Chapter One

"So, do we want to play a game?" Anna asked, sitting down on the floor by the fireplace. Her friend Donna looked up and grinned.

"How about Truth or Dare?" she asked innocently. Katherine rolled her eyes trying not

to laugh. "Oh come on, Donna. What, are we seventeen again instead of thirty-eight?"

"It could be fun." Donna insisted.

"Yeah, let's do it," put in Anna "I haven't played this in years." They all looked around at Ari. She sighed. "Oh, fine, but don't tell my son or I'll never hear the end of it."

Ari's son was the kind of boy to take any and all dares that came his way regardless of danger. Ari was exasperated with him, but she always felt like a hypocrite when she had to scold him about something. After all, she used to play plenty of her own pranks along side the Marauders at Hogwarts. Pushing the memories aside for now, Ari plopped down on the hearthrug next to Anna.

"Alright," Anna said. "Katherine, you're first and we'll go clockwise." Kate nodded resignedly. "Truth of Dare?" demanded Anna.

"Truth."

Anna glanced at Donna, who leaned forward curiously "I wondered about something a few days ago; Does your niece have a crush or what on Harry?"

Katherine snorted. "Yes, Romilda does. And crush isn't really it. I'm afraid she pesters him to no end at school." They all laughed.

"Ari, your turn."

"Um, Dare?"

Anna grinned, "Turn your hair electric blue for one week."

"What!?!" Ari shrieked "I'm way too old for that! Besides, can you imagine the look on Aaron's face when I come home?"

"Okay, okay," said Anna, laughing "Three days." Ari narrowed her eyes, then sighed,

"Alrighty then, here goes." And with a wave of her wand, her hair turned a vivid blue.

The game went on with Ari in turn, telling Anna to dye her hair green(" It'll be fine for you" said Ari smugly " you're always doing crazy things anyway."), a secret recipe revealed to a triumphant Katherine with Ari looking peeved now, and Katherine having to put purple streaks in her hair.

"Good thing I don't have kids either." she observed, looking in a mirror.

"Well you and Anna might not. "grumbled Ari.

"Hey, I don't either," reminded Donna "you're the only one who got married come to think of it."

"Yes, well, who's the next victim?" Anna pointed. "Donna."

Katherine suddenly sat up straight and scrutinized Donna. "I have a question."

Donna raised an eyebrow. "Something important?"

"Well, don't know," Katherine said slowly "but I just remembered…In sixth year. You never told us why you broke up with Remus Lupin."

Donna paled slightly. The other women leaned forward expectantly.

"You all know that I used to have problems when we were in Hogwarts, right?"

"If you mean your inexplicable fear of anything remotely connected with the Dark Arts?" queried Katherine. Donna nodded and Anna spoke up sounding confused,

"But you're over that now, what does that have to do with Remus?"

Donna took a deep breath and looked Anna in the eye "Because," she said quietly, "Remus was a werewolf."

Dead silence reigned in the room for several seconds. Ari had knocked her drink over, Katherine looked thunderstruck, and Donna looked rather shamefaced. Anna just sighed. "I already knew that, actually." she said softly Katherine swiveled her head around to stare at Anna in disbelief.

"You knew that Remus was a werewolf?!" Anna nodded jerkily. Even Donna looked surprised. "How…?" she whispered.

Anna sighed "After Donna had broken up with him, I found him in the Owlery and told him that I had figured it out too. I told him not to be too upset because I didn't have a problem with it and Donna was just going through a rough time."

"I know I must have hurt Remus," Donna said nervously "but I was only sixteen! I was scared!" she added defensively.

"I wonder why he was in the Owlery," Katherine said thoughtfully.

"Because no one hardly ever comes up there during the day." Anna said significantly.

Donna looked up confused. Anna looked at her seriously "He was crying."

Donna bit her lip and looked down at the floor. "Poor Remus." She looked like she was going to cry herself. Katherine glanced around the group. "Let's… let's talk about something else." she said hesitantly. "I half wished I hadn't asked" she muttered to herself.

The game resumed, but the girls were too shocked by Donna's revelation that no one was concentrating on what they were saying and they all ended up going to bed early.