—Epilogue—

Regulus Black told his parents about Remus being accepted as a student, and he wasn't the only one. Most students—even the Gryffindors that were accustomed to Remus and even the ones who knew him as Remus—found it strange that the werewolf was now in their midst as a participant rather than an observer and was even allowed to use a wand and do magic.

Sirius told his classmates that Remus was a human. Remus told his classmates that he was a wizard. Both boys pointed out that his wand had chosen him, which it would not have done if he was not a human, and the teachers (some more readily than others) supported them. While the insistence of Remus's humanity quelled many students' objections, it by no means satisfied all of them, and many, like Regulus, wrote home about the anomaly.

As such, it wasn't long before several Ministry officials took a trip to Hogwarts to question Dumbledore about his newest student. Professor McGonagall approached the Gryffindor table during breakfast to inform Remus that he was needed in the headmaster's office. Sirius, unfortunately, could not go, but during their morning break, Remus told him that, even witnessing the incident, he wasn't sure how Dumbledore managed to convince the officials that Remus was a normal human.

"He lied to them," Remus explained. "He told them that I wasn't the werewolf Remus Lupin, I was the human Remus Black. They didn't believe him at first, but he kept insisting, and then all of a sudden they just agreed that he was right. I was so surprised, I looked at them and they looked a little...different...afterward. If I didn't know better, I'd say Dumbledore bewitched them so they'd agree with him...but he wouldn't do that, would he? Dumbledore wouldn't Confund Ministry officials. Besides, I didn't see him move his wand or hear an incantation..."

Sirius shrugged. "Dunno. But I'm not complaining—are you?"

Despite Regulus Black and some other Slytherins' protests, the Ministry officials did not return after their meeting with Dumbledore, and Remus was allowed to continue as a student and take OWLs just like the rest of them.

A few weeks into the summer holidays, all three underage residents of the Potter home received letter with OWL results. Remus did not do very well in Potions, as he'd never had any practical experience with the subject before his official admission to Hogwarts, but he was surprised at how good his grades were in some of the other subjects. He'd thought his limited experience writing long essays to be evaluated would make his grades suffer, but all the reading he'd done had helped him to become a better writer. Though he wasn't taking as many NEWT subjects as Sirius or James, he returned as a student for his sixth year.

The next Christmas, Uncle Alphard came to visit Sirius and Remus and the Potters, promising he wouldn't make their whereabouts known to the rest of the family. It was lucky that they saw him over the holidays, because the wizard fell ill that spring, and before the end of Sirius, Remus, and James's sixth year, Sirius received a letter saying that he had passed away. Sirius was very upset about losing one of the only relatives that he still considered a relative, but his friends and boyfriend helped him through the pain, and he was incredibly grateful to discover that Alphard had left him quite a bit of money. True, he'd prefer his uncle back, but at least he didn't have to infringe on the Potters' hospitality as long as he thought.

The summer after Sirius turned seventeen, he and Remus got a small flat on the outskirts of London and, after school, jobs. Remus made sure to stay away from anything involving the Ministry, to be safe, but they kept his condition quiet.

One day, Sirius and Remus were shopping in Diagon Alley. James and Lily had just announced their engagement and their best man and his boyfriend were looking for a wedding present for them. It was on their way out of Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment that they ran into none other than Orion Black.

It was Remus who saw the older wizard first, freezing in place and staring at him before tapping Sirius, who was still chattering about the shop's selection. It was a moment before Sirius realized that Remus was no longer looking at him or listening to him, and when he looked to see what Remus was looking at, his eyes caught his fathers.

Orion took a moment to comprehend what he was seeing, but he began an uproar the moment he had. He shouted for a Ministry Law Enforcement Official, proclaimed to the street that Remus was a werewolf, and for a time Sirius was out of his mind with fear and worry that their secret would be found out. However, when the Ministry arrived, Orion could produce no proof that he owned anyone. He could not even prove that Remus was a werewolf. When Sirius and Remus both claimed that the tall wizard was a human, and the Ministry official found a Remus Black on record as having eight OWLs and five NEWTs, they let them both go free.

Usually they kept a low profile—there were still many witches and wizards who had known them at Hogwarts and knew the truth about Remus, and if any of them ended up working for the Ministry, Sirius did not want to risk someone reporting them. He knew it was dangerous for both of them, living as they did, but he was happy. They had their friends and each other, a home, work, and even a cause to fight for. Though they had no way of knowing whether the future would bring happiness or sorrow, they spent as much time together as possible and lived for the day. It was the only way they could live.

A/N: To those of you who asked about a sequel, I haven't planned on a sequel, but but I am planning a companion piece from Remus's point of view. I have not started it yet, but I plan to start it soon. It won't be as long as this one and it might not be as good, but if you're interested, keep an eye out for it. It will be called "Confessions of a Pet Werewolf." Thank you so much for reading and, to my reviewers, thank you for all your reviews.