I know I have been absolutely awfully slow at updating lately, and I'm sorry for that. It's just that work has been crazy like you wouldn't believe. And as much as I enjoy writing, it don't pay the rent. Nor does it provide health insurance and a 401K (I'm talking about my 401K, when did I become so appallingly old?) I will try to do better as things slow down (at least I hope they do).

snuggle the muggle (I love that name, it's adorable)- Without sounding too melodramatic, you really made me think about introducing the topic of me writing to my family. I haven't really come to a decision on it yet, but thanks.

Chapter 19- No Laughing Matter

After Morgan left the Ministry, she found herself wandering around muggle London. She might be angry, but she was not stupid, and she knew that if Evan was right, trying to confront Remus while the full moon was still up would be dangerous. Of course, Evan had been aiming to hurt her, but she didn't think he was flat-out lying, and the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. The regular unexplained absences, his bad health, all the secrets....

She could not decide whom she was more angry with. Obviously, she was angry with him, for not telling her, for not trusting her enough to tell her, and for the number of lies he had told her over the years to cover it up. And she was going to make all that very clear just as soon as it was safe. But she was also mad at herself, for not seeing what was so glaringly obvious. And as for the rest of them...She was positive Sirius and James knew, and if James knew, Lily did. You would think one of them might have clued her in. The more she considered this, the more angry she got...he was going to be really sorry when morning came.

She had been walking for quite a long time, and she realized if she went home and changed, it would be nearly morning.

******

"I cannot believe the display the lot of you put on! Acting like first year students rather than Aurors! You're supposed to be enforcing the laws, not wreaking havoc at Ministry events…"

And so it had been going on for nearly a quarter of an hour. James, Lily, Sirius, Juliet, Gideon, and Fabian were all trying their best to look contrite while Crouch was raging at them. Lily had been trying to count how many times he had said "childish" or "disgraceful", but had lost count a while back. She kept her eyes on a random spot on the floor, knowing if she met any of their eyes they would start laughing again. It had been rather funny, someone as immaculate and put-together as Malfoy spinning around, and the dropping on the floor in a heap as James released the spell. A soft breath of laughter escaped from Lily. She quickly bit her lip and focused on the ground. Next to her, James coughed and cleared his throat, clearly having the same problem. And on his left, Sirius was now shaking with silent laughter.

It was Gideon who broke first, he burst out laughing and doubled over. Crouch looked aghast, and furious that they weren't properly afraid of him..

"Prewett! Get ahold of yourself man! All of you, pull yourselves together! This behavior is entirely inappropriate! I have never seen such irresponsible and childish behavior in my life! You two!" He pointed to Gideon and James. "Since the both of you started this disaster-"

"I didn't! Wilkes started it!" Gideon stopped laughing.

"And Lestrange insulted Lily-"

"Since the both of you started this disaster-" Crouch was obviously not listening to them. "You are both suspended until I decide you are capable of acting like adults and not starting silly fights. And the rest of you better get to like your desks, because you won't be leaving them for a good long time. I can't have people in the field who can't control their tempers. Now all of you, get out of here."

******

Remus was tired, sore, and wanted nothing more than to sleep and be left alone. The transformations were as bad as ever, maybe even worse because James and Sirius could rarely be with him anymore, engrossed as they were in their adult lives. He told them it didn't matter, and really it didn't, but he'd always felt a little more human when they were around. He'd heard about a potion, still only in development, not really ready to be used by anyone, that might be able to help. Then again, it might not, like all the other "miracle" cures people had claimed to have over the years.

There was a knock at the door, which he ignored. He did not want to see anyone. The knock came again, louder this time, more insistent, and he cursed softly and went to answer it, planning to tell whoever it was to go away.

He was not expecting it to be Morgan. She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes, and, he realized with some concern, very angry.

"You should have told me." Her voice was low, a definite danger sign for her.

"Told you…what?" His tired mind did not immediately register what she was talking about. She pushed past him into his flat. Unable to stop her, he let the door close.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out? Think I would never put it together? If you had just told me? Why couldn't you be honest with me? Do you not trust me that much?"

In a sudden, horrible moment, he realized what she was talking about. He sank down on the couch.

"How did you find out? Who told you? James?"

"I knew there was something, but Evan had to connect the points for me."

"Marakiv." He remarked bitterly. "Damn him."

"Oh stop it!" She cried, incensed even more. "If not him it would have been someone else, or maybe I could have just looked at a calendar." She took a deep breath, and shook her head. " Why didn't you tell me?" She repeated.

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"You think this didn't hurt me? Having to find out from someone else?"

"I just wanted this to keep on for a little while. It was rather like a dream."

She had opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped suddenly, blinking at him.

"What do you mean?" Her voice was hesitant now.

He sighed. "I know there's never been anything official between us, but we've been more than friends lately, and I just, didn't want that to end…"

"And you think I do?"

It was his turn to stare at her.

"Bloody Hell Remus!" She was really getting going now. "What do you think I've been doing for the past five months but trying to get closer to you, trying to get past the goddamn walls you were throwing up at every turn?"

"I was trying to protect you! You think it's been easy? I knew once you found out….it would all change, I didn't know what else to do but try to keep you away from me, but that was too hard."

"What?! If I leave this apartment right now it's not going to have anything to do with werewolves! It's going to do with the fact that I can't BELIEVE that you have such a low opinion of me. DO YOU REALLY THINK I CARE ABOUT THAT?"

"Then WHAT are you so bloody angry about?"

"THAT YOU LIED TO ME!"

"I didn't lie."

She rolled her eyes impatiently. "Omitted important details then. I don't care to discuss semantics at the moment."

"You…you don't care?"

"I could care less if you're a werewolf. I care that you don't trust me enough to tell me."

"I've never told anyone." He said softly. "Aside from my family, and certain teachers. James and Sirius and Peter figured it out on their own. Lily too, or James told her, I never asked. They're the only ones who know." He shook his head. "I would have told you, but I didn't want you to hate me….or worse, to be afraid of me."

She turned away suddenly. A silence hung over the room. When she turned back to face him her cheeks were wet.

"I do hate you a bit right now." She said softly. "But not for the reason you think." She crossed the room in a few steps, until she was very close to him. "I hate you because I love you, and you're making it so bloody hard. I know you don't want me to say it but I am anyway, I love you."

He looked down into her eyes, at her stubborn expression, and knew it was something he could not fight anymore. "I love you too. It's all right now, to say it. I didn't want you to before you knew what you were saying it to."

Suddenly smiling, Morgan slipped her arms around him and leaned against his chest. "You are such a prat. I can't believe you thought I'd care."

Wondering if he'd ever be able to keep up with her changing moods, he put a hand under her chin and turned her face up "I'm sorry then" and kissed her.

A few minutes later, feeling a growing need and intensity, he stepped away from her resolutely. He did not want to overstep the bounds of their new, as yet undefined, relationship.

"You should go." He said firmly, over the hammering of his heart. "You must be tired. You need to get some sleep."

"I'd rather stay." She spoke softly, but even if he managed to overlook the significance of her tone, her eyes made it clear.

"Are you sure Morgan?"

She smiled, a smile he had never seen from her before. "Oh yes, absolutely."

******

James glanced out the window at the full moon and wondered how Remus was getting on. He hated that they couldn't spend these nights with him, but his condition was not widely known, and all of them disappearing on the night of a large Ministry function would only draw attention to the obvious time of the month. Still, he didn't like the feeling that he was somehow abandoning his friend.

Besides, Remus was a good man to have around in a fight. He would probably be sorry he'd missed it. Since Lily wasn't looking, James allowed himself a small smile. It had been rather funny, especially Malfoy. James hated everything about Malfoy- his arrogance, his pure-blood mania, his cruelty, and was not above enjoying seeing him embarrassed. But underneath that, Lestrange's insult to Lily stung.

Mudblood. James had used that word exactly once in his life. He had been five years old and heard it from a man his father worked with. He's used it at dinner, feeling like a big man. He would never forget the looks of disappointment from his parents, or his Dad's grave, quiet explanation of what it meant.

Lily never showed a reaction to such insults, he wondered if she had simply grown used to it. Was that possible? She had to do twice as well as anyone else just to be respected, and yet she didn't seem to resent it.

He watched her go through the familiar ritual of getting ready for bed- taking her hair down, jewelry off, and thought she looked troubled.

"You alright?"

She turned, gave him a small, forced smile. "Fine, yes."

"That doesn't look fine."

"I thought it was pretty funny too James, but the more I think about it, the more I think you shouldn't have made a fool of Malfoy. He's a dangerous man to have as an enemy James."

He scowled. "So am I."

She nodded slightly, conceding this was true. "I just have a feeling he's really going to have a vendetta against you now."

"That's what you're worried about? After what Lestrange said about you?"

She smiled. "James, that's not the first time I've heard it, and I'm sure it's not the last. I don't care what they think. The people whose opinions matter to me would never say that." She shrugged. "Let Lestrange say whatever he wants. It's not worth fighting over. Though I think it's sweet that you did."

"You're really amazing."

******

Morgan sighed, and stirred a little. She was not entirely awake yet, but awake enough to realize she felt wonderful. Her cheek was resting against his shoulder, her arm thrown across his chest. She smiled.

"You're awake?" he asked softly.

"Hm? Not really. What day is it?"

He chuckled. "Still Saturday. Saturday night." He moved to look at his watch. "Half past eight."

"I'm hungry." She raised herself up on her elbow, so she could see his face. "We could order something. You know, from one of the muggle places that brings it to your house? Easy as having a house elf?"

"Morgan-" He wanted to say something, she could tell, but was not sure how she would react. She felt a little flutter of concern. He'd obviously been awake awhile, and unsurprisingly, he had been brooding about the situation.

"Don't." She said warningly. "Not now. I'm tired of hearing all your reasons why this can't work. I say it can. Why can't you just accept something good instead of insisting on coming up with reasons it's bad?"

He looked surprised, but held back whatever he had been planning to say, and then nodded. She smiled. "Good."

"But I do think…we should keep this quiet for a little while."

"What do you mean?"

"Specifically? I think we shouldn't tell Sirius. But of we don't want Sirius to know we can't tell James, and if we don't want James to know we can't tell Lily."

"Why don't you want Sirius to know?"

"It's not so much that as….he's very protective of you. And I think we both know he could kick my ass with interest. I just think we need to tell him at the right time, in the right way…"

"You mean they don't make a card for that?" She smiled innocently.

He laughed. "All right McCarrick, move, my arm is asleep."

She turned over, away from him, and stretched. "Food?"

"Well, I can at least manage something…"

"That's why I love you." She reached for the newspaper that neither of them had glanced at that morning, to see if anything was mentioned about the gala at the Ministry. She unrolled it and gave a shriek, followed by near hysterical laughter.

Alarmed, he took it from her and glanced at the photo on the front page, and could not conceal some laughter as well. In the middle of the front page, there was a photo of Lucius Malfoy, bound and spinning upside down.

"That…hex…has James…written…all over it." Morgan said through gasps of laughter.

He grinned. "You think?"

"Oh, I'd put money on it."

******

Lucius slammed the door of his home, and stormed down the hall into his study, going straight for the crystal decanter sitting on his desk. He slammed down one shot, than another.

"Take it easy. With all the spinning you've done tonight you'll make yourself sick." Purred a female voice behind him. He turned, Bellatrix was reclining on a sofa there, an undisguised look of amusement on her face.

"What are you doing here?"

"What, I need an excuse to visit my brother-in-law?" She stood, keeping her eyes locked on his, and circled him in a predatory way, her eyes glittering, and still smirking. "James Potter seems to be getting the better of you a lot lately. It must be embarrassing. What, a twenty-year-old wizard and a mudblood making of fool of you in front of the entire Ministry?"

He did not realized the rage building, until the crystal glass he was holding shattered in his hand. Bellatrix looked taken aback. He looked down at the blood now seeping from his hand.

"James Potter was merely an annoyance, but now I have had quite enough of him. His time has come."