Bloody Monster

It was cold and dark, and the forest was just a bit eerie.

But he didn't care.

How could he, when this was where he belonged.

He had been standing there in the moonlight, staring up at it, knowing that soon it would be full. He could feel the light pulling on his bones and feel the wolf rising in his mind.

Moony was blood-thirsty that night. He had been suppressed for too long. It would have been easy to suppress him a little longer, just for another night, one more time.

Then, she appeared. She was beautiful, she always was, but he knew for a fact that he was looking at the real her that night. She was showing her real face, because without him, she couldn't hold up a mask.

She stood in front of him and watched, just watched.

He reached out to her and couldn't help but touch her skin. She was intoxicating to be around. Surely, she knew that just as he knew that his fingers would be rough against her cheek. He couldn't stop himself as he brushed her mousy brown curls from her eyes.

He was afraid of her, afraid of what he would do.

He trembled. She was too near.

He wanted to pull away. He came so close to pushing her from him. Then she reached out for him.

She held his hand, his calloused hand that was too filthy to be in her but he couldn't take it from her grasp. She then rubbed noses with him, an innocent gesture, much like her, but enticing all the same.

He pulled her to him, flush against his body. Moony leaped within his mind, so painful to keep him back. He wanted her to never leave his side, to stay with him forever, damned be the consequences.

He loved her.

He had to warn her, had to scare her away.

"Didn't your parents tell you disgusting things about people like me, Nymphadora?"

"Yes," she replied, face so close to him, too close, much too close, "… but obviously not enough…"

Her words, her nearness, her eyes sparkling mischievously in the moonlight… It broke him.

Then, he kissed her.

He knew he was hurting her. He knew that her skin would not be pale come morning but dark because of the bruises he gave her. He kissed her as Moony clawed at his mind.

But for one moment he didn't care that he was a monster, a bloody monster.