Chapter Six

"Now, Mr. Lupin, would you mind telling me exactly what happened in the Great Hall?" Professor Dumbledore asked, looking directly at Remus with his piercing blue eyes.

"I'm not really sure what happened, sir," Remus said honestly. He really didn't know why he'd attacked Malfoy like that. It wasn't as if he'd been behaving any differently toward Michelle than half the other guys at school were at times. "I mean, I know I punched him, I guess I just don't know why. Something just sort of came over me. I just, I don't know, had this uncontrollable urge to hit Malfoy. So, I did." Remus looked at Dumbledore, who was, surprisingly enough, smiling.

"Tell me, Remus, do you get these 'urges' often?" Dumbledore asked, once more leaning back in his chair.

"No sir," Remus said. "But I've noticed that whenever I'm around either Andrew Cooke or Malfoy, I tend to get angry really easily."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, looking thoughtful. "And is this the first time you've actually acted on your anger?"

"Well, it is the first time I've ever hit Lucius Malfoy," Remus began. "But I used to get into fights with Andrew all the time when we were younger."

"I see. Do you know what caused these fights?" Dumbledore asked.

Remus paused a moment before answering, trying to remember what had happened to get him mad at Andrew when they were kids. "I think I only ever hit him whenever he'd say or do something to Michelle that was really cruel. I'd get angry with him over other things, too, but I guess she's the only reason I've ever actually physically gotten into a fight with him, sir." Remus was beginning to wonder what was going on, here. Shouldn't they be discussing his punishment?

"I see," Dumbledore repeated. "Tell me, Remus, what do you know about the mating habits of werewolves?"

Mating habits? What did that have to do with him getting into a fight with Malfoy? Remus wondered. Nevertheless, he answered Dumbledore's question. "Not much, sir. All I've been able to find out is that werewolves mate for life, and that once they've 'marked' their mate, a special sort of bond is formed between them. It's not exactly telepathic, but they can tell whenever the other is in danger, or worse. That's all I know. Why is that important?"

"It is important, my boy, because it is why you have been so aggressive towards certain students, Mr. Malfoy in particular," Dumbledore stated, moving forward to rest his elbows on his desktop.

"I don't understand, sir," Remus said honestly.

Dumbledore smiled. "Remus, am I correct in guessing that Miss Cooke was the first person you encountered immediately after you received the bite?"

Now he was even more confused. "Yes sir," Remus stated, looking puzzled. "She was sitting in the chair beside my hospital bed when I woke up. Why?"

"It is common," Dumbledore said, "for werewolves who are as young as you were when you were bitten to choose one of the first people they meet after being bitten to be their mate."

"But sir," Remus said, leaning forward slightly, "wouldn't I have known if I wanted to mate with Michelle?"

Dumbledore smiled that annoying smile of his again, saying, "Actually, Remus, you wouldn't have known until you reached puberty. It really isn't surprising that you haven't noticed anything before now. After all, you were bitten long before you reached the age at which the wolf begins to look for a mate."

"So, you're saying that my werewolf side identified Michelle as a mate, but didn't, er, 'act' on the feelings before now because at the time, I wasn't old enough to mate?" Remus asked. He thought was beginning to understand what this had to do with the situation at hand. "Is that why I always get so angry at Malfoy and Andrew? Because the wolf sees them as threats to his mate?"

"It would probably be more accurate to say that the werewolf sees Mr. Cooke as a danger to her, while he sees Mr. Malfoy as a rival, but that is essentially it," Dumbledore said, nodding.

"So, what does that mean for me, sir?" Remus asked apprehensively.

"There is something else you don't know, Remus," Dumbledore said, frowning now. "Now that you have chosen Miss Cooke as a mate, you can not possibly choose anyone else should she decide not to be with you. You will never be able to be attracted to anyone else."

"But sir," Remus had suddenly remembered another, rather important detail, "isn't it true that if a werewolf's chosen mate turns them down, the wolf will eventually destroy itself out of grief, and desire for its mate?"

"That is indeed true, Remus." Dumbledore said. Remus didn't understand how the man could seem so unconcerned about all this. "However, that does not mean that you should rush out and mate with Michelle tonight. In fact, you more than likely will be fine until you reach the end of puberty. By that time, however, the wolf will need a mate."

"So, in other words, I've got about four years to tell her how I feel," Remus said.

"Yes," Dumbledore stated. "You should also know that mating doesn't necessarily have to involve sex, at least not at first. You will know what to do when the time comes, assuming that she agrees," Dumbledore said, seeing Remus begin to form another question. "Now, about your punishment," Dumbledore said, bringing the discussion to an end.

"My punishment, sir?" Remus asked.

"Yes, Mr. Lupin." Dumbledore said. "While I may be able to understand the reasons behind your fight with Mr. Malfoy, that does not mean that I can allow you to attack him and not give you some sort of punishment."

"Yes, sir," Remus said.

"I believe fifty points from Gryffindor, along with two weeks' worth of detentions should be quite enough," Dumbledore said.

Remus nodded. "Is there anything else, sir?"

"That will be all," Professor Dumbledore said. "Oh, and Remus," Remus paused as he was about to open the door, and turned around. "Don't worry, this has not affected your status as a Prefect," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir," Remus said as he left the office.

Michelle wasn't in the common room when Remus returned to Gryffindor Tower, something he was thankful for. He was exhausted, and didn't feel quite ready to face her after the day's revelations. Remus walked up to the dormitory, so deep in thought about his current situation that he nearly walked right into the door.

"Hey, Moony. How'd the talk with Dumbledore go?" James asked as Remus walked in. He and Sirius had just been re-enacting the scene from dinner for Peter.

Remus walked over to his trunk and began to get ready for bed. "Well, he took fifty points from Gryffindor and gave me two weeks worth of detention, but considering I punched Malfoy in front of the entire school, I think that was pretty fair of him."

Sirius noticed the somewhat preoccupied look on his friend's face and asked, "There's something else, isn't there?"

James and Peter both stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Remus, who said, "Yes, there is something else." He proceeded to tell them exactly what Professor Dumbledore had said.

They looked surprised when he finished. Sirius was the first to speak. "So, basically, you punched Malfoy at dinner because he was making a move on your woman?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it that crudely, but in a way, yes," Remus said as he pulled off his robes and changed into a pair of boxers.

"And you've got to 'mate' with Michelle, or you'll be dead by the time you're twenty?" James asked, looking concerned.

Remus nodded, saying, "It looks like you guys were right at dinner, though. Apparently, I not only fancy Michelle, I'm in love with her."

"Of course you are," James said, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. "So, now that you've finally figured out what the rest of us have known since Michelle got here, what are you going to do about it?"

"What do you want me to do about it?" Remus asked, looking both annoyed and worried as he finished getting ready for bed.

James, Sirius, and Peter all looked at each other before turning as one to face Remus and saying, "TELL her, you idiot!"

"Are you crazy? You want me to just walk right up to one of the most beautiful girls in the world and tell her I'm in love with her? Have you guys forgotten that I'm a werewolf?" Remus said skeptically.

"No. Have you forgotten that it's because you're a werewolf that you've got to tell her how you feel, Remus?" asked Sirius in exasperation. "Besides, she already knows about that, and it doesn't bother her."

Remus just shook his head in response, saying, "Sirius, it's one thing to be friends with a werewolf, but being bonded to one for life is entirely different. Who in their right mind would want to spend their entire life stuck as a werewolf's mate? I can't ask Michelle to do that."

"But Remus," Peter piped up as he moved over to sit next to his friend on his bed. "What if Michelle does want that? Shouldn't she be given the choice?"

"She doesn't like me that way, Peter. She probably just sees me as a good friend," Remus said dejectedly.

"Actually," Peter said with a slight smile, "I'm almost positive she does fancy you."

"How do you know?" Remus asked as James and Sirius looked curiously at Peter.

"Well, do you remember the night a couple of weeks ago when you were supposed to meet Danielle, but I asked you to help me with my homework?" Peter asked.

Remus frowned in confusion. "Yeah, and then Lily tried to get a game of Truth or Dare started up, but no one wanted to play. Why?"

"Remus, the only reason Lily wanted to play that game was so she could find out how you feel about Michelle. While you and Lily were at your Prefect's meeting, the Jennifer, Grace, and Michelle asked me to help them with this plan Lily had come up with to get you and Michelle together," Peter said, his smile widening at the surprised looks on his friends' faces. "Now, do you really think Michelle would have agreed to that if she didn't fancy you? And they made me promise not to tell anyone, otherwise I would have mentioned it to you guys," he added, glancing at James and Sirius.

"So, Remus, now that you know she probably does feel the same way, what are you going to do about it?" James asked.

"And don't you dare say nothing, Remus Lupin, because you are going to tell her how you feel if it's the last thing you do!" Sirius exclaimed, knowing exactly what Remus was about to say. "In fact," Sirius said, slyly looking at James and Peter, "I'm giving you an ultimatum. Tell her how you feel by Halloween, or we'll tell her for you."

Remus sighed in submission as he saw James and Peter nod in agreement. There was no way out of this. "All right, I'll tell her. But you guys are going to have to help me. I'm no good at getting girls, unless you count Danielle."

"We don't. She's not a girl, she's a slutty bitch," James said cheerfully.

It was late when Jennifer finally got out of her detention. She'd been forced to wash out all of the bedpans in the hospital wing, but she felt it had been worth it. Danielle had really been getting on her nerves all day, the way she kept staring possessively at Remus, constantly hitting on him. Jennifer really couldn't stand that girl.

She was passing by the library on her way back to Gryffindor tower when she heard lowered voices, despite the fact that it was long after curfew. Jennifer decided to find out who was speaking. The voices seemed to be coming from inside the library, although it was supposed to be locked. Muttering a quick spell to open the door, she slipped inside and followed the voices as quietly as she could. She stopped once she was close enough to make out what was being said.

"So, when Michelle's little friends are showing her around Hogsmeade, Rachel will lure her away from Remus and the others," whispered one of the voices, and Jennifer realized it was Danielle. She listened closer. "Then, when Rachel leaves her in some alley, you'll show up, and do whatever you've got to in order to get her to kiss you, or at least make it look like she's kissing you."

"Right," began the second voice, which belonged to Lucius Malfoy. "And you'll be waiting with a camera to capture the moment, and we'll use that to make Lupin believe she doesn't want him."

Jennifer, still listening intently, ducked down behind Madame Pince's desk when she heard Danielle and Lucius coming closer.

"Then, it'll only be a matter of time before you've got the girl in your bed, and I've got Remus," Danielle said with satisfaction.

"And I'll have my revenge for him attacking me in the Great Hall earlier," Malfoy smiled evilly and nodded his agreement. They shook hands to seal the deal, then left, each going to their own common room.

So Danielle and Lucius were working together to try and keep Remus and Michelle apart. Jennifer wondered why they didn't just give up. There was no way Remus and Michelle could ever be interested in them. So they really think that plan's going to work? Jennifer thought to herself.

"I wouldn't bet on it," she said to herself, before she too left the library.