Disclaimer: We don't own it, we're just trying to get it
finished before book 6 comes out and makes everything AU.

New and Improved: Now with the voice of the beta gods removed, sorry about that

Warnings: Some language, light sexual situations, and very long. You
heard it ladies and gentlemen, this chapter is bigger, longer, and
uncut. Also you might want to look at our one-shot, "I Wanna Puppy",
before reading this.

Chapter 33: Happy Now!

Sirius pouted as he slumped against the balcony wall. Sighing loudly, he
glanced down to where Paige was talking to a police officer.

Picking at the stucco, Sirius watched them walk to the bushes below him.
"See, officer?" he heard Paige say. "There's no one here. The
children must be playing a joke on me."

"On you, Mrs. Pierce? Why would they give such serious accusations about
you?" The officer questioned, looking quite skeptical.

Placing a hand on his arm, Paige smiled at him. "Oh, it's only Miss
Pierce, Officer Patterson. I'm still single." This earned her a
slightly surprised look from her new prey. "Anyway, they like to play
little jokes on me, mostly because I'm good natured about it. I guess
they just took it too far this time." She shrugged and Sirius almost
laughed at the innocent look on her face. Shaking his head, he turned
away and saw Remus opening the door.

Closing the door behind, Remus cleared his throat. "How is it going
down there?" he asked as he glanced over the edge.

"Oh" Sirius said and shrugged. "Paige has been convincing the police that
she's a single, randy woman who's just having a prank played on her."

Nodding, Remus replied, "Ah, that's quite... clever of her. It looks
like Kate has come to help out."

Chuckling softly, the Animagus nodded. "I guess not everything can be
fixed with her charms, eh mate?"

Remus gave a weak smile. "Quite."

They watched for a moment before Sirius spoke up. "So, I saw the picture
of Lily and James. Where did you get it?" He grinned as Paige shot him
an annoyed look.

"I've been carrying it around since 7th year. It was taken during our
last Christmas at Hogwarts," he replied wistfully.

Sirius frowned. "Oh...uh... yes...that was a good winter hols wasn't
it?"

Remus shook his head. "Actually, it wasn't. Right after this was taken,
James found out about his mum. Though, when you fell off your
broomstick while attempting to take a picture of the inside of the
girls' dorm, I was highly amused."

Grimacing, Sirius sighed. "How could I have forgotten about Circe?"
Remus patted him on the back and he went on. "You know, everyone was so
worried that we didn't even get in trouble for hanging Snape from the
Gryffindor statue by his pants."

Chuckling, Remus nodded. "That one was horrible of you. Lily didn't
speak to James for a week." Sitting up straight Sirius pointed a
finger at him. "Hey, as I recall, you were the one who thought of using
the underwear like that. James and I were going to use glue."

"No, as I recall you just wanted to use the sword. The glue was Prongs'
idea."

Sirius watched as the officer drove off and shrugged. "Eh, I was only
half serious." A gleam came into his eye as he looked down at the women
below them. "So, Moony? You get the bucket and I'll get the ice water?"

"No," Remus replied causing Sirius to frown. He then flashed an impish grin at the animagus. "We'd get a higher volume if we just conjured it from here."

"Right" Sirius said as they pulled out their wands.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A noticeable chill had settled over the valley in response to a Vegas
cold snap, sending the Fahrenheit down to the mid-forties. Raindrops
splattered against the window, beating out a soothing tatu and creating a seemingly perfect opportunity for snuggling.

Remus shivered and snuggled closer to Kate as a strong gust of wind blew through the open window. She responded with a soft growl and pulled away taking the covers with her.

"Cold," he murmured and pulled Kate towards him.

"Good" Kate replied as she pulled the comforter tighter around herself.

"Cold," he whined this time and stuck a chilled hand into
Kate's nest to illustrate his point.

Kate snarled at the contact of his frozen digits to her warm neck.
"You're English, where did your stiff upper lip go?"

"Well, it's a little cold for things to be stiff this morning, dearest.
Although..." He let his words trail off as he attempted to nuzzle her
neck.

"I thought you were used to the cold," she whined as she pulled away
from his cold nose.

"I may be used to it but it doesn't mean that I necessarily like it.
Also I usually sleep in more than my pants in cold weather," he whined
as he attempted to worm his way under the covers, earning a snort from
Kate. "Oh come on, precious. You still aren't mad about last night?
It was just a little fun."

"It was cold!" She grumbled through the comforter before casting a spell
to close the window.

"Kate...Kate, dearest...darling, precious, wonderful, warm
Kate...Please. I'm freezing my bits off," Remus pouted as he wrapped
himself around both Kate and the comforter. "And I heard from a very
reliable source, you happen to fancy my bits...Please, dearest...I
love you."

Kate sighed and lifted the covers. "Fine."

"Thank you, dearest," he said cheerfully, giving her a quick peck on
the cheek. "Though you must admit it was rather amusing."

"Don't push your luck," she whispered, gracing him with a smile before
falling back to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Remus returned to the bedroom, after having lived through twenty
minutes of Jack trying to explain why the central heating wasn't
working. He found Kate buttoning her sweater. "You look lovely,
darling," he drawled.

Kate blushed at the compliment. "What did Jack say was wrong with the
heater?"

"Something about an Augustus being stuck in one of the main heating
pipes and that the waterfall makes it light and frothy. He said not to worry, though." She turned to him and looked him over, causing him to grin cheekily. "Like what you see?" he drawled.

She took a step closer and kissed him on the cheek. "Yes, but then you
always look very dashing." Taking a cue from Sirius, Remus waggled his
eyebrows at her. "I'm being serious. You look very nice today." She
broke off for a moment and look down at his trousers. "I don't
remember picking those up, are they new?"

Remus gave her a confused look. "No, these are the trousers I wore
when I first arrived." He made a show of adjusting them a bit.
"Though, they seem to be fitting better these days."

Kate giggled and put her hands in his pockets. "Is that so?"

"Oh yes, I've had these since before Harry was born and they only seem
to fit well when I am happy and healthy." He said with a merry grin.
His revelry was cut short though as his warming spell wore off.

She brushed his cheek as he began to shiver. "Are you all right?"

Remus gave a small shudder. "Just a bit cold."

Kate pulled a baggy sweater out of her closet and handed it her mate.
"Here, this should keep you a bit warmer until we can get the heater
up and running."

Remus pulled the jumper over his head and tugged at the areas where
Kate's endowments had stretched the material. "Thank you, dearest, but
I think I'm the wrong shape for this." He said teasingly.

Kate muttered a quick spell and sweater became fitted to Remus's body.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sirius woke up a little muzzier than usual. He stumbled into the
kitchen to find Kate and Remus cooking a veritable feast. He cast his
gaze longingly between the food and the jumper Remus was wearing. He
looked down at his chest and adjusted the only one he could find in
Paige's room, which after several enlarging spells was still two sizes
too small.

Kate kissed Remus on the cheek and bustled out of the room, pointedly
ignoring Sirius.

"What's up her bottom?" the Animagus asked as he pulled at his
sweater. "Still upset about last night?"

Remus smirked at his friend. "A little, she didn't forgive me until
this morning. Apparently, she doesn't like being cold."

Sirius nodded. "Neither do I. So why is it so bloody cold?" He then
cast a covetous look at Remus's chest. "And where the blazes did you
get a proper jumper?"

"I borrowed it from Kate this morning," Remus said with a wistful
smile before going back to maintaining the spells on the stovetop.

"How on earth did you get it to fit? I took this from Paige's closet
and it is still ridiculous." He snorted. "Are you listening, Moony?
Look, you can see every inch of me in this. If I stretch, I would
probably rip it in half." He waved his hand in front the werewolf's
face. "Moony! I said I look ridiculous, aren't you going to say
something?" Sirius glared at his friend. "Oy !If you think I'm sexy
and want me to ravage you like a crafty butcher just keep staring out
into space big boy." Throwing his hands up in defeat, the Animagus
shook his friend.

Remus broke from his train of thought. "What's that? I'm sorry,
Sirius. I was just a bit distracted."

"I see, I can only imagine what has you wool-gathering this morning,"
the Animagus said with a knowing smile in Kate's direction.

"I was just pondering, I suppose. How long do you think this
assignment could last?" the werewolf queried.

Sirius grabbed a handful of bacon. "I don't know, Moony. Though, if
we are organizing reinforcements, we could be here until things get a
bit dodgier back home. Maybe even until Voldemort makes a big move."
He took a bite of bacon. "Though I must admit, I wouldn't mind
staying..." He broke off to eat more bacon.

"I was thinking that perhaps that it would be better if we stayed
here. I mean, we could be of more use." The werewolf said
thoughtfully.

Sirius quirked an eyebrow and finished the strip of bacon that was in his mouth. "How so?" he managed before finishing the strips in his hand.

"Well, we could get training and train our recruits. And it would be
better for us, we could do things." Remus finished placing more bacon
on the plate. Sirius nodded and took another handful as the werewolf
continued. "For example, you can go out in public and have a life."
He fell quiet for a moment and looked his friend in the eye. "And you
could get closer to Paige, and in the summer we could send for Harry.
It's safe here and no one knows him, Padfoot. He could have a normal
life."

"There is something else, isn't there?" Sirius said between mouthfuls.

Remus looked down at his hands. "I could be with Kate here. The laws
are less severe; we could be married and start a family..."

Sirius swallowed the last of the bacon. "About that, Moony. I really
didn't mean..."

The Animagus was interrupted by Jack bounding into the living room.
"Bacon... Only one thing smells like bacon and that's bacon and Old
Willie. All right, only two things smell like bacon and that is Old
Willie, bacon, and that creepy guy down on 4th Street and Fremont. All right, only three things...three things smell like bacon and that's bacon, Old Willie, and...Ay! Which one of you buggers burgled my bacon."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Remus chuckled to himself as he left Sirius and Jack in the kitchen
eating bacon. "For gods' sake, they are wizards. You would think they
would remember that they could conjure a pound of bacon from just a
few crumbs," he thought as he walked to the dining room to check on
Kate.

She had fixed the room to seat ten comfortably and was currently on
her hands and knees adjusting floor cushions. He smiled to himself and
snuck up behind her. Gently pressing his legs into her thighs and
bottom, he caused her to let out a small squeak of surprise. He let
out a throaty laugh. "Hmmm...what do we have here? We have to stop
meeting like this," he said in a husky voice before leaning over her.

"We don't have time," she replied coyly as she felt the bulge in his
trousers grow.

"We have plenty of time, dearest. It will only be a few hours and I'm
sure the children will understand," he retorted as he began to nuzzle
her neck.

"No, we can't...we shouldn't ...Please, Moony," she managed to stammer
out between sighs.

Moony stopped and licked her ear. "It's been a full day, I don't know
if I can last much longer," he said in a mock growl.

Luna wriggled against her mate just as a knock sounded at the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Paige burst through the front door with Clayton in tow. The teen
grunted as the Animagus shoved a package into his arms.

"What!" he exclaimed.

"It is your birthday and you will be happy dammit!" Paige shouted.

"I am happy. In fact, I would only be happier if it was a full a moon.
Oh wait!" Clayton bent down to pull his pants down just as Sirius
walked in the room.

"Charming, I've seen less hair on Dumbledore's face though," Sirius
quipped.

Clayton shook his ass at the Animagus. "It's a weave, now you know
where he got the hair for it."

Remus chose this moment to investigate what was going in the living
room. "Pull your pants up Clayton."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The morning had progressed well and had ended with everyone settling
in dining room fully clothed.

Clayton turned to Paige and smiled. "These pancakes look great, don't
they Paige?" He asked before taking a large bite. He quickly chewed
the mouthful and showed Paige the macerated remains. "See!" he said
causing the food to shift on his tongue.

"Oh Clayton... Ew !" She exclaimed, pushing him away from her.

"Oh come on, Paige," he said with his mouth still full of pancakes.
"It's so good...Yum...Yum...Yum." His torture was interrupted by a knock
at the door.

Kate and Remus exchanged a concerned glance and went to the door
closely followed by Paige. Remus and Paige drew their wands as Kate
slowly opened the door. "Can I help you, Mr. Snape?" she asked in a
slightly exasperated tone.

Snape sneered at the female werewolf. "Dumbledore sent me with a
letter," he growled, shoving it at Kate. "There you have your 'proof',
now let me in," he ordered before attempting to push his way into the
apartment.

Remus stepped forward and flashed a feral smile at the potions master.
"Manners, Severus," he snapped.

Snape visibly paled and instinctively took a step away from the door.
"My apologies, may I please come in?" he hissed, warily eyeing Remus.

Kate gently brushed Remus's shoulder. "Do come in, Mr. Snape," she
said in a quiet tone.

Sirius and the children had slowly trickled into the front room, while
Snape had tried to gain access to the apartment. The Animagus smiled
proudly at his friend. "How did you do that, Moony? Is there a button
somewhere? Can I poke it with a stick?"

James cocked his head, causing his tawny locks to fall forward. "A
stick?" the young werewolf queried as he pushed his hair out of his
eyes.

Sirius looked at him thoughtfully. "Would you voluntarily touch that?"
he replied pointing at Snape.

"Why don't you have a nice heart to heart with your mother, Black?"
the spy hissed before turning to Remus. "I haven't time for this, I've
been sent to bring you back to Hogwarts."

Kate paled and gently clasped Remus's arm. "Back to Hogwarts? That's
impossible, they haven't finished recruiting," she stated gently.

Snape smirked at the submissive behavior of the witch. "Surprised?" he
asked moving closer to Kate than was necessary. "Don't be too
concerned, my dear. I was surprised myself." He then pulled back and
glared at Remus and Sirius. "It seems these miscreants are to be
congratulated on a job well done." He pulled his attention back to
Kate. "Of course, it seems to be the only job either one of them can
get. But then you would get involved with lay-a-bouts would you,
Miss?"

James jumped between the potions master and Kate. "The likes of you
can call her Mistress Gardner, she has more accolades in potions and
healing than you could ever dream of you two bit..."

Kate instinctively stilled the young wizard. "James, this is not the
time or the place. Step down."

"Quite," Snape said with a satisfied smirk.

Remus moved in front of Kate and stood nose to nose with the potions
master. "Do not overstep your welcome, Snivelus."

Snape took a step back. "What are you going to do, Lupin? Hit me
again? You are quite pathetic, you know that don't you. Nothing more
than a mangy animal, even Dumbledore thinks so. You should have been
put down years ago!" Snape shouted, his voice trembling slightly.

Sirius smiled. "Aw, Snivelus, we all know you try to put him down all
the time. You don't need to point out your efforts to us...Wait a
minute? Hit you again? Moony! You hit him and you didn't let me
watch! I've been waiting for years to see you hit him and I missed
it."

"Sirius, this is not the time." He replied.

"What? Not willing to give in to your baser instincts during the light
of day, Lupin? Who are you trying to impress? One of these pieces of
skirt, perhaps? Maybe you should just give up now and go back to being
Black's bitch," Snape taunted.

Kate pushed Remus to the side and stepped into Snape. "You have
officially worn out your welcome, Mr. Snape. I suggest you have
Professor Dumbledore place a firecall in the future."

Snape quirked an eyebrow at the werewolf. "My apologies, Miss Gardner.
I thought that I had been welcomed as a RESPECTED member of the
Order," Snape said turning to leave, before a malicious grin spread across his face. Turning back around, he took a good look at Kate. "You wouldn't happen to be Kate Gardner would you?" he asked in a genteel manner.

Kate cast him a cold look. "Yes, I would."

"Well, I suppose Dumbledore will have his puppy mill up and running in
record time. You certainly have the hips for it," he said in a
lecherous voice that caused Kate to shudder.

Remus let out a low growl and the younger werewolves moved to surround
the greasy wizard. "What do you mean by that Snape?" he barked.

"Oh come now, Lupin, surely you can't be that dull. Just look at her,
quite the healthy bitch to get a few litters out of. And by the looks
of her, she might even be pedigreed." Kate stared at him dumbfounded.
"Surely, Miss Gardner, you must have read the first letter? I mean
even Dumbledore offered to act as a stud for you if Lupin wasn't up
for the job." Snape hissed in her ear, before Remus threw him up against
the wall.

Sirius came up behind Remus and pointed his wand at Snape's nose.
"I've been waiting a long time for this."

Kate turned just in time to see Paige run down the hall. She managed
to tackle the Animagus. Paige shrieked and pushed Kate off her.

Kate leapt forward and grabbed Paige's leg. "What letter is he talking
about, Paige?" she growled.

"I don't know. Why don't you go ask him?" she replied before changing
into her Animagus form and sprinting to her room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Paige slammed the door in Kate's face and instantly warded the entire
room. No one could get in and she felt reasonably sure that she would stay in one piece for a bit longer. Well, until hunger or other bodily needs drove her out. That was a worry for another time.

Acting on impulse, she pulled her gun out and set it on her desk and
paused to listen to the voices in the hallway. Giggling, she brushed
her hair and fixed her makeup before deciding that Kate had given up
for the moment. Lifting the wards, she disapparated.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sirius grinned evilly as Remus pressed his wand into Snape's neck.

"What letter?" the werewolf growled.

Snape's eyes widened. "It was Dumbledore's idea. I was just the
messenger," he gasped.

"I knew we should have used the sword," Sirius grumbled before the
pair was distracted by a frustrated cry from the hallway.

Remus dropped Snape and ran to Kate's aid. Sirius snarled at his
childhood nemesis. "Now the real fun begins, Snivelus."

"I think not, Black," Snape hissed before kneeing Sirius in the groin
and activating an emergency Portkey .

Clayton and James stepped forward and helped Sirius to his feet. The
trio turned just as they heard an explosion from the hall.

Sirius turned to the boys. "Stay here, at the first sign of trouble
you and the girls get out of here."

Clayton stepped forward. "I will not stay here, get out of the way old
man."

Sirius glared at the boy. "You will stay here."

James stepped forward and placed a hand on Clayton's shoulder. "Call
if you need back up." Clayton grudgingly nodded and moved away from
the hall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sirius found the door to Paige's room blown off its hinges. Kate was
currently pulling the drawers out of Paige's desk, while Remus tried
to calm her.

"Kate, perhaps you should settle down before continuing," he suggested
as Kate made her way to the bookshelf and began pulling out books.

"Yes, a good book is always calming," Sirius remarked as Kate threw
volume after volume on to the floor. "Of course, it always helps if
you find the right one," he added helpfully.

Remus sent a quelling glance at the Animagus just as Kate tossed
Paige's copy of Courting Behaviors Among Werewolves
on to the floor. It opened to a fairly complex position but
the participants seemed to be having a good time.

Sirius pointed at the text. "Of course, you could always try that."

Remus walked over to the book and picked it up. "What the blazes?" he
asked to no one in particular and flipped through it.

"Page 394 has a particularly interesting position," Sirius commented
conversationally.

Remus rifled through the book as a note dropped out of it. Picking it
up, he quickly read its contents in a hushed voice.

Dear Ms. Gardner,

Please accept my apologies for my previous letter. It was highly
inappropriate and I hope I have not offended you. I hope you and Mr.
Lupin are getting on well. And that there are no hard feelings.

All the best,

A Dumbledore

"What is this about?" Remus asked just as Kate stopped her
search.

She became flushed as she read aloud the first line of a parchment. "
I am pleased to announce that I have chosen you to have my
Remus puppy"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kate secured the dining room door behind her, leaving four very
confused teenage werewolves in her wake. Swiftly, she transfigured her
Muggle outfit into formal Wizarding robes. Activating the emergency
Floo network, she placed a firecall to Hogwarts. Making herself
comfortable on the floor, she settled in to wait as long as necessary.

Ten minutes later, Dumbledore entered from a side panel with Snape in
tow. "Really Severus, I'm sure things were not as dire as you are
painting them. Also you do have a tendency to bait Sirius and Remus."

Snape puffed out his chest. "I can assure you, Headmaster, that I did
nothing to provoke those creatures."

Kate gave a slight cough from the inside the fireplace, causing both
men to gape at her. "I'm sure your charm and pleasant demeanor were
enough, Professor Snape. Now if you don't mind, I would like a word
alone with Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore cast a bemused smile at the potions master, before turning
to Kate. "Of course, that will be fine, Miss Gardner. Severus, please
wait outside."

Snape turned to the Headmaster, who was twinkling at him. "But sir,
surely you don't intend..." he began as the older wizard escorted him
out the door.

"Come my boy, I think I can handle one little witch by myself, even if
she is a werewolf," he whispered as he closed the door to his office.

Dumbledore then turned his attention to Kate. He gave her an overly
large grin and twinkled maniacally at her. "Well, my dear, it truly is
a pleasure to finally see you. It has been such a long time between
visits, I believe the last time I saw you, you weren't much bigger
than a house elf. I was quite disappointed when you declined your
Hogwarts' letter, we send so few of them to American students."

"Under the circumstances it was not a plausible option." She replied
curtly.

"Of course, child. Though under the circumstances I must say that you
have thrived far beyond what most would have expected," he said in a
fatherly tone, causing Kate to grit her teeth. Dumbledore smiled at
the perceived opening. "I must admit that I have heard great things
about you and as a friend of your mother I can say that she would have
been quite proud of you today. In fact, I find it quite remarkable the
striking resemblance you share." The old man removed his glasses and
cleaned them before continuing. "She was a very beautiful woman and
the top of her class, I can see why your father married her."

"I did not come here to listen to a recitation of my pedigree,
Professor," Kate said in severe tone.

Dumbledore sighed and held up his hands in a well-practiced placating
gesture. "So you finally found the letter? You have every right to be
angry with me. I suppose I am just a foolish old man, who gets too far
into his cups from time to time. I can assure you no harm was meant by
it," he said gently, trying his best to look sheepish. He smiled to
himself as he noticed Kate's features were softening and decided to go
in for the kill. "I guess, I must be going as senile as they say
because sometimes I just forget how human Remus actually..."

Kate silenced the old wizard with a glare. "So what do you think of
Remus as then? A monster? A sideshow act? A pet, perhaps? Maybe just a
personal errand boy, who isn't quite human and therefore isn't quite
worth the effort."

Dumbledore held up his hand to silence the young werewolf. "That is
enough, Ms. Gardner. I know you have feelings for Remus and I did not
mean to insinuate that he is anything less than a great man. As you
well know, like your father I have worked for years trying to help
protect magical creatures and Muggleborns from the prejudices of our
world." The headmaster gave a disheartened sigh. "I expected more from
you, Katie. It is an affront to my Gryffindor honor to even consider
thinking of wizards or witches in such a way."

"Considering you were sorted into Slytherin and acted as my father's
advisor, I believe your honor can deal with the damage."

Dumbledore paled and sat behind his desk. "How much do you know?" he
asked quietly, steepling his fingers.

"Enough," Kate said curtly.

Dumbledore took a long hard look at Kate. "You are too much like your
mother," He pouted.

"Never go up against a Gardner when lives are on the line," Kate said smoothly. "I only want one thing from you, Professor. I want your word that you will not force Remus to return to England. He has been through enough, and I believe..."

Dumbledore leapt up from his chair. "I will do no such thing. If you
have failed to notice, Ms. Gardner, there is a war on and some things
are more important than silly love affairs!" he shouted as he began to
pace in front of the fire.

"A silly love affair? Is that what you think this is? You set in
motion something far bigger than yourself in a drunken stupor and you
want to write it off as a silly love affair!" Kate snapped back.

"Yes! Both of you are being quite unreasonable. You need to see the
importance of what is going on and stop being so bloody selfish!"
Dumbledore ranted just as Kate shut down the Floo connection.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sirius walked into the living room carrying the werewolf text and
Dumbledore's original letter. He found the children waiting to spring
into action, so much so that James almost knocked him over. "What is
going on? Are they ok? Kate just stormed in here and barricaded
herself in the dining room. What was in that letter that got them so
upset?"

Clayton didn't give Sirius a chance to answer before he jumped on the
Animagus as well. "Where is Paige and what has she done this time?" he
demanded.

Sirius pulled his hand through his hair. "Paige left so she is safe. I
don't know why Kate is in the dining room. And they are upset about
the letter, which really irritates me so I don't want to think about
how they feel about it." Clayton and James reached for the letter but
Sirius held it out of their reach. "I think I should just read this
and you can make up your own minds."

Dear Mummy of my Remus-puppy, Sirius read causing the girls to giggle.

"Do you want me to read this or not?" Sirius snapped silencing the pair.

I am pleased to announce that I have chosen you to have my
Remus puppy!

Clayton shook his head. "What was it, a fucking lottery?"
Sirius shot a quelling glance at the teen and continued.

So, I am sending you two of my best wizards--

James leaned over to Clayton and whispered, "So we got Remus,
so where is the other one?"

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Remus is werewolf and quite a
stud--

Clayton laughed. "Oh baby, break me off a piece of that." His
comment caused the girls to giggle.

Sirius rolled his eyes and continued. Or at least I hope so
otherwise I won't get a puppy.

Laura looked at Clayton. "Why did he have to come all the way
to Las Vegas to conjure a puppy? Couldn't have he have done that in
England?"

Clayton rolled his eyes. "Well, he couldn't go the pound like your
parents did when they got you."

James wrapped his arm around Laura. "We really should let Sirius
continue."

You should find him suitable for puppy making. When you make
my Remus puppy, would you please be so kind as to have Sirius record
it for me? I am very fascinated as to how a puppy is made and I have
never seen it done before.

Maddy rolled her eyes. "There is nothing more pathetic than a
150 year-old virgin."

I promise that I won't sell your moment or let it become
public in any way, shape, or form with the possible exceptions of
staff meetings and 7th year care of
magical creature classes.

I want a Remus puppy as soon as possible because he can replace the
puppy that I had when I was ten. He was a good puppy and his name was
Harry. I loved Harry a lot. Aberforth loved him even more, Mumsy
always said that Abe loved him too much. She used to tell him, that
one should love their animals but not really love their animals.

Clayton raised his hand. "Do werewolves count?"

Then she would sigh, she sighed a lot.

Maddy growled. "If I was his mother, I would have been taking
him to the woodshed a lot."

Remus Lupin is a little over six feet tall and has brown hair with
gold streaks in it that is going silver though I can assure you he is
still quite limber.

It was James's turn to raise his hand. "Why the fuck would
Dumbledore know if Remus was limber or not?"

He also has dreamy amber colored eyes. He likes hot tubbing,
chocolate syrup and bocciball. I suggest getting him very drunk before
you mate, as I think he might fancy boys. I have never seen any proof
to convince me otherwise, so get him drunk. I highly recommend Ogden
's firewhiskey for maximum effect, I can attest that such effects are
quite lovely.

Sirius Black doesn't need to be drunk, he's randy all the time.

The four teenagers put aside their confusion and anger to
take a moment to fall over laughing.

Clayton winked at the Animagus. "So that's why Paige likes you?"

He's 6'6 with shaggy black hair and very pretty eyes. I like Sirius'
eyes. They remind me of my dead puppy, Harry. I think James and Lily
named Harry after my dead puppy. He's so angsty about it, too. Angsty,
angsty, angsty Harry, he makes me sad sometimes.

Maddy threw up her hands in disgust. "So all this is about
some goth kid that was named after a dead puppy?"

If neither one of them is suitable, you can always find me at
Hogwarts. I can assure you that if you look anything like your Mum, I
would be more than willing.

Laura and Maddy looked at each other. "EWWW!" They exclaimed
simultaneously.

Not to mention, I actually like sex, it makes my toenails turn a
normal color. Normally they're green, but I digress.

James smacked himself on the forehead. "Dumbledore digress? I
couldn't imagine such a thing. By the way Sirius, where does he live?"

Please make me a Remus-puppy as soon as possible. I want my
Remus-puppy! Make me a thingy to watch it on, too.

Sincerely, and with much firewhiskey,

Albus Dumbledorfth (did I spell my name right?)

Sirius folded the letter. "Happy now?"

The room fell silent for a moment before all four teenagers began
yelling at Sirius at once.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Paige hurried through the halls of Hogwarts, cursing under her breath.
Dumbledore was going to pay for the letter, and she was sure she would
pay for keeping it hidden. That it would be painful, she was sure of
as well. Sighing, she put that thought away for later.

Turning the last corner, she spotted the statue of the gargoyle that
led to his office and was stopped by Madam Pomfrey in the hallway.

The short witch bustled up to her and took her by the arm. "Oh dear,
have you been in a fight? We must get that taken care of. Come with me
and we'll get you fixed up."

Paige resisted and took another step towards the statue. "That's all
right, I'm fine. Really, I need to speak with the headmaster."

Pomfrey frowned and inspected her face. "Oh no, we really must get
that taken care of. After all, dear, we wouldn't want you to go around
with a nasty bruise on your cheek. That would ruin your pretty face.
Besides, I know of a professor or two who would be perfect for you and
you wouldn't want them to see you like this, would you? Come on, let's
get you down to my office and we'll fix you up."

Paige rolled her eyes and gently removed herself from the woman's
grasp. "Um, how about I come and see you afterward? I really need to
speak with Dumbledore and it can't wait."

Without waiting for an answer, she dashed to the gargoyle, said the
password and started up the stairs.

Poppy, however, followed her. "He can be considered quite dashing, you
know."

Paige stopped and turned around. "What?"

Prompted to go on, the mediwitch replied, "The professor I was telling
you about. He's also well established and a good listener. He's not
much for talking, but I'm sure a pretty girl like you could open him
up."

Paige continued up the staircase again and shook her head. "No, I'm
sorry Madam Pomfrey, I'm not interested in that right now. I really
need to go now, okay?" Nodding at Paige, she shuffled down the stairs
and out of sight.

Shaking her head, Paige opened the door to see Dumbledore berating the
fireplace for being selfish. Once he noticed her standing in the
doorway, she burst out, "That's it. You're all fucking nuts!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kate exited the dining room to find Maddy and Laura pouring over the
book.

"How do they do that?" Laura asked turning the book sideways.

"Magic of course...It is probably a combination of levitation spells,"
Maddy replied engrossed in the text.

"I don't know, Maddy. I think it would be better just to do what comes
naturally. I mean what happens if you..." She stopped midsentence to
see Kate staring at them.

"Well, if you two want to read more to satisfy your academic curiosity
this will be in Abby's Library," she stated sternly before taking the
text away from the girls. "Where are the others?"

Maddy and Laura exchanged a worried look and remained silent.
Kate stepped forward so she towered over the teenage werewolves.
"Madeline, where are the others?"

Maddy swallowed hard. "Um...Well, James is watching Remus from the hall.
Remus is in the process of destroying Paige's room. And Sirius and
Clayton sort of went to do things together." Under Kate's severe gaze
she quickly added. "And we think Jack in the shower because the water
has been running for the past hour."

The older werewolf backed down. "Where are Sirius and Clayton?"

The girls exchanged a nervous glance. " England ...we think," Laura
replied timidly.

Kate sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "All right, one fire at
a time. You two go to John and Abby's house and stay there."

"But Kate..." the girls whined in unison.

"I said go. Hop in the pool if you like, just stay there."

"The pool?" Maddy asked. "But it's forty degrees outside..."

She was cut off by Kate pushing the pair into the dining room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Mr. Lupin has every right to feel as he does, Miss Pierce, and I
cannot force him to come back." Albus Dumbledore stated and Paige
glared at him angrily. Smiling benignly at her, he formulated his next
words carefully. "I'm afraid that he's not in a rational mindset at
the moment and would not follow any orders I gave him anyway. I have
no choice but to admit my defeat in the matter and grant his request
to be dismissed from the Order." He stroked Fawkes and affected an air
of mild disappointment.

Paige stared at him incredulously for a moment before slamming her
fist down on his desk. Glaring down at the mage, she growled, "You
lazy, dimwitted old man! You can't just sit behind your desk and
twiddle your thumbs like nothing's happened after the mess you've
made!"

He sighed and glanced up at her over his spectacles. "I'm afraid that
you're wrong, Miss Pierce. I can do just that and I plan to. Once Mr
Lupin comes to his senses, he may return and we will go on just as
before. For now, we'll just have to make do without him."

Paige narrowed her eyes and balled her hands into fists. "Or maybe the
rest of us will come to our senses and forget the Order and leave you
to fight Voldemort alone!" Turning on her heel, she stalked out of the
office and slammed the door so hard it bounced back open.

Taking a few deep breaths, she looked at her watch before heading down
to the Quidditch pitch in search of a certain someone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kate wandered down the hall to Paige's room. She found James and Jack
sitting just outside looking into the room.

James looked up at Kate. "I'm glad you came back. He's been at it
since you left," he said pointing inside the room.

"How bad is it?" she asked as she cautiously approached the door.

"Mainly furniture so far, though he's recently taken to shredding the
bedding." James paused for a moment before continuing. "Is he always
like this? Because you're the closest thing I've got to a sister and I
really don't think this is healthy."

Kate gave James a weak smile. "He just has a lot of built of
aggression, I'm sure he will work through it."

Just then a chair flew out of the room and bounced off the force field
around Jack. James shrugged. "I guess he missed some furniture."

Jack smiled and continued to munch on a bag of microwave popcorn. "I
love this show," he proclaimed before returning to his observations.

Shaking her head, Kate walked to the threshold of the room. "James,
why don't you go to John's? The girls are already there and I've got
things under control here."

James moved to protest but saw the determination in Kate's eyes and
nodded. "Call if you need us," he said before heading down the hall.

Kate carefully entered the room to find Remus ripping Paige's pillow
to shreds. "Moony?" she queried. The werewolf turned to face her and
his features softened. "Beloved, you need to stop."

Moony dropped the pillow and crossed the room. He wrapped Kate in a
fierce hug and kissed the top of her head. "Mine," he growled
protectively. Not knowing his own strength he picked Kate up off the
ground. "He isn't going to take you. And he isn't going to send me
away," he murmured.

Kate stroked his hair. "Hush love, it's going to be all right."

Moony dropped his head and kissed her possessively. "I will never let
him have you. And he will never come near our young, I will kill the
coward first," he growled before releasing her to the floor. He then
backed her again the wall and closed the door with a wave of his hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Catching his eye as he left the pitch, Paige waved to Harry and
started towards him. After talking briefly with Ron and Ginny, Harry
stopped and waited for her. Bounding up to them Paige smiled at the
Weasleys and said, "I'm sorry, guys. I wish I had the time to talk
with you, but I don't. If I don't get back home soon, two homicidal
werewolves are gonna tear me apart." Then went on in a more cheerful
tone, "Harry, can I speak with you please?"

Nodding at the strange woman in front of him, he waved to his friends
heading back inside the castle and turned back when she said, "See,
it's like this..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After twenty minutes, Kate finally convinced Remus to Apparate to
Mount Charleston. Actually, she didn't so much have to convince him to
go to Mount Charleston as to not have sex in Paige's room. She smiled
as Remus inhaled the fresh air and seemed to calm a little.

She clasped his hand in hers and began to head up the mountain in the
direction of her father's house. They paused at a small clearing where
a very large wizard was chopping wood.

"Bastards! Who the fuck do they think they are! 'I'm sorry but we
can't approve a shipping license for your kind,'" he grumbled to no
one in particular. "Fucking Limies, who the fuck died and left them
the fucking world ?"

Kate let go of Remus's hand and walked toward the quarter-giant. "Oak,
what happened?"

Oak spun around and faced Kate and Remus. "The goddamn British
Wizarding community happened. Since the EU went through they have
final say over all international merchants importing into Europe.
Needless to say they denied the renewal of our license to sell magical
tools and crafts on the basis of our supposed dark background." Oak
let the axe fall splitting a final piece of wood.

Remus stepped forward. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Oak shrugged. "Nothing you did, I'm sorry you have to live there."

Kate looked around. "Are you done with the woodpile?"

Oak shook his head. "No, but there is an extra axe."

"All right, Remus take the axe and chop some wood." Kate said
brightly.

Remus looked at her as if she had gone mad. "Why would I want to chop
wood?"

Kate led him over to the axe. "Because you have too much aggression
bottled up inside you. You need an outlet."

"No, I don't. Kate, trust me, I'm over it," he said in a pleading
voice.

"Humor me then," Kate said gently.

"Fine, a duck walks into a bar and asks the barkeep if he's got any
bananas..." Kate rolled her eyes and he sighed, "Fine." Remus picked up
the axe and split a piece of wood. "There, are you happy?"

"No, say something you're mad about." She urged. Remus looked
doubtfully at his mate.

Oak cleared his throat. "It helps and it works a lot better than
punching someone. Not as well as wrapping them in duct tape and
leaving them to the elements, but it helps."

Remus conceded and lifted the axe. "Snape being a rude bastard," he
said splitting a piece of wood. "Dumbledore wanting me to leave those
I love," he said a little louder and split yet another piece of wood.
"You're right I do feel a little better... Dumbledore thinking of me as
only an animal," he said clearly and swung the axe a little more
forcibly. "Not being able to marry you like a proper wizard," he
called out, cleaving the wood cleanly. "Dumbledore treating you like a
broodmare," he yelled, shattering the next piece of lumber.

Oak pulled Kate to the side. "Why don't you go up to the house? This
is probably going to take a while. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on
him."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Harry frowned at her and scratched his head. "What could Dumbledore
possibly write in a letter that would make Remus not want to come
back?"

Smiling, Paige shrugged. "It's a werewolf thing, I don't know. Maybe
they're just a bit more dodgy than the rest of us?" Harry's flat stare
made her go on. "Or maybe not. The point is, Harry, that he said he
was never coming back. The Order needs him and you most
certainly need him, so I really need you to write this letter.
Unless, of course, you don't want to see him again. In that case, I
understand and I'll leave you alone now."

Eyes widening, Harry jerked. "No! I'll write the letter, just tell me
what you want me to say."

Paige smiled inwardly and shook her head. "Uh-uh, it can't be my
words, it has to be yours. If it doesn't sound like you, then he'll
get even madder and refuse to come back no matter what." Pausing for a
moment, she bit her lip. "Actually, he already did that, so you need
to write the letter yourself or he'll just get even more stubborn,
alright?"

Knitting his brow, Harry nodded and they started back for the castle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hearing the string of curses coming from one of the bedrooms, Sirius
put the black leather book down on the counter and went down the
hallway.

Paige stood in the middle of her room, fists on her hips. "What the
hell did they do, Sirius? Couldn't they have searched with a little
more caution?"

Sirius leaned on what was left of the door jam and gave Paige a wry
smile. "Maybe they were a little upset about you keeping the letter
from them."

Growling, Paige set about cleaning up the mess. "Hey, I did what I
thought was best. Kate should know that. Why is my bookcase ripped
apart?"

Grinning, Sirius replied, "They found the book and thought they might
see if there were more in with it."

Sighing, Paige smirked. "Let me guess, they destroyed it?"

"Nope, Kate took it. I think she's giving it to John," Sirius replied.

Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Paige finished repairing
what she could. "Oh, then I guess it's a good thing that's not the
original, huh?"

Sirius straightened, a smile crossing his features. "What? You mean,
that's a copy?"

Giggling, Paige got rid of her bedding and nodded. "Yep, I always make
backups just in case." Sighing, she turned to the doorway and eyed
what was left of her door. "Speaking of books, have you seen a black
leather one around here?"

Sirius stepped into the room as the door came back together. "Yes, I
did. It's on the counter in the kitchen."

Nodding, she plopped down on the bed. "Alright, so where is Remus
now?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Remus stood in the clearing chopping wood. The pile of lumber was
currently twice his height.

From the edge of the clearing, Oak and Bob looked on with mild
interest. "Well, I'm impressed with his stamina," Bob said with a
light chuckle.

"I feel sorry for Kate, she must wake up awfully sore," Oak commented
causing Bob to make a face.

"Please don't share thoughts like that, son," Bob replied.

"To change the subject then, I'm exhausted just watching him so I'm
heading home to my wife," Oak said, standing to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bob snapped.

"Oh come off it, he's been at it for over four hours. We don't need to
be babysitting him. He will cool down. English boy has a lot to work
through," the younger werewolf reassured him before walking down the
path.

Bob shrugged and headed back to his house. "Wish I knew what got that
boy so worked up," he grumbled as he walked up the hill.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Paige and Sirius Apparated to the edge of Bob's property. Paige handed
the marauder a broom. "All right Sirius, it is very important that you
follow me exactly."

"Right, luv" Sirius replied giving a mock salute. Thirty feet into the
forest, Sirius promptly flew into a very large tree.

Paige doubled back and flew down to where Sirius was sprawled out on
the forest floor. She landed near him and doubled over laughing.

Sirius made a noise like a dying camel and stared up at the sky. "Ow!"

"Are you all right, hun ?" Paige asked and he repeated the noise. "How
about you just ride on the back of my broom?"

Sitting up, he nodded and started pulling leaves out of his hair.
"That sounds like a good idea, luv."

After getting situated again, they set off for Bob's house. Spotting
Remus, Paige flew to the edge of the clearing.

"All right, let's go," Sirius said enthusiastically.

Paige grabbed Sirius's arm. "No, we need a plan."

Sirius shook Paige off. "No, we don't, luv. It's just Remus."

"Sirius, he's a werewolf wizard with an axe," Paige whispered
empathically.

"Oh Paige, come on look at him. It's just Remus. Remus wouldn't hurt a
fly." Just then a fly landed on the woodpile and Remus cleaved it
cleanly in half. "See, I'm sure it didn't feel a thing." Sirius
replied, taking a step towards the werewolf.

"What about Kate then? What about your arm? What about Snape? Remus
can hurt people," Paige hissed at the Animagus, who was dragging her
towards the werewolf.

Sirius shrugged. "Only if he's angry with them or really randy," he
countered with a cheeky grin before running up to his friend. "Oy!
Moony!"

Remus stopped his work and looked up at the Animagus running toward
him. "Padfoot, Miss Pierce," he replied curtly before returning to
chopping.

Paige grimaced and cautiously followed Sirius to the werewolf. "Remus,
you've got to hear me out. You need to return to England."

Remus swung the axe down harder than was necessary splintering the
piece of wood and driving the axe into the earth. "And why pray tell is that? Does Albus require stud services or just someone to babysit Fawkes?" He let out a deep sigh and straightened his posture. "I'm wanted here, Paige. I'm needed here. For the first time in years, I am truly happy."

"Remus, Harry needs you. You can't just stay here and hide behind
Kate's skirts," Paige implored.

"I'm not hiding behind Kate's skirts," Remus growled. "I've got a job
lined up as a tutor. Kate will work in the club and..."

Paige glared at the werewolf. "Kate has a job, she's not going to the
side to support your lazy ass just because you're too much of a coward
to face that twinkling old fool."

Remus let out a lot growl. "Kate will not be forced to do anything. If
she chooses not to work, I will happily support her. She is choosing
to work at the club because it is all she can find at the moment."

"What!" Paige exclaimed.

"Gods! Let me spell it out for you. Lockhart fired Kate. Maybe if you
were a better friend you would have figured that out when she hadn't
gone to work today," he said in a dangerously low voice.

"Where do you get off--"Paige hissed as she pulled her wand.

At that moment, both Kate and Sirius disarmed the pair. Remus turned
to his mate with an apologetic expression on his face. Kate graced him
with a small smile. "Dinner is ready up at the house. Why don't you
show Sirius the way?" she asked. Remus gave her a curt nod and
motioned for Sirius to follow him.

Paige turned on Kate. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We never really had a chance to talk and I didn't want you to do
something rash," Kate replied in a steely voice as she pocketed her
wand.

"I'm your friend, you could have told me anything," Paige stated in
exasperation. "What else are you keeping from me then?"

Kate gave the Animagus a cold smile. "Nothing that will affect your
personal safety or classify you as a broodmare."

Paige sighed. "Considering what happened do you blame me? Besides I
would have shared eventually," she added hopefully.

"You have your answer then." Kate said, walking towards the house. Leaving Paige alone in the forest.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Sirius and Remus walked up the path in silence as it began to snow.

Sirius pointed at a few flakes. "Just like home," he said hopefully.
"Harry wrote you a letter you know."

Remus nodded and continued down the path. "That's nice."

Sirius continued on, "They will be decorating Hogwarts in a few weeks
that should be festive...Oh come on, Moony. Aren't you the least bit
interested about Harry's letter?"

Remus's pace quickened. "No, not right now anyway."

"I was really impressed by how much wood you chopped. Maybe you could
teach Harry to chop wood when we get back. Perhaps, you could teach
the both of us since my parents never really allowed me around axes. I
think Harry would really like that. He always loved you as a teacher,
he used to go on and on about you," Sirius said trying a different
angle.

Remus turned to face the Animagus. "I'm not going back."

"You have to go back, Moony. Just read the letter and you will see
that," Sirius growled. "You have to go back for Harry. He needs you
even if you are being a stupid wanker at the moment."

Remus turned and started walking again. "I don't have to do anything,
Padfoot."

Sirius stopped dead in his tracks. "Yes, you bloody well do. You have
to be there for Harry. You promised Remus, so stop being a selfish
knob and live up to it."

Remus gave an unimpressed snort and continued on.

Sirius ran after the werewolf. "I will bloody well drag you back if I
have to but you are going. I have never known you to go back on a
promise in your entire life and I refuse to let you start now."

Remus ignored the Animagus and kept walking. Sirius was undeterred and
kept pace with him. "So what? This is how it ends? Remus Lupin, the
only wizard in the Order brave enough to threaten Vernon Dursley
within an inch of his life before Harry went to Hogwarts is going to
give up because of what? A stupid letter?"

Remus whipped around and glared at the Animagus. "How do you know
about that?"

Sirius glared back at the werewolf. "Tonks told me, said the Ministry
threatened to send you to Azkaban unless you agreed to leave the
country until Harry received his letter. Up until last year they
evidently had a file three inches thick on how you trailed Harry
during the first three years he lived with the Dursleys and how it
came to a head the day you threatened to rip that orca's heart
out if he ever laid a hand on him again."

Remus's gaze locked with Sirius'. "That doesn't matter, he has lots of
wizards and witches to protect him now."

"Fine!" Sirius snarled before tackling the werewolf and pinning him to
the ground. He pushed his wand into Remus's throat and began. "You
will listen to me, Remus. Even if I have to blast a bloody hole
through you, you will listen to me. You promised, don't you
understand. You promised Lily the day he was born and you promised her
again the day James and I were complete prats and told you to fuck off
because we didn't see the rat Peter truly was."

Sirius bent his head and spoke into Remus's ear. "And do you want to
know why I remember this little piece of nostalgia, do you want to
know why it is etched into my brain, you self-centered bastard?
Because every week for twelve years, when the memories of James and
Lily had made me numb, I remembered you. I remembered all the awful
things we did to you those last months. I remember every time I
betrayed you. And I remember Lily telling me the day before she went
into hiding that you couldn't be the spy because you were the only one
to make a Wizarding promise to give your life for Harry. You promised
her! Now read the goddamn letter!" Sirius pushed Remus down and
stood up, before throwing down the letter.

AN: Woohoo! Guilt-Tripping Sirius! I wonder if he comes in my size. LOL! Actually, he comes in Paige. (OH! That was bad, onto a different subject!)

Crazy ktchan: Why, thank you. You're my new favorite person. preens

Stephanie: Hey! I have maroon hair, thank-you-very-much! Well, I DID, but it faded. sigh stupid hair coloring.

Cjblack: Umm, I can't remember what websites we put up, but send me an email (it's in my profile) and I can send you the links directly if that's the problem. Not to worry about being lazy, I haven't read the Pensieve in a while either.

Hope for the Future: hahaha! I always wonder why Harry wouldn't just get a gun, anyway. GASP! Maybe that's the secret weapon for defeating Voldie, but Harry just needs Hermione to get her head out of the books and make her watch an episode of NYPD Blues to figure it out! Uh oh, Rowling's gonna be pissed, I just unveiled her master plan. BTW, I want to shoot him, too.

And a BIG thank you to Katarina and Jen, our betas, for doing such a fine job, as usual. We love you both! Oh, and Jen, I hope the trip to Niagra Falls didn't make you go insane, as we will have need of you in the future. :p NO BARRELS FOR YOU!

Hornhead