Tad shorter than all the other chapters, but at least there's another update! Yes? As I near the endish of this story, a lot of it is already typed up and ready to go and I've got about three word documents open and I'm just sitting her copying and pasting. Also, I'm sick again today, but I'll DEFINITELY be back in school tomorrow. My creys. Oh, another thing! I read all of your reviews and take them very seriously so when I read that someone likes fluff, I throw some more fluff in my story. They want more Snape? More Snape it is! So I kind of answer all your reviews in my story – if that makes sense… Anyway, enjoy (:

A FUTURE IN HEALING.

"Remus," I muttered tiredly, opening my eyes an inch. The candle was still lit by his side of the bed and he was still sitting up, reading his book. It reminded me a lot of my seventh year at Hogwarts, when we were at the Burrow for Christmas holidays. I touched his stomach under the blankets and drew lazy circles on his skin.

Lupin hummed in response.

"I have to tell you something."

"Tell me then, love," he replied, sounding unusually calm. He didn't look away from his book, but he flipped and page. I dragged my finger up and down, side to side, and in circles on his bare skin. He was warm. I was nervous. I thought about what I had told Tonks a while ago, in the beginning of the school year.

"Harry comes first." I looked up into his eyes. "Before you. Before us. Before myself. Harry has to come first."

"I understand that, Darcy."

"And I think – I think that soon, something will happen and I'll have to protect Harry." I licked my lips and thought hard, still tracing shapes onto Lupin's stomach. "And I – I might have to leave you to be with Harry instead."

"To go where?"

"No, I don't mean leave you like that," I whispered and Lupin's eyes met mine for a brief second. "I mean that we might not be able to be together."

Lupin seemed doubtful that we would have to break up – or that's what it seemed like. He didn't seem worried at all. "We'll cross that bridge when and if that day comes. Okay?"

I nodded and rolled over, biting my lip.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I missed talking to you," I said to Tonks as we walked down the path to the Black Lake.

"Me too," she grinned. "I forgot that I didn't have a lot of friends."

"I could say the same."

"You got plenty of friends, Darcy."

"Not real ones," I sighed. "Not friends like you. A group of sixteen and seventeen years olds can't compare to you."

"I'm flattered," Tonks chuckled. "But I don't even have seventeen year olds to talk to. And you've got Remus and Snape and I've got no one."

"Well, you've got me now."

Tonks and I smiled at each other. "I need to ask you something. It's been bugging me for a while," she stated slowly. "And no matter the answer, I won't be mad at you. It's over and done, but I still want to know. Okay?"

I nodded, unsure of what to expect.

"Did – when I was dating Remus – did he ever cheat on me?" she asked and I raised my eyebrows. "Did you two ever kiss?"

I felt guilt and I picked up a flat rock from the ground and skipped it across the shimmering water, trying to avoid the question. But Tonks wasn't going to let it go. "Why would you ask that, Tonks?" I whispered, my stomach churning.

"I just want to know. I know he loved you, Darcy. I won't be mad."

I nodded slowly.

"I think I knew when I was dating him, I just didn't want to believe it," she said sadly and I looked at her, instantly regretting answering her question. "I knew he loved you and I knew he wanted to be with you. Why didn't he just break up with me earlier?"

"Because Remus is too nice sometimes," I replied quickly. "Too nice for his own good. He wanted you to be happy and he wanted me to be happy, but sometimes he just has to think about himself."

"Darcy, don't think I'm selfish," Tonks pleaded. "I love that you're happy and I'm glad that Remus is happy, but it's only natural that I would want myself to be happy, right? I mean, is that so hard? Is that too much to ask?"

"That's all everybody wants. To be happy," I explained. "And you will be happy."

"I'm happy for some things," continued Tonks. "I'm happy I've got you as a friend and I'm happy that you're happy. I'm happy I've got my family. I'm happy with the job as an Auror I have. But I'm just not happy. Do you understand? I don't feel like I'm complete unless I have someone to share it with."

"I understand completely," I told her sincerely. "And if you really want someone, you can have Snape. In fact, you can keep him."

She laughed throatily. I was glad she wasn't offended by my joke. I wanted to lighten the mood and not talk about being happy, because in all honestly, I was very happy, but very confused. "Thanks, but I don't think Snape is a good match for me. He doesn't seem very happy at all, don't you think?"

"Believe it or not, I don't know much about him," I said, partially being honest. "It's him who knows everything about me."

Tonks smiled at me. "Well, as long as you've got me, you won't need to go to Snape. I'll be here if you need someone to listen."

"I might have to take you up on that offer."

"It's what friends are for."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two uneventful weeks passed and I was glad. For once, Hogwarts seemed like a normal school. Everything was functional and functioning well, classes were easy and students were doing better in potions, Harry and I didn't really think about spying on Malfoy, and Harry hadn't had another lesson with Dumbledore yet.

Hermione and Ron would go to Apparition lessons and Harry would come to my quarters, drinking hot chocolate and he'd read his potions book. Since Harry's grade in potions wasn't perfect and I hadn't noticed anything bad in the book, I didn't take it away from him. In fact, I wanted Harry to keep it – he had never shown so much interest in a single book before – not even his Quidditch book.

Another full moon had approached. I was coming back from Snape's office that night, carrying lesson plans and quills and ink in my arms. I muttered the password to my quarters and saw that a glass of water had been spilt on the ground a few steps in and the glass was shattered.

I set down all my stuff and cleaned up the shards of glass when I noticed that the glass wasn't a drinking cup, but one of the glasses from my potions set. I pressed my forefinger to the carpet, where the water had soaked, feeling it was still wet. With the liquid on my finger, I brought it to my mouth and tasted it. I swore loudly – it wasn't water that had spilled, it was the Wolfsbane Lupin had to take.

I waited up the whole night, worried for Lupin's safety. I debated going down to the Shrieking Shack and trying to Stun Lupin in his werewolf form, but I knew that he would never forgive me if I got near him while he was dangerous. So I got out my potions ingredients and brewed a healing potion, preparing myself for his return trying to get my mind off him, until the sun rose at about six in the morning.

Lupin walked wearily back into our quarters at around eight. I jumped up to greet him at the door and saw his face had two new scratches on it and upon removing his shirt and patched jacket, his chest and stomach had been covered by a large bandage wrapped around his entire torso.

"I saw Madam Pomfrey before coming here," he rasped. "I just want to rest."

I reached up to touch the scratches on Lupin's face, but he jumped and gently pushed my hand away. I grabbed his hands and pulled him into the bedroom, sitting him down on the edge of the bed. I picked up my cauldron and a rag, bringing them with me to the bed again. I hunched over so I was eye level with Lupin and I brushed his hair out of his face, dipping the rag in the solution and gently touching his face.

I touched his face gently and dabbed. I watched him wince and twitch. His eyes wouldn't meet mine and I remained quiet, my nerves jangling and my heart racing as I finished dabbing the first scratch and the skin sealed right over the open wound.

"I'm a monster."

"Not even close," I said sincerely.

"I could have hurt someone."

"I don't think so."

"What if I had hurt you?"

"I'm not worried about that."

"How can you not think of me as a monster?" Lupin sighed, still not looking into my eyes. I wiped at some dried blood on his lip and then finished his second scratch, watching the skin seal again. "I'm a horrible person."

I pressed my lips to the scratch I had just finished and then got on my knees so I could unravel his bandages. I touched them just barely, not unwrapping them right away. "Everyone has a side they aren't proud of," I said. "And if the side you aren't proud of is one that you have no control over, then I think that's really amazing. You are a good person and I know that you'd never intentionally harm me." I looked up into his eyes. "Can I take them off?"

Lupin nodded and I unwrapped the bandages around his torso. The scratches were a dark red and looked more painful than the ones on his faces had been.

"These might sting a little more than the ones on your face, okay?" I said to him and he nodded slightly. "I'll try not to hurt you too much."

He flinched as I pressed the rag to the first long scratch on his chest and I quickly pulled the rag away. "Sorry, keep going." I dabbed at the scratch until the wound began to heal. I began healing the next one. "Why are you so good to me? Even when you know what I am? Even when you know what I can do to myself and when you know what I've done to you?"

"Because you deserve to have someone take care of you," I said without looking up from my work. "And no matter what you say, I think that you are truly a wonderful person, inside and out."

"You truly think I'm wonderful? Even on the outside with all these scars?"

"Of course I do." He flinched again as I moved to a different scratch. "Scars, scratches, werewolf and all."

"You should become a Healer when you're older."

"I don't think so," I chuckled.

"Why not?"

"Because I only like doing this stuff for you."

When I finished with all of his scratches, I put my rag down in the bin full of potion and ran my fingers gently over each new, fading scar. I pressed my lips to each one on his torso and then the two on his face, finally kissing his lips. Lupin's hand touched my right shoulder and tugged on my shirt so he could see the claw marks that were a very light pink and awfully faded. He brushed his lips against the three scars and rested his forehead against my shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he whispered and I ran my fingers through his hair.

"It's okay, love," I smiled slightly, even though he couldn't see me. "There's nothing to be sorry for."

"You know what I'm sorry for."

"There's still no need to be sorry."

Lupin's eyes were closed and he kept his forehead against my shoulder. "Thank you," he breathed against my skin and I continued combing his hair flat with my fingers.

"You don't have to thank me, you know." We sat like that for a little bit. "Are you alright now? They don't hurt, do they?"

"No."

"Good," I smiled and sighed contently. "Remus, look at me."

He lifted his head and looked me directly in the eyes. I wrapped my arms around his neck and our cheeks touched. The stubble on his cheek poked me, but I closed my eyes and felt his arms wrap protectively around my waist. "I love you, Darcy."

"I love you, too, Remus."

"Darcy, you have to remember that I'm fifteen years older than you."

I hummed.

"And when we're older, you'll still take care of me?" he asked. My heart fluttered. I smiled at the thought of us together in the future. He wanted to be with me for a long time. "I'll be weak because of my transformations – much weaker than I am at this age. Being a werewolf will not just go away with age. And I don't want that burden placed upon you if you won't be able to handle it when you're older."

"Of course I'll be able to handle it," I replied, kissing his cheek. "I love taking care of you. I want to take care of you for the rest of my life."