Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter were lounging in front of the roaring fireplace in the nearly empty Gryffindor common room. It was their Seventh year at Hogwart’s, and they could finally say they had truly mastered the school. Between their Animagus transformations and the Marauder’s Map they created, they knew they would make a lasting impression at Hogwart’s.

Peter was sprawled on his stomach on the floor, his face scrunched up in thought as he worked on his Transfiguration homework. Remus had a book in his lap and was reading absently on one end of the sofa while Sirius relaxed, his hair falling down into his eyes, on the other end. James was seated in the armchair, working diligently on his Ancient Runes homework, a subject that very few Seventh years even attempted, not even James’s girlfriend, Lily.

The sound of footsteps descending the stairs to the girls’ dormitories made Sirius look up. It was Kate Henley, another Seventh year. Sirius watched her avidly; she had long blond hair that she often wore in a messy bun. She was thin and rather petite, but her tank top and loose pyjama pants hugged her curves in all the right places.

“Hey Kate?” James asked, snapping Sirius from his daydreams.

“Yes?” she replied, turning.

“I can’t figure out this translation,” said James, scratching his head with the end of his quill.

Kate stepped over to him and sat on the arm of the chair, leaning over him to check over his work.

“You’re doing alright, except for this one right here,” she said, pointing to a spot on his parchment. “It means ‘ancient’, not ‘fluttering’.”

“Oh, there’s the problem then,” James replied, scratching on his papers. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” said Kate, standing and straightening her shirt. “See you at Quidditch practice.”

Kate grabbed the book she had come downstairs to fetch and went back up to her dormitory. Sirius watched her hips sway as she climbed the staircase and shook his head.

“I don’t know how you do it, mate,” he said.

“Do what?” James replied absently, still focused on his homework.

“You and Kate Henley have been friends since First year, and you’ve never made a move on her!” Sirius exclaimed, and the other two boys looked up at James.

“Make a move on Kate?” James said, laughing. “No, we’re just good friends. Besides, I’ve got Lily.”

“But she’s gorgeous!” Sirius cried.

“Yea, she’s pretty,” said James, not really paying much attention.

“I just don’t understand,” Sirius continued.

“She’s really shy, mate,” James offered.

“Yea, she seems shy,” piped in Peter from the floor.

“Could you put in a good word for me?” Sirius asked James with a raised eyebrow.

James rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Come on, Sirius. She’s not your type,” James said. “She’s introverted, doesn’t like standing out much. I had to drag her to Quidditch tryouts in Third year. She hasn’t dated the whole time we’ve been at Hogwart’s. She’s not the kind of girl you usually go after.”

“Well, I’ve run out of the other kind,” said Sirius, folding his arms in front of him.

“Just because you’ve alienated every other Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh year girl who’s not in Slytherin doesn’t mean you ought to go for Kate Henley. She’s a good friend of mine, and I’m not putting in any good words for you,” said James with a tone of finality.

“Fine,” Sirius huffed. “I’ll just go after her without your help. She won’t be able to resist the Black charm.”

Peter laughed, and James and Remus both simply rolled their eyes.


~~~~~~~~~~


The next day in Potions, Sirius plopped down in the seat next to Kate, making Jessica Marceau, her usual partner, shrug her shoulders in confusion and sit next to Remus. Kate eyed him curiously and continued reading over her textbook.

“Hello, there, Kate,” Sirius whispered.

“Hello, Sirius,” she replied, uninterested.

“You know, James really appreciates you helping him with his Ancient Runes homework,” said Sirius.

“That’s nice. I always appreciate when he helps me, too,” Kate said.

Kate did not continue speaking, much to Sirius’s disappointment. In fact, she hadn’t blushed or giggled or done any of the things the ladies he went after normally did. He decided it was time to up the ante.

“Oops,” he whispered as he ‘accidentally’ dropped his quill on the floor next to her.

He bent down very slowly, eyeing her long leg as he grabbed the quill and picked it up.

“Dropped it,” he whispered in her ear, letting his breath tickle her neck.

“I’m sorry, I could have gotten it for you,” she replied, not looking up from her work.

Sirius was appalled. That trick always worked.

“Listen, how is it that you and James have been best of friends since First year and you two have never dated?” Sirius asked, leaning on one elbow.

“I don’t know, we just don’t see each other like that,” she said, shrugging.

“Who do you see like that?” he said in his sexiest voice, raising an eyebrow at her when she turned to look at him.

“I don’t know, I hadn’t really thought about it,” said Kate.

“Listen, you know Hogsmeade weekend is coming up,” Sirius said in a husky whisper.

“That’s nice,” she replied.

He moved in closer to her.

“A lot of girls are hoping I’ll ask them to go,” Sirius continued.

“Well, I hope you make their dreams come true,” Kate said, beginning to sound a bit annoyed.

Sirius gently placed a hand behind her chair and rested it on her back.

“Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?” asked Sirius, giving her his sexiest grin.

Kate turned and looked at him. He was inches from her face, smiling in such a foolish way that she immediately had to put her hand on her mouth to stop from bursting out in laughter.

“Excuse me?” Sirius said, appalled as he pulled away from her.

“I’m sorry,” she replied, forcing her giggles to subside. “I’m sorry, Mister Black, but your reputation precedes you. I think I’ll let some other girl enjoy the pleasure of your company in Hogsmeade.”

Then, the bell rang, signaling that it was time for Potions to end. Kate stood and grabbed her things, departing swiftly from the room. Sirius stayed in place, his mouth still slightly open. He had never known a girl to resist his sexy smirk, much less laugh at it!

“Ouch,” came a voice from beside him.

It was James, and he was trying very hard not to laugh.

“Shut it, Potter,” Sirius snarled.

James laughed out loud and clapped Sirius on the back.


~~~~~~~~~~


The next week in Potions, Sirius sat himself down next to James at the back of the classroom, forcing Lily to sit next to Jessica Marceau at Sirius’s usual table, as she had opted not to attempt to return to her usual seat. Sirius crossed his arms in front of him, staring at the girl who had dared to resist his flirtatious advances. Remus Lupin walked into the classroom, and upon finding his seat occupied, shrugged and sat down next to Kate.

“Hello,” he whispered, sitting down to Kate’s right.

“If you’ve come to put in a good word for Sirius Black, you can leave because it won’t work,” she said immediately.

“Oh, no, I haven’t,” Remus said, his face flushing slightly.

“Oh,” Kate replied, looking relieved. “Well then, please sit down.”

She smiled at him shyly and he returned a similar smile. He pulled out his quill and parchment, but when he began to write, he realized his elbow was bumping into hers.

“Sorry,” Remus chuckled, blushing. “I’m left handed.”

Kate giggled a bit and stood to change places with him.

“Better?” she said.

“Much,” he replied with a grin.

Kate held his gaze for just a moment, and then smiled and returned to her parchment. Remus felt oddly excited, a bit flustered, as he sat next to her.


“He’s flirting with her,” Sirius said to himself, earning a sideways glance from James. “The bastard is flirting with her!”

Sirius shook his head at his desk as he watched Remus and Kate smile shyly at each other.

“Well, good luck with that one, Moony. She’s a cold fish,” Sirius whispered, and James just shook his head knowingly.


“Listen, sorry about Sirius,” Remus said softly. “He’s really not all that bad.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve seen him around, I know how he is,” Kate replied. “I am good friends with James, after all.”

“Yes, of course,” said Remus nervously.

They worked in silence next to each other until they reached the step in their potion making where they just had to let the mixture steep for fifteen minutes. Remus found himself gazing around the room awkwardly, trying to think of something to say to her as they waited.

“Are you going to Hogsmeade?” he blurted out, unable to find anything else to talk about.

“Oh, I’m not sure,” said Kate. “Jessica is dating a boy from Ravenclaw, and I often go to Hogsmeade with her. And then James is with Lily, so I won’t be able to hang around with him.”

“Yes, it seems as though everyone’s paired up,” Remus observed. “Even Peter has a date.”

“Pettigrew?” Kate asked incredulously, making Remus laugh.

“Yes, with a Sixth year Hufflepuff,” Remus replied.

Kate laughed.

“Looks like Sirius won’t have trouble getting a date,” Kate said, nodding toward Sirius, who was chatting up a girl at the table in front of him.

“He never does,” said Remus.

Kate sighed and nodded, looking into her cauldron to see how it was coming.

“I think I may just stay here at the castle,” she continued. “It’s not fun feeling like the third wheel.”

“Well, that’s just not acceptable,” Remus said. “You can’t miss out on our last Hogsmeade visit. We don’t have another one before school ends, you know.”

“Yes, I suppose that’s true,” Kate replied. “But I really don’t know who to go with; I don’t want to just tag along with some couple.”

“Well . . .” Remus began, clearing his throat and loosening his gold and scarlet tie. “I actually don’t have any . . . er . . . plans.”

Kate smiled bashfully and bit her lip, looking over at Remus.

“You don’t?” she asked.

“No. And, well, since neither of us has a date, and since neither of us would want to feel like a third wheel, say, with James and Lily or something,” Remus continued nervously. “Well, if you would like to, maybe . . . I mean, I only ask this because it would be a shame if you didn’t go . . .”

“Remus?”

“Yes?”

“I think it would lovely if we went to Hogsmeade together,” Kate said with a smile.

“Oh!” Remus said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. I thought I’d never get my point across.”

The bell rang, but neither of them stood immediately. Kate blushed and gave him a grin before picking up her books and heading out the classroom door. Remus just sat, staring into the space where she had sat just moments before, his mind returning to consciousness only when he heard Sirius’s barking laugh next to him.

“See? What did I tell you?” Sirius laughed.

“She’s going to Hogsmeade with me,” Remus said softly as the four boys walked out of the classroom.

“WHAT?” cried Sirius.

“She’s going to Hogsmeade with me,” Remus repeated, a crooked sort of grin on his face.

“Moony, you old dog!” James said happily, ruffling Remus’s hair.

“Wait, he’s not the old dog! I’m the old dog! He’s the lone wolf!” Sirius protested as the made their way through the corridors.

“Padfoot, when is the last time you saw Remus in Hogsmeade with a girl?” James asked pointedly.

“Well, I . . . er . . . never, but that’s not the-”

“Let him have this one!” James said. “You’ve got another lined up already.”


~~~~~~~~~~


As they prepared to leave for Hogsmeade, Sirius was still mumbling about Remus not being the old dog, but the lone wolf. Remus didn’t care, however. He was sincerely looking forward to spending the afternoon with Kate, even if it was just as friends.

“Hello, Remus,” she said quietly as he met her in the Great Hall.

He held out his arm for her to take, and they made their way to Hogsmeade, everyone breaking off into pairs as they arrived.

“Care for a butterbeer?” he asked nervously as they passed the Three Broomsticks.

“Sure,” she replied.

They found a booth and ordered a round, sipping quietly as they each gazed around the pub.

“I’ve never been to Hogsmeade with a guy before,” she said softly, smiling. “Well, James, but he doesn’t count.”

“Why doesn’t he count?” Remus asked.

“Well, because we’re just friends,” Kate said, shrugging her shoulders and blushing furiously.

Remus gave out a soft, “oh!” as he realized that he and Kate were not there just as friends. It filled his stomach with a hundred butterflies when he discovered that this was, in fact, a date.

“I’ve never taken a lady here, either,” Remus replied.

“Oh,” Kate said, grinning madly.

After they finished their drinks and paid (Remus had insisted on paying, in order to make it an official date), they meandered the village of Hogsmeade together. They chatted easily, which was excellent because Remus didn’t think he could have quelled the strange sensation building in his stomach if they hadn’t had some conversation to fill the time. Soon, they ended up at the fence overlooking the Shrieking Shack.

“They say it’s haunted,” Kate said.

“I’ve heard,” said Remus, his brow furrowing as he thought of the nights he had to spend there.

“I don’t believe it,” continued Kate.

“Me neither,” Remus replied with a grin.

They stood like that, both smiling at each other, for what seemed like ages. Finally, Remus realized that it was now or never. He felt his face flush slightly as he took a step closer to her. She bit her lower lip softly when he ran a trembling hand through her long, blonde hair. He gently cupped her face, his heart pounding underneath his ribs, and leaned in to kiss her. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pressed his lips softly against hers. He froze just like that for a moment, savoring the moment, and unsure of what to do next. Then, he felt her hands hesitantly wind their way around his neck. He wrapped a nervous hand around her waist and kissed her again, this time with an open mouth. They kissed, both apprehensive, learning themselves and each other, and the butterflies in his stomach exploded when he felt her fingers rake through his sandy hair. Her mouth was soft and tasted sweet, and he was absolutely lost in her kiss. At a loud ‘whoop’ that sounded very much like James, Remus pulled away. She was blushing, grinning at him slightly. He laughed and kissed her gingerly on the forehead. And that was how Remus J. Lupin managed his very first kiss.


Across the street, sitting miserably at a pink and red table at Madame Puddifoot’s, Sirius Black was staring out the window, not even paying the slightest attention to his date’s rambling. He watched Remus with Kate across the road and sighed.

Sirius shook his head, smiling despite himself, and muttered, “The old dog.”