Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Rain pattered softly against the window, dim light drifting into the room through a crack in the curtains. The house was still, except for the sound of soft breathing beside him. Remus's whole body felt peaceful. A rare occurrence for a lycanthrope. There was a leg tangled in his and an arm across his chest. He opened his eyes slowly and caught a glimmer of blonde.

Narcissa. Understanding hit him like a freight train, but instead of panicking, he let himself live in the moment. He was in heaven. Her long eyelashes were closed, her mouth slightly open. She looked like a goddess. She murmured in her sleep and burrowed into the covers, closer to him. He smoothed an errant hair off of her forehead. If he had any artistic ability at all, he would have painted this moment. As it was, his eyes began to water as he fought against blinking, committing the image to memory.

"Remus?" She asked, eyes opening slightly.

"Morning." He mumbled, voice rough with sleep. She blinked at him, eyes adjusting to the little bit of light.

"Good morning." She mumbled softly, kissing him on the mouth. It was slow and languid and sweet. "Mmm. This is nice." He nodded in agreement and pulled her closer.

"Remus. I can't promise you forever. No matter if I…want it." Her eyes were sorrowful as he considered everything he had been thinking since he had become reacquainted with her. He went over every doubt and worry and decided to throw them away.

"That's okay." He began, and her eyes lit up in wonder. "We'll make do with just a little while." She kissed him again, not quite as slowly.

The next few weeks were like a daydream for Remus. He was approaching the next full moon, and he wasn't nearly as irritable and in pain as he usually was. He wondered if the transformation might be better too. Actually, he felt like he had that one time he had taken Wolfsbane. He paused. That was strange. It really did feel like that. Perhaps being happy negated the effects of the full moon.

RLNM

Narcissa stood in Severus Snape's basement, eyeing him coolly as he prepared more potion for her. He watched her, black eyes indecipherable. "What's going on, Narcissa." He said softly. She leveled a gaze at him, revealing nothing. "I'm not stupid."

"Mmm." She said in disbelief, mouth quirking. He muttered at her under his breath good-naturedly.

"You can trust me." He said quietly, and she knew she could. She had been friends with Severus for years. Unfortunately, he was also friends with Lucius. "I won't tell him anything you don't want me to." He said as if reading her mind.

She considered him as he added some unknown ingredient. She certainly trusted him not to poison the potion, not when he was giving it to her. "I asked you for a favour. Can't we just leave it at that?"

He inclined his head. "We could."

She heaved a sigh. "But?"

"I care about you, Narcissa. I want to help." He didn't meet her eyes.

"I appreciate it. And I trust you, completely."

"But?" He asked sardonically, and she snorted.

"If Lucius ever found out…." She said softly, and Severus frowned.

"I am aware of how he is treating you, how he will treat you. He and I are friends, but you're like my sister Cissa. I would never betray your confidence."

"I'm seeing Remus Lupin." She blurted out uncharacteristically, and his eyes bulged involuntarily. He couldn't seem to form words. "I…care for him." She continued. "Deeply. I know, it's wrong. But…"

Severus put down the potion and put his arms around her in a rare show of affection. "I understand." She began to cry. "It's alright." He murmured, face returned to its usual unaffected mask. His eyes glittered though, mind whirling. "Can I ask why you wanted it to be tasteless?"

"He doesn't know I'm giving it to him. Wouldn't accept it if he knew."

"Especially not from me," Severus added bitterly.

"No, that's not it. It's because he has a large amount of pride for someone who hates themselves so much. Never repeat that." She warned him, wiping the base of her palm across her cheek to rid her face of tears. "It's a doomed love." She whispered. "But at least I get love before becoming married to a cold, unfeeling man who only wants me for my blood."

He nodded. "As I said, I understand. But…Lupin?" He couldn't help himself from asking, and Narcissa began to laugh.

"He's very attractive. Among other things."

"Mmm." He responded mockingly.

"Will you still make it?" She swallowed. "The potion."

He nodded sharply. "Of course. Anything for you, Cissa."

RLNM

Remus cleared his throat, trying his best not to look at her. But he couldn't stop his eyes from straying to her. She was glowing in immaculate gold robes, all grace, and happiness as she spun around in Malfoy's arms. It was their engagement ball. He leaned against a pillar, arms crossed. How she managed always to look so happy and at peace amazed him. Surprisingly, tonight he couldn't find it in himself to be jealous. Because he knew for all of her pretending, she didn't love him.

Oh, she put on quite the convincing show. Had all the signs of newly falling in love. He couldn't help the proud feeling that shot through him, knowing he had caused that smile, that happiness. Their eyes met, he hadn't been paying attention, and his gaze had once again found her. She winked at him before she was spun around again.

He shook himself. He was much too obvious. "Hey, Lils. Wanna dance?" He asked, and she grinned at him. It occurred to him, at that moment, that it was a wonder she and James had been allowed to attend. Leave it to Prongs, who could worm himself in or out of anything. He was a well-respected pure-blood and had every right to attend, but he was playing with fire. There were many dangerous people in the crowd tonight. He himself was there as Sirius' plus one, as amusing as that was.

"Of course," Lily responded quickly. Everyone else was otherwise occupied. Sirius and James were heavily involved in some conversation or other; Pete was dancing with Mary Macdonald. He held her hand and put his other on her waist, making sure they were far enough away from the engaged couple.

"So. Does you asking me to dance have anything to do with distracting yourself from Narcissa?" She asked in amusement. Remus sputtered. "Come now, Rem, you haven't been very discreet."

He glanced around furtively to see if anyone had overheard. "You going to lecture me on how bad of an idea it is?" He asked, a tad too aggressively, and Lily frowned.

"Of course not. I think it's a good idea." She fixed him with a sad look. "No matter how it ends."

"I'm sorry." He murmured, and she nodded.

Narcissa did go home with Remus. Eventually, all of the guests had left except for Bellatrix. Remus was waiting in the ballroom invisibly. He overheard them from across the room as the two sisters said goodbye.

"I'm glad to see you so happy to marry Lucius," Bellatrix commented casually.

"Why wouldn't I be? He's a proper pureblood gentleman with lots of money. It doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous." Narcissa replied just as easily, and Bellatrix chuckled. "Besides, dear sister, I was always much more open to marrying than you." Bellatrix's eyes narrowed, and Remus recognized a double meaning, though he didn't quite catch it himself.

"Don't ever suggest I wouldn't do my duty." The dark-haired sister said softly. Chills ran down Remus's spine at the menacing tone, but Narcissa didn't even bat an eyelid. She'd faced much more dangerous things than him indeed.

"Don't suggest I wouldn't do mine."

"Apologies. I only meant that it was good to see you enjoying them. I want you to be happy, Cissy." Bellatrix said softly, all hints of danger gone.

"Thank you," Narcissa responded, just as quietly, hugging her older sister.

"See you for lunch Tuesday," Bellatrix said before she disapparated in a whirlwind of blood red robes.

Narcissa stared at the spot her sister had disappeared for a second before strengthening the wards surrounding her house and turning to where she knew he was waiting. He murmured the counter-spell and allowed himself to appear to her. He had lost his outer robes long ago and was wearing only a button-up white shirt and tie with his dress pants.

"He's gorgeous, is he?" Remus tried for playful, failing miserably. She traced his cheek with her hand gently.

"Lucius Malfoy is gorgeous like a painting. Something you notice in passing, but that sometimes disappears when you look at it too much. You are gorgeous like a sunset, a beauty that never fades, no matter how many times you look at it. You are undeniably hot," Remus scoffed, and she fixed him with a look, "while he is cold in every sense of the word. That offsets his looks quite a bit."

"You think I'm hot?" He asked curiously, and she smirked.

"Undeniably." She said breathily, and he couldn't help the smile spreading slowly across his face as her lips found his. He placed his hand on the small of her back to apparate them home, forgetting all about Lucius Malfoy.