Never Too Late
A/N: This story is about an OC character named Aryanas
She sat quietly, cowering in the corner, her black hair hanging down to her waist. Tears welled in her eyes, thick heavy droplets of fear that slid down her red nose. Hatred filled her, as as desperation filled her to explain. Rubbing her dark brown eyes, she scrunched her nose, preventing a sneeze.
He spoke to her, his voice calm, but stinging with hatred and annoyance. Anger flowed through him, as he ran his hand through his graying sandy hair, his eyes slanting, almost glowing as a wolfish growl escaped his mouth. "You think," he spat, barely aware of the woman trying to pull him back. "You think you've had a hard life? Locked up in your precious tower, primped and prized?" He launched himself toward the girl, her eyes widening in what seemed to be fear. Rabid now, his eyes pierced hers, glaring into the depths of her soul.
"You know nothing about me you filthy half-breed!" she screamed, yelling at the man who stood only a few feet in front of her. Eyes watering with tears, she turned her head, refusing to look at the man. Sniffling in silence, her anger bubbled.
She willed it away as she felt the strong hand of a woman slide a cross her face with a crisp smack. "Don't you DARE call Remus a filthy Half-Breed!" she screeched, her hair turning bright red before smoldering to black.
The girl looked away as she wiped the tears from her face that still fell. She looked small, smaller than anyone in the room had ever seen her. Her eyes glazed as she turned toward them, ready to speak. "You know nothing about me or my family," she spat, not really intending too.
"Tell us then, all about it" the woman said, fierce anger still audible on those who sat silent in the room.
The girl looked at them, the red haired ones, the brown haired one, who looked quite irate, and all the others in between. Sighing, fatigue soaked through her robes as she straightened them and sat up on the couch. A quiet chuckled escaped her lips, the tension and fear vanishing for a moment. She took a deep breath, ready to tell her story. The story no one had ever cared to hear. "I was born to a pure blooded family, if you didn't already know," she paused as she watched Remus nod his head quickly. "I had five siblings. Wyatt, the oldest, then Matthew, Alec, my twin, and my little sister Kaelyn. When I was about four or five, I met with a man-er, wolf, named Fenirir Grayback. He explained to me what I was and much more. I was told that I was destined to do great things, but only if my brother Alec was taken out of the picture."
She sighed, her eyes watering even now, even though she'd just began her tale. Pale faced, the girl shivered in the chair as the memory no longer seemed to be memory, but the present. Her eyes glazed slowly, as she stared out into space, a trance like tone touched her soft voice. "I was young then, easily manipulated and so I agreed. By the time Alec and I were eight, he had been bitten by Greyback. My mother kicked him out of the house, said that she couldn't have any filth in her house and I agreed. Werewolves were filth."
"There came a night, my turn to bring my brother food, and the moon was full, high in the trees, I could see it, glowing ever so brightly. Alec had already transformed into that horrible grotesque beast he'd become and I laughed in disgust. He ran around, howling like maniac, he was no brother of mine. But the more I watched, the more I wondered what it was that controlled him. I grew curious and followed him, followed him into the woods behind our house."
"They were thick, very thick, and I could barely see anything in front of me. The trees blocked what little light I had to work with. I could hear growling from behind me, I could hear howls of terror and pain and I turned around, slowly, as not to disturb the fight and I saw something. Something I thought I could handle, for I was a Pure Blooded Witch. I was better than those horrible Muggle loves and Mudbloods."
The others around the room locked eyes with each other, their interest peaked with fear and wonder. A girl, who was younger than the one on the couch grimaced at the last word, for she was of Muggle decent. But the girl did not stop talking, rather she grabbed her knees and pulled them to her chest. A comfort. "Fenrir and Alec were fighting, claws thrashing about, and the teeth, oh the sharpness, they could cut through anything. I could see them, Fenrir's dripping with blood and I heard a sharp howl, painfully high pitch and I knew it was Alec. He lunged at the bigger wolf and bit him hard across the face, catching his nose, but the other wolf was stronger, much stronger. Grayback had thrust Alec away like a piece of rubbish, and I heard the crack of bone, skull bone snap. I had let out a soft whimper, I didn't think anyone could have heard it, but Grayback did. He turned himself around and stared at me, those yellow eyes glaring into me, into my mind."
"What sort of tale is this?" Remus Lupin demanded as he stared at the girl, anger burning through her skin and touching her heart. Tears fell once more, harder this time as the words hit her, scorching her esteem with its icy tone.
"Aryanas, get to the point," The pink haired lady said, her face lined with annoyance and fatigue. "We don't have all day."
The young woman gulped as she closed her eyes. "Yes, Yes, almost done now. Grayback, turned on me and told me I was useless, said I was worse than a Gryffindor. He said I was scum, just like those mud-muggleborns. I cried, but he lunged at me, and sunk his teeth into my shoulder." She sighed, her eyes tearing. "Mother wouldn't let me back in the house. She told me what Grayback had told me and like my brother, she kicked me out. I was persistent though, much more than Alec for I knew the ways of the house and how to get back in when I wanted food. This ticked Mother off greatly, and so she sent me to Nythor."
The wizards looked at each other, shocked, if not terrified. "Whats that?" came the question of Harry Potter, as he stood next to Remus, fighting to hold him back from the girl called Aryanas.
Remus felt a pang of guilt scratch his heart as he forced it down, holding his anger firmly in place. "It-" he stammered unable to say the words, "It's a-was a Death Eater testing center. They took Muggles and werewolves and others there to..." he couldn't continue.
"they took me there because they wanted to make me into a super fighter of a sort. They wanted me to be a werewolf all the time. They wanted my bite to effect others even when it wasn't the full moon. They wanted me to kill for them. They failed miserably in their attempt, but unknowingly gave me certain powers they never thought of. I gained the ability to change my appearance. I wasn't born a Metamorphagus like you, Tonks, but I soon learned I could change to be whatever and whoever I wished."
Remus didn't' want to believe it. Staring at her, the young woman, he wished she weren't telling the truth. "Give us proof then. If you say you were in Nythor, give us proof."
The girl sat silently for a moment, before shaking her head no. " They let me go when they realized their problem. The Dark Lord would never have wanted such a freak and so I once again was abandoned out on the streets. I changed my appearance, into the one I hold now, and I wandered around. Once night, my eleventh birthday to be exact, I got a letter from Dumbledore who told me I was welcome at Hogwarts. I was quite happy and so I attended."
Aryanas sighed as her face softened in memory of the good times she'd known. "I sat down, after being sorted into Gryffindor and I watched everyone get sorted. Even you Lupin, and when I saw you, sitting up there, I knew what you were. I turned to Lily Evans , who happened to be sitting next to me and whom became my first friend and I said-" She stopped herself there abruptly and she stood up. "You wanted proof did you not?" she asked.
Closing her brown eyes, she let the feeling of her change was over her. Bits and pieces moved here and there as she slowly changed. She sighed, as her right eye slanted more than usual as it turned a deep gold. Her left arm grew muscular, thick and hard before being covered with white gray fur. Fingers webbed slightly, as her palm shrunk and padded. The left leg grew wider as well, its bones rearranging the haunches on which she sat. Her ears pointed sharply up, almost elvish. From the base of her spine a bushy gray tail erupted, knocking over a nearby lamp, which fell with a crash to the floor.
The tears came quickly now as she turned to hide her face within her hands. Sobs, wracked her body, each one louder than the other. Vulnerable, she turned toward them, staring them all in the eye before turning on her left paw and stalked out the door on all fours, her tail limply hanging between her legs.
The room was silent for a moment as each spectator took in what he or she had seen and heard. Eye watered as the young muggleborn girl stood and left the room. Remus sat, his legs failing to hold him up as guilt and helplessness crept up on him. Slinking into the chair, he braced himself, ready for everyone to jump on him, but no one did. He sighed, wishing he could do something to take back what he'd done. "Damn," he muttered, his hand brushing his sandy brown hair down as he sighed.
She reentered the room, the girl at her side, holding her hand as she changed back to her original looks. The tears had stopped, though seemed to well up once more as her eyes fell on Remus. Turning away in attempt to escape, the girl grabbed her arm and blocked her passage. "What was it you told Lily that day with the sorting hat?" Remus asked as he gazed at her, his intense eyes lightening to a more friendly color
Aryanas frowned and shook her head. "Doesn't matter anymore does it Remus?" she asked as she glanced over at Tonks whose hair had turned dull brown. "It doesn't matter. In fact, it seems quite silly of me now. I mean, well, I'm me and you're you and well, we-we just wouldn't have-you were right," she concluded.
"Please, Arya, tell me. What was it you told Lily? Did you tell her what I was? Please, tell me if you did. She'd be too polite to ask about it, but please, tell me. What did you say to her."
Aryanas frowned as she glanced around the room, her eyes falling once more on Tonks. "I turned toward Lily and I said- I said I was going tomarryyousomeday." her words mixed together leaving a sound more confusing than even Harry Potter hand ever heard. Breathing rapid, she turned away and hit her face in her hands once more.
"What?" Remus asked, his mind fighting to understand if he'd heard her correct or if the words had gotten jumbled.
"I said I was going to marry you, but to think of it now, I was foolish. I was eleven years old. Good Gracious. I was just foolish." She gulped for air as humiliation took control and the uncomfortable followed quickly afterward. And yet I love you still, she thought.