They went back to school on the third of January after thanking Mr. and Mrs. Evans repeatedly for having them. After boarding the train and choosing a compartment, Lily, James and Sirius all hurried off to find other classmates, leaving Kat and Remus alone for the first time since Christmas Day. Remus knew that was exactly why they had left and he didn't know whether to thanks them or kick them for it.

"Glad to be going back?" Kat asked and Remus was surprised how calm and unnerved she appeared to be.

"I guess so," he replied, "although I enjoyed being at Lily's house. It was great of her parents to take us all in for the holidays."

Kat nodded, breaking into a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans that she had pulled out of her bag. After offering some to Remus, she said, "Lily's parents embrace anything magical. They were so excited when Lily got her Hogwarts letter, it was as if they were going instead of her."

"Yeah, Lily told me," Remus said aloud while his brain rattled, 'Does she like me? Should I ask her out?'

They were quiet for several moments while Kat chewed in silence. Finally, Remus said, "I heard there's a Hogsmeade village visit coming up on Valentine's Day. Would you like to go with me?"

Looking taken aback, Kat nodded slowly. "As a date?" she asked, swallowing an Every Flavor Bean.

Remus swallowed hard. "If you want."

She smiled at him. "It's a date then."

The world suddenly looked brighter as they approached Hogwarts. A new year, a new girlfriend, a new look on life; what more could Remus ask for? Possibly his friends to stop teasing him after lights out had been ordered and the four of them lay in darkness. Sirius and James had learned the news from Lily and wasted no time in telling Peter the news. Peter only grinned bashfully and said, "Kat's a pretty girl."

"She's off the market," Sirius boomed at Peter. "And Remus will kick your ass if you try and take her!"

"Grow up, Padfoot," James said into the darkness. It was nearing two in the morning and classes were starting early. "Go to sleep and we'll finish teasing Moony tomorrow, alright?"

Sirius agreed sullenly and was asleep in less than ten minutes. The soft, regular breathing of James and Peter followed until Remus was certain he was the only one awake. Staring at the ceiling, he felt a twinge of excitement flood through his body; he had a date with Kat Lawson! How exciting! He wasn't sure what they were going to talk about for hours alone but conversation seemed to come easy with Kat. Remus could only hope for the best, anyway.

Valentine's Day approached quickly and before Remus knew it, he was dressing on the morning of the fourteenth of February. He and Kat hadn't had much time to talk since they returned from Christmas break but they smiled and said hello to one another whenever they passed in the halls. The homework was piling up for the NEWTs that were taking place in June and every seventh year wanted to be prepared for a good grade.

Remus met Kat outside the Gryffindor common room at eleven that morning. "Hello," she greeted him, taking his arm immediately and practically dragging him down the stairs. "We're a little late because of me, so we'll have to hurry." She rushed him out to the courtyard where they followed the rest of the students down the hill and across the paths to the tiny little village. Lily and James passed by them, grinning, and Sirius was chasing after some girl while Peter lagged behind.

"We have quite the incredible group of friends," Kat said softly, watching James and Lily ahead of them. "And I think those two will be the first to get married."

"First?" Remus felt a smile spreading across his face. "Are there others in our group you think will get married?"

Kat looked serious for a moment. "I don't know," she said slowly. "Anything's possible. And I mean, Sirius and Peter are such a cute couple, don't you agree?"

Remus burst out laughing. "Good point," he said as they began passing by the shops on the main street of Hogsmeade. "Very good point. So, where do you want to go first?"

They spent the day, traveling from one shop to the next, meeting up with Sirius and Peter, who had eaten so much sugar they were literally jumping down the street. James and Lily had yet to be seen but Sirius seemed to be under the impression that they went to the shack on the other side of Hogsmeade.

"That's supposed to be haunted, isn't it?" Kat asked. "Andie Thompson told me that none of the Hogwarts ghosts will go near there because it's so haunted."

Remus kept quiet while Sirius shot him furtive looks. "Tell her," he mouthed angrily. "Just tell her."

But Remus couldn't bring himself to do it. He had just discovered that Kat actually liked him; he wanted to let that settle in before he sprung it on her that he was a werewolf. Sirius, on the other hand, didn't see things that way and was able to drag Remus aside for a moment while Kat was window shopping.

"You're going to have to tell her sooner or later," Sirius reasoned. "I don't know why you're holding off."

"Because!" Remus spat. "I don't want to scare her away. Maybe if she gets to know me for the person that I am, then she won't be as terrified when she learns that I'm a werewolf!"

Sirius' eyes grew sympathetic. "I can understand how you must be feeling," he said, "but she's going to be more hurt if in ten years' time, you say, 'Oh, yeah, sorry I forgot to tell you but I turn into a werewolf once a month.'"

Remus buried his head in his hands. "Don't push me, please," he begged. "Just let me enjoy this day."

Sirius backed away, his hands in the air. "Your wish, my command."

And Remus did enjoy the day with Kat. She was absolutely delightful in every way: polite, charming, funny, intelligent; she turned out to be the most perfect girl Remus had ever known and he was sad when they began heading back to the castle. "I really enjoyed myself today," he told her as they passed through the great doors. "I really did have fun."

"Me, too," Kat replied, smiling genuinely. "I really loved Zonko's; I think that place is pure genius." They were quickly approaching the Gryffindor common room and Remus felt that the date was coming to an end. "Thanks for asking me," Kat said, turning to head up the staircase that would take her to her dormitory. He looked deep into her truthful, honest eyes and sighed heavily.

'Kiss her!' rattled the voice inside his brain. 'Just kiss her!' But overriding that voice was Sirius', telling him to be honest with Kat and to tell her the truth. "Can I see you later tonight after supper?" he blurted out. "We'll meet here in the common room?"

Kat looked surprised. "Sure," she answered. "Eight o'clock okay?"

He nodded. "Fine."

"See you at dinner," she said, smiling at him once more and turning to go up the stairs. Remus battled with himself all the way to his own dormitory. It wasn't fair to keep playing these games with Kat, pretending he was a normal guy. Sure, she would probably run from him when she learned the truth but it was better it happened now than in the future, like Sirius had predicted. He loved every inch of Kat's existence; he didn't want to hurt her or lie to her anymore.

As it turned out, both Kat and Remus became occupied with other friends during supper and turned to conversations about their holidays without getting to see each other. As promised, Remus waited for Kat in front of the Gryffindor fireplace. She arrived at two minutes to eight, bearing nothing but smiles. "Out for a moonlit stroll?" she questioned.

That gave Remus the opening that he needed. "Kat, there's something I have to tell you," he began, "but it isn't going to be easy. Please, be patient."

Kat sat down in the armchair on the other side of the fireplace and leaned back, looking at him with interest. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for what was to come. "Remember when you said there was something intriguing about me? Well, you were more than right. There is something about me that sets me apart from others. There's something beneath the surface that will forever mark me as someone different, someone odd, someone strange." Another steadying breath filled the air around him. "I'm a werewolf." He closed his eyes and prepared for her flight from the chair, but when he opened his eyes again, she was kneeling in front of him. Slowly, her face moved towards his and she kissed his lips with such a gentle passion that it stole the breath from his body. He felt every part of his being come alive with a sensation he had only dreamed of before and when the kiss broke, his eyes remained closed.

"Did I ever tell you that I like you for who you are?" she asked him softly, not wanting to break the spell of the moment. "Not for what you are, but for who you are; what makes you unique. I like you for your compassion and your strength and your honesty."

He finally opened his eyes to face her. "You don't care if I run around once a month as a werewolf? I could be a danger to you, Kat!"

She shushed him with a look and leaned forward to kiss him again. The same electrifying feeling as before shot through Remus' mind. She pulled back from him gently and said, "I get dangerous once a month, too," with a smile.

Feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his chest for a second time in three months, he bid his goodnight to Kat, not wanting the evening to end so soon. He knew she was tired, as was he; all the fresh air caused him to feel drowsy. But he longed to tell her how much he appreciated her understanding and how he admired her for not running away. He couldn't express the feelings that arose in him when she told him that she didn't care what he was, as long as he had the qualities that made him unique. He went to bed feeling as if he were floating on a cloud.