"Yes, well, they were bad enough on their own," Remus said dryly. "What now? Since you know." He held himself a bit back from her, staying very still.

"I'm not sure," Cat admitted. She glanced at him. "If it helps any, I haven't told anyone yet."

"I gathered, seeing as I've not been expelled yet," Remus said dryly. "Doesn't mean it won't happen one day."

"I don't know what I'm going to do yet," Cat replied. "For now, I'll keep quiet. We're so close to graduating, and there's no sense in screwing that up somehow."

Remus nodded. That was fair, after all. "Alright," he agreed. "And we'll see after that, I suppose."

Cat nodded.

“A lot of things about you make a lot more sense now,” she commented.

"I suppose so," Remus agreed, rather resignedly. "I suppose you'll want to speak to the professor and change partners now."

“Don’t be an idiot,” Cat replied. “You’re the most competent partner I could have, short of Severus. It isn’t like you’re different than you were since the last time we intentionally met up.” She looked him square in the eye, daring him to argue.

Remus met her gaze before he shrugged a bit. "Ah. I see." He took a slow breath. "Very well then."

Cat studied him for a moment.

“You’re surprised,” she observed. “Lupin, I’m a Slytherin. I’ve learned how to make the most out of my resources. Nothing has changed except my own knowledge, so I’m going to continue to act that way.”

Remus nodded after a moment. "Makes sense," he agreed. "It's not how most people would react."

“Most people?” Cat asked. “Or most Slytherins?” She raised an eyebrow a bit. “I’m not offended if it really is about my house. I know how the other houses feel about us.”

"Both," Remus told her honestly. "Not just Slytherins. Most anyone."

Cat nodded.

“Okay,” she said. She could live with that. “Oh, before I forget, I apologize in advance if I start to getting nosey. I can’t help but be curious sometimes.”

"Hm. I suppose that makes sense." Remus shrugged a bit.

“I can also see in the dark so I consider it a fair trade,” Cat said with a shrug. She glanced at him, hesitating just slightly. “Is it much like being an Animagus at all?”

"Not being one myself, I'm not entirely sure how it compares," Remus told her honestly.

“Okay. I wasn’t sure if you might have an opinion or not,” Cat replied. She was quiet for a moment. “Is it bad?”

"It's not pleasant." Remus smiled grimly. "It's painful, forced. I have yet to find anything that helps."

"The animagus change is unsettling, sometimes," Cat admitted. It was fair, she reasoned. After all, he was willing to indulge her curiosity. "There are sometimes I can't help but freak out in the middle and the change fails."

"Really?" Remus looked surprised. "As far as I know, the others don't have that problem. But, again, I'm not... at my best on the full moons."

"More often when I was just learning how," Cat replied, nodding. "Not often anymore, but sometimes."

"Interesting." Remus did actually look rather interested. "Perhaps you and Sirius could compare notes, now that you know." He paused for a beat, then:

"Have you told your cousin? Olivia?"

Cat snorted.

"Me? Compare notes with Black? No thanks." She was quiet for a moment after that. "No, I haven't told Olive. I mean, she knows I'm an animagus, but I haven't told her about you, or Black and Potter."

Something in Remus's shoulders relaxed. "Good. Thank you. I appreciate that."