BEEP! THWACK!

Remus flailed blindly, smacking his bedside table until his alarm clock stopped its incessant beeping. He sat up and yawned. His muscles, still sore from the shopping spree the day before, screamed in agony.

As he padded across the plush gray carpet and into the hallway, he could hear the television playing downstairs. Was Ashlynn up already? It was barely eight o'clock! Wasn't she exhausted from all that dashing around yesterday?

As he entered the living room, ready to face his first full day as a guardian, he found Ashlynn plopped down on the couch. She was still clad in the cloud-covered pajamas they'd purchased the day before; her hair was mussed, a mess of wavy strands. She glanced at him blearily, still half-asleep, a blanket wrapped snugly around her.

"Morning," she yawned.

"Morning," Remus replied. "What are you doing up already?"

"I, um, couldn't sleep," she answered.

Remus suspected that she'd had another nightmare about her parents, but he let it drop for the moment. Ashlynn seemed none too eager to share any details.

"Well, since we're both up, why don't we go into the kitchen and get some breakfast?" he suggested.

Ashlynn nodded in agreement, and the two plodded into Remus's tiny but cozy kitchen.

"I think we have cereal," Remus mused, poking his head into a cabinet. "I think there's some fruit to go with it, too."

"Cool," Ashlynn said softly. "No plums, though. I'm allergic to plums."

"Really?" Remus said, joining her at the table and setting down a box of Frosted Flakes.

"Yeah. My aunt was baby-sitting me when I was a toddler and gave me some plums. I broke out in hives and couldn't breathe. She claims I scared her to death," Ashlynn smiled, reminiscing.

Remus, meanwhile, was storing this bit of info in the back of his mind, making sue to remember never to give Ashlynn any plums. Her certainly didn't desire to make a trip up to St. Mungo's anytime soon.

"So," Remus began, slicing up a banana as he spoke, "I was thinking that perhaps we could remodel your room. Make it feel more homey. We could paint it any color you like, and maybe get a pretty border for the walls."

"Could we paint it purple?" she suggested.

"I think purple might be too dark for the walls. Maybe the walls could be light purple, with some dark purple in the border."

"We're going to do this all ourselves?" she asked quizzically.

"Actually, my friend Sirius has agreed to help out."

"Still, that's a lot of work for three people."

"I was also thinking that maybe you could have a couple of your friends from school over. Like a sleepover."

"Really?" Ashlynn perked up a bit.

"Really. In fact, why don't you go owl them right now. Ask them if they'd like to stay over next weekend."

Ashlynn darted out of the kitchen, her un-brushed hair flying behind her. Remus cleared the table of the empty cereal bowls and glasses.

Wait a minute? Did I just agree to a sleepover? I must be losing it. . . Remus thought. Dear God what have I gotten myself into?

Author's Note: Sorry for the extremely short chapter, but I'm writing the sleepover next, and if I had included part of that in this chapter it would have been very, very long. Reviews are helpful!