AN: Still don't own Harry Potter, but a girl can dream~

Oh my gosh, I wasn't expecting people to actually like this! I was so thrilled that people would follow and favorite this! I just had to write this chapter Asap! Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 2

Remus wasn't sure what he had expected when he knocked on the door, but the woman who opened the door certainly wasn't it. She was about as tall as he was, which in itself was impressive. The tight jeans and simple red turtleneck fit her body like a glove, hiding little to his appreciating eyes. Her build reminded him of some models he'd seen in magazines, slender but not bony. And her long hair was a warm blonde color with a red shine in the winter sun. She was also covered from head to toe in flour, and wore bright pink bunny slippers.

What struck him hardest, however, was the smell of cookies and her lily perfume. And that the longer he looked the more familiar she seemed.

"Um… Can I help you?" Her voice shook him out of his daze, and he realized that he'd been staring at her. Flustered, Remus took off his knit hat, hoping that his blush wasn't noticeable. "Yes! Erm, sorry, I…" Struggling to form sentences, he took a deep breath to calm himself. Whatever Gryffindor courage he'd summoned earlier had seemingly gone from him now.

Eyes firmly planted on the ground, he continued "Sorry to disturb you ma'am, my name's Remus Lupin. My mother used to own this cottage?" Chancing a glance up at her, and seeing her smile patiently and nod at him, made him feel braver. Remus straightened his back, and looked the stranger in her eyes. Her stunning green eyes that suddenly reminded him of Lily. "You see, a few years ago I hid a small box here, sort of a time capsule you could say. I've been travelling abroad for the past four years, and only recently learned that the cabin had been sold.." He paused, unsure of how to proceed.

The woman's face had gone from patient, to thinking, then a dawning realization seemed to hit her and she lit up with a brilliant smile. Remus felt his knees go a bit weak, and not only from the exhaustion from wading through the heavy snow. On the inside he could feel Moony almost wagging his tail at her expression and he quickly pushed the wolf back. He hadn't even felt his grip on the beast slipping.

Petunia had been uncertain when she first opened the door, they rarely got visitors out here, especially with all the snow. She always kept Dumbledore's warnings in the back of her mind, and she prayed that nothing had happened to her boys, they were supposed to be sledding on the hill behind the cottage.

That it was a total stranger was a surprise, few knew about the cottage and where it was. He was tall, dressed in a heavy coat made him look quite intimidating especially with the thin scars that lined his face. She could practically feel his eyes dancing over her. It wasn't uncomfortable, but she'd never really had a man look at her the way he did before, and she could swear his green eyes had flashed golden. She decided it must have been trick of light, people didn't just change eye colours at random.

Then he'd taken his hat off, she wasn't sure if the redness of his cheeks was from the cold or if he was blushing. The stranger was adorable, the way he stumbled with his words almost made her giggle like she used to do when she and Lily talked about boys. She immediately liked his hair, it reminded her of the cornfields outside Cokeworth, where they would escape to when their home became too suffocating. His name sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She was trying really hard, and Petunia could feel the answer right on the tip of her tongue, then she heard him mention a box.

The box! She smiled brightly as she remembered. Last summer they'd found a small tin box, about the size of a lunchbox, hidden in the boy's bedroom. Harry was certain that it was a pirate treasure, quickly getting Dudley as excited as him. The two four-year olds were quite disappointed that they couldn't get the box open, and she had to promise them that she would take them on a proper treasure hunt the next day. The lid of the box had been decorated by the words 'Property of Remus Lupin' in a neat script, however his name wasn't in any phone books, and the realtor she'd used couldn't give her any information about the former owners.

She'd spent many nights studying the neat handwriting, fingertips tracing every letter, wondering just who this mysterious Remus Lupin could be. Now the man himself stood in front of her and she couldn't have been more thrilled.

"Oh! You mean the box under the floor in the main bedroom! My boys found it last summer, please, come inside!" she stepped to the side and let him enter, closing the door behind him and offering to take his coat.

The sudden switch in mood caught Remus off guard, but he gladly entered the cottage. Grateful to escape the bloody snow. He took off his shoes and handed the woman his coat. He wondered what her name was, eyes lingering low on her back as she hung his coat on a hanger. Entering the living room, he took in the familiar atmosphere of the cottage. She hadn't changed much of the furniture, he supposed his mother must have sold the furniture with the cottage. Somehow it seemed more welcoming now than it did when he was younger. The smell of fresh cookies was still heavy in the air, now that he was indoors he could smell different herbs as well. He could also smell, oh Merlin, she had hot chocolate on the stove. Remus' heart nearly skipped a beat.

While Remus took in his surroundings, the woman had gone over to the bookshelf, and got a small box from it. She blew on it, likely to remove dust, before returning to him. "I think the lid is warped, we just couldn't get it to open. It really disappointed my boys, they thought they'd found a pirate's treasure." She handed him the box with a playful wink. Remus' heart surged, people rarely treated him nicely yet here was a complete stranger who had welcomed him into her home with open arms. He hoped whomever she was with treated her right, kindness like hers was rare. He was also glad that the ward he'd put on the box still kept it closed. He'd hate to obliviate the beauty, just because she'd seen a few moving photographs. Mostly because he found that he hated the thought of her forgetting him.

Accepting the box and returning her smile, Remus decided to take a chance. "I'd like to thank you, but I don't think I caught your name…?" She looked a bit taken aback, then she blushed madly. Moony found it delightful to see and Remus was surprised to find himself agreeing with the beast. He'd love to see her flushed like that underneath him, he wondered how far down under her shirt it went… Remus mentally slapped himself, and pushed Moony back again. She was obviously taken already, and even if she weren't she'd be way out of his league and never interested in someone like him.

The woman facepalmed, clearly exasperated. "Oh, where are my manners today?! I swear, I'm usually more polite than this!" She stretched the hand towards him in greeting, and Remus accepted it eagerly. She smiled another brilliant smile at him that went straight to his heart. "The name is Evans, Petunia Evans. Lovely meeting you, mister Lupin."

To be continued

Mwahahaha! Had to throw in a small cliffhanger there. :D

Pottersparky: Thanks for the review and the well wishes! I hope the chapter didn't let you down! :D

Hope y'all enjoyed the newest chapter, will try to have the next one ready soon. ^3^