Gwen and Remus met by the doors that Saturday and stood in the queue while Filch checked everybody's name off the list.

When they stepped out the door, they found that the air was cold and crisp, and though the sky was rather cloudy, it was a very nice day. They walked side-by-side silently for a minute while everyone behind them caught up.

"Oy! Remus!" Sirius called good-naturedly. "Headed for Madam Puddifoot's?"

Remus blushed scarlet, but was saved from having to reply by Lily.

"Oh, go on to Zonko's!" Gwen and Remus heard her answer him. "You know that's where you're headed, anyway." They didn't hear Sirius's reply.

"Soo…" Remus cleared his throat nervously. "Do you want to go to Madam Puddifoot's?"

"I guess so," Gwen answered, shuffling her feet uncertainly.

They walked down the main road in silence, their hands in their coat pockets. Remus felt exceedingly uncomfortable. Why, oh why, had he ever suggested this? He was going to make a fool of himself. And Gwen didn't appear to be having the most exciting time, either.

They made their way to Madam Puddifoot's and stepped inside. The inside of the building was overheated, and the two of them shed their coats immediately as they made their way to a corner table.

All around them were students, most of them fifth-years or older, gazing deeply into each others' eyes over steaming cups of tea. Remus glanced around uncertainly as they took their seats. He saw that Gwen was scrutinizing the frilly, tacky decorations, looking vaguely appalled.

Madam Puddifoot herself came over and took their orders, then bustled back into the kitchen. Remus and Gwen sat in uncomfortable silence. Gwen picked at a doily on the table, and Remus fiddled with his napkin. He cleared his throat to speak, but when Gwen glanced up at him, he lost his nerve again and turned it into a cough. He kicked himself mentally.

Madam Puddifoot came back, balancing a tray with two teacups, a pot of tea, and a plate of biscuits.

"There you are," she said, satisfied. "Now I'll leave you two alone!" She winked at them understandingly, and Remus stifled a groan.

They sat and sipped their tea awkwardly. I've blown it already, Remus thought gloomily. This has been a disaster.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at a table nearby. Two fifth-years who had previously been engaged in a snogging marathon, had drawn all eyes to themselves. The boy was down on one knee in front of the girl, declaiming something in a loud voice—Was that supposed to be poetry?

"Oh, my love! My sweet little toffee!" he began. "How I love to see your face over my cup of coffee!"

Remus and Gwen gazed at them, incredulous. The girl he was addressing was watching him with wide and shining eyes, her hands clasped below her chin in delight. The rest of the teashop seemed to be observing him with equal admiration, including Madam Puddifoot, who didn't seem at all offended by his changing "tea" to "coffee".

"You are like a flower opening in the spring!" he continued. "My snuggle-bunny's laugh makes my heart take wing!"

Remus glanced over at Gwen, who looked even more appalled at this than she had at the décor. He saw her mouth, Snuggle-bunny? incredulously.

"If I never again feel your hug, My heart will feel squashed like a bug!" he declared dramatically.

Gwen clapped her hands over her mouth and tried to stifle her laughter, but it was hopeless. Her shoulders shook with repressed amusement. Remus felt the corners of his mouth quirk up.

"We are a pair, my little peach! Say you'll walk with me on the beach!"

Remus and Gwen exchanged a glance. Remus began to laugh as well—he had to turn his face away from the enraptured couple so that they wouldn't see his expression. Gwen was laughing so hard, it looked like she was about to fall off her chair.

"Come with me and be my love!" He seemed to be winding down. "Our romance was orchestrated from above!"

The entire teahouse, but for Gwen and Remus, burst into applause.

"Let's get out of here," Gwen managed between giggles, and Remus nodded, still laughing. He put the money for their bill on the table, and they rose.

"Leaving so soon?" Madam Puddifoot asked, hurrying over. "Wasn't that wonderful?" She glanced at Gwen, and saw the tears glittering in her eyes. "Oh, I can see how beautiful you thought it was! Don't worry, your love will write poetry to you one day, too!" She pushed Remus toward Gwen, then disappeared back between the tables.

Once outside the door, the two of them could no longer contain it, and burst out laughing. Gwen leaned against the wall of the building and laughed until she almost couldn't catch her breath. Passersby began to stare.

"Come on," Remus suggested, still chuckling. He offered her his arm.

Gwen linked arms with him, still wiping tears off her face. "My heart will feel squashed like a bug!" she hooted as they passed Scrivenshaft's and turned onto the main street. Remus laughed again.

000

"I don't really like poetry," Remus admitted as they left Honeydukes, their pockets full of sweet, sticky purchases.

"Oh, I do," Gwen replied, pulling the wrapper off a chocoball and popping it in her mouth. "But that wasn't poetry."

"What was it, then?"

"Terrible," she answered emphatically.

He laughed. "Well, give us some poetry, then!"

She swallowed her candy and cleared her throat. "To keep your marriage brimming, With love in the loving cup, Whenever you're wrong, admit it; Whenever you're right, shut up."

Remus laughed. "Who wrote that?"

"Ogden Nash," Gwen replied with a grin. "And it may be silly, but it's a whole lot better than that rubbish in Madam Puddifoot's!"

"And a lot truer, too," Remus agreed as they passed the post office and a few residences.

They came to a lonely road, which led out to a run-down old house. "Look at that place," Gwen said, gesturing to the far-off building. "I've heard the residents of Hogsmeade have started calling it the Shrieking Shack. They say it's now one of the most haunted buildings in Britain." She paused uncertainly. "Do you want to go take a look?"

Remus shook his head emphatically, and tried to come up with a good reason not to go any nearer the building than he had to. "If the ghosts there shriek, they must not want people to come near. I think we should probably respect their wishes."

"I guess so," Gwen said, sounding half-relieved about having a reason not to go near the frightening structure. "Look, there's Lily and Grace and Eunice," she said, pointing to the three figures coming out of the Three Broomsticks. "Let's go over and say hi."

Remus was only too glad to agree.

TBC

AN: A bit short, but ah well.

werewolflemming: Now ya know!

Ravens Destiny: lol Agreed. Accordingly:

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