17 January 1976
Roseberry had noticed that James and his friends were acting rather unusually. Peter had tittered about nervously during breakfast, James and Sirius appeared to be bursting with excitement, but it was Remus who looked especially odd. She couldn't help but notice how pale he looked. She also couldn't help but notice that the same set of behaviors governed the boys every month…around the full moon. She mulled over this as she carried her books down to the Gryffindor common room. James and Sirius were at a Saturday quidditch practice and Peter, as usual, had tagged along. She had decided to make use of the quiet time to study. She found the common room empty, save for one other student sitting quietly in an armchair by the fire.
"Remus," she said, settling herself onto the plush sofa near him. "Didn't fancy going to watch the practice, I take it?"
"No. I wanted to catch up on some assignments while I had the chance," responded Remus, smiling weakly at her.
"I had the same idea," said Roseberry, pulling out her History of Magic text. She paused a moment, looking at him, "I—um…how are you feeling? You look pale."
"I—I'm fine," replied Remus, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
"I—well…I couldn't help but notice," began Roseberry, nervously. "Forgive me if I'm being presumptuous, but I had a friend at Magnolia Hall. She had—well, during the full moon—she suffered from lycanthropy." She bit her lip.
Remus averted his eyes, "I—I believe I may go to the practice after all."
"Oh."
Remus stood to leave. Roseberry tried once more. She reached out and took his arm. He turned to look at her.
"I'm really sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to. Please don't go. I just thought I recognized—well, in any case, I guess I was wrong. I was only asking in case—well, because I know that turning is rather painful and I know of a potion that reduces the pain."
Remus stared at her and sat down on the sofa, "You guessed right. I am a werewolf."
The pair sat for a moment, not speaking. Remus looked down at Roseberry's hand, which was gently stroking his arm.
"You mentioned a potion?" ventured Remus cautiously.
"Yes. My friend said that she barely felt a thing when she took it. I can brew it. It needs to steep a few weeks, so it's too late for this full moon, but, if you'd like, I can have some ready by the next." Roseberry smiled warmly at him.
"Thanks," said Remus. He hesitated and then leaned over to give her a hug.
"Nice shot, James. I didn't think you'd—" Sirius Black stopped in his tracks as he caught a glimpse of Remus and Roseberry hugging on the sofa.
At the sound of his voice, Roseberry turned her head. "How'd the practice go, boys?" she asked, smiling broadly.
Sirius hesitated, then walked up to the sofa and launched himself over the back to land squarely between the two. "James made an impossible goal," he said and began to prattle on about quidditch.
.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.
The animagi emerged from the hidden hollow of the Whomping Willow. "Forbidden Forest?" suggested Padfoot.
"I don't know. There are creatures in the Forbidden Forest—" whimpered Wormtail.
"The Forbidden Forest sounds like fun," said Prongs, cutting across Peter.
"Sure, James, the Forbidden Forest…" retracted Wormtail.
Three large shapes lumbered toward the dark woods near Hogwarts, a small rat skittering hurriedly behind them. They were about to enter the woods when Padfoot barreled over a pretty longhaired black cat…a black cat dragging a large wicker basket full of herbs. The cat hissed and ran up a tree, peering cautiously down at them.
Padfoot sniffed up the tree and placed his front paws on the trunk, "Roseberry? Is that you?"
"Sirius?" mewed the cat, "Sirius Black?" The cat climbed carefully down the tree. She looked around at the other animals. "James?" she asked, turning toward the stag. "Peter?" she said, looking rather hungrily down at the little rat, who skittered away to hide behind James. "Unregistered animagi. Hmpf. The trouble you'd be in if you got caught!" she admonished as she returned the fallen herbs to the basket.
"Speak for yourself," said James, nibbling at the herbs.
"Hey! This is for Remus's potion! Get your own herbs!" said the cat as she swiped at the stag's nose with her paw.
Padfoot helped her right her basket. "Do you need help taking these back up to the castle?" he asked.
"Oh, I don't want to ruin y'all's fun. I can manage," responded the cat, attempting to drag the full basket up the hill.
"It's no bother," said Sirius, easily picking up the basket. "Prongs here can keep Moony in line without my help."
"Well, if you don't mind," mewed the cat appreciatively.
The two headed off in the direction of the castle.
"How did y'all become animagi?" asked Roseberry.
"Well, I take it you know about Moony's condition? James and I worked on it for years. We wanted to keep him company while he was a werewolf…so he wouldn't be so lonely."
"That's really decent of you," said the cat softly as she began to purr. "It can't be easy for him. He reminds me a lot of a friend of mine from Magnolia Hall. She was also a werewolf…. She was killed last year…by self-proclaimed 'Werewolf Hunters' armed with silver bullets."
The animals snuck up to the entrance to the Gryffindor common room and returned to their usual form as they climbed through the passageway. Roseberry turned to face Sirius. "Thank you so much, Sirius," she said, a hint of a purr still left in her voice. She looked up at him and smiled.
Sirius gazed down at her. The glow from the fireplace made her radiate. He took a step forward. "Do you want Remus?" he asked.
"Do I—what?" asked Roseberry, taken aback.
"I've seen you. You laugh at all his jokes and the two of you are always lost in conversation. Do you want him? Do you want to go out with him?"
"I do like Remus," she began, "but only as a friend. We do get along, that's true. We share many of the same interests. But that's where it ends. I don't want to be any more than friends with him and I believe that the feeling is mutual."
"Oh—well, I…well, okay," stammered Sirius, feeling redness creep into his face. He began to turn away, "Well, since you're safe—"
"There is someone here that I do fancy, though," she said shyly.
Surely not Wormtail! Sirius thought frantically, turning to look at her. "Oh?" he asked in what he hoped was a casual tone, "Who might that be?"
Roseberry blushed furiously and stared down at her clasped hands. "You," she said in a barely audible whisper.
"Me?" repeated Sirius incredulously. He grinned down at her as he stepped toward her. "I've liked you ever since I first laid eyes on you," he admitted, tentatively taking her hands in his.
The couple gazed at each other for a few tense minutes and then Sirius slipped his arms around her, pulling her to him. He ran his fingers through her silken hair and tilted her face up to him. He lowered his face into hers and kissed her lips. Softly and tentatively at first, then more insistently. He stopped abruptly and led her over to the sofa nearest the fireplace. He put his arm firmly around her shoulders. "I've been so shy around you that I never let us get the chance to talk," he murmured in her ear. "Tell me about yourself. I want to hear everything…."
.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.
When James, Remus, and Peter returned to the castle the following morning, they found Sirius and Roseberry nestled on the sofa in the common room, asleep.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Sirius?" yelled James, brandishing his wand.
Sirius sat up with a start.
"That's my cousin, Sirius. Not some pretty little tart you can seduce. You've got girls throwing themselves at you. Why her?"
"It's not like that James—"
"Jimmy, I really like Sirius—"
"You stay out of it, Rose. You don't know him like I do. He's snogged a ton of girls, but he's never cared for any of them. He just gets bored and restless and seduces girls because he can. And I thought you liked Remus, anyway. He's better for you, Rose. I've warned you time and again about 'bad boys'. You need someone sweet and gentle."
"Don't tell me what I need, James Potter!"
"James, listen to me. It's not like that. No, listen to me. It's true. I've never really liked a girl before. I was bored and filling my time. But this is different. I—I've never felt this way before. I like her, James. I really like her. I never understood you when you talked about your feelings for Lily Evans. But I do now. I think I'm falling for her, James."
James lowered his wand. "Swear. Swear to me you aren't just using her. Swear to me you won't hurt her."
"I swear. I would NEVER do anything to knowingly hurt her, James."
James stashed his wand into his back pocket and looked Sirius squarely in the eye, "Take care of her, Sirius. She deserves it."