Review offering insight to the story:

"You continue to amaze me. From the very first sentence, even the very first word, you amaze me, all the way to the always-perfect, always beautiful ending of your chapter. You portray Hermione so well. I can hear her entire voice, feel her entire desire to want to help them. I feel so terribly sorry for her. She wants to help them, and she tries so hard to stop her feelings from showing, and still, they show...they're beautifully written. Nobody can write emotions like you do; when they attempt to delve so deeply into one person's emotions and perspective, it ends up seeming awkward, but it doesn't happen with you. It just seems right, with everything just fitting together, like it was meant to be. Remus and Hermione's interactions are spot-on. I could just imagine Hermione being there...that's one of the things I love most with your stories, you know? Without any effort, without any straining, I can see everything that's happening in my minds' eye, so clearly it was like I was actually there. I keep saying this, but you truly are one of a kind. I cannot wait to read the next chapter, but don't rush it-I don't want you to hurt your back more. Anyway, beautifully written, and I cannot wait for more. Say, could there be a chapter in Remus' POV sometime soon? (hint, hint)" - PiperPaigePhoebe01 of FanFiction net.

Thank you to the following reviewers of chapter four: Ellie Lupin, Black-Rose23, Hotkat144, quiet-mg, Legessa, Caligirl-HPLVR, bethygirl94, sasmith, Jester08, lave en fusion, hawkeyehellsing, MasqueradeNumberOne and especially PiperPaigePhoebe01, Suzy87, mskiti and galloping-goose.

The Werewolf Tamer

Five

Remus woke up with a heavy, pounding headache. His entire body ached and his senses were running on high. The smallest noise seemed to ring tenfold in his ears, and the faintest smell made his stomach turn. His body felt like it was on fire and his temples throbbed incessantly with pain. He was incredibly exhausted, but he couldn't sleep at all. He heard Sirius, James, and Peter all talking around him, but he couldn't make out a word for the longest time. Everything sounded gurgled and hollow. He could make out Madam Pomfrey as she passed him potions though, for that he was thankful. He couldn't remember anything from the night before, but he felt an odd sense of peace and feared for what might have fed the beast inside of him. It was only ever happy when it caused destruction, usually to a harmless creature. He wanted to ask, but he was in too much pain and too tired to move his mouth.

And then another voice joined, one that was both familiar and strange to him. Her voice cut through all the rest, and came out clear and precise, stating that the food she had just offered was not there for him and if he so wanted, a simple potion for his overactive senses could dampen his sense of smell and quell his turning stomach. It was that knowledge that shook him, because he hadn't spoken to anyone but his friends and Madam Pomfrey about the nausea and headaches the plagued him. His eyes flew open and found the woman's immediately, while he stared at the figure questioningly. He sat up quickly, and regretted the action almost immediately. What met his senses shocked him thoroughly. He caught her scent and felt the werewolf in him react excitedly, which scared him. He kept trying to figure out how he knew her scent, why it felt so terribly familiar to him.

She moved to kneel in front of him so they were eye to eye and he was quite shocked by how comforting that simple action was. When she smiled at him, his heart did a quick flip flop and his stomach twisted, though not in a bad way, for once. She was quite beautiful and he wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not. Her eyes were a chocolate brown, dark and deep with thought. He didn't have to question her intelligence, he thought it sat quite pointedly in her gaze. Her face was heart shaped and welcoming, with high cheek bones, soft pink lips, and a spatter of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Long, flowing brown hair cascaded down her back in a mass of wild curls and he had the urge to reach out and twist one around his finger. She spoke quietly, her voice intended to be a whisper for his benefit. He latched on to the sweet noise, its melody lulling him into a sense of comfort.

At first, he was sure he was under some sort of spell, and so he felt panicked when she began talking about having another job outside of being a new professor, especially since she had already mentioned knowing he was a werewolf. But when she explained her position on things, her dreams for the future involving werewolves, witches, and wizards alike, he was astonished, and mildly moved. He wanted to take everything she said to heart, to believe in the idea wholly, but he was cautious and unsure. He couldn't lay his life on the line for mere possibility that she could change everything, could he? She offered him time to think about it and even told him she knew of a potion that would give him back his human senses during the full moon instead, if he liked. Then she tried to leave and he hadn't realized he was gripping her hand unwilling to let go.

When she was gone, the three boys around him broke out in conversation. "I don't trust her. I still think we should have obliviated her before she left," Sirius exclaimed, looking perturbed and suspicious at the doors. Madam Pomfrey had gone off somewhere, looking giddy over the fact that the new professor was interested in having a butterbeer with her in Hogsmeade. Whoever she was -he believed she said her name was Hermione- she was making a quick impression on people.

"I like her," James disagreed, though he looked rather surprised by the fact, likely because he and Sirius usually agreed on everything. "I don't know what it is about her, but I get the feeling she's nice. And she wants to help Remus, too. You saw her with him last night, he was like a puppy around her," he said, grinning. He gave Remus a wink, and the young werewolf felt rather embarrassed and worried over how he might have acted. "He was sniffing her hair and jumping around like a giddy little pup. And he didn't harm her in the least, instead trying to save her from you," he reminded Sirius.

The most suspicious of the Marauders heaved a great sigh, "I still don't like it. Don't you think it's just a little bit weird that she appeared out of nowhere, right in front of Remus, and declared herself a Werewolf Tamer?" Sirius asked, incredulously.

"I think she's pretty," Peter said timidly.

Sirius turned and frowned at him, "We're not talking about her looks, Pete, we're talking about whether she's trustworthy. She's asking a lot of Remus and we can't just let her in without thinking about this. What if she's working for You-Know-Who, and she's really scouting for werewolves?" he asked, his brow cocking with question.

James frowned, admitting for a moment that it was a possibility. "I agree it was weird how she showed up, but I don't get the dark vibe from her. She seems nice and I think she has Remus' best interests at heart. Besides, Death Eater or not, I've never seen anyone calm the wolf before. And she acted as though she knew Remus personally, like she was familiar with his wolf side," he pointed out, sounding rather excited.

"Exactly!" Sirius bellowed, rubbing at his jaw and beginning to pace. "I don't like it. She doesn't know us at all and yet she looks at us and speaks to us as though she's known us all her life. Did you see her when she was looking at us? For a minute I felt like she could see what I was thinking and knew everything about me," he told them, shuddering briefly.

James nodded slowly, his brow furrowing. "Yeah, that was a little weird. I got the feeling she knew something about me that even I didn't know," he said, shaking his head with confusion. "I kinda thought she might hug me there for a minute," he admitted, chuckling.

"I didn't see that," Peter added in, his voice quiet compared to James and Sirius'.

"She barely looked at you," Sirius brushed off, still pacing and looking deep in disgruntled thought. "What d'you think Remus?" he asked, picking up a bun and some ham from the platter the two house elves brought them. James, taking his cue to eat, dug into another platter, looking ravenous in his hunger, but watching Remus to hear his assertion of the woman.

Still rather dazed, Remus rubbed his forehead, "She was being honest," he told them, leaning back in bed and letting his head fall on the pillow. "I can usually tell if someone is lying to me, but she was telling the truth. And she obviously knows a lot about werewolves. She was purposely speaking quietly and knew exactly what I'd need, like the potion for my sense of smell. Plus, she held my gaze. A lot of people won't do that when they know what I am," he sounded quite cheery by that declaration and realized he found hope in knowing that she wasn't scared of him. Most would see him as a monster, and frown on his affliction, but she met it head on, and wanted to help. "I think... maybe she could really help," he said slowly, sounding uncertain. His hope was taking over and he wasn't sure what he was going to do. While he might agree she could be a good person and likely able to help him, he wasn't sure if he could offer himself up to her project and cause.

"What?" Sirius asked, loud and shocked. "You can't honestly be thinking of just bowing to her will? We don't even know her for bloody sakes!" he exclaimed, his mouth full of food as he paced loudly on the floor.

Remus' hearing was still running on high, so he winced at the sound of his friends shouting.

"Give him some time to think about it Sirius," James told him, looking over at Remus with a quick grin. "It's not everyday that a beautiful professor declares she can give you your heart's desire," he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Remus felt heat creep up his neck and looked away from his friend, rolling his eyes. It broke Sirius out of his bad mood however, and after a howl of laughter, he engaged James in a conversation about Quidditch, while filling his stomach with food. Peter stood off to the side, never adding to the conversation, but hanging off of every word James and Sirius said, his expression eager. Remus put an arm over his face, hoping to block out the noise. He was thankful that he had taken the potion for sense of smell, as his stomach wasn't twisting and turning anymore.

A short while later, his three friends dragged themselves to various beds and fell into a loud, fitful sleep. Sirius was immeasurably loud, his snores creating havoc on Remus' senses. He dearly wanted to throw something at him, but that would require leaving the bed, and he simply didn't have the energy for the feat. He had no idea how long he suffered through it, but he felt as though it was ages. He felt ill all over, his body was aching in places he didn't know could ache. Which was when he was given reprieve. He could sense her the second she stepped into the room, not that her boots would have kept her hidden much longer anyway. She was quiet though, didn't call out in her wait for Madam Pomfrey. She took one look at him and then did something most would consider terribly reckless. He watched as she went to Madam Pomfrey's potions, pulling one out after listening for the medi-witch. He felt a small prick of admiration at her Marauder-like behavior. It was quite mischievous of her to go stealing potions from the woman's cabinet. No one dare do so, fearing the wrath she might take out on them. After all, she was who would mend their next mishap.

He noticed that she was careful when she walked to him, her footsteps measured so not to make too much noise. When she knelt beside him, he felt that familiar tug inside of him. There was something so very familiar about her, something he couldn't quite grasp. She reached out, pushing his fringe off his forehead and he relished in the cool feel of her palm against his skin. It was a nice difference from the heat that consumed him. She looked quite adoring now, like she was hurting over his pain. And while he could feel that the werewolf really liked her, he was starting to worry that his human side was beginning to get a small crush on her, too. It would be no good, after all she was his Professor now, and could be his tamer later on. There was an inexplicable trust that he felt as she held the potion out to her, and though Sirius' worries screamed in his mind, he lifted his chin to sip the potion without a care in the world. He felt the urge to touch her while she was leaving, but couldn't be sure if he managed it as the lack of sound finally allowed his exhaustion to take him away.

He awoke hours later, the time was unimportant, as he could clearly see it was very dark out. He realized that he'd likely be staying over night and wondered how his friends felt about that. They would surely want to get back to the Potter's as soon as possible. There was only a few days left of summer hols and nobody wanted to spend them at the school. He turned over onto his side, his body in need of a good stretch. He was tired still, his eyes reminding him of the fact with their stinging. His stomach grumbled though he grimaced at the mere idea of eating. His eyes landed on a thin, shining item on his bedside table then and when he lifted himself up, he found a large chocolate bar staring out at him. His brows rose and his eyes widened as he wondered when his friends went to Hogsmeade. He felt a bit left out over that, but was too happy to see the chocolate to care much. Reaching out, he pulled it open and carefully opened it, hoping the potion on his hearing hadn't yet stopped working. He couldn't hear Sirius, so he assumed the best.

After getting the wrapper off, he broke off a chunk of the milky chocolate bar and placed it on his tongue. He was immediately filled with warmth that went all the way down to his toes. His aches and pains, exhaustion and discomfort all seemed to melt into the background. Chocolate was the only thing he could eat after a full moon, and he was thankful that James or Sirius remembered that. Letting his head fall back on the pillow, he let the flavor and warmth consume him wholly. He no longer felt sad or melancholy, only content. He managed through half the bar before his friends heard the wrapper and made their way over. James stared down at the chocolate bar lying on his chest and licked his lips. He looked as though he had just woken up himself and kept stretching his arms above his head and running his hands through his hair. Sirius was twisting his back to get the knots out of it and rubbing a hand over his face, blinking his eyes rapidly.

"What d'you got there?" he mumbled, staring out at Remus questioningly.

Remus' brow furrowed, "hock-uh-lat," he replied, his mouth filled with the milky good substance.

"I didn't know you brought chocolate, I forgot to," James said, yawning before he plopped down on the end of the bed at Remus' feet. "Ya gonna share it then?" he queried, giving Remus his best winning smile.

Swallowing, Remus looked back and forth between them. "I didn't bring it, I thought you guys did," he said, confused.

"Nope, I forgot too," Sirius added, pulling a chair up and reaching out to try and snag it from his hands.

Remus, knowing he was going to try and get it from him, extended his arm to the side, keeping his chocolate bar out of Sirius' reach. "Maybe Wormtail then..." he said, disbelievingly. It was rare that his other best friend thought of things like chocolate bars to cheer a friend up.

"Maybe I what?" Peter asked, coming around the curtains of the bed beside them and looking out over them curiously.

"Did you bring Mooney the chocolate bar?" Sirius wondered, lifting his brow with question.

"Nope, didn't think of it," he replied, shaking his head and then staring at the chocolate in Remus' hand. "I'd love a piece though," he said eagerly.

"Well if you guys didn't do it then--" He stopped, realization dawning on him quickly. He turned his eyes up to Sirius and then down to James, wondering if they figured it out. Judging by Sirius' scowl and James' grin, they had.

"Told you she was good, Padfoot," James said jovially, stretching his arms out and also trying to grab the chocolate with no result.

"Could be a ploy to gain loyalty," Sirius returned, shaking his head.

"Well then we'll just have to ask her if she gave it to him. If she boasts, we'll know," James said, shrugging and trying to reach for the chocolate again, this time throwing a quick arm out and hoping to scoop it out as though it were a Quaffle waiting to be caught. Remus had seen the gleam in his eyes however, and managed to get it out of his best friend's reach just in time.

"Could've been Madam Pomfrey," Remus said, shrugging lightly. "Or even Dumbledore."

James lifted his brow, "Have they ever left you chocolate?" he wondered.

"Well, no..." he admitted slowly.

"Exactly, Mooney, it was Hermione. Maybe it's a werewolf thing, maybe the only thing any werewolf can eat after a transformation is chocolate," he offered before giving a dramatic pout. "C'mon Mooney, share the chocolate! I'll be your best friend forever!" he told him, grinning with a wink.

Remus snorted, rolling his eyes. "You already are," he reminded, glancing at his chocolate sorrowfully. He didn't want to share, he was really quite selfish when it came to his chocolate. Sighing, he gave in and allowed them to have some, though he took it away before they could finish it all on him.

"We should go flying," Sirius said, looking out the window. "What d'you say Prongs? Mooney, you up to it?"

Remus shook his head, "Not tonight." Reaching out, he grabbed his coat from the chair beside his bed and searched around in the pockets. Pulling out his pocket watch, he checked the time with a furrow his brow and then replaced it. "Are we leaving early tomorrow?" he asked, already beginning to feel drowsy again.

Sirius turned to him from the window, giving him a wide grin. "Yeah, thought we'd visit Diagon Alley before heading back home."

"Mum and dad told us not to, said there was an attack there recently," James told Remus, a chunk of chocolate lodged in his mouth. "I still need to get my books though. Told mum I got them last week, but I got... er... distracted." He sat straighter, lifted his chin and exclaimed with confidence, "This is the year, boys, this is the year that I will finally convince Lily Evans to go on a date with me. It'll only take one, I'm sure of it, before she realizes that she loves me too!"

Sirius scoffed, rolling his eyes at his best mate. "Prongs, mate, you said that last year," he reminded, looking amused.

"And the year before," Remus added, smiling lightly as he closed his eyes, listening to the faint banter of his friends.

"And the year before that," Peter put in, sounding on the verge of laughter.

James sighed at their lack of confidence in them, "Yeah, but that wasn't this year, and this is the year!" he told them, assuredly. "Just you wait and see! I will be Lily Evan's boyfriend and you'll all rue the day-- OW!"

Remus heard the whack and knew that Sirius had hit him with a pillow. Chaos broke out then, and while it was, perhaps, louder than Sirius' snoring, it lulled Remus to sleep. He dreamt of rolling hills, a bright cursed moon, and a pretty brunette crossing her chest with a fist in a sign that somehow told him she was there to protect him. When he woke next it was early morning, though not nearly as early as he had thought it would be. He could hear his friends making a ruckus in the background, and Madam Pomfrey trying to hush them. By the noise, he figured James an Sirius were playing Exploding Snap. Feeling well rested and far from weary, he got out of bed and dressed quickly, feeling as though he could take a long run. He felt like bouncing back and forth on his feet but quelled the giddiness, before grabbing the last of his chocolate off the bedside table and popping a chunk in his mouth. It wasn't a healthy morning snack, but it was far too enticing not to.

Coming out from behind the curtains, Remus walked over to see how his friends were doing. Sirius threw a card at James and laughed uproariously as it exploded, catching the end of James' shirt, burning it quickly. James threw one back and snickered as Sirius' fringe was singed on one side, which he took great offense to. Peter laughed to himself, clear from the barrage of cards and simply enjoying himself with the show. Remus smiled at the display, finding comfort in the regularity of his friends. When they ran out of cards, they stood up and greeted Remus with a hearty 'good morning'. They told him they'd already eaten and whenever he wanted to leave, they could go through Dumbledore's floo-connected fireplace. Not interested in hanging around the empty school, Remus agreed to go immediately.

On their way to the Headmaster's office, they passed the DADA classroom and Remus noticed Sirius' suspicious expression. James paid him no heed and quickly caught his attention with a prank he planned for the Welcoming Feast. Remus found himself staring at the closed classroom doors and wondering if she was inside. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. He wanted to talk to her more about the potion she had offered to him. He wasn't sure if he was ready to work on her project yet. He felt a wave of annoyance with himself come over him and wondered where his Gryffindor pride had disappeared to. Before he knew it, they were all standing in front of the gargoyle keeping them from Dumbledore's office, having forgotten to ask for the password.

"It's gotta be a sweet," James said, tapping his chin and furrowing his brow. "Cockroach Cluster," he tried, staring at it expectantly.

"Canary Cream," Sirius exclaimed, staring at the unmoving statue.

"Uh, Fizzing Whizbees," Peter offered, looking quite upset when it didn't work out for him.

"Ice Mice," Remus tried with a shrug.

"Chocolate Frogs," James tried, already looking bored. He had quite the short attention span and began throwing his Snitch up in the air randomly and catching it.

"Fudge Flies," Sirius tried, looking frustrated.

"Lemon Drop," called an amused voice from behind them. The four Marauders turned to find Dumbledore staring down at them, faint amusement in his face. "Feeling better I see, Mr. Lupin. Yes, Madam Pomfrey assured me that you were in tip top shape when last she checked," he informed them, walking onto the stairs now winding up to his office. "Professor Granger expressed that with your injuries at a minimum and your senses on low, you would be up and around by eight this morning." He grinned after saying this, "D'you happen to know the time then, Mr. Lupin?" he queried.

"Nearly eight thirty, sir," he replied, glancing over at the other three Marauders with a confused expression.

"She really knows her stuff about werewolves," James said, smiling as he shrugged off the odd occurrence of their DADA teacher knowing Remus' recovery so well.

"That she does," Dumbledore agreed, smiling kindly as it moved to sit behind his desk. "Can I help you boys with anything, or will you just be using the fireplace today?" he wondered knowingly.

Remus felt as though questions were waiting to spill out of his mouth and had to force them back, so not to seem anxious. Sirius, on the other hand, was ready to grill Dumbledore as if he had the key to winning the Quidditch cup. He took a quick jump forward and then said, rather forcefully, "She's a little young to be a professor and how does she know all about werewolves? Where did she come from, because she appeared out of nowhere when we met her!?! There is no such thing as The Werewolf Project, we would know about it! And how did she know about the chocolate, is it a werewolf thing? 'Cause I thought it was just a Remus thing! How do we know she's not dangerous? She could be working for You-Know-Who!" he said in a rush. He was quite breathless by the end of his speech and Remus didn't know what to say in reply. He felt the inexplicable need to defend her and didn't know what to think of that.

James shook his head at his best friend, but shrugged it off as though it were a natural Sirius thing, that couldn't be helped. He turned to Dumbledore, seeing what he was going to say about it, but didn't look the least bit worried. James had that way about him, of being quite calm when everybody else was hysterical. Remus realized it was actually because he got bored easily and his attention never really stayed on one topic. He could lose his temper when goaded, and he wasn't as offhanded or calm when it came to a certain red head. But the state of calm he was showing now was just a normal show of boredom, which was proven by the way he fiddled with the Snitch in his hand.

Remus turned his eyes on Dumbledore, truly wanting to know if he would defend the new professor and finding himself hoping that he would have some kind of proof that she was good. Perhaps it was that she had given him hope for the future, that he could one day become accepted. Then again, it could be that the werewolf inside of him seemed to take a real shining to her. And of course, maybe, he in his regular form liked her too. He didn't know her well enough to judge, but he could tell quite easily that whoever she was and whatever her plans entailed, they would be entwined with good and not evil.

"Mr. Black, while I feel that I don't have to explain my reasons for hiring Professor Granger to you, I will," he replied, leaning forward and placing his clasped hands on the table. "I do this for your benefit only, as I can see that you are quite fearful of what her being here means." He stared out at them calmly, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half moon glasses. "First of all, Hermione is twenty three and she graduated from her school with top marks. She was Headgirl, had the best marks in her school, and was considered the brightest of her age. And I don't mean that lightly," he told them seriously. "She was given the Order of Merlin, First Class when she was just twenty years old and has been an avid fighter in the outbreak of war that has been going on around us. She was trained as an Auror upon leaving school, but left the Ministry because she felt it was... too corrupt," he informed them. Sirius' eyes were wide with astonishment and Remus was sure his own expression was much alike.

She sounded quite remarkable. While he had high grades himself and James had made Headboy, Dumbledore spoke of Hermione as though she were truly magnificent. He had seen it in her eyes himself, that she possessed a knowledge that few could attain. An Order of Merlin on top of everything though, and at the young age of twenty, that was quite a feat. He wondered about Dumbledore's assertion of Hermione's belief that the Ministry was too corrupt for her, and realized that even now, on the brink of war, the Ministry refused to admit it. For a woman who had achieved so much, and had so many dreams, it only seemed right for her to take issue with the way the Ministry was being run. They were supposed to look out for the welfare of others, but instead were hindering it. He had a new reason to admire the woman, and wondered if it was just a fleeting fancy he had with her that caused it.

"As for her understanding of werewolves, I will tell you what I know. After graduating from school, she found a goal. Upon realizing that werewolves were going to be drawn in by Voldemort simply because the world does not accept them, Hermione decided to do the opposite. A close friend of hers was a werewolf and she gained his help in the project. She gave him half of the Wolfsbane potion she knows of, that way he would still act as a werewolf but have enough human sense to remember and speak to her. From there, her and her friend branched out, offering the possibility to others. They gained a large resistance and many of Voldemort's followers were taken from him, which angered him greatly," he explained.

Remus wondered if her friend would be joining her soon in working on her program and suddenly worried over his being male, and perhaps even with Hermione. He felt a jab of jealousy and queried over it a moment. The arrival of Professor Granger was causing severe mental problems to him. Between being offered a chance at a new life and gaining an interest in his new professor, Remus felt as though his life had been turned literally on its head. At least some part of him had come to grips with the fact that there was really no hope, and then she showed up one day and offered him a real future. It was like a dream, and he was scared he'd suddenly wake up. She had offered him such fanciful things: control, equality, and his dignity. He couldn't begin to show his gratitude, if only it turned out the way he hoped.

"I assure you, her project is real and she aims to make control a possibility for all werewolves. I suggested Mr. Lupin to her, if that is your worry. Though she already knew enough about him. From what I can tell, she makes sure she knows her partners before taking them on, which explains her knowledge of Mr. Lupin's love for chocolate. It is with great care and caution that she does her work, that way she doesn't make a mistake in showing the wrong person." His expression was rather hard and Remus got the impression that Dumbledore was somewhat angered over the fact that anyone would dare speak ill of the new Professor. He found himself questioning such respect the Headmaster had, as he seemed to be a man of severe loyalty, though only to those who deserve it.

Dumbledore sighed then, before saying, "Now as for how she arrived, I believe that is up to Professor Granger to explain to you. The circumstances of what brought her here are private affairs and I don't wish to speak of them for her. And so, in summary, as your Headmaster, I believe I've given sufficient reason for you to believe me when I firmly tell you that she is not in league with Voldemort but here as reputable and capable professor of DADA." He paused then before unclasping his hands and stroking his beard, "And as a man who has known you for six long years now, I give you my full and complete honesty when I tell you that I would trust my life to Hermione. She is quite unlike anyone I've met. And I believe, given the chance, you will learn that she is not only worthy of your trust, but an equal in all that you'll survive in the coming years," he said, with a wiseness to his words only he could apply.

Sirius didn't speak and he didn't make any indication whether he agreed, understood, or accepted what Dumbledore had to say. Instead, he asked to be excused, received an affirmative and walked to the fireplace, with Peter by his side, to floo away. James, noticing that everybody was leaving, threw his Snitch up in the air, caught it, and then left for the fireplace. Remus waited until his friends were gone, before turning his attention to Dumbledore once more, "Is she here, sir?" he queried.

"I'm afraid, Mr. Lupin, that Professor Granger has gone to the Scottish Ministry this morning," he told him, smiling lightly.

"Really?" he replied quietly, more of questioning himself as he wondered over the reason.

"Yes, there is a young man there, only a year older than you. A werewolf who has gotten himself into a bit of trouble. She's gone to ask the court to release him into her custody so she may give him the same gift she offered to you," he explained.

"Does she know him? I mean to say, is that why she goes to ask for his freedom?" Remus questioned, his brow lifting as he thought of the oddity of the young woman asking the Scottish Ministry to free a boy who had committed a crime.

"He doesn't know her at all," Dumbledore replied, sounding quite amused. "He's never met her, never even heard of her or her program. And soon, she'll be on her way to Romania, to see a clan leader about his involvement in the project. A fierce man, who's very private about his affairs and protective over his clan. She needs a safe word to get in and won't allow anybody but herself to go. She doesn't want anybody to run the risk of being harmed," Dumbledore informed him kindly.

"She's really doing it then," Remus responded softly, his voice shaking. "She's trying to change it for all of us. She's..." He inhaled a wobbly breath, "I never thought... I mean, I know there are people who don't agree with the laws, but they're all family of werewolves, or werewolves themselves. And she isn't, not really. She had that friend you mentioned though, so I guess that could encourage it." He couldn't really understand the way of it. She wasn't a werewolf herself, so what gave her the idea that she needed to save them? Why wasn't she scared like everyone else? What gave her the courage to stand in front of a werewolf and believe that she could live to speak about it, let alone learn its ways?

Dumbledore interrupted his thoughts, leaning forward and staring at him with a penetrating gaze, "Something I've found out about Professor Granger, Remus, is that when there is a cause, she puts all of herself into it. It's not about her, and not really about those close to her. It's about changing the world for the whole of people and knowing that when a difference could be made, she made it."

Remus stared at the Headmaster, gathering the strong words and giving a short nod. "I should probably go meet my friends, but... when she gets back, could you tell her that I'd like to speak with her after the Welcoming Feast, if that's all right," he said, feeling nervous.

"Of course, Mr. Lupin, I'll pass the message on as soon as she gets back." He smiled at Remus, looking quite pleased.

"Thank you, sir." After bidding farewell, Remus floo'ed to Diagon Alley, where he knew Sirius, James, and Peter were waiting for him. Upon arrival, he found Sirius in a foul mood, James distracted, and Peter looking uncomfortable. "Ready to get your books then, Prongs?" he asked, staring at James and hoping things would lighten up.

Grinning, James nodded, walking out towards the Alley before he turned toward Sirius. "So, Padfoot my friend, who do you have your eye on this year?" he queried, referring to Sirius' widespread taste in girlfriends each week.

At first, Sirius didn't look as though he was going to answer, but a moment later his face had broken out in a huge grin. "Well, there's this pretty little blonde in Ravenclaw that..."

The rest of the morning and late into the afternoon, the four Marauders enjoyed the shops of Diagon Alley. Shopping, eating, and just plain horsing around, Remus had to admit he was rather dreading returning to his studies. The carefree manner in which his life took when he was with Sirius and James made responsibility feel like a curse best forgotten. He could see them up ahead a bit, purposely doing things to bother one another. Sirius would flick James' ear, or James would purposely step on Sirius' foot, all in good fun. They were like brothers really, and while Remus wasn't as close as they were, he had a place with them. He looked around to see where Peter had gone off to and found him at a sweets shop, salivating over the candy shelves. Remus followed Sirius and James instead, finding them to be the more interesting of sides. He had nothing against Peter, he was one of his best mates, he just happened to be rather quiet, and when with Sirius or James, quiet means you're never heard.

"Eh, Remus," Sirius called back, waving him over and grinning excitedly. When he reached his friend, Sirius threw his arm around his shoulders, weighing him in close and nodding his head at the joke shop. "I'm thinking we need to pick up a little ammo. This is our last year, our last Welcoming Feast, we have to go out with a bang!" he exclaimed, laughing uproariously.

James grinned at them, his hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. "We already had a few things planned, Padfoot, what else d'you propose?" he said, anxiously.

Sirius looked back and forth between them, drawing out the moment before he finally told them his idea. They stared at him a moment before breakout in agreeable smirks. Peter found his way over, arms layered with sweets and smiled contentedly. "Any more shopping left, Prongs, or can we go home?" Sirius wondered, sounding exasperated. "You're just like a girl when it involves shopping!" he declared.

"Am not!" James replied, frowning, though his eyes were still bright with amusement. "I'm not the one who lays his clothes out the night before, or spends an hour trying to make his hair right," he accused triumphantly.

"No, you just run your hands through your hair until you have it just the way you like it, which you do all day long," Remus said, smiling.

"I'm surprised you noticed, Mooney, what with your head inside books ninety percent of the time," Sirius commented, lifting his hand and ruffling Remus' hair with it.

"You might want to try it some time, Padfoot, you might learn something. You do now how to read, don't you?" Remus replied, trying to smooth his hair down from the mess Sirius made of it.

"Are we going back to James' yet?" Peter whined, looking bored, "Mrs. Potter said she'd have treacle tarts made," he told them happily.

"You're always thinking with your stomach, Wormtail," Sirius said, bumping into the boy who then had to scramble down to drop his sweets.

"Like you're any different, Padfoot, you're always eating," James replied, reaching over Remus and pushing his friend.

Sirius turned to grin at him before dramatically clutching his side and shouting, "STITCH! STITCH!" He stumbled a bit before hopping up, throwing his arm around James' neck and crying out, "Carry me Jamesie, I can't make it any further!"

James laughed before turning to Remus and saying, "I say we leave him, how 'bout you Mooney?"

"He'll only be a hindrance," Remus agreed, nodding jovially. "We could drop him in that alley over there, I'm sure somebody will take care of a mangy, lost dog."

Scoffing, Sirius straightened up and turned his nose up in the air with faux-haughtiness. "I'll have you know, there is no mange on me!" he told them, glaring, before breaking out in a grin that had a few girls near by almost swooning.

"Fleas then. Somebody will take care of the flea ridden, lost dog," Remus corrected, nodding.

"They're not that bad," Sirius replied, shaking his head before he leapt up and climbed on Remus' back. "I told you to give me a flea bath Mooney, and you refused, so in turn, it's your fault."

"No..." Remus drew out, making a show of acting as though Sirius was terribly heavy and weighing him down. "It's your own fault for rolling around in dirty things and never taking the time to bathe in your animagus form," he reminded.

Sirius sighed, rolling his eyes and ruffling Remus' hair before hopping back down to walk on his own two feet. "My own best friends won't even give me a flea bath," he said mournfully.

"If you'll remember, we gave you a bath that one time, and you nearly drowned us all," James reminded, running his hand up the back of his head, messing up his hair.

"You deserved it," Sirius replied, shrugging. "You were using scented soap," he said, as if it were the most repulsive thing. "I was going to smell like flowers and lavender, I couldn't let it happen!" he exclaimed, shaking his head vigorously.

They laughed loudly, thinking back to the memory as they walked down the alley. After flooing back to the Potter's house, Sirius and James disappeared upstairs and Peter made his way to the kitchen. Remus decided to take a break out on the porch, hoping the quiet would put his thoughts in order. So much had happened in such a short time, and there was certainly more to come. Remus had forced what Dumbledore had talked to him about out of his mind, at least until he had some time to himself. He wasn't sure if he was really ready to accept the fact that he could be controllable. He wanted to, it seemed like such an incredible possibility. He realized that if he didn't grasp the opportunity, it could pass him by. And gathering his Gryffindor courage, he made a decision. It may not work out, it may not be all that he hoped, and he might not turn out to be as tamed as Hermione thought, but it would be worth the risk. If he could one day live in a world where he didn't have to wake up, look in the mirror, and think the eyes of a monster were staring back, then it was all worth it. He would not be a monster any longer.

A/N I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next will have Brighton in it and will be written from Hermione's POV. Thanks for reading, please review.

Much Love,
-Amanda