Even When You Didn't

Chapter Eleven: Arrested in Moonlight

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.


-l-James-l-

We were sneaking out. I watched as Moony disappeared into the tunnel. I motioned to Sirius and Peter.

"Go," Sirius hissed. Peter jumped, turning into a rat and scrambling toward the tree, and dodging a flailing limb, he pressed the knot.

I turned to Sirius and nodded. He nodded back.

I set the cloak down at the tunnel, on a shelf. Then I jumped, Sirius beside me, and transformed. I loved to change. It felt so...natural. It was like second nature, sometimes I missed being a stag.

I turned to Padfoot, who barked. I cantered after him, stopping at the entrance, hearing the cries and snarls of the werewolf. I blinked, turning to see Wormtail perched on Sirius's shoulder.

Padfoot didn't seem to take kindly to this, he snarled, and when Peter didn't move, he snapped.

Wormtail leapt down and scurried to my side, I reluctantly allowed him to scramble up onto my back. I head-butted Sirius, urging him to go forward first to see if Moony was done transforming. He turned and nodded, his gray eyes excited.

I shook, making Peter squeal and jump down. I stood still as possible, ears pricked toward the entrance, waiting for Remus.

The werewolf appeared down the tunnel, golden eyes looking around warily. I stepped forward, lowering my broad antlers in threat. The werewolf snarled angrily, swiping at the air with sharp claws. I faked a charge, but the message was clear: No. Sirius whined and trotted up to sniff noses with the wolf. Peter gave a few squeaks of protest. Finally I turned and approached the tunnel.

Moony followed, with Padfoot right at his heels, and Peter probably on Padfoot's shoulder. Sirius bounded out, running around eagerly, tail wagging while watching the werewolf. I turned toward the Forbidden Forest, jerking my head toward it to get the dog's attention.

He ran forward, looking eager. I bounded forward first, pausing right in the trees. The werewolf watched with its yellow eyes. Snarling, it charged, racing past me. I chased after it, racing through the trees, I heard Sirius's bark behind me.

Peter raced up taking refuge on my antlers, which made me slightly off balance. Sirius stood, ears pricked and watched as the werewolf seemed to notice us following it. It didn't seem to like it.

Snarling and snapping it lunged. I lowered my antlers before realizing Wormtail was still clinging to them. Padfoot growled, hackles raised and showing his fangs.

I doubted that Sirius would want to bite anyone. He was still human, and probably didn't like the taste of blood, even as a dog. The werewolf circled, sizing us up, then leaping at Padfoot. Padfoot leapt forward too, growling and snapping. I launched myself forward, pushing Moony back...that was the wrong thing to do. Furious he pounced on Padfoot, and the two fought furiously.

I ran up, trying to fake charge, because I couldn't risk clashing antlers with Padfoot. The two ignored me. The werewolf reared, sinking its teeth deep into the dog's shoulder and giving a powerful shake of his head.

Padfoot let out a yelp, and tried to run, to pull his shoulder free from the wolf's jaws. I intercepted before the werewolf could charge again. I reared, shaking my antlers and flailing my forelegs. The werewolf stepped back, blood staining its teeth as it growled low.

It tried to race in and get Padfoot, but I turned and faced my antlers every time he tried. Padfoot was up, shoulder bleeding, but growling. Finally he gave up, and started to trot deeper into the forest. I nudged Padfoot.

He snapped at me as I nudged his wound. I heard Moony howling, and hoped that there were no other werewolves for miles. The wolf raced onward, running through the darkening forest, deeper than we'd ever gone before.

We ran further into the forest until I slowed, was that a spider? Padfoot bared his teeth. Peter trembled, at the size of a rat, he was the perfect size for a large spider to have a meal. I heard a shriek, and it was not from the black dog next to me.

I turned to Padfoot and we exchanged a glance. I jumped forward, and changed back, Padfoot at my side. I picked Peter off my shoulder and held him instead.

"Padfoot, was that a spider?" I asked drawing my wand.

Sirius shrugged. "I think so, and Moony has sharp teeth," he said rubbing his shoulder where Moony had bitten him.

"Did you at least get a good bite back?" I asked, putting my wand away.

"Yeah, trust me, you never want to bite a werewolf," he said spitting on the ground.

The werewolf sprinted toward us, a bite on his leg. Something hairy, and with many legs, leapt at Moony, and the werewolf let out a scream, fighting back. Sirius transformed and lunged, ripping a leg off the spider, and looking like he didn't know what to do with it.

Acting fast I plunged my hand into my robes, seizing my wand and throwing Peter down.

"Depulso!" I shouted, before hastily changing and leaping into the fray.

I managed to free the werewolf and dog from the spider. The werewolf turned, eyes blue and it blinked.

Sirius turned and saw its eyes too. Remus's eyes. Not the werewolf's, but then he blinked and they were their normal yellow. Moony didn't strike this time, instead he tolerated the three animals who were following him.

I butted him, helping herd him back. All three of us had collapsed near three, and the werewolf lay down, watching us. We slept for a time, Padfoot keeping watch then we had to herd him back so he could change again.

I turned away as he changed, I had nearly been driven up the wall the first time, his screams of pain were enough to drive any best friend insane. I knew Padfoot felt the same, even if he didn't say it.

I approached, and nudged him with my black nose. He looked tired as always and finally got up, waiting for the nurse to take him back to the hospital.

The three of us retreated, knowing the nurse would have a screaming fit if she saw us.

"I still don't see how you got such a bad bite on your shoulder," Madame Pomfrey said dabbing Dittany on Sirius's bite.

He sent a glowering look toward Remus. "It was a dog."

"Alright, James what do you need now?" she asked in exasperation.

"I got bitten by a spider," I half lied, pulling up my right sleeve where the spider had bitten me.

"A spider you say? Are you quite sure?" she asked.I nodded.

"But how on earth...?"

"Nevermind that now. It hurts," I told her hastily so she would continue to heal it.