A/N: A gift to a friend... Dell and Remmie get together. A rather fluffy-
ish (if that's a word... well, I say it is!) piece. Enjoy! Oh, and Harry
Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.
From the second she entered the classroom; Lyndell Greenleaf sensed that she was being watched.
It wasn't the first time she felt watched. In the week since she'd returned to Hogwarts for her fifth year, she had sensed it almost every time she went to class.
She just didn't know who was doing the watching.
It happened in every class, which meant the watcher was a Gryffindor. James Potter had a girlfriend, which meant it was one of five boys.
She glanced at them. Sirius would have approached her by now were it him, and Peter was more worried about food. That left only three. Zachary Wood was too absorbed in Quidditch. It could be Frank Longbottom- he certainly was shy, but if it wasn't him, that only left...
Remus Lupin. Now having him watching her wouldn't be so bad, she decided. Not quite as tall as his friends, with cinnamon brown eyes under sandy brown hair. Of course, he was a bit different from his friends in other ways too; he studied and actually cared about his grades and was a genuinely caring person.
No, it wouldn't be bad at all if he were the watcher.
He couldn't help but stare. As rude as it was, as much as he was asking to be caught, he stared at her anyway.
Oh, she was beautiful.
Remus Lupin gazed at Lyndell from behind his books. She looked up, glancing around and Remus busied himself helping Peter, but the second she went back to work, he started staring again.
If things were different, he thought with a sigh, she might have been his girlfriend.
It wasn't bravery, he was not afraid to hold a conversation with her. Nor was it another attachment, neither had dated before. No, something much more sinister prevented him from starting a relationship with Lyndell Greenleaf.
If she ever found out about him, it would break his heart.
"Ask her to the Yule Ball." Sirius suggested, leaning over to reach the hedgehog his ashtray had become.
Remus was startled. "Huh?"
"You're staring at someone. Ask her to the Yule Ball."
"I—I couldn't, I mean…"
Sirius sighed. "Moony, the worst that happens is she says no and you go back to staring. Besides, one date doesn't mean you have to marry her."
Remus winced. "What if she finds out?"
James stepped in this time. "How could she?"
"I guess you're right…I'll ask her."
Lyndell Greenleaf was glad to have sharp hearing as she sat a few feet away from Remus and Sirius.
"Go ask already! It's not that hard!" hissed Sirius.
"I can't…" managed a quickly reddening Remus.
"If you don't, I'll ask her for you." Sirius threatened.
At the sound of someone getting to their feet, Lyndell became absorbed in her Transfiguration book, not noticing she was holding it upside down.
Remus decided not to mention the upside down book as he walked over and sat next to Lyndell.
"Anything interesting in there?" Just hold a conversation, he willed himself. Just a normal conversation… His stomach flopped as the blonde turned hazel eyes on him.
"Not really." She confessed. He was nervous and it was adorable. "What's up?" Uh-oh Dell, too forward, he was going pale.
Remus felt the color drain from his face. And he called himself a Gryffindor… "I was wondering if you'd like to…if you'd like to go to the Yule Ball with me." He steeled himself for laughter and a no.
He looked so anxious. It was precious and it gave Lyndell a heady feeling of power. "I'd like that."
The delighted, relieved grin he replied with made her stomach jump. "GREAT!" He shot a look toward James and Sirius. "I'll talk to you later then?"
"Later." Dell replied cheerfully. A date for the Yule Ball. Remus Lupin.
Lyndell headed up to her dorm room to squeal uninterrupted.
"It's only three! Why are you going to get ready now?" Lyria demanded.
Lyndell blushed a little. "Well, he asked me…and I want it to be a nice night."
Lily chuckled. "Come on Lyria. Even if you are only going with Sirius, you can still knock his socks off."
Lyndell in the lead, the three hurried upstairs to start getting ready.
"I give up," James Potter sighed.
"Never makes a difference anyway." Sirius pointed out as James tossed aside his hairbrush.
"Guess not," James sighed. "You're right."
"Of course I am, Prongs." Sirius grinned. "I'm Padfoot."
"You're nutters," countered Remus, continuing to pace the room. "And I'm terrified."
"Honestly, Moony, it's Dell! Stop pacing and do something useful, like the Astronomy homework so we can copy it."
Remus sighed and sat down on the bed. He knew Sirius had a point, he needed something to do. He pulled out his planner to find out what page it was on….
"No. Oh no…" The date was circled in red.
"Moony?" James said questioningly.
Remus hadn't even felt the other symptoms, but now he felt himself slipping as the wolf took over…He growled as someone grabbed him and dragged him outside.
They'd vanished. Lily was in tears, but Lyndell was furious.
So much for cute; one of his dumb friends probably made a bet with him. Lyria didn't look anymore pleased.
"I say we camp out down here. They have to come back." The three agreed and settled down to wait.
Remus woke with a groan. Last night's transformation had been the hardest since his friends began to accompany him.
He wasn't sure how he'd gotten to the Shrieking Shack, his robes were shredded and his head was pounding.
Well, he'd never be an alcoholic if this is what it was like.
Remus groaned.
"He's awake!" James announced as Remus sat up. James looked a bit ruffled. "We sent Peter to get you fresh robes. You transformed before we got here."
Remus felt sick. "I…I didn't hurt anyone?"
"Nah, we chased you down here," Sirius assured him.
Remus was more concerned with the gash on Sirius' face. "I scratched you!"
"Nothing a bit of healing potion won't fix. Go change, Moony, so we can get back. I need to talk to Lyria," sighed Sirius.
Mention of Lyria brought Lyndell to mind, and Remus groaned. He was going to be a very dead werewolf.
The four had made it all the way up to Gryffindor Tower unnoticed. Just as they entered the common room, footsteps echoed down the stairs. Peter crouched in the corner, Remus dashed to hide behind the stairs, James hid, and Sirius jumped behind the couch and landed on something alive.
"GAAH!" He yelped as he and Lyria both jumped up.
"Lyndell, don't be upset...." Remus began.
The blonde exploded. "UPSET?!? You stood me up, you arrogant git! And to think I thought I loved you, Remus Lupin!"
Lyria snarled. "So much for spending time with a good friend, Black."
"You'd better have a *very* good reason," Lily demanded.
"We do," Sirius assured them, backing away from the wand Lyria had pointed between his eyes.
"We just can't tell you," James continued.
Lyndell's growl was more frightening than any that Sirius or Remus could have produced. "Well you're going to tell us. Now."
"I don't see how it's any of your business—" Sirius began, but Remus cut him off.
"Thanks, Padfoot, but she'll figure it out anyway if you give her a month or two."
Remus turned to Lyndell. "I... I'm a werewolf."
"And I'm an elf." She replied.
"I'm serious!" He snapped.
"No, that's him," James pointed.
"And we *don't* need more than one," Lyria put in.
Sirius glared at them all.
Lily sighed. "I think this is all going to take some explaining. We'd better sit."
Sirius and Lyria left the common room, and Peter darted for the kitchens. Remus decided James and Lily were… occupied enough that he could talk to Lyndell.
"I really did forget," he said quietly. "And it was too late by the time I realized."
"I know," she replied, pulling her hair back to show her perfectly pointy ears.
"But we wouldn't have any secrets, at least, if we…" she trailed off and blushed a bit.
Remus decided if he'd been brave this far, he might as well try his luck this last time. "Can we try again?"
"Pardon?"
"The next trip to Hogsmeade is next weekend…maybe we could do something?"
"Let's," replied Lyndell. "But let's start now."
From the second she entered the classroom; Lyndell Greenleaf sensed that she was being watched.
It wasn't the first time she felt watched. In the week since she'd returned to Hogwarts for her fifth year, she had sensed it almost every time she went to class.
She just didn't know who was doing the watching.
It happened in every class, which meant the watcher was a Gryffindor. James Potter had a girlfriend, which meant it was one of five boys.
She glanced at them. Sirius would have approached her by now were it him, and Peter was more worried about food. That left only three. Zachary Wood was too absorbed in Quidditch. It could be Frank Longbottom- he certainly was shy, but if it wasn't him, that only left...
Remus Lupin. Now having him watching her wouldn't be so bad, she decided. Not quite as tall as his friends, with cinnamon brown eyes under sandy brown hair. Of course, he was a bit different from his friends in other ways too; he studied and actually cared about his grades and was a genuinely caring person.
No, it wouldn't be bad at all if he were the watcher.
He couldn't help but stare. As rude as it was, as much as he was asking to be caught, he stared at her anyway.
Oh, she was beautiful.
Remus Lupin gazed at Lyndell from behind his books. She looked up, glancing around and Remus busied himself helping Peter, but the second she went back to work, he started staring again.
If things were different, he thought with a sigh, she might have been his girlfriend.
It wasn't bravery, he was not afraid to hold a conversation with her. Nor was it another attachment, neither had dated before. No, something much more sinister prevented him from starting a relationship with Lyndell Greenleaf.
If she ever found out about him, it would break his heart.
"Ask her to the Yule Ball." Sirius suggested, leaning over to reach the hedgehog his ashtray had become.
Remus was startled. "Huh?"
"You're staring at someone. Ask her to the Yule Ball."
"I—I couldn't, I mean…"
Sirius sighed. "Moony, the worst that happens is she says no and you go back to staring. Besides, one date doesn't mean you have to marry her."
Remus winced. "What if she finds out?"
James stepped in this time. "How could she?"
"I guess you're right…I'll ask her."
Lyndell Greenleaf was glad to have sharp hearing as she sat a few feet away from Remus and Sirius.
"Go ask already! It's not that hard!" hissed Sirius.
"I can't…" managed a quickly reddening Remus.
"If you don't, I'll ask her for you." Sirius threatened.
At the sound of someone getting to their feet, Lyndell became absorbed in her Transfiguration book, not noticing she was holding it upside down.
Remus decided not to mention the upside down book as he walked over and sat next to Lyndell.
"Anything interesting in there?" Just hold a conversation, he willed himself. Just a normal conversation… His stomach flopped as the blonde turned hazel eyes on him.
"Not really." She confessed. He was nervous and it was adorable. "What's up?" Uh-oh Dell, too forward, he was going pale.
Remus felt the color drain from his face. And he called himself a Gryffindor… "I was wondering if you'd like to…if you'd like to go to the Yule Ball with me." He steeled himself for laughter and a no.
He looked so anxious. It was precious and it gave Lyndell a heady feeling of power. "I'd like that."
The delighted, relieved grin he replied with made her stomach jump. "GREAT!" He shot a look toward James and Sirius. "I'll talk to you later then?"
"Later." Dell replied cheerfully. A date for the Yule Ball. Remus Lupin.
Lyndell headed up to her dorm room to squeal uninterrupted.
"It's only three! Why are you going to get ready now?" Lyria demanded.
Lyndell blushed a little. "Well, he asked me…and I want it to be a nice night."
Lily chuckled. "Come on Lyria. Even if you are only going with Sirius, you can still knock his socks off."
Lyndell in the lead, the three hurried upstairs to start getting ready.
"I give up," James Potter sighed.
"Never makes a difference anyway." Sirius pointed out as James tossed aside his hairbrush.
"Guess not," James sighed. "You're right."
"Of course I am, Prongs." Sirius grinned. "I'm Padfoot."
"You're nutters," countered Remus, continuing to pace the room. "And I'm terrified."
"Honestly, Moony, it's Dell! Stop pacing and do something useful, like the Astronomy homework so we can copy it."
Remus sighed and sat down on the bed. He knew Sirius had a point, he needed something to do. He pulled out his planner to find out what page it was on….
"No. Oh no…" The date was circled in red.
"Moony?" James said questioningly.
Remus hadn't even felt the other symptoms, but now he felt himself slipping as the wolf took over…He growled as someone grabbed him and dragged him outside.
They'd vanished. Lily was in tears, but Lyndell was furious.
So much for cute; one of his dumb friends probably made a bet with him. Lyria didn't look anymore pleased.
"I say we camp out down here. They have to come back." The three agreed and settled down to wait.
Remus woke with a groan. Last night's transformation had been the hardest since his friends began to accompany him.
He wasn't sure how he'd gotten to the Shrieking Shack, his robes were shredded and his head was pounding.
Well, he'd never be an alcoholic if this is what it was like.
Remus groaned.
"He's awake!" James announced as Remus sat up. James looked a bit ruffled. "We sent Peter to get you fresh robes. You transformed before we got here."
Remus felt sick. "I…I didn't hurt anyone?"
"Nah, we chased you down here," Sirius assured him.
Remus was more concerned with the gash on Sirius' face. "I scratched you!"
"Nothing a bit of healing potion won't fix. Go change, Moony, so we can get back. I need to talk to Lyria," sighed Sirius.
Mention of Lyria brought Lyndell to mind, and Remus groaned. He was going to be a very dead werewolf.
The four had made it all the way up to Gryffindor Tower unnoticed. Just as they entered the common room, footsteps echoed down the stairs. Peter crouched in the corner, Remus dashed to hide behind the stairs, James hid, and Sirius jumped behind the couch and landed on something alive.
"GAAH!" He yelped as he and Lyria both jumped up.
"Lyndell, don't be upset...." Remus began.
The blonde exploded. "UPSET?!? You stood me up, you arrogant git! And to think I thought I loved you, Remus Lupin!"
Lyria snarled. "So much for spending time with a good friend, Black."
"You'd better have a *very* good reason," Lily demanded.
"We do," Sirius assured them, backing away from the wand Lyria had pointed between his eyes.
"We just can't tell you," James continued.
Lyndell's growl was more frightening than any that Sirius or Remus could have produced. "Well you're going to tell us. Now."
"I don't see how it's any of your business—" Sirius began, but Remus cut him off.
"Thanks, Padfoot, but she'll figure it out anyway if you give her a month or two."
Remus turned to Lyndell. "I... I'm a werewolf."
"And I'm an elf." She replied.
"I'm serious!" He snapped.
"No, that's him," James pointed.
"And we *don't* need more than one," Lyria put in.
Sirius glared at them all.
Lily sighed. "I think this is all going to take some explaining. We'd better sit."
Sirius and Lyria left the common room, and Peter darted for the kitchens. Remus decided James and Lily were… occupied enough that he could talk to Lyndell.
"I really did forget," he said quietly. "And it was too late by the time I realized."
"I know," she replied, pulling her hair back to show her perfectly pointy ears.
"But we wouldn't have any secrets, at least, if we…" she trailed off and blushed a bit.
Remus decided if he'd been brave this far, he might as well try his luck this last time. "Can we try again?"
"Pardon?"
"The next trip to Hogsmeade is next weekend…maybe we could do something?"
"Let's," replied Lyndell. "But let's start now."