After my little rant, I stormed away to my favourite place for some headspace: the library. I collected some large hardbacks and piled them up on either side of my elbows, resting on the desk. They worked like blinkers on a horse, I couldn't see any faces, and no one else could see mine. To a student walking past, I may have looked calm and collected, but inside I was furious! How dare that bloody Atkinson stroll in and spew such crap about an affliction he evidently has no understanding of?

I was too busy struggling to control my heavy breathing and coming up with a thousand ways to kill that awful Professor, that I didn't realise I was surrounded on all angles by Marauders until it was too late. I heard a deep voice clear his throat and looked up into the spectacled eyes of Potter.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" I groaned quietly, closing my eyes and squishing my face in my hands. I looked at Black. "It's no surprise that you're a dog, the way you cock your head at me all the time. It's quite unnerving, you know." I furrowed my brows and glared at him as I spoke.

"I'm trying to figure out your game, Smith." Black responded, and for once, I believed he was actually being truthful. "You call Remus a monster, then defend him to Atkinson. Not just that, but you – a goody-two-shoes, know-it-all Ravenclaw – lost house points to do so. Why?" I let out a sharp breath, flaring my nostrils.

"I think you'll find I wasn't defending Lupin. I was defending werewolves in general." Black's assumption was understandable, I supposed, but I didn't understand why he cared so much. I'd promised to keep their stupid secret; couldn't they just leave me alone?

Potter chuckled, then replied, "I think you'll find that you said, and I quote, you're more of a monster than any werewolf I've ever met. I doubt you know that many." He looked as though he might say more, but a quiet, velveteen voice behind me caused me to turn my head the other way.

"You called me a monster, Star. You can't say that, and then act as though you're on the werewolves' side." I saw more hurt than anger in his eyes, and almost crumpled, but I knew I couldn't. I had bigger secrets to keep, and (if it came to it) I would out Remus to protect them. I stood up and walked forward until I was as close to him as I could appropriately be, hoping to look intimidating. However, although – being tall at 5 foot 9 – this usually worked on girls, against Remus' muscular 6 foot 2, I looked frail and small.

"I called you a monster because you are one." I turned and motioned to the other three. "You all are! Since the day we sat in the Great Hall with the sorting hat on our heads, you four decided to make a mockery of me, hurt me physically and verbally, make everyone hate me. Why? What did I ever do to any of you?" I didn't wait for a reply. "So yes, Remus, I think you're a monster. But it's not what you are that makes you that way, it's what you do. And you did wrong." Ignoring Madam Pince's vicious glare, I flounced away for the second time that day.

Later, in the Common Room, Meadow came skipping in. I hadn't felt like going to dinner. A look of excitement was plastered onto her kind features, and I couldn't help but smile. I'd never know why a heart as kind as Meadow's hadn't ended up in Hufflepuff, but I supposed it was because the heart was no match for her brilliant mind when it came to problem solving and impromptu therapy sessions. Unfortunately, there were some things even Meadow couldn't help me with.

"What's with the smile?" I asked light-heartedly, raising my arched, dark eyebrow. Meadow sat on my legs on the chaise lounge.

"Star, you'll never guess what everyone was talking about in the hall!" she squealed quietly. I stifled a laugh at her hyper-ness.

"What?" She smiled at me. "Tell me, Meadow!"

She let out a happy sigh. "Apparently, Dumbledore and McGonagall were walking past our DADA class at the time of your little… Outburst, shall we call it? But, anyway, they thought you were totally right and gave old Atkinson an official warning not to let his opinions seep into his teaching. Not just that, but they gave you 100 points for it!" I smiled at Meadow, but inside, my stomach was making leaps. If everyone knew I'd stuck up for werewolves, it'd be no time now until it was decided either I was a werewolf, or worse, my family were werewolves. It was common knowledge that my dad had disappeared to the other side of the world last February, rumours would start. I couldn't let that happen.

Later that night, after absent-mindedly munching my way through a book, with Tybalt curled up gracelessly on my stomach, I decided I needed some air. Ignoring the fact that it was 2 in the morning, and I was wearing a short denim skirt with a yellow polo tucked in, I crept out of the door, Tybalt padding silently next to my bare feet. I wandered aimlessly for a while, until I found myself down one of the passages I'd found during third year. It was hidden behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy and led to the big oak next to the lake. As I emerged from between the roots of the tree, I noticed a figure, crouched by the lake, lit gently by the moon.

Tybalt swaggers off, obviously pleased to be out here. Cautiously, I crept towards the figure, who either didn't notice me or didn't care, until my eyes adjusted to the darkness, and in front of me I saw messy, light brown hair, resting neatly on a burgundy, worn-out, knitted jumper. In front of me was Remus. I coughed gently, to alert him of my presence.

"Oh, Smith, it's you. Nearly gave me a heart attack, although I suppose you probably would've enjoyed it. I'd deserve it too." He turned back to the moonlit lake. I sat down next to him.

"I wouldn't have enjoyed it. I may not like you very much, but I'd never wish death on anyone, even Voldemort." Saying his name sent shivers down my spine and tingling through my arms and legs, but I wasn't afraid to say his name, or to die.

Remus seemed to notice my lack of clothing. "Bloody hell, Star, what are you doing out here without a jumper? Or shoes, for that matter? You must be freezing!" Concern flashed across his face, and (for a brief moment) I thought perhaps he wasn't as bad as I'd believed. I looked up at the clear, autumn sky, stars littered across the darkness.

"Mm, don't really notice, to be honest. I like having nature near me." I chuckled. "When I was younger, my Dad used to say we should have named me something from the Earth, not the sky, given that I like it so much, but then it would get dark and I'd sneak out my bedroom window to sit on the garage roof and just look at the stars, the moon. I used to think they were so beautiful; Dad would say they were my namesakes, not the other way around. They were my stars, shining for me." My smile faded. "He taught me nearly every constellation in the sky, but all I was ever interested in was the moon. The way it could light the night-time, glisten, glow – I thought it was fascinating."

I paused, and looked at Remus, who was watching me intently. "And now?" He prompted gently.

"Now, I despise it." I replied simply, watching the way the green in his eyes melted into brown at the edges, like moss clinging to the bark of a tree. Remus didn't ask why. Deep down I knew he knew.

And for the first time, I didn't care.

For the first time, I thought I might be friends with Remus Lupin.

Hi everyone! Massive thanks to Mina1999, Raven That Flies at Night and G for reviewing, glad you're enjoying the story! And to all followers and favouriters, thank you so much for the support!

I think what I love about this is that these chapters are unedited, unplanned, you're reading it exactly as it flooded from my overstimulated mind. So I'm just like you in that I don't know what will happen in the next chapter of Star's life, but I'm excited to find out. For this reason, however, if you're one of these people who have incredible One-Shot, story or OC ideas, but no time to write with them, let me know in a review or PM, and I'll see if I can incorporate them int this - giving you full credit, of course!

Now, as promised, I have a playlist on Spotify fot this story now! I listen to it every time I write a new chapter aha, and I hope you guys like the songs as much as I do! The link is: . /pl/5BJh0ShrmW72xVN1mfecGP?si=IRFDXf0gTJ2OLdzediN9Ww

It worked when I entered it into google on my phone, but not my laptop, so I think it only works on mobile devices?

Keep reading and reviewing, thanks, from DaughterofOrion x