"Remus, it's the least I can do," Sirius wheedled. "Let me do this for you."

"How is this for me?" Remus almost growled. "It's an inconvenience, and it's at the wrong time of the month anyway, Sirius. It could be dangerous."

"You over-estimate your wolfy prowess, Moony." Sirius plucked an orange from the fruit bowl on the table and began to play with it. "Besides, you're the one who whines all day long about being lonely. I'm just making attempts to socialize you like any good friend would do."

"I don't want to be socialized," Remus bit back. "It'll be awkward. Everyone will be younger than me and part of a couple."

"McGonagall's older than us," Sirius pointed out. "And Charlie, myself and Ginny's secretary are single, not to mention the lovely Miss Knight..."

:"Shut it, Black," Remus warned. "I'm not as good-natured as I used to be."

"Pish-posh. 'Used to be ' implies that at one time you were good-natured. Obviously you misspoke." Sirius picked up another orange and began to juggle them. "Besides, it's all taken care of. All you have to do is cook."

"I have to cook? You invite friends into my home without my permission, and I'm to cook for them?"

"You could always get take-away," Sirius offered.

Remus grimaced. "You don't invite people over for a dinner party and then serve take-away. It's tacky."

"So you fry up a few steaks-"

"Grill, Padfoot. You grill steaks, not fry," Lupin sighed. "So when is this all going to happen?"

"Six-ish."

"Tonight? You invited them over for tonight? Are you absolutely mad?"

"Probably," Sirius smirked. "I also knew that if I gave you any more notice than this you'd cancel it."

"You're damn right I would," Remus said, throwing an angry glance in Black's direction as he stalked into the entryway to get his coat.






Tracy walked in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner through the swinging, oak door and into the kitchen. She tried to keep any sign of desperation out of her voice. She had coached herself beforehand. Things were to be light, and airy, and as non-oppressive as possible. She had to back off or he was going to back off and then things would be...not good. Not good was really the way to describe it. "Need any help in here?"

Evidently with all the work she'd spent on being non-threatening, she'd forgotten to try not to scare him. He yelped and dropped the knife he'd been chopping onions with.

Tracy began back-pedaling. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you, I just thought that...Well, I thought maybe you'd want company and Sirius said you might need help and I just... Well, I really didn't mean to interfere, I just..."

She trailed off as Lupin's face slowly came into view, his brow deeply furrowed and his eyes cautious. "You weren't bothering me. You just startled me and I cut my thumb."

"Oh gods! Is it serious?" She crossed the distance between them and took his thumb in her hand, leaving his fingers free to curl around the back of her hand.

Remus tried to keep from shuddering at the little gasp she had made, and at the feel of her soft hand in his. He had been right to protest earlier. This was precisedly the time of the month when he was the most irritable.

A few days before the full moon, a werewolf's senses became almost painfully sharp. She hadn't startled him at all. He'd smelled her before she'd even pushed the door open. She'd put attar of roses on her pressure points, probably to tempt him further. It had been foolhardy of her.

"D'you want me to kiss it and make it better?" She asked, feigning innocence.

He fought back the part of him that was straining to get out and extricated his hand from hers. "I've got to finish dinner."

She uttered a sound of disgust and exasperation and stormed back into the dining room. Remus stuck his thumb under the sink faucet and ran cold water over it. The cold water wasn't exactly helpful, as it was an entirely different part of his body that could certainly use a cold shower. The thumb wasn't exactly an innocent party, though. Even his hands had betrayed him, with images flitting through his brain of fisting his hands in her soft, silky hair and taking everything she'd offered him and more.

Which would have been entirely inappropriate at a dinner party, in any case.





Dinner was interesting to say the least. Ron and Glin were both practically silent, not dominating the conversation with little digs at one another. Though Glin had stayed at his apartment the night before, nothing had been resolved, and things were still fairly awkward. Ron looked sullen and a bit run down. Glin did too, which was considerably out of the ordinary. Usually, Glin didn't answer the door unless she looked perfect. Tonight, she hadn't even bothered to put on make-up. Bags showed beneath her eyes and she was pale.

Ginny and Draco had returned from a second day of furniture shopping,, and both of them were positively glowing. Shopping had gone fairly well for them, with a minimum of stares and rudeness following them about Diagon Alley.

Hermione looked frazzled, with the wedding plans quickly claiming every bit of her free time. Harry wasn't much better. The World Cup was a little over a year away, but training for the tournament had been grueling lately. Another stray bludger had caught him, and his eye still showed a slight bruise.

Minnie was her usual, observant self, making endless comments about the lives of pretty much anyone around. Charlie, Tracy, Sadie, Remus and Sirius were too tormented and single for her taste. Ginny and Draco were too sappy for people who weren't even engaged. Glin and Ron should stop sulking. Harry and Hermione were free from her criticisms, most likely because they were too tired to respond to any of her little barbs.

After dinner, they retired to Remus's small living room, and gathered about the fireplace, drinking hot butter beer. Everyone had noticed how run down Glin was looking, but she'd refused to end this evening early. Sitting on the couch had quickly become laying on the couch had quickly become laying on the couch with her head propped on Ron's lap. He seemed pretty happy about her willingness to lean on him, regardless of the make-up smudges on his pants. He and Charlie were less than elated with their sister's behavior. She'd started out perched on the arm of the wing-backed chair Draco was sitting in. Predictably, she'd ended up sitting sideways on his lap with her head laying on his shoulder. Her hand was interlaced companionably with his Charlie and Sadie were sitting on the loveseat, looking slightly uncomfortable.

Harry and Hermione had left immediately after dinner, citing exhaustion and early morning engagements. McGonagall was content to stretch out in front of the fireplace with Sirius, purring happily as he stroked her back.

Eventually, they began to make excuses and Remus went into the kitchen to start on the dishes. Remus was around halfway finished when the kitchen door swun open. He knew immediately who it was. His hand stilled on the plate he was soaping.

"The rest have gone?"

"Yup," she pushed herself up onto the island in the middle of the kitchen and got comfortable.

"Where's Sirius?"

"Draco's invited him to stay in the one of his guest rooms. It appears he's tossed you over for a bed of his own." Tracy hopped down from the counter, and lightly trailed a hand across his shoulders before leaning in close to his ear to whisper. "He must be crazy."

Remus snarled at her and turned halfway before thinking better of it. "I'm not going to lay a finger on you,, no matter how much you tempt me. Now go home."

She took his shoulders in her hands, felt the already knotted muscles tesnse and bunch beneath her hand, and then pulled him around to face her. He was scowling at her and she wrinkled her nose. "You're absolutely wrong. I wouldn't want you to touch me. Your hands are all gross from the dishes still." She closed the distance between them and smiled up at his grimace. "So just remember to keep your hands off my."

It began much like their first kiss had. His mouth was frowning this time, though, and she made it her goal to feel his mouth curve into a smile next to hers. He wasn't being responsive at all, though, and she knew he was holding back, could feel that tension in him begging to be released, vibrating just below the surface. In one effort to loosen things up a bit, she began to tunnel her fingers through his hair. She'd wanted to do that for awhile now, to just dive her fingers into the soft, shaggy silk of it. He growled a bit and twisted his hands into the dish towel he'd been holding, but still didn't give in. Finally, she decided to just go for broke, and slipped a hand to the buttons at his neck. When she'd flicked three of them open, she took her mouth from his and licked the little hollow of his neck.

As it turned out, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Before she knew what had happened, she was trapped between the counter and his body. His mouth biting and lickiung and doing the most marvelous things. She kissed back with equal fervor, and fairly quickly felt as if she would spontaneously combust.

Remus was making little snarling noises, as if the wolf had completely taken over his psyche. He placed little biting kisses all the way down to her shoulder. She moaned then, and he growled before coming back up to her mouth the devour her.

Making a small noise of pleasure in the back of her throat, she hitched a leg up around his back. He took the initiative to lift her to sit on the counter in one fluid motion as her other leg lifted to join its twin.

After a few minutes, Remus began to feel Tracy's hands pushing against the wall of his chest. He pulled back, his eyes dark and dazed as she murmured something .

"Come again?"

"I said 'there's a fruit bowl in my back." She panted.

He blinked a few times and assessed the current situation. He was pressed against her fully, and she was reclined slightly. Indeed, there was a fruit bowl pressing into the small of her back. "Oh dear...I'm so...right then." He backed away from her.

"There's no reason to be awkward and apologetic about it, Remus. I wanted it. If anyone seduced anyone, it was me. If the fruit bowl hadn't been there-"

"Then we're bloody well lucky that it was," he finished. "Be realistic. You know a relationship between the two of us would never work. You're much younger than me, and I'm not exactly the ideal companion..."

"Because of the werewolf thing?" She asked in confusion. "Everyone has problems, Remus."

"My problem is tat once a month I become a snarling, mindless beast."

"This begs for a joke about PMS."

"This is serious," Remus scowled.

"Not as much as you might think," Tracy told him in a sober tone. When he rolled his eyes she put her hands on the sides of his face. "I'm not walking into this blindly, Remus. I've studied werewolves extensively. If you take your potion, you're fine, relatively speaking."

"But-"

"You're not that much older than me. I'll admit it, Remus. I'm not as young as I look. But even if I were, it wouldn't be a factor. It shouldn't be a factor."

"People will talk," he offered mulishly.

"I'm not exactly someone who cares about bullshit like that."

"I'm a very private man, Tracy."

"I'm not going to be reasoned out of this. I think we should try it for a month."

"'It?'"
"A relationship. Starting now." She linked her hands behind his neck and pulled him closer.

Rather disappointingly for Tracy and the rest of us, Remus pulled back. "I'm not going to be sociable for around a week. The full moon is tomorrow. I'm usually pretty tired afterwards."

"I think it'd be better for us to conquer the wolf early on rather than waiting with it hanging over our heads for a whole month."

"All right then," Remus said, feeling removed from the situation. "What do we do?"

"Oh, I have a few ideas," Tracy said, wrapping her legs around his waist again and leaning in to bit his earlobe.

Remus pushed her away again. "That's not what I meant and you know it," he grimaced.

"Oh, all right, you big spoilsport." She said, hopping off the counter and tousling his hair. "I suppose we date- spend time around one another, that sort of thing." She summoned her purse from the foyer and pupller out her day planner.

Following suit, Remus pulled the wall calendar down.

Tracy hummed while flipping through the pages. "How's tomorrow night for dinner?"

"No good- I'm turning into a wolf, remember?"

"That doesn't mean we can't hang out We could get dinner early, talk for awhile, then you could turn into a wolf and I could hang out and read a book or something. Wouldn't it be nicer if there were someone around to make sure you had enough water and whatnot? It really could be a nice bonding experience."

He looked up from the calendar. "Tracy, the transformation is...unpleasant to watch."

"If I sat through 'Titanic' I can bear pretty much anything." He stiffened so she walked to him and kissed his forehead. "If I see it, it'll help me understand."

The corners of his mouth were still pressed in tight little lines, but he reluctantly assented.









A bed can be a rather lonely place if there are two people in it who are both ignoring something. It only served to further complicate the issue that Harry and Hermione were both dead set on meddling in each other's affairs.

"Why not let me-"

"It's no use. There'll just be another bruise tomorrow, most likely more."

"But Harry, your ribs look like a kaleidoscope, not to mention your face!" The lights were out, but Harry could imagine the way her brow was all scrunched up in worry. She turned on her side to face him, and he flinched at the movement of the bed. "Why do you put yourself through it when it's entirely unnecessary?"

"It's necessary. I can't very well win a game if I can't deal with a few nicks and scratches. I need to learn to transcend pain."

"That's all well and good, but getting bludgeoned to death isn't probably the best mind over matter technique."

"It should build up my tolerance. You did something like it when you went through auror training."

"I hardly think a comparison can be made," she said, condescension dripping from her words.

"You needn't scoff at me."

"Forgive me if I think there is a great deal of difference between a carefully orchestrated training regimen and people attempting to knock you unconscious. I'm sure your very sophisticated theory of battering your entire body will work spectacularly."

She threw off the bed clothes and stomped out of the room, letting in Crookshanks who had been waiting at the closed door as he did most nights. The cat leapt onto the bed, and curled into the warm space Hermione's body had left behind.

A few minutes later, she was back. Harry heard the sound of something being set on the bedside table as Hermione chided the cat. "You know Harry doesn't like you in here at night." The cat meowed in protest as she placed it on the ground. "All right then, but just this once." The cat happily hopped back on the bed and curled on the foot of the bed.

Harry felt Hermione slide in beside him, and then the sound of her picking up whatever she'd set down on the table. Her hand snaked its way under the covers and rested, palm down, on his sternum. A cool gel was coating her hand, and as it touched his flesh he hissed.

"I thought I told you-"

"That you were dead set on beating the hell out of yourself. I'm not going to sit here and do nothing, not when I know that you're in this much pain. How can I?"

Harry wisely stopped his protests as Hermione's hand rested lightly on his chest, replacing the aches with little tingles. The hand moved up to his cheek, and he felt his headache begin to dissipate. They laid like that for a short while before Harry shifted them both and tucked her head beneath his chin. "I'm sorry."

"I told you that before this was over you'd probably hate me," she said, her voice quavering just a little.

"I don't hate you," he reassured her.

"I can't imagine why not. I nag at you over the silliest little things. Ribbon color and china patterns. I just get so frustrated with everything and I take it out on you."

"What can I say? I'm an easy target." He joked. "I'm not that eleven year old with the taped up glasses and bruised heart. I can take it."

"I forget sometimes that you aren't," she admitted. "I still see you locked in that little cupboard sometimes."

"I still feel like I'm in there sometimes. After a long day of practice, when I feel too tired to move one way or the other, I'll just stand there for a minute, wondering what I'm going home for. Then I remembers, I've got much more to return to than a closet and people who care for me out of familial obligation. I've got so much."

"You deserve more than a fiance who nags all the time and a cat you hate."

"A fiance who I love and I cat I have come to an understanding with," he corrected.

"You and Crookshanks?" She said in disbelief. "What's the understanding?"

"He stops gunking up my shoes, and I don't kick him when I find hair on my sofa."

"Harry!" She said scandalized. "You never kicked him, did you?"

"It was a joke."