Author's Note: Hey, I hadn't written anything in a seriously long time, so I wrote a superlong chapter for everyone. I hope you enjoy it! As always, please review! It makes me happy. (PS: I am getting sort of sick of james and lily and sirius always being in trouble so i took short break and took a remus and paisley fluff vacation. i promise the next chappie will be way more intense!)

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Chapter 8:

6th Year Gryffindor Boys Dormitory- 5:32pm, September 13

"Uh, Moony, I really don't think you should be going out tonight." James put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, mate, can't you just tell her you're sick or something. You kind of are!" Peter squeaked.

Remus took a deep breath and sat down at his desk. He was unnaturally pale, his eyes were glassy and a little bloodshot, and he looked thinner than usual. He had been in bed for the last few days, but had pulled himself out and thrown on jeans and a black t-shirt. The dark colors did not help.

"I have to go! I can't just blow her off, we're friends. Anyways, the full moon's not until tomorrow and I am sick and tired of having it stop me from doing the things I want to do!"

Sirius choked down a laugh. "I though you already did her!"

"Shut up!" shouted Remus. "You are not funny!"

"I'm just kidding! But Moony, seriously, don't go."

"Hey, you know what," James started, "Let him do what he wants. Personally though mate, I don't think she's worth it. Paisley's really nice and all, but that girl is a slut, and you're…"

"Don't say it!" Sirius dramatically silenced James. "I try to repress those kinds of facts about my friends! It ruins the marauder image."

Remus shot a dirty look at Sirius and James. "We're just hanging out."

"Wait, I don't get it!" Peter whined. "What are you guys talking about?"

"See, Peter's way more naïve than I am!" Remus pointed at Peter. "How come he doesn't ruin your precious image?"

Sirius waved off the comment. "He's our charity case. Sorry Wormtail. Our hanging out with him gives us a sense of philanthropy!"

James laughed. "What I was trying to say, Wormtail, is that the girl Moony is so desperate to go out with has been around the block a couple times and our little Remy here is still stuck at home reading Playwizard!"

"She is not a whore!" Remus protested.

"Look, she fucked Zane last year in the prefects bathroom, and then slept with his friend Vlad two weeks later. Not to mention the fact that she is constantly coming on to me, and gave Sirius the lap dance of his life at Ed's graduation party."

"So what? I like her."

James stood up and shook Remus by the shoulders. "Padfoot couldn't walk for half an hour! In the state you're in right now, she could kill you!"

Sirius was cracking up. "That would be one hell of a way to go though!" James started laughing too.

Remus stood up and walked to the door. "Okay, first of all, I'm going. And second of all, you guys are disgusting and have problem! I don't want to sleep with her. We're just going to grab dinner."

James stopped laughing. "Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry mate. That was kind of uncalled for. I'm just freaking out about the hearing and my mom catching me with Lily."

"Whatever happened with that anyways? Did Mama Potter catch you kids in the act or was it more like the cuddling stage afterwards?" Sirius asked.

Remus rolled his eyes and walked out the door. He heard Sirius yell as James smacked him upside the head.

6th Year Gryffindor Girls Dormitory- 5:50pm September 13

Paisley looked at herself in the mirror, worried.

"Hey, Lils, do I look cute?"

Lily looked up from the book she was reading, Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus, and inspected Paisley's outfit.

She was wearing a purple halter-top, ripped light wash skinny leg jeans, black converse, a black zip up hooded sweatshirt, and a silver locket. Her hair wild around her waist, and her eyes were outlined in black.

"Um, you look like you're not trying to look cute, kind of casual. Where are you going anyways?"

"Out with Remus. I know I don't look hot, but do I look cute?"

"Always. You're going on a date?" Lily was surprised Paisley liked Remus after all the rumors that were still going around.

"I don't know! I don't think so. Maybe. He's kind of cute though, right? Not in a James and Sirius hot bad-boy kind of way, but just in a sweet, nice, mysteriously kind of way."

Lily set down her book. "Hey, when you get back, I need to talk to you about me and James. I'm sort of freaking out. But, yeah, I like Lupin. He's so not your type though."

"I know, right? That's why I mustn't look too sex-goddessy! I was actually kind of surprised he didn't cancel on me. He's been really sick lately? He's like an incubus of vile plague or something! "

"Jeez Pais, rude much?"

There was a knock on the door.

"Oh, hey that's him! I'll see you later Lil. Hey, I'll come back with a good story, okay!" Paisley grabbed her purse and opened the door.

The Statue of the One-Eyes Witch- 6:00pm, September 13

"This is so cool! I can't believe there's a secret passageway here!" Paisley exclaimed as she climbed behind the witch, and into a tunnel. "How did you find out about this?"

Remus climbed behind her, and closed the portal. He then lit up his wand so that they could see.

"Sorry Pais, Marauder secret." He laughed and then stopped because it made his head hurt. He was feeling very dizzy.

Paisley, who was walking in front of Remus down the narrow passageway, turned around and started walking backwards so that he wasn't talking to the back of her head.

"Hey, maybe I can join the elite club! I bet if you teach me the secret handshake they'd have to instigate me as an honorary member. I'd know too much to just leave alone, right?"

"I am not teaching you the secret handshake. It is far to complex and ingenious for your feeble mind to grasp!" he joked.

Paisley grabbed his hands. "C'mon! It can't be so hard, right? Oh, I get it, if you tell me, then they'd have to kill you! Okay, how about I just start trying different things until I start to get it. Wink if I'm getting warm, scrunch your eyebrows if I'm cold." She clapped their hands together. Remus scrunched his eyebrows.

Paisley bit her lip in frustration and intertwined their fingers, and spread her arms out, then moved them up and down. The movement caused them to get closer together. Remus winked awkwardly. She was really close. He kept reminding himself that they were just friends.

"This is stupid! C'mon, we're almost in Hogsmeade!" He led her down the rest of the passageway until they came out in the basement of his favorite candy shop.

The Three Broomsticks- 7:24pm September 13

"You're kidding me, right?" Paisley cracked up as Remus told her about the prank the marauders had pulled on the train ride from Kings Cross. "I can't believe I missed that! Dow did you get the chocolate frogs to do that?"

Remus continued talking, and she sucked on the straw of her butterbeer. The warm liquid stopped having much of an effect on her after fourth year, but she still liked the taste. She had been planning on ordering something stronger, but had decided against it at the last minute. Sitting in the dark and crowded pub next to the fire with Remus was a good enough high on its own. He was really funny, and although he kind of looked like crap from his mysterious illness, she couldn't help herself from thinking how cute he looked across the table from her.

"Hey, can you hold on a second? I'll be right back, I've got to go to the bathroom." She stood up reluctantly, not in favor of leaving him, yet feeling an urgent need to reapply her eyeliner. She had a feeling it was smudging, and she didn't want him to see her with raccoon eyes.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'm going to order us some burgers though."

He waved down the waitress as she hurried to the bathroom. It was very crowded in the pub. She saw that a lot of other Hogwarts students had managed to sneak away. She said hello to a couple friends, and then started pushing her way through the crowd. As she neared the back, she felt a hand grab her shoulder roughly.

"Paisley! Long time no see! Babe, where've you been?" The hand appeared to belong to none other than her ex-boyfriend Zane Miller. She felt her stomach knot up like it always did when he was near.

"Um, hey Zane. How's it going?" she asked with her teeth clenched and her arms folded across her chest.

"I'malright. Hey, listen, Imiss you." he stumbled over his words. Paisley grimaced. She could smell the whisky on his breath. He slung an arm around her slim shoulders.

"Um, I heard you with Rebecca now, right?" She tightened her arms, shrinking away from him. She uncomfortably realized that there was a time when she would have done anything to keep his arm there. Zane was a buffed out, six foot tall, dark curly haired cute guy, but she couldn't believe that she had ever been attracted to him.

"Yeah, so um, it was great seeing you again, but I've really got to go." She started to move away.

"Hey, listen Paisley. Do you want to come over tonight? I reallllllly missyou," he slurred. "You have no idea how hot you are."

"Zane, please leave me alone," she muttered softly. People were starting to watch.

"C'mon. You never used to say no! Where's that slutty chick I liked so much? Remember the freaky things we used to do?" he smirked meanly and tried to put his arm back around her.

"God, leave me alone Zane!" she pushed him off her and plowed her way through the crowd. Her eyes were starting to burn with tears. Why couldn't she go a full day without being reminded what a slut she was? She knew she'd done some dumb things, but why did the whole fucking school need to know about it? Why did she have such awful taste in guys? She threw the door open and walked out into the nippy air. It was getting dark out, but she hugged her arms more tightly around herself and started walking.

"Hey, Paisley! Paisley, wait up!" Remus called from behind her. She stopped. She had completely forgotten about him! Why was she such as idiot? "Hey, are you okay?" he ran up next to her, huffing.

"Yeah, it's fine. I'm sorry, I acted like a spaz back there!" she tried to smile. She sat down on the ground, suddenly feeling very exhausted.

"You shouldn't let him bother you like that, you know. He's an asshole." Remus sat down next to her.

Paisley laughed bitterly. "He's right though. I am a slut, and everybody knows it."

"No you're not," Remus started to protest. He felt really bad for her. She really was a great girl, and no one, not even his best friends, saw it. "I bet half the stuff people say about you isn't true."

She looked at him. "What have you heard?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, nothing," he said quickly. Remus mentally kicked himself. He was not very comforting.

"No, really. I will separate the truths from the lies for you!"

"Um, okay. You and Zane in the prefect's bathroom…?"

"True. Next?"

"You really don't have to tell me you know." He looked at the ground. "I don't really care."

"C'mon Remus. Why'd you come out with me tonight? You just wanted a good shag, right?" she knew it sounded mean, but she was feeling very bitter.

Remus took a deep breath. Why couldn't anyone believe that his intentions were pure?! He looked away from the ground and straight at her. "Paisley, I came out with you because we're friends. We're friends, and you're funny as hell, and you're smart and beautiful. And yes, obviously I wouldn't exactly turn you away if you ripped off your clothes right now but when I say that I just wanted to hand out with you because I genuinely like you, I actually mean it okay!" he yelled. "Why don't you get it?"

Paisley's eyes were opened wide, and they sat in silence for a few minutes after Remus' outburst.

"So, um, you wouldn't turn me away if I ripped off all my clothes," she repeated slowly. "But you think I'm beautiful and smart and funny. Hm. I think I can live with that." She laughed, and nudged his shoulder. "I like you too Remus Lupin!"

"Hey Paisley?" he started.

"Yeah?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Paisley smiled at him. "Yeah, but keep your clothes on, because unlike you I have some self-control, okay!"

"Hey, that's not what I've heard!" Remus teased.

"Shut up!"

"Hey Paisley?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to kiss you now, okay?"

"Yeah, okay,"