And There Were Always Two... - oc x r. lupin & oc x s. black

- 32 -

Ashley walked into the potions classroom holding hands with Remus and sat down next to him. She waved at Mavis who was now sitting next to Sirius.

"Ms Curron? Would you please go to your assigned seat?" Professor Slughorn told her, looking up from his desk.

"But this is my seat."

The professor looked back and forth between the twin and sighed, muttering something along the lines of "I'm too old for this."

"I want to tell your sister that I'm a werewolf," Remus whispered into Ashley's ear.

"Why?"

"Cause... I want to get over the fear of telling people. The Marauders don't seem to care, you don't know, and Mavis seems like the kind of person who'd want me to bite her just to test if it's transmittable while I'm in human form."

Ashley snorted.

"Yeah, you're right. Plus, it'd be easier if I didn't have to make excuses for seeing you every full moon."

"Exactly."

Remus got up to get ingredients for their potion.

Ashley looked at Mavis. How would she react? Remus was right, she'd find it wicked cool.

"When?" she asked Remus when he came back.

"Tonight."

"So soon?"

"Why wait?'

"Fair point," Ashley answered, pecking him on the cheek as they worked around the cauldron.

The day went by quickly and suddenly they were all gathered in the boys dorm.

"So?" Mavis asked.

"I have something to tell you," Remus said, walking pacing the room.

"Did you knock up my sister?"

"No!" he answered, taken aback.

"Good, then what have you got to say?"

"You know how I'm sick every month?"

"Yeah," she said slowly, nodding.

"Umm... have you ever noticed what time of the month it is?"

"Dunno? Every blue moon?" she joked.

"Close."

"Full moon? New moon? Crescent-" she listed, and then stopped in her tracks. "Shit!"

Remus sighed, knowing she had probably already figured it out.

"I'm a werewolf."

Mavis' mouth hung open.

"You're the one who hurt my sister, not Sirius," she realised.

Sirius stood up.

"Yes, but it was my fault she was there in the first place."

"You're a monster..." she said slowly, as if the answers to the universe were all suddenly dawning on her. "You subhuman monster! You stay away from my sister! Does the headmaster know? Oh merlin, I've got to tell the headmaster!"

Mavis almost ran out of the room, but Ashley blocked her.

"Think rationally, Mavs. He's harmless. He's still Remus, the dorkiest and nerdiest Marauder."

"You knew he was a monster and you still dated him?"

"Of course. It doesn't change anything."

"Well, it should. He's a killer. He'll drink your blood the first chance he gets."

Mavis thrashed against Ashley, trying to open the door.

"Mavis."

Sirius' stone cold voice cut through Mavis' anxiety.

"Until you see reason and apologise... we're over."

Mavis looked at him in shock.

"You knew, too?"

"We all knew," answered James.

"Yeah," said Pete, nervously scratching the back of his head.

Mavis looked around the room at the angry faces and her eyes stopped on Remus, who was standing by the window looking up at the crescent moon.

"I guess we're over, then."

Ashley's hand went limp as Mavis raced out the door.

"Do you think she'll tell?" asked James, collapsing on the bed and rubbing his temples.

"I don't know, I'll go after her to make sure she doesn't."