What Remus had first said would be only 1 night staying at his dad's house ended up being 4. Lyall wasn't at all suspicious of their cover story, that his son was helping an American friend fix up an old cottage she had inherited from a distant relative and planned to sell once refurbished.

Although, he was very suspicious of why Remus had chosen to bring a female friend to stay at his father's house. This was something Remus had struggled to answer the first night as Liv cleared the table and the two men were in the kitchen.

"We tried 2 or 3 places, but they were all booked, and it was getting late, so…" he tried.

"I see," said his father suspiciously.

"Besides, I thought staying in a nice English home might show her what they're meant to look like. You know, as inspiration for the cottage," he said, knowing how weak it sounded.

"Of course," Lyall said with smirk. "Where did you say you met again?"

"In a pub, when she came over for the Quidditch World Cup." Liv had come up with that plausible sounding story during dinner, and added, to his father's delight, that she had supported Ireland. Remus felt gratitude toward Oliver Wood who had posed as her fake boyfriend last year for teaching her enough about the game she could pass as a true fan.

"Ah, yes," Lyall said. "I remember now. We'll, I'm sure you're tired and are ready to go up to your old room-"

"She's not… we're not staying in the same room," Remus said blushing.

"Come my boy," Lyall said, with a smirk again, "you don't have to pretend with me. Even I can tell-"

"We're not together," Remus whispered earnestly, blushing even more.

Lyall looked at his son closely in the way that made Remus feel like a boy again. His father knew how to read him better than anyone.

"You're not," he said, reading his son's expression correctly. After a pause he added, "I could pretend the roof is leaking in the spare room if-"

"No!" Remus felt his face getting hot.

"If you're sure," his father said with a twinkle in his eye.

And that night as Remus lay in bed alone he told himself it wouldn't have worked anyway. But he couldn't help feeling jealous that it was Sirius and Liv in the room next door. But it was him who suggested Sirius and Liv sleep in the same room, knowing his father wouldn't walk in on her unannounced.

The days were spent preparing his and Sirius' more permanent base, the shrieking shack. They spent the first day setting as many precautionary spells as they knew to protect it from intruders. And the second day they spent cleaning and patching up the roof and walls. The third day was spent making it ready to live in; gathering everything from food and bedding to beers and floo powder.

The days passed quickly as they worked together. A year ago, Sirius and Liv were dueling each other in the Hogwarts corridors, and now they were friends. They'd be laughing about one thing or another when Remus would return from the pub with lunch for them all. Remus had especially enjoyed the days with Liv. Every once and a while they'd catch each other's eye and share a smile.

They would return to Remus' dad's house in the late afternoons, dirty and tired from a long day's work. With Sirius hiding and eating upstairs, Remus and Liv would have dinner with Remus' dad as he asked them about their project, Liv's life in America, and of course, embarrassing stories from Remus' childhood.

Before he could tell a particularly embarrassing story, Remus remarked on the time, and they decided to call it a night. With a wink to Remus, Lyall excused himself and thanked them for washing up, leaving them in the kitchen alone.

"You're going to have to tell me that story about what happened to the gobstones," Liv said with a smile.

"You don't want to know," Remus said, blushing again.

"Yeah, I really do," Liv replied.

"Well I don't want you to know," Remus said, making Liv laugh.

"I'll get it out of you someday," Liv said, but without meaning to, she had hit upon the looming topic of Liv leaving the next day. They didn't say much as they finished and ascended the stairs.

"Well… goodnight," Liv said, trying and failing to convince him this goodnight meant the same thing it had the night before.

"Liv," Remus said, reaching out and taking her hand to stop her going. Liv hesitated for a moment, holding on to his hand. His unspoken invitation in the gentle pull on her hand was all the invitation Liv needed to follow him into his bedroom and close the door behind them.

Besides the first time they'd had sex in his office a few months before, he couldn't remember a time when they were more desperate to be together. They kissed and held each other as if nothing else in the world mattered. Or at least that's how things began. After a whispered conversation, Liv's eyes glistening in the moonlight, she left the room. And by the time he woke up the next morning, Liv had already gone.

After telling his dad over breakfast Liv left early to catch a portkey, Lyall read the expression on his son's face correctly again and knew not to press for more information. Sirius too knew not to talk about whatever had happened the night before. But that night in the shrieking shack, as he and Sirius drank beers by the fire, Sirius said quietly, "she cried all night, you know."