Remus Lupin knew he didn't have much time until nightfall and knew very well that he shouldn't have been out when it was so close to the last day of the full moon. He saw the last few rays of sun starting to fade behind the trees and he quickened his pace. He must get back and drink his potion before the moon came out.

"Perhaps I'll cut through this forest…" Lupin thought. After all, he'd been in the
Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts; this Muggle forest couldn't possibly be as dangerous. Lupin had just begun to walk through the first bunch of trees when he started to have doubts. What if he didn't get back in time? What if he couldn't drink his potion before the Change? No, he couldn't afford to think like that. He put such thought out of his mind; nonetheless, he walked even more quickly. What time was it? How much farther had he to go? The sun was fully set by now. Nearly a quarter of an hour had gone by since he started through the forest.

The beginnings of panic started to overcome him. Luckily there were no strangers milling about the forest. He shuddered to think what would happen if he couldn't make it home before the Change and he happened to come across someone. Lupin walked quickly and quietly as it was now fully dark out and he didn't know how much longer he had until the moon came out. Over half an hour had passed now and it was then that Lupin's pace faltered. He thought he'd glimpsed the figure of a person. Perhaps he was just imagining things in his hurry to get home. He continued on occasionally looking from side to side.

As he walked he kept his eyes trained on the ground so he wouldn't accidently glimpse anything in the sky. Soon Lupin started to become angry at anything that slowed him down even in the slightest. He lashed out several times at stray branches that snagged on his robes. He continued to walk at a brisk pace as though trying to find out how fast he could walk without actually running. Just as Lupin began to think that he must be nearing the end of the forest he noticed that the treetops were considerably thinner. He glimpsed the darkness of the sky and quickly looked back at the ground. No less than five minutes later Lupin was plunged into darkness. Ignoring what this meant he reached for his wand

"Lumos." He muttered and lit a path of light ahead of him. He began to scold himself inwardly. What was he thinking? Going out on a full moon night when it was so close to nightfall, especially when he knew he hadn't at least taken his potion. Still muttering angrily at himself he didn't notice the moon's appearance. Suddenly Lupin stopped dead. No, this time he was sure he hadn't imagined it. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw the outline of a person.

When he turned to look at it, it was no longer there. It vanished so quickly…perhaps he had imagined it. Yet he was sure for an instant that he had seen someone.

"Hello?" he called out "Is anyone there?" When no one answered he continued on willing himself to not look up at the sky. He could just imagine Tonk's reaction when he suddenly burst through the door scrambling for his potion. Lupin smiled in the semi-darkness. Mad as she would be, he would be glad when he saw her. As he continued on he was suddenly bathed in silvery light and he knew it was too late. He looked up at the moon and just as he thought that this couldn't possibly get any worse, he saw the figure of someone hidden in the shadows. "No…" he breathed.

It was several minutes after he woke up that Lupin realized what happened. It was only when he heard labored breathing right next to him did he look around. What he saw shocked him so badly that he couldn't react for a moment. There lying in the dried leaves was a little girl who at first glance seemed to be covered in a dark liquid that looked suspiciously like –

"Blood." Lupin whispered. "Oh, no…no, no." He turned the girl gently onto her back. There were three slashes across her face and she was bleeding but where most of it seemed to be coming from was the girl's neck. Lupin looked at it and saw, right where her neck and shoulder met, what he had been dreading. The unmistakable shape of a large bite mark. Lupin seized fistfuls of his hair and walked around her to get a better look.

"No…I can't believe it." he muttered. She was losing blood fast, but she was still alive! Maybe he could help her. She wasn't about to get landed with this curse if he could help it. He took out his wand and wrapped her shoulder as best as he could. He prepared himself to pick her up and thought she was surprisingly light. At a closer inspection of her thin frame Lupin then thought that it was fairly stupid of him to think she was going to be heavy. Lupin held her tightly and Disapparated. He reappeared at the entrance to the grounds of Hogwarts.

With a wave of his wand he conjured up a broomstick, mounted it, and after making sure that she was secure he, took off towards the castle. Lupin had no idea how he had managed to get into the castle, find the entrance to the Headmaster's office, and end up I front of the office door. It all seemed to go by in no time at all. Lupin carefully held the girl with one arm and knocked hurriedly.

"Come in." A voice answered. The door opened to reveal none other than Albus Dumbledore.

"Remus, what a pleasant surprise -" Lupin had just begun to think that this was about as opposite of a pleasant surprise as you could get when Dumbledore's words cut off as his eyes fell on the girl. "What's happened, Remus?" Lupin looked at the other man imploringly.

"Please…I need your help." he said. Dumbledore dropped his gaze. "You've bitten this child." He said softly. His words were not harsh but Lupin could hear the disappointment in them. "Please…help me. I – I don't want her to be like me…" he said. Lupin stared at the other man intently, awaiting an answer. Dumbledore looked up quickly. "How long ago was she bitten?"

Lupin shrugged. "It could have been minutes; it could have been an hour! Does it really matter? Just help her, she's dying!" The older man stood up quickly and examined her briefly. He conjured a cot with his wand. "You may set her down here, Remus." He said. Lupin walked over and carefully set her down on the cotton sheets which quickly became stained by her blood.

At that very moment the door to the Headmaster's office flew open revealing Severus Snape. Snape's lip curled unpleasantly at the sight of Lupin but Dumbledore stepped forward. "Severus," he said with just a hint of a warning in his voice "how fortunate that you've arrived. I need you to make a potion for this girl and be quick about it." Snape looked livid. "But Headmaster, I wished to express -" he began but Dumbledore cut him off.

"Now, Severus." With a nasty look at Lupin he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. Dumbledore walked back to the girl and examined her carefully. "You bit her on the neck?" It was a simple question but Lupin didn't know why it made him feel so ashamed. He simply nodded silently. Dumbledore told him to tell him the story of how it happened while he checked her over. Lupin told him how he went into town and how it was very close to nightfall. He was just getting round to the part where he thought he might have seen someone when he was interrupted by Snape as he walked in with a smoking goblet.

Lupin stood quickly, not quite sure what to do. Dumbledore came over as well and took the goblet from Snape. "Thank you, Severus. That will be all." He said.

"But Headmaster -" Snape tried again. "That will be all." Dumbledore said firmly. Snape scowled and once again swept from the room. Lupin simply stood there unsure. "How – how do we give it to her?" he asked uncertainly.

"I think you should try and give it to her." Dumbledore said. "Me?" Lupin asked incredulously. "No, no. I've caused enough damage!" The older man stared at him and Lupin sighed. He took the smoking goblet and walked to the girl. He cringed when he saw how utterly covered in blood she was. Her shirt was so drenched in it he couldn't even tell what color it was. And he could see that underneath the blood she was as pale as death. He felt a strong wave of emotion.

He, Lupin, had done this to this innocent girl. He looked back at Dumbledore who only nodded quickly. Lupin gently took one of the girl's hands and immediately flinched at how cold it was. Her eyes fluttered weakly and she stared at him without actually seeing him. "Listen…you're – you're hurt. You need to drink this… to get better." He said feeling as though he might as well have told the cot for all the good it did. He looked at Dumbledore for assistance.

"Could you hold her up for me?" he asked. The other man nodded and raised her into a sitting position with a firm hand. She suddenly seemed a bit more aware of her surroundings. "Here, drink this." Lupin said "Quickly, now…" Her eyes fell on the goblet and she slowly raised her hand and put it over Lupin's who once again flinched at the coldness of it. She slowly raised it to her lips with Lupin's help but stopped before she could drink any. She looked at Lupin briefly and he realized that he couldn't bear to look her in the eye. "Come now," he said raising the goblet to her lips again. "Drink…go on. …There we go." After drinking half of the goblet he pulled away.

"I know, it's awful, but you have to finish it if you want to get better." Lupin told her imploringly, hoping that she understood. She looked as if she were about to faint. Her eyes rested on Dumbledore and he spoke softly. "Go on, child. You must drink it." She slowly raised the goblet once more and drank the last of the potion. The moment she finished the last drop she fell back onto the cot. Dumbledore examined her carefully, checking her wounds, her pulse and her eyes. Lupin watched apprehensively.

"Did – did it work?" he asked. "She is not healing as she should be." Dumbledore said as he put her hand down. "And she is as cold as ice." Lupin, who had collapsed into a chair, let the goblet fall with a clatter. "So she's…" he began but Dumbledore cut him off.

"I am not quite sure. I am afraid there is a good chance…she might not survive at all." Lupin looked up quickly. "And if she does? Will she be like…" he trailed off, too afraid to say the words. Dumbledore sat behind his desk. "I'm afraid there is no way to know for sure." He said. Lupin looked at the girl sadly. "So what do we do?" he asked.

"I think you should take her with you -" Dumbledore began.

"What?!" Lupin interrupted.

"- until the next full moon." Dumbledore continued as though Lupin hadn't said anything. "If nothing happens we can modify her memory and take her home. If she transforms, well, we'll figure it out from there." Lupin stared at Dumbledore, incredulous.

"Where am I supposed to take her?" he asked. Dumbledore have a small smile. "I'm sure Molly and Arthur Weasley would be more than willing to let you stay if you explain the circumstances."

"What am I supposed to say? That I was an idiot and a fool -" he began but Dumbledore stood up quite suddenly. "Remus! You are not an idiot or a fool! And I doubt anyone at The Burrow will accuse as such. Now kindly refrain from insulting yourself in such manners, while in my presence, from now on." Dumbledore has spoken with such power that all Lupin could do was sit and stare.

"I – I'm sorry -" he stuttered but Lupin couldn't finish for Dumbledore held up a hand.

"Do not apologize to me. Apologize to yourself." He said. "You were always rather hard on yourself but I would've never thought I'd live to see the day when you would go so far as to call yourself an idiot." Dumbledore stared at Lupin who was staring at the edge of Dumbledore desk, head slightly hung.

"You. Are not. An idiot, Remus." Dumbledore repeated slowly "Do you understand?" Lupin only nodded who felt as though he were merely a student being told off. He was amazed that Dumbledore could still make him feel like that. His thoughts were interrupted when the girl coughed and he turned around just in time to see a bit of blood come out of her mouth. Lupin turned away; how could he have done something so horrible?

"Perhaps we should call Poppy seeing that the potion is not working properly." The older wizard said. Lupin nodded. "As long as she doesn't tell anyone." He said looking at his former Headmaster, hoping he would understand.

"Of course, of course" said Dumbledore as he got up and walked towards the door. Lupin watched as the door closed behind him. He got up, walked to the girl's side and took one of her hands. "Please let it work. She deserves a normal life." He looked at her and remembered how painful it had been when he was attacked as a boy.

Suddenly the girl stiffened and let out a strangled sort of yell. Lupin jumped and looked around remembering that he was alone. She had started to shake uncontrollably and he knew that for some reason she was experiencing great pain. "What is it? What's wrong?!" he said frantically. She had started yelling again and was trembling more violently than ever. Lupin started to panic.

Where had Dumbledore gone? He couldn't possibly be coming back yet. Lupin sprang to his feet and went to the door. "Albus!" he called out. The word however had barely left him, when the girl's yells stopped. He turned and saw that she was no longer shaking, though her breathing was slightly laboured. He approached her cautiously. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly. Then the girl sat bolt upright so suddenly that Lupin jumped backward I shock. At that very moment Dumbledore walked in closely followed by Madam Pomfrey. The girl was awake…