It had been a week to his transformation but he and Sirius didn't seem to have made much progress in what could be called 'a relationship'. They were bare acquaintances bearing the name of friendship when either wanted more. According to Remus, the past week had been just fine, his study group helped him catch up to most of his lost work and the potions class remained unchanged sans a minor amendment. Sirius had started to actively participate now. He no longer just stared at Remus and then looked away when their eyes would meet but was now taking notes, tidy notes, helping in brewing potions and leaving before either of them could mutter 'a good day'.

Being OWL students meant a vigorous amount of workload that barely left the time for chatter. And that also meant having potions every two days. Every two days would have a very silent James sitting at the back of the class with his partner, Peter and Sirius silently working on their potion. The little success in the conversation had also been lost. They were back to 'hello' and 'bye' with minimum eye contact possible.

But call it his upbringing or a generally optimistic attitude, Remus acquired post-moon that he did not lose hope. Hope, his mother had often shared the story of how she and Remus' father had met. Lyall had rescued her from a boggart and she had clung to him for dear life the duration of the life-saving. The embarrassment of the entire situation was enough for her to not be able to gather the courage to see Lyall again for at least a month until he had assured her that it was rational to react that way to one's fears. Remus thought he too was in the same boat as her. After all, time is a healer better than any alchemy. Time will get them together, at least that is what he believed to be true.

Or this is what he kept telling himself.

Sirius, on the other hand, was in a state of dilemma like no other. A part of him still wanted to snog Remus senseless whenever he saw him and hence kept his gaze down most of the time in his holy presence but a tiny part of him always stopped him. A part of him that still judges Remus for who he is. Sirius has tried to fight that part down several times but childhood teachings don't fade easily. Hence, he retorted to simple, mindless conversations ignoring the heartache that followed each time he exited the Potions classroom or came across Remus in any way. Time will work them out.

It's almost midnight when both Lily and Remus return from their respective corridors after patrolling for nearly three hours. Lily had been paired with the Gryffindor Prefect, Helios while Remus, as usual, was stuck with Lockhart, 'The Ravenclaw Git' as he fondly called him. Patrolling with him was equivalent to a headache. He wouldn't do any work and constantly talked about himself. For a person so obviously good at nothing how he managed to be a Ravenclaw was one of the greatest mysteries Remus would be highly interested to solve.

The duo meets near the staircase and decides to take a detour in order to catch up with each other. They continue to walk and Lily decides to break the silence.

'Sirius, huh?'

'What about him?'

'You and Sirius, are you a thing now?'

'Keep your volume down, Lily. The walls have ears and no'.

'I don't believe it. You should see the way you guys look at each other. It's honestly pathetic how obviously in love you both are and yet continue to be in denial'.

'We're- at least I'm not in denial, I am but who would date a gay werewolf?'

Lily, who had been walking a little ahead of Remus suddenly stops and Remus bumps right into her and both of them stumble to the ground.

'See, this is what happens when you try to shit-talk about yourself, Remus'.

'Yeah right. We falling down is because of a certain man up in the clouds who heard me and decided to give our strings a little push'.

'You still believe that we're marionettes controlled by a man called God?'

'Yes. My mum told me that when we were little. She doesn't believe in God either'.

'You and your theories. You can think beyond the level a common man considers to be beyond science and still can't see that Sirius obviously loves you?'

'Those two things have no relation to each other whatsoever. How is the existence of mankind related to two teenage boys in love?'

'It is. What if mankind was created so you two could fall for each other and build a whole new world?'

'Lily, it is physically impossible for us to conceive a child. What makes you think we can create a new world?'

'Says the one who is named after one of the founders of an empire after being birthed by a wolf'.

Remus lets out a laugh at that. It had to be 'god's way' of a major coincidence. His entire life is a coincidence. He's named after the founder of the Roman empire, his name literally translates to wolf wolf and he got bitten to be one. Only his post-moon optimism can view his life like that.

'And I had to be named after the one who dies'.

'Doesn't defeat the fact that he was a great hunter'.

'I guess it doesn't. Hope this ain't some kind of coincidence now'.

'Speaking of Hope, how's your mum, Remus. Haven't heard from her for a while'.

Hope Lupin had first met Lily on the King's Cross station where all the muggles stood waiting for their wizard kin to appear from the wall that connected both the worlds. She had instantly clicked with Jenny, Lily's mum and had there and then invited her for dinner for that very night much to Remus, Lily, Lyall and Damian Evans' embarrassment. She barely knew any muggles due to constantly shifting homes in order to hide her son's condition. So, when she finally got to meet someone who not only happened to be a muggle and was as clueless as she was once being Remus' friend was just an added bonus.

Petunia Evans had refused to come much to nobody's surprise and the dinner had gone remarkably well. Perhaps that's when Lily and Remus actually met each other for the first time. Being in different houses limited friendships beyond the colour of one's robe but the two of them had proved it wrong. They had become the closest of friends in the past three years. The only duo to do the same and break the norm of inter-house rivalry was James and Sirius.

The entire summer was spent exchanging letters and visiting each other's homes. Petunia avoided Remus like the plague and usually kept out. Remus found a sister in Lily and Lily found a best friend. And this has been them since they were twelve. Three years had only strengthened their bond and when Lily found Remus' secret, she was with him and supported him. When Remus chose to let on another secret, Lily remained with him and still supported him.

Every summer, once a week, Remus stays over at Lily's and Lily at Remus'. Hope always wanted a daughter and found that in Lily. The two bonded over a common love for baking and produced marvellous items of bakery much to the Lupin men's delight. They often shared recipes or even just talked in general over owl post and even the walls of Hogwarts could not limit that.

'She hasn't written to me much either, she wanted to open a bakery, I really hope she did. It would be wonderful for her to get some time off idle at home so can stop asking me if I have found a girlfriend yet'.

'When do you plan to tell her?'

'Mum's still quite young. Plenty of time in the future'.

'As you wish. But since you don't plan to get a girlfriend ever, it would be advisable to tell her about your boyfriend'.

'Sirius is not my boyfriend'.

'Funny how your mind goes straight to Sirius as soon as I mention him'.

Remus flicks Lily on the forehead and makes a run for it. Messing with Evans is not an ideal way to spend a duty night. Lily runs after him and they continue to chase each other yelling innocent insults and casting harmless hexes. They were running across the third-floor corridor, a place where one would hardly find any student or teacher in their right mind sans a heavily panting Remus and Lily running up to him and flicking him back. She's a good two head shorter than him but doesn't stop her from messing with him either.

'What good role models we are, running in the corridors!'

'I can feel McGonagall having a fit at this right moment'.

'Oh, she wouldn't scold you even if her own life depended on it. That woman adores you!'

'You're just jealous that I am a better student'

'You did not!'

'Who's prefect batch came first, huh?'

'The owl got lost in the forest you practically live in and couldn't find me, that's a mechanical error'.

'Coincidences, Evans! You wouldn't get it!'

'Yeah right'.

'Even owls are smarting than you'.

An owl hoots in the background as if trying to personally agree with Remus.

'See? The owl approves'.

'WOULD YOU TWO SHUT IT AND LET US SLEEP!'

A very haughty looking portrait yells at them and they take it as the cue to go back to their respective dorms.

'We should get going'.

'Good night, Lils'.

'Good night, lover boy'.

'OI!'.

Lily breaks into a run again and heads off towards the staircase leading to the Gryffindor common room while Remus stays there until he hears the entrance shutting close and gets going to his own room then.