Sorry about the slow update. I had attempted to give up reading fanfiction for the whole of August... well, I did not succeed. I lasted 6 days though and I see a victory in that by itself. Perhaps I should get help.. ah, but this you did not come to see..

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CLIFFHANGER AWAITS!

And Thank you so much for all the reviews. You are a brilliant lot of readers, thank you so much for the support.

Chapter 22: You're a what?

I looked up at him confusedly- did I just hear him right? I was looking at the chapter in the book and I thought for a second he said he was a werewolf- ha. It was pretty funny I decided to share it, I held up the book showing him the chapter title,

'Ha Remus, for a second I thought you just said you were a-' I looked at his stony face laced with pain, humiliation and shame. 'Werewolf' my voice caught in my throat at the word until my throat killed the word painfully.

His eyes were wide. My eyes were wider I'm sure.

What? Remus. Remus Lupin couldn't be… that didn't make any… wait a second-

'That's NOT funny Remus!' I reprimanded him sternly my hands shaking on the book slightly.

I looked at him, I waited for him to look guilty and say that it was a weak attempt to lighten the mood and clear the tense atmosphere in the room. I waited for him to tell me I heard wrong. To tell me I'm bonkers.

I really waited for him to deny it, to say anything that would mean he was lying. I waited.

But he didn't, he just watched as my hands got more and more shaky as the possibility dawned on me.

I'll prove for myself that he can't be a… be a… one of them: The full moons, he had to be in school. I mean I guess not like he…

'He's at his mums, she's really sick' Peter's voice echoed through my mind.

'The mail, we'd send it in the mail' Sirius' voice chimed in.

'Gwen nothing she can give me with do anything to help me' Remus' words tumbled into her head from when they had gone to the hospital wing all those days ago.

But, but- but. NO!

Impossible. All of a sudden I felt like I was little again, reading that book in the restricted section and hyperventilating alone in the dark library. I remembered the gruesome pictures I'd seen of werewolves in that damn book, Greyback's father killing those people. I saw the werewolves running round trying to bite children and snapping their parent's necks. I saw it all at once, my knees went numb and I blinked a couple of times.

'No, Remus. Stop it. You're lying.' I said to him, vigorously shaking my head at him. My voice came out breathy and I was certain I was going to faint. Little black dots hovered in thick coils at the side of my vision.

He watched me and I felt my skin crawl. The book fell out of my hand and onto the floor falling wide open, He stared widely at it and his face looked almost angry and pained. I followed his gaze- I saw a picture that made me almost gag right then; it was a picture of a werewolf like all the others I'd seen with blood in its teeth and evil in its eyes.

I looked up at Remus John Lupin, the boy that I thought I was in love with.

His eyes met mine.

'You can run' He whispered not moving at all. 'I won't run after you like that'.

I took a hesitant step back and watched the pain ripple across his face. It didn't fit, it didn't make any sense. I didn't understand.

I was supposed to hate him. Werewolves as a kind of rule should be hated for what they did. But, Remus.

Remus John Lupin.

I looked down at the book. My heartbeat thudded hard against my chest. I tried to say something but my throat swallowed the words and robbed them.

Before I could even properly register what was happening. I was running away.

...

...

He did not chase me, or at least I ran so quickly that he was unable. I was downstairs in less than 10 seconds and I crashed into a solid block.

'Ow!' I heard from my crash victim. 'Gwen?'

I couldn't say anything, I felt like I'd been winded. It took me a couple of seconds to actually see the person I had crashed into. It was Andrew.

He waved a hand in front of my eyes. 'Gwen! What were you doing up there? Looking for me?' he assumed as I didn't immediately respond. He gave a hearty chuckle apparently not picking up the radiating fear that was rippling off me in waves. He continued as I looked at him numbly, 'Sorry 'bout that. I've been waiting for you down here... Ready to go?!' He said excitedly and twisted our arms together like he was escorting me.

My mind was still fuzzy and black spots still hid at the sides of my vision, 'Go?' I asked my voice rough and my throat coarse. I was so confused- where were we going?

'Our trip to Hogsmeade silly. I know I said I'd meet you there but- well, we're both here so..' Hogsmeade? We were getting away from here?

That was good right?

Was it?

My foggy head nodded.

I let him pull my out of the common room.

ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER because I'm in a 'dun dun dun!' kind of mood and want to torture you a little. Because i'm evil like that.

What a poor time for Andrew to show up ready for their date... or are some of you thinking that it was a perfect time?

Tell me your reaction to her reaction. I know that a lot of you didn't want her to give in too easily and I thought it be unrealistic for her to get over it in a matter of seconds...

But what will happen next?