A/N: I think this is the chapter some of you have been waiting for…I hope you like it.

Chapter 8: Remus's Confession

Remus chuckled, he remembered Alice a little from school, but he didn't remember her so guy crazy. He did remember that she and Bethany had been close, and when they'd started dating he knew that Alice had been Bethany's best friend. If Bellatrix wasn't caught for Bethany, he was glad she was caught for the Longbottoms; Bethany would have wanted it that way.

He went to the little pouch that lay on his desk, the one that held their rings. He picked it up along with the photos he had sitting atop a stack of parchments. He sifted through them slowly. There were some photos of himself and Bethany, some of Bethany and Hermione, some of he and Hermione, some with James and Lily, a few with Alice and Frank, several with Sirius, a couple with Peter, and two of Remy.

Remus collected up a few and stuck them in the front of the journal, then slipped out of the room and down the stairs toward the kitchen, Hermione had mentioned dinner and he thought he'd been antisocial enough for the past few days.

He stopped just at the kitchen door, he could hear Mrs. Weasley and Severus on the other side, arguing again. He didn't want to interrupt them.

"Well I think it's been long enough Severus. A year is plenty."

"We don't know all the facts Molly." Severus said shortly.

"You're not being fair, everyone knows why. Don't be silly, we can all know the same amount together." Molly snapped.

"You will not tell him." Severus said sternly. "Dumbledore has insisted that this remain quiet. The only reason you know is because Arthur works at the Ministry," Severus said haughtily.

"You wouldn't know if Dumbledore hadn't intended for-" Molly was saying, but Remus pushed the door open with a smile.

"Hermione mentioned something about dinner, can I help?"

"Don't be silly," Molly grinned. "For now we're just waiting for the potatoes to bake."

Remus nodded, "Well, it smells wonderful. Severus, I'm sure you'll be leaving for Hogwarts soon, would you leave that cauldron of Wolfsbane potion for me?"

"Absolutely," Severus turned his nose up snootily.

"Thank you," Remus smiled. "Well, since I am not needed here, will you send for me when dinner is ready?"

"Surely," Molly smiled.

Remus nodded and with that he climbed the stairs back to his room.

He shook his head, he wished he had some idea of what everyone was talking about…or talking about hiding. He collected the journal back up, he figured he could read quite a bit more before dinner.

Sunday October 24, 1976

Yet another rainy day was the description of this October afternoon. With the anticipation of a new beginning comes the fear of a possible ending, and I am terrified of both.

Bethany couldn't take it any longer, being trapped in the Slytherin dorm room was not in any way a characteristic herself and she knew it. She couldn't hide for the rest of the year, so she decided that she would do as she pleased. Everyone would be out and about and she refused to be trapped another day.

Bethany sat silently at the Slytherin table, picking at her food, wondering if flying would be a good choice by the look of the weather outside. Several Slytherins were polite enough to say hello, in passing. She was surprised at how quickly they'd forgotten the Quidditch game and her choice of company at the game for the action sequence she'd performed for them on the front lawn the following morning.

"Hello Bethany." Severus sat down next to her.

"Hey Sev," she grinned.

"Good to see you out," he said.

"It's good to be out, and seen," Bethany nodded.

"What were your plans for the day?"

Bethany looked past him to the tall window overlooking the grounds. "Fly."

"I see," he frowned.

"You don't like to fly?"

"It's not my favorite thing to do."

"Here," Bethany took his hand and interlocked their fingers end to end.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

She smiled, "Just bare with me, okay?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"I'm going to tell you the rules first."

"Rules?"
"Just listen," she smiled. She pointed at his thumb, "The object is to hold my thumb down, but you have to catch it first. When you do, you hold it for three seconds then you win, meanwhile I'll be trying to do the same."

"What?" Severus asked.

"It's called Thumb Wrestling. If you win, I stay inside and am the object of your entertainment for the afternoon. I win I get to go outside and fly, no feelings hurt. Fair?" She beamed a grin at him, but by his expression she could see he was slightly perturbed so she sighed playfully. "Come on," she pleaded, "its a Muggle game I read about one time and haven't found anyone to play with yet."

"Fine." He said placidly.

"Ready?" She smiled. "Set? GO!"

The two both jerked and Severus caught on quick when Bethany jabbed out and caught his thumb, holding it hostage for a whole two seconds before he broke free. Bethany caught a genuine smile out of him when he pinned her finger. It took two seconds for her to get out of the hold. After a few brief moments of the back and forth battle Bethany came out successful. She laughed, "I win!"

Severus snorted and shook his head.

"Aw come on," she gave him a nudge, "it was a good game."

"You've played before, that's why you won."

She shook her head, "No way, pure skill."

"Right." Severus snorted.

Bethany laughed, "Okay, fine. I'm forfeiting my entire win. I'll spend the first half of the day flying, as I intended, then I'll spend the second half of the afternoon with you. Deal?"

Bethany caught another genuine smile cross his face as he nodded.

"Well, I better get going then, since I've already used part of my morning Thumb Wrestling," Bethany got up and started to head off. She paused and leaned over Severus's shoulder and chuckled, "and winning."

Bethany found the rain quite cold and biting, but she didn't mind because it was only coming in occasional bursts, it was mostly a constant drizzle. Bethany raced through the grounds on her Dragonfire, skirting the Quidditch Pitch last. After several laps she stopped at the pitch and dismounted her broom. For the first time in all her time at Hogwarts she was sad she hadn't tried out for the team.

She dropped the bag full of goodies she had brought along on the ground next to her. She propped her broom up and dropped the hood of her cloak back.

"Well aren't you just the clever little witch whose specialty is disappearing."

Bethany jumped. She spun to see Sirius leaning on the bleachers. She smiled, "Hey Sirius."

He just raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're angry with me," she said surprised but impressed.

"I haven't talked to you in more than a week. I was beginning to wonder if you knew who I was."

"I'm sorry," Bethany hung her head. "It's just…last weekend…it was…trying, at best."

"Yeah, so I hear, from everybody else…but you wouldn't even talk to me."

"Sirius," Bethany frown, "I didn't…I couldn't…"

Sirius waved a hand, "I know it was tough, but you shouldn't abandon your friends Beth; that's what we're for, being there when times are rough."

Bethany went to him, and he smiled down on her. Bethany reached over and wrapped her arms about his waist and buried her face in his chest, "Sirius it was awful, I was so scared."

She felt Sirius chuckle, then he wrapped his arms around her, "Well you could have fooled me. If I hadn't known better I would have thought you were ready for that attack."

Bethany pulled back and gave him a jab in the shoulder, "You always have to joke about serious stuff."

Sirius just laughed again, "I know you're not really troubled by that, otherwise you'd have really given me a row."

"I guess you're right." She nodded.

"I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of your anger. You're a spitfire." Sirius shrugged, "You've really had Remus all up in a bunch. He doesn't know left from right, nor up from down."

"What?" Bethany turned on Sirius quickly.

"Yeah," Sirius nodded, "he's just been a mess since last Saturday. What did you do to him?"

"Nothing," Bethany said quickly. "Nothing at all."

"Well you could have fooled me, he's a wreck. It hasn't helped that no one has seen you in a week."

Bethany shrugged. "I needed to recover."

"You done with that now?"

"Recovering?" Bethany asked.

Sirius nodded.

"I guess."

"You guess?" It was Remus's voice that cut into the conversation.

"I was just going in," Bethany blurted out nervously after looking over to Remus.

"Don't," he held up a hand.

"Well," Sirius smiled, "I was just leaving. James wanted to meet me five minutes ago. I'll see you two later."

"Sirius," Bethany called almost pleadingly, but he wasn't listening; so she was left staring awkwardly at Remus. The rain started to fall harder as Bethany and Remus were left alone. "Well," Bethany said uneasily, "how have you been?"

"How have you been?" Remus turned the question around in a concerned tone.

"All right, I guess."

"You guess, there you go, guessing again." Remus came over to her.

"I'm fine. Remus-"

"No," he stepped up and placed a hand over her mouth, "don't."

Bethany looked down to his hand over her mouth. Gently she reached up and took wrist, gingerly pulling his hand away. "Why?"

"I'm afraid what you're going to say is with the intention to take away all you said last weekend. I don't want you to." He ran his fingers down her cheek, "Bethany, I'm sorry. Sorry that I wasn't brave enough to admit it first. Sorry that I was too much of a coward, so much so that you had to give me a push. I guess I was afraid of what would come, and afraid of what I am. I was afraid of you, you're…well…you're deserving of more."

"Remus-"

"No," Remus frowned, "please, I want to say it all first. Bethany in all fairness you caught my eye long ago, but as I've already said I was too afraid of everything to say anything; but it was really that day when Sirius was taunting Severus that I realized…I knew that I could love you…that I did love you…you were all the things I wanted to be but couldn't – I was jealous of what you could do. You made me realize that you are what I need to make me whole. Please forgive me for not saying anything sooner and if I have offended you in anyway, but I can't keep it in any longer…I had to tell you."

"That's it?" Bethany asked solemnly.

"Yes," Remus frowned, "that's all."

Bethany reached up and ran a hand through his wet hair. Remus leaned over and Bethany reached up, their lips met for the first time and it was like fire racing through both of them. Bethany pulled back after a few seconds she smiled shyly, "That's better. See, I knew there was more."

Remus sighed, relieved. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around her and she melted into his hug. He questioned quietly, "I hear the next Hogsmeade weekend is November twentieth. Could I interest you in a cup of tea at Madam Puddifoot's, just you and me?"

"Definitely," Bethany sighed dreamily, "I couldn't ask for more."

"Bethany."

"Hmmmm?" she hummed happily, wrapped in Remus's warm arms despite the bitter cold rain.

"I really do love you."

Bethany felt her knees get weak and her body sink a little bit into him, Remus caught the slack and helped her stand, "I love you too Remus, I just don't think you understand how much."

I thought every part of me would be ecstatic with Remus's confession; a confession I have been longing for. I must admit, it was fantastic, beyond dream-like…it was surreal. But – the possible ending is weighing heavy on my shoulders. Severus is waiting for the remainder of my afternoon, as promised. Here I am, writing about Remus…it's time for me to tell Severus the truth about Remus, about Remus and I, and about how I feel about Remus (and have felt for some time).

Thank you for reading, please review. :::Jo:::