Chapter 2

Remus slumped on the sofa in Tulah and Sirius' minuscule sitting room and began to fiddle with the TV remote (Tulah had insisted on the basic muggle conveniences, like electric sockets, a TV and a fridge, as soon as they moved in). He managed to turn it on, but then found himself stuck on a cookery programme and couldn't for the life of him remember how you…what was it? Ah yes, how you changed channels. He was still fiddling bemusedly ten minutes later when Cassie appeared out of the next door bathroom, simultaneously holding one small, white, fluffy towel around her and winding up her chestnut hair into another. Seeing him, she smiled shyly.
"Do you know when supper is?"

Remus, rendered temporarily speechless, shook his head mutely and tried not to stare too hard at her arse as she crossed the room and went out.

A while later she was back again; dressed this time, but looking rather unsure of herself.

"Tuh…Too…Tul…" she began, frowning with effort.

"Tulah," Remus corrected, laughing.

"…Tulah and Sirius are in the kitchen…um…I need to get through to my room…I don't know whether to go in…"

"What, are they making out or something? God, they could be a bit more subtle."

"No, no, they're not kissing or anything …they just look…I dunno…happy."

(A/N; I'm about to accentuate their disgusting happiness. If the thought of this makes you feel nauseous, please turn away now.)

Remus stood up and went reluctantly to peer through the crack between the kitchen door and the wall.

Tulah was standing by the stove, stirring what smelled like – he shivered as his wolf sense awoke – spaghetti bolognaise. Sirius stood behind her with his hand curled over hers, murmuring something in her ear. Tulah turned into his embrace, cuddling up against him and twining her arms around his. The sauce bubbled merrily behind them, completely forgotten.

(A/N; Ok, nauseous people, you're safe now. It's ok to look. The scary part's over.)

Remus knocked softly on the door; then, when neither of his friends so much as batted an eyelid, slightly harder.

"Come in," Sirius said into Tulah's hair. Remus, beckoning Cassie after him, slipped through the door and cleared his throat. "Cassie wanted to know when supper was," he told them, glancing back at her with a smile.

"About ten minutes," Sirius answered, frowning his puzzlement at Remus. "When did you two get so friendly?" he asked, when Cassie had departed to her bedroom.

Remus' face lit up. "You think we look friendly?" he asked excitedly. "What kind of friendly, like couple-friendly?"

Tulah grinned. "Someone's got a crush," she teased, and was surprised to see him blush.

"Don't tell Cassie," he implored.

"Tell Cassie what?" Cassie asked, emerging from her bedroom. Sirius, who had been snickering happily a moment before, flashed his most winning smile at her.

"Ask Rem," he said innocently.

Remus flushed. "Uh…"

"Supper's on the table."

Tulah, spaghetti bolognaise at the ready, came to his rescue.

They ate quickly, without much conversation, and Tulah and Sirius retired to their room with equal speed – though Remus had his doubts as to whether or not they were sleeping…and Tulah's silvery laughter, floating clearly through the door, did nothing to assuage them.

He turned around and shot a sympathetic grimace at Cassie only to find her swaying in the doorway, deathly pale.

He jumped to his feet and went to help her, but she waved him away. "I'm fine…I'll be fine…write down whatever I say…" She staggered and nearly fell, clutching the doorway for support.

"C-cassie?" Remus stammered, wide-eyed.

"Pick up – the paper – and write…" she began, but her voice trailed off before she could finish. Her body went stiff. Before Remus knew what was happening she had fallen to the floor. Her eyes rolled wildly behind closed lids; her mouth slewed to one side and twitched alarmingly. Remus knelt beside her, his own mouth dry with fear. He glanced towards the door to Tulah and Sirius' room – he could fetch them, but that would mean leaving Cassie alone…

A second later and she had made his decision for him; she began to speak in a harsh, loud voice quite unlike her own. Remus grabbed a pen and paper and scribbled down the garble of words as they came;

The snake awaits the stag and the flower… he knows not when he will strike…there will be suffering for their sakes...

She jerked, banging her head against the floor; Remus lifted it absently onto his lap and waited for more.

Beware of the rat and the shadow-man… The voice had changed. Remus gave a start of surprise because it was a child speaking, shrill and clear. The snake lairs in the house of kings, and his servants would return to his side…all save the Unwilling…beware…the servants…Unwilling…

Cassie stopped speaking and relaxed. Remus looked down, but her eyes hadn't opened. "I see a girl in a dark room," she carried on in a singsong voice almost like her own. "There's a man with her, and she's afraid…"

"What does the man look like?" Remus asked quietly, wanting to know but not to wake her.

"Can't see…there's snakes and stags…rats and dogs…fighting… and everyone's afraid of the shadow-man, except his girl…" She stopped again.

"Any more?" Remus probed softly.

"Wolf under a silver moon…" A shudder ran through her.

Suddenly her eyes opened very wide. "Don't!" she shrieked, arching her back as if in pain.

Remus brushed her sweat-streaked hair back from her forehead; she blinked, winced, and looked dazedly up at him. "You're a werewolf," she murmured. For one of the only times in his life, it wasn't an accusation.

"You're a seer," returned Remus, equally quietly.

She smiled. "I won't tell if you won't."

Remus smiled warmly back. "Deal."

"Not even Tulah or Sirius? Lily? James?"

"Not unless you want me to."

Cassie sat up and gave him a grateful hug; Remus was suddenly very aware of how much of a crush he had on her.

"I saw you getting bitten," she said. "Right at the end…I always remember visions, but never the prophecies. Did you write them down?"

Remus was still trying to get over her seeing his bite, which had always been his most personal memory. He was not sure that he was quite comfortable with her knowing. The intense elation that had followed the pain of transforming was his secret comfort and his intimate shame. After the first time the pain had lasted longer, and transforming had become a kind of drawn-out torture, ripe with the hope of that first rush of pleasure which never came.

"You used to like it," Cassie said, a tiny frown creasing her forehead. "Why not any more?"

"It hurts," said Remus shortly, hardly able to believe he was having this conversation. He wasn't at all used to talking about his condition, and the idea unnerved him. "Do your prophecies hurt?" he added, to change the subject.

"Not unless I fight the Prophet," she replied cryptically, and he realised that she, too, was changing the subject. "Whose voice did I use?"

"A child, and an old man. What about the visions?" he queried, interested.

"Oh, the visions are gorgeous!" Cassie exclaimed, a smile crossing her face. "Like…like floating…I can't describe it. It took Albus ages to make me tell him what I was seeing, I just wanted to lie and watch the pictures!"

"Albus? Oh, right, Professor Dumbledore."

She giggled. "Is that what you call him? Professor?" Remus nodded solemnly, which made her laugh even more.

"So what was the last part of the vision?" he asked. "The bit where you screamed?"

Cassie stopped laughing. Her face closed over. "That's private," she answered sharply.

"You saw my bite, you owe me a secret!"

"Maybe I do," she admitted. "But not this one. Goodnight Remus." She stood up abruptly and went into her room, shutting the door behind her with a decisive snap. Remus gazed after her and realized, much to his surprise, that he had never been more confused in his entire life.

Um...i may find i have to change the prophecy to fit the plot, so if you suddenly find it doesn't make sense that will be why...heh...god, this is not going well...