Authors Note: Ok, you know you're sad when you crack yourself up in the story you are writing. All I will say is 'male or female.' Hee hee.

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Chapter 13

Remus sat on the floor of his hideout in the Shrieking Shack and watched his three friends talk amongst themselves. He could feel symptoms of the following nights full moon beginning to affect him already. He was absolutely exhausted.

He could feel his eyes drooping as listened to Sirius ribbing James about his latest wooing technique on Lily Evans.

Remus took several deep breaths and could feel himself about to drop off.

Inhaling deeply, he shifted more comfortably on the hard wood floor. Then a familiar scent, that he couldn't quite place, reached his over sensitized nostrils and his eyes snapped open in alarm.

"Shut it!" He whispered urgently as his friends looked at him in surprise.

"Why?" Peter asked louder than necessary.

"Someone else is here." Remus said quietly.

All four of them stood so stock still it appeared that they had quit breathing.

"Where's the bloody map?" He asked as he searched the floor frantically.

James reached behind him and handed over the Marauders Map. Remus took it quickly and pulled out his wand which he tapped to the parchment.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." He ordered softly and watched as lines began moving all over the page forming a map of the Hogwarts grounds.

Remus quickly found the Whomping Willow and searched for the little black dot that would tell them who was in the Shrieking Shack.

It was labeled Aurora Moon and she was coming right toward them.

"Oh shit. It's Aurora." He told them with pit in his stomach.

"Padfoot, you've got to go get rid of her." Remus said urgently but Sirius was already on his feet and before he knew it the big, black shaggy dog was bounding toward the door and down the stairs.

He listened nervously as Sirius gave his most threatening bark.

"If you would have just told her Moony..." James trailed off.

"I know!" Remus said angrily, more at himself for anything. This is not how he would choose for her to find out.

Aurora picked her way through the dark tunnel and saw a staircase up ahead. She still wasn't completely sure what this was. Her feet on the ground were making no noise of any kind. Was this part of the tree or something else? Maybe it was a portal to another place.

She gasped in surprise as the giant black dog from earlier hurdled down the stairs barking madly. She pointed her wand at it in what she hoped was a threatening manner and began to back up the way she came making sure to keep eye contact with it so it wouldn't know she was afraid.

"Nice doggie." She said soothingly as she stopped moving.

He quit barking to look at her curiously.

"That's it. Good boy." She continued, taking a tentative step closer and offering her hand to him to sniff while the other one kept her wand trained on the dog.

She adored animals and waited patiently while the dog closed the remaining to gap to sniff her proffered hand. When he gave her a friendly lick she felt the nerves drain from her tense body and moved her hand to scratch his ears.

"What are you doing in here?" She said softly to him as she coaxed him closer.

At that moment the dogs stomach growled loudly and looked up at her quizzically.

"Did someone dump you here?" She wondered aloud as she glanced around again.

"Judging by the tummy growl, you sound starved. Come on. Lets go back to the castle and I'll see if I can't find something for you to eat." She said with the strange feeling that he was understanding every word she was saying.

She put her hand to the scruff of his neck to lead him back outside and he obligingly followed, wagging his tail happily and circling excitedly around her legs.

"I'll have to give you a name you know. I can't keep calling you boy." She told him. "Come to think of it, I don't even know if you are male."

Aurora tugged him up by the paws to make sure he was and when she set him gently back down again she found him looking at her indignantly as his eyes flashed.

"Well I'm sorry. But you don't want a girl name, do you?" She said teasingly. Every time she spoke she knew he was listening and understanding.

"Now, how about..." She paused casting her mind around for a good name. She immediately thought of Remus, which made her think of astronomy, which made her think of constellations, which made her think of stars. "How about Sirius?"

"I know someone named Sirius." She added as an afterthought.

The dog looked up at her with what she could have swore was alarm and almost seemed to raise what would have been his eyebrows had he been human.

"It's also the name of a star...in a constellation...in the shape of a dog."

"Why am I explaining this to you?" She wondered out loud but could see him visibly relax.

Maybe he's not pure dog...maybe he's part kneazle or something. Can dogs be kneazle or just cats? I know he knows what I'm saying, she thought as she sized him up. Then his stomach growled loudly again.

"Sorry Sirius. Lets go get you some food." She said as she led him onto the grounds, forgetting why she was in the tree to begin with.

This chapter is a little short but if I put this one and the next together then it would have been too long. So the next chapter will be on it's way soon!