Chapter 11

I know. It's probably my fur. I take it, pretending to examine it.

"What do you think? Canis Lupus or Canis Hominis?"

"You think this could be from a werewolf?" I ask.

"Haunted once a month at the full moon coincides with it."

"You think there's a werewolf in town and they use the shack to keep themselves locked in so keep people safe?"

"Werewolves are just as logical as we are. I wouldn't be surprised if one was smart enough to buy a rundown place like this and use it once a month to keep it from going crazy and running around town trying to chomp heads off."

I set the fur down. "What would you do if you knew a werewolf?"

"And I knew he or she was a wolf?"

"Yeah."

Severus shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it depends. Why?"

Now! I tell myself. Tell him now! "Because—"

"Hello?" Sirius shouted. "Anyone here?"

I grab my bag and open it, pulling out James' invisibility cloak. I throw it over Severus and myself. Sirius entered the room.

"Sirius, there's no one in here."

"The door's been opened, Pete. Someone is in here."

"Maybe it was last night," Peter suggested. "Whatever reason there is for the door to have been opened, there's no one here now." I grab Severus' wrist and we try to tiptoe pas Sirius. I stop when a floorboard creaks under my weight.

"What was that?" Sirius looked around in our direction, trying to see if he could see us. He stepped toward us, hand outstretched. If he finds the cloak…

Severus pulls me close to him and we back away against the wall. Sirius waved his hand over where we stood moments ago.

"Hm. I'm going upstairs."

"I'll check the basement," Peter said. They left the room. Severus and I make good our escape, trying to be as quiet as we could possibly be. We waited for Peter to disappear into the basement before leaving the shack.

Severus and I walked as fast as we could under the cloak back to the fence. I stepped out from under it. Severus took it off and returned it to me and I stuffed it back in my bag.

"Could've told me about the cloak earlier," he said, climbing back over the fence. I follow. "It clarifies a lot."

"It's not mine. It's James'. He lent it to me just in case we got in a spot of trouble."

"To think I'd ever be in debt to Potter at some point in my life." Severus stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, well. Would have been worse if you didn't think to back up."

"Good thing I did then. Should we go eat? I've wanted to go to the Three Broomsticks forever."

"Sure. I could eat."

#

I climb out of the passage after Severus.

The witch returned to her rightful place over the passage.

Students would be returning any moment for dinner. But until then, there was a little time to kill.

"What were you going to say back at the Shack?" he asks.

"Huh?"

"About werewolves. How I'd react to knowing one. You were about to tell me something."

"Oh." I lean against the wall. "I was going to say I—" My voice catches in my throat. "I…" Severus arches an eyebrow. "It has to do with my scars. I—"

"You don't have to tell me about what happened that night, Remus, if it's too painful to remember."

"It's not that. I was b—"

I close my eyes and grab my throat. Why can't I say it?

Severus pried my hand away from my throat. "It doesn't matter."

Oh, it matters.

"What are you two doing?"

We look at the sadistic smile curled on Filch's face.

"Nothing, Mr. Filch," Severus said, crossing his arms. "We ran into each other, nothing more." He strode past Filch and I followed. The Gryffindor dormitory is in the same direction, so there was no reason for him to be suspicious.

Once Filch was out of earshot, Severus took my hand in his. "Should we go to dinner or the kitchens?"

I grin. "Kitchens. Definitely the kitchens."

#

I refuse to go to sleep. I've been trying to put to words how I should tell Severus that I'm a werewolf. But nothing comes to mind. Instead, I'm staring at the fire again.

"Moony?"

I look behind me at James.

"Can't sleep either?"

"No."

"Mind if I join you?"

I shrug. James sits at the recliner. "How was your date with Lily?"

James looks at me briefly. "Um…I'm pretty sure I've just made her hate me all over again."

"Why? How?"

James stared at the fireplace. "I cracked a stupid joke. She didn't find it that amusing."

I furrow my brow. "One joke?"

"Yeah."

"Then she just didn't find it funny. But the rest of the time was fine?"

"The rest of the time was amazing," James said, grinning goofily.

"Yeah, she just didn't think you were funny. We do have an immature sense of humor."

"I suppose. What about you? Did you need to use the cloak?"

"To hide from Sirius and Peter once."

"Smart. Sirius would be okay with your newfound sexual preference, but…"

"Severus."

"Yeah. Was everything okay with yours?"

"I think Severus has a fascination with werewolves."

"Well that's a plus," James joked, smirking.

"You want to tell him I'm a werewolf for me?"

James' smile vanished. "You want to tell him."

"Yes. I tried to three times today and I just…it…the words just refused to come out. I could physically, literally not say 'I'm a werewolf.' He should know about me, but I just can't say it."

"I would think so," James said. "I love Lily. I always have. I adore her. But putting myself out and telling her how much I love her scares me to death. I want to say it so desperately, but I'm scared of what she'd say or do if I told her. I'm scared she'll laugh. I'm scared she'll call me a freak. I love her, but she's stomped on me time and time again and this time, I'm really putting myself out there. I don't know what I'll do if she rejects me this time if I tell her how much I love her."

James looks right at me. "It's kind of the same thing for you, isn't it? You want to tell Snape about your condition. Hell, you need to. But maybe you're thinking…what if he doesn't believe you? What if he thinks you're just scared of your new relationship and you're lying to get out of it? And if he does believe you, how would that change how your relationship is perceived by both of you?"

I stare at James in awe. "James, I tell you to do this sort of thing professionally. Why do you refuse to?"

"Because I'm not a shrink," James snapped.

"And yet you're a very good shrink."

"Shut up, Bitch."

"Ass. And Sirius is the bitch."

James laughed. "No, you're way bitchier than Sirius."

"Grow up."

"You grow up."

I get onto the floor and hold my arm out, challenging James. What? The moment was starting to flow like something out of Witch Weekly. Something had to be done to make us men again.

James grasps my outstretched hand and we start applying pressure against the other.

"I will beat you today."

"You've never beaten me," I snap. It's true. When it comes to the four of us, I am the arm wrestling king! "What makes you think you'll take my crown now, Bambi?"

"Bambi?"

"Ask your girlfriend," I say, slamming James' hand into the carpet. He tried not to scream in pain. But his face still twisted in agony. "When will you learn not to accept an arm wrestling challenge from me?"

"When you stop throwing them out," James hissed. "God! I think you broke my hand."

"You're such a baby."

"Moony, that legitimately hurt!"

"That was nothing!"

"I hate your lycanthrope strength."

"Ah, you're just jealous."

"No I'm not."