A\n: Big thanks to CeliaEquus for the story idea! I hope I do it justice!

Enjoy guys, and don't forget to review. I'm so glad to be writing again; Help me out of my Writer's Block completely with reviews, and I'll update faster. If you review, I'll read and review one of your stories. (: Thanks guys!

God Bless,

PaintMeIntrigued

It hadn't always been this way...

Elise had always been favored for her independence, and strong sense of boldness. She was a role-model, not a follower; nor always a leader: Just plainly herself. She was a strong-willed girl of twenty-two who had never had misfortune cross her path. Her parents were older, yet still alive, and very well. She had no siblings to worry about, nor care for growing up, and she had a stable, well endowed job. Her sense of adventure was keen, yet she never got herself into trouble. Her life had always been a bed of roses, for lack of a better saying. She was rarely depressed; that is, until she looked in the mirror. Elise found herself smart, humorous, trustworthy, and prestigious...She also identified herself as quite...ugly. Elise was perfectly built; a thin, tall frame, and her facial structures were extravagant. She held no blemishes on her face, no scars or wrinkles had taken home there, her eyebrows were thin, light brown, and completely even. Her jaw was strong, but not enough to be quite obvious. Her eyes were a deep, rich hazel, to match her hair. Yet, she looked at herself in disgust. She despised her appearance; it was the only thing in her life she hated. She figured at a young age, if she had everything going for her in her life, at least one thing had to be wrong...Right? Elise's down-fall from her appearance was that she was very self-conscious. It took up a lot of her time seeing as she spent hours trying to get ready for jobs, events, parties, so that she'd look, at least presentable. Some times were harder than others. Elise had tried many times to overcome the hatred she held toward her appearance, but eventually she succumbed to it. She'd gone on countless diets; tried many face creams, different soaps, and hair products...but it took too much time; too much money. She let it go, and moved on as best she could;moving through life with her career in mind, thinking...hoping, that would assuage her want to be beautiful. She hoped foolishly it would fill the gap of acceptance she so genuinely wished for from society; from her parents and friends. Elise refused to let it tear her down on the outside; only make her more beautiful. Though on the inside, she was dying. Her inward expression of the hatred for her body, soon manifested itself in the only problem she has ever faced in her life: Anorexia.

Remus had watched her sitting alone for awhile now. She looked so familiar, yet so strange to him. They were at a small coffee shop; Remus always went to muggle meeting places when he needed a chance to relax; to be away from the mayhem of the wizarding world. He stared at her from one corner of the room as she sat at the other with a thick book in hand, and a small coffee. Why wasn't she eating anything? Remus had heard everyone came there for their cookies. Homemade, warm, sweet and chocolatey, (his kind of food, for sure.) After toying with the idea for what seemed like a century, in his mind, Remus made the mental decision to go over to her and strike up the best conversation he could in front of a pretty lady, perhaps he could even offer her the cookie himself...Maybe she had only brought enough money for her coffee. Elise looked up as Remus was walking toward her table, and when she realized he definitely was coming to see her, she began to panic. Her blood pulsed faster through her veins, and she could swear the only noise she heard was the pounding of her heart against what seemed to be her skull itself. She was so scared someone would find out, just by looking at her. She tried hard to hide her disorder. It made her feel good, after. Smaller; prettier, but it also made her so nervous, so frightened, so worried. She took a deep breath, swallowed her fear, and stared him dead in the eyes. After a few moments, she remembered she didn't have a sign on her forehead stating she was anorexic; that she wasn't nearly skinny enough for someone to think something was wrong with her. She faked a smile.

"May I take a seat?" he asked. She nodded, now completely composed and ready to actually interact with another human-being with fear, for once, an absent factor.

"Yes, you may," she replied softly, closing her book and setting it down on the old, wood table.

"What're you reading?"

"Pride and Prejudice..Predictable, huh?"

Remus smirked and replied: "Predictable for a lady, yes. But lacking entertainment? Not in the slightest. I rather enjoy those gossip-filled, old, love impressed tales."

"You've read it? Now that, indeed is not predictable!"

They both laughed.

"Can I offer to purchase you a sweet? I couldn't help but notice you haven't eaten one bite, and I've heard this coffee house is famous for its Chocolate Chip cookie."

She faked a smile once more as fear sunk into her once again. If she didn't accept he'd find out...but if she ate it, then took a trip to the restroom right after eating, he'd know...no...no, he couldn't. Nearly everyone took bathroom breaks after eating, did they not? She couldn't keep him waiting any longer.

"I'd be glad to take you up on the offer. Have you tried one yet?"

"No I can't say I have," he smiled, and stood. "I'll try one along side you. Pardon me one moment."

She nodded as he walked to the cash register. It only took him a moment, as long as he had asked her pardon for. He came back with two napkins, and two cookies dipped in chocolate. He handed her a cookie and napkin and moved her coffee so she wouldn't hit her hand into it and spill it.

"Thank-you." she said quietly, taking a bite into the pastry. He waited until she had chewed it for a few seconds before asking: "How is it? Worth all the rave?"

"Very worth it. I do love chocolate, though I don't eat it often."

"I love chocolate as well. My favorite food, dessert, and snack," he joked. "Why don't you eat it often?"

Now, she was stuck.

"I..Um, I tried a diet that...erm, ended, with this cookie." she joked back. He grinned and held up his coffee.

"Cheers to chocolate ruining another diet. Two reasons that already make you quite a replica of myself. A chocolate lover, and an un-stable diet holder!"

She held up her coffee as well and they clanked their cups together as coffee spilled over the edge onto their napkins and half-eaten cookies, and they drank the rest that was left.

Elise's stomach churned as her and Remus fell deeply into conversation after conversation full of wit, and knowledge. She felt so nauseous; she supposed the intentional puking made her mind react as sick as that; to actually believe it was normal to throw-up every meal; snack. Maybe it was a serious disorder...A mental one. Maybe she had pushed herself so hard to throw-up every little content of her stomach, that her mind was so trained now, that it did it anytime she ate...drank even. Remus could see her face becoming paler and paler with each passing minute, and he began to become worried. His brows furrowed into a tight, questioning line, and his lips pressed together before he finished his sentence.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes," she lied quietly. "Just feeling a bit sick."

He glanced at his watch and realized they'd been talking for over an hour and a half; realized she had become more pale over the past hour and a half...

"Have you felt poorly this whole time?"

She gave a half shrug, half nod in reply. He stood quickly, threw a tip on the counter, and helped her to stand.

"My apologies. You could've just told me you needed to leave. I shouldn't have ranted on and on."

"Oh, no, no. I enjoyed our conversation immensely. I've been feeling ill these past few days...just a virus I suppose." Elise was a good con-artist as well, though she became nervous lying straight through her teeth. Remus believed it without hesitation, and offered to walk her home. It was a small town, so he assumed she resided in one of the apartments around the corner. She politely declined, thanked him for their brunch snack, and grabbed her coat before leaving.

Elise cuddled warmly by the fire with a blanket and cup of hot chocolate as a storm brewed outside and her cat slunk into laying position around her legs. She thought over the day's events as she sat like this: peacefully on her couch. He had been kind, undoubtedly, still if he got to close, he'd find-out her secret. She rested her head against the arm of the couch, leaning over and curling up to sleep. Maybe, one day, she answered her thoughts. Maybe one day she would let somebody in.

When Elise had left the coffee shop, Remus had asked everyone in the coffee shop if they knew the woman he'd just spent his whole visit with. Surely they found him foolish; he had to know her! Everyone said no, and shot him odd looks before he sighed, thanked them, and left the shop. When he was half-way down the street, he heard a low, feminine voice calling out: "Sir? Sir!" He turned around to face an elderly woman with thin, long gray hair.

"Yes, mam?" he replied.

"Her name is Elise. Elise Vodeen."

Remus' face broke into a broad, ecstatic smile as he shook the woman's wrinkled, purple-veined hand.

"Thank-you," he whispered excitedly. "Thank-you."

Remus searched for Elise for months...Without even realizing, months turned into a year. Remus didn't give up though; there was something about her...something special; even more so: intriguing. She was just so captivating...so stunningly, naturally beautiful. Remus hadn't felt that way since...since his only, true friend. Then, finally, one morning, on a brisk, cloudy day in October, when Remus had gone to the ministry with Percy Weasley to sign papers to re-register himself as a werewolf, he saw her. She wasn't a muggle after-all. He had searched every record there, and never once thought to give up muggle public records, for the possibility they could so truly be one of a kind. He had found her. Elise Vodeen stood before him, with a look in her eyes that still recalled that day in the coffee shop so well. She looked sick like she had that day, and she had a half eaten sandwhich in her hand. Remus knew viruses didn't last a year...everyone knew that.

It was such a beautiful lie.

A\n: I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter. Please don't leave without reviewing. Ideas and constructive criticism are,of-course, welcome at any time. Review or PM me, and I'll update quicker. I hope for chapter two to be up, longer, and by the end of the week.

God Bless,

PaintMeIntrigued