Disclaimer: I only own the characters and settings you don't recognize. 'Kay thanks.
Prologue: The Nightmare
"Come on, Rem!" Kathleen laughed, the full moon shining bright above them. The young girl ran towards the edge of the woods. Her bare feet stirred the dirt, covering her toes in brown. She twirled dramatically, her long peasant skirt flaring out as she did so.
"Coming, Kath," Remus responded, stumbling down the porch stairs. "Are you sure Tante Alayna won't mind we've left the house?" He zipped his jacket up to avoid letting the cool autumn air hit his arms.
"She won't!" she assured him, despite the fact her mother would have her head if she knew that the pair was out so late. "Ever been in the woods at night?" she asked, childishly changing the subject. She kicked a few fallen leaves, enjoying the crunching sound they made.
Remus didn't answer, but he ran to join his cousin where she was flirting with the danger of going into the forest. Together, they began to venture deep into the woods, where the moonlight hardly penetrated through the thick canopy of leaves.
"What're we doing in here again?" Remus asked slowly. The sudden darkness was slowly turning from neat to creepy.
Before Kathleen got a chance to answer, there was a low, angry growl from somewhere close to them. "D-don't do that, Remus," she stuttered. "We're here to explore, not be mean!" Fear, rather than anger, showed vividly on her face despite the lack of light.
"That wasn't me," Remus whispered, also looking terrified. They heard the growl again, sounding closer than before. Kathleen quickly grabbed Remus' hand, her pointed little nails digging into his palm.
Just then, a huge, wolf-like creature sprang from the bushes. It sprang towards them, looking for exposed skin to sink its sharp, dripping yellow fangs into.
The pair stood completely still, in shock for a moment before their legs started working. They sprinted desperately towards the house, though they were nowhere near the entrance of the forest.
Clumsily, Kathleen tripped over an exposed tree root, falling hard to the ground. Remus, noting the absence of hurried strides beside him, turned around and saw the massive creature approaching his cousin. "Kathleen!" he cried in horror, running back to her.
Tasting blood in her mouth, she tried to scramble up the tree she'd found herself against, but was not fast enough. The werewolf was beside her, breathing deeply. Its menacing, glowing yellow eyes held a sense of contentment as the pair of jaws closed on her. She screamed. Then, everything went black.
Kathleen woke up in a cold sweat; her breathing hurried, hair disheveled, sheets tangled around her, uncertain as to why she'd just relived that night in her sleep. Usually she dreamt cheerful fluffy scenarios in her first language, French.
Still able to see the events clearly in her head, she tried to recall what had happened next. After passing out, she remembered awaking in St. Mungo's beside Remus. She wasn't sure who had found them, or how long they'd lain unconscious in the forest.
She closed her long-lashed eyes and took a deep breath, giving herself a moment to collect her thoughts. Carefully, she touched the scar on her left shoulder. Telling herself the nightmare was because she was nervous about the start of sixth year tomorrow, she struggled to fall back asleep.
A/N: Sorry this is so short, but it's only a prologue.
Also, since our main character is bilingual, any French will be translated in parentheses. Please review!
