Once school was out, they were free to see each other as often as they liked. Most weeks, that was three or four times...if they had Order meetings, it might be every day. The only time they were really apart was for the day of, and the day after the full moon. Even though Remus loved her and knew she accepted his condition, he couldn't quite bring himself to let her see him in his transformed state. Holly didn't push the issue, she knew he would resolve it in his own time.

They enjoyed their time together, whether they went somewhere or just spent the day at one of their homes. They were both happier than they'd ever been. For Holly, the last few months had been an exhilarating experience...she was truly in love, and she had no doubt that they'd be together forever. Along with that, she'd made some close friends within the Order, specifically in the Weasley family. They seemed to have almost adopted her , and she was pleased with that. They were a warm, caring, close-knit family and she felt she fit right in. She had gotten to know most of them well. There was something she liked about them all, from the twins' practical jokes and Ginny's sarcastic sense of humor to the serious side she found in the adults.

This relationship had not completely eclipsed the one she had with Alyssa. She still considered her a very close friend, just perhaps not as close as they had been. It wasn't that she valued her "sister" any less, but there had been some distance creep into their relationship over the last several years.

However, Holly had written to her through the year to keep her updated as much as possible about her life. Since Umbridge's departure, she had written a long letter telling her openly about her romance with Remus. She also wrote to her "parents" giving them the same information. Alyssa's response had been cheerful, she was glad that Holly had found someone she really loved, and didn't have the slightest problem with his condition. Jane's letter was much more cautious. She said she was glad Holly was happy, but questioned whether she was really in love. She also seemed to not believe it possible for a werewolf to be safe, or that he could love her. Holly hoped that meeting Remus would show her she was wrong.

Holly had mentioned in her letter to Alyssa the birthday dinner their parents gave each girl every year...Alyssa's was coming up soon, and Holly thought she would bring Remus. Alyssa said it sounded like a good idea to her, it would give everyone a chance to meet him. When she mentioned the idea to Remus, he was nervous but agreed to go. He knew she wanted him to meet her family.

On July 12, Remus came to Holly's house, and from there they apparated to an alleyway a couple of blocks from her parents' home. As they walked the rest of the way, Holly hoped that her parents would react better than the letter indicated.

When they arrived, Holly rang the doorbell, and was admitted by Jane. Her "mom" hugged her, then Holly introduced Remus to her. When Remus extended his hand, Jane shook it, but did so quickly and with a stiffness that revealed she'd rather not touch him. Jane led them into the living room. Alyssa immediately walked over to her and hugged her, then shook Remus' hand enthusiastically. Holly introduced him to her, then to David , her "dad"; Alyssa's husband Steven, and their son Mark. Alyssa's family received them warmly, but Jane and David were obviously uncomfortable having a werewolf in the house.

Holly wished Alyssa a Happy Birthday and congratulated her on her pregnancy.

"Thank you. And I'm glad to see you looking so happy."

"I'm happier than I've been in a while. Remus and I are totally in love, which is wonderful. And I'm really enjoying my new job. It's much more satisfying than my last few months at the Ministry were."

"So how did you two meet?"

"A mutual friend introduced us. It was a work related meeting, but we had so much fun visiting afterward that we kept getting together. After a while, we really started dating."

"That's great. I'm glad you've found someone."

At this point, David addressed Remus.

"You're a werewolf, right?"

"Yes sir"

"So, you turn into an animal and run around biting people?"

"No sir. Once a month, at the full moon, I do change into a wolf. But I've never deliberately bitten anyone. There is a potion available that I take which keeps me from biting anyone."

"You said you've never deliberately bitten anyone. Are you saying you've bitten people by accident? How can that be?"

"There have been times when I couldn't get my potion for different reasons. When that happens and I change, I forget that I'm not supposed to bite. It's part of the condition, I have no control over it. The illness causes amnesia; when I return to my human form, I have no memory of what I've done. That's why I can't be completely sure I've never bitten anyone."

Before David could speak again, Holly said

"That won't be a problem anymore. He has a reliable source for his potion now, and I see to it that he takes it."

Alyssa too could tell David was getting ready to push Remus further, so she asked

"Is dinner ready yet? I've been looking forward to this all day."

Jane said it was, and they all went into the dining room. The meal was nice, but Holly couldn't help wondering to herself what Remus could have done with the same food. They talked a bit as they ate, but there was still tension in the air.

After dinner, Alyssa opened her gifts, and it wasn't long until Holly decided she was ready to leave. Alyssa walked to the door with them. She stepped outside and apologized to them for her parents' behavior.

"I promise you that Steven and I are very happy for you." She looked at Remus "We have no problem with you being a werewolf. We are both Healers and work with werewolves sometimes, so we understand much more about your condition than they ever could."

Remus replied "I'm glad to know that not everyone in the room hated me."

Holly then spoke up " I'm really disappointed in them. I thought they'd be more open-minded, especially with you explaining so much. By the way, you did a great job of that. Personally, I was biting my tongue to keep from asking him what made it his business anyway."

She put her arm around Remus, then told Alyssa they needed to go, but that she was glad for the chance to visit with her.

Upon their arrival at Holly's house, she invited im in. He accepted, they went inside and sat on the sofa. She faced him, trying to come up with the words to express her feelings about the evening.

"I am so sorry I put you through that. I knew they had some reservations, but I honestly thought that meeting you would help them at least be open to the idea. I didn't expect David to put you through the inquisition. I'm really deeply disappointed in them."

"Apology accepted, not that you needed to apologize. You were trying to help them overcome their fears and prejudices, but rarely can one person do that, and if the other person isn't willing, it can't be done. But I appreciate your efforts. Few people would have even tried."

"I'm going to talk to them further about it in a few days. But if they can't accept you, then they will lose me. You mean more to me, than they have in years."

"I don't want to break up your family. This is one reason I've so rarely been seriously involved with anyone."

"Don't look at it that way. My relationship with them has been rocky for years. There's so much about me, and our world, they don't understand that it really caused problems. But it's not just that they don't understand, they don't want to learn. Most importantly, though is the fact that they disapprove of the way I live my life. They feel I should have already married; they don't realize that most of the men I've dated in the last few years were after my money. There's a long list of other things that we've disagreed about since I came of age, and our relationship has steadily worsened because of it. I've tried talking to them, but it has no effect."

"I'm sorry to hear you've had such a rough time. I thought you said they were good to you?"

"They were when I was young. They never mistreated me in any way. They took care of all my needs and most of my wants. But when I turned seventeen, the problems started. So, it's not something new, and I don't blame you for it. Please don't let this come between us."

He took her in his arms, in a warm, tender embrace. "No way am I going to let that come between us, and I'll be here for you, whatever may happen."

At this, she looked up into those beautiful blue eyes that always got to her, and she kissed him.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."

They stayed there, embracing, for several minutes. She looked up at him and said "You know, I could stay here like this all night."

"So could I. But I think we both need some sleep. And as much as I hate to, I really should leave."

"I suppose you're right. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, maybe."

He stood up to leave. "Okay, good night"

She stood and kissed him again. "Goodnight"

Over the next couple of weeks, Holly made several attempts to contact Jane and David. Three times she went to their house, but they were gone each time. She sent a couple of letters, one was brought back by the same owl, opened but with no response. The other one they answered several days later, in a very clipped, angry tone. They criticized her choice of a boyfriend and said they hoped she would find someone better. Though they didn't say it exactly, they made it clear their feelings had not changed and they considered the matter closed.

In early August, they decided to go back to 'their spot' on the lake for a swim. They brought a picnic again, but this time it was more typical food...fried chicken, mashed potatoes, soft drinks, and a chocolate cake for dessert. They got there around 5 p.m., just a couple hours before sunset. They stripped down to the swimsuits they were wearing, then ran out into the lake. They spent a couple of hours swimming and splashing before getting out just as the sun was beginning to set. As the sun painted the sky a beautiful mix of gold, pink and purple, they unloaded the basket, then sat back and enjoyed the view.

After the best of the show was over, they lit their wands and started a small fire to eat by. Remus had cooked again, and the food was excellent. When Holly finished, she laughed and said "You know, I'd better not let you get away. You are a terrific cook, you help me with my work, you're always doing something for me...you're really spoiling me."

"I can't help myself, I love you and I love doing things for you. As for me getting away, there's no danger of that. I could never leave you. In fact, I was asking myself a few minutes ago why I haven't put a ring on your finger yet."

"Is that a proposal?"

"No, that was thinking out loud. But this is. Holly Williams, will you marry me?"

"Yes, Remus Lupin, I will marry you."

"I don't have a ring for you right now. Even though I've been thinking of marriage for a while, I haven't gotten around to looking yet. How about we go tomorrow?"

"It's okay that you don't have a ring yet, we're just as engaged with no ring as we would be if I had a huge rock on my finger. It's the words that count. But sure, if you want, we can shop tomorrow."

He drew her close, and though she could feel him shiver from the cool dampness of her swimsuit against his bare chest, he held her and kissed her. They sat there kissing and caressing a bit for several minutes. At one point, though, she was running her hand on his chest, and she felt him wince.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"A little. I forgot to tell you that those scars are tender. Those are probably self-inflicted, and werewolf scratches are cursed, so they don't heal as well as other types of injuries. They can stay tender and somewhat painful for months. Those have been there since February; I have gotten accustomed to the way they feel under my clothes, and just didn't think to mention it."

"I'm sorry...I didn't know. I'll be more careful. Was it because of my fingernail?"

"No, any pressure heavier than fabric can hurt...in fact some clothes don't feel good either. It's not really very painful, just uncomfortable. I think the fact that my skin has been exposed for so long today may have made it more sensitive. This is the first time I've been swimming in my normal form in years...so my chest hasn't seen sunlight in a long time."

"Speaking of swimming, how about we go for a dip in the moonlight?"

So they did. The water was still warm, which felt great. They swam for a while, laughing and talking as they did. Finally, Remus looked up and guessing by the position of the moon figured the time must be around 11. Neither of them had a particular time to be home, but they decided it was probably a good idea to leave. They used their wands to siphon most of the water off their suits, but they were still damp. Then they put their wraps back on, gathered up the picnic stuff and went back to Holly's house. At the door, he asked her what time she'd like to go shopping in the morning. They agreed on 11 a.m., then he kissed her goodnight and left.

When he arrived back at Grimmauld Place, no one was up. The clock on the wall in the living room read 12:30 a.m., so he decided to just go to bed. He could tell everyone of his engagement tomorrow. It seemed like a good idea to do that when Holly could be there as well. If they were lucky enough to find a ring tomorrow, she'd have something to show off to them. He was glad he'd been able to save most of his money from teaching a couple of years ago, he'd be able to buy her a nice ring. As he drifted off to sleep, his mind was still lingering on their afternoon, and how he had enjoyed holding her in his arms. He could still feel her caress on his chest...the scars had quit stinging, but he could feel the softness of her fingers as if she were still there. Then he realized there would be very few more nights in his life when he'd be sleeping alone. This was a very comforting thought to him, and the last thing that crossed his mind before he began to dream.

The next morning Holly was up by 9. She prepared a light breakfast for herself, got dressed and was ready to leave when he arrived at ten minutes to eleven. When he arrived, they apparated together to Diagon Alley . There they went to a store that sold a variety of antiques, new and old jewelry, among other things. They looked around, finally finding a ring that they both liked. It was a delicate gold band with a small diamond set between two gold roses. She tried it on, and it was a perfect fit. She liked the way it looked on her hand...she had small hands, so big stones always looked odd on her. While they were there, they also found the wedding set they wanted. It was a pair of matching gold bands, with interlocking circles engraved into the outside of the ring. Remus paid for her engagement ring, and Holly wore it out of the store. They spent another couple of hours looking around in some of the shops. Then, they got a light lunch. While they were eating, Remus said "You know, we'll never make it to get married. Sirius will kill me for not telling him about this last night."

"Maybe we can bring him a peace offering. A good book or something from the Weasley's shop might get him to spare you."

"No...I've got a better idea. I'll see if I can convince Molly to prepare his favorite meal, that should take care of it. We can get the food at the market before we leave."

They finished their meal, went to the market, then apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

Remus knocked on the door, and Hermione opened it. She saw the food, and asked Holly

"Are you staying for dinner?"

"Yes, I am. Mrs. Weasley hasn't started cooking yet, has she?"

"No, she's upstairs, cleaning one of the bedrooms."

"I'm glad I got here when I did. I've got a special meal request for her."

They went into the kitchen and put the bags on the table. Remus and Holly then went upstairs to talk to Molly. Remus spoke first.

"Molly, I have a bit of good news for you, and a favor to ask of you."

"Alright, what is it?"

"Let me give you the good news first. Holly and I are engaged."

Mrs. Weasley smiled brightly. "Oh, Remus, I'm so glad to hear that. Congratulations. You two are such a perfect couple."

"Thank you. I'm glad you think so. Please don't tell anyone else yet...we'll tell them together. That brings me to the favor. I asked her last night, so we were engaged when I came in, but I didn't wake Sirius up to tell him. I'm sure he won't be happy about that, but I think he would take it better if he had a plateful of your steak and kidney pie in front of him. We got all the ingredients at the market today. Could you make it for dinner tonight, so I can actually live to get married?"

"I'm sure Sirius wouldn't be that bad. But yes, I'll make it for dinner."

"Thank you. I really appreciate that. We'll make the announcement at dinner. For now, I need to speak to Holly privately."

They went to his bedroom and sat on the love seat by the fireplace.

Remus spoke to Holly " I wanted to talk to you privately so that you can answer this question without the influence of anyone else. I'm sure you've realized I've been deliberately avoiding allowing you to see me transform. It's something that I'm still somewhat ashamed of, but I've realized I can't hide it from you forever. Since we are going to be married, you need to see it, to know what happens. Tomorrow is the full moon. I've taken my potion all week, so I'll be safe, I'll know who you are. Only my body will change. If you'd like, you can come here and stay with me, or if you'd prefer, I can go to your house."

"I do want to see, and to do whatever I can to take care of you. I'd rather do this at my house, so I can learn to handle it myself. I'll come get you before dark, so we'll have a little time together beforehand."

"That sounds good. If we get to your house by around 4 p.m., we'll have a couple of hours."

She leaned over and gave him a hug, then said she thought she heard Sirius asking Molly about dinner.

They went downstairs, and as they reached the kitchen door, they heard Sirius say "This smells delicious, but why won't you tell me the reason you're cooking it?"

Before Molly could answer, Remus spoke up "Because I asked her not to tell you. It won't do any good to badger her or me. You'll find out when everyone else does."

Sirius gave Remus a puzzled, slightly irritated look, then sat down near the stove. Remus and Holly sat down together opposite him. Holly was very careful to keep her left hand out of sight, as that would give them away.

A little while later, Mr. Weasley and Bill arrived from work. They talked for a while about their day, giving everyone the latest information they had about Voldemort's suspected activities.

Mrs. Weasley asked Hermione and Ginny to help her set the table. As they did this, she said "I believe Remus has something he wants to tell us that will lighten the mood."

Remus and Holly stood up, then he spoke to them

"I hope this will be considered good news to everyone. Last night, I asked Holly to marry me, and she accepted. We're engaged."

Sirius spoke up "You couldn't have told me this last night?"

"Actually, no. You were asleep when I came in at 12:30 a.m. I didn't want to wake you. But most importantly, we wanted to tell you together, and we wanted to have a ring to show you. We didn't get the ring until this morning. This is why we're having you're favorite meal for dinner."

"Oh, so I'll forgive you for not telling me last night? I guess I can, but mostly because I understand your reasons. Congratulations." He walked over to Remus and hugged his old friend. "I told you someone could love you. And I said I had a feeling she was the one."

He looked at Holly, then said to her "He's cranky and more than a little stubborn sometimes. But I've been listening to him for months and I promise you he is hopelessly in love with you. As far as he's concerned there isn't another interesting woman on the planet. He would give you the moon and stars if you asked him to. You two make a great couple, and I wish you all the happiness in the world."

He gave her a hug too, and sat down.

The couple said, at the same time "Thank you Sirius".

Then they sat down. Ginny and Hermione were nearby and wanted to see the ring. Holly showed them, and everyone else who wanted to see.

Then everyone started helping themselves to dinner, and chatting about various things. Mrs. Weasley and the girls were nearest Holly, and they asked if any plans had been made yet.

Holly told them "No, not yet. It hasn't been but 24 hours. However, I did want to ask the three of you if you would help me with the plans."

The three of them all said "Yes, of course."

During the rest of dinner, they discussed a few ideas, but didn't make any decisions because Holly wanted time to think and discuss everything with Remus.

Once dinner was over, they talked a while longer, then Holly decided she needed to go home. Remus accompanied her, because he wanted to talk to her a bit more about tomorrow.

Upon their arrival at her house, Holly invited Remus in for a cup of tea. He accepted, and they went inside together. She prepared it, they sat on the couch, sipping it and talking about the plans they've made for the following day. Remus was worried that she'd be disgusted or scared by the transformation process. Holly assured him that no matter how bad it might be, she'd stay with him the whole time. He also told her it's a terribly painful process, so he's glad she doesn't have any close neighbors who might be disturbed by his howls. Holly looked at him closely, noticing the way he'd hung his head as he mentioned the noise. He was clearly embarrassed by admitting he sometimes cried out in pain.

She put her hand on his shoulder and said "Honey, I can tell you're embarrassed by this, and you feel that your screams or howls are signs of weakness. I promise you I don't see it that way. Anyone who goes through severe pain is bound to make some noise, and if they say they don't they're probably lying. The thing I want you to remember though, is that I love you, no matter what happens."

He looked up at her, a slight smile on his face. " I don't know how someone as wonderful as you can love someone like me, but I'm sure glad you do. When you talk to me like that, I feel like I can handle anything that comes along. Maybe this full moon won't be so bad."

She kissed him, then said " I can't turn into a dog and run around with you, but I bet I can keep you comfortable."

"I bet you can too."

He looked at the clock, and said he needed to go home early so he can get plenty of sleep, because he usually can't sleep much as a werewolf. So, he kissed her goodnight, then went home.

The next day was mostly uneventful. Holly made sure she had plenty of good food available, and a couple of extra blankets. She didn't know what else Remus would need, but intended to ask when they got here at 4. She arrived at Grimmauld Place at about 3:30, and visited with everyone for a few minutes. Remus got his overnight bag, then they left, arriving back at her house by 4 p.m. Once there, they sat down on the couch and she asked him a few questions. She found out that really all he required was something to eat, a warm place to lay, and somewhere to sleep when it was over. He also told her he'd taken his potion for that day as well, to further ensure he would be safe that night. Then, she realized it wasn't dark yet, so she snuggled up beside him, and he put his arm around her. They sat there cuddling until it was nearly dark. When they realized the sun was going down, he told her to raise up, that he would need some space.

A few minutes later, the sun was gone, and the moon was rising. Remus began to transform. Over a span of about 10 minutes, though it seemed like longer to her, she watched as every inch of his body changed. His limbs lengthened and became like dog's legs, his head changed into a long wolf-like head with a snout, and he sprouted a tufted tail. He did howl and cry out several times, but watching it, she had no doubt that it must have hurt. Everything about him changed shape. She cried a bit too as she watched...she wasn't scared or disgusted, she felt as if she were sharing his pain. When it was over, he gave one last lonely sounding howl, and walked over to her. He sniffed her outstretched hand, then licked it, as if trying to reassure her that he still knew her. She motioned for him to get up on the couch with her, and he did, curling up and putting his head on her leg. She stroked it, hoping that her touch would help him feel better. She knew it wouldn't relieve the pain; he'd said nothing did...it fades a little through the night, but changing back hurts too, so he's not totally rid of the pain until several hours after the sun comes up. She sat there with him for a while, talking to him and rubbing him a little. Then she thought he might be hungry, since she knew she was. She went to the kitchen and got the chicken she'd cooked earlier that day. She warmed it , made herself a salad to go with it, and brought him a couple of pieces on a plate, and some water in a big bowl. He climbed down from the couch and ate everything on the plate, then walked back over to the couch and curled back into a ball.

She finished her meal, washed the dishes, then joined him on the couch. She talked to him, thinking out loud about their wedding plans; she promised him she was just thinking, not actually deciding anything. Sometime after 3 a.m., she dozed off on the couch. About two hours later, she woke up because the sun was beginning to rise. She looked around and Remus was curled up at the other end of the sofa, watching her sleep. She raised up, told him good morning, and hugged him. He got up and stretched, wagging his tail at her to show he was okay. Within a few minutes the sun was up more, and he changed back into his normal form. The process looked a lot like it had a few hours ago, but reversed.

As soon as he was human again, he sat down on the couch, and spoke to her in a weak voice "Thank you for all you did. I felt better taken care of than I think I ever have. The food was just what I needed, but the company was the best part. I didn't realize how much difference that would make. Sirius has kept me company before, but it's not the same. I know he cares and wants to help, but you showed me a lot of attention. It even looked like you were crying when you were watching me."

"I was...it looked so painful. I wasn't scared; I knew you wouldn't hurt me. And it was not disgusting either, just eerie. I had intended to stay awake the whole time, but I just fell asleep without realizing it."

"It's okay; quite often Sirius does too. And, there have been many times when I've had no one to do anything for me on these nights. So every bit of help counts. But now, I'm very tired and a little hungry. Could I have some more chicken?"

"Sure. Just stay there, I'll bring it to you." She warms several pieces of chicken for him along with some vegetables and bread. He eats, and then starts to curl up on the couch.

She says "Why don't we both take a nap in my bed. You can stretch out all the way and be comfortable."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes...it's not as if you're gonna hurt me, and I know you won't take advantage of the situation. You're too much of a gentleman for that."

He agrees, and they go lay down on her bed for a nap, without even so much as a kiss...they're both simply far too tired to do anything but sleep.

Somewhere around noon, she wakes up. Remus is still sound asleep, so she carefully slips out of bed, and goes into the kitchen for a snack. She tiptoes around as quietly as possible for the next hour, trying not to disturb him because she knows he needs his sleep. However she is concerned when 1 p.m comes and he's not up. So, she goes in to check on him to find he's just waking up.

He stretches and yawns, then says "Good afternoon. Thanks for letting me sleep here...I feel much better."

"I'm glad you like it, that will be our bed when we're married if we decide to live here."

They spent the next several hours together, talking about the wedding. They decided to get married on Christmas Eve, the one year anniversary of their first meeting. Most everything else is left undecided. They do know who the want as attendants...for her, Hermione, Ginny and Alyssa; for him Sirius, Harry and Ron. They decide to ask the other Weasley sons to be ushers.

Since there aren't enough small children to have a ring bearer and flower girl, the decide to let Sirius carry the rings, and just skip the flowers. She'll have a bouquet, and so will her attendants, so that should be okay. Sometime around 6 p.m., they decide to go back to Grimmauld Place, so they can tell everyone what they've decided.