A/N: Okay, the next chapter is gonna be delayed a bit. I realized the other night that I had nothing to tie together the next two chapters, so I have to go back and throw something together. I got so caught up and excited about the next chapter that it flew over my head until I was finished with it. That's the reason I'm posting this one earlier than expected; I don't want to be to mean to you guys. And thanks for the really nice reveiws PaintMeIntrigued, avril luna Monroe and puppyluv1031, you guys are so nice!
It had been days since Harry, Ron and Hermione had seen Mac. She hadn't even shown up for the Christmas feast! The three of them were starting to get very worried about her. They hadn't even seen Professor Lupin at the feast; of course they occasionally saw him wandering around until the end of them month. Once the full moon came, he was gone to spend the night alone and wait out the transformation. But the last time they had seen Mac was when she was running past them. The final relief came the day before classes were to start and when everyone else had returned to the castle; although it wasn't much relief.
"My god! What happened to you?" Ron asked in shock at the state their friend was in when she returned.
Mac stood in the common room, slightly leaning to the right and looked completely drained. Her left arm was in a splint and her clothes looked big on her, even for her already slender figure. She had a massive scratch on the front of her face and a slight knick on the top of her head. Bags upon bags were under her eyes, her hair looked a little thinned out and she looked ready to topple over on herself. Everyone in the common room had stopped what they were doing to see what she looked like; everything going quiet in the process. The three friends looked at her in shock, while every other expression was of horror. She looked like she had just barely escaped death! Peering just under her robes seemed to be the possibility of more injuries than just the ones they could see, with the slight glimpse of red on her white shirt.
"Nothing…" came her breathless reply as she limped her way to the staircase and up the stairs. Everyone wanted to follow, but the boys knew they'd never get up the first step.
"I'll go check on her," Hermione resolved before following after the defeated looking teen. Making her way through the arch of their room, hazel eyes surveyed the room. "Mac, are you alright?" she asked slowly.
There was a ruff growl from low within Mac's throat as she grabbed a nearby object and threw it across the room, "NOTHING IS WRONG WITH ME! I'M FINE! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS ASK THAT?" Axiom, who had flown in to check up on Mac, hooted and flapped her wings in fright before flying out the window to the Owlery.
Storming out of the Gryffindor common room, people jumped out of her way. Even despite the agonizing pain for her injuries, she stomped and briskly walked around the castle. Grumbling to herself about annoying people, her foot kicked something that slid along the ground. Peering down, the distinct silver and red caught her attention and angered her even more. Swiping it from the floor, she quickly turned around and made her way towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom; the whole while thinking about how stupid she had been.
Of course he was shocked about what she had done! She was a student and he a teacher, it would have morally unethical. He probably thought her an idiot for what she did. No doubt he thought she had a crush on him, which would only make classes all the more awkward then they already had been. Mac didn't have a crush on him! Just something about him forced her to want to be closer and every time she tried to resist it only got stronger and more urgent. The feeling was like holding your breath underwater even after you couldn't hold it anymore; it was stifling! She just wanted to explain everything to him. She wanted him to know that she hadn't meant what she did, that something was controlling her. Or…had she meant it? Quickly shaking the thought from her head, she pushed open the classroom door. No sign of anyone.
Her footsteps echoed in the empty room, up the stairs they went, and a creak of the door. No one was inside the office. Walking in, she placed the box on his desk and whirled around to leave as quickly as possible. She didn't want to be caught by anyone and most of all…
"Professor Lupin!" Mac gasped when she came face to face with the very man she wanted to avoid. She placed her good hand to her chest and huffed a held breath.
He looked over her shoulder and back to her, "What are you doing in here Ms. Vale?"
"Uh…" her eyes glanced over her shoulder at the now dirty gift, "It was the Christmas gift I was going to give you." She turned a little and took it from the wood surface, turning back to him and holding it out for him. Looking at him, he didn't look anywhere near as bad as she did! Lucky bastard, she thought.
He eyed her for a moment, "I don't think…"
"Look! It's not what you think okay. I was just trying to be nice, but clearly that doesn't matter!" she shouted and quickly, but clumsily, stormed her way past him and out of his office.
The box she had been holding was now sitting on its side on his desk. After looking back at the lone box from watching the angry girl leave, Remus slowly walked up to it. Picking it up, he walked around his desk and carefully sat down in his chair, leaning back and turning the silver wrapped box, with a bright red bow, over and over in his hands. For a long while all he did was stare at the box without opening it, but finally he mustered up the courage. Turning towards his desk, he set the small box on it and gently tore off the bow. Next came the wrapping that was torn off less gracefully. Sitting in front of him was a simple white cardboard box, nothing special about it on the outside. Another moment was taken to contemplate any further action; he decided to be daring. Sliding the box top off, what sat before him was simply amazing! Picking it up, the stainless steel felt icy against his warm skin which was strangely comforting. The long chain rattled as it dangled from his hand and turned it over. On the back was an inscription:
Remus Lupin:
Thank you for being a friend.
Remus sat in his chair, taken back by the personalization given in this gift. It was something very special. Turning it back over in his hand, hearing another rattle from the chain, he opened it and was awestruck. The pocket watch was open faced, allowing him to see the inner gears with gold roman numerals for time telling. He watched the hands tick by slowly, the thinnest one telling the seconds that passed. With a click, it was closed and he saw a small note at the bottom of the box. Setting the watch down, he picked it up and unfolded it. Not much was written on the parchment other than here telling him that she had enjoyed his company over the last few weeks. Looking up from the parchment, his eyes stared at his office door a moment as he thought about what to do. For days he had been avoiding her like a plague.
He gave a heavy sigh to himself. That was how people treated him and he knew all too well how it felt. What had he done to that poor girl? With a heavy sigh, Remus got up from his chair to go find and apologize to her.
In the next days, it was increasingly hard to get a moment to talk to Mac, she was avoiding everyone it seemed. She had gone back to being the moody, antisocial witch she had been when she first arrived. Going back to sitting alone, mouthing off to everyone and staying out of other people's business, Mac seemed to go to even greater lengths to isolate herself from everyone. Before she had stood up for her friends and fellow Gryffindors, now she let them get tormented and was often seen fighting with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Before she had been courteous towards the teachers, now she showed them as little respect as she showed everyone else. The only time Remus would get a chance to talk to her was when he would call her into office after class. And even then, she was short, quick and avoided answering any sort of personal questions. Life didn't change much until near the end of the first month.
Another full moon approached and the students found their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher gone once again. They all knew why. What seemed to bother some students though, Harry, Ron and Hermione in particular, was that Mac seemed to always be gone around the same time as their professor. The subject had come up a few times between the friends of the possibility, but they always denied it. Always ending up playing her disappearances off to her extreme moodiness. That was, of course, until they finally found out the truth! It hadn't been on purpose this time around either. The three of them were wandering the grounds like they usually always did at night, despite warnings they had been given, when they happened upon her. Within the thick bush of trees, they could hear her screams of paralyzing pain and found her as she was transforming. To say that it didn't shock them would have been a lie. To watch as she tore at her clothes, her bones arching and growing, her skin stretching and her facial features changing. They watched as she scratched at her face and body, all three of them curious as to why.
When Professor Lupin returned, they were all too eager to tell him the news!
"Professor, could we talk to you?" Harry asked after their class, the three of them walking up towards the front of the room.
"Of course Harry, what is it?" the Professor replied with a tired smile.
The three waited until the students had cleared and shut the door before even bothering to answer him, "Mac's a werewolf!" Ron blurted out without any kind of formality.
Remus stared at the three of them completely at loss for words. One of his students was a werewolf, just like him! Maybe that would explain the strange attraction he had to her. "Are you sure?" he asked slowly.
"Yes sir," Hermione began with a nod. "We saw her transform at the last full moon."
"Now are you positive?" he asked again, straining the question, trying to make sure he had heard them right.
They all nodded. "Well sir, she is the only one here with blue, purple and pink hair," Harry added to ensure the knowledge that they had in fact seen Mac become a werewolf.
"Professor, are you alright?" Hermione asked, looking at their extremely quiet friend.
His eyes fluttered as his gaze turned to the three, "Oh yes, I'm fine. Thank you for telling me, now I understand her occasionally late homework." Remus smiled at the three of them, "Now if you please, I must get ready for my next class," he motioned towards the door with a court nod.
Their footsteps echoed against the stone as they opened the door to leave, not knowing that Draco Malfoy and his bunch were spiritedly walking away just moments before they came out of the classroom. The news of what he had just heard was not only shocking, but completely devastating to the annoying girl. He would have a field day tormenting her with the news, after he told his father of course. Wasting no time, he sent an owl to his father stating what he had found out so that he could tell the Dark Lord. Maybe he would have Fenrir Greyback try and recruit her into the wolf pack under his control. That would be a little scary. To have Greyback at the school terrified him, being around him when he wasn't at school was bad enough but having to deal with him while attending school was worse.
He couldn't wait for tomorrow though, his torment will be so much fun.
