Andromeda blinked her eyes open a few hours later in the hospital wing, lying on her back in a bed. She wasn't IN bed; she was just on top of the bleached-white sheets, still in her robes and everything. She sat up straight, a slight headache coming to her. She looked around. Next to her was another lump lying in bed, barely conscious. Andromeda recognized it immediately as her savior (okay…so she'd technically saved HIM, but Andromeda liked thinking of it as going both ways). The clock on the bed next to her told her that it was close to midnight, but not quite there.

The hospital was empty save for Remus. Andromeda figured that no one really got hurt until at least the first week of classes were over. The shadows on the walls nearly scared Andromeda, they were so sharp and ominous. A few of the owls from the nearby Owlery were hooting loudly into the night as they'd been released for the night to hunt down some mice for their dinner. Altogether, the atmosphere was hauntingly peaceful. Andromeda actually kind of liked it. Cissy would've been still too afraid, and Bella wouldn't have given a damn if the room looked like a cell in Azkaban. Andromeda felt herself in those situations a lot. She felt she was the most observant one of the trio of Black sisters.

She rolled over on her side to see if Remus was awake, but Madam Pomfrey arrived at her side first.

"Are you alright? Can you remember anything, Miss Black?"

"Anything and everything," said Andromeda, smiling. "Want to hear a Black joke?"

"Miss Black, we do not promote racism here…"

"How many Blacks does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" Andromeda asked, ignoring Madam Pomfrey.

"Miss Black—"

"—none, no one in their family has ever bothered to learn because they've got House Elves!"

Madam Pomfrey smiled, relieved. She patted Andromeda's shoulder. "You may go back to your common room if you wish…"

Andromeda looked again at Remus, lying beside her. "I might stay just a few minutes more."

"So be it," said Madam Pomfrey. "I do hope Dumbledore sees fit to expel that boy," she muttered before starting to flit away like she always did. "And he was such a model student too!"

Andromeda suddenly had a bad idea…she couldn't remember very much about what happened…how far did Hugo get on her?

"Madam Pomfrey? Did Hugo get….you know…all the way with me?"

Madam Pomfrey smiled. "No dear. Let me give you a word of advice: when that young man wakes up, thank him, because I can bet you that were it not for his quick action, Hugo might have done worse…" and with that, Andromeda was left alone with Remus. She leaned over his bed and ran her finger gently down the side of his cheek. His right eye had been blackened in the fight against Hugo.

Remus stirred upon Andromeda's touch. He rolled over so he was looking up at her face.

"Andromeda…?" he asked. "You alright?" His voice, surprisingly, did NOT sound weak, but rather afraid for her.

"I'm alright. Hugo didn't get as far as he wanted to," said Andromeda. "I'm still a virgin—"

Suddenly, Andromeda broke off. She'd gone too far with that little tidbit of information. But Remus didn't seem to care. He actually smiled and nodded his head.

"Good," he said. "Thanks for getting him off me."

"Actually, I should thank you," said Andromeda. "For coming for me. Merlin knows what would've happened if you didn't—"

"It's not a big deal…"

"Not a big deal?!" Andromeda asked. "So if Hugo raped me, it wouldn't have made a difference? Remus, I owe you so much now…"

Andromeda thought, again, about what she'd just said, and again felt awkward. Basically what she had just said was that she owed her virginity to Remus. She turned a bright pink. She couldn't say anything right, could she?

"Well, just get me that glass of water there, and I'll call it even," said Remus, pointing to a glass of water on the table just beyond his reach. Andromeda helped him to sit up in bed, and she gave him the glass. Remus took a hearty sip and handed the cup to Andromeda to put aside.

"Are they making you stay here tonight?" she asked.

Remus nodded. "Some sprains and strains, but I should be fine for tomorrow. You should really get some sleep yourself," he demanded.

"I still feel like I owe you," muttered Andromeda. Remus smiled.

"No…"

"Yes!" she said. "I'll tell you what, on the first Hogsmeade weekend, I'll buy you a drink at the Three Broomsticks—"

"—um, I really don't think that's a good idea," he warned. Remus knew that the first Hogsmeade weekend fell on a full moon. Just great, the girl he loved was asking him out finally, and his 'hairy little problem' was due to appear that day and night! Wasn't that what life was all about for him?

"I insist!" Andromeda said. "And I WON'T hear another word about it, you understand?" Andromeda said, almost sounding like a stern mother.

Remus decided that it was best not to argue. She nodded at Andromeda, and Andromeda beamed back that beautiful smile that Remus secretly loved so much. Even with the tired eyes and messed thick black hair, Andromeda still managed to look like a goddess in his eyes…

In the next moment of silence, so much was said between Remus and Andromeda's faces. Andromeda felt her spine tingle, and Remus' heart sped up so fast, it hurt to shift around in bed or breathe (and the fact that he had a bruised rib didn't really help his case).

Suddenly, the doors to the hospital opened wide as Bella emerged, dragging Cissy by the wrist. Andromeda's mouth fell open. What the hell was Bella doing here? And dragging Cissy up too? What happened to that detention Andromeda knew that they had? Detention didn't get out until midnight!

"'Dromeda!" Cissy cried. "You okay?"

Andromeda nodded. "Just fine, Cissy." She looked uncomfortably at Remus. Bella never took a liking to Remus because he hung out with Sirius. Now their tender moment was ruined.

"Oh, Andromeda Black! Half the house it talking about you now! A few kids saw what happened and ran back to their houses and told everyone!" Bella said excitedly.

"WHAT? Bella…you didn't…"

"Nope. I swear I've been in detention all night with Cissy!" Bella said. "And may I say, Hugo's sounding pretty damn bad right now. I have no doubt they're gonna expel him. You sound like such a poor little victim!"

"That's not good…"

"Not good? 'Dromeda, do you realize the entire school loves you now, even if only until someone else nearly gets raped?"

"How many times does THAT happen every year?" asked Remus sarcastically. Andromeda bit her lip and rolled her eyes at Remus. Leave it to her sisters…Bella, the born asshole, and Cissy, the born sycophant.

Bella ignored Remus' comment and continued. "By the way, on our way here, we stopped in the Slytherin common room, and Vienne Whats-Her-Face wants you to know that she's going start a petition to get Hugo expelled if Dumbledore doesn't—"

"—Dumbledore WILL see to it that Hugo leaves," assured Remus. Andromeda was so furious she didn't realize Remus had subconsciously slipped his hand over hers.

"And Juno wanted me to give you this…" said Cissy, taking something out of her pocket and tossing it at Andromeda. She picked it up and saw that it was a melted Chocolate Frog box. "Sorry, but I took the card out. I didn't have Morgan Le Fay yet…"

Andromeda sighed and put the gooey box aside. Meanwhile Bella babbled on loudly.

"Oh, you are the newest celebrity, but don't think it will last forever. Pretty soon, everyone will be trying to find out about the Halloween Ball. That is, the boys will all want to ask me out, and the girls will all want to find our WHO is asking me out, of course! I'm thinking of wearing a dress made out of Black Widow's web…what do you think?"

"Bella, maybe Andromeda needs some sleep…"

"And as for my hair, I might zap some color into it…maybe some red highlights or some purple ones…no, green to match the house!"

Andromeda rolled her eyes again at Remus, then gave him a look that said "Sorry for doing this to you…"

Remus groaned, but there was an understanding smile on his face. Andromeda discreetly got up and quickly left Remus alone with the Black sisters in the hospital, chatting away unknowingly as Andromeda closed the big doors behind her to head downstairs and finally get some sleep of her own.

It had been a really long night, and it was only the second night of the school year. Andromeda sighed, thinking of how tired she was, and how she was absolutely sure, that for many nights to come, she would have the exact same feeling every night.