Over the next couple of months, Gwen and Remus were seen arm in arm at Hogsmeade, sitting next to each other at diner, and standing beside each other in Care of Magical Creatures. After another late study session, Gwen floated up the stairs to her dormitory, smiling widely. If it wasn't for the fact that her roommates were asleep, she would've started singing. She put on her pajamas and climbed into bed.
"What happened to you?" Eunice asked groggily. "If we put a shade on that smile, we could use it as a lamp."
"Remus asked me to go steady," Gwen said dreamily.
There was an infinitesimal pause. Then Eunice yelped, "What!" She leapt up on to Gwen's bed and yanked down the blankets that Gwen had pulled over her head, laughing. "C'mon, tell all!"
"What's going on?" Grace asked blearily, as Lily added, "You're going to wake up the whole house!"
"Remus asked Gwen to go steady!" Eunice said excitedly. "And, I must say," she added, leaning back and crossing her arms, "it's about time." Gwen hit her with her pillow. "What? It is."
"I agree," Grace said. Lily only laughed.
"Well? C'mon, what happened?"
"What do you mean what happened? He asked me to go steady, and I said yes."
"And?" Eunice prodded. "Did he kiss you?"
"Yes."
"Ooh! Lips or cheek?"
"Cheek, Miss Nosey."
"Oh," Eunice said, obviously a little disappointed. "Well, it's a start."
Grace laughed at Gwen's expression of amused exasperation. "Alright, time for bed, before we really do wake the rest of the house up!"
000
Remus woke early, before his roommates, and lay staring up at his canopy with a wide grin on his face. He couldn't help it. The events of the night before had left him elated.
After finishing their studying, Remus and Gwen had sat and talked for awhile. Remus could talk to her about things he couldn't speak of to his other friends. For instance, he was beginning to worry about James and Sirius' knack for getting in trouble. Obviously, he couldn't discuss this with either of them or with Peter, so he turned to Gwen.
Lately he had begun to notice that when he was talking with Gwen, his mind often began to wander. The idea had come to him a few weeks ago to ask her go steady, but he hadn't yet decided if he would or not.
"Well, most of the time it's not a big deal," Gwen was saying as Remus distractedly watched the way the firelight danced on her face and hair. "Most of their practical jokes don't hurt anyone. When they cross that line is when I think you should speak up."
Remus nodded, and suddenly made up his mind. "Gwen," he said abruptly but calmly, "would you like to go steady?"
There was a long pause in which Gwen merely blinked in surprise. For a moment, Remus wondered if he had done the right thing. Had he asked her too soon?
But then Gwen smiled. "Yes," she said, "I would."
Remus took her hand, then leaned forward—and at the last moment, kissed her on the cheek. He wasn't sure he was ready for his first kiss just yet. But Gwen didn't seem to mind.
A groan from the other side of the room stirred Remus from his memories and alerted him that Sirius was awake. His friend rolled over and rubbed his eyes.
"Wha' time 'sit?" Sirius muttered groggily, and James awoke and shifted in bed. There was a snore from Peter.
"Seven o'clock," Remus said brightly, checking his watch.
Sirius opened one eye and stared at him.
"What's made you so chipper?"
Remus grinned. "Gwen and I are going steady."
Stunned silence greeted this pronouncement, and then James rolled over quickly and sat up to stare at him, while Sirius tried to jump to his feet and almost fell head-first out of bed.
"What?" James demanded.
Sirius, having managed to gain his feet at last, began to laugh. A snort from Peter prompted him to shake his corpulent friend. "Wake up, Petey-boy! Remus has got himself hitched!"
Remus and James both laughed. James climbed out of bed and patted Remus avuncularly on the shoulder. "Never thought you'd be the first to go, mate, but I'm proud of you!"
Remus only smiled. "Wha's goin' on?" Peter asked, sitting up. His dishwater blond hair was standing straight up—almost wilder than James'.
"Remus and Gwen are going steady," Sirius said quickly, coming over to sit on the end of Remus' bed. "So. Give us all the juicy details."
"Juicy details?"
"Was there snogging involved?" Sirius hinted, expecting an answer in the negative.
Remus tried to look shocked, but only laughed. "That's my little secret," he said mysteriously.
Sirius stared. "You didn't."
Remus raised one eyebrow and smiled cryptically.
"He didn't," James told Sirius.
Peter was trying to take all of this in. "You're going steady with Gwen?" he asked.
"No, Peter, he's going steady with an eight foot long purple dragon!" Sirius said dryly.
Peter frowned. "Really?"
"Don't listen to him," Remus said. "I'm going steady with Gwen."
"Oh." Peter sat and thought for a moment. "So she doesn't mind that you're a werewolf?"
Silence fell in the room, and Remus felt the smile fade from his face. James and Sirius both turned to frown at Peter, who looked completely innocent, waiting for a reply.
"She doesn't know, dimwit," Sirius growled. "You think that's something Remus is going to tell every girlfriend he gets, so she can publish it to the world when they break up? Not that I'm saying you're going to break up," he reassured Remus immediately. "Just—you know."
"Yeah," Remus nodded gloomily.
They all got out of bed and began to dress in thoughtful silence.
Remus went down to breakfast very worried. He knew there was no way he was going to tell Gwen about his lycanthropy. But being so close to him, would she figure it out? James, Sirius and Peter had figured it out in less than a year. And he still remembered how she had looked unconvinced at his explanation for the little incident two years ago, when she had had to help him back into the castle. How long would it be before she put two and two together?
Maybe he shouldn't have asked her to go steady.
All in all, Remus was feeling very gloomy when he and his friends walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. But as they approached the Gryffindor table, his reverie was broken by James, who nudged him with his elbow. Looking up, Remus saw that the girls had turned to watch the boys' approach. As he drew up to her, Eunice grinned and winked at him. Remus couldn't help but grin back, especially when Gwen, smiling from ear to ear, made space beside her on the bench. He took his seat, reveling in that smile.
Over his head, James and Sirius gave each other a smile and a nod. Their little Remus was all grown up!
TBC
AN:
Lala: Unfortunately, I'm not sure I've got enough material to make longer chapters! I would love to develop Remus's personality, too, but probably can't to the extent I'd like, for the same reason. This one skipped forward in their relationship quite a bit, so I obviously wasn't taking it as slow as I was with the last. But it's not altogether surprising. I mean, thirteen-year-olds hang out a lot, have crushes on each other, go on a couple dates—you know they're gonna be "going out" in no time. But I'm not going to be having major snog-fests between them or anything. :)
I love you all! Please review! (puppy-dog eyes lol)