A Howl of a Surprise.
"Werewolf!" came a cry in Remus' ear the next morning. He sat bolt upright, staring about him wildly.
"Wha'?" he croaked as his eyes tried to focus in the bright morning light.
"You are a werewolf." Came the voice again from beside him, sounding slightly calmer this time. Remus' eyes cleared and Kats face swam into focus.
"Kat!" Remus gasped in horror. "No, but, how?"
"It was quite simple," she replied in a slightly superior tone. "First I recalled that you seem to disappear once a month, and I checked the lunar charts, only to find that the past three months you have been away one the full moon."
"Coincidence," Remus tried tentively, but Kat shook her head.
"And the cuts, scratches, wounds and bites," she continued as though there had been no interruption. "Devoid of humans to bite you bite and scratch yourself; and that, of course, is why the matron can't heal them. You can't heal werewolf bites."
"But what pushed you to check the lunar charts, when you realised I am away once a month?" questioned Remus, still marvelling at her genius.
"It was what Sirius said, or let slip, the night you asked me out," Kat finally answered with a smile at the memory. "Sirius called you Moony, and he said 'it was time for all we-' werewolves would have been the next word. Also your nickname was an obvious hint." She paused. " That's why you both looked so shocked, Sirius almost gave it away. I take it James and Peter know as well?"
"Yes, James and Sirius could hardly fail to notice my absence once a month, and even though I told brilliant lies, they, like you, eventually found out and told Peter." He grinned. "James and Sirius can be very smart, when they want to be."
"But the one thing I couldn't figure out was where do you go to transform? Surely you don't stay here and you can't run free in the grounds?" whispered Kat.
"The Shrieking Shack." Remus said, wearily.
"What, but the gho-" she cried shocked, than she realised.
"You cause the shrieking and stuff, don't you?"
"Yes, its very painful to turn into a werewolf." Remus flinched at the thought.
"Now I know why you couldn't explain, Dumbledore knows what would happen if this secret got out. Lots of people wouldn't want their children to be in the company of a werewolf."
"Yes, and I suppose you'll be the same," whispered Remus once again looking miserable. "I understand totally if you don't want to have anymore to do with me, but Dumbledore will want you to keep your silence."
"Of course I still want to go out with you," exclaimed Kat, looking outraged that he'd even suggest such a thing. "You were a werewolf before and I adored you; and just because I know now, doesn't mean you're a different person."
He stared at her; he looked surprised, but happy. She smiled widely.
"I had better go though, or I won't get any breakfast, bye…Moony." She kissed him and turned to exit. But when she reached the door she turned.
"By the way I do forgive you for not telling me, in case you had any doubt."
She opened the door and was feeling never better, but when she stepped out those feelings were extinguished as she almost collided, once again, with Sirius Black. When Sirius saw who was barring his way, his face set into a wide smirk.
" 'Prefect business,' huh? What did it take you all night to tell him?" Sirius gave one of his bark like laughs and James Potter, who was again with him, laughed also.
"No, I came to give him some of his homework," she replied, her voice trembling. She hoped Remus would have the same idea. "He asked me to bring him some when I delivered his message."
"You like him don't you?" scoffed Sirius.
"Of course I like him, he's a very nice person, and we are good friends," said Kat, calmly, calling his bluff.
"No," Sirius snarled, leaning forward so that they were almost nose-to-nose. James watched with interest.
"I mean, you have the hots for him, don't you?"
Kat felt herself blushing, she saw Sirius' smirk of triumph, and knew he had noticed.
"I…" she began, trying to lie her way out of it, but she heard the door behind her open, she spun around, flicking Sirius in the face with her plait as she did so; Sirius had to peer over her shoulder. The door opened and someone stepped out.
"Remus," said Sirius, straightening up. "You should be resting."
Remus stood in the doorway, wearing only a shabby pair of pyjama pants, the top half of his body was covered, in various places, with bandages.
"Sirius, I don't believe you have any right to interrogate Kat, especially when she was only bringing me some of my school work." Remus spoke coldly, though he gave Kat a brief smile. "Now, either come inside or go away, whichever you choose, kindly get out of Kats way as she would like to go down to breakfast."
Sirius, scowling, sidestepped Kat and went in through the door Remus was holding open, James quickly followed.
"You know where my bed is," muttered Remus to James as he passed, James nodded.
"Sorry, I knew they were coming, but I thought you could avoid dealing with them, in any case I didn't expect Sirius to act like that." He told her, stepping out and closing the door behind him.
"Its alright, I'm just glad we made up the same cover story," Kat said with a grin. "But Sirius was right about one thing, you should be resting. You look cold, go back to bed."
And with that she hugged him gently, so as not to hurt him, before heading off up the hall. Kat heard the Hospital Wing door snap shut. She hoped Sirius wouldn't give Remus a hard time.
*
Remus stood by the door for sometime, listening to her footsteps fading. Then he slowly made his way back to his bed. When he pulled back the curtain, Sirius jumped guiltily. He had obviously been standing by the curtain trying to hear what Kat and Remus were talking about. James however was sitting in a chair by the bed, looking indifferent about Kats appearance. Sirius turned to Remus with a large smirk.
"Sooo…" He said with the air of Santa Clause pulling a large present from his sack. "Kat Evans, Kat Evans…"
"What about her?" Remus asked with unusual patience.
"I guess she's kinda' pretty," Sirius continued, ignoring Remus' patient reply. "If you like that sort of look."
"Hey!" said James indignantly, blushing.
"How long has ickle Moony had a girlfriend? My little Moony is growing up." Sirius sneered. It was obvious that he was trying to provoke Remus into talking. But Remus wasn't going to fall for that. "Is she a good kisser?"
Remus felt himself blush slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. Sirius scowled, this was going to be harder than he previously thought. James was staring at the floor, still blushing very slightly, but he was obviously listening.
"Have you ever…" He began but stopped at the sight of Remus smiling and shaking his head slowly.
"Padfoot, my dear Padfoot. I, unlike yourself, think with my head, and not with other…limbs, shall we say." Remus' smile widened at the look that came across Sirius' face.
"Now," he continued, glancing at James, who was now shaking with suppressed laughter. "If you will excuse me, I am rather tired and need my sleep." He strode across to the bed, climbed in and turned his back on James and Sirius, although he didn't try to sleep. He listened to Sirius' indignant spluttering as James said, in a playful voice,
"Sometimes Sirius you're a real arse, you know that don't you?"
He heard them retreating and heard the door shut before sitting up again. He smiled; he thought he had handled that quite well.
"Werewolf!" came a cry in Remus' ear the next morning. He sat bolt upright, staring about him wildly.
"Wha'?" he croaked as his eyes tried to focus in the bright morning light.
"You are a werewolf." Came the voice again from beside him, sounding slightly calmer this time. Remus' eyes cleared and Kats face swam into focus.
"Kat!" Remus gasped in horror. "No, but, how?"
"It was quite simple," she replied in a slightly superior tone. "First I recalled that you seem to disappear once a month, and I checked the lunar charts, only to find that the past three months you have been away one the full moon."
"Coincidence," Remus tried tentively, but Kat shook her head.
"And the cuts, scratches, wounds and bites," she continued as though there had been no interruption. "Devoid of humans to bite you bite and scratch yourself; and that, of course, is why the matron can't heal them. You can't heal werewolf bites."
"But what pushed you to check the lunar charts, when you realised I am away once a month?" questioned Remus, still marvelling at her genius.
"It was what Sirius said, or let slip, the night you asked me out," Kat finally answered with a smile at the memory. "Sirius called you Moony, and he said 'it was time for all we-' werewolves would have been the next word. Also your nickname was an obvious hint." She paused. " That's why you both looked so shocked, Sirius almost gave it away. I take it James and Peter know as well?"
"Yes, James and Sirius could hardly fail to notice my absence once a month, and even though I told brilliant lies, they, like you, eventually found out and told Peter." He grinned. "James and Sirius can be very smart, when they want to be."
"But the one thing I couldn't figure out was where do you go to transform? Surely you don't stay here and you can't run free in the grounds?" whispered Kat.
"The Shrieking Shack." Remus said, wearily.
"What, but the gho-" she cried shocked, than she realised.
"You cause the shrieking and stuff, don't you?"
"Yes, its very painful to turn into a werewolf." Remus flinched at the thought.
"Now I know why you couldn't explain, Dumbledore knows what would happen if this secret got out. Lots of people wouldn't want their children to be in the company of a werewolf."
"Yes, and I suppose you'll be the same," whispered Remus once again looking miserable. "I understand totally if you don't want to have anymore to do with me, but Dumbledore will want you to keep your silence."
"Of course I still want to go out with you," exclaimed Kat, looking outraged that he'd even suggest such a thing. "You were a werewolf before and I adored you; and just because I know now, doesn't mean you're a different person."
He stared at her; he looked surprised, but happy. She smiled widely.
"I had better go though, or I won't get any breakfast, bye…Moony." She kissed him and turned to exit. But when she reached the door she turned.
"By the way I do forgive you for not telling me, in case you had any doubt."
She opened the door and was feeling never better, but when she stepped out those feelings were extinguished as she almost collided, once again, with Sirius Black. When Sirius saw who was barring his way, his face set into a wide smirk.
" 'Prefect business,' huh? What did it take you all night to tell him?" Sirius gave one of his bark like laughs and James Potter, who was again with him, laughed also.
"No, I came to give him some of his homework," she replied, her voice trembling. She hoped Remus would have the same idea. "He asked me to bring him some when I delivered his message."
"You like him don't you?" scoffed Sirius.
"Of course I like him, he's a very nice person, and we are good friends," said Kat, calmly, calling his bluff.
"No," Sirius snarled, leaning forward so that they were almost nose-to-nose. James watched with interest.
"I mean, you have the hots for him, don't you?"
Kat felt herself blushing, she saw Sirius' smirk of triumph, and knew he had noticed.
"I…" she began, trying to lie her way out of it, but she heard the door behind her open, she spun around, flicking Sirius in the face with her plait as she did so; Sirius had to peer over her shoulder. The door opened and someone stepped out.
"Remus," said Sirius, straightening up. "You should be resting."
Remus stood in the doorway, wearing only a shabby pair of pyjama pants, the top half of his body was covered, in various places, with bandages.
"Sirius, I don't believe you have any right to interrogate Kat, especially when she was only bringing me some of my school work." Remus spoke coldly, though he gave Kat a brief smile. "Now, either come inside or go away, whichever you choose, kindly get out of Kats way as she would like to go down to breakfast."
Sirius, scowling, sidestepped Kat and went in through the door Remus was holding open, James quickly followed.
"You know where my bed is," muttered Remus to James as he passed, James nodded.
"Sorry, I knew they were coming, but I thought you could avoid dealing with them, in any case I didn't expect Sirius to act like that." He told her, stepping out and closing the door behind him.
"Its alright, I'm just glad we made up the same cover story," Kat said with a grin. "But Sirius was right about one thing, you should be resting. You look cold, go back to bed."
And with that she hugged him gently, so as not to hurt him, before heading off up the hall. Kat heard the Hospital Wing door snap shut. She hoped Sirius wouldn't give Remus a hard time.
*
Remus stood by the door for sometime, listening to her footsteps fading. Then he slowly made his way back to his bed. When he pulled back the curtain, Sirius jumped guiltily. He had obviously been standing by the curtain trying to hear what Kat and Remus were talking about. James however was sitting in a chair by the bed, looking indifferent about Kats appearance. Sirius turned to Remus with a large smirk.
"Sooo…" He said with the air of Santa Clause pulling a large present from his sack. "Kat Evans, Kat Evans…"
"What about her?" Remus asked with unusual patience.
"I guess she's kinda' pretty," Sirius continued, ignoring Remus' patient reply. "If you like that sort of look."
"Hey!" said James indignantly, blushing.
"How long has ickle Moony had a girlfriend? My little Moony is growing up." Sirius sneered. It was obvious that he was trying to provoke Remus into talking. But Remus wasn't going to fall for that. "Is she a good kisser?"
Remus felt himself blush slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. Sirius scowled, this was going to be harder than he previously thought. James was staring at the floor, still blushing very slightly, but he was obviously listening.
"Have you ever…" He began but stopped at the sight of Remus smiling and shaking his head slowly.
"Padfoot, my dear Padfoot. I, unlike yourself, think with my head, and not with other…limbs, shall we say." Remus' smile widened at the look that came across Sirius' face.
"Now," he continued, glancing at James, who was now shaking with suppressed laughter. "If you will excuse me, I am rather tired and need my sleep." He strode across to the bed, climbed in and turned his back on James and Sirius, although he didn't try to sleep. He listened to Sirius' indignant spluttering as James said, in a playful voice,
"Sometimes Sirius you're a real arse, you know that don't you?"
He heard them retreating and heard the door shut before sitting up again. He smiled; he thought he had handled that quite well.