A/N: And I'm home again! Yay! You can expect updates every other day (or maybe even every day!) for the next two weeks.

Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

I don't own Harry Potter.

Admitting the Problem

What do I gotta do to make you love me?
What do I gotta do to make you care?
What do I do when lightning strikes me,
And I wake to find that you're not there?
What do I do to make you want me?
What do I gotta do to be heard?
What do I say when it's all over?
When sorry seems to be the hardest word?
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Elton John

"Laura, are you ready?"

"Almost!" Laura called. She expertly applied a third coat of blush, hoping that the pink powder would hide the paleness of her cheeks.

She had never used so much makeup in her life. The fact that she needed to now concerned her, but she didn't want to say anything to Remus about it. She didn't want to admit that she didn't feel well. She couldn't let him go into his transformation with that hanging over his head.

Footsteps came down the hall, and the bedroom door pushed open. Laura glanced up from her vanity mirror to see her husband standing in the doorway.

"Are you all right?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to be sick if you don't stop asking me that."

"Laura, don't joke." Remus crossed the room to stand behind her, and touched her hair. "I'm worried about you. You haven't been yourself recently, and you look a little . . . not yourself."

Laura sighed. "Remus, Sirius's party starts in ten minutes. Do we have to do this now?"

"If we don't do it now, we won't for a few days."

Laura nodded, and looked out the window to see the nearly full moon rising. Tomorrow evening, Remus would be locked up in the basement with the Animagus forms of James, Sirius and Peter for company. As had become her tradition, Laura would stay with Lily. Neither woman liked to be alone on the nights of the full moon, and Laura liked even less to hear the horrid sounds and screams associated with her husband's transformations. She knew from experience that he would be too physically drained for any conversation the next day.

"I'll be fine for a couple days," she promised. "When you're back to normal, we can talk about my health all you want."

"Are you just saying that to appease me?" Remus asked with a smile. "You're not just being nice to me because I'm a werewolf on the verge of transformation, are you?"

"You'll never know, will you?" Laura grinned. She stood up and kissed his cheek. "Come on, let's go before we're late."

They managed to arrive at the party on time, despite Laura's concerns over being late. They actually Apparated into Sirius's living room at the same time as James and Lily. Sirius looked at the four of them with a grin.

"How did you do that? Did you plan it?"

The two couples looked at one another and laughed.

"Nope," James said with a smile. "It's what we call a coincidence."

"We're not that good," Remus grinned.

"Shame," Sirius grinned. "Thanks for coming, everyone."

He shook Remus and James's hands, then kissed Laura's cheek. He was about to do the same to Lily when he stopped short.

"Lily," he said almost in a gasp, "is that what I think it is?"

"What do you think it is?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"Well, I think it's Mrs. Potter's famous chocolate cake," he said slowly, his face lighting up. "How did you convince her to make it for me?"

"Well, you're sort of right," James grinned. "Lily made that."

"She did?" Sirius asked, lifting the cover from the cake dish. "It's exactly like your mum's!"

"Well, she taught me how," Lily replied with a grin. "I learned how to make it so that I could bring it tonight."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

Sirius took the cake dish from Lily, and set it carefully on the table. Then, he pulled her into a tight embrace. "You are the best sister ever, Little Flower!" he exclaimed.

"Sirius, put me down!" Lily laughed as her feet left the floor.

Sirius laughed, and released her. "Sorry. I didn't hurt the baby did, I?"

"No," Lily laughed. "I think he's more durable than that."

"Good," Sirius grinned. "He's going to have to be able to keep up with me soon."

"Soon as in two months from now?" James grinned.

"Is that all that you have left to go?" Dana asked as she joined them.

"That's all," Lily replied. "So, you guys have about three months left before James and I start asking for volunteers to babysit."

"I'm there," Dana replied with a grin. She took Aidan's hand. "Actually, it would probably be good practice for us."

Lily gasped. "Are you pregnant?"

"Not yet," Dana smiled. "But we're trying."

"That's fantastic!" Lily exclaimed, throwing her arms around Dana. "We can be mummies together! Our little girls will be the best of friends!"

"Whoa, now," Aidan laughed. "We're having a boy."

Dana rolled her eyes. "Right now we're not having anything, so let's not start that debate."

"Well, we don't know what we're having, either, so maybe our little boys will be best friends," James grinned.

"Or we could have one of each," Dana pointed out. "Then they could go to the seventh year graduation ball together."

"Are we planning to marry them off already?" Aidan laughed. "Although I'm sure they'll make a wonderful couple."

"Of course they will!" Lily exclaimed. "Oh, Dana, this is so exciting! I can't wait!"

Laura looked at Remus, who took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Their own plans for a baby were still postponed, as Laura had not managed to regain her health. While they both had agreed that it was for the best to wait, it was difficult to hear their friends planning families when they, too, wanted so much to start one.

Laura looked around the room, wanting desperately to focus on something other than the glowing mothers-to-be. She realized that there was nothing else to focus on; the rest of the room was devoid of party guests.

"Where's everyone else?" she asked.

"Not here yet," Sirius shrugged. "Peter had some meeting this evening, and Rebecca was called in to work an early shift. I don't know what Olivia's story is – she's probably off shagging Greg or something."

Laura raised her eyebrows, and looked at Remus. Both he and James were looking at Sirius with unreadable expressions.

"I doubt it," James said lightly. "If Liv is anything like Lily, she's probably still trying to fix her hair."

"You love my hair," Lily said with a teasing smile as she kissed James's cheek.

"You know I do," he grinned, running his fingers through her long, straight tresses. "It just takes you awhile to get it the way you want it, that's all."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "It's not my fault that it's difficult. It has a mind of its own!"

"She's been saying that since we were eleven, James," Dana said easily. "Lily always took longer than the rest of us to fix her hair. She's just not apathetic like you – she cares about how it looks."

"Hey!" James laughed. "I care about my hair! I know that it looks ridiculous, but there's no hope for it."

"That much is true," Lily laughed. She reached up to run her fingers through her husband's hair. "But I like it this way," she added affectionately.

Sirius shook his head, and opened his mouth to make a smart comment, when a crack split the air. They all turned to see who the newcomer was.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Rebecca smiled as she pushed a strand of curly hair back from her face distractedly. "I didn't think I'd have to work today, but I don't get the chance for overtime very often, so when I do, I take it."

"Don't worry about it," Sirius said, stepping closer to kiss her in greeting. "We're still waiting on a few people anyway."

"Good," she smiled as she pulled back. "It's wonderful to see you all again."

"You, too," Dana said, glancing at Lily and Laura with raised eyebrows.

They girls all exchanged a look, then turned back to Rebecca. She had certainly dressed for the evening, wearing tasteful-yet-revealing black dress robes. Her hair was pulled up into an intricate knot with a few curls falling freely around her face. She looked, in a word, stunning.

"Competing, much?" Dana asked in a low voice.

"This is going to be a long night," Lily murmured.

"Is she really that afraid of Olivia?" Laura whispered.

Lily shook her head. "I don't know."

"She must be," Dana said. "Come on, ladies, when was the last time you saw her so dressed up? And since when do any of us wear dress robes to parties at each other's houses? Sirius must have told her that Olivia's coming, and she must have decided to be prepared for battle."

A crack split the air, ending the conversation. Peter appeared, looking rather tired.

"Hey, Wormtail," Sirius said, stepping forward to greet him. "How was the meeting?"

Peter's eyes widened briefly, then he visibly relaxed. "Oh, you know – the usual," he said. "New rules, new ways of doing things. Every time we get a new manager, he or she feels the need to change everything."

"I hear you," Laura said with a grin. "Sirius, are you sure you don't want Barty Crouch back in charge of Aurors?"

"Are you kidding?" Sirius laughed. "We're far better off with Moody in charge. Granted, the man can be insane, but he's a great Auror and an excellent leader."

"He's not here, Sirius," James laughed. "You don't need to kiss his arse right now."

"Let's watch our language," Lily teased. "The baby is listening, James."

James rolled his eyes. "She's been like that ever since the Healers told her that the baby can hear what's going on around her."

"No kidding?" Sirius asked with interest. "So little Sirius Junior can hear what we're saying?"

"And he's about to hear me say that there's no way in hell I'm naming him after you," James laughed. "And, Lil, before you say anything, the use of language was merited in that case."

Sirius crossed to Lily, and put his hands protectively on her stomach. "Don't listen to your dad, kid. You and I are going to get along great. I can't wait to start teaching you stuff."

"Please tell me this 'stuff' you're planning on teaching my child won't involve anything that could potentially get her expelled from Hogwarts," Lily laughed.

"No, he won't be expelled," Sirius grinned. "I'll teach him so well that he'll know enough not to get caught."

Lily rolled her eyes as two new pops sounded. Everyone looked up as Olivia and Greg appeared in the living room.

"Sorry we're late," Olivia said quickly. "It's completely my fault. I got caught up at work."

"Nothing serious?" Sirius asked with a frown.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "No. One of the second year Aurors decided to pull rank and gave me the project of completely reorganizing the files in his office."

"Ugh," Sirius groaned. "Well, at least it's over and you're here now." As he had done with the other girls, he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

Both Sirius and Olivia held their breath during the exchange, willing their hearts not to beat too loudly. Olivia fought not to close her eyes as Sirius's lips touched her skin. It had been so long since he had kissed her . . . For a moment, she found herself wanting to turn her head so that his lips would be on hers.

Then, in a flash, it was over, and Sirius had pulled away. He looked at Olivia with his Auror eyes that revealed no emotion. Then he turned from her to Greg, a jovial smile firmly in place.

"You must be Greg," he said, extending a hand to shake his. "I'm Sirius Black. I'm sure Olivia will want to introduce you to everyone, so, to help you get over that torture, would you like a drink?"

Greg laughed. "It's great to meet you, Sirius. Thanks for the invitation this evening."

"I'm glad you could come," Sirius replied. He turned at a touch on his arm, and realized that Rebecca had appeared beside him as suddenly as if she had Apparated. "Olivia, I'm sure you remember Rebecca."

"Of course," Olivia said, giving her a sweet smile. "It's lovely to see you, Rebecca. How are you?"

"Fine, thank you," Rebecca said with a smile of her own.

"Greg, this is my girlfriend, Rebecca," Sirius said with a smile.

As Rebecca and Greg greeted one another, Dana turned to Laura and Lily with raised eyebrows.

"What did I tell you?" she whispered.

Lily and Laura both giggled.

"Well, that's round one over, at any rate," Laura said softly. "Did you see the look on Olivia's face when Sirius kissed her cheek?"

"Yes," Lily murmured. "And I'm not sure what to make of it."

"What are you ladies whispering about?" Remus asked as he came over.

Lily, Laura and Dana shook their heads, all laughing again. Remus smiled knowingly.

"You can't expect her to go down without a fight," he said easily.

"Remus!" Laura exclaimed. "How did you know what we're talking about?"

"It's rather obvious," he said with a smile. "And, for the record, I think she's being paranoid. I've never known Sirius to stay with someone he doesn't want to be with, so if he's still with her, he will be for awhile."

"Yeah, but if your ex-girlfriend who you were still friends with was coming to your party, I think I'd be a little concerned, too," Laura said.

Remus smiled, and kissed her cheek. "There's no one but you, darling. There never has been, and there never will be."

Laura smiled and flushed. "I'm just saying that I can understand her motivations."

"Hey, guys!" Olivia exclaimed as she approached them. "I want you all to meet Greg." She gave him a glowing smile as she pulled him closer to her friends. "This is Remus, Laura, Dana and Lily," she said. "Remus and Laura are married. Lily is married to James, and Dana is married to Aidan."

"So you're one of the few holdouts who isn't married, Olivia?" Greg grinned. He shook all their hands in greeting. "Laura I know, of course," he smiled. "You were one of the brightest Ravenclaws in your year. What are you doing now?"

"I'm a junior prosecutor in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," she said.

Greg raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed. "That's fantastic," he said. "Not that I'm surprised, of course – you always were brilliant."

Laura flushed. "I think it's my argumentative skills that keep me there."

"That probably has a lot to do with it," Remus grinned, soliciting laughter from his friends. "When Laura is passionate about something, heaven help the person who stands in her way."

Laura grinned. "He's just upset because I made him cook dinner last night."

"A man who can cook," Greg grinned. "That might be even more impressive than Laura's legal ability."

Remus laughed. "Well, we all have our own special talents."

Lily grabbed Olivia's arm. "Can you all excuse us for a moment? I just need to talk to Olivia about something."

Without waiting for a reply, she pulled her friend away from the group. Olivia glanced back once as Lily pulled her into the kitchen. Greg seemed to be doing well on his own; he should be fine in her absence.

"What's up, Lils?" Olivia asked as the kitchen door closed behind them.

"You tell me," Lily said instantly. "What was up with that kiss that Sirius gave you?"

"He kissed my cheek," Olivia said. "He always kisses your cheek when he sees you."

"Liv, I saw the look on your face," Lily insisted.

"We're friends, Lily," Olivia said stubbornly. "He's with Rebecca now, and I'm with Greg. End of story."

"But, Liv –"

"No," Olivia said, cutting her off. "It's over between us. That's all there is to it."

"All right," Lily said dubiously. It was clear that Olivia wasn't willing to discuss this further; it would be useless to try to push the issue.

"Can we get back to the party now?"

"Sure."

"Good." Olivia started to walk out, then stopped and turned back to face Lily. "I appreciate your concern, Lils. I mean, you know better than anyone how hard it was for me to break up with Sirius and to move on. But I have moved on now. Can't you please just be happy for me?"

"As long as you're happy, Liv, I'm happy for you," Lily said firmly.

"I am happy," Olivia said empathetically.

"Good," Lily smiled. "Then I'm happy for you."

They left the kitchen to rejoin the party, where Sirius was picking up a cake knife. His face lit up when he saw Lily.

"Little Flower, come over here and help me cut this cake!" he exclaimed.

Lily laughed. "I hope it's as good as you think it is."

"If James's mum taught you how to make it, it will be. We'll all have a piece of cake and a glass of punch to toast the chef!" he grinned. "Well, you'll have juice or something. That punch has quite a bit of alcohol in it," he added as an afterthought.

Lily grinned. "What, no punch for me? Just because of the baby?"

"No, the baby has nothing to do with it," Sirius said in mock seriousness. "I'm just afraid that you're becoming an alcoholic."

"Leave her alone and cut the cake, already!" Aidan laughed.

"Right," Sirius laughed. "All right, Lils, let's go." He glanced up from the cake. "And, Aidan, if you're so eager to get to this, start serving some punch."

"I'm on it," Aidan grinned, going over to ladle punch into glasses.

Sirius and Lily began cutting the cake, putting pieces on plates for each person at the party. While they were at work, Rebecca appeared beside them.

"Can I do something to help?" she asked.

"I think we've got it under control," Lily smiled.

"Are you sure?"

"It doesn't take more than two to cut a cake, Rebecca," Sirius said calmly. "Why don't you see if Aidan needs help with the punch if you're bored?"

An odd look crossed her face, and she moved away from them. Lily looked up at Sirius.

"She just wanted to help, Sirius."

"No," he said darkly. "Have you seen the way she's followed me around like a puppy dog ever since Liv got here? It's ridiculous. You know how I feel about jealousy."

Remembering Sirius's first girlfriend at Hogwarts, Lily nodded. Bree's jealousy of Lily's friendship with Sirius had cost her their relationship.

"It's not going to be like it was with Bree, is it?" she asked softly.

"Bree," Sirius sighed. "You know, I haven't even thought of her in years, but tonight that whole episode came back to me."

"Well, as long as Rebecca doesn't accuse you of cheating on her with me, I think we're good." She shook her head. "I couldn't believe that Bree thought that you and I . . . Well, the very idea is just . . ." She trailed off awkwardly, not sure how to finish her statement in a way that wouldn't damage Sirius's ego.

Sirius ran his eyes up and down Lily's seven-months pregnant body, finally letting them rest on her wedding ring. He grinned. "Lily, you have always belonged to James. Even before there was 'Lily and James,' you were his. You have always been a wonderful friend to me – the sister I never had – but I've never thought of you as anything but that."

"Good," Lily grinned, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Because I've always thought of you as the brother I never had – the one who would have defended me from Petunia."

"I can still do that, you know. Just let me know when," he grinned. "As I recall, she could have done with a brother who would have beaten her up over the years."

Lily laughed, and shook her head. "This is why I love you, Sirius."

He nudged her with his shoulder. "I love you, too, Little Flower."

Feeling someone watching him, Sirius looked up expecting to see Rebecca staring at him with narrowed eyes, angry that he was spending so much time alone with Lily. However, she was, as he had suggested, helping Aidan distribute punch. They were talking like old friends, for which Sirius was grateful. It was Olivia who was staring at him. He looked at her, and their eyes locked. For a second that stretched into eternity, they stared into each other's eyes, as they had done during their days as a couple.

Then, the spell was broken. Olivia remembered herself and looked away, a flush spreading across her cheeks. Sirius felt his own cheeks heat, wondering if her thoughts had taken path his had– of memories of days spent catching one another staring in class, of nights spent together staring into one another's eyes just as they had been only moments before. He exhaled deeply, and ran his hand through his hair.

"Are you all right?" Lily asked.

"Fine," he said, his voice rather tight. "Let's serve this cake, shall we?"

Across the room, Greg put his hand on Olivia's knee. "Are you all right?"

"Of course," she said, turning to him with a smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You looked a little funny there for a minute," he said.

"Do I still?"

"No," he smiled. "Now you look gorgeous."

She grinned, and kissed his cheek. "You're sweet."

"So are you," he said. He glanced over at Sirius, then at Rebecca. "Is it awkward for you to be here?"

"Are you trying to ask me to leave this party be alone with you?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"Well, I wasn't, but that does sound like a good idea," he said, letting his hand drift further up her thigh. "What do you say?"

"I say we just got here," she grinned. "We can't leave now. It would be rude."

"All right," he said, heaving a mock sigh.

"Aren't you having fun?" she asked.

"I am, actually. Your friends are great."

"I think so, too," she smiled. "And I think they all like you."

"Good," he said. "If they're important to you, they're important to me, too."

At the punch bowl, Rebecca let her eyes drift to Sirius and Lily again. Aidan noticed her glance with a smile.

"He's not interested in her, you know."

Rebecca jerked her eyes away from her boyfriend to the man who was standing next to her. "I beg your pardon?"

"You don't need to worry about Lily – Sirius isn't interested in her. He had his chance to go after her at Hogwarts, but he never did. Every girl would have dated him back then – most probably still would. But, for some reason, he never went after Lily. They've been friends since they were about fourteen – but they've always just been friends. And now she's married and pregnant - and I've never seen two people as in love as she and James are." He shrugged. "If you're looking for something to worry about, it shouldn't be that Sirius will cheat on you with Lily."

"Who should I be worried about him cheating on me with, then?" She said the words in a light, teasing tone, but there was a hint of desperation in her question.

Aidan smiled in an attempt to reassure her. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry at all. Sirius really seems to like you. Feel secure in your relationship – I'm sure he does."

Rebecca smiled, but couldn't help looking for Olivia again. She was relieved to see that she was still sitting with Greg. Despite Aidan's calm assurances, she was still more than a little concerned about Sirius's feelings for his former girlfriend.

It was late when the party finally broke up. Everyone had had fun, making them more reluctant to leave. Sirius was happy to have them stay, and offered overnight accommodations to anyone who didn't want to travel home.

Everyone did leave, however, until only Rebecca remained with him in his flat. She gave him a smile as she began to gather up dishes.

"Well, that was lovely," she said. "You should host parties more often. You're very good at it."

Sirius frowned at her. "You know, you didn't have to be my shadow all night."

She looked up at him in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," he said, his anger boiling close to the surface. "You've been following me around like a lost puppy ever since you got here. You barely let me go to the loo without you!"

She looked stricken, but didn't speak up to defend herself. Sirius laughed harshly.

"This jealousy routine has to stop," he said. "Nearly every woman here tonight was married! And I know that I spent a lot of time with Lily, but she is one of my best friends – and is married to the person I consider my brother!"

"I'm not worried about Lily," Rebecca said softly. "I know you couldn't want anything to do with her romantically."

"But?" Sirius prompted. Her calm demeanor was making him insane. If she didn't start screaming soon, he would.

"Olivia was here," Rebecca said simply.

"How many times will we have to go over this?" Sirius yelled, finally losing control of his temper. "You know that I'm not with her anymore! You know that I want to be with you!"

Rebecca drew a deep breath. "Then why were you staring at her all night, not me?"

Sirius slammed his hand down on the table, knocking over several glasses. "My God, Rebecca! If I didn't want to be with you, why would I be here fighting with you right now? Why wouldn't I be chasing Olivia and Greg down, beating Greg up for dating her?"

"I – I don't know," she stammered, her eyes wide.

Realizing that he was scaring her, Sirius took a deep breath. Yelling at her wasn't getting them anywhere. Maybe she just needed proof that he really cared about her, not Olivia. He ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he said, struggling to keep his voice even. "I'm sorry if you think that I didn't pay enough attention to you tonight. I'm sorry if you don't approve of my friendship with Olivia, but there's nothing I can do about that. We work together. We have no choice but to get along, and to continue with our friendship. But I don't want you to think that she's the one I want to be with, so I'll try to prove to you how much you mean to me."

"How?"

He smiled, and crossed to draw her close. He kissed her lips softly and lovingly. "Like this," he whispered, his lips moving to her neck.

She moaned softly as his lips moved lower, across the skin that her robes left exposed. She was amazed that he could do this to her – make her forget all their problems with a simple kiss. She ran her fingers through his hair, and then over his chest. Then she began to kiss him, and it was his turn to groan.

"Please, Liv," he whispered.

She jerked away from him as if he had hexed her. She looked at him with eyes full of hurt, confusion and anger.

"What did you just call me?"

Red heat spread across Sirius's cheeks as he realized what he had said. There was no denying it. He had called her by Olivia's name.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair. "My God, Rebecca, I didn't mean that. I never meant –"

"It happened," she said softly. "And that's enough."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

She looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "I love you, Sirius, but I guess that's my misfortune. You obviously still love Olivia. I can't be her, and I can't take her place in your heart. But, neither can I spend the rest of my life living in her shadow."

"Rebecca," Sirius began.

She shook her head. "It's over, Sirius. I hope you find a way to get her back."

"Rebecca, wait," he begged. "Don't just end it all like this."

"This is the way it has to be," she said softly. "Thank you for the past few months. It's been fun." She stood up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. When she pulled away, several tears had left tracks down her cheeks. "Goodbye, Sirius."

Without waiting for a reply, she Disapparated. Sirius was left silently staring at the space where she had been standing, trying to sort out his jumbled feelings.

It was late when Remus and Laura finally got home. Without discussion, they climbed the stairs to get ready for bed. They both knew they were too tired to stay up any longer.

"Sirius put together a lovely party," Laura said as she came into the bedroom from the bathroom, where she had been brushing her teeth.

"It was nice," Remus agreed, "but I'm not sure it was advisable to have his former and current girlfriends in the same room."

Laura sighed. "Olivia isn't over him."

"He isn't over her, either," Remus acknowledged. "Do you think that Greg and Rebecca are strong enough to withstand the competition?"

Laura shrugged. "They'll have to be, won't they?"

Remus nodded in agreement, and they lapsed into silence. He watched Laura as she moved, trying to remember when had been the last time he had seen her move so slowly. True, he was tired himself, but he had the full moon to blame for his physical condition. Laura, on the other hand, had always been rather energetic. Shaking his head, he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Something wasn't right about her, and it had him very worried.

When he came back into the bedroom, Laura was already in bed with the covers pulled up under her chin, her blond hair spilling all around her. Remus smiled at the sight of her, thinking that she looked like a little girl. There were times, like now, when he had trouble remembering that they were adults, not the children they had been together at Hogwarts.

He climbed into bed, and reached for her. She smiled, and immediately moved closer, snuggling up against him. He held her close, and kissed her head.

"Sweetheart, I want you to answer a question for me," he said softly. "I just want an honest answer, all right?"

"All right," she agreed sleepily.

"How do you feel?"

"Tired."

"I know that," he said softly. "But beyond tired, how do you feel?"

She sighed, and looked up at him. She had been fighting it for so long. She couldn't fight anymore. "I think I'm sick, Remus," she said softly. Tears gathered in her eyes. "I haven't felt well ever since that night – ever since that battle."

Remus pulled her closer. "Why didn't you tell me, love? I've asked you so many times."

"I didn't want to worry you," she said, a single tear falling. "And I didn't want you to make me go to a Healer. I'm scared. I don't want to know what's wrong."

"We have to find out what's wrong," he said softly, looking away from her. "I want you to do something for me."

"What?"

"I want you to go to your doctor tomorrow."

Laura frowned. "My doctor?"

"Yes, your doctor." He turned so that he could look into her eyes again. "I want you to go see the family doctor who always treated you when you were a little girl."

"You don't want me to go to a Healer?"

He smiled. "I want you to feel comfortable. If a doctor will do that for you, then so be it. I just want you to feel better, love, whatever it takes."

She looked up at him in surprise. She had never realized how much easier it would be for her to go to her family doctor than to an unknown Healer. But Remus had known. Without her even knowing it herself, he had sensed what would be best for her. Tears threatened to fall again. He was right. She wanted to be better as much as he wanted her to be better.

"All right."

"You'll go?" He had not expected it to be so easy to get her to agree.

"I'll go."

"Tomorrow?"

"If they can get me in."

Remus nodded. "If it's early enough in the day, I'll go with you."

She smiled. "Thanks."

He hugged her even closer. "Thank you for finally agreeing to do this."

"You know, when he says that there's nothing wrong with me, you're getting an 'I told you so,'" she teased, praying that that would be the outcome at the doctor's office.

Remus smiled. "Laura, I sincerely hope that's what happens."

"Me too," she whispered, turning serious. "I'm scared, Remus. What if something really is wrong with me?"

"I'm sure you're fine," he said confidently. "But if you're not, then we'll deal with it together. We can beat anything, Laura, including this mysterious illness, if indeed you have one. I'll be right there helping you as much as I can."

"I know you will." She leaned up to kiss him. "I love you, Remus."

"I love you, too." He pulled her even closer, and kissed her again.

Despite his bold words, he truly was terrified that something was seriously wrong with her. He knew that they would fight for her life with everything in them. He only hoped that it would be enough.