As I read the morning paper in the dining room of the Hyde Park Radnor, I spotted Remus waiting for me in the alley. I slipped away my reading glasses and waved at him through the window. One last sip of coffee and then I was off.

In the alley, Remus greeted me with a question. "Glasses?"

I blushed. "I started using them last year. My sight is still perfect otherwise, just not for reading. I'm told it's a quirk with Muggle werewolves." I wrinkled my nose at him. "I still don't like it. They make me look old."

"They make you look lovely," he murmured, then he smiled when my face flushed a darker pink. "I see you still blush prettily when you're paid a compliment."

I changed the subject quickly as my cheeks burned. "So, where are we off to? Nine o'clock seems a little early to be heading off to find fireflies."

"Very true, however I thought we would start by visiting an old friend of mine. I believe he owes you an apology."

He pulled my hand into the crook of his elbow and a few moments later, I found myself back in the large kitchen. It was empty this morning. Remus indicated for me to sit at the table and then he left. A moment later the kitchen door opened. Sirius walked in with a rather sheepish expression on his face. Behind him was Remus, who took out his wand and cast some spell at the door.

I turned my attention back to dark-haired Animagus. "Good morning, Sirius."

Sirius, for his part, stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked down at his shoes. For a moment, I was given a glimpse of how he must have looked back at school when he had been called out on the carpet for some infraction. Even his scent held a lingering note of shame.

"I'd like to apologize, Sarah, for the deception yesterday and for that letter from Hogwarts years ago." Then he lifted his grey eyes up to meet mine. "It wasn't my intention to hurt you. I was only trying to protect Moony here."

Moony? I filed that away for later. "Protect him from what?"

Sirius explained that when they were students, he and another boy named James had discovered that Remus regularly exchanged letters with a Muggle girl. It was their sincere belief that this could only lead to trouble. How would a Muggle girl ever understand about wizards, witches and magic? Why become fixated on one girl this early? More importantly, though, most wizards lived much longer lives than Muggles. In their boyish eyes, Remus was setting himself up for heartache and they couldn't allow that to happen.

So they arranged to intercept our letters. When that wasn't as successful as they planned, they conceived of the idea of sending a letter from Hogwarts to warn me off. Remus returned from Christmas break depressed and dejected, but eventually got over it. At least that was what they thought; Remus simply hid his pain. Neither had ever confessed to Remus what they done and in fact, James took the secret to his grave.

I found I could swallow Sirius' point of view when he was a kid. He and James were just boys at the time, no older than eleven or twelve, and confident they knew everything worth knowing. Most boys were of that frame of mind at that age and if half of what Sirius had told me yesterday about those pranks were true, well, this sounded right up their alley. Plus, how could they know that lycanthropy extended the lifespan of a Muggle? All of that, though didn't lessen the sting of yesterday's incident.

"How did you even get my letter yesterday? The owl should have taken it to Remus. Did you even recognize my name?"

"Remus had just left not two seconds before the owl arrived. I simply offered to take the message. Then I read it to see if it was important enough to recall Remus from where he was headed off to." Sirius shrugged. "How could I not remember you? It's not like Remus had any other Muggle friends, and I was curious what you were like. So I sent you the letter and the scarf. It was stupid and wrong to go meet you and bring you back here, in more than one way," he said, aiming a loaded glance at Remus that left me wondering what that was about.

Sirius continued, "Truly I had intended to give Moony your letter after I met you. I just got caught up chatting with you and the next thing I knew, there was Remus and everyone else."

I looked over at Remus and then back at Sirius, whose scent held the telltale marks of sincerity. The image of him acting out how Remus had held down that cat years ago played in my mind and I found myself shaking my head. "I might regret this, but you're his dear friend, aren't you?" When he nodded, I continued. "Then I forgive you."

The boyish smile that I had been charmed with yesterday afternoon came out like the sun after the rain. Sirius fairly beamed. He elbowed Remus.

"I think I approve of her, Moony," he announced.

That raised my eyebrows. "Approve of me?" I asked indignantly. "Are you serious?"

"The last time I checked in the mirror." They exchanged looks and burst out laughing. After a moment I joined in. I couldn't help myself.

Man, I walked right into that one.

Remus elbowed him. "You're a prat, Padfoot. You know that, right?"

From there Remus Apparated us somewhere far north to a small village called Hogsmeade. It was a place he had often visited while attending school. We stopped for tea at Madam Puddifoots and then Remus introduced me to the delights of Honeydukes Sweetshop. We bought Chocolate Frogs, Jelly Slugs and liquorice wands. I had eaten similar candies back home, but it was so much better with Remus at my side. It was like being wrapped up in the wonderment that I thought had been left behind in childhood. That alone would have made my day, but Remus had one other surprise for me.

He borrowed a broomstick and took me flying. I have been flying once before, but I had not been comfortable with the ground so far below me. With Remus I felt safe, seated behind him and holding onto his waist. We left the village and slowly headed towards what appeared to be an enormous, unkempt ruin. Why he would be interested in showing me the tumbled down remains of what once might have once been a castle was a mystery to me, at least until my bracelet began to tingle and then vibrate wildly.

He halted the broom in midair and told me to expose my bracelet. A shimmering wave of magic swept over the ruins to reveal what I had only seen before in wizarding newspapers. It was Hogwarts. How had I dreamed of coming here with Remus long ago when he first left for school. Now he made that dream come true.

"Don't cry, Sarah," he whispered back to me. I couldn't stop the tears of joy from streaming down my face.

From the sweeping turrets of Hogwarts, we turned toward a dark forest that sat at its borders. The woods were immense. Remus informed me this was the Forbidden Forest and our destination. We landed somewhere just past the edge of the tree line on the northern side of the woods. There a small cabin was tucked under an old, moss covered tree and next to a creek.

The cabin served as a safe place, one Remus had used in the past. It was small and equipped with the basic necessities. Remus lit the stove and soon a pot tea was brewing. Several candles scattered throughout the cabin afforded us light. We spent the long afternoon exchanging stories of our lives. I told him about my struggles of living as a Muggle with a wolf beneath my skin, and the challenges of being a Muggle in the wizard community.

"So why were you in London?" he inquired as he played with the flame of a candle next to him. With a wave of a hand he turned it off; then he would relight it on the next pass. "You mentioned business in your letter."

"Bureau business with the Ministry." When he looked questioningly at me, I elaborated. "I work for the U.S. Bureau of Magic and the Supernatural. It's the equivalent of your Ministry of Magic." I went on to describe the information we had gathered, how it seemed to match up with events in the wizard community here and the Ministry's response.

Remus was quiet. He stopped playing with the candle's flame. "Your people are right. The Ministry is perhaps more concerned with their appearance than they are with the truth." He held up a hand to forestall the questions I burned to ask. "You say your friend is the Dean of the American Magical Academy. She may want to contact her counterpart here."

That was all Remus would say on the matter. He stood up and made another pot of tea. I felt the comfortable mood we had enjoyed up to that point had been somewhat spoiled, so I dropped the subject. To make up for it, I asked him about his years in school. Had Sirius been telling me the truth when he boasted of all those pranks? What else had they done? Remus gladly obliged. The next hour was spent learning the pranks had been real, why Sirius referred to him Moony and the depths of the friendship they shared.

"You know, I could have arrested Sirius," I confided in him. We were now both sitting comfortably on the floor. I kicked off my shoes and wiggled my toes in my socks. Last night I had remembered why the name Sirius had niggled my memory. "They alerted us last year about him. I'm sure that the Ministry would be delighted to have the infamous Sirius Black back in their hands regardless of who caught him."

Seated beside, me Remus had gone very still and wore a particular look on his face. Damn. I had wandered back into the realm of grim subjects.

"Do you really think I would have done that, Remus John Lupin, to your best friend? Really, for shame!" I nudged him with my sock-enclosed foot.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Sirius is innocent. He didn't commit those murders, Sarah."

I gave him a reassuring smile. "If you say Sirius innocent, then I know he is. Actually, the only crime I believe he's guilty of is being too damn charming. And shaving that cat in Hogwarts and painting it maroon and gold. Do you think your old headmaster would give you guys detention if I told him? I could write a letter," I offered. "But you have to promise me not to intercept it."

Remus' laughter at my ludicrous suggestion was low and rich, and felt altogether too good not to join in. His smiled brightened his usually somber face and made him look young again.

I leaned my head on his shoulder while I stripped off my socks and threw them next to the outer robe he had discarded earlier. It felt stifling inside the cabin, but I knew it really wasn't. This was a side effect of the moon. My skin was hot, just as was Remus'. He loosened his shirt collar, undoing a button.

I sat up and looked toward the window where dark shadows were gathering. I could almost feel that bright orb like a heaviness that sat in my mind. Instinctively I knew exactly where it was. Right there, slowly rising. It was whispering to me.

"Can you feel it, Remus?"

"Yes," he replied. "The time is rapidly approaching."

Remus withdrew a large blue phial from pocket. I did the same, though mine was of clear glass. We uncapped the stoppers and brought the phials together as if in a toast. Then we drank our Wolfsbane potions. It was particularly disgusting. I never had gotten used to the taste and had to fight my gagging reflex. Could no one make this wretched stuff taste any better? You'd think with magic at their disposal, it would be easy enough.

Once I finished, I turned to watch as Remus casually stood up and tossed our phials in a wastebasket. Then he unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. Tantalizing glimpses of pale skin with a sprinkling of dark chest hair peeked out. When he flashed me a look of mild amusement, I realized I had been staring. I turned away in embarrassment.

This was the part I had been somewhat dreading. Werewolf transformations have a detrimental effect on clothing. It was customary to remove one's clothes prior to the change, as well as plain common sense. In all my years, I have only spent a handful of moons with other werewolves and then only with females. Each of those times I sought privacy and separated myself just prior to the change; once the transformation had been complete, I had opted to sleep through the night.

Here in the little cabin there was no room for privacy, and slipping away felt wrong somehow. I climbed to my feet and presented Remus with my back. Slowly I undid the buttons on my shirt and left it open. As I fingered the belt buckle on my jeans, I heard Remus moving about. There was a rustling of clothes and then the twin sounds of shoes thumping to the floor, followed by quiet footsteps. All but one candle was extinguished. The scent of the smoke tickled my nose in the dim flickering light. Remus was giving me what little privacy that lone candle would afford and I was grateful.

I undid the zipper to my jeans. Hooking my thumbs under my panties, I skimmed both garments down my legs in one swift movement. Cooler air kissed the back of my thighs where my shirttail ended. I neatly folded my jeans and then glanced hesitantly over my shoulder. The heat of his gaze set my skin tingling. Remus stood motionless in the shadows. His clothing lay on the floor in an untidy heap near his feet. I refocused my eyes on his face, resisting the urge to look lower.

"Sarah," he breathed my name reverently as if it was a prayer, his hoarse voice rough with emotion. Stepping forward, he took the folded jeans out of my hands and tossed them carelessly in the direction of his clothes on the floor. Then he pulled me into the flickering light from the candle.

Feverish fingers ran up the opening of my shirt, pushing it apart and then off my shoulders. Staring into his eyes, I let the shirt fall around my feet. Goosebumps prickled my skin as he traced the straps of my bra over my shoulders. Remus suddenly leaned closer, as if to kiss me. Instead he rubbed his cheek alongside mine. The stubble on his jaw was pleasurably rough as he buried his nose just below my ear, inhaling my scent. My stomach clenched and there was a deep-seated ache that pooled much lower.

"Run with me, Sarah." It was plea I couldn't refuse; a demand I yearned to submit to. I turned my face towards his neck and breathed in deeply. My hands glided up his bare shoulders for balance and the blood sang in my veins.

Then he pulled away, sliding my bra off. Somehow I had missed him unhooking it. My skin tingled in a manner that had nothing to do with my impending change. Then he took my wrist in his hand and unfastened the clasp of my bracelet. With utmost care Remus placed it next to the candle.

We walked out of the cabin and onto the cool moss and leaf covered ground. The sheltering branches of the tree that towered above held the cabin in deep shadows. The moon was mere moments from rising. As I step forward in anticipation of its insistent call, Remus stepped behind me. His hands slid around my waist, halting my movement and molding my body against his.

Remus trailed light kisses down the side of my neck. Unexpectedly, he nipped down hard where my neck curved down to my shoulder. I shuddered in unexpected pleasure and reveled in the sensation.

"I never stopped loving you," I whispered.

"And I gave you my heart long ago."

Then the moon rose. I felt my body go stiff and every part of me prickled. Its call set my blood boiling. Remus pulled away as my limbs trembled suddenly and then a wave of pain engulfed me, driving me to my knees. Bones shifted, muscles spasmed and my skin stretched to the point of ripping. Fur burst forth, thick and shaggy. My hands clawed furrows into the ground beneath me and my sight turned red as the very breath was crushed out of my chest. I lost myself in the agonizing transformation.

As I lay recovering on the ground later with my chest heaving, a wet nose poked into my ear. It was followed by a tongue rasping along my cheek. I opened one eye to see him standing guard over my new form with its covering of pale fur.

'Safe,' he whined. 'Better now?'

The world around me was magnified ten-fold. Everything appeared so crisp, leaves were picked out in the light of the moon and each scent beckoned. I stood up, wobbly at first. When I gained my balance, I shouldered him playfully. Remus was larger and heavier than me. When he shouldered me in returned, I nearly went sprawling. I was faster though. The second time he bumped me, this time without quite as much force, I reached up and nipped his ear hard.

He yelped in unexpected pain and I shot away from him like a phantom, but not too fast. I wanted him to catch me. He did, sooner than I expected, and I was bowled over unceremoniously. Remus growled in mock anger until I bared my throat. Then he nipped me gently.

'Follow. Hunt.'

I trailed after him deeper into the Forbidden Forest. Spears of moonlight lit our way. A fleet stag crossed our path and we chased it down, surging over fallen trees, racing like the wind. The taste of its blood was hot and sweet, and we licked each other's muzzles clean.

Then Remus led me down a moss covered path that opened into a peaceful glen. Dancing just above the fragrant grass were fireflies. They flitted about, winking on and off like Christmas lights, earth-bound stars that recalled the innocence of childhood.

I nuzzled Remus in the shadows. My love for him was bigger than the moon that hung heavily in the sky. It had never waned and never would, I promised him.

Then we ran into the glen, tongues lolling and feet flying. Under the light of the full moon, we played as we once had as children. We were chasing fireflies.

~Finite~

Author's Notes:

This was the first fanfic I ever wrote, way back in September 2006. The idea for the story sprang from the notion of what might happen if a werewolf infected a Muggle. From that innocent question, my muse latched onto the song 'Me and Charlie Talking' by Miranda Lambert and Sarah walked into my mind.

This chapter written to the song "Brass Bed" by Josh Gracin on his self-title album.

Thanks for reading! If you liked it, please leave a review.