Chapter 8

The next day Remus sat nervously in Defense Against the Dark Arts awaiting Aurora's arrival. He still couldn't believe he'd kissed her. And more amazing was the fact that he didn't regret it. Though he felt the odds were stacked against him. Even if he had regretted it, one look at her glowing face would have knocked back into his senses.

But that was yesterday and this was today. And now he was filled with doubts. What if she doesn't like me? She told you she had no interest in you. What if she regrets kissing me? Just because I enjoyed it doesn't mean she did.

He tried to tell himself if shouldn't matter but he knew that was a lie. Something changed last night whether he liked it or not, because with that one little kiss he knew she was it. He should have known it from the moment he bumped into her on the train but he was stubborn.

Now he was filled with new doubts though. How would she react if he decided to tell her he was a werewolf? Would he even tell her at all?

Tomorrow was full moon so he was going to have to think of something to tell her to excuse himself.

Then she walked through the door, his thoughts ceased and his breath caught as he watched her walk across the room. He couldn't help but notice that many of the other guys watched her as well and he took a selfish satisfaction in the fact that Aurora was smiling directly at him.

"Hey." She said softly, almost breathlessly as she sat down next to him.

"Hi. How's it going?" He asked.

"Great. You?"

"Not bad. Aurora listen..." He began but was interrupted by the bell and Professor Lachlan began speaking.

Remus tried to force his attention on Lachlan but found it difficult when Aurora's scent was surrounding him, intoxicating him.

He subtly scooted his chair away and feigned concentration on the lecture but she moved her chair closer to him again then pulled a quill and parchment out of her bag.

Remus dully noticed that the rest of the students had done the same so he quickly grabbed for his also. He was busy taking notes when he felt Aurora brush his elbow and point at the paper.

What were you going to say, she had written.

I won't be available for Astronomy for the rest of the week, he scribbled.

What? Why?

Remus thought as fast as he could and decided using the old standby excuse would be best with her.

My mother, she's the muggle, is having surgery tomorrow so I have to go home for the rest of the week.

Oh, that's a too bad. I'm sorry to hear that. What's wrong with her Aurora wrote back.

Shit, Remus thought. All the times he had used that excuse no had ever probed so he had never gotten further into detail with the story. Why hadn't anyone ever asked before? Luckily he was saved having to answer it when Lachlan swooped down on them.

Aurora casually tapped both of their parchments and Remus watched as their personal notes faded.

"Are you paying attention Miss Moon?" He demanded.

"Absolutely Professor. I find your teaching and this discussion riveting." She said innocently as she focused her blue eyes and a smile on the professor.

Lachlan blustered, looked extremely pleased with himself and began to blush as he resumed the lecture. Remus knew exactly how the professor felt. All Aurora had to do was turn her pure eyes and glittering smile on you and you were reduced to a babbling pile of mush.

Don't worry about it. I'll work the chart. I hope everything turns out ok with your mum she wrote back after Lachlan made his way to the front again. With another tap she erased that message and proceeded to take notes on the class leaving Remus feeling guilty for lying to her.

Aurora sat by the lake that night working the star chart solo and feeling a little lonely. It was amazing how quickly she'd gotten used to Remus' presence, even when she was angry and giving him the silent treatment the simple fact that he was there had given her a tingling warmth inside.

She still didn't know what his problem was the morning he found her in the prefect bathroom but she had let it go. He had apologized and everything was ok now.

Then of course there was the fact that he'd kissed her. He sure didn't kiss like someone who didn't have the inclination to get involved. He had made her toes curl with one simple kiss and she couldn't help but wonder if he was here now would he do it again? But now she wouldn't find out until next week. How can one kiss get to you this bad? Sometimes you just know. And this one...you know.

Whatever was responsible for his change of heart she was glad. She didn't how much longer she could have studied with him before she pounced on him.

You should be ashamed of yourself Moon. Remus' poor mum is about to have surgery and all you're thinking about is kissing him, she chided.

She hadn't been able to talk to him after class because his friends had quickly whisked him away after the bell rang so she still didn't know what was wrong with his mum, but then again it was kind of a nosy question.

It's late. Quit obsessing and get back to work, she told herself.

She logged the constellations and positions diligently for about an hour until she heard footsteps crunching on the grass. She turned and sought the source in the darkness until she finally focused on two figures making their way to the Whomping Willow.

She ducked and Aurora squinted to make them out but was surprised when she identified one of them unmistakably as Remus and the other as Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse.

She lay down on her stomach and watched as Remus stared right at her spot. We're not usually out here this late, he doesn't know I'm here. She held perfectly still, confident that he couldn't see her in the moonlight, and watched in curiosity. Pomfrey poked at a knot in the tree with a long stick.

What in the world, she wondered.

Aurora watched in mute fascination as the threatening tree stopped moving and Remus disappeared through an opening at the thick trunk and Pomfrey made her way back up to the castle.

Odd. There must a way to travel through the Whomping Willow. Maybe it's like traveling by Floo Powder, she thought as she stood back up and brushed herself off.

She forced herself to continue working and tried to ignore the fact that now she knew he wasn't on Hogwarts grounds anymore she felt truly empty. Come to think of it, 2:30 is an awfully strange time of the night to leave she thought as she read her watch, a strange feeling in her stomach.