Surprise, lovelies! Another- extremely important- chapter. Warning: there are some adult themes in this chapter, but nothing too explicit. Enjoy!

P.S. There is a poll set up on my profile- I am sketching out a draft of another Regulus story, and I need a name for the main OC. Please stop by and let me know which name you like best- it's greatly appreciated!

"We have to tell her, Sirius."

Sirius stood at the window in the dusty sitting room, staring angrily out at the rain that pelted the glass. "Why?" he asked, not turning around.

Remus sighed. "I can't just keep disappearing at the same time every month. She's not stupid."

"I don't think she even notices you are here, sometimes, Remus," Sirius stated, and Remus frowned.

"What's gotten into you today?"

Sirius shook his head, running a hand through his black hair. "Nothing."

"You're always angry," Remus said candidly. "But today is much worse than usual. Was the dream that bad last night?"

"I don't want to talk about it." The dreams had grown in intensity and clarity over the past few weeks. They felt so real- Sirius was exhausted from having to see that blown out house every night and know what lay inside. James. And Lily. His best friends.

"Look, I miss them, too, but-"

Sirius cut him off angrily. "You had nothing to do with their death!"

"Neither did you," Remus answered impatiently. "There was no way anyone could have known that Peter would-"

"Don't say that name to me," Sirius hissed, turning away from the window. "I want to kill something every time I hear it."

"You're changing the subject," Remus interrupted. "We need to tell Grace."

"About what?" Grace smiled as she entered the sitting room, a book in her hand.

"You always have perfect timing, don't you?" Sirius muttered. Out loud, he said, "Nothing."

"I'm a werewolf," Remus said frankly.

Grace raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Should I be worried?"

Sirius mirrored her expression, rather surprised at how well she was taking the information. "Aren't you?"

She shrugged. "Remus is a very courteous and controlled man, I'm sure he can handle his condition. Or at least find somewhere to change where he won't destroy my mother-in-law's furniture."

Remus smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about-"

"The armchair in your room? Yes, Kreacher's told me." Grace's eyes sparkled. "Oh well, accidents happen."

Sirius coughed in surprise. He couldn't believe how well she was handling the knowledge that a werewolf had been living under her roof for months- nor could he believe the jealousy that bubbled in his veins as she smiled at Remus.

"I'm not surprised," she said honestly. "I had a feeling." She studied Remus, taking in the older man's tattered robes and the dark circles under his eyes. "The Order has already brought an Metamorphmagus and Dumbledore himself into my home. Why not add a werewolf to the fun?"

"Well, then," Remus said, "You should know that Sirius-"

"Leave me out of this," Sirius said curtly. "I'm going out, anyway."

"Where are you going?" Grace asked as he swept out of the room. He did not reply.

Grace raised an eyebrow at Remus. "Care to explain why he's been so grumpy lately?"

Remus shrugged. "I wish I knew."

That night, Sirius walked into the library at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place at two o'clock in the morning, balancing a plate with a ham sandwich on top of a bottle of Firewhiskey. He had just returned from an afternoon as a dog, chasing squirrels in the rain and rolling in the wet grass outside Hogsmeade. He had hoped to see Harry there, forgetting that it was only Thursday. Harry would be in classes. He had run through the fields until he was exhausted, all thoughts of James and Lily and Harry and Reg and Grace- especially Grace- forgotten, returning only because he would rather eat a real meal than beg for scraps outside the Hog's Head.

He froze in the doorway when he noticed Grace curled up on the dark leather couch, sound asleep. A novel lay face-down on the floor beside her. He smirked indulgently and walked over to her still form. Reaching out with his free hand, he shook her shoulder gently. "Grace," he said softly.

She mumbled something incomprehensible and curled up even more.

He tried again. "Grace." She would be miserable in the morning if she spent the entire night on the couch.

He met with no success. Rolling his eyes in defeat, he sat the plate and bottle on the floor, sliding his arms underneath Grace's limp form and picking her up. She laid her head on his shoulder and relaxed into him. He was glad she was petite- he had to carry her upstairs to get to her room. He moved carefully, avoiding the fifth stair from the bottom- he knew from experience that it creaked. Nudging her bedroom door open with his foot, he crossed the room and laid her down on the bed, struggling to control the tide of emotions that was threatening to overwhelm him. When he tried to disentangle himself from her, though, her arms wrapped tighter around his neck. "Don't leave," she whimpered, her eyes still closed.

"Grace," he protested. Her hands were fisted in his shirt; he tried to pry her fingers apart but was unable to break her grip. She brought one hand up to stroke his hair back from his face and kissed his cheek boldly. He froze when her lips brushed his skin. His heart began to race; he couldn't deny that he felt an immense attraction for her, but it didn't seem right.

"Don't," he said, as she opened her eyes, sliding up against him and pulling him closer. He was bending over the bed, one knee propped beside her, trying desperately to hold on to rational thought. "Gracie."

She made an appreciative noise at the nickname and kissed him full on the mouth. He groaned, pulling away. "Grace, don't. We can't do this."

Grace ran her fingers along his neck. "Why not?" Her breath was hot against his lips.

Sirius' resolve began to crumble as she slid her hands under his shirt and began skimming her fingertips over his chest. It had been fourteen years since someone had touched him like this, and her caresses burned like fire. He gripped her hand through his shirt. "Grace-"

When she kissed him again, he gave in, crawling onto the bed and letting her remove his shirt. His mouth crashed against hers as he allowed himself to become lost in the moment. Her mouth was warm, her lips were soft, and her kiss was passionate. Sirius couldn't think straight as she began fumbling with his belt. He stopped her and tugged off his trousers, placing soft kisses along her collarbone and reveling in the sounds she made as he traced a line of fire down her alabaster neck. He took the lead, encouraging her to moan with pleasure and grip his shoulders tightly with desperate fingers as he made love to her.

As he arrived at his orgasm, she began to moan beneath him. He knew she was reaching her pleasure, but was not prepared for the words that tumbled out of her mouth as she let go. "Reg!" she cried out. "Oh, my love, I've missed you so much…"

Sirius was unsure how to react. He finished awkwardly and laid down beside her on his back, pulling her naked body in close to his. She sighed happily at the warmth of his skin, laying her head on his shoulder and dozing off immediately.

Sirius stared at the ceiling for a very long time, looking for answers in the shadows.

Uh-oh! What do you think? How is Sirius going to react?