Chapter 25: The Marauder Matchmaking Company

James brought Lily home, and dutifully cared for her, slowly nursing her back to full health. And when she was ready, he helped her one morning to return to work, where she was jubilantly welcomed. One of her friends even took her out for a celebration lunch, glad to finally have her back.

Lily and Gwen had become great friends in the few months since Lily had started working there. The two were the only girls in their department and had bonded almost immediately. Gwen was a shy American who had moved to England last year for some reason that she had refused to tell Lily. Or at least Gwen was shy until you got to know her, then she was a vibrant and passionate girl with short curly blonde hair that framed her face and set off her pale blue eyes. Indeed, Gwen's personality had immediately made Lily want to set her up with Remus, but James insisted that she had to pass his test before that could happen. Not every girl was good enough for his werewolf friend.

Thus, a few weeks after Lily had returned to work, Lily and Shannyn invited Gwen out to dinner. The three girls went to a popular wizarding restaurant located in the upscale part of London. But they had hardly begun to eat their dinner when the quiet of the restaurant was broken by the voices of three seemingly drunken men.

Seemingly meaning that James, Sirius, and Peter had disguised themselves and were staggering around the restaurant behaving like five year olds.

The three men came up to the girls' table and started trying to ask Gwen for a dance.

"I don't dance with drunks, thank you."

"But… we're not really funk… I mean drunk. Just a little tipsy is all." Sirius in a heavily accented voice whined at her. "You really should dance with me, I'm quite the batch… I mean catch, you know."

"I'm sure." Gwen wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Oh, I am. Did you know I just drafted the newest legislation for the restriction and capture of wolveweres… um, werewolves?"

The color drained out of Gwen's face.

"What did you say?" There was an edge of steel to her voice, but Sirius pressed on.

"Yep, I have single-handedly helped to put into affect the walls… laws that will require all werewolves to be tagged and tracked."

"Ain't my mate the best?" Peter asked drunkenly.

"He knows what he is doing, restricting those beasts." James this time. "They don't deserve the rights of a normal wizard."

Gwen had had enough. She stood up, her face livid with anger, and she smacked all three boys across the face.

"How dare you! How dare you do this to them! They already have to deal with so much in life, and you are just making it worse. You are the real animals. Why should we treat a werewolf any different? It isn't their fault, they have no control. They are human just like the rest of us, and they should be treated as such." Sparks were almost shooting out of her eyes, and they had turned hard and now looked almost white.

The three boys backed up, scared of the livid woman in front of them. Then they turned tail and ran out the door. Gwen, still fuming, slowly took her seat again, then, abruptly, she lowered her head and began to cry silent tears.

"Gwen!" Lily was instantly at her side with an arm around her shoulder. "What is wrong?"

"How could they? Don't they know what it is like?"

"Why?" Lily prodded gently. "Do you know someone who is a werewolf."

"I did." Understanding went across both girls' faces.

"What happened?" Shannyn gently asked.

"My best friend was bitten two years ago. She was ridiculed and shunned so much that she took her own life. That was right before I moved here. No one should feel so isolated that suicide is their only way out."

Lily wrapped her arms around Gwen and pulled her into a hug, silently trying to comfort her. So that was why she had moved here, it made since now. Maybe she really was perfect for Remus.

The boys certainly thought so. The girls had no sooner exited the restaurant then all three boys, out of their disguises this time, found them and immediately dragged them off to a local dance hall. There James and Sirius spent over an hour trying to convince Gwen to let them set her up with a friend of theirs. They spent ages telling her every good thing they could about him, and even went so far as to tell her they had hand selected her for the amazing honor of being able to date their friend.

At this Gwen blushed fiercely, muttering about how she didn't think it was a good idea.

"And why not?" James asked.

"Well," her blush deepened and she looked down quickly at the floor. "I kind of have a crush on someone."

"Oh." Sirius looked like Christmas had been cancelled. "Well, is he good enough for you?"

"I think so," she murmured meekly. "He's a great guy, tall and shy, with sandy hair, and he's wonderfully nice and caring. He's a clerk at Flourish and Blotts, and he is so smart…" she drifted off happily, lost in thought.

Thus she missed the look of mischief that passed across the two boys' faces.

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Lily and Shannyn spent the next week trying to convince Gwen to ask her mystery guy out, little realizing that James and Sirius were spending that same time trying to convince Remus that he was ready to date. Remus put up with this for several days, never letting the boys know that, far from needing their advice, he was interested in a girl he had seen at work.

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Gwen walked anxiously into Flourish and Blotts. She was a little nervous, as she had finally convinced herself that today she was going to do more than flirt with the cute clerk. She had carefully dressed that morning, and paid extra attention to every detail, but when she walked into the bookstore and saw the tall, sandy-haired boy behind the counter, her nerve momentarily left her.

So instead of approaching and talking to him, she hurriedly tried to duck out of sight behind a tall display of books.

She wasn't quick enough.

She felt a small tap on her shoulder and turned to find the handsome clerk smiling down at her.

"Hello, miss. Is there anything I can help you with today?"

"Oh," she blushed furiously, "I was just looking for a book on… um… healing potions."

"Well, I happen to have become somewhat adept at healing potions myself, for various reasons, let me take you over to that section."

He guided her over to a section located in the corner of the store, his hand gently resting on the small of her back as he led her. Gwen barely controlled the shivers running down her spine.

"This is the best book for home remedies," he said, handing her a large black and silver volume.

"Thank you," she replied shyly. "You sure do seem knowledgeable about this kind of thing."

"Well," he began with a half smile, "you get that way when your best friends are the biggest trouble makers in the school."

"Yeah," she breathed, keeping her eyes looking anywhere but into the soft brown eyes of the boy standing in front of her. "I'm Gwen, by the way," she said, thrusting out her hand to shake his.

"Nice to meet you, Gwen," he responded, taking her hand and shaking it gently then lifting it up and placing a quick kiss on it. "I'm Remus." He watched her carefully as a slow blush crept up her cheeks. "Um… I know I just met you properly and all, but I was wondering if…" he hesitated.

"Yes?" Her eyes shot up to his and the blue seemed to darken with intensity.

"If maybe you might like to get a bite to eat with me sometime?"

"I would love to." She beamed at him.

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"So Remus is actually bringing a date with him?" Lily asked James as the two strolled down the street to the restaurant where Remus had made reservations.

"That's what he said. Shame, I really thought he and Gwen would have been great together." Lily playfully hit his arm.

"Don't even say that. It is much better this way, he found someone on his own. And I'm sure she is wonderful."

"Like you?" he asked, pulling her closer to him and layering soft kisses down her neck and bare shoulders.

"James!" she pushed him gently away. "This is hardly the time."

"And why not?" he pouted.

"Because, we're here."

"Damn."

The two walked into the restaurant, hands clasped tightly together, to find Sirius, Shannyn, Peter, and his date Jane already sitting at a table waiting for them.

"Hey you two lovebirds," Sirius began, "any idea who this mystery girl is?"

"Nope." James responded, carefully helping Lily into her seat. "But she had better be good enough for our Moony."

"Of course she is." Came a voice from behind them, and they all turned to Remus. "May I introduce my date, Gwen Johnson."

James and Sirius were staring at her with their mouths open, while Lily and Shannyn had jumped up to hug their friend, leaving Remus standing confusedly watching them all.

"Am I missing something here?" He asked when the excitement had died down and they were all seated around the table.

"Well, dear" Gwen began, "Lily and I are friends from work and these two crazy fellows have been trying to set me up with a friend of theirs all week." She turned to look at the sheepish looks the two boys were giving Remus. "You were trying to set me up with Remus, weren't you?"

"Um… might have been." James answered.

"Well, you certainly were persistent."

"Well, after you passed the test…" Sirius said until he was cut off by a sharp punch from James.

"What test?" She looked intently at the two boys, who were avidly avoiding her gaze. "That was you in the restaurant, wasn't it? Acting all drunk and going on about werewolves?" Remus tensed beside her.

"What?" he asked his two friends, his voice a low and angry growl.

"Calm down, Moony." James began hastily. "We didn't tell her anything, just wanted to make sure she was good enough for you and all."

Gwen looked quickly between the three boys. Remus was glaring at his friends like he was about to kill them and James and Sirius were sitting there looking extremely guilty.

"Someone had better clue me in as to what's going on."

Remus' eyes shot towards her, all anger now replaced by pure and unadulterated fear.

"Remus?" she asked hesitantly. "What's wrong? And why were they being so protective of you?" Reluctantly, Remus turned towards her, and took her hand in his.

"Well, that's a long story. Um… you see, I haven't really dated much because of… well a little problem I have. Actually I've only ever been on a date with…"

"Me!" Piped up Lily, and Remus rolled his eyes at her.

"That hardly qualifies as a real date, Lils." Then he turned his attention back to Gwen. "They just get worried about me; want to make sure that no one is going to hurt me."

"Why would I hurt you?"

"Well…" he looked at Lily and Shannyn, pleading for help, but the two girls merely nodded encouragingly towards Gwen. "I told you, I have a little problem… and they were just checking to make sure that you might be okay with it… that you wouldn't think any less of me…" he trailed off, fear in his face.

"But all they asked me about was…" a look of understanding passed across Gwen's face. "Oh… I understand, I think."

Remus looked at her miserably, then hastily stood up and started to walk out, his hands clenched at his side. Gwen turned confusedly to the rest of the table.

"Where is he going?"

"That's just the way he is," Lily responded quietly. "He is so used to everyone running away from him once they find out that he has started to just save himself the trouble, he tends to leave if he thinks anyone is going to reject him."

A look of fierce determination swept across Gwen's face, and she ran after him, reaching him just as he was about to exit the restaurant. As she caught up with him she threw her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to give him a soft kiss. Remus stared at her for several seconds, then wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her back up to meet his mouth.

Back at the table James and Sirius were beaming at each other, and raised their glasses to each other.

"To the Marauder Matchmaking Company."

A/N: Thanks for all those who submitted names, and most especially to fudge-butter. I really do like the idea of Gwen. I hope you all approve of her for Remus, I like her myself.