Hi guys! I know that I haven’t posted on here in months, but I got a message from dream-the-dream that made me really happy! So here is one of my older stories. Sorry it’s so short, I’ll probably edit it later on to make it more detailed and longer (sorry the spacing is really funny). But if anyone has any recommendations that you would like to share, or any of your own writing, please message me or submit it! :3

“Yes, I am.”

“Muggles can’t see dementors. Only wizards and witches can.”

I saw his face light up in understanding and his eyes well up with tears. His mother just couldn’t see the creatures that were haunting him for years. She didn’t understand the war that was being fought that would change the outcome of her son’s entire life.

The young boy ran out of the greenhouse as fast as he could. I sat there for a moment. Did I really just witness the turning point in this boy’s life? Everything will be different for him now and all he needed to know was that Dementors exist. That’s all. and he’s only twelve, in his second year at Hogwarts. I pulled out my own quill, ink and parchment, and started writing to Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. They would understand. They understand the war.
 
 

hello to my few followers! i know this blog is kind of dull right now, but i would really like it if you guys submitted any of your writing or have any good suggestions for stories from other sites!

The next morning, I met Amy outside the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. She had sent me an owl at breakfast telling me she was too embarrassed to be seen by a lot of people until her hair was fixed. Good thing that was part of the plan for the day. The hallway was almost deserted when she came from behind the portrait of badgers playing cards. I was taken aback when I saw her. I had never seen her out of her school uniform and what she was wearing was very flattering indeed. She had on a dark grey, low cut, v-neck t-shirt and a light grey high-waisted, flouncy lace skirt that stopped at mid-thigh. Black stockings hid her slender legs and her feet were encased in heavy, weathered boots. A Hufflepuff beany was pulled over her head, but other than that, she was extremely feminine, right down to her silvery eye shadow. I just couldn’t stop looking at her as she stood there shyly, and my thoughts kept straying farther and farther from what was appropriate, like the fact that her shirt was very low-cut and how small her waist was and how her legs seemed so long for someone so thin. Damn it for being so close to the full moon. I didn’t want to be violating her in my mind all day, even though that’s what the wolf and my hormones seemed to want to do. I shook my head and said goodmorning before taking off her hat and taking a good look at her ear. This earned a giggle from her cute little mouth. As she said it would, her ear was perfectly normal looking and a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. No serious maiming, except for looking like she had bad sunburn on half her face.

“Everything looks okay here,” I declared, looking her in the face.

“I told you it would be,” she reassured me again.

“Well, let’s get going,” I said as she put her hat back on. “I assume you want to take a secret passage into the village?”

“You know the secret passages into the village?” she said incredulously, stopping in her tracks.

“Of course I do,” I said with mock arrogance, much like Sirius, “I’m a Marauder, aren’t I? So will it be Honeydukes or the Shrieking Shack?” I grabbed her hand and gently pulled her along.

“Oooh!” she said excitedly, “The Shrieking Shack would be so fun to sneak into on Halloween.”

With that we hurried through the castle and I lead her to the Whomping Willow. With a long branch, I poked the knot at the base of the tree and it stopped trying to attack us. Amy gasped and looked up at me in some kind of awe.

Like the gentleman I am, I helped her down into the passageway and tried my hardest not to look at her bum and I followed her through the winding tunnel.

“I doubt this place is haunted,” Amy stated as she looked around the Shack. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Everything was torn apart from my transformations and there were even a few bloodstains here and there. My bloodstains to be exact. “Ghosts don’t do this kind of thing.”

“Well, it doesn’t seem like the kind of place to be hanging around in long.” I was trying to get out of there as quickly as possible, but instead of looking for the door, she wandered upstairs, which was the last place I wanted her to go, especially if she was as curious and clever as I thought she was. Amy was going to poke around and find the only room that was in pristine condition and wonder. “Let’s go get that haircut you were talking about earlier.”

“It can wait a few minutes,” she said called playfully down the stairs. I followed her up there, hoping I could stop her from getting to that last room at the end of the hall. We went into every room and they were all the same: ripped up furniture, long scratches in the wallpaper, and scraps of torn cloth strewn across the floor.

“I think we should go,” I tried to persuade her, grabbing her hand.

“What are you so scared about?” she asked teasingly.

“Nothing,” I said hurriedly, “I just-“

“There’s only one room left, come on.” Amy started to turn towards the last door, with the perfectly made bed and drawers full of fresh clean clothes and medical supplies behind it.

“No,” I said firmly, pulling her hand back. She looked up at me with a glint of fear in her eyes. “I shouldn’t have brought you here. I thought we would just pass through, not poke around. Now come on.”

She followed me down the stairs (well, she didn’t really have a choice because I was pulling her by the hand) and out the back door. I let go of her hand and we walked in silence around the edge of the yard to Main St.

“Look, I-“ I started but she interrupted me.

“Don’t worry about it Remus. I get it. There was probably some Marauder’s prank of your’s in there that you didn’t want me to see. It’s okay.” She smiled and elbowed me in the ribs and I smiled back. I should have thought of an explanation like that, but I’m really bad under pressure.

“Here’s the plan for today,” I said, “Seeing how I have planned this wonderful date for you today-“

“So this is a date?” Amy interrupted again. She was teasing; she’s easier to read than a book. But maybe she was flirting more than teasing…

“Uhm, well, yeah.” I spluttered out.

“Okay, good. I want this to be a date.”

“You do?” This was marvelous. So she was flirting with me! A girl. Flirting. With me. And not just any girl, either. Amy Evergreen. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her and she was spunky and forgiving and-

“Yes, Remus Lupin, I want to be on a date with you,” Amy reassured me. She took my hand in hers and intertwined our fingers. I felt a blush rush to my face and ears. “And I can tell you want to be on a date with me.”

I nodded and a huge grin spread across my face. “I never thought I would be able to get the prettiest girl in school to go on a date with me.” This time she blushed and looked at me with wide eyes. I laughed. I would have kissed her right then and there. But I didn’t. “Now about this date. I’m going to take you to three places and I’m not going to tell you where we are going at all. It’ll all be a surprise for you.”

“Good,” she nodded firmly, “I like surprises. They’re nice little adventures.”

“Good!” And that’s when I decided that at some random point on our date, I was going to surprise her with a kiss as well. Wait. What am I doing? Yes, she was beautiful. Yes, she was brilliant. Yes, she liked me back. But it’s not like I could be her boyfriend. I had a No Dating Code for a reason and that reason was to keep my secret… well, a secret. And to protect those I cared about.

As my mind was racing with these thoughts, I walked her through Hogsmeade to East Lane and I quickly scanned for Lady Dee’s Salon. It wasn’t exactly hard to miss though: it was the brightest shop on the quiet street with a big light blue sign.

“This is where you wanted to take me?” Amy said suddenly, stopping in her tracks. “Lady Dee’s?”

“My friend, Lily, said it was one of the best salon’s in Hogsmeade so I figured I would take you here to get your hair fixed.” Her expression showed she was nervous, but I couldn’t figure out a reason why. Had I chosen the wrong place?

“Well, it’s now or never then, isn’t it?” And with that we walked into the shop. The bell above the door jingled and the fashionable bloke behind the desk looked up.

“What can I do for- Oh no. Oh dear,” he said, looking at Amy with the same nervous expression that she was wearing. “Dee! You might want to come out here!” he called to someone in the back room.

“What’s the hurry, Benjamin?” came a voice, followed by the clicking of high-heeled shoes. A slight woman appeared at the door with her wand in one manicured hand and a pair of scissors in the other. She had very long blonde hair, pulled back stylishly with many cascading curls. She wore dark purple robes embroidered with silver and a pair of steep black heels. Her eyes were a striking green and shimmering with silver eye shadow. They looked oddly familiar… Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Hi, mum,” said Amy, letting go of my hand and running up to her mother to give her a hug.

“Oh my poor Amy!” Mrs. Evergreen exclaimed, holding her daughter’s face in her hands to take a better look at her. “What happened to you?”

“I had a bit of a run in with a Permanent Sticking Charm.” Her mother’s eyes lit up angrily. “No, mum, it’s fine. Madam Pomfrey fixed me up. I just haven’t got any hair left.”

I had been standing there silently this entire time, but I felt the sudden urge to speak up. “It was really my fault, Mrs. Evergreen. My friends and I were playing a stupid prank at school, where we put those charms all over the floor so people’s shoes would get stuck, but Amy tripped and got stuck to the floor, well, by her face.” I looked up at Amy and her mum nervously, hoping she wasn’t going to castrate me. “But I wanted to make it up to her so I brought her here to treat her to getting her hair fixed up.”

I stood there with my hands deep in my pockets as Amy’s mum surveyed me skeptically, completely terrified of the possible impending doom.

“Well, at least you finally have boys taking you out on Hogsmeade weekends,” she teased Amy with a smirk, but Amy smacked her on the arm. Brushing it off she looked at me and said, “As long as he’s not a werewolf.”

Oh shit. Oh shit.

“Mum, stop it. Don’t scare him off.”

I shook my head, trying to shake the effect those words had on me. Maybe I should just leave now. But no, I’m a Gryffindor and I’m courageous. I walked over and held my hand out to Amy’s mum. “I’m Remus Lupin. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Evergreen.” I gave her my most charming smile, hoping to at least leave some kind of good impression.

“Oh, please Remus. Call me Dee,” she said with a giggle, giving my hand a gentle shake.

About half an hour later, Amy’s haircut was finished. I must say she looked wonderful. All the ragged edges had been trimmed neatly into soft layers. Her neck seemed exceptionally long. For someone who usually had hair down to her waist, she looked damn good. She frowned as she looked at herself in the mirror, but as she played with her new hair, a smile crept onto her face.

“I don’t look like a boy, do I?” she asked me as she got up from the salon chair.

“Definitely not.”

Amy gave her mum a hug before turning back to me and asking, “Do you want to come upstairs for a bit? I wanted to grab a few things.”

“Upstairs?”

“Yeah, to the rest of the house.” Obviously.

“S-Sure,” I replied. I dunno why it made me so nervous. Maybe it was because we would be alone up there, with her mom working and all. And I would be getting a good look at her life in general. She couldn’t hide anything from me there and didn’t really seem to mind the invasion of privacy. And the fact that we would probably be spending some time in her bedroom, and that alone made me shiver a bit even if we just stood in there and did nothing.

Amy took me by the hand and led me to the back room. As we left, I saw Dee look up from whatever she was writing at the desk and give me a small wink. Wow. I never thought I would meet a mother who actually gave her daughter the chance to get some action if she wanted to.

We went up the stairs and came out in her kitchen. It was cozy: the walls were a soft yellow, there was a big stone fireplace and a worn table, and little knick-knacks lined the windowsills.

“I’m sorry about my mum,” Amy said as she brought me into the living room, which was a deep purple like Dee’s robes with mismatched, comfortable looking furniture and a muggle record player. “She can be a bit overwhelming at times.”

            “I’m just relieved that she didn’t murder me,” I laughed. “She’s a very forgiving person. You guys are a lot alike.”

            “Yeah,” she sighed. We started up another set of stairs to the third floor of the building. There were pictures hanging on the wall of Amy and Dee and occasionally a man that I assumed was Amy’s father. “I’m really lucky to have her. She is honestly the perfect mother. And my dad isn’t really around much so it’s just the two of us. It’s always been that way for as long as I can remember.” We walked down a hallway with dark wood floors like the rest of the house and blue floral wallpaper and then through the door at the end of the hall.

It must have been Amy’s room. Needless to say, it was wonderful. The walls were painted this dark teal color and, like the rest of her house, the furniture was mismatched.  On her desk sat a muggle sewing machine and nearby there was a dress form wearing a dark purple dress with long sleeves, a tight bodice, and a long poufy skirt. This must have been the Halloween costume she had made and it was fit for a princess. She ran her hand down one of the sleeves before sitting on the bed with multiple homemade quilts. She patted the bed next to her, silently asking me to sit with her. I sat and she scooted close to me and wrapped her arms around me. I felt the blush run up my neck and my ears.

“I told Dan that I wasn’t going out trick or treating with him and the kids this year and at least he understood. He’s really angry about what happened and is upset that I’m out with you today.” Amy confessed sadly. “I told him that you never meant to hurt me and you were only taking me out to make it up to me.”

“Well,” I interjected, “not only. It would be a pleasure to take you out even if I didn’t have to make it up to you.” I could feel her smile against my shoulder. I was glad that I could still take her to get a new costume later as well. “And I was wondering, now that you aren’t busy tonight, if you would like to come to a party that my friends and I have been planning.”

            She took her face from the crook of my neck and smiled broadly, nodding. Something must have clicked inside me because this girl just looked so adorable that I grabbed the side of her face and kissed her. I didn’t even realize what I had done until she was kissing me back and it was so sweet and lovely and all things good that the words had escaped my mind because of my sudden joy. When our lips separated we both rested our foreheads against one another’s and laughed. It felt so natural and I just didn’t want to stop. I guess Amy didn’t want to stop either, because her lips were on mine again without any hesitation. Her hand found its way to my neck and she gently ran her fingers up through my hair behind my ear. I shivered slightly, and suddenly she was kissing me harder, her hand gripped my hair as she pulled herself closer to me and put her other hand on my thigh.

            My eyes shot open and I jumped back from her in shock. Amy was coming on to me and I had hardly done anything. Of course it felt wonderful, especially because I don’t get kissed like that very often. Well, hardly ever at all. I just wasn’t expecting this to happen. I didn’t think that she liked me enough to kiss me like that, so of course when I actually found the need to enforce my No Dating Code, things would end badly. And I didn’t want that.

            “Remus, did I do something wrong?” Amy asked, looking confused and a little worried. “I didn’t mean to come on too fast or anything. I was just glad that you kissed me and-“

            “Amy, really everything’s fine.” I said evenly. I needed to be resolute about this. “There are two things I promised myself I would never do and they’re hurting someone and dating. I don’t want you to think that we’ll be able to be together because we won’t.” I looked back up at her face, finally making eye contact. She looked dejected. Well rejected more like. It wasn’t a very comforting sight. “Amy, listen though. You did nothing wrong. I promise.”

            I didn’t know what to do in that moment. I felt so frustrated that I just got up and started to leave. “I’m sorry, Amy.”

            I walked quickly toward the door, but just as I stepped over the threshold, her hand caught my wrist and she pulled me around to face her. She was the one with the resolute expression set on her face now.

            “Now you listen to me, Remus Lupin,” she said with a bit of the fire that I had seen in her yesterday. “I’ve had a crush on you for a while now. Not just because of what happened yesterday. I’ve always thought you were interesting and kind and had an air of mystery about you and I liked that about you. And on top of that, you’re insanely popular. If you just weren’t interested in me, then I would tell you to go on your merry way and have a laugh with your friends. But I’m not stupid and I don’t need protecting!”

            “Amy, you don’t even know what I’m trying to protect you from!” I exclaimed with an anger mounting inside me. I felt like growling.

            “Really now?”

            “I’ll give you one guess as to why I don’t want to date you.” My hands were balled into fists.

            Her face calmed and she slid her hand down from my wrist to loosen my fist so she could hold my hand. “How angry will you be if I guess right?” she asked me quietly.

            I looked down and shrugged. I shouldn’t have let myself get this angry. Amy paused for a moment before saying what was probably sitting like a weight on her tongue. She looked down and muttered quietly, “I think you might be a werewolf.”

                                                            ***                  

            It was the Friday before Halloween and of course the most exciting Hogsmeade trip of the year. James, Sirius, Peter and I were more ecstatic than little kids at Christmas. Big prank, big party; there wasn’t anything more fun.

            This year’s prank was surprisingly Peter’s idea and it was a wonder we had never thought of it before. On Thursday night, we snuck around the castle and planted Permanent Sticking Charms in random spots around the most used hallways. It was supposed to be lighthearted though, because whenever anyone stepped in one, they would just laugh, take off their shoes, and keep on going. People would catch on by the end of the day.

            On Friday morning, we ate an early breakfast and placed ourselves in the alcoves behind statues to watch as our classmates come to screeching halts as their feet got stuck to the ground. We all laughed as they looked puzzled and confused, then worried, then realized they could just leave their shoes behind and continue on to class. Soon the hall was littered with boots, trainers, sandals, and even a high heel. Needless to say, we were all thoroughly entertained.

            It was getting time for class so we vacated our hiding place as the corridor began to empty. James couldn’t stop talking about how cute Lily got when she got angry about losing her shoes. I clapped Peter on the back. It was a job well done. That is, before it turned into an Epic Fail.

            The girl who was the last one in the corridor stepped in a sticky spot (actually the biggest patch of sticky spots) and tumbled right down to the ground, face first. And she wasn’t getting up. Shit. We all looked at each other, and I could tell my fellow Marauders were thinking about abandoning all the chivalry that Gryffindor stood for. I glared at them. I didn’t like seeing our pranks hurt people, and they knew that. They knew I was a softy. 

            We ran over, looking like fools as we dodged around shoes and sticky stuff. Without thinking I knelt down to look her in the eye.

            “Are you okay?”

            I could tell she was trying to shake her head but it was firmly stuck to the stone floor. Her eyes were wide with horror at this discovery and they filled with tears. No. No way. She was crying and it was our fault. I don’t think I’ve ever made a girl cry. Sirius, is a different story, but me? Never.

            “Guys, her face is stuck to the floor,” I said, trying to stand up, but I couldn’t because both of my hands were stuck to the ground. James and Sirius stifled laughs as I struggled. “Fuck you. This isn’t funny.”

            “I wholeheartedly agree,” came the voice of the poor girl. She spat the words like venom. We all gawked at her. She was this petite girl, with long, long blonde hair, green eyes and an elfish face. She looked like she belonged in a forest, like a nymph or a tree spirit. Nevertheless, we did not expect her words to sound so harsh; nymphs aren’t venomous.

            “What are we supposed to do?” asked James. “There’s a reason it’s called a Permanent Sticking Charm.”

            “Are you trying to tell me my face is permanently attached to the floor!?” she screeched. James looked at Sirius for an answer, but he shrugged. Not that she could see because they were standing behind her.

            “We could always try a Severing Ch-“, Peter but he was cut off by both me and mystery girl with a sharp “NO.”

            Just to make things worse, the girl made a move to try to get up and got her elbow and leg stuck to the ground as well. Finally catching on to the whole chivalry thing, Sirius and James took off their cloaks and sweaters and put them on all of the surrounding spots to keep us from getting in an even worse state.

            “Just go get Madam Pomfrey or something,” I told them after a moment of thought. They weren’t going to sever my hands off and she always had some kind of salve or potion that solved almost any injury. And I was starting to consider this an injury.

            Finally finding their chance to escape, they ran off as fast as they could. I allowed myself to collapse back to the ground and look at her in the face, which was covered in tears.

            “I’m really sorry about this,” I said with complete sincerity. “This was just supposed to be a stupid prank and now you’re literally glued here and it’s probably going to hurt to be unglued and we never intended for that to happen and-“

            “No really, I was just being stupid,” she cut across my babbling, which I don’t usually do. “I was reading while I was walking so I didn’t notice what was going on and of course I forgot to tie my shoes again so when my shoe got stuck, it just slipped off. I’m so embarrassed and I made a fool out of myself in front of the coolest guys in school. I just want to disappear.” Her tears were flowing freely now. “And I really hate crying. Especially in front of people. This is all just so stupid.”

            And now I feel even worse because she will probably be mentally scarred for life because of this. And I couldn’t even reach out to wipe the tears off her face. I didn’t even know her name and I felt like I owed her so much.

            “Well,” I said, “For one thing you aren’t stupid. I’m stupid for not thinking this could happen before gallivanting through the castle with my friends and casting Permanent Sticking Charms on every available surface. I’m Remus though, Gryffindor sixth year, part of the infamous Marauders,” I finished, my last statement completely sarcastic.

            “I know who you are,” she said and a slight smile tweaked on her lips, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. She was starting to cheer up slightly I think. “I’m Amy Evergreen, sixth year, and in case you didn’t know, Seeker for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.” She was being cheeky.

            “Oh, I remember you now,” I said. “In the finals last year, James tried to pull your ponytail to make you fall off your broom. He was so angry about that foul.”

            “Well, I caught the snitch that game anyways,” she smirked. “But it did really hurt!” She laughed at the memory, but then her eyes widened in horror again. She tried pulling one of her hands from the ground and I realized she was trying to reach for her hair. “Please, no. No way. Please tell me my hair isn’t stuck too. They’re going to have to chop it.” The tears were flowing freely again. “I haven’t cut it since I was eight. And I was going to be Rapunzel for Halloween. I worked so hard to make my costume and my friend Dan was going to be Prince Charming and we were going to take some of the younger kids Trick or Treating. It’s all ruined now and Halloween is tomorrow!”

            I mentally kicked myself. Amy was so sweet and I was just being the big bad wolf like in the muggle fairytales.

            “Amy, how can we make this up to you?” I pleaded.

            “I dunno,” she murmured.

            James, Sirius, and Peter came galumphing down the corridor followed closely by Madam Pomfrey and Professor Flitwick. Then came the painstaking process of getting detached from the floor. Apparently, Peter was right about the Severing Charm being the only way to get unstuck because Flitwick was adamant about there being no countercharm, no matter how many times we asked. Just bloody great. Not only was Amy losing all of her hair, but she was also getting half her face sliced off. Madam Pomfrey assured us that, even though the process would in fact hurt, she would be able to fix us up at the Hospital Wing.

            While Professor Flitwick poked his wand under my hands and they slowly came away from the floor, I couldn’t help but stare at Amy and how brave she was being. I had a high pain tolerance because of transforming into a werewolf every month, so, to me, this just stung a lot. To a dainty girl with soft skin, well, I didn’t want to think about how much it hurt. Neither did my friends apparently because they were creeping away slowly until Professor McGonagall stormed up behind them and gave them a piece of her mind. They were punished with detentions every Saturday until Christmas break. Somehow I escaped that punishment. Maybe she thought that I suffered enough having to stay there and watch her cry.

            I sat there and waited to go to the Hospital Wing until I could go with Amy. I felt strangely attached to her somehow, even though we spent only about 45 minutes with each other while James, Sirius, and Peter were gone. Maybe it was because I was the one taking the responsibility for what happened and they just glanced over it like it was an accident. I was always more vulnerable and sensitive about how my actions affect other people, and I always knew it was because I was a monster and couldn’t control myself.

            When Amy finally stood, she looked like she had been in a fire. There were holes in her clothes and red raw skin everywhere. Not to mention three and a half feet of her hair was gone. She looked exhausted, so I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the infirmary myself. I didn’t care how many flights of stairs I had to climb.

            Madam Pomfrey applied a thick salve to my hands and the rawness turned to sensitive, soft, pink skin but she wrapped them in bandages anyways. In all the years I have known this woman, she has never tended to me silently. She told me to leave before I got the chance to utter a word.

            Needless to say, I sulked all the way back to Gryffindor Tower. James, Sirius, and Peter were waiting for me in our usual spot near the fireplace. It must have been break or lunch, I kinda lost track of time I guess.

            “Oh, look at poor Remus! He can’t use doorknobs!” teased Sirius and I gave him a death glare that shut him up.

            “Don’t joke when poor Amy is stuck in the Hospital Wing with this”-I held up both my hands- “all over her face. I’m not even confident she has a right ear!”

            Peter looked a little frightened. At least he feels guilty too. I think.

            “Look,” said James, “it was just an accident. We didn’t mean for her to fall!”

            “But that doesn’t change that fact that she did!” I exclaimed before storming off. I went down to the Great Hall hoping it was lunchtime. I needed to find Lily.

            I found her right where I suspected her to be. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table with her friends Jenna and Nina.

            “Lily, can I talk to you for a bit?” I asked tentatively. I didn’t even care that I had to sit between her and Nina, who was desperately trying to get my attention by batting her eyelashes and flipping her perfume-y hair. She was crazy about all things Marauders and once Sirius was bored with her, she started trying to get my attention. However, she was dumb and I didn’t care for dumb girls. Even if I didn’t have a no-dating code, she still wouldn’t be my type.

            “Where were you this morning? You weren’t in any of your classes.” Lily frowned.

            “Something went wrong with the prank,” I sighed.

            “Oh, that was so funny!” squealed Nina, lightly hitting my arm. “You owe me a red stiletto.”

            I rolled my eyes, but continued to explain what happened and how terrible I felt about disfiguring such a pretty, sweet girl. I even told them about ruining her Halloween. They all listened intently, with their jaws dropped.

            “I just don’t know what to do to make it up to her,” I concluded sullenly.

            “Take her to Hogsmeade tomorrow!” said Jenna objectively. “You really seem to care about her. I think you might have a bit of a crush on her now.”

            That’s the thing about Jenna. She’s brutally honest. I blushed and shook my head a little.

            “Here,” said Lily. She reached into her bag and pulled out three Galleons and few Sickles. “That should be enough for a haircut at Lady Dee’s Salon on East Lane. It’s a really nice place,” she added when she saw the look on my face about the amount of money she had given me.

            “Take this too!” said Jenna, handing me even more money. “Get her another Halloween costume too!”

            “And,” continued Nina, “don’t forget to take her to a nice restaurant.” She added to the pile in front of me. “Try that new place with the awesome cheesecakes.”

            I looked around at the three ladies in front of me in a new light. I wasn’t even annoyed at Nina anymore. I thanked them about a hundred times each, grinning like a madman.

            “Now, this is kinda embarrassing, but could you put that in my pocket, Lily?” I asked, blushing, and showing her my hands. She laughed but obliged.

            That night, I borrowed James’ Invisibility Cloak and checked the map to find that Amy was still in the Hospital wing. I snuck through the castle unnoticed and silently opened the doors to the infirmary. Only one bed was occupied: Amy’s bed.

            I walked over but instead of finding her asleep, her eyes were open, staring into the darkness. She jumped when she noticed me, but didn’t scream. Smart girl, this one. She sat up cross-legged on the bed and motioned for me to sit with her. I mimicked her and took a good look at her. Apparently Madam Pomfrey also insisted on keeping her wrapped up in bandages and her face was completely covered, except her eyes and mouth. Short tufts of hair stuck out at the top of her head and her bandaged hands rested in her lap.

            “What are you doing here?” Amy asked, surprised, but there was also a hint of relief in her voice.

            “Well,” I started. “I wanted to check on you to make sure you weren’t scarred or in pain or anything. And I also-“ I stopped. I had never asked a girl to Hogsmeade before. Not even for Valentine’s Day. I looked up and swallowed. She was looking at me with a quizzical look in her eyes. I think. It was hard to tell what she was thinking under the bandages and usually I was so good at reading people. It was frustrating. “I wanted to know if you would, uhm, come with me to, uh, Hogsmeade tomorrow.” The words stumbled out of my mouth oddly.

            “Like on a date?” she asked bluntly, yet I still had no idea what she was thinking.

            “I mean if you want it to be a date, then yeah, a date. But if not then that’s okay too. I just wanted to do something nice for you and I have the whole day planned to fix everything I messed up today and-“

            But she cut me off with “I would certainly love to, Remus.” And I could definitely see a smile. Something warm swelled inside me and it felt like I just downed a whole pint of warm butterbeer. A goofy grin crept onto my face and something compelled me to reach for her hand, so I did until my hand just bumped into hers, impeded by the many layers of gauze. We both laughed quietly, knowing full well the fury of an angry Pomfrey. I was embarrassed at my stupidity and acting on such an impulse until Amy flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I was so taken aback that I almost didn’t know how to return the hug, but I did all the same.

            “Remus, as crazy as today has been, I couldn’t have chosen a better person to get glued to the floor with. I was so scared that you would be upset with me but you were just caring and chivalrous and sweet. I honestly can’t think of a time when a bloke has been this nice to me. But here you are sneaking around after hours just to make sure I’m not in pain or upset. Thank you so much.” She breathed this all out quite fast and then buried her face in my neck. She pulled back from the embrace and added cheekily, “You still owe me an ear though.”

            “No!” I was horrified. I knew her ear was screwed up! I’m such a terrible person. “I’m so so so so sorry! I knew something like this would happen.”

            “Don’t worry so much! Madam Pomfrey is going to fix it in the morning,” the nymphish girl teased. And with that she bid me goodnight and I left the Hospital Wing in a considerably lighter mood.

            “What’s up with you, Moony?” joked Sirius when I returned to the Boy’s Dormitory.

            “What do you mean, what’s up with me?” I asked him, suddenly becoming aware that I was still smiling broadly from my encounter with Miss Evergreen.

            “Look at him!” exclaimed James, enthusiastically, jumping off his bed to come and inspect me just like Sirius was. I couldn’t keep a single thing from them could I? “He’s all smiley and blushing! Awww, his ears are starting to turn red!”

            This was Peter’s cue to run over and add in “I think we all know what this means!”

            “Remus has a crush!” they all yelled at me at once. For a second I just stood there in shock at how well my friends knew me before nodding and broadening my grin from ear to ear.

            “Well?” asked Sirius expectantly. “Did you ask her on a date to Hogsmeade tomorrow? Don’t act like we don’t know you snuck off to go see Miss Amy Evergreen.”

            I looked around at their eager faces, impatiently waiting for my answer.

            “Kinda,” I replied shyly.

            “What’d she say? What’d she say?” chanted James.

            I looked at them knowing how excited they would be once they found out I was actually going to Hogsmeade with a girl and, given the way Amy hugged me in the Hospital Wing, it was looking like it was a date.

            “SHE SAID YES!” I roared at the top of my lungs, finally giving into the splendiferous reality of the situation. Suddenly we were all running around the room singing “Moony has a date!” and hopping from bed to bed and acting like maniacs. It was a wonderful feeling to get such attention for something that was so important to me. This certainly didn’t happen every time Sirius brought a girl to Hogsmeade. I don’t even think it happened when Peter brought his first date there. But my friends understood the gravity of the situation and celebrated as such.