Chapter 7
Witch and Werewolf
Remus Lupin came into the hall as this was going on and stood stunned. Mira caught his eye and squealed in glee before she launched herself at the bedraggled werewolf.
"Remus! Oh my ever vigilant, wise, old Remus!" Mira sighed and hugged him tightly. Remus let out a choked sob and clung to her, lifting her off her feet.
"Mira. How are you here? I thought you were dead... That he'd killed you..." Remus stumbled over his words and continued to cry holding her just a little bit tighter. Mira smiled and buried her head in his shoulder.
"I'm here, Remus. Don't worry. You won't have to drink any of Snivellus' swill- I'll make you some wolfsbane. Mine is the better of course." Remus laughed at her words.
"Merlin's beard, I've missed you."
"I've missed you too, moony." Mira smiled.
"How much do you remember?" Remus asked.
"Everything up until the attack on the potter mansion and his involvement. Afterwards is a little blurry still."
"You remember our first meeting?" Remus pulled back now curiosity getting the better of him.
"Yes... An your first turning where I helped you." Mira cupped his scarred cheeks between her cool hands. Remus closed his eyes at her touch and at the memory. "The first before the boys helped."
"I remember also..." Remus smiled before he lead her into the sitting room with the others then he recounted the story.
Mira had been sat by the lake, talking to a mermaid when Remus had stumbled through the trees, bedraggled and Limping. Mira turned to him and ran up the bank to catch him as he fell.
"Remus! Are you alright?" Mira helped the young man sit and gingerly checked him over for broken bones.
"Mira, get back. Get away from me..." Remus groaned before he let out a wolfish yelp as his bones contorted and he began to turn. Mira, having never seen this before cried, the mermaid spoke to her and Mira stepped back away from Remus as he changed from young boy to werewolf. Once in wolf form he howled and whined as if he were crying.
Mira gingerly stepped forward. Remus hobbled away in retreat. "I won't hurt you, Remus. I'd never hurt you."
Remus still whined but he did not resist as she moved nearer him when she petted his head he dropped to his knees and lay his wolfish head in her lap. Mira stroked the wolf's head and said quiet and kind things before she spotted a purple flower growing beside them- a wolfsbane plant. She tore off a small stem and handed it to the wolf who took it gratefully. Mira stayed with him all evening until he changed back into a human some hours later. She wrapped him in her cloak, his clothes completely shredded, before she snuck him back into the castle and sent him up to bed.
"Thank you, Mira." Remus said hoarsely as he stood on the stairs to the boys dormitory, still wrapped in Mira's cloak.
"I'm here for you, Remus. Through all of this and the future. Goodnight." Mira smiled as she ascended the stairs to her own dormitory. Remus smiled back before heading up the stairs to climb into bed in the dorm he shared with James, Sirius and Peter.