Chapter Twenty-One – Voices in the Night

A/N: as promised, for Tara's future partner, clue number 3: I am not messing with any relationship the amazing Jo Rowling has created, or ones that I think will occur ;)

A/N 2: a completely different structure and idea, partially to move the story along a bit, and partially because I thought it was a good idea as I was lying in bed trying to get to sleep.

A/N 3: I'm basing my werewolf rules on a combination of Buffy and my own. I say the night before the moon he transforms, and then he remains a wolf for that night, the night of the Moon, the night after, and he turns back at sunrise after that.

It was late, the night before I was due to leave Hogwarts and go home for Christmas. I lay awake in bed, thinking about everything that had happened this term.

Malfoy had made the Slytherin Quidditch team, although when I say 'made' I mean he bought his way in. Must be nice for some people to have all the money they could ever want. Hermione had pointed this out to him and he'd called her a Mudblood of all things. I thought about Ron attempting to jinx Malfoy after that, and it made me smile. Although at the time him belching up slugs had been rather disgusting, now I found it kind of amusing. Plus, it gave me something to taunt him about, after all those years of him taunting me about having a lot in common with a dragon.

I thought about the Chamber of Secrets, whatever that might be, which brought me to think of the Polyjuice Potion, bubbling away in the girls' toilets haunted by Moaning Myrtle. I thought that maybe I could ask Remus and Dad about the Chamber when I went home, and when I saw Dad on Boxing Day.

Listening to the soft breathing of the other girls in the dormitory, I realised how lucky I was. Fair enough, all of these girls had both their parents, but, although Remus was a werewolf, I wouldn't have traded him for a father figure for anything else – except maybe my real father, locked away in Azkaban.

As I was feeling a small pang of guilt over the fact that I hadn't admitted to my friends the identity of my father, or the fact that I'd been living with a werewolf for the last five years, a small voice invaded my mind …. And it wasn't my own.

What if I am the one attacking everyone? What do I do then? I'll get expelled! I've wanted to come here for so long, and now I'll have to leave because I've attacked everyone.

I sat upright in bed, wondering why I was hearing this voice. I had control over my mind reading ability, so why was I hearing this voice? I tried reaching out to whoever it was with my mind, but I don't think I was able to connect with them.

I took my feet out of the bed, and attempted to follow the voice; a difficult task when the voice is someone else's thoughts.

I must be losing my mind … I can't remember anything … I have to be the one attacking everyone, why else can't I explain where I've been before the attacks have happened?

I couldn't shake the voice from my mind; wherever I walked it seemed to get stronger. I decided that either I was the one who was crazy, or there was some poor first year student somewhere who was blaming themselves for everything that was going on.

I wandered down to the common room, just to see if anyone was there for the sake of it, but all I saw was Ginny, asleep at a table with a book spread open beneath her face, which she was seemingly resting upon. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully, so I opted to leave her there, but I heard her stir as I was partway up the stairs, and I heard her murmur, "It's not me."

I stopped and turned, making sure Ginny was OK, and as she seemed to fall into a deeper sleep after that, I went back up to bed, where I almost fell straight asleep.

XXX

The Hogwarts Express pulled into King's Cross later the next evening, and as I passed through the barrier I was greeted by a tired looking Remus. "Hey," I said, as I hugged my godfather.

"Hey," he said, sounding exhausted.

"You sound like you were up all night," I said, grinning playfully.

"Wolf Moon tomorrow, Tara," Remus reminded me, smiling weakly.

I hadn't forgotten. I'd known it was the Moon the next night. And I knew for a fact that meant Remus had been up all night out of paranoia that the locks on the basement door were broken, or that something had been left unnoticed that could allow him to escape as a wolf. And he'd probably be doing the same tonight. He still took the Wolfsbane Potion, but he was always afraid that it could be a dodgy batch. I hugged him again, and told him I didn't mind, I was used to it, but he still couldn't accept the fact that he transformed for three nights and days out of a month. It didn't make him any less of a person.

We taxied back home in silence; I knew how sensitive Remus was around the Full Moon and I didn't want to start off the Christmas holidays on bad terms. I spent the journey looking out at the familiar sights that were taking me home, and I felt like a little kid again. The only difference was when I was a little kid my mother had been around.

That night went the same way any other night before the Wolf Moon did. At least before I went to Hogwarts. As I was preparing food, I wondered whether Remus even ate before he transformed when I wasn't here, because I was usually the one cooking the night before. Remus was checking the six locks on the basement door for the fifth time that night, and when he returned, I asked him, "Was there anything wrong this time?"

It was only meant as a joke, but Remus glared at me and replied, "You know the risks you're taking by living with me. I need to reassure myself that you're safe, no matter what happens."

"Trust me," I said, tasting the bolognese I was preparing, "I'll be fine. Five years of this … nothing's going to go wrong. We've mastered the art of the Wolf Moon by now."

I was hoping to get a smile out of Remus, but all I received was a sigh.

XXX

The next day Remus spent much of the day rechecking locks, running through safety during the Moon, and reminding me what to do and what not to do; the same as usual really. I felt bad for him. I was the closest Remus would ever have to a daughter, and I knew how scared he was of losing me. Five years of the same routine and he still got scared every time the Wolf Moon approached.

We ate early, and as the sky began to get dark I accompanied Remus to the door of the basement, the same I way I did every Moon I was home for. I was forbidden to pass through the door under any circumstances, even when there was no Moon.

I listened to Remus lock all of the locks, and I heard him retreat down the stairs to the basement where he would transform.

As I walked upstairs, feeling lonely, I heard a howl as my godfather transformed, and was reminded that even though I wouldn't see him for two whole days, I wasn't alone.

A/N 4: I know, short but I liked the idea so tough. Sorry it took a while, I updated my Charmed fic, and I had a bit of trouble with my good friend Mr. Block. Thankyou everyone who's sticking with this, especially BlAcKdAuGhTeR, and I hope to update soon!