Author's Note: Another quickly uploaded chapter! Sorry some of you thought that was the end, no it's not. There's still one more chapter and an epilogue.

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine.

It is dinner. Remus seats himself next to Sirius and across from James and Peter. More whispers ensue and one girl at the end of the Gryffindor table bursts into tears. James rolls his eyes but Sirius frowns.

"D'you get the feeling we're missing something important?" Sirius glances around and instantly all the craned heads snap back to their places. Once again, Remus gets a feeling of foreboding, but he ignores it, and instead listens as his two friends recount the Charms incident to Peter, complete with accents and imaginary teacups. At the end of their recitation, Peter and two other fifth-years are rolling on the floor, crying tears of mirth, and Remus is embarrassed all over again.

Dinner ends and Sirius and Remus leave early; Sirius needs help with his Potions essay. They are halfway to Gryffindor Tower when someone calls out.

"Black! Lupin!"

Both boys turn. Remus's heart falls to his feet; it's the Slytherin prefect with two friends.

Sirius's eyes narrow. "Rodolphus."

The lead Slytherin smiles thinly. "Sirius. How are things as a goody-two shoes bloodtraitor?"

Remus feels rather than sees Sirius's anger build. "Si—"

"Silence, Lupin." The Slytherin doesn't even spare him a glance.

"What do you want, Lestrange? Don't waste my time with your pureblood shit. I don't give a bloody flying fuck."

Lestrange's eyes glitter coldly and he smirks. "You know, just last Christmas, your mother was telling us—Malfoys, Blacks, Lestranges, the lot of us, the loyal ones—all about you. Didn't seem too happy either. I wonder how she would react to this—" Lestrange fixes his malevolent gaze on Remus, who shivers, "—new tidbit of news."

Sirius takes a step forward, hands clenched. "What are you talking about?"

The Slytherin laughs delightedly. "Oh it's no use lying to me. I've got written evidence. But, honestly, Sirius," he continues in a friendly tone. "No matter how pretty this one is, I expected a bit more…shall we say expensive taste." His eyes run over Remus appraisingly and he shakes his head. "I can't entirely blame you, but you could at least have picked a pureblood toy."

Remus stares at Lestrange for a moment, ignoring Sirius's looks of bewilderment, then begins frantically searching his bag.

"Looking for this?" Lestrange holds up a scrap of parchment, which Remus recognizes as his own. "Oh yes, I picked this up this morning when your bag ripped. It's been passed around school rather thoroughly, I must say. Why, Sirius, you look confused. Shall I read it to you?"

Remus cries out, hand flung out as if to stop the words. "No! Please, don't read it!"

Sirius looks at him. "Moon, what is it?"

Lestrange smirks. "There, you see Lupin, my soon-to-be cousin wants to know. I daresay I ought to indulge him, don't you?" He snaps the parchment briskly and clears his throat. "A rather simple message, really. 'Remus J. Lupin loves Sirius Black.' How touching."

Remus turns to run, unable to face Sirius and see the horror on his face, but Lestrange's two friends grab him by the arms, their grips bruising. With a snarl, Remus twists free of them and breaks into a run. No one follows. The password for Gryffindor Tower is gone from his mind and there's no one around, so Remus runs to the next safest place he can think of; the library. The stacks of old books comfort him without passing judgment. He finds a secluded alcove near the books about telephones in the Muggle Studies section and sits at a table. Someone has left some texts on the table, and Remus opens one at random. Within three minutes, he is asleep, cheek pillowed on the open book before him.