Time was slowly ticking by. It was quiet in the common room, and Hailey's quill began to tap to the sound of the clock. She laid her head on the table and closed her eyes. She wasn't that tired, but she didn't think classes lasted this long.
"I really hope Harry and Audrey won't let me down." She said to herself. Although it made her a bit nervous, she knew deep down they wouldn't. If something happened she would've had some sort of notification. Hailey glanced at the clock again, which seemed to totally stop.
"What the heck?" she said, and got closer to the clock, "this can't be right!" The clock said their class had only begun fifteen minutes ago. She had almost an hour left to spare. She thought about what her choices were, and an idea hit her. She would sneak outside and wander around the grounds. Maybe Hagrid would let her help him teach his present class. The professors were all teaching anyway, they wouldn't notice a small girl creeping through the corridors.
"This is a really stupid idea." She said to herself in the dormitory. She was looking in the mirror at herself, and applying a bit of makeup.
"No, you talk to yourself too much." The mirror announced. Hailey shot the mirror a lot.
"Thanks." She said, and backed away from the talking mirror. She knew the weather wasn't too warm, so she wrapped her cloak tightly around her shoulders. The more Hailey thought about the idea, the better it sounded. She'd just meet Audrey for Care of Magical Creatures there. She wouldn't have to go through the trouble of possibly running into Lupin when classes switched. Besides, she was in desperate need of fresh air.
Hailey left the dungeons quietly, and tiptoed as quietly as she could past the classrooms. 'Being small is good in this case,' she thought to herself as she reached the front doors. She took one last glance around the empty hall and crept outside. She didn't let the doors of the castle bang behind her, but she held up her hand so they closed gently. Hogwarts Grounds looked so inviting, she didn't know where to go. 'Probably away from the castle is best,' she thought, and headed in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.
Hailey paced around the edge of the Forbidden Forest for what seemed like forever before she actually stopped to look into it. This was one place that did not look exciting, or inviting. She always knew it was banned, but why?
"Everybody's in classes, I wouldn't get caught." She whispered, and peered into the forest. The Forest was indeed dark; the sun was barely illuminating anything in it. She could hear branches snapping and leaves rustling. Hailey even swore she heard something howl. But it was broad daylight; werewolves weren't out then were they? It was not the mysterious sounds coming from the Forest, but something was catching her eye in the far corner. She wanted to see what the object was. She got closer and closer to the entrance, trying to get a better look at it. She tiptoed closer and closer to it, stopping every now and then to listen. What Hailey did not realize was she had stepped into the Forbidden Forest completely, and if she were caught right now, she would be expelled.
The animal, or object, she was not yet sure what it was seemed to be teasing Hailey. She would walk as it would and then be silent for a time, causing her heart rate to increase.
"Come on, show yourself." She hissed. As if her words were magic, the object emerged from it's hiding place. What she met was a hairy spider, quite possibly one she had heard about in the tale of Harry's victory against Voldemort in his second year. Only, she was not thinking about Harry's good job. One of Hailey's biggest fears was a spider. At this point she stood rigid, her skin turning pale. This spider was almost half her size, and had more hair than she had seen on a gorilla. They stood there staring at each other for a few moments before Hailey came to her senses and ran for her life, the spider chasing close behind her. She was too frightened to scream at this point, and screaming could provoke the insect.
Hailey ran deeper into the forest, and the spider was at her heels. She couldn't run anymore, she was about to fall over from exhaustion and she was deathly afraid. Hailey backed up against a tree and tears fell freely down her cheek.
"F-fine. I-I'm yours then." She said and shut her eyes. She expected a fang sagging into her left ankle, but there was nothing except more rustling. Hailey opened one eye and noticed the spider walking away from her. She played it safely and just stood by the tree for a little while, not wanting the spider to hear her leave. When she finally did decide to leave, she couldn't. Hailey Cousland was lost.
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile back at the school…"Er, Harry? Have you seen Hailey?" Audrey walked up to Harry shortly after Lupin had let them out of Defense Against the Dark Arts. They were able to cover up for Hailey during the class, but it was now past the time Hailey was supposed to meet Audrey to walk to Care of Magical Creatures.
"No, I was hoping you would have." He said. Audrey bit her lip.
"She told me to meet her for Care of Magical Creatures a little while ago. Hailey's never late. Do you think I should go back to the dungeons to find her? Maybe she fell asleep." She said.
"I can, er, come with you." Harry said. She shook her head.
"No, go on to class. I'll hopefully come back with Hailey." She chuckled nervously. Harry nodded.
"Okay. Don't take too long. I'll find something to tell Hagrid." He said, and they parted ways. Audrey was glad to have a civilized conversation with Harry, but it was their friend they needed to find. It wasn't like they were trying to be friends.
Audrey set off on a run down to the dungeons, hoping Hailey would be there, or that she had just dozed off. She breathed the password and hurried up the dormitory.
"Hailey! Come on, we're late for Care of-" The room was empty.
"Oh no." Audrey zipped down the stairs and out of the dungeons again, and sped off towards the grounds. Maybe Harry had found her already there. Audrey was fuming; if Hailey was already there she was going to knock her lights out. But…
"Any luck, Audrey?" asked Harry. Audrey shook her head.
"No, isn't she out here? She can't be in the castle, I swear, there are Prefects everywhere! She would have been spotted, and Lupin would have found out what she did. She has to be outside…but where?" Audrey exclaimed. The Gryffindor and Slytherin were now standing in the back, tuning Hagrid out.
"I honestly have no idea where she would go. The Forbidden Forest obviously isn't allowed for students, and who would go in there? She wasn't kidnapped was she? Oh no!" Harry said. "What?"
"What if Lupin found her in the hall? Like you said! I think we ought to go check with him, Audrey. That's the only place she can be. She's never late for classes. I have a feeling Lupin has a hold of her." Harry said. Audrey hated the sound of it, but it could be true.
"Fine…should we go now?" she asked. He nodded.
"I'll tell Hagrid we both have to go to the bathroom."
"All right." Said Audrey.
With permission from Hagrid, they ran into the castle as fast as they could, and ran up to Lupin's office. Audrey felt like she had never run so much in her life, and she felt totally stupid compared to Harry. But Harry of course, played Quidditch. They went inside without even knocking, barely opening the door.
"Whoa, whoa! What's going on?" Lupin looked up from his desk, and smiled at the sight of Harry and Audrey.
"Professor!" Harry gasped. He held up a hand to Harry and spoke to Audrey.
"Audrey, could you kindly tell Miss Cousland to stop by my office when you see her? I have to give her some work she-" he started.
"You mean she's not with you?" Harry interrupted.
"No. What do you mean, Harry?" he said, and they could've sworn they saw Lupin's muscles tighten.
"Well-" Audrey said.
"What? Could someone tell me what's going on here?" he demanded, raising his voice a little bit.
"Er, professor? Hailey's missing." Said Harry, reluctantly looking into his professor's eyes.
~*~*~*~*~
Back in the forest…
"Where am I?" Hailey whispered, weaving her way through the brush and avoiding small insects. She looked around her and saw no way out. She felt the wind whip her face, and she drew her cloak tighter around her shoulders. Her mind drifted off to her friends, they all must be worrying about her right now.
"What have I done?" she said to herself, and tried to restrain the tears that were forming. She had grown tired, and her eyes didn't seem to be focusing. The air had also grown very cold. Hailey no longer knew which direction she was going. If only she hadn't been curious about that damn spider. She kicked the ground hard and wiped a tear. No. She had to be strong. If she were strong, somebody would come to rescue her. She walked on for a little bit longer, until she came to a clearing. It wasn't a friendly clearing, the center looked as though a fire had just been put out.
"Voldemort." Hailey breathed. She looked up at the sky and could clearly tell the sky was beginning to darken. She shivered beneath her cloak.
"They must be really worried by now." She said, and sat down against a tree. She was exhausted and couldn't walk any further. Let any animal or monsters come to get her, she was finished. She closed her eyes and fell asleep immediately, despite the constant noises surrounding her.
Her eyes snapped open, and she thought perhaps she had slept through the night and her way back to Hogwarts would be easier. She stood up and made her way towards the clearing again and now it was only pitch dark. It was then she realized how cold it was. No thin Slytherin cloak was going to keep her warm now. She turned away from the clearing and advanced a little bit. She thought she had walked for a while in the right direction when she just stopped. Her legs were like jelly, and she could barely feel her face. A dizzy feeling came over her body and she slouched down on the ground. Hailey lay on the cold earth, trying to keep herself alive. She was cold; she was hungry and longed to sleep.
"I'm such a horrible person. How could I ever do this to anyone?" she asked herself. She laid her head against a leaf, hoping it would protect her from any insect that may inhabit the dirt. She lay still for a little bit, her cloak wrapped around her body. Her skin was now a pale, pale color.
"Please let someone find me." She choked before closing her eyes and falling asleep.
~*~*~*~*~
"Wh-what?" said Lupin.
"Hailey…she's not here. We've looked everywhere for her, she's not in the castle, nor outside." Audrey repeated. Lupin clutched the edges of his desk and stood up.
"I don't get it…she can't be missing. She must be-wait! Hailey...wasn't in class." He noted. Harry and Audrey shook their head.
"No…but she wasn't missing then." Said Harry. Lupin shot Harry a look.
"Sit down, both of you." He said, his voice low and on the verge of anger. They sat in two vacant chairs in front of Lupin's desk.
"Would one of you care to explain to me what's going on?" he asked. He was clearly annoyed and getting impatient.
"Er…I don't know, professor." Said Audrey, not wanting to break her word to her friend.
"Yes you do. Tell me, or I'm giving you both detention." He growled. Harry looked at Lupin, he had never been threatened by him before.
"Well, you see…Hailey…I don't know how to explain it." Harry paused, and looked over to Audrey who gave Harry a don't-look-at-me look. Lupin began to tap his fingers on his desk.
"I'm waiting."
"Sorry, professor. We can't tell you." Harry took a deep breath and looked at the annoyed Lupin in the eyes. Lupin sighed, and looked down at his desk. He didn't have the heart to give the courageous kids detention, but he really needed to know what was going on. She was after all his daughter.
Lupin didn't have anything else to say to Harry or Audrey, so he sent them up to Dumbledore. Maybe he'd be able to get something out of the students, and then Dumbledore could later give him the news.
Dumbledore was surprised to see two innocent kids like Harry and Audrey in his office. Especially when they looked so ashamed and worried.
"Harry? Miss Ward? Is something wrong?" he asked, lifting himself from his desk. Audrey nodded, and Harry looked at the headmaster to speak.
"Professor Lupin sent us up here…we weren't telling him everything he wanted to know." He said.
"Yes? You two may sit down, please explain." He said. The two 5th years hesitated, but sat down in front of Dumbledore, who was now sitting back at his desk.
"Well…something happened today. It involves Hailey." Said Harry. Audrey continued to stare at her feet. Dumbledore knew immediately why Lupin had sent them up here. Harry didn't tell him something about his daughter that he needed to know, so he was going to try himself for help. A smile crept onto Dumbledore's face.
"You can tell me." He said. Harry bit his lip before continuing.
"I'll just get right to the point. She isn't anywhere in the grounds. Audrey and I looked around for her everywhere, and we can't find her. She…well…she didn't go to a class." Harry said. To his amazement, Dumbledore didn't overreact.
"I see. And which class did she not attend?" he asked calmly, his blue eyes twinkling.
"Er, Defense Against the Dark Arts." Spoke up Audrey. Dumbledore nodded in reply.
"Do either of you know why?" he asked. Audrey and Harry exchanged a look, they weren't sure if they wanted to rat on their friend. But this was important, what if telling Dumbledore were the only way to find her? Besides, they weren't exactly breaking their promise. She made them promise not to tell Lupin, wasn't that all?
"She…she…she's afraid of Professor Lupin." Said Audrey. The headmaster raised his eyebrows.
"She is, is she? Would you care to explain?" he looked directly at Audrey, and it was as if she was brainwashed to tell him.
"He's been picking on her every class, and she decided she would put a stop to it by skipping the class today. Our plan was to meet before going to our next class and act as if nothing had happened. She's been really concerned and angry about it, I think she was about ready to stick a knife through him or something." Audrey explained. Dumbledore was surprised, both at Lupin and at Hailey. Lupin should have treated his daughter better, and he thought he would've told her the truth by now. Also Hailey knew better, she really deserved to be punished.
"Where is Hailey now?" he demanded.
"That's the thing, sir! We don't know!" Harry exclaimed. Dumbledore got up and he magically contacted Lupin.
"Remus, I need you in my office immediately." He called.
Professor Lupin stormed into his office, worry written all over his face. He was clearly out of breath, and for the quickest moment he looked fifteen years younger than he actually was.
"You wanted to see me, headmaster?" he breathed. He totally ignored Audrey and Harry, who were staring at the two men.
"Yes. Remus, you better sit down for this one." He said. Lupin's face looked like someone had died. Harry had never seen this side of him before.
"Okay..." he sat down on a chair next to Harry.
"You see, Hailey has missed one of your classes." He began to explain. Lupin nodded for him to continue.
"There is a reason behind it though, professor." Dumbledore said.
"And-"
"She seems to be," he looked at Audrey briefly before turning back to Lupin, "afraid of you, Remus." Lupin frowned.
"Why? What-"
"Are you aware of your attitude in class, professor?" said Harry. Lupin looked at Harry and frowned again.
"I don't get it." He said.
"It's quite simple. You yell at her every class." Said Audrey.
"Oh my…" Lupin's face fell.
"Well, Harry and Audrey here, are telling me she was supposed to meet them for her next class, but never showed up. Am I correct?" Dumbledore continued. Harry and Audrey nodded firmly.
"We looked around the grounds and the castle. There was no sign of her. That's when-" Harry started to repeat.
"That's when you came to me. You're not lying then…she really is lost. Oh boy." Lupin closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
"Remus, please don't worry. She will be found." Dumbledore tried to make his voice sound cheerful.
It was in the forest that Hailey slept, trying to keep warm. She had no idea people didn't know where she was, and they were more than worried about her.
Dumbledore gave Lupin a few lemon drops before sending him back to his office. Harry and Audrey just watched the two adults in confusion; they had no idea why Lupin was so worried about Hailey! Especially when he had always acted like he hated her. Dumbledore let Harry and Audrey go, and told them to return to classes. He also told them to just finish the day like Hailey was fine, and in classes. The 5th years reluctantly walked back to Care of Magical creatures, that was ending.
Lupin closed the door to his office behind him and wandered over to his desk. He sat down and laid his head on his wooden desk. He couldn't believe his own daughter would be afraid of him…but had he really been that mean to her? That wasn't the important thing right now, but she was physically gone.
"Probably to get away from me." He sighed. Lupin closed his eyes and tried to bring himself to the past.
***FLASHBACK***
"Be careful Remus, she's fragile." A young woman's voice echoed. It belonged to his wife, Christina.
"She's beautiful, just like you." He replied, and looked at his wife. She had long strawberry blonde hair, and dazzling blue eyes. In her arms was Daniel, born not much earlier than his sister.
"She's going to grow up to be just like you. She already looks like you." She said, and they both smiled at the sleeping bundle in Remus' arms.
"What are we going to name her?" he looked at his wife.
"You choose…I've already chosen the name for her brother. I trust you, you know." She laughed. Remus chuckled a little in return and fixed his gaze on his sleeping daughter.
"Hailey. Hailey Rose." He whispered.
"It's beautiful, Remus." Christina replied. He could only smile at his wife. He sat in a chair next to Christina's bed, still rocking Hailey back and forth, singing a lullaby. Christina was lulled to sleep, and when he made sure she wasn't awake, he brought Hailey closer to his face.
"I'm going to watch you grow up. I will always be here for you. Remember that, okay? I'm your daddy and you're my baby. You'll always be my baby." He whispered into her ear. He might've imagined it, but he thought he saw her nod her little head. Remus smiled and snuggled his daughter against his chest, and fell asleep himself.
***END FLASHBACK***
Lupin found himself near tears. He had completely broken his promise that he once made to his daughter, that day fifteen years ago.