Werewolf
"R-E-M-Y!!" Naul shouted sprinting down the hall and tackling her friend as he ran down the hall to Potions. Their books spilled out of their bags and Naul's waves of hair tumbled over both of them. She groaned and pushed herself off of him, her long hair tousled in a mess but she grinned stupidly at Remus, not seeming to care. If she'd been just a bit more ladylike it would have been easier to put the nickname "Dumbledore's Princess" to her, but she did her best to stamp out any girlish thing that might lead her to be called that. Except for her hair, that was the one thing she took utmost pride in, and would simply not allow it to be cut.
"We are going to be late!" Remus grunted as he hurried to pick up his books. Naul leaned closer to him, ramming him with her forehead, causing bits of hair to wash over Remus, like a halo. Remus dropped his books and stared at her sheepishly as she prodded him on the chest. Her bright blue eyes were trapping him and he couldn't say a word.
"Why didn't you sign up for Quidditch tryouts?!" She asked furiously poking him with every word. She seemed unaware of what an awkward position she put him in.
"You know perfectly well why, what if we have a game or practice during that time of the month?" Remus responded.
Naul drew back and rocked back and forth on her heels, "I know why, but Sirius, James and Peter don't. You're an awesome flyer so you're going to have to think of something to tell them. Unless you'd rather explain-"
"Skipping class are we? Mind if we join you two?" Sirius asked bounding up to them, his grey eyes alight with happiness; James was not far behind him.
"Cool, let's go swimming!" Naul said, perfectly at ease as she changed tune, "Where the devil is Peter?"
The four looked down the hall to see him hobbling closer, already out of breath. Sirius grinned wickedly and Naul returned the smile jumping to her feet and grabbing her things. James helped Remus up and the four ran back past Peter heading towards the entrance hall. They laughed running out the doors toward the Great Lake, and Peter turned huffing after them. At the doors they ran into Peeves at which point they were almost caught but James swept them aside underneath his invisibility cloak.
Arriving at the lake outside, the air was crisp and clean. They stared into the lake and threw off the invisibility cloak. The boys ripped off their shirts within seconds and Naul simply kicked off her shoes and dove in despite her clothes. They were really enjoying themselves when Peter jumped up screaming and flailing his arms.
"Something got me! Something grabbed my leg!" He shouted whining, and then Sirius popped up grinning horribly at his side. Naul and James fell back laughing, but Remus swam distractedly, thinking over what Naul had said.
Naul laughed and shoved Sirius down into the water, of course he shoved her back and she toppled backward into the knee deep water on the edge of the lake. Laughing and spitting out water she suddenly became aware of James, Remus, and Sirius staring in horror at something behind her, Peter was still laughing stupidly at Sirius's joke. Naul swiveled her head and standing above her, glaring furiously was none other than Professor McGonagall.
"Aunt… Minnie…" Naul gulped and carefully turned backing up into the lake. McGonagall flared her nostrils and clenched her jaw. She was a very severe looking woman, with her sparkling glasses refelecting her cold gaze. One of her bony hands pressed into her hip as she held a long thin wand.
"Uh oh" Remus said as he waded a little closer into the shore.
"I give her ten seconds to explode," James whispered, unlike Remus, then he and Sirius backed up.
"One, two, three, four-" Sirius counted, they couldn't help it, they chuckled a bit even though they stared at McGonagall's mask of fury, "-five, six, seven-"
"Are you infants?!" McGonagall shrieked, "Skiving off Potions class and swimming! I would expect this of young children! You are Second Years now! Naulinata Dumbledore! Have you no shame?! Ten detentions each! Seventy five points from Gryffindor! I shall inform the Headmaster about this! No, I shall take you to the Headmaster! Put your clothes on!"
"Keep your hair on, in fact the water's fine! Come and join us!" Sirius shouted his barking laugh echoed over the lake as he jumped, splashing McGonagall and his friends. Naul and the others laughed, but McGonagall's face turned even redder.
McGonagall clenched her fists, "Fifteen detentions, Black! And five more points from Gryffindor! As for you, Naul and James, I might keep you from the Quidditch Team, if you weren't such good flyers. Your father will have to decide if you receive further punishment, Naulinata!"
McGonagall led the five, soaking wet but extremely pleased, up to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was a tall and slim man, who like his daughter took great pride in his hair, but it was not the flowing waves that Naul had. Instead for Dumbledore it was the long white beard that hung to his waist. Dumbledore was calmly prodding a cauldron with his wand when they entered and when he looked up his beard dropped into the swirling liquid and it sizzled. Dumbledore jumped and patted his singed beard as he looked at McGonagall and the five. Naul and the boys started giggling but McGonagall silenced them with a look. However as Dumbledore himself was chuckling, McGonagall realized how hopeless it seemed.
"Well what have we done now?" Dumbledore asked tiredly as he sat down behind his desk. His eyes sparkled behind his glasses and even the fearless Naul guiltily avoided his gaze.
"They skipped Potions and went swimming in the Great Lake. Black also gave me flack. I gave Potter, Pettigrew, Lupin, and your daughter ten detentions and Black fifteen. I also took eighty points from Gryffindor." McGonagall said.
Dumbledore's deep laughter was joined by his daughter's and her friends'. However his face turned from joyous to stern in an instant and the others quieted. He rubbed his chin and his long white beard dropped onto his desk. Naul relaxed a little and walked over to pet Fawkes, as the Phoenix said on his usual perch. Sirius also approached him, and Fawkes acknowledged him with a small squawk before allowing Sirius to stroke him.
"I have decided." Dumbledore said drawing their attention back to him, "Sirius has lost Gryffindor another five points. Naul, dear, I know you had hoped to try out for the Quidditch team this Friday. I will only let you do that if you can win back the points you five have lost. It comes to a total of Eighty-five points. That goes for James as well. You will serve your detentions starting next Saturday. Remus you will serve yours the Saturday after next. That is all."
The boys' jaws dropped, but Naul nodded confidently. McGonagall seethed with fury as they walked out of the office. Naul turned back and whispered, "Bye Aunt Minnie!" before McGonagall slammed the door and turned to look at Dumbledore.
"Quite a nasty little troublemaker that girl is." McGonagall said.
"Oh, but her heart is in the right place." Dumbledore smiled, his eyes were unfocused, as if he was in another world entirely.
"It makes me wonder who in the world could have been that girl's parents." McGonagall mused.
"Well if anything, the teaching staff of Hogwarts is as close to a family as she seems able to get." Dumbledore said, "She may have taken my name, but I suppose it would be intriguing to know what her real name is. Surprisingly enough, Naul doesn't seem to care."
Later that night the five mischief makers were seated in Gryffindor Common Room, long after everyone else had gone off to their dormitories. Naul was studiously reading, despite such dim lighting; Remus was yawning; James and Sirius were talking quietly, reclining on one of the sofas; and Peter was repeatedly falling over asleep, at least until either James or Sirius would prod him with a feather.
"What on Earth are you studying for, Naul? Trying to beat the pants off Evans? If I didn't know you better I'd call you a nerd," Sirius threw up his rms to block Naul's hand as she swung at him; she had leapt up off her seat to lean over him and strike. He continued grinning, "And if I didn't know that you would do that." Naul sighed and raised her fist for another punch. This time she checked the blow so she just cuffed his ear. Sirius playfully returned the punch, checking the blow so he just bumped her jaw.
"Well as our Quidditch tryouts are on the line it seems I'll have to become a teacher's pet for the week. After tryouts we can drop dung bombs on them." Then Naul prepared to hit back.
"Hey, Remy, why'd you get your detentions on another week?" James asked suddenly. Naul paused, mid swing and swiveled her head, causing a curtain of black waves to hit Sirius in the face. Pushing it out of his face and spitting out the wisps caught in his mouth Sirius also looked to Remus for an answer.
"Next week, I'll be going home to visit my sick mum." Remus said, his friends couldn't help noticing how pale he'd gotten, or the sweat beading on his forehead, "It's Saturday, and it's hard to reschedule."
Naul distracted them by whacking Sirius over the head with her textbook. Then Naul ran up the staircase towards the girls' dormitories, Sirius and James dove after her only to find the staircase turn into a sliding ramp beneath their feet. Remus watched laughing as Naul's feet slid out from under her and she slid back down to land crumpled on top of Sirius and James. She glared at Remus and he took the hint running up to his dormitory while Sirius and James threatened to cut her hair.
The Monday of the next week, James and Sirius were skipping their Charms lesson to prank the teacher subbing for Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was a lesson with some fourth years, on werewolves. They were waiting underneath James's invisibility cloak to unleash a tongue-tied curse on the teacher that would make him say anything they wanted.
"Werewolves are easily identified by behavioral patterns," The teacher paused. Not caring what the teacher was saying, Sirius was about to raise his wand, but what the teacher said next stopped him, "For example, if one of your friends disappeared for one week every month, around the full moon, it would be a sign that he or she is a werewolf."
James and Sirius looked at each other underneath the cloak, hazel eyes staring into gray. Remus had been doing that since they first started school, and he had just gone this week, after James and Naul's Qudditch tryouts. Naul had happily been made Keeper and James had been made Seeker. Remus had not tried out, could it be because he was a werewolf and the danger of a Quidditch match crossing with the full moon kept him away? But they knew him, and trusted him, there was no way he was a werewolf! Right?
When Remus returned after the full moon he found Sirius, James, and a very confused Peter standing shoulder to shoulder, blocking his way up to their dormitory. Naul had also come up, bringing with her snacks she had stolen from the kitchen to celebrate Remus's return and her and Sirius getting positions on the Quidditch team.
"So, enjoyed your trip, Remy?" James asked coldly, but the effect of his gaze was ruined when he caught sight of the snacks Naul had and his face brightened.
"Did you?" Peter asked, they had not told him the reason for interrogating Remus, so he was very confused. Sirius glared at him and quieted him though. Peter sighed and looked at the food hungrily.
"Yeah, Mom is getting better." Remus said attempting to take his bags up to his room, but they wouldn't let him through.
Naul looked between the faces of her friends, "What's going on?" she asked, but already, she became aware of the obvious tension, and she suspected what it was.
"Blast! I can't stand this!" Sirius roared, "Are you a bloody werewolf or not?!" Remus dropped his bags, and Naul dropped the food.
Naul stuttered, "What? Why would you ask that? Of course Remy is-"
"-is a werewolf." Remus interrupted. James, Sirius, and Peter gasped. Naul just stood there staring at them. Remus inhaled slowly, "Yes. I am a werewolf. Go ahead. Scream. Run. Hate me. Fear me. It's over Naul, they know what I am, I'm just glad I don't have to hide it anymore. I'm going to bed." Remus pushed past them, his brown hair falling into his eyes, hiding his regret.
"Where do you think you're going?" James asked, grabbing his arm.
"Do you think knowing what you are makes any difference to us? It's who you are that counts!" Sirius said.
"I've always thought it was pretty cool that you were a werewolf, obviously or I would've told everyone instead of keeping the awesome secret to myself." Naul added.
"It's amazing." Peter said.
"You're not scared? Or angry?" Remus asked.
"No, in fact we're just curious." James said.
"Come on, we'll have our 'welcome back' party and talk. Oh and Naul and James got positions on the team." Sirius added.
Later they were seated around a small table eating snacks the Naul had to go back to the kitchens to steal they question Remus and Naul. Peter was mostly eating, but he was listening attentively. James and Sirius were too eager to eat much, and Remus said he was too tired to eat. Naul was happily enjoying some cake she'd had to steal twice since she dropped the first food she'd brought.
"So where do you go and what do you do on the full moon?" James asked, he tried to seem energetic but the dark circles under his eyes were already forming. Secretly all four boys were looking at Naul enviously, she never seemed to run out of energy. Though they'd never tell her that.
"The Whomping Willow. There's a passage underneath it that leads to the Shrieking Shack. The shrieks were mine. I can't be near humans when I'm a werewolf or I might accidentally bite someone. I'm safe around animals though." Remus answered and then he leaned back yawning.
"Hey! Hey!" Sirius said sitting up, "I've just thought of something! Remember when McGonagall was talking about Animagi? What if we became Animagi? That way even when Remus becomes a werewolf we could still hang out with him. It's safe for animals right? That would be awesome."
"It takes a long time to become Animagi, and we'd have to get the Ministry of Magic to approve." Peter said.
Just then their conversation was interrupted by what sounded like a lion's roar. All four boys leapt up at the sight of a huge lioness resting and licking its paw where Naul had been sitting barely a moment ago. The boys raised their wands and the lioness winked at them. Then before their eyes, she shrank, her ears dropped to the side of her head and her eyes became rounder, the golden fur disappeared and a mane of black sprouted from her head, her voice softened and soon it was a giggling Naul that sat before them again. Now she was the one they bombarded with questions.
"Why didn't you tell us you were an Animagus?!" Sirius asked shaking her. She pushed him back and sighed.
"I suppose because you never asked." Naul said simply, "Now, if you guys want to become Animagi I'll teach you, but it's dangerous so we'll have to be really careful. You could be stuck as an animal or something between a human and one if you're not careful. I've always been able to change my appearance. Dad said I'm an extreme Metamorphmagus, I can become anyone or anything. Now that both cats are out of their bags I will be going to bed."
Then without another word Naul disappeared heading up her dormitory steps and earning a disapproving glare from the other girls she disturbed.
