I don’t rememb–”
“No, of course you don’t.” She interrupted him. Never once in the car ride had she looked at him, not even glanced when he had sat down in the passenger seat. He felt the immense guilt sweep over him just like how the rain had poured down on him between the walk from flat to the car. In some ways he was glad he didn’t remember the new years kiss, but in another way he wanted to know what happened, he wanted to apologise for something he remembered and not something he didn’t. God, he felt stupid. He felt like an idiot. The car finally came to Oxford and they drove past all the old buildings until in the sky they saw the third-oldest university in the world. He felt a feeling of relief as he was finally gonna step out of the car, he looked at Nymphadora before jumping up from his seat and into the rainy outside.
“Bye Dora, will I see you at six?” He asked carefully, as if saying something wrong would get him hurt or something.
“If you’re lucky. I’ll think about it.” She had said and he saw a small smile carve on her lips. “Good luck, babe.”