DISCLAIMER - still don't own anything

Chapter 3

Remus rubbed his face rigidly with his hand and scratched his hair till it hurt. He still couldn't believe how he could be such an idiot. He looked up at the enlargened photograph of the marauders on his wall.
"I'm sorry," He whispered. His eyes travelled from James, to Lily, to Sirius and back again. "I'm really, really sorry."
It had been a whole week since the incident in Dumbledore's study, and he still felt awful. Too awful to meet Harry and too awful not to. Tonks had moved back into her house after it had been fixed. Now he was on his own again, he didn't even have Harry.
Harry - the name still hurt him to think of. It was such a stupid argument - but the memory of Sirius had been so strong - they had both been weak.
Seconds, minutes, hours past but Remus just watched the picture. When his old, decaying clock struck midnight he jumped with a start. It was only then he realised how tired he was. He got up to go to bed, but was cut short by a knock at the door. Who'd be visiting at this time of night?
He pulled on the awkward door several times before it opened to reveal - no one. "He-hello?"
"I'm here." An invisibility cloak fell to the floor to reveal a very wet and miserable-looking Harry Potter.
"Harry? What are you- at this time of night- on your own- come in, quick." He pulled the boy inside and ran into his bedroom raiding drawers and cupboards; eventually he found a very tattered looking Hogwarts uniform that had been patched in several places. "Here you go, Harry, change into this. Merlin, you're soaking wet, you'll catch a cold. I'm sorry I haven't got anything bigger." He apologized, wrestling Harry into his old clothes. "I only ever had one uniform." He looked thoughtful. "Very painful when I went through puberty."
"I'm sorry." Said Harry suddenly.
Remus dropped the clothes into the bath to dry off and came and sat next to Harry. "It's fine. You have nothing to apologise for. I, however, I- everything I said, about Sirius, a-and you not being-well. He was practically a dad to you. And I understand that you've never had a dad that was - there, and James was - I'm sorry."
"Don't be stupid." Harry shook his head. "Ever since Sirius died I've been snapping at everyone, starting arguments here and there, I'm really-"
"It's fine, Harry." He grinned. "So are we friends again?"
Harry nodded. "I really miss Sirius, you know."
"Yeah. Me too. I'm really - this is going to sound awful. I'm really starting to realise how - how much I missed him the first time round."
It was then Harry noticed the picture. "M-my parents."
Remus nodded.
Harry's eyes fell from the picture.
"Would you like anything to drink? Tea?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah."
Remus bustled off to the kitchen and busied himself with teapots while Harry stared up at the photo. A few minutes later Lupin hurried back trying not to drop the mug of tea he was carrying. As Harry was drinking, he suddenly remembered something.
"Harry?"
"Mmm."
"I need your conformation on something."
"Mmm?"
"If you see a teenage boy and a teenage girl really close in a hall and when they realise you're there they jump apart like they've just been hit by bludgers. Then they tell you, unprovoked that they were doing 'nothing', what were they doing?"
"Snogging." Said Harry immediately.
"Thought so."
"Why?"
"Never mind."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. "Lup-Remus?"
"Yes?"
"What-? Oh it doesn't matter."
"No - go on."
Harry had gone the colour of an overripe beetroot. "What - what would you do if the first time you ever umm - kissed anyone, they burst into tears?"
Remus looked embarrassed himself. "I - err - well - you weren't standing on her feet or anything were you?"
"N-no, I don't think so."
"Then - umm - I dunno."
"Remus - what. Err - I never got chance to ask umm Sirius so - umm - what was your first kiss like?"
"Why- why do you want to know? I-I mean umm-" It was Remus' turn to go red.
"Just tell me - I told you."
"Oh-ok, but PROMISE you won't laugh and that you'll take this to you bloody grave with you."
"O-k-"
"Well - when I was in fifth year I was going out with a-a girl called Adelaide, and I didn't want to make a complete idiot of myself, because she was one of THEM girls - you know? The ones everyone wants. And - the truth was I'd never actually done it before. So-so I sort of - asked Sirius what to do. Because he knew EVERYTHING about girls. And - he dragged me into an empty toilet stall and told me what to do."
Harry grinned. "So when did you kiss her?"
If Lupin was blushing before, he was on fire now. "Well - my first kiss you see. Well - umm - how do I put this? When - umm - Sirius TOLD me it was more of a sort of PRACTICAL telling, i-if you know what I mean."
"Oh. My. God."

At this point, Remus was FURIOUS with the floor for not swallowing him up there and then.

Harry looked as if Christmas had come early. "YOU SNOGGED SIRIUS!" He burst into laughter and rolled around, hysterically.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!" Said Lupin, pathetically. But Harry didn't hear him; he was too busy rolling around the floor. Remus looked up at the portrait where James was also in fits of laughter. "Like father, like bloody son he muttered."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Still as red as a quaffle he headed over to the door and heaved it open. In the doorway stood a cloaked stranger. "Can I come in?" The voice was soft and feminine with a definite accent from somewhere or other.

Overcome by curiosity Lupin nodded. The stranger lowered her cloak hood. Remus' heart fluttered pathetically for a second or two then took a nosedive through the pit of his stomach. The woman shook her mane of thick, stunning black-brown hair out of her face, which was almost perfectly toned with her eyes, which were a luscious brown. "I am so sor'ry to intrude." Her voice reverberated around his head. "Ezcuse me? Mr Lupin?"

Remus snapped back into action. "Right - sorry about that."

It was then she noticed Harry rolling round the floor. "Oh my goodness. Ze poor boy is 'ysterical!"

"Nothing to worry about." Said Lupin. "I was just humiliating myself."

"I came to fetch 'im back. We were all so worr'ied when 'e took off like zat." "Who?"

"Oh! I am so sorr'y! I 'ave not intro'duced myself. I teach defence against ze dark arts at 'Ogwarts. My name is Clarisse. Clarisse Tonks."

"Cl-Tonks' sister? Nymphadora I mean."

Clarisse nodded unhappily. "Yes - but - she doesn't like me ver'y much."

"Why not? Is it all because of - you know - your dad?"

Harry looked suddenly interested.

Clarisse nodded.

"She said you were - I mean I don't want to be RUDE or anything, but she said you were big-headed, that - that you thought you were above everyone else and that - you never spoke to anyone."

Clarisse shook her head sadly. "I 'ave NEVER thought myself above anyone. I nev'er spoke because - because what is ze point in talking to people who don't listen? Eef they only hate you afterwards?"

"She - she said you hated her - her gift."

"Gift!" She laughed out loud. "You would hate it too eef she kept on tur'ning into you then swanning around 'umiliating you."

"Oh." Said Remus apologetically. "I didn't know. I well- umm - you seem nice to me. Not that- err - I mean Tonks is my friend and you. are.are NOT my friend.n-not that of course - I mean it's not as if I don't want to be.not that I do.but I don't not - I-I'm gonna shut up now."

Clarisse laughed, rubbing her top teeth on her lower lip. She brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Do you mind eef I use you bathroom?"

Remus nodded, "It's that room there." He pointed. His eyes followed her out the room.

Harry glared at him. "I SAW that."

"What?" Asked Lupin distractedly.

"Honestly, REMUS, I'm surprised at you. First snogging Sirius, then falling madly in love with your friend's arch enemy." He put on a voice that one would normally use to mock a child into believing that the bogeyman would get you if you didn't go to sleep. "It's that naughty testosterone monster again."

review! Nothing mean though. And contrary to what this fic suggests I am NOT a xenophobe