A/N: Hey y'all! Again, Round 4 for the Quidditch League Fanfic Comp and I'm Beater 2 for the Appleby Arrows for those of you who don't know! My prompts are endure (word) and ridiculous (word).
I hope you all enjoy! xx
The refreshing breeze of the summer air was glorious after spending the past three hours in the depressing dungeons. Peter and Emmeline's potion had simply blown up in his face, green goo spilling all over his face and the oak table. James and Sirius had been mucking around but managed not to kill everyone. And I, well, Lily and my potion was brewed to perfection, making Professor Slughorn sigh and smile, placing a hand over his heart.
The whole time, James has been making dancing gestures and kissy lips and puppy eyes at me as Lily and I brewed our potion. He even begged me to swap with him but before I could answer, Lily had told him to 'grow a pair and work with your own pair.' Man, that girl could be feisty when she wants to.
"Moony, what's the answer to eleven?"
I look up from my work and quickly explain to Peter what the answer is and why the answer is that. He still looks confused.
"Lily, can you come and help me please?" I call to the red head who's across the room.
James eyes actually light up as she walks over but she ignores him and comes strait to me. She peers over my shoulder then explains it to Peter, who gives a nod and goes back to the couch.
I go back to doing my homework, but as night falls I can't focus on anything. I've taken my potion, now all there is to do is wait. Sirius meets my eye and gives me a reassuring grin. Easy for him. I don't mean to be bitter, but it happens when the time approaches for me to, well…umm…change, I guess. The sickening feeling of another creature being inside me starts to arise, making me feel even more on edge.
"We're going to get some dinner, do you want to come Moony?" James asks as he stands up.
I shake my head and he doesn't push it, just heads out of the Common Room with Sirius and Peter. Once they're gone, Lily approaches me. She sits down, opposite me and just stares at me. I feel my cheeks loose colour and feel hollow.
"Are you okay?"
I nod. She nods. Then gets up to leave. I hear her talking to her friends on the way out.
"How much more endurance do you have for James, Lil? Because it's now getting ridiculous," I hear one of her friends say.
"As much as it takes," is Lily's answer.
I smile weakly into my palm and the Common Room slowly empties until it's done. I walk over to the window and stare out of at the Whomping Willow. I squint my eyes shut and rub them with my palms, trying to brace myself for the night. The full moon winks down on me and all I can think is is that it's cursed me.
While everyone's at dinner, I sneak out of the school and out into brisk night air. I sit by the Black Lake and piff stones into it, imagining that each one of a piece of Fenrir Greyback's body, sinking to the bottom, cursing him for cursing me.
Just another thing I hate about changing into a werewolf. It makes me seem violent, and I hate it. Because I'm not. I'm far from it.
The castle is illuminated by all the lights and even in the darkness of my night, I can't help but be thankful that Dumbledore let me in, despite my 'sickness.' The itching in the back of my throat starts to grow and I decide to approach the Whomping Willow. I look around, the same sense of hope that I get with the thought of James, Sirius and Peter coming down. I feel bad that they risk their lives every month to help me through the full moon but by now they know what they're doing.
Even though I've been doing this for five years now and this is my sixth year of changing at Hogwarts, I still get anxious that someone's going to find me out.
I immobilise the willow tree and walk through the passage, my wand lighting the way. I nibble on some chocolate that I had in my back pocket to try and make the journey more comforting. I come up out of the tunnel and walk around the room that I use to change in. I curl up on the bed that just has a plain white sheet on it and stare at the photo of James, Peter, Sirius and I in our third year, hoping the pain will go.
I hear a scuffling and I turn my head and there they stand. I watch Peter shrivel to a rat and he hides under the armchair. I strip to my boxers and shiver. Then it starts. I feel my skin stretch and nails pulling my fingers forward.
"Hang in there, Moony," Sirius says from behind me.
I turn my head to look at him and suddenly my neck is snapped back around so I feel my teeth lengthen until they press into my lip, which changes quickly to a snout. I see the thing fibres of hair on my arms grow until no skin can be skin. I rise, my calves aching as they stretch.
"Now!" I hear James yell over my howling/screaming.
I hear a thud and know that they've changed to the dog and stag.
I let out an almighty howl as I feel my feet grow and then it's done and I'm left in aching pain. I pant then whine and lay down on the bed. Sirius sits back on his hind legs and Peter crawls out from under the chair and rests on the floorboards. James stands by the open door, looking out for any random intruders. I get up and Sirius flinches but I walk to the corridor and just lay there.
One hour passes. Two hours. Three hours. Four hours. Five hours. Suddenly, I feel the feeling that I'm going to throw up reappear and suddenly I've dropped a foot, and my nails are digging back into my skin. I howl, which suddenly turns back to a blood-curdling scream. Suddenly, I hear a creak and the trap door opens.
Snape's head appears and he yelps when he sees me. I feel my neck lurch and my teeth shrinking back to their normal size. I stagger towards Snape and all of a sudden, James is in front of me and he shoves me as much as he can backwards, which just angers me. He kicks Snape back into the tunnel and follows him. I can make out: "Run! Get your arse moving! RUN!"
I collapse onto the hard floor, my heart not being able to pump enough blood through my body. I heave breath into my lungs and suddenly I start to cry.
"I'm going to be expelled! He saw me!" I sob.
Sirius kneels before me and gives me what he calls a man hug.
"You won't Moony. Trust me, you won't."
He hands me my clothes and I dress slowly, then Peter, Sirius and I walk back through the tunnel. James and Snape are no where to be seen. My bones and muscles ache as I make my way to the Hospital Wing where I take my seven potions then walk sullenly back to the Common Room. My head's pounding and my stomach's churning.
"Remus."
I jump at Lily's words. I turn and she's standing in her pyjamas just outside the Common Room.
"I saw you."
I try to hide my shock.
"Saw what?"
She pulls me closer to her and lowers her voice even more.
"Every month. The Whomping Willow. James, Sirius, Peter and you? You get feverish and sick and sullen looking once a month and sometimes you're even in bed. Are you…are you…erm…are you a…werewolf?"
She whispers it so low that I can barely hear her.
"What are you talking about?" I try to feign surprise.
"Remus, don't lie to me. I won't judge you, in fact, it makes me like you more."
I look into her eyes and nod my head, slowly but surely. She inhales sharply.
"Look, I understand if you don't want me to be your friend any -"
I'm cut off by a hug. I'm surprised at first, then hug her back. She pulls back, then says the password to the Fat Lady and we walk into the Common Room.
"Why the hell did you do it?" James yells at Sirius.
"Keep your voices down!" Lily cries, "It's five am!"
James and Sirius are both glaring at each other, angry.
"Sirius, what did you do?" I ask slowly.
"He told Snape about you-know-what!" James explodes.
I don't think I've ever seen James this angry. Then it occurs to me. He's doing this because of Lily. He's angry because he thinks Lily still wants Snape as a friend.
"Sirius! Why did you do that?" Lily cries.
"When did she join in?" Sirius snarls.
"I agree with James, it was bloody stupid! You could be expelled!" Lily says.
I see James grin in spite of the serious conversation going on. James and Sirius yell at each other some more, Lily interferes, I sit and come to the conclusion that Sirius didn't actually think that Snape would go and Lily makes them make up, which they do and they're back to their normal selves.
The sun rises and I smile, despite the night I had.
Another month done.
