A Beast's Heart – Chapter 20: More Giggles Later
Hermione stood in the entrance of the Great Hall, hiding behind a statue. She could see Remus, Sirius, and James lounging against the wall talking and joking. They were acting natural enough, Remus was holding a book trying to read in vain, James was making expansive arm gestures talking about last week's quidditch match, and Sirius was soaking it all in, flirting with girls as they passed.
When the group of boys passed, Sirius stopped moving, as planned. "Hey!" he called.
Marty Star stopped. He knew that voice from many nights in the common room. He turned, his face smooth despite the joy that he was feeling. "Yes?"
Sirius turned towards James, slapping him on the chest lightly. "This is the boy I was talking about," he said to James, "The one who made the 'badge'."
James looked at Marty in surprise, Hermione thought he overdid it a tad but Marty was certainly convinced. "No way," James said, his voice colored with shock and disbelief.
Marty looked around shiftily, "Yes way," he said.
"That spell was way too complex! There's no way you could have done that yourself. Even I would have needed help from more than just Sirius and Remus," James said, his voice haughty and aristocratic.
Marty colored, he didn't want his hero to think that he wasn't smart but he also didn't want him to think that he was stuck up and willing to take credit for other people's work. "Of course I had help!" Marty crowed, "Me and a couple of others; Billy-Bob, Derrick, Dan and Jesse."
James nodded his head. "Those are all fifth year names."
Marty nodded his head in agreement. "We're all very talented."
"I can see that!" James exclaimed.
"Hey! I've got kind of a crazy idea," Sirius exclaimed.
"What's new about that?" James muttered to himself, going unheard for the most part. Sirius was too wrapped up in the script in his head to listen to any deviations and Marty was so caught up with his hero worship that an elephant could have snuck up on him.
"What's that?" Marty asked, his voice was hushed and reverent.
"Why don't you, me, James, and the rest if the conspirators hang out some evening? How's next Friday night?" Sirius suggested amiably. Sirius hoped he got the words right.
"Sure!" Marty squeaked. Sirius nodded as did James. Marty made an odd jerky movement and raced off. Sirius and James watched his excited feet fly across the room.
"Was I ever that bouncy?" Sirius asked, musing aloud.
"Nope," James replied. Nothing Sirius asked was ever truly rhetorical.
"Good."
"Hey, Sirius?"
"Yes, James?"
"Did he just bow?"
"I believe he did Prongsie."
"Huh."
"Yeah. More giggles later."
"Yes, and much more to come after that, I think."
---
Sirius, Hermione, Remus and James had already to convene in the library room after the 'Phase One'. (Of course it was Sirius who decided that they should name it Phase One, it reminded him of a movie he watched at Mooney's house one year.)
Sirius, Remus, and James got to the room first because Hermione wanted to be stealthy in her departure from behind the statue, she didn't want to explain.
Sirius and James were wrestling on the floor and Remus was sitting in his chair, reading a book on the ancient Egyptians and their use of magic in the construction of the pyramids.
"Guys! Not in front of the books! They're impressionable," Hermione scolded.
Sirius rolled on top of James, his legs straddling James' chest and his hands pinning James' hands up above his head. "Aww! But, I'm finally winning!"
Hermione snapped her fingers and Sirius sighed. He got up and helped James to his feet, letting go half way up so James fell right back down on his bum. James groaned and launched to his feet, getting ready to leap at Sirius.
"Boys!" Hermione yelled, brandishing her wand.
Sirius and James jumped apart, clasping their hands behind their backs and bowing their heads slightly.
"Phase One," Hermione snapped.
"Is a go!" Sirius reported. "He completely bought it."
"Good." Hermione sighed and sank into a chair. "What time is it?" Sirius answered.
"Bugger! We're going to be late Remus!"
Remus sighed, "Yeah, let's go."
Hermione, although not happy for the change, was happy that she wouldn't be confined in Hagrid's hut for this full moon. Dumbledore had decided that she had enough control now to stay in the Shack with Remus. With the unsaid help from James and Sirius everything should go fine.
Hermione looked around the library closely as they left, looking for Severus. He had promised to 'see her off'. It was difficult for Severus that he couldn't be with her the way James and Sirius was going to be with her.
As she walked through the halls Hermione kept her eyes peeled. It was unlike Severus to not go somewhere he said he was going to be. She was worried for him, something bad must have happened to keep him away. Hermione sighed, she was probably just exaggerating. He might have gotten caught up in a potion. She couldn't think of it now anyway, she had other things that were causing her much more of a panic.
---
The moon rose to its full gloriousness that night. The forests were unnaturally alive with a various group of moon-creatures. A werewolf and a dozen and a half Therianthropes.
---
As with both times before, the change was painful. The lengthening of bones, the stretching of skin, the feeling that I was being cleaved in two, these were all sensations that I was painfully familiar with. I gave a howl to the moon in hopes of easing some of the frustrations that were caused by this change. I heard grunts of pain in the other room and knew that Remus was changing now too.
The awareness I felt were not familiar. The last change was a blur of feeling, no thoughts were involved. I wonder if this is the way I should feel. Now, more than any time before, I wish for someone to know what I am going through, someone who could tell me what to expect.
But that's not going to happen.
My back gives one last painful crack and I am done with the change. My senses were in overdrive. I felt like the world was vibrating with me, with each breath I take I can taste and smell the sweat and fear that this room has collected, like a stamp collection of feelings.
I howl, not for any specific reason, just to feel like I belonged. And I knew I did. Under the moon, we are all brothers and sisters, family.
I hear shuffling upstairs so I know Remus is done as well. I smell him, the musky smell that I smell everyday on him but now it is intensified, and slightly different. I navigate through the halls that are oddly familiar. I experience serious déjà vu. I find Remus in a defensive pose, he obviously didn't have the cognitive abilities that I seemed to posses.
I arranged my body's position to that of a feeble position. I was deferring the 'alpha dog' title to him, which made him more at ease. He plodded through the rest of the house, leading the way out. His body seemed to be unnatural to him, long and lean to his normal hunched and scrawny body.
When we were outside I finally felt free. The wind was rippling over my body, the smell of animals accompanying the breeze. It was refreshing, a welcomed change after the stifling atmosphere of the classroom. We were now out in the open. Prongs, Padfoot, and Rattail (returned just this afternoon), were all there, waiting outside of the tunnel that we had gone through.
Dumbledore had told me about the tunnel leading from the base of the Whomping Willow but it felt familiar in a different way, as if I had traversed this long tunnel before.
I stretch my limbs and begin bounding through the forest. In the forest I was able to forget everything; the déjà vu, the exams that were coming up, the fact that I don't know anything about my life besides my name and what I've learned here, and that I am a mythical beast that should be extinct. And let's not forget the whole time traveling thing. Isn't life grand?
I was really stretching now. I could feel my muscles stretch and the oxygen racing through my body.
I heard the pounding of hooves and I knew that James was on my side. I knew that Sirius would be back with Remus; Remus explained to me before that Sirius could handle Remus the best. I heard Remus howl so I lifted my head and joined his cries. Remus, as odd as it sounded, was my pack mate.
Then, I lifted my head and caught a new scent in the air. Now I knew why Remus was howling, it was not to show his unity with me and the rest of the forest creatures but to howl out a warning. I looked over the crest of the hill that was spotted with large trees. There, standing united, was a pack.
I was sure of the fact that they were Therianthropes. I could smell their scent, similar to my own but more wild. They all smelt aged.
I went to stand by Remus, ready to fight with him if it came to that. He was my pack, not those strangers who were like me.
---
Severus awoke slowly. Becoming aware of everything as he felt it. First, there was the familiar pain of the crucio.
Severus tried to shift to relieve the pain he felt in his back but winced and stayed still. Apparently multiple doses were issued.
Severus froze, what time was it? What day was it? Did he miss the full moon? Hermione was worried about the change, Severus wanted to be there to say good night and give out a few final reassurances.
Severus cracked open his eyes, which immediately flooded with tears because of the very bright lights focused on his face. He tried to cover his eyes with his arm, which is when he noticed that he was bound flat on his back. Now that he noticed he was bound he didn't know how he could have not been able to tell from the beginning. The rope scratched against his exposed arms and chest and his leg was throbbing painfully from where the binding was squeezing his leg that felt like it had recently been broken.
Severus cracked his eyes open again, this time letting his eyelashes fan across the gap to lessen the shock of the light. He tried to see where he was but there was no need to look. He knew where he was after he heard the low, rasping voice that was meant to sound powerful and imposing.
"Hello, Severus. I've heard that you've been a naughty boy."
"My Lord," Severus croaked in greeting. He feebly tried to raise his head to catch a glimpse of the wraith like man that stood before him, enshrouded in robes meant to billow menacingly.
Severus opened his eyes fully, ignoring the pain. He now saw that he was in the chambers where the executions are held. A cold terror ran through his body. He was staring into the end and he could do nothing but try to squirm out of it, which would take a lot of begging, pleading, and probably a ton of other degrading things.
The worst thing was that he hadn't been able to say good-bye to Hermione. The thought came into his head suddenly. He didn't know where it came from, Hermione meant nothing to him, he tried to tell himself. He was only befriending her because the Dark Lord had told him to. But even now, the thought was hollow and meaningless. He knew Hermione meant more to him than that.
But he couldn't act upon it. Severus thought back to that time in the closet. At first, he did it because he knew that Hermione would know something was wrong if he didn't. He needed to do what real couples did, not what someone who's pretending to be in a relationship did. But then, it was different. He didn't know what changed or when, just that it did. He wasn't kissing her because he had to do his Death Eater duties, but because it was Hermione.
Severus mentally shook himself. Now was not the time to be having these kinds of thoughts. He was in a perilous situation where death was not only eminent but likely. He's a Death Eater first, always. He would do what he has to in order to remain a Death Eater. Feelings faded. Power didn't.
The Dark Lord was pacing in front of the sacrificial table where Severus was strapped. Usually, a Muggle would be strapped here. The feeling of the room was the same as it would be if a Muggle were here, excited. Severus winced, maybe he should have been more concerned about making allies while he was here. No one here would help him, they all wanted him dead.
Voldemort stopped and raised his hands, facing the crowd. "We are gathered here today to hold a tribunal because a member of our family has been publicly announced as a member. As you know, I like to keep membership a secret thing, no one should know you but you're master and I do not like when my rules are not followed.
"The punishment is death. Who here will speak against this boy?"
There was a clambering of voices, a cacophony so loud that Severus knew that everyone volunteered. Severus heard the Dark Lord hiss in disproval.
"Montgomery, you shall do," Voldemort said, pointing to a man whose daughter is a Slytherin.
Montgomery stood and bowed. "My Lord," he said, addressing Voldemort with his eyes downcast respectfully, "my daughter goes to school with the boy and she was the one who informed me of the rumor. She told me that the boy claimed to be a Death Eater in front of a large crowd, and that everyone hears it is not surprised. This boy has seriously compromised the integrity of our organization and I believe that he has earned his sentence."
There was a murmur of agreement and some quiet applause.
Voldemort nodded once, curtly. "Now who will speak for the boy?"
Severus strained to turn his head towards the crowd. He did not expect anyone to raise to defend him, but, amongst the crowd, a man slowly rose. The man's silvery blonde hair informed Severus on who it was before he even began to speak.
"My Lord," Lucius Malfoy began, "I do not believe that Severus compromised us in any way. A silly school rumor that I have heard is already old news. This whole thing will be soon forgotten and I do not believe that we should waste such a valuable asset."
Lucius sat down, having said all that he wished.
Voldemort faced the congregated men in front of him. "You both make a valid point. I am not going to kill the boy. He has not done any damage to us, for now, he shall be spared. Now, everyone, leave me."
The men in the robes and masks left the room, an angry lot of men.
Severus tried to sit up, hoping that his bindings were beginning to unwind, but to his disappointment, they stayed firmly bound.
"Severus, the reason I spared you is because, for now, you are invaluable. I am not one who likes to rely on other people. I need you to kill the girl. I can't have a potential threat running around. Get it done." With that Voldemort stalked away, only stopping briefly at the door to wave his wands and making the bindings disappear.
Severus sat up, dazed. Kill Hermione?