*Set during the summer of 1977
Raina sighed as she brushed her stick-thin hair.
She couldn't do anything with it - without help from Lily, that is.
Raina was wearing high-waisted shorts and a crop top (with a tank top underneath, of course. She wasn't that confident).
She debated wearing the flower crown that Marlene had given her for her birthday that year. It would cover up her hair…
Raina put it on smiled. Perfect.
She hurried down the stairs and waited by the window for Sirius to come. She wanted to be the only one who saw him, since he had gotten that bloody motorbike.
He had even managed to make it fly.
Raina wasn't about to tell her parents any of this. Or have them see it.
Sure, she was seventeen years old - an adult in the wizarding world - but her parents still sheltered her.
With some good reason, Raina supposed. She was still a werewolf, even though she now had a boyfriend.
Another thing her parents didn't need to know just yet.
Raina heard the sound of someone apparating outside and she sighed in relief.
"Mum, I'm leaving", she called as she opened the front door.
Sirius was standing there, leaning casually against the doorframe.
"Hey", he said with a smile.
Raina blushed a bit and looked down. Ugh, that smile.
"Ready to go, then?", Sirius asked her. She nodded and closed the door behind her.
"Where, exactly, are we going?"
He held out his hand. "You'll have to trust me."
Raina held his hand in her own and nodded.
They apparated and landed in the middle of a forest.
The Forbidden Forest.
"Why are we here?"
Sirius shrugged and looked around.
"I thought you might want to see what this place is like while you're not in wolf form. See what we see."
Raina shook her head. "We shouldn't be here."
Sirius rolled his eyes and started to say something.
"I mean it, Sirius."
"Hear me out", he said, holding his hands up in defense.
"It's summer, Moony. No one is here - not out here anyway - besides Hagrid. And he won't tell anyone."
Raina put her head in her hands and sighed.
"You're bloody mad, Sirius Black."
"I know", he said smugly, putting his arm around her.
Raina jumped when she heard something.
"What?", Sirius asked, looking in the direction his girlfriend was staring.
"I heard something", Raina said quietly, taking a careful step closer.
She jumped again when she heard the noise again.
"What was it?", Sirius asked.
Raina held up a hand to silence him and listened again. Her werewolf hearing kept picking something up - and it sounded familiar.
It hit her the third time, and Sirius heard it too.
It was a howl. And Raina knew who it belonged to.
"We have to go", she told Sirius, grabbing his hand and pulling him the other way.
"It doesn't sound that close", he said.
"It's getting close. We have to go", she urged.
They stopped when they heard something behind them.
"Sirius", Raina whispered, "I know who that is."
"How-? Oh. Oh Merlin."
Sirius grabbed her arm and apparated with her.
Once they landed, Sirius hugged her tightly.
Raina was shaking.
"That was Greyback?"
She nodded against him.
"Come on", Sirius said, "I brought us to James' house. We can stay here for a bit."
When they walked in, James found them.
"Bringing her home already, Padfoot?", he joked. His eyes went to Raina.
"What happened?"
Mrs. Potter heard them come in and found them in the entryway.
"Are you alright, dear?", she asked. Raina nodded shakily.
"No, you're not. Come with me."
Raina followed her into the kitchen.
"What happened?", James asked again.
"I'm an idiot."
"We've known that for years", James shot back, "What bloody happened?"
"I took her to the Forbidden Forest so she could see how beautiful it is - when she's not tearing herself apart."
"She heard a noise, and it was another wolf's howl. It was the one who bit her."
James' eyes were wide. "Is she alright?"
"She was shaking. Merlin, I'm such a git."
"Not arguing with that."
"Shut up, Prongs."
They went into the kitchen.
"You alright?", James asked his friend. Raina nodded, taking a drink of whatever Mrs. Potter had given her. Sirius sat down beside her.
"I am so sorry, Raina", he said sincerely. "You were right, we shouldn't have gone there. I'll do anything to make it up to you."
She smiled and shook her head. "It's okay, Sirius. Really, I'm a lot better now."
"Good."
They kissed, and James rolled his eyes at them.
"Yeah, yeah, rub it in. You two found love and I'm going to die alone", he said dramatically.
"No you won't", Raina told him. "We'll hang out with you until you die."
"Or we die, whichever comes first", Sirius said.
"Thanks", he stood up and walked toward the bathroom. He turned around and said,
"It you two are going to snog, do it in Sirius' room. My parents don't need to see this."
"Shut up, Prongs", they said together.