AN: Once again, I prove how horrible I am at both updating and responding to reviews. Feel free to break out the pitchforks, though I'd prefer it if you left the torches at home. In other news, we're wrapping up the Charity/Remus storyline for the foreseeable future, so those of you who aren't particularly interested in it can breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks to reviewers Konri Kari, Poetheather1, heart chan, SarahOlivier, Guest, old-crow, segir, HarnGin, , AliB1149, Narcissa-Weasly, kkatowll, MuggleCreator, ILoveGeorgeEads, Majerus, Kairan1979, Lady Sabine of Macayhill, magitech, ReadPaxJoy, Wonderbee31, ultima-owner, Tellur, Ari989, MariusDarkwolf, Jmw, Fibinaci, elmoryakhan, LadyKnightofCelestia, serialkeller, EscritoraSecreta, and Obsessive Consumptive Reader.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise.

Charity shut the cover of Rare Magical Ailments and sighed. Another book, another bust. She had been struggling to figure out what was wrong with Remus for weeks now, to no avail. True, she had promised not to pry, and she prided herself on being someone who stuck to her promises. But she also prided herself on being a good friend, and good friends did not simply sit by and watch each other fall ill every month. The worst part was that she knew she was smarter than this! She knew she could figure it out, if she just tried hard enough. All she needed was to find the missing puzzle piece, and it would all fall into place.

It was frustrating not knowing where he went, yes, but it was more frustrating not knowing why he always returned looking so beaten. Heavy bags would appear under his eyes, and each excursion seemed to add a few deep lines on his skin. She just wanted to help him, but he remained insistent that he was fine. Charity desperately wished to challenge him on that, but she was reluctant to provoke another outburst from him.

She could feel it, sitting just out of reach. If she knew only a little more, she would know the answer in a heartbeat. Her eyes roamed around her quarters and fell on a piece of parchment lying in front of her. She had scribbled down everything she knew about Remus' illness, which, admittedly, wasn't much. He disappeared every month. In fact, he had been gone the first few days of February, as well.

"Ugh!" She grumbled aloud. It was just so upsetting! Why couldn't he trust her?

"I would've thought he'd reveal more about himself, considering how close the two of you have become."

Charity wasn't sure why Snape's words popped into her head at that precise moment, but they wriggled their way in and stuck to the forefront of her mind. Snape had said those things at the end of November, when she'd only known Remus for a short amount of time. She had been speaking with Remus for five and a half months now, and she was no closer to finding out his big secret. At the time, she had assumed that those words were Snape's way of getting under her skin, but now she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he knew something she didn't.

What did say about her, then, if Snape knew something about Remus that she didn't? Did that make her the most pathetic friend in existence? Snape seemed to utterly despise Remus for no apparent reason and—wait…

Severus Snape was an irritating man set in his ways. That, at least, she knew. But she also knew that he never did things without a reason. He never hated for the simple purpose of hating. Even if his reasons were rather childish and strange, he had them. Remus had done something to gain his ire, but it was hard to think of something that the mild-mannered Remus would do that could hurt someone's feelings. Then again, Snape was rather touchy.

Snape was part of the whole thing, of this she was certain. He never seemed particularly worried, or even all that surprised at Remus' disappearances, which suggested he knew about them beforehand. But how? The idea of Remus telling Snape himself was preposterous. So the only other way he could've known was if he somehow predicted it. In order to know when it was going to occur, he must've known what was wrong, right? Unless there was some sort of pattern to it…

Chewing anxiously on her bottom lip, Charity dug around in her desk drawer. She preferred to use muggle calendars whenever possible, even if she did have to write in all of the Wizarding holidays herself. There was something charming about them. She flipped open the calendar to November and took out a muggle fountain pen. Carefully, she placed a check mark on the first day of his disappearance. Idly, she noted that it was a full moon that night.

Shrugging it off, she flipped to December and patted herself on the back for getting a two year calendar. It was always good to be prepared—also, she still wasn't very good with muggle money, and tried not to venture into their world and make a fool of herself too often. She drew another check mark and frowned. That was odd; both times absences fell on the full moon. Her stomach began to churn as she moved to January and found the exact same thing.

She set down the calendar and breathed in through her nose. Remus was always gone on the full moon. Either he was off collecting rare potion ingredients, or he was a werewolf. Merlin…Remus was a werewolf! It all made sense now. His strange departures, his closed off nature, his refusal to tell her what was wrong. Charity laughed in relief. He wasn't dying!

She stood and hurried to the portrait hole, her promise not to snoop forgotten. She had to tell him what she knew. She could hardly contain her smile. A swift knock drew her out of her thoughts, and she forced herself to act normal. No need to make whoever it was think she was a lunatic, after all.

She cleared her throat and gently pushed open the door. "Remus!"

"Er, hello. I was just about to knock." He smiled nervously at her, shuffling his feet.

Charity felt her heart warm as she looked at him. He was so sweet! He had no idea that she knew his secret. He was probably scared that she'd turn him away, and she had to resist frowning at the mere thought. Remus could be so ridiculous sometimes, with his worrying and guilt. It made sense that he'd think of something silly like that, even when he knew that she considered him her best friend.

"Charity?" Remus asked, eyes widening. "Is everything okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I—" She broke off, glancing inside her quarters. Things were thrown all over the place, with robes hanging off of chairs and her books strewn over every flat surface imaginable. She blushed as she remembered his perfectly kept rooms. She couldn't let him in while it looked like this! "Why don't we go for a walk?"

"Ah, alright." He blinked at her quizzically, but didn't say anything else.

Charity carefully stepped out of the portrait hole and smiled at him, pulling him along. "Where do you want to go? It's a little warmer than before, so we could go outside, or we could stay in, or—"

"Charity," Remus interrupted. "I have something I need to tell you. It's very important, and I don't know…I'm not sure how you'll react. We should go somewhere more private."

"Okay," She agreed instantly. Her heart was thudding in her chest. Was he about to tell her? Should she tell him that she knew? He was going to tell her. He trusted her. He must, if he was going to tell her such a huge secret.

"Here, this is probably as good a spot as any." Remus fidgeted anxiously, stopping dead near a corner. He shoved his hands in his pockets before taking them back out and folding his arms across his chest. "I have something that I need to tell you. I—" He broke off, pausing to swallow. "I haven't been completely honest with you. When I'm sick, it's not because I'm—well, it's only that—Charity, I—"

"You're a werewolf." Charity hadn't meant to blurt it out like that. She'd imagined approaching it with more finesse, a little more sensitivity to how Remus must be feeling. It was only that he'd looked so conflicted, and he'd clearly been apprehensive about telling her. She wanted to reassure him, to let him know that she'd always stand by him.

His eyes bugged out of his skull almost comically, and he began to stammer and shift his weight from one side to the other. "How—what—when—I don't believe this," He muttered finally, leaning heavily against the wall.

"If it makes you feel any better, I only just figured it out," Charity rushed to tell him, patting him gently on the shoulder. "Really, I swear I haven't been keeping it from you."

He let out a strangled moan and covered his face with his hands. She noticed how he trembled beneath her hand and frowned. He seemed frightened—not of her, per se, just in general. How to help him…she smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

He stiffened almost immediately and jerked back. She held on stubbornly, refusing to let go.

"It's alright, Remus. I'm perfectly fine with it, really. Honestly, I was afraid you were dying, and that's why you kept disappearing," She confessed with a little laugh. "It all makes sense now, though. All those strange absences, and you were always so tired!"

"You…you don't mind?" He choked out.

"Of course not! I do have some questions though, if that's alright with you."

He didn't respond. Instead, his hands came up to rest on the middle of her back, pulling her close. Charity smiled widely, squeezing him back. Everything was going to be okay.

"Come on, Neville!"

Demelza's head shot up, surprised and (though she loathed to admit it) slightly worried. The HHPC was to spend the whole day with Harry Potter, as well as his friend, that Longbottom boy. Ginny hadn't known what they were supposed to be doing, only that it involved a secluded part of the Hogwarts' grounds. The Weasley twins had apparently guilt-tripped her into doing them a favor, and because she was the president, the rest of the club got pulled down with her. Harry was meant to be their supervisor, and (Demelza guessed) Longbottom would be helping him. Perhaps he could shed some light on the situation.

It was early Saturday morning, and the HHPC in its entirety was waiting right outside the Gryffindor portrait hole. The twins had only expected Ginny's Gryffindor friends to show up, but from the way they had worded their request, it had seemed like a better idea to call everyone in. A faint scrabbling came from around the corner, and the club turned to see as one.

"What's the password now, anyway? Cadogan keeps changing it," Longbottom could be heard complaining. "I wrote them all down, but I lost the list."

"It's—I'll tell you later," Harry said quickly, catching sight of the numerous Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws gazing up at him adoringly. "Er, you're all here to help us get things set up, right?"

"Yes!" Sheila squeaked out.

Harry and Longbottom traded confused looks before smiling hesitantly.

"Right, let's get started, then," Harry decided, guiding them down a small hall. The HHPC clustered together behind him, and Longbottom brought up the rear. Demelza sniffed with distaste as she realized that Romilda Vane was deliberately hanging back to speak with him. It was like she hardly noticed that Harry Potter was literally right in front of her!

Harry led them through the entire castle and out one of the tiny exits in the back. "Everyone try and stick together. The last thing we need is for a dementor to feel that he's getting hungry. This way!"

Demelza trembled lightly at the thought of a dementor sneaking up on them. Not that he would be able to sneak in the first place, due to the unsettling cold that followed them wherever they went. She swallowed and moved closer to Harry. She, Ginny, Colin, and Luna all formed a neat line directly behind him, with the HHPC falling in behind them. Demelza glanced over her shoulder and wrinkled her nose upon seeing Romilda and Longbottom engaged in conversation in the back.

"Right, here it is." Harry presented the small alcove with a wave of his hand.

Demelza glanced around the area with something akin to dismay. There was no snow on the ground, but the grass was silver with frost. Large weeds sprung around an old, dirty stone pathway. A little tree grew at an odd angle, as if an invisible force was pushing it down on one side. A bush up to Demelza's chest took up half the space. No one dared express their discontent and concern to Harry. No one, that is, except for Luna.

"What will this be used for?" She asked politely, tilting her head to the side as though it would help her get a better idea.

Harry frowned. "For Burbage and Lupin's date," He enunciated slowly.

"Burbage and Lupin are going on a date?" Ginny squawked before blushing bright red.

"Didn't Fred and George tell you?" Longbottom spoke up.

"No," She glowered in response. "I cannot believe this! Ooh, when I get my hands on them…"

"Right, well," Longbottom floundered for a few moments before Harry took over.

"Lupin loves Burbage, but she doesn't know it. We're going to help him tell her by setting up their date," He explained, adjusting his glasses. "This is the best spot we could find to hold it. Today, we're going to clean it up and take out all of the weeds. The others should be coming back from Hogsmeade with things we'll be using to decorate."

"So we're gardeners?" Lukas wondered.

"Er…yeah, I guess," He confessed. "So, uh, let's get started. A few of you should try to tackle the bush. Neville and I will work on the tree. If the rest of you could get the weeds and try to clean the stones—Penny made sure to leave some rags and a bucket of water—we should be finished by lunch."

Demelza looked around doubtfully. It wasn't a big area by any means, but it was also overrun by plant life. She'd be amazed if they finished by the end of the day. The small group scattered, and Demelza's eyes narrowed as Romilda sped towards a miniscule patch of weeds right near the tree. Was she trying to get close to Harry, or Longbottom? Demelza stalked towards the girl and plastered a fake smile on her face.

"D'you mind if I work with you?" She asked, keeping a healthy distance.

Romilda pursed her lips. "Sure, why not?"

Demelza knelt down next to her and began tugging at the weeds. Romilda crouched down and pulled as well, though her mind seemed to be elsewhere. Demelza could hear Harry and Longbottom grunting and digging their feet into the wild grass. Romilda let out a long breath from beside her and leaned back on her haunches to clean her nails for a moment. Demelza shrugged and kept going. The sun crept out from the clouds and beat down on her. The work was beginning to make her sweat, and she stopped to take a break.

Romilda wasn't there anymore.

Demelza twisted around and felt a flash of annoyance. Romilda was hovering right around Longbottom and talking to him as he dug up the roots of the tree. Letting out a growl, Demelza crept close and listened intently under the guise of inspecting some greenery.

"…aren't you at Hogsmeade?"

"I thought I could help Harry out by staying here. I didn't want to leave him alone—not that leaving him with you guys would be alone, but—"

"No, no, I understand."

"You do?"

Demelza hands fisted at her sides. What was going on here? Was she even there for Harry, or just to make googly eyes at Longbottom? She needed to speak to Ginny about this. Whirling back around and moving towards the ginger girl, she couldn't help but mutter under her breath. "Honestly…Longbottom, of all people…never liked her in the first place."

Ginny and Colin were scrubbing furiously at the stone path, heads bent together as they whispered back and forth. Colin's camera hung from a strap around his neck, nearly smacking the ground every time he bobbed his head too vigorously. Ginny frequently paused to glare at the path and look back at how much they'd already done.

"We need to talk," Demelza murmured angrily, flopping down next to them and picking up a rag. "That girl, Romilda Vane? Something is definitely not right about her!" She squeezed the water out of the rag and blew her bangs out of her face.

"I told you!" Colin's eyes widened as he shook his rag in Ginny's face. "Didn't I say that she wasn't club material? We need to show people that we have standards! We can't just let anyone in. Baddock was one thing, but at least he's actually interested."

Malcolm's ears perked up as he heard his name, and the trio fell silent for a few beats as he gazed at them suspiciously. When he turned back to his work, Ginny threw down her cloth and crossed her arms. "Alright, Demi, what is it? What's so wrong with Romilda?"

"Just look at her, and the way she's practically drooling over Longbottom. It's like she doesn't even notice that Harry Potter's less than two meters away from her! And she calls herself a fan." Demelza allowed a hint of disgust to creep into her voice.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "So you have a problem with the fact that she enjoys Neville's company?" She shook her head. "Neville's a nice guy. Maybe she just likes talking to him."

Colin dunked his rag back into the bucket. "I dunno, Ginny. She's never really shown much of an interest in Harry Potter at all, has she? Think about it. She's talked to him once or twice, and she's part of the club, but we sorta took her word for it. She seems to like Longbottom better."

Ginny sighed and wiped the sweat off her brow, picking up the cloth again. "Alright, alright. I think we need an outsider's opinion on this. Baddock! Get over here!"

Malcolm jumped to his feet and rushed over. "I knew it! You were talking about me," He accused. "Why do you always blame the Slytherin for things?"

"Not always," Demelza grumbled.

Ginny waved him off. "Not right now, Baddock, this is serious. What do you think of Vane?"

Malcolm scrunched up his face. "Eh. She's kinda strange."

Colin made a small triumphant noise. "What kind of strange?"

Malcolm shrugged. "She hardly ever comes to meetings, and when she does, she won't talk to anyone. 'Cept for Luna sometimes, but that's Luna. Looks like she likes Longbottom, though."

Demelza cleared her throat. "Got enough evidence now?"

"We'll give her one last chance," Ginny decided firmly. "If she doesn't shape up though, we'll have no choice but to request that she withdraw from the club."

"How do we keep her from telling the whole castle about it?"

"Hmm. Baddock, you're a Slytherin. How should we go about blackmailing Vane?"

Malcolm bit back a groan.

"Why can't you tell me where we're going again?"

"It's a surprise." Remus kept his hands over her eyes and continued to gently nudge her in the right direction. For the third time that afternoon, he felt a tightening in his gut. This was such a bad idea. He could be ruining a friendship right here.

"Ooh, we're going outside! I can feel the wind." Charity smiled and continued to walk with him.

"You don't seem too worried about the the loss of your sight," Remus noted.

She reached out her hand and touched his arm lightly. "It's only temporary. Besides…I trust you," She added more quietly.

Remus' heart thudded in his chest, threatening to burst free. She trusted him—him, the werewolf who had kept a huge secret from her for the better part of the school year. He nearly kissed her right then. Instead, he slowed his steps for a moment, taking deep breaths, before guiding her forward.

"I must admit, this is quite exciting. I've never gone anywhere like this—oh, I hope I don't trip."

"I wouldn't let you fall," He assured her, unconsciously tightening his hold on her. "There's a hill right here, so be careful. How are your Gryffindors doing?" He asked, genuinely intrigued.

"Oh, it's absolutely wonderful! They're all so sweet, you know? Some of them I just want to hug—mostly the first years, they're so small—and I'm thinking about scheduling another sleepover for the girls. I thought about doing one for the boys, but I'm not sure how they would react. Sleepovers seem like more of a girl thing…" She gnawed on her lower lip for a second, pulling her jacket closer.

"A sleepover for the boys might not be the best idea," He acknowledged. "I'm sure if you just find a way to spend some more time with them as a group, everything will work out fine. Now, just a few more steps and…we're here!" He announced, removing his hands before she could notice they were shaking.

"Oh! Remus, it's gorgeous!"

Remus nodded, trying not to look too taken aback. He would have to thank them for this later. "Thanks. I had a little help, though." There were more flowers packed into this small space than he had seen in his entire life, but oddly enough, it was tasteful rather than tacky, and their perfume wasn't overpowering. He nearly laughed as he realized that a bouquet of lavender sat in the center of a small table set for two.

He surmised that the Weasley twins had figured out how to get into the kitchens. Two salad plates, two soup bowls, two dinner plates, two glasses—all with the same delicate pattern. A clean white tablecloth with light blue trim completed the setting. He gulped nervously and pulled a chair out for her. She beamed at him and sat down carefully.

"Wow, Remus! This is all so beautiful." Charity continued to survey the area with wonder. "But there isn't any food." She frowned.

As soon as she spoke, soup and salad appeared. She blinked in surprise.

Remus sat down opposite her and shot her a quivery smile. "I hope you like everything." He was practically positive she would, knowing the Gryffindors. They were incredibly thorough, and they knew her so well.

The pair chatted over inconsequential things for almost an hour. In fact, the atmosphere was so relaxed that Remus forgot all about the third part of the plan. He was supposed to kiss her, but he found that by dessert, the only thing on his mind was how lovely she looked, surrounded by flowers with a bright grin on her face. He felt his heart stutter every time her eyes lit up, and he took a sip of water to calm his nerves.

"Happy Valentine's Day, by the way," She said suddenly.

Remus choked on his water. "Urgh—uh—huh?" He dabbed at the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

Charity leaned forward worriedly. "Happy Valentine's Day. Is everything alright? Oh, Remus, you're not one of those people who hates Valentine's Day, are you? I'm sorry, I should've made sure—"

"No, no, it's fine. Really, I just forgot all about it." He fumed silently. He should've known they would pull something like this! Monday, an unassuming day for a lunch between friends—bah! Of course they would go all out and pick the most romantic day of the year. His thoughts rapidly switched back to Charity, and how she looked quite nice today, with her hair in a fancy twist….

"Remus? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, yes, of course." Well, that settled it. He couldn't kiss her now. Not on Valentine's Day, at least. That so much pressure and expectation that would be placed on him, to make this absolutely perfect for her. She deserved better than this, better than him. He should be content with just her friendship, but he was too selfish to contain himself. Merlin, how would he get out of this one? His eyes traveled from her face to the bouquet in between them. He could barely keep from letting out a gasp as he realized that a single white lily was sticking out of the lavender.

"Am I going to be the one who always makes the first move?"

He flinched as her words bounced around his head. No. Charity needed someone brave, and determined, someone who would love her for who she was. Remus wasn't all that sure about the first one, but he had the last two down pat. He owed it to her—to himself. He stood abruptly and pushed his chair in. She hurried to join him, fitting her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"Charity, I meant to tell you earlier…you look very beautiful today."

Her cheeks darkened as she blushed. "Thank you. That's very sweet of you. You look nice too."

Remus managed a quick upturn of his lips. He had picked the least shabby robe in his wardrobe, the one he used for important occasions. All the buttons were on it, although one was hanging by a thread. He rarely wore it, preferring to keep it in good condition. "You—you've been an amazing friend to me. You're an incredible woman, Charity. I can honestly say that I've never met anyone like you. I—You're so selfless and kind…I don't think I've ever seen someone take the Head position so seriously."

Her lips parted slightly as she stared at him. "Remus…what are you trying to say?"

He shifted anxiously and lowered his voice. "May I try something?"

She tilted her head to the side as he leaned down so that their faces were level. He had never observed her in such close detail before, and he could easily say that he'd never seen anyone so stunning. Their eyes met as he advanced closer. Just as their lips met, he heard a small squeal from around the corner. He smiled into the kiss.

Charity wrapped her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers together. His hands moved to her waist. A smattering of applause broke out behind them.