Chapter 1: A Badger in the Wolf's den

Selene could not sleep. She sighed and rolled over for what felt like the thousandth time. In defeat, she looked at her watch. Midnight. This was getting absurd. It was the fifth time this week she hadn't been able to sleep. She felt cramped and stuck in her bed. She needed to be in a more open area. She couldn't breathe. Slipping on her robes and tying her hair, she moved silently from the room and out of the castle.

Outside, the air was clean and crisp it pinched her cheeks. She let out a sigh of relief to be out of the Hufflepuff dormitory. It was cozy and warm, but not helpful to her. Maybe the yellow kept her up?

A cloud of breath escaped her mouth. She watched it rise in a curl before disappearing, revealing a full moon. She blinked. Maybe this wasn't the best time to be out. She had heard stories of vampires and werewolves in the Forbidden Forest. She let out another breathe and the curling air calmed her nerves. She moved towards the tree by the lake, leaning against it and watching the water. An owl perched an inch above her. It hooted and turned its head to the side, peering down at her with large questioning eyes.

"I'm as baffled as you, I promise," Selene said.

The owl gave another hoot and swooped at her, beak snapping at her hair. She ducked, about to shout out, but her voice caught in her throat.

From her new lowered position she could see figures moving rapidly towards the forest, their hoods pulled up and over their heads. Peering around the tree from her new lower position, Selene's curiosity peaked as one paused before entering the forest, turning his head. She could see the pale skin and features of Lucious Malfoy looking around before disappearing in the trees.

The owl hooted again from the tree. It ruffled its brown feathers and tilted its head again to the side.

"Doesn't seem ordinary, does it," she said.

The owl simply turned its head the other way still keeping its big eyes on her.

Normally, Selene would have observed this and left. She would have relayed it to her friends the next day with baffled whispers and conspiring tones. They would sit and ponder what could possibly be in the Forbidden Forest for Lucious Malfoy. Normally, Selene would have added in the strange owl interaction, though at this point it was becoming more and more common placed.

But something about this time was not normal. As she took a step into the moonlight she felt an unknown desire to follow the hooded figures- it was almost a Gryffindor desire. No plan, no allies, simply to follow. For a moment she stood there- a dark haired figure frozen in the moonlight. The owl hooted again and flew into the forest. There was a rustled. Then another hoot- like a call forward. Moving quietly and swiftly, she entered.

The owl hooted, then swooped at the ground, landing and waddling over to her. It cleaned its wing with its beak. Selene could see lights flickering dimly from the ground, as if creating a pathway. They illuminated footprints in the wet soil. With a final hoot, the owl took off deeper into the forest, as if following the path. Selene looked behind her to the lake again. Then, as if called from beyond her own realm of comprehension, she followed the lights.

At each rustling she looked up cautiously, hoping it was simply a squirrel, maybe her owl friend or foe. She hadn't decided which it was now that she was on this path with its many footprints. Lucious was certainly not alone. In a more terrifying moment, a rat rushed before her feet and looked at her. She bit her lip in surprise as it squeaked before rushing off the way it came.

After fifteen minutes of following the lights, she noticed them diming. To her horror, they died completely. She paused in the dark, attempting to look around. It was so dark that she could barely see her own hand before her, let alone a path. It was clear the owl was a foe, not a friend. She made a mental note to exclude the owl completely from her story tomorrow. A few steps more and she was in a bright clearing. No one else was there: Just Selene, a stump, the sound of rustling woods, and the moonlight. Selene was terribly and undeniably lost.

Selene sat on the stump, looking around. There weren't even footprints here. For all she knew those lights could have been designed to lead people astray who followed the figures in. Of course, some sort of dark magic could be expected from those who were with Lucious Malfoy at midnight in the forbidden forest. All in all, it had been stupid of her to come. A hoot came from her left. She turned to see the same brown feathered fiend who had started it all.

"Don't try to do me any favors now," Selene muttered. The owl fluttered over landing on her knee. Despite its talons, the grip was softer than expected. Selene blinked. If she made it out she would most certainly have to tell about this owl. She let out another sigh that curled in front of her. The owl ruffled its feathers again and seemed ready to respond, but it paused. There was a series of rustlings in the forest just in front of her. The owl recognized the meaning before her. It threw its wings out and flapped away hurriedly, not a hoot or look before it left. Selene had no time to marvel at the owl's oddity. The rustle came again. Some fast moving creature was coming towards her. She stood, feeling in her pocket for her wand.

"Shite." She had been in such a hurried moment; she had left it, sitting by her bed. That had not been her wisest moment. The stupidity of such an action became even clearer as the rustling began just outside her line of vision. Whatever was coming near her was big. She heard a growl from the bushes and began to move backwards, trying her hardest to be as quiet and quick as possible.

The first to appear was the snout, sniffing the ground and growling with excitement. The rest of the giant werewolf followed soon after. It scanned the clearing with dark brown eyes, until they came to rest on Selene frozen in fright and wandless. It's mouth lulled open as its eyes narrowed. It seemed like it had enjoyed tracking her down. When it threw its head back to the sky and releaed a blood chilling howl Selene felt the message reach her feet and bolted.

Jumping over trunks and twigs Selene could feel her black hair snagging on low hanging branches. Behind the adrenaline pumping in her ears she was rushing farther and farther away, though it may have been deeper and deeper into the forest. Soon, she could hear the panting of the wolf behind her, snapping those twigs and trunks she had jumped over. There were barks and growls, almost happy with anticipation.

Movement to her right made her whip her head so fast that a small branched scratched her cheek. She hissed in pain and ducked under a larger one. Turning again she did a double take. A stag galloped next to her. Their eyes met and it nodded its head as if to follow it through the trees to her right. Her reaction time was too slow though. Before she could turn she found herself face to face with a giant rock, smashed against another rock to create a corner and nowhere to go but over the rock or towards the deer.

Stopped her adrenaline drained from her body- used up. She held herself up with the rock, panting like an asthmatic. She didn't think could run anymore.

Another blood chilling howl did the trick. She rushed towards to deer, which galloped ahead, hopefully leading her away to safety. Her foot hooked around a root and she tumbled to the ground, foot burning with pain. She sat for a moment stunned.

"God what is it with animals and me today," she gasped defeated. From the forest came the werewolf. It slowed its pace, as Selene's mind demanded that her body move. But her body had decided to simply concentrate on reminding her mind how badly her foot burned, rather then getting up to run. Selene panted, and scooted back on the ground, but the werewolf came and stood above her. She hoped no one would mention how stupid she was in her eulogy. It would be rude.

The werewolf peered down at her; it's dark beetle eyes dancing with excitement from the hunt. It howled with triumph and it's tongue lulled out, dropping slobber on Selene's cheek. Teeth bared it inched closer as Selene considered all the miserable things she could have done differently.

1. Never have left the Hufflepuff dormitory

2. Bring a wand

3. Ignore owls.

Selene opened eyes she hadn't realized she had closed. Something was off. The wolf paused- it sniffed Selene's face. His head moved back and forth as if trying to rid itself of something on top of it. It looked at her again. Selene could swear there was a more somber look in its brown eyes. Selene paused; her heart beat slowing to its normal speed, fascinated by the change. Could she be so lucky? She dared to sit up. The werewolf growled fiercely at her and she threw up her hands in a weak attempt to guard herself from the attack.

Instead of ripping into her easily accessible hand the werewolf gave a whimper, as if she had hit it. It looked at her with stunning hazel eyes and moved backward, tail between its legs. It's eyes never left hers. As quickly as it had come. it was gone.

Selene sat stunned. She wiped the slobber from her cheek, looking up to see the deer watching her, eyes unmoving from her face. It nodded its head to the side. Without any other possibility and astounded beyond any common sense, Selene stood to follow. She glanced back at the place that the werewolf had disappeared and frowned. It was all very strange. This occurrence. And those eyes and the way they had changed. It had reminded her of something or someone, but who? The deer led her to the edge of the forest, the nodded its head to the looming castle.

"Thank you," Selene muttered, looking at the deer through her eyelashes, ashamed by the trouble she'd caused. "Sorry about that."

She wondered if the deer could even understand her, but it nodded its head once before galloping off into the woods. Selene looked at her watch it was nearly three. She was exhausted. At least she'd be able to sleep. As she walked toward the castle, she looked at the moon. It seemed somehow dimmer then when she had first come out of the castle. But perhaps that was just the observations of an exhausted teen that had nearly died.

Hours later, Selene was deep in a dream. She was six, sitting in a sand box with her best friend, eight-year-old Remus Lupin. Young Selene turned to the sandy haired boy and asked, "Why is your hair so sandy?"

"It's made of sand," he replied.

"Why are your eyes so hazel," she asked.

"My momma gave them to me," Remus replied with a smile, making a turret for their castle.

"Why do you have that scar?" Little Selene pointed to a mark on his arm, like a moon shaped bite mark. Little Remus became embarrassed, pushing his sleeve down.

"I got bit."

"By what," Selene asked.

"A big doggy. How many turrets?" Little Remus asked, making a second one.

"Four! All Princesses and Princes have four turrets," Little Selene replied. Then after a pause she asked, "Does it still hurt?"

There was another pause as Remus made the third turret. "Only once a month," he muttered. "You should make a moat."

Selene smiled, "With alligators?"

Remus nodded. "My mommy hurts once a month too," Selene added, giving the ashamed boy a sideways look. He looked up at her and smiled.

"I like your mommy, she makes good cakes."

It was a pleasant dream, so there was no reason for Selene to wake up suddenly, sitting up straight and gasping for air. All she could do was sit for a few moments, trying to remember her dream before it dawned on her. What Remus' sand castle confession had really meant.

He was a werewolf.