Chapter One
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Remus Lupin has been hiding something from everyone. Everyone except Dumbledore and his brother, because even they have to take responsibility for the catastrophe. But when his past and his brother's daughter are part of his secret, will Remus finally need to tell everyone what causes him the most shame and distress? Or will the Darkness finally take over her soul…..?
(A.N: Most of the character (probably more than half) are not from the Harry Potter series. Keep this in mind when you stop reading and scour your Harry Potter books trying to find someone named Xavier or even Bowser. Just a little, helpful suggestion.)
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Week One
*Day One*
Sunlight filtered through the blinds and even through the heavy shades. Amber eyes opened and glared at the lightness in the surrounding darkness. With a sigh the girl pushed back her blankets and stretched rather like a cat. Her dog was up within seconds, climbing the ladder up onto the top bunk of her bunk-bed. He contentedly curled up on one of her pillows and promptly fell asleep, his deep snores filling the room.
She checked her alarm clock and groaned when it read five o'clock a.m. She pulled the covers back and flopped into her numerous pillows and pulled her dog close. Bowser snorted and his eyelids fluttered before he let out a particularly foul-smelling fart.
Ignoring the stench, she concentrated on the dream she had had that morning. She inhaled deeply, gagging when the fart entered her nostrils, but had succeeded in having even the tiniest of whiffs of fresh pine air and rotting meat. It smelled curiously delicious, intoxicating even, but her half-asleep mind couldn't (or wouldn't) ponder it.
Rotting meat… A little early for that stage…a part of her mind whispered. She'd never heard that voice before. Her amber eyes snapped open, slowly cooling into the normal passive blue they normally were. It was strange, but the girl had no mirror and therefore didn't notice it.
"What the hell?" the girl growled. She sat completely still for a few moments and just lay listening, waiting, feeling for something. Anything that would lead her back to the curious voice. Seconds passed by, then minutes. Ten minutes passed and still nothing. Her head felt heavy as it fell back against the pillows. She was asleep after a welcoming darkness engulfed her.
Remus Lupin paced in his office, his teeth digging into the flesh of his palm. It was an unfortunate habit he did when he was riled up or anxious. And every since the second week of his niece's sixteen-year old career, he couldn't stop the horrid nightmares that reminded him of what he had gotten her into. The Defense professor was so distracted that he didn't notice when two men stepped out of the fireplace, shaking off emerald flames as if they were water.
The first man, a teacher as well, studied the werewolf with an unreadable expression. "Isabelle used to do the same thing. I saw her do it when she was running toward the bathroom."
The sandy-haired man jumped. "Aaron. I wasn't expecting you for a while…. And I see you've brought Ernest."
The second man remained silent, his onyx eyes studying the room. As they fell on his former teacher, the one called Aaron, he found that the man could meet his eyes."Yes, I'm afraid I am early, but this couldn't wait. Remus, you may want to sit down."
The werewolf cautiously did as he was told, his golden eyes wide. This can't be good, he also took a seat and motioned for Ernest to do the same. Once they were all seated, Aaron played idly with his fingers, as if reluctant to relay the bit of information he had gathered.
"Well?" Lupin asked quietly.
A heavy sigh. "Remus, I'm sorry. As you know, I have Isabelle in my class. I have had her for the past two years, and I have learned to read the signs." A pause whilst Aaron peeked up at his dear friend. "She has dated no one except one girl during the month of January of last year."
"Why is that so special?" Ernest asked. He was surprised at how rapidly the werewolf was losing color.
"Remus, I'm afraid she's found her mate." Another heavy sigh. "It's official."
"NO!" Remus snarled, leaping to his feet. He snatched whatever was closest to him and threw it at the wall in a fit of rage. It was too close to the full moon for him to have any kind of control over his emotions and actions. At that moment he wanted to rush at his friend and break him into a thousand pieces, as if he resembled the heavy truth that was upon him.
Ernest had jumped when the rare crystal-glass ornament hit the wall with alarming force. He believed it had been a unicorn before it had shattered, and the pieces that lay on the floor sparkled in the firelight.
Aaron rested with his head in his hands. "I should have seen it before, before all this happened… It was so obvious! Everyone knew about the infatuation, but I couldn't put two and two together until this morning when I saw Ernest again… God, I was so unbelievably stupid!"
Remus stilled for a moment, facing Ernest with dangerous and disturbed eyes. He was very wary of the Asian boy across from him.
"What did Ernest have to do with it?" he asked Aaron slowly, his amber eyes never leaving the boy. He feared his friend's answer, but tried not to show it.
Aaron looked grim. "Ernest is her mate, Remus."
She sat up straight in her bed, gasping for air. It was completely pitch black, although she was certain it was later in the day. Hadn't she only been asleep for fifteen minutes? The clock read seven twenty-two, yet the sun seemed to have disappeared. She crawled out of bed, wincing when her sore feet supported her going down the pegs. As she glanced outside, she realized heavy storm clouds had covered the sun. They looked angry, with swollen and purple counterparts straight above them. Thunder rolled and lightning crashed in violent waves. It was the worst storm she had ever seen.
"I'm her WHAT?!" Ernest exclaimed. He nearly fell backward off of the sofa which he had been seated on as he jumped upward. "That's impossible! I don't even know anyone named Isabelle!"
"You wouldn't," Aaron said sadly, "know her by that name. That's what her real name is. Her father changed her first and last names after Dumbledore expressed his fears that she would inherit Remus' disease."
"William always called it a deformity. Now I know he was right," Remus sighed.
"Hello?" the girl asked as she answered her cell phone.
"So what's her name then? The one I supposedly know her by?" Ernest demanded.
"Abby? I'm sorry to bother you this early, but could you come in today? Our employees that live in Lancaster are stranded because of the weather. I'm sorry it's so short notice, but we really need you."
The girl massaged her temples wearily. "Of course Clarice. What time do you want me there?"
"By two, at the latest. We really appreciate this Abby."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm bringing Bowser though. You know how much he hates bad weather, and this is the worst I have ever seen."
"It's strange isn't it? Not even Maryland or Washington has gotten this bad. Well, I'll see you later. And thanks again."
"No problem. Bye."
As she pressed the button, she brushed aside her heavy curtains to gaze at the angry, homicidal storm. Bowser on the bed behind her whimpered.
"She'll want to claim you as her own," Remus grimaced. "And I assure you, once a werewolf has found its mate, it will kill anything in its way during the claiming process."
Aaron paled considerably. "What will she do to claim Ernest anyway? He'll be alright, right?"
Ernest blushed at the thought. He definitely knew this girl, and it scared him that when they had first 'met' he had just thought of her to be a normal schoolgirl with a normal schoolgirl crush; this was much deeper and darker than that.
"Most werewolves, and even their kin, can be brutal. However, when it comes to their mates, they are gentle and caring. They never do anything their mates won't like."
"So she'll be gentle."
The younger boy said nothing, trying very hard not to think of what he wanted during sex. That could get a little embarrassing.
The werewolf saw right through him. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Ernest, but you seem like the type to enjoy your fair share of pain during sexual encounters. If such is the case, she will probably claim him in every sense of the word. She will be brutal during that time."
Aaron looked stricken and took a deep, shuddering breath. "Do you think she knows about Ernest? About them being mates?"
Remus strode toward his favorite couch by the fireplace. He sat there for a few moments, giving himself time to just digest everything that had happened that day. His niece was now at risk for multiple reasons, as was Ernest and Aaron. They knew the truth, and William would want to do just about anything to stop this from getting out.
He just didn't want to accept the truth that his daughter is what he considers to be a monster.
"She's bound to have noticed that she can't forget about Ernest, if that's really the case. You said the last time she dated anyone was last January? And it was a girl? I'd say she's deliberately staying away from dating men because she only wants our Ernest here. And after dating that girl she probably just gave up all together.
"She's most likely frustrated that she can't love anyone else, and these feelings will intensify as her transformation proceeds."
"When will the transformation start?" Aaron asked. He was seriously considering getting hammered that night as some form of release.
"I have no idea. It's different for everyone. But it should start soon, and during which we will need to make sure that Ernest isn't alone with her."
"Will she try to…claim..me?" Ernest asked uncertainly. He was afraid for what seemed to be the first time in his life. He didn't know what the blonde would do to him during the claiming ceremony, or whatever they called it. He was afraid, and he didn't like being afraid.
The werewolf met him in the eye and Ernest didn't like what he saw there. "No, Ernest. She'll try to kill you."
How ironic, Abby thought as she cleaned out the small puppy's crate. The storm in Lancaster had caused her mother to spend the night at her office, and in the morning she had to leave for Los Vegas for a business retreat.
Thank God for the weekend, she thought distantly. She was starving and craving all sorts of meats that she had never even heard the names of before. It was strange, but she just wrote it off as pre-period cravings. Except those cravings were usually corndogs or PB-n-J's.
Bowser was thoroughly enjoying himself as he strutted around the cages, as if to advertise his freedom and how the other dogs were deprived of it presently. Abby rolled her eyes and deposited the soiled newspaper in the waste bin before placing the shivering Chihuahua back into its clean cage.
A roll of thunder shook the shelter to its core, and Bowser dove into the cage his owner had opened seconds before. The lights flickered as if they threatened to go out. Abby rolled her eyes, but the smirk she had been wearing quickly dropped when the hole shelter seemed to be filled with howls as the lights finally went out.
Chapter Two
First Week
*Day Two*
Remus Lupin groggily opened his eyes at the flash of green flames. He was surprised to see none other than Albus Dumbledore step out of the roaring fireplace in his formal dress.
"Headmaster," Remus said, hurriedly slipping out of the warn sanctity of his woolly blankets. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Albus?"
"I'm sorry it's so late Remus," the older wizard began, "but I have just been informed by a rather panicked Mr. Kang that he fears for his life because of the pre-claiming ceremony period."
The werewolf sighed. "He would be a fool if he weren't."
Blue eyes twinkled as Albus came closer to one of his favorite employees. "Remus, I assure you that if she is anything like you, he has nothing to fear. You are the most gentle, kind, and caring person I have ever known. If she inherited the curse from you, she must have also inherited your kindness."
Bowser growled beside his owner's slumbering form. Bellatrix Lestrange stood over her, studying the girl's features and taking mental notes on her form. If she isn't strong, there is no reason to be interested in her, Bellatrix thought coyly.
But this wasn't true.
The girl had matured well: her lips were well-defined, albeit thin, and her lashes cast thin, delicate shadows against her plump cheeks and were visible even in the very dim light; her hair was a soft gold that not even a Greek god could surpass in magnificence; and her skin had returned to its pale pallor rather than being tan like most other girls in the area that were around her age.
Bellatrix, ignoring the dog's threatening snort, kneeled next to the girl. "Whomever you claim should count himself lucky, my dear," she whispered. She licked her lips greedily before straightening up again.
Satisfied with the young girl, and believing her to be a worthy candidate for her Dark Lord, she left with a swish of her midnight blue cloak. There was a small crack moments later and all was still once more in the kennel.
The lights finally turned back on.
Abby's eyes snapped open and she groaned whilst stretching her sore body. Bowser was acting strangely, being rather protective over her as she stood on wobbly legs. She frowned down at him, but he didn't seem to notice: he was staring off down the corridor as if expecting something to jump out from the shadows.
"I can't believe I slept here last night," the girl grumbled. "I should have at least shared a cot with Clarice. I'm going to be sore for weeks."
She heard the door open at the front of the shop, and the bell upon the front desk being dinged. With a heavy sigh, Abby wobbled to the front desk along the corridor Bowser had been having a staring contest with previously.
As she entered the waiting room, she stopped in shock as to who was there. Bowser, who had followed her closely, ran face-first into the back of her knees.
"You are too kind Headmaster," Remus said, looking away. "But Ernest is still wise for fearing my niece. Werewolves are always unpredictable."
"Not nearly as much as vampires, Remus," Dumbledore chuckled. "You might wish to count your blessings for that one."
The werewolf laughed despite himself. His colleague was correct, of course: at least in werewolf form, you knew what you were getting. It was not so easy with a vampire.
"Yes, but she'll probably smell like wet dog during the first six weeks of her transformation," Remus smiled. "Other might wish she were becoming a vampire instead."
The headmaster seemed to become sober for a moment, gazing at Lupin with sympathy. "This isn't your fault Remus. You must believe that. However, we must discuss the matter of your niece coming here to Hogwarts. Would she be a danger to the students?"
"I was a danger to Severus, wasn't I?" Remus said. He was thankful no one questioned how he knew so much of the claiming process. He was also thankful that James hadn't put two and two together as to why Remus had been so furious to see the Potions professor as he had been that night.
No one noticed, no one put it together, no one knew…..and he wanted to keep it that way. But he wasn't going to abandon his niece just to keep the identity of his mate secret.
Albus said nothing in response to that, but it was clear he did not blame the werewolf for his actions. Instead he cleared his throat and repeated the question:
"Will she be a danger to the students?"
"I don't believe so, headmaster. There is only one person we need her to be careful with, and he'll be staying with me here while I prepare him for the claiming ceremony." He sighed. "I don't think anything I do will be able to prepare him for that."
"Xavier," Abby said in surprise. Bowser immediately became an excited ball of fur, running straight at the violinist and nearly knocking him off his feet, even though he was barely as tall as the boy's calves. The Argentinean laughed and scooped the Boston Terrier up into his arms and scratched behind his ears fervently.
"Hey Abby," Xavier said, striding forward. "How're you doing? I heard electricity went out in this part of town too. Lancaster and Palmdale lost all of their power."
"Really?" the blonde asked, smiling when Bowser's tongue hung out the side of his mouth as he panted happily. "He really seems to like you."
"Eh. I'm a dog person," he said, smiling back.
However, the way he was looking at her, as if afraid she would bite him like some rabid dog, made her slightly uneasy. He smile seemed fake and plastic next to the heat his eyes were giving off as he studied her.
"Is there something between my teeth or something?" she snapped. She eyed him angrily, staring at him defiantly. He cleared his throat and set Bowser down, who whimpered his pitiful protest.
"Sorry. I just could have sworn your eyes had turned amber. Like golden butterscotch," he said apologetically.
"That's impossible," she snarled. She wanted to rush the older boy, to break him, to mark him, bite him-
She staggered backward from him, covering her mouth with her petite white hands. Her eyes were indeed golden and were the size of plate saucers.
"What's happening to me?" she whispered, more to herself than to Xavier.
Xavier turned away grimly, completely aware that his fears had been confirmed. He had been sent there by Aaron to check on the girl and see how far along in the transformation she was, if she was. It was apparent what thoughts had been running through her head as she had glared at him.
Whether or not she was aware of it, her lips had pulled back in a snarl when she had spoken, and had stayed that way until she had come to her senses. While Xavier had felt a tingle of fear run up his spine when he realized how close the girl had come to attacking him, he had been able to think clearly; but he could not conclude if she had truly started the transformation yet.
He turned back to her, still feigning apology. "You okay? Anyway, I just wanted to check up on you. I'll see you later, right?"
"Right," she said quietly. Her hands were still covering her lips and she looked like a frightened rabbit. The boy felt a pang of sympathy as he left, Disapparating once outside in the wild rain. His legs were shaking in fear and absolute sheer terror once he reached Remus' sleeping quarters. It was all he could do to slide down onto his knees and quiver uncontrollably.
He didn't notice there were others in the room until reassuring arms wrapped around him and held him close. His eyes met amber and he nodded silently at the werewolf.
Inside the kennel, Abby sank to the floor in shock. Bowser whimpered and crawled into her lap, licking her hand encouragingly. They sat there for a few moments until the numbness went away enough for the girl to check the clock on the wall. It was nine o'clock in the morning, and she knew that this would keep her awake at night, but for know she needed to work.
She rose gingerly after Bowser jumped off in a stylish flair of acrobatics (or so she liked to believe) and walked down the corridor from which she had come.
Chapter Three
Second Week
*Day Three*
She gritted her teeth as she walked into Hot Topic. The clothes she was wearing presently were too short and her shirt didn't seem to cover her recently-acquired muscled stomach; her plaid skirt barely reached her thighs. How she had managed to have such a massive growth spurt over night was beyond her. She simply woke up that morning with her feet hanging off the side of her bunk bed and had felt relatively weightless.
It made no sense.
The boy behind the register was eyeing her with hot eyes. When he finally looked at her face, he swallowed before he winked. Abby clenched her fists and stormed toward the dress section.
If she had been normal, she would have gone up to the counter and flirted with him to no end. But ever since freshmen year, when she first saw Ernest Kang, everything had changed: boys were no longer attractive other than him, and eventually women lost their appeal as well.
Her last date had been in January of the previous year, and even though many people still asked her out, she felt no need to indulge them. They had lost any holding they may have had with her ever since she saw Ernest.
She thought she heard her teeth crack with the force of which she was now gritting them.
Damn you Ernest, her mind snarled. If I ever see you again, your heart shall be mine.
As she tried to calm down by distracting herself with choosing between a plaid purple skirt and a witch's dress, a small boy came up behind her.
"Hey," he said calmly.
She turned and he smiled at her.
"You look pretty sexy in red." He winked. "You'd look better out of it."
Her face burned. "And you'd look better with a stake up your ass, but neither of us are going to get what we want, are we?"
He laughed. "Feisty. I like them that way."
Her eyes turned to amber slits. The boy looked startled, his smile faltering for a moment. "You listen to me, you little piece of-,"
"Abby? What are you doing here?"
She whirled around to find Xavier standing just to the side of her. Crystal hung back slightly, staring at her with wide eyes, and Ryan Mendoza stood behind her.
She deflated rather quickly. "Xavier, what're you doing here?"
His brown eyes darted quickly between her and the small boy. He smiled. "What, I can't help my girlfriend pick out the clothes for our next date?"
The small boy glowered before taking one last look at Abby and walking away with his head held high. She distinctly heard the word 'bitch' as he passed her.
She wasn't sure what it was that made her go after him, but Crystal and Xavier held her back. She was shocked, but recovered quickly by holding up the two garments. "Which one?"
"The purple one," Ryan said, amused. It was hard to believe, but ever since he had begun attending public school again, he had rather abandoned his religious ethics. His parents were furious, she heard, but Ryan didn't seem to care. He still looked prim and proper, but with a little gothic edge to him. It made Abby smile any time she saw him.
"Really?" Xavier asked, surprised. "I was leaning toward the dress. What about you Crystal?"
But Crystal was staring at her friend, obviously at a loss for words. When she regained her voice, she laughed hysterically. "Since when did you get so tall?" she guffawed.
A scowl placed itself on Abby's lips. "Since last night, apparently. I woke up this morning and I was suddenly Godzilla."
Ryan looked at her carefully, as if noticing her curious height for the first time. "Huh. I guess you are taller. Anyway, you only grew a couple inches, right?"
"Try five," Abby sighed. "It was five or four. I used to be 5'3 and now I'm 5'7."
Their jaws dropped. Then suddenly Xavier smiled. "Well I was wondering when you'd stop being so short." He was now looking up at the blonde.
"Yeah, you look pretty hot when you're tall," Ryan said. "Too bad I'm not your type….."
Xavier stilled and looked at the blonde. Her eyes had returned to their natural blue color, although they seemed to spark at the innuendo of dating, which automatically referred back to Ernest.
She shrugged casually. "I know. And too bad you have your eye on Andrea."
He colored slightly before winking back.
They all laughed before Abby began picking up everything around her and shuffling toward the dressing room. They followed her, sometimes picking up random garments of clothing and throwing it atop her monstrous pile. She would flash them a breathtaking smile each time they did so, and it only made Xavier that much more relieved that she hadn't reached the stage in her transformation when she would attack anyone who even brought up anything to do with her mate.
He found himself enjoying himself thoroughly and forgot the fact, a very dangerous fact, that he was with an unstable werewolf fledgling. Right now she was just Abby; a plain, simple, beautiful human.
William glared at his brother. "You want me to do what?"
"Give your consent to have your daughter come to Hogwarts next year," Albus Dumbledore said calmly. Remus, the headmaster, and Ernest were sitting on the plush couches of the living room within William's nice home. Two large screen TV's surfaces reflected the light searing in through the flimsy curtains from their alcoves on either side of the fireplace that was dusty from infrequent use.
Ernest couldn't stop fidgeting. This was Abby's, or Isabelle as Remus and Aaron referred to her as, father and he was the one who would have the biggest problem with him.
Aside from the fledgling werewolf, of course.
"The why the fuck would I give consent to that?" he snarled. "She's not a freak like him."
It was no secret that he was referring to his brother, who had paled considerably. He lowered his sandy-haired head and stared at his twiddling thumbs.
The front door opened and Aaron stepped inside, looking rather flustered. When the door closed the dormant alarm decided to go off, causing several cries to be heard from upstairs and several doors to open and several children to come rushing down the stairs to see what was the matter.
"Go back upstairs," William snapped as he strode over to the keypad and punched in the numbers to quiet the machine. He waited until he heard the doors close and the children were quiet before pulling out his wand, which also appeared to be dusty from infrequent use, and cast a silencing charm after around three times before getting it correctly cast.
His eyes narrowed at Aaron as he retook his seat on the couch, this time facing the headmaster.
"You are rather ill-tempered with children that are not yours, William," the older wizard said nonchalantly.
The man flared up at once. "If this is your idea of successful convincing, you are failing miserably! And I treat those kids just fine! They're not complaining!"
"They're not complaining to your face," Ernest muttered.
He hadn't meant for that to be heard, but their host apparently had. He got even more red in the face and he clenched his meaty hands into menacing fists.
Aaron quickly tried to distract him. "You have a lovely home Mr. Lu-"
"NO!" William thundered. He stood abruptly and whirled around to face the chorus teacher. "DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT IN MY OWN HOME! I CHANGED MY NAME FOR A REASON! I WILL NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT- THAT THING!"
"Even if your daughter was a 'thing' as well?" Albus inquired solemnly.
"Have you even seen Abby since the day she was born?" William spat.
"Her name is Isabelle, whether you like it or not, Will," Remus said. "And Ernest was in her class in her freshmen year; Aaron is her teacher."
"Yes, yes, she speaks very highly of him," the man said, jerking his thumb towards the latter. "But that doesn't answer my question. Abby isn't a monster like you, Remus. She wouldn't hurt a fly."
Abby tried to get the zipper at the bottom of the black silk dress, but kept fumbling with it. She sighed in frustration, and then squealed when something buzzed right by her ear. She struck out blindly and smacked a fuzzy little body. It landed on the floor, and it was then she realized it was a fly rather than a bee.
She wrinkled her nose and brought the heel of her shoe down on it and ground the poor fly into the ground.
"Ah! Finally!" she exclaimed when she succeeded in zipping up the dress.
Aaron was confused: why were they bidding their time in telling William that his daughter was in fact a monster? But the headmaster looked absolutely calm as he conjured a tea cup out of thin air and took a sip of lemon-flavored tea.
"Would you like some William?"
"No thank you," the man said through clenched teeth.
"You need to relax, young man. We have plenty of time before your daughter comes home." He looked up through his crescent moon spectacles. "I assume that's what you are so nervous about?"
"Are you trying to get me to hex you, old man?" he screeched.
"I'm afraid it would likely backfire due to your previous lack and forgetfulness of spells, my dear boy, but by all means try your best."
The old man smiled and took another sip of his tea, basking in the heat that was coming off of the younger man's face due to his blush.
He chuckled and sipped yet again.
Xavier looked up as the curtain of the dressing room was pushed aside, and then his eyes widened. Abby stepped out in a long, ruffled black silk dress that reached the floor. It was strapless and showed off her pale shoulders and upper chest.
Ryan had to force a swallow down when he saw the fledgling, whilst Crystal merely smiled. "You have to let me borrow that some time."
She rolled her eyes. "Please. It's way too long for you, remember?"
Ernest better know how lucky he is, Xavier thought in awe. This was the first time he had ever been jealous of the other boy.
He smiled.
Odd...... It seems as if Xavier is developing feelings for Abby/Isabelle.
Ryan is in love with Andrea....
But who does Crystal want?
And will Severus Snape figure out that he's Remus Lupin's mate?
Remember, a lot of these characters (probably over half of them) are not from Harry Potter, just characters I either know or made up. In later chapters I will include more and more Harry Potter characters and eventually drop the, ah, 'real world' characters. Let me know if you want any particular 'real world' characters to stick around and what Harry Potter characters you want to have a big part in this. I may even right a sequel to this, but I'm not sure yet.
Sometimes it's best to leave a good thing alone.