There was a trapdoor on the ceiling and a rope ladder leading down. Remus climbed it

slowly; he couldn't imagine going back to the bedroom and falling asleep after having the

nightmare.

There, he found Petunia, asleep on the wooden floor with one hand resting on an open

book. Remus would have turned back at the sight, but there was a lit candle flickering

wildly near the book, and he thought it would be wise to extinguish it before the house

burned down. Trying to be silent, he crawled towards the candle and bent his head... then

unintentionally saw what Petunia had been reading.

A jolt ran over his heart. Her hand rested on a page with the heading "The Dangers

of the Werewolf." It was probably a coincidence. It HAD to be purely coincidence!

The floorboards unexpectedly creaked under his weight and Petunia's fingers moved.

Remus froze in horror as she sat up and stared right at him!

She realized what was happening and quickly shut the book.

"I was only going to blow out the candle," Remus tried to explain while looking at

his hands."How did you find out, anyway?" It was clear from the guilt on her own face that

she knew.

"I heard you talking to Sirius in the living room," she admitted," and I might as

well admit a secret of my own if only to make things even between us. The truth is, when I

got so angry today in the bathroom, it was because you really hit a nerve by mentioning

the jealousy. In a way, it's true. I have wondered what goes on at Hogwarts since Lily

came back from her first year. I'm sorry I slapped you."

Remus nodded and moved towards the ladder. "Well, now you know I'm a werewolf and I

guess you must be afraid of me. So, I'll just go and-"

"Have another nightmare?" Petunia suggested.

He stopped and looked up at her, noticing that she didn't look as bone-thin and

austere in the candlelight. In fact, she looked a bit like Lily. Remus wondered if it

made him look less frail, as well.

Finally, he spoke.

"How do you find out these things? By hiding behind furniture?!"

"No," she answered, surprised," I listen at doors. It must have been a dreadful

nightmare- you were yelling about something."

He took a deep breath and said quickly,"I killed someone in my dream when I was

a werewolf and I knew the person and they punish-"

"Who?" she asked.

He looked down again and answered, hoping she wouldn't hear.

"It was yourself."

If she hadn't wanted to avoid him just a few minutes before, that would surely do

something to change her mind. He moved to leave again.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "It didn't really happen." Thin fingers with a strong

grip wrapped around his wrist and pulled him back near the dusty bokshelves.

"You're really not afraid of me?" he asked in disbelief.

"No," she said, "I still like you more than the rest of Lily's friends from the, uh,

Hogwarts."

"Thanks," he choked out," As nice as it is to hear that from a magic person, it's

even better from a muggle." Tears glittered in his eyes.

Petunia threw her arms around Remus like he had done earlier to Sirius, close to

tears herself. "I can think of many other people who deserved to be bitten more than

someone like yourself." Every word she spoke was truthful.

They didn't care that it had begun to rain again.