Authors Note-Second chapter! I doubt you know this but all of the chapter titles will be songs. Say Goodbye is by Chris Brown, and Read My Mind is by The Killers. This chapter sees a new someone in Remus' life, and a better insight (I hope) into his mind and what is coming. A brief cameo from the other marauders as well.

For many people, there is a second when their life changes. It's hard to feel it, because it's barely noticeable. Your heart beats faster, your mind plays subtle tricks on you, and in that one second, whether consciously or unconsciously, you know that your life won't be the same again. You know that something wonderful, something magical has happened and there's no reversing it, there's no changing it, because it's already done. Whether your life is changing for better or worse, is completely up to the fates.

This is how Remus felt. She wasn't gorgeous. She had a questionable beauty. Was she really pretty or did she just give off the air of prettiness? He didn't care. One look at her dark grey eyes, the color of the stones that he and his friends threw into the lake back at Hogwarts, one look into those eyes and everything about him changed. She had shoulder length hair that was so black when the light shone on it it appeared blue. Her nose was a normal size, and it had a small ridge in it. It was followed by her full, cupids bow lips, that had now parted into a smile as she handed a customer their bag of books.

Remus had stopped at a display by the door as soon as he saw her. After swallowing her features whole, he quickly picked up a book from the display to pretend that he was interested in Perfect Potatoes. After reading that one of the secrets to growing such amazing potatoes was manure in the soil, he sighed and closed the book. As long as he was here, he may as well get a book that he was actually interested in. He strolled over to the fiction section, his hands brushing over the paperbacks that sat on their dusty mahogany shelves. Muggle books were so different from wizard books. The things that Muggles thought and said were like wizards, but there was always a difference.

He continued down the rows, inhaling the scent of paper and dust, and stopped at H. His eyes flitted over the shelves until they saw the name Alduous Huxley. He picked dup the book Brave New World and began leafing through it. After deciding that he'd take it, he walked up to the end of the aisle so he could walk around to the register at the front of the store. Just as he had walked out from between the bookcases, he found himself landing in the floor. Hard. Pain shot through his shoulder but it was a feeling he was used to. He began to sit up slowly just in case something was dislocated and he heard a frantic scrambling. "Ouch, I'm so sorry!" Came a voice not too far from him, letting him know that more than one person had been introduced to the brown carpeting.

"No its okay he said and looked into the eyes of the girl-behind-the counter. "Let me help you with that" he muttered and he began picking up the books as well. He noticed a silver overturned cart next to her and putting his stack of books on the floor, he picked it up and set it right.

"You shouldn't be helping me, I almost killed you" she said as she unceremoniously stacked the books in the cart. "I'm such a klutz, everyone says it, I trip over air. Don't help me!" she squealed as he continued to pick up books.

Remus leaned over and gently grabbed her wrist. "It's okay. We're both equally liable. I don't mind helping you." A small smile crossed her face and her cheeks turned pink.

"I didn't mean to make it sound like I was brushing you off. I just-oh forget it." Together, quietly, they finished clearing the floor. They stood up and Remus brushed him self off and she pushed her hair away from her face and behind her ears, revealing small gold rings in her ears. "I'm Alina, by the way" she said.

"I'm uhh…" He was too busy looking at her slightly sun burnt shoulders and the red marks that the spaghetti straps of her shirt left in her skin. "I'm Remus."

"Remus" she said, as if tasting it. "I like it" she said breathlessly. He had never felt the urge to want to kiss someone as much as he did now. A sudden understanding of James and Sirius filled him.

"Thanks" he said sheepishly. "I like yours too."

She blushed, then sighed. "Let me go put these books away before my boss kills me. Or worse, fires me. So I'll see you around, right, Remus?"

"Right-er go ahead. And you'll definitely see me around."

"Great, I can't wait" she said eagerly. Her cheeks flushed even more. "I'll go and shut up now. See you" she muttered and she walked away with the cart rather briskly. Remus couldn't move. It was as if his eyes were being opened for the first time.

Later that evening, Remus' parents had begun to prepare for his transformation which would happen later that week. The basement was reinforced as it had been whenever Remus came to visit and the full moon was expected. Magical locks were placed on all of the doors. His parents walked around the room placing wards on it. He knew them all by heart. A Magic Repelling charm, so that no magical person or creature could enter the room until the full moon was over. A Solidifying charm so that he could not break the walls, floor, ceiling, door, or windows. An Impermeable charm, so that he could not smell the people in the house above him. And finally, a Muffling charm, so that no one could hear the screams and yowls of the young werewolf as he went through his transformation and got frustrated with his inability to escape.

Remus walked around the room as his parents put up the spells. He hated the room. There were wood chips strewn in various places through the room, the only evidence that there had ever been furniture there. He hated the feeling of transforming, the knowledge that for almost twelve hours he wouldn't be human any longer. He'd be a bloodthirsty animal. He hated knowing that if he escaped, he would most likely kill his parents. He hated this curse that completely consumed him. Sometimes, he hated himself.

Everyday since he met Alina he had been going to the bookstore. Just to look at her. They spoke sometimes, but she was at work, and he didn't like interrupting her. Today was the night of the full moon. He was feeling down, drained. He didn't look forward to the wounds that he would wake up to, the excruciating pain of having extra bones put into your body that weren't meant to be there, and having the ones that were either deformed or removed. But today, before he went through all of that, he wanted to talk to Alina. He wanted to ask her to lunch in a few days, once his wounds had healed. So he hung around the bookshop until three, when she got off.

She walked out the building with a book in one hand, while the other shielded her eyes from the sun. She stood in front of the store for a moment, and as she began to walk away, Remus called out to her. "Alina!"

She turned around, and beamed when she saw him. "Hey, Remus" she said. He almost hyperventilated when she said his name.

"Er, I wanted to ask you something."

She smiled as if she already knew what he was going to ask her. "Go ahead."

"Will you go to lunch with me on Friday?" It was Tuesday.

She smiled even more and flushed. "Wow…okay. I go to lunch at 12:15."

"Really?" he said quickly. He had been prepared for a negative response. His heart soared in his chest, and he felt light as a soufflé. "I mean, okay. Where d'you want to go?"

"I usually go to this really great sandwich shop" she said, looking up at him, directly into his eyes. He felt as if those grey eyes could read every thought he had.

"Whoa um-thanks. I'll be there, I promise."

"I promise too" she laughed. Remus laughed as well. Her laughter filled him with warmth, which was surely dangerous when it was already so warm outside. Her laughter died out, and her eyes became softer as she said "Well, I'll see you later." Her voice was just as soft as her eyes as Remus stared into them.

"See you" he said just as softly, and on impulse, gave her a hug. To his surprise she hugged him back, and he had never felt so good. It was like drinking ten bottles of butterbeer but without the side effect of a severe bladder problem. They hugged for what seemed like eternity, and when they parted, Remus wished that they hadn't.

She reached up, ran her fingers through his hair, and whispered "See you, Remus" and walked away. He turned to head home as well, her voice ringing like a beautiful bell in his head. He had to write James and Sirius about this.

At 4:30 PM, Remus' parents took him downstairs to the dark room that was to be prison until the moon went down and the sun came up, announcing that he was free. But it would be about 14 long, hard hours. However, until he changed, he had Alina to think about. Her hair, which felt like corn silk as it tickled his chin while they were hugging. The feeling of his arms holding her, his hands resting on her back. The softness of her body as he pulled her to him. The curve of her lips as she whispered his name as if it was the name if the most delicate of flowers. He shivered involuntarily when he thought of her hands running through his hair…

"Are you okay, Remus?" his mother asked. She had noticed his shiver. "Are you cold?" He shook his head. A blanket would be a waste. He would eventually tear it to shreds.

"We love you, son" his father said, and he kissed his forehead. His mother repeated the gesture, and added a hug at the end.

"It'll be okay, Remus" she whispered to him, stroking his hair. Having his mother hug him and stroke his hair evoked a different feeling than when Alina did it. When his mother did it, he felt more secure. For those few seconds he could actually believe that he would be okay. That the transformation wouldn't hurt. When she pulled away however, he felt a certain emptiness, and he wanted her to hold him again, but the door closed, and the locks turned. The room became a cavern of emptiness. He wasn't afraid. He'd never been afraid of the dark, because he knew that he was the only thing worth being afraid of in the room.

He walked over into a corner, near the small blackened window. He could just barely see the sky begin to turn orange. Remus turned from the window with a sigh. It would begin any minute now. He laid down on the floor, and concentrated on thoughts of Alina. Before long he let out a yelp of pain as his insides contracted. Let the games begin he thought wearily.

Click! Click! Click! Click! That was the sound that Remus awoke to the following morning. He could barely move. What the hell had he done last night. He raised himself slowly and began an investigation as his parents walked in and began removing the wards. From what he could see, he several long gashes on his arms and legs, and from the feel of it, his back. There were several bite marks on his wrist, and he could feel scratches on his face. His whole body ached. He had probably been throwing himself against the walls and the door. His mother came over with a blanket and draped it over him. "Good morning Remus" she said softly, and she and his father helped him up. Holding him in between them, they exited the room, carried him up the steps, and placed him in his room.

His father summoned potions from the bathroom as his mother propped his head and feet up on a pillow and began to inspect him carefully, making small, sad noises as she went along. Some of the cuts, scraped and bites she poked with her wand, and they healed over a bit. The ones that were too deep would need potions first, magic later. Remus' father sat next to him and held his hand while his mother prepared to administer the extremely painful potions. "Are you ready?" she asked, gauze and potion in hand. Remus nodded and his father squeezed his hand for reassurement. His mother poured some of the potion onto the gauze and went for the bite on Remus' wrist.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The following day Remus received owls from both James and Sirius. He hadn't written to Peter. He opened Sirius' first.

Moony!

I would never have thunk the first line read.

But I'm proud. And Prongs is too! The stupid git

Could have sent his letter with this owl as well but

Nooo. He had to do it the "Potter way". Anyway mate,

I hope she's treating you well, I wouldn't want to have to

Hex your girlfriend. What do your parents say

About you going out with a Muggle? Do they

Know? Hope your "furry little problem" went okay.

Well as okay as it could go. Well if you're still

Alive then I'm happy. Oh and Anne and Lily dropped by

Yesterday before they went to Anne's stepfathers summer

House. They're really coming around, Moony! See

You in a month.

Sirius

James' letter was next.

Hey Remy!

Hope you're enjoying your vacation as much as Sirius

And I am. Are you doing tons of magic since you're

Of age now? And this new, mysterious girlfriend

Sirius says that she's a Muggle! Well done!

I bet you didn't even need a Love Potion. Lily and I

Are well on our way to a relationship (I hope) but she

Stopped calling me Potter and calls me James now.

It's a start! I can't wait till all of us Marauders can meet up

Again. We've already started planning for seventh year.

Gotta go out with a bang! (Literally!) We (You, Me,

Peter, Sirius) are gonna meet up to get books when

Our lists come. I'll let you know details later. Mom

Says you're always welcome to visit. (When you're not on

Your monthly course, of course.) Have fun with

Alina (that is her name, right? Well that's what Padfoot says)

James

Remus smiled and let the owls go without a reply. He would write later. His wounds were healing well, and Friday was looming closer and closer. He couldn't wait to go out with Alina…he couldn't stop thinking of her. His mother bustled in with some food for him, and made a fuss over his wounds. He ate and began to drift into sleep. Alina's face and voice filled his mind, and he slipped into a safer place where he didn't have a "furry little problem."

So-what do you think? Read and review! What do you want to see more of, how can I improve, etc. I've started Chapter Three now, but it was put off because I was writing some of the middle of the story. I know it sounds weird, but I got the most amazing inspiration for a few lines that grew and grew…they'll change a bit most likely, but it's given me a better idea of which way I want the story to go in.