A/N: Thanks to my two reviewers for the first chapter. I hope that you will all find this one interesting.

Remus Lupin, as it turned out, was not as arrogant or mischeivious as either Sirius Black or James Potter. In fact, he was nothing like his egotistical friends. If anything, Remus was kind, intelligent and caring. In short, he made up for what his annoying friends lacked.

But charming though he was, Remus Lupin was hiding a secret. A deep, dark one, the kind that ate you up inside. Kate knew, because she could see it behind his eyes. Secrets were like wolves that clawed down your strongest barriers and then ate your heart and left you defenseless. Secrets were a terrible burden, and one that should never be shared alone. Of course, that was often the way that those particular burdens were carried-alone.

"Fascinating creatures, werewolves." Kate flipped through a thick tome entitled 'A History of Magick Moste Evil', attempting to locate some useful information on the famed lycanthropes. She and Remus had taken to spending long hours cooped up in the school library, luckily away from the rain that had taken to pouring from the skies as winter approached. "Must be terrifying to be attacked, though…"

Remus remained silent for a long moment, then murmured his agreement. He seemed strangely quiet about the whole werewolf idea…Kate thought that perhaps someone he knew had been attacked or killed.

Poor Remus. He's so quiet and kind…those other boys don't really deserve a friend like him. And indeed Remus was a good friend, as well as a good listener. Kate wasn't too keen on gossip, but if she had an interesting tidbit to share she felt safe divulging it with Remus. He might be a member of the Gryffindor Fifth Year Toe Rag Association, but he was certainly a much gentler spirit than his companions. Remus would never let slip a secret or piece of information, that was certain.

Kate tugged a book from the middle of the thick stack and began to read.

As early as the sixteen hundreds, the newly-formed Ministry of Magic began branding werewolves in hopes of distinguishing them from the rest of the population-both Muggle and Wizarding. As werewolves were, and still remain, a threat to both worlds, all captured werewolves were brought before the Ministry to be branded and identified. The process was usually completed while the beast was still in human form. Without the use of Numbing Charms, the process was excruciatingly painful. If often went wrong, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries…

Kate glanced up, a sick feeling churning in the pit of her stomach. As a child she had been taught to respect all beings, magical or otherwise. She could never imagine someone, even someone as dangerous as a werewolf, being branded for a disease they could not control.

"They brand them, Remus," she whispered, well aware of the library's pre-dinner silence. "They brand the werewolves."

A dark look flitted across Remus' face, present for only a ghost of a moment, and then gone. His expression morphed into one void of emotion.

"Well, they're dangerous, aren't they? I mean, they've got to have a way to tell them apart from wizards."

"Still," Kate sighed. "It's not fair."

She felt the warm touch of human skin against her own and glanced up to see Remus' hand resting lightly on her arm.

"Nothing in life is fair, is it?" And the weak smile that he gave her made his eyes look a hundred years older than the carefree fifteen-year-old they should have represented. Not for the first time, Kate wondered just what secrets Remus Lupin was hiding behind that boyish face.

Although Kate was greatly enjoying her newfound friendship with Remus Lupin, it was coming at a heavy price-having to spend time with his little gang of best mates. Sirius Black and James Potter were the two most annoying, arrogant, egotistical boys she felt sure she had ever encountered. Peter Pettigrew, as she would soon learn, was nothing more than a desperate follower who constantly tagged along beind the other three. According to Jo MacDonald, Kate's best friend, Peter Pettigrew worshiped Sirius Black and James Potter.

"You have to admit, though, Sirius Black isn't half bad looking." Jo ran a comb through her short dark hair and gave a slightly wistful sigh. Kate rolled her eyes and began slowly braiding her auburn pigtails.

"Yeah, but he's so arrogant and mean. Honestly, on the train they were downright horrid to Severus Snape…"

"Ew," said Jo. "Isn't that the dodgy boy with really greasy black hair?" She wrinkled her nose. "Slytherin."

Kate pressed her lips together and snapped an elastic band around the end of her braid.

"I know he's a little odd, but they were awfully mean. Almost threw his books out the window."

Jo shook her head.

"I swear you should have been in Hufflepuff. You're too flippin nice, Kate."

The next day in Herbology,

Kate did not enjoy spending time with either Sirius Black or James Potter, and she had gotten her way, she never would. However, whenever she and Remus settled down to work on their project in the Common Room, Sirius and James inevitably wandered over and began annoying Remus, begging for help or copying rights.

Remus usually brushed them off, but this afternoon he seemed preoccupied and didn't bother telling them to shove off. Instead, Remus was staring at the same page in 'A History of Magical Beasts', his eyes not moving. Kate considered asking what was wrong, but decided against it. Whatever Remus was hiding, he probably had a good reason for not telling.

"I won't be here for the next three days," he said suddenly. Kate glanced up from the paper she was taking notes on.

"Going somewhere?" She inquired, half-joking. Hogwarts students weren't allowed to leave the grounds unless some sort of family or health emergency occurred.

"Yes," said Remus, and he looked a little strained. "My mother is ill."

"Oh no," Kate gasped quietly. "That's awful, Remus. I'm sorry."

Remus offered her a sad smile.

"It's alright. The doctors say she might be well again one day."

Maybe that's why he's so quiet, so shy. And why he looks tired all the time. He probably doesn't sleep much at night. I know I never did…

"My mother was ill too," Kate blurted. Remus, who had returned to his book but was still not turning the pages or actually moving his eyes, turned to look at her.

"Really?"

"Yes." Kate fiddled with her quill. "They never found out what was wrong with her."

"But she's alright now?" Remus asked, and he seemed genuinely concerned. Kate pressed her lips together in a thin line. Years had passed since her eyes would fill with tears at the mere mention of her mother, but the endless heartache that accompanied loss never faded.

"She died," said Kate simply. She preferred not to elaborate on the four excruciating months before Susan Jones' death, her face becoming skull-like, the flesh shedding from her bones until she was little more than a walking skeleton. And the torturous deterioration of her spirit, too, the depression and long silences that proceeded until she was a living ghost. And then, of course, the day that Robert and Kate lay her in the ground and what little was left of the Jones family struggled on with their lives.

"That's awful," said Remus. His brown eyes were filled with sincere sympathy, and Kate pitied the fact that as soon as their project passed over Professor Rictus' desk, their short-lived friendship would end. Remus was fun to be around, and she felt sure that he would make one hell of a best mate. Even so, he was a member of the either most adored or most hated quarter in the fifth year. Feelings for the four-or two, as any emotional sentiment towards the group was usually directed towards either Black or Potter-depended on House. Or if they had ever wronged you.

That night, as Kate mounted the steps to the girl's dormitory, she turned to Remus.

"I hope your mum gets well, Remus."

He offered her one of those smiles, the kind of expression that attempted to appear cheerful but always ended up appearing broken.

"Thank you, Kate."

"Where's Remus Lupin going?" Jo asked that night in the dormitory as the girls finished up their homework. "What a cheat, leaving you to do all the work."

"His mum's ill," said Kate sharply. "He has to go visit her."

"Sure," said Jo. "That's what he said last month when we were working on a Herbology project together." Jo rolled her dark eyes towards the high ceiling and reached for her Astronomy textbook. "Hey, did you do the Astronomy lunar charts? I only just remembered they're due tomorrow…"

Kate dug around in her bag and pulled out the slightly crumpled charts. Organization had never been her greatest trait, something she often regretted. Like now, as she picked a few sticky crumbs from the piece of parchment.

"Yeah. Hey, tomorrow's a full moon…" The sentence froze in her mouth as a thought began to form in her mind. "Jo, when Remus Lupin was absent from Herbology…when exactly was that?"

Jo thought for a moment, counting backwards on her fingers. Then she announced,

"September fifteenth. Why?" She chuckled. "Do you fancy him, Kate?"

But Kate was too deep in thought to respond to her friend's cheerful teasing. She reached for her school bag and pulled out her Astronomy notebook, flipping hastily to the month of September. What she saw forced a sick feeling into her stomach and a sour taste into her mouth. The night of September fifteenth had been a full moon.

So, now she knows that Lupin is a werewolf! More Marauders in the next chapter. It's getting late here so I'll leave you to review…cough cough.