Saturday 22nd November, 1976

The next day, my mind had decided deliberating over the werewolf topic was more important than Regulus, and so that was what I thought about all morning. It was a student; Regulus and I had both agreed on that last night. So who could it be? I'd never noticed a werewolf at school before, so could it be a first or second year? Or was I just oblivious, and this person had been around for way longer, maybe even in my year?

I was discombobulated at breakfast, my mind fixed firmly upon werewolves as I put sugar in my coffee. I tried to recall all that I knew about werewolves. They were extremely dangerous on full moons when they were transformed, but completely normal human beings every other day of the month. So really, it could be anyone here.

I took a sip of my coffee, instantly coughing and spluttering when a salty taste filled my mouth. I scrunched my nose up at the liquid, wondering why it tasted like that until I noticed the salt jar next to my plate. I had put salt in my coffee, not sugar. I frowned, annoyed, and wondered where the marauders were. They hadn't been in the Common Room last night, so my guess was they did a prank.

My mind strayed from werewolves to Regulus Black, most likely the only topic that could distract me from the werewolf currently inhabiting our school. I thought about how I felt when I was around him; how my heart seemed to leap out of my chest at every look he gave me; how my stomach did somersaults whenever he smiled my way.

It was confusing, because I'd hated him since first year, yet somehow my feelings towards him had changed. When had it happened? What did it mean for me? For us? I wasn't sure, and I didn't know if I wanted the answers or not.

"Hey, do you want to study with me today?" Lily asked me.

I nodded my head, thinking about my upcoming O.W.L.s next year. It definitely wouldn't hurt to get a head start on them now, as well as the pile of homework I needed to complete by Monday, including potions work.

Lily and I headed to the library, finding a secluded enough desk near the back. We studied for a bit, and I was just speaking when Regulus walked into the library, catching my eye, and I trailed off whatever I was saying.

Lily smiled knowingly, making up a flimsy excuse and packing up her stuff and leaving just as Regulus and I made eye contact. When Regulus noticed the empty seat he walked up and sat down in the chair across from me

We stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence, both of us unsure of what to do. Finally, Regulus spoke.

"So, who do you think the werewolf is?"

I looked around, my eyes passing over every student I saw wondering if they were the werewolf we saw last night. I eventually shrugged, looking back at Regulus.

"I don't know," I answered. "It could be anyone."

Regulus nodded, his eyes also darting to the students nearby before landing back on me. I tried not to squirm, feeling suddenly hot under his gaze.

"What are you studying?" he asked, looking at the books scattered across the desk.

I huffed, knowing it was too late to hide it and let his eyes scan my work, revealing my struggle with potions. I was good at making potions mostly, it was just the theory that messed me up.

"Don't judge," I muttered, averting my eyes from his.

"If you need help with potions, I'm right here," Regulus offered casually.

My eyes widened as I looked at the boy in front of me. His also widened, as if he just realised what he'd offered.

"You'd help me?" I asked incredulously.

"No," he said immediately. "I mean- yes, well- possibly- "

A laugh escaped my mouth at his flustered state. I couldn't help it. Regulus looked surprised, but seemed to relax, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

I wanted to study with him. I really wanted to study with him. I just didn't know why though. I didn't understand why Regulus made me feel so good. I didn't understand why I always seemed to want to spend time with him, and I hated it. I hated not understanding my feelings. It was confusing, and it made my head a mess.

I thought of last night, of what he'd said to me. I'm not mad at you Y/n. His voice had been so soft, and the way he stared at me made me feel like he could see right through me, into my heart and the secrets I kept close.

I thought of how dangerous that was. He was supposed to be my enemy. I couldn't be feeling these foreign emotions and he couldn't look at me the way that he did last night. So, I did the only thing I could. I pushed Regulus Black away.

"Lily's helping me study," I said, forcing some coldness into my voice. "We should study for Transfiguration."

Regulus noticed me shut myself off, noticed my change of mood, and understanding dawned on his face. He knew what I was doing. He got the message, that we were still enemies, not friends.

"Fine," Regulus muttered, grabbing a book and opening it up.

I did the same, and we worked in silence, so different from our picnic the other day. I missed it; the jokes, the lazy chatter, his smile. I frowned, scowling at my thoughts, and forced myself to focus on the book in front of me. I could not be thinking those things.

I stopped dead when I read a sentence in the book, my mind going a mile a minute, remembering last night. I was so excited I beckoned Regulus over, forgetting to put distance between us.

"Regulus, look at this," I said.

Regulus hesitantly moved from his chair to the one next to me, leaning over to read the sentence I was pointing to while I tried to pretend him being so close to me didn't affect me at all.

When an Animagus is in their animal form, they are full animal. Yes, they are still able to have human thoughts, but only up to a point. They do not think the exact same as they would as a human. This is because when they are in their animal form, they are an animal. For example, if an Animagus in their animal form were to cross paths with a transformed werewolf, the werewolf would not harm them, because they were full animal and the werewolf wouldn't be able to sense their human form.

Regulus looked up at me, confused. "What about this?"

"Didn't you see that deer thing and the dog next to the werewolf last night?" I asked.

Regulus looked at me incredulously. "You don't think those animals were Animagus, do you?"

I scowled at his disbelieving tone. My theory was a perfectly reasonable one, thank you very much. "They could be."

Regulus snorted. "Sure."

I huffed and focused back on my book, reading further. Regulus did the same, staying in the seat next to me. I ignored whatever that made me feel. We continued studying for a while longer, the silence no longer menacing but not friendly either, until we were interrupted.

"What are you doing?" James asked, causing me to tear my gaze away to my brother.

I raised my eyebrows. "Take a guess."

James rolled his eyes, making a face at me while I made one back. I tried not to feel sympathetic for Regulus as his stiffened when he noticed Sirius.

"But why Animagus?" Sirius questioned, his voice unreasonably strained.

"Because that's the topic we were assigned," I answered.

"Oh, okay," James said, sharing a look with Sirius.

They all seemed to visibly relax, and I frowned. Before I could look further into it however, I noticed one person from their club was missing.

"Where's Remus?" I asked.

The marauders looked at each other wearily before Sirius finally spoke. "Oh, um, he's in the Hospital Wing. He got injured while we were... doing a prank."

I stood up immediately, feeling worried. Was he okay? What sort of prank did he try to do? Why weren't the others hurt? Was it a spell that backfired?

"I'll go see him," I stated, about to move towards the exit.

The three marauders all shook their heads vigorously.

"He's sleeping right now," James said.

Their behaviour was odd, but, then again, their behaviour was always odd, so I didn't think anything of it.

Regulus also stood up, avoiding Sirius's eyes as he did so. He murmured a quick "I should go" before quickly exiting the library, leaving me feeling strangely disappointed. Sirius looked after him longingly and James and I shared a look.

"Who's up for a trip to the quidditch pitch?" James asked loudly, grabbing Sirius's attention as well as a scolding from Madam Pince.

Sirius grinned, and all four of us ran to the exit, seeing who would eventually make it to the pitch first. James won, obviously, with Sirius close on his tail and Peter and I lagging behind. We had never been the sporty kind.

A/N:

double update!!

i'm trying to upload more chapters quicker because this story is getting more attention that i thought it would so i want to treat y'all.

also, like, next chapter i think???? very exciting progress is made so i want to get up to that.