I Can See You

The Gryffindor-Slytherin Couple

"Get up, Nat! Wakey wakey!"

"It's Sunday, my dear Kate. Let me sleep!"

Kathleen grinned. "Your lover boy sent you a letter. You're not anxious to read it?"

Natasha sat up straight in her bed. "Letter? What letter? Where?" she looked around her in confusion till Kathleen teasingly waved a piece of parchment in her face.

"Give it to me!" The blonde snatched it over. As she smoothed out the parchment, she cast a suspicious glance at her friend. "You didn't read it, did you?

"Of course not!"

"Then how did you know it's from Lupin?"

There was a trace of guilt on Kathleen's face. "I really didn't read it. But I might have seen a few words when I was picking it up from the ground."

"On the ground?"

"The owl dropped it right into your face. But you continued sleeping and even swatted it away."

Natasha was no longer listening. She was eager reading the note.

Natasha,

Can we meet for a little while today? I promise I'll not take up too much of your time.

Remus Lupin

"Is the owl still around?" Natasha asked.

"It waited for a whole fifteen minutes before it finally gave up and flew away. You need to send a reply?"

"It'll take too long to get to the owlery. I'll go look for him as soon as I'm dressed." Natasha sprung out of bed, ran to her cupboard and stared into her mirror. "Oh no! I look terrible! My hair is in a mess. I'll take forever to get ready!" she shrieked.

"I'll be your owl then."

"Huh?"

"Scribble a reply to Lupin now and I'll deliver it to him."

Natasha's face lit up. "Would you really do that for me? Thanks! You're the best!" She ran over and gave Kathleen a big hug.

Kathleen laughed as she hugged her friend back. "It's no big deal. I'm about to go for breakfast anyway."

Natasha scratched a few words on a small piece of parchment, thrust it into Kathleen's hand and shooed the latter out of the room.

"Hey! Must you be this eager to send me away?"

"You have an important letter to deliver, my precious owl. Now go!"

"Yes, my new mistress!" Kathleen chuckled. Before she left the dormitory, she turned and gave Natasha these parting words, "I'm glad for you. I really hope he'll make you happy."

The smile was temporarily wiped off Natasha's face. She gave Kathleen's hand an affectionate squeeze. "I hope you can find a guy who can give you happiness too."

*

Kathleen did not find Remus at the Gryffindor table. Instead, she saw Sirius and Peter.

"Looking for me?" Sirius asked cheerfully.

She felt her cheeks heating up again. "Actually...no...I'm looking for Lupin."

When he raised a brow quizzically, she quickly explained, "I have a letter for him. It's from Natasha."

"I'll be the messenger." He held out his hand and took the parchment from her.

Kathleen mumbled her thanks and hurriedly made her way to the Slytherin table, half pleased that she had spoken to Sirius again, and half upset with herself for not being able to hide her feelings for him.

*

Remus' heart sank when his owl returned without a reply. Perhaps he had mistaken - Natasha did not like him as much as he thought she did. He absently fed the owl and set it free. He did not feel like studying anymore, and threw his books back into his trunk.

He was still lying in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling when Sirius joined him in their dormitory.

"Are you trying to stare up a hole in the ceiling?" Sirius jested.

The werewolf gave a grunt in response. He was in no mood for jokes.

"Are you able to tear your eyes away to read a letter?"

It took Remus only a split second to register what was said. "Where is it? Thanks," he muttered as he snatched the parchment from Sirius and began reading. He started to grin as wide as his mouth would go.

"So what did she say?"

"She's meeting me by the lake!" Remus called over his shoulder as he ran out of the room.

*

Natasha caught sight of Remus from a distance and waved at him.

He was slightly out of breath when he reached her.

"Ran here all the way?" she asked coyly.

"As soon as I read your note." He looked at her intently, taking in her heart-shaped face, big violet eyes, elegant nose and soft lips.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Have I told you that you're absolutely beautiful?"

"No." She smiled happily. "And you're getting more and more eloquent each time we meet."

He understood her jibe and felt a little embarrassed, remembering that he was usually tongue-tied when he was with her. "The entire school is talking about us."

She shrugged. "It doesn't bother me. Does it bother you?"

He shook his head.

"You didn't ask me to meet just to tell me these things, did you?"

He shook his head from side to side again.

Natasha's heart was pounding furiously. "Cat caught your tongue again? Perhaps this will help to loosen it." She slipped both hands on his shoulders, tipped her toes and kissed him.

He was almost out of breath when she drew away. "Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked in a bare whisper.

"You know I can't say no to that."

Natasha felt that she could burst with happiness. If she were to die that very moment, she would die with no regret.

*

Remus felt a sharp jab at his elbow and winced.

"Let us know when you're ready to leave Lala Land."

"What are you talking about, Prongs? What Lala Land?"

"Dreamland," informed Sirius. "You were miles away with a stupid grin on your face the whole day."

Remus' grin only grew wider.

"So how was your meeting with Strauss?" Sirius asked.

"Moony met Natasha Strauss?" Peter interjected uneasily.

Remus leaned back into his seat and sighed happily. "You've just named my girlfriend."

James gave such a sudden shout that the other Marauders almost jumped. "Your girlfriend? You two are officially together?"

"Beat you to it, didn't I?"

James pushed his glasses up his nose, lost in thoughts for a few seconds. "I need to work on Lily then. I'll be next." He looked at Sirius pointedly.

Sirius caught his glance. "Be my guest, Prongs. I have no wish to be tied down to anyone."

"Good." James nodded distractedly. His brain was already working overtime to devise ways to charm Lily.

"Hey, is it your turn to get lost in Lala land now? We have important things to deal with, you know," Sirius told James with amusement.

"Important things?" Remus looked lost.

Sirius snorted. "Love has made you lose your wits, Moony!"

Peter was anxious to get into the conversation. "We were thinking of how to punish Lindow. We all agreed that he should look like a fool at the next Quidditch match."

James took a swipe at Peter's head, and the latter whimpered. "Not at a real match, Wormtail. We meant a Qudditch practice! It'll not be honourable to sabotage an actual match."

"That's right," agreed Sirius. "All we need now is for someone to drop a pill into a Slytherin's drink and we'll be all set."

"Natasha can do it!" Remus said confidently. "She takes her meals with them anyway!"

James tried to swipe at Remus' head but missed. "Are you nuts? And we thought you're the intellectual one!"

"Remember to claim your brains from Strauss later," quipped Sirius. "We don't need help from any Slytherin. There's always James' invisibility cloak."

"Alright," Remus conceded sheepishly. "As a punishment, let me do the honours."

"You're on. So can I go look for Lily now?"

James was already out of sight before anyone could reply.

*

James found Lily in the library.

"Hey, Lily," he crept behind her and whispered into her ear.

She jumped. "James! How did you know I'm here?"

James grinned and slipped the Marauders' Map discreetly into his robes. "Remus and Natasha are going steady now," he said as he took a seat beside her.

"I'm not surprised. It's only a matter of time after what they did at Hogsmeade."

"I must admit defeat this time. Remus may be the first to get himself a girlfriend, but I fully intend to be the first to get a wife."

She pretended not to get his hint. "You've yet to find yourself a girlfriend. So what makes you think you'll get married before the rest?"

"That's where you can help me."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. If you agree to be my girlfriend, I'll be right on track."

Lily stared open-mouthed at him. "You must be out of your mind."

"No, Lily, I'm serious."

"Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes and turned back to her books.

*

James, Sirius and Peter were seating under the oak tree, going through their plan one last time.

"They're having their next practice session this afternoon. We have to get Moony to do the deed at lunchtime," Sirius concluded.

Peter scratched this head. "We have to tell Moony. I've not seen him since Potions today."

"I bet he's with his newfound twin again," James rolled his eyes.

"Shhh! Here they come," Peter whispered.

The three of them looked up in time to smile at Remus and Natasha, who were walking towards them, hand-in-hand.

"Hey, guys!" Remus greeted, looking as though he had just won a million galleons.

"Hi yourself! We were wondering if you still recognize us," James kidded.

"Nah, you leave too deep an impression on me," Remus returned easily. "Mind if we join you?"

The guys knew that Remus' 'we' referred to Natasha. They never had a fifth person join them at their favourite spot before. But since they genuinely hoped that this relationship would work out for Remus, they thought it as a small sacrifice.

"Sure! Make yourselves comfortable," Sirius replied lazily.

James shut his bag. He had to wait till later to hand his invisibility cloak to Remus.

Natasha leaned her head on Remus' shoulder and observed the three boys. She knew James and Sirius more from their reputations than through interaction, but figured she won't mind their company as they were far from dull or foolish. But Remus' fat beady-eyed friend was not someone she would choose to hang out with. She gave a little sigh. They were all Remus' close friends. She'd better get used to the idea that she would be in their company more frequently than before. After all, Remus must really value their friendships since he had told her as far back as the time they first studied together in the library that these were friends he would gladly die for.

"Did Jason Lindow try to make things difficult for you or Kathleen?" Sirius broke the ice with Natasha.

"Nope. I've not spoken to him since we left the Three Broomsticks that day. Don't think he spoke to Kate either."

"But you have Quidditch practice later. He may make things difficult for you girls," Remus remarked with concern, before telling his friends, "Natasha was just telling me that Lindow yelled at her throughout their Quidditch practice after he first saw us together."

"I'm sure that'll not happen again today," James said, winking at Remus and patting his bag.

Remus caught James' hint and threw him a sly grin.

Natasha was oblivious to the exchange between the two boys. "I'm not afraid of him. There's not much he can do to me anyway."

"He told Kathleen that was not the end," Peter spoke up nervously. He was uncomfortable with the idea of speaking to a Slytherin.

"You'd better warn Kathleen to be on her toes," Sirius said.

Natasha's face grew hard and wary. "Do you care what happens to her?"

Sirius saw the suspicion in the violet eyes and felt his own temper rise. "What's that supposed to mean, Strauss?"

"You should know, Black," she challenged.

Sirius rose to his feet. "Care to explain?" he growled.

Natasha also stood up defiantly. "I think Kate should be wary of you. You're more of a hazard than Jason."

Remus coughed loudly. "Natasha and I have to drop by the owlery. I'll see you guys at lunch." He threw an arm over her shoulder and hurriedly steered her away.

"What's wrong with that girl?" Sirius looked to his friends for an answer. He was both fuming and bewildered at the same time.

James shrugged. "Slytherins. Who understands them?"

***