1: 50 P.M., Hospital Wing

Gwen led Remus to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey heard them come in and was bustling to them before the door even closed.

“What’s the matter, Mr. Lupin?” she asked, “It’s not your...er...time yet.”

“You can talk freely, Madam Pomfrey, I know all about it,” said Gwen.

“Oh. Well, Mr. Lupin, it is not even close to the full moon, so you shouldn’t be ill yet,” said Madam Pomfrey briskly.

“We began learning about werewolves in Defense Against the Dark Arts,” explained Gwen.

“Ah, so you’re nervous someone will find out,” said Madam Pomfrey while nodding her head.

“Someone did find out,” croaked Remus, “Severus Snape.”

“Well, I’m sure the Headmaster will sort it out,” said Madam Pomfrey.

“Professor Aegis said he would talk to Professor Dumbledore,” pointed out Gwen, “But then Snape said he was going to tell everybody, so poor Remus threw up.”

“He will tell,” said Remus to himself. He sat down on the nearest crisp white bed, holding his head in his hands.

Gwen sat beside him. “I can speak from an outsider’s point of view, having only known for a day. This is your fifth year here. In first year, yeah, we were curious. Why does Lupin go away so much? But now we’re used it. We see you going down to the hospital wing and we just glimpse briefly. No one cares.”

“Thanks,” he murmured.

“Do you want me to stay with you?” asked Gwen.

“You should go back to class,” said Madam Pomfrey at once.

“I’d rather she stayed, Madam Pomfrey,” said Remus. He took his shoes off, laid them on the floor beside the bed, and slipped under the blanket.

“Oh, all right,” said Madam Pomfrey. She flung her arms in the air and walked back to her office, muttering things like “He needs his rest” and “I think I know what I’m doing.”

“Thanks for getting me out of Potions,” said Gwen.

Remus smiled weakly. “But you’re one of his favorites.”

“Nah.” Gwen shook her head. “That’s Lily.”

Remus reached up and held her face in both hands. She smiled as she let him pull her closer. They were just an inch apart when Madam Pomfrey bustled in with a tray full of odd potions. She gasped when she saw the compromising position her patient and his girlfriend were in.

“Miss Reynolds, get out of my hospital wing!”

“Bye, Remus,” said Gwen gloomily. She got up from the bed and began walking to the door.

“Bye, Gwen,” he said before Madam Pomfrey shoved a blue potion down his throat. He gagged, and then grimaced. Gwen laughed. She left the room still chuckling while Madam Pomfrey clucked her tongue disapprovingly.

2:00 P.M., Double Potions

Gwen went down to the dimly lit dungeon. Every eye was on her as she walked to her seat in the front.

“Sorry I’m late, Professor Slughorn,” said Gwen.

“Not to worry, Miss Reynolds,” said Professor Slughorn, “Mr. Potter here patched things up for you. And you have just enough time to whip up a decent Draught of Living Death.”

“Yes, sir,” said Gwen. She went to the storage cupboard, came back to her seat, and began measuring ingredients.

“Why were you late?” asked Lily quietly. Lily, of course, sat in the front next to Gwen.

“Remus wasn’t feeling good, so I took him to the hospital wing,” Gwen whispered back.

“Sickened by the idea of werewolves?” whispered Lily sympathetically, “I heard there were four people last year that went to the hospital wing after learning about them.”

“Something like that,” agreed Gwen shrewdly. She dumped her ingredients in her cauldron and began stirring.

By the end of the class period, only four people had managed to get their potions a nice shade of lilac: Lily, Gwen, James, and Sirius. Poor Peter was attempting to empty his cauldron of what looked like cement. The bell rang, and Gwen was out before it was even finished ringing. She had a half hour break next period, and she fully intended to spend it with Remus.

However, when Gwen got to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey sent her away saying that Remus had already left. So Gwen raced to the library, only to be quickly ushered out by Madam Pince (“No running in the library!”). By the time Gwen got to the common room, 15 minutes of break had already passed. She burst into the common room, where there were four amused boys looking at her with their eyebrows raised.

“Where have you been?” asked Remus from a couch by the fire. He patted a place next to him.

“Looking for you,” replied a panting Gwen as she sat next to him. She sat herself down close to him and laid her head on his shoulder, settling it in the crook of his neck. Her feet settled on the couch next to her. His arm went instinctively around her shoulders.

“Where did you look?” asked Sirius without looking up from his Ancient Runes essay.

“The hospital wing and the library,” said Gwen.

“I left the hospital wing just before the bell rang,” said Remus.

“Why’d you check the library?” asked James, who was also working on Ancient Runes.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” said Gwen sheepishly.

“I considered going there first, actually,” said Remus reasonably, “But I thought you would come here first.”

“Been going out for a day and you already have communication problems,” said Sirius with a grin.

“So how are you feeling?” Gwen asked Remus, ignoring Sirius’ last comment.

“Much better,” said Remus, “What you said helped me more than any vile potion Madam Pomfrey could come up with.” He screwed his face up at the thought of that tray of potions. Gwen lifted her head long enough to look and laugh.

“That’s good,” said Gwen.

“What’d you say?” Peter asked her excitedly. He was practicing his Summoning Charm; he was the only one who was told to practice.

James and Sirius rolled their eyes. “Probably just ‘I love you,’ or something of the like,” said James.

“I guess we won’t tell you then,” said Gwen teasingly.

Sirius’ curiosity was piqued; his head had come up from his essay.

“So, what did you tell him?” asked Sirius casually.

“Nope, not going to tell you,” said Gwen. She snuggled closer to Remus (if that were possible) and sighed. They began breathing in time with each other.

“If they don’t want to say then they don’t have to say,” said James fairly, “It’s their business.”

“Since when have you been the voice of reason?” retorted Sirius, “We have a right to know.”

“And they have a right to keep it secret,” said James tiredly.

“But-“ began Sirius.

“Don’t worry about it, Padfoot,” said Remus. He laid his head on Gwen’s and sighed.

“Fine,” said Sirius haughtily, “I’ll just get back to work.”

“You do that,” said Gwen.

Sirius gave the couple a sour look, then got back to work.

The portrait door swung open to reveal Lily and Tara. James stopped working long enough to mess up his hair.

“Wow, the Marauders are working?” asked Lily incredulously.

“All except the one who is usually the sensible one,” said Tara. She pointed at Gwen and Remus.

“Well, we were wondering if you guys wanted to walk down to Muggle Studies together,” said Lily.

“I can’t; I’m meeting Alex in the library,” said Peter proudly. He smiled dreamily at the thought of his partner.

“Sure, we’ll come,” said James.

“Cool,” said Tara. She looked over at the couple. “Why don’t you guys go ahead?”

“All right,” they said. Gwen shrugged. They walked to the portrait door, where Remus opened the door and gestured Gwen through. Gwen smiled as the portrait door swung closed, with Peter tailing after them.

“I swear, he’s trying to get tips,” said Sirius as he shook his head.

“Well, Sirius, did you ask Remus about the ocean?” asked Tara.

“Nope, slipped my mind,” said Sirius breezily.

“Sirius!” said Tara. She smacked his arm.

His hand jumped to where she hit him. “I was kidding; I was kidding,” he said hastily, “He said they’re calming and peaceful.”

“So that settles our plan. We’re doing it tonight, right?” asked Lily.

“It’s Valentine’s Day. I don’t see why we should do it any other day,” said James.

“Alright,” said Lily, “Well, let’s get to class.”

The boys grandly offered their arms out to their partners. The girls looked at each and giggled, then slipped their arms into the boys’. James and Sirius ostentatiously led their partners out of the Gryffindor common room. Lily and Tara giggled again.