Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the stories, but I do own Eileen Pierce and her pet kneazle Mephistopheles! I also own Lucas Beowulf, Page Beowulf, Cheryl Applegate, Winnifred Miller, and any other random characters that appear in the story that were not originally in the Harry Potter series, since it's no fun if I don't have my own characters to play with. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-five

"Gryffindor rules!" Cheryl shouted as she strode down the hallway with her friends.

"I thought you wanted us to lose?" George said over his shoulder as he swaggered along beside Eileen, his brother at his side looking a bit distracted and distant.

"Hey, you're up against those Slytherin punks, they can't win! They'll never shut up about it!" Cheryl boomed, shooting a glare at some haughty looking Slytherins passing by.

"I'm excited about this, with everything that's been going on and exams coming up, it's a welcome interruption." Lucas chimed in, glad he wasn't old enough for them yet.

Cheryl scoffed and said, "Exams...a load of bull, it is. I know my magic, I don't need to prove it to no snooty ministry rep!"

"You're just saying that cause you fail at tests." Eileen muttered with a cocked eyebrow.

"Which is why you're gonna help me, right? Buddy? Pal?" Cheryl hooked her arm around her neck and nearly suffocated her.

"Not if you kill me first!" Eileen choked out, "I'll try but I'm busy with my own exams right now."

"What do you need to study? I thought you knew everything already!" Lucas looked surprised.

"I'm not studying, I'm taking exams. I have been for the past week!"

"What!" The group exclaimed in unison, nearly falling over themselves as they faltered.

"I have three years of classes I have to prove I know everything about before I can take the O.W.L. exams." Eileen sighed, "I spend a week with a different teacher taking tests off and on during the day, so far I've finished Herbology and this week I had Charms, next is DADA. I have the weekends off so I can study in between for the O.W.L.s and let my brain relax a bit. I'm getting to know the teachers, that's for sure."

"Blimey, I remember seeing you in Herbology just sitting in the corner messing with some plants but I didn't know why!" George commented, looking aghast at all the work she was doing.

"Why didn't you do this earlier in the year before switching?" Fred interjected suddenly, surprising everyone but Lucas with his interest in the conversation.

"Oh...well, I did go over the lessons with the teachers but the ministry wants me to take all these exams anyway. Something about proving that I know what I'm not learning, I guess they don't like the fact that I'm so smart."

"I'd think your time here so far is proof enough that you know your stuff! But what do those prats at the ministry know." George scoffed.

Eileen shrugged, not saying anything further.

They wandered out to the Quidditch pitch to watch the twins practice their beating with the team. The friends sat down on the field to watch, chattering about classes and exams while they waited. Fred and George took flight with the others and practiced for a few minutes, Fred struggling to hit the Bludger as it zoomed around his head. Finally it caught him as he fumbled with his bat, coming around behind him and slamming into his right shoulder. With a cry of pain, his bat went flying and he fell off his broom, tumbling to the ground.

"FRED!" George bellowed, trying to dive after him but being too far away for a rescue.

"Levicorpus!" Eileen was swift to act, whipping her wand out and catching Fred's body seconds before it hit the ground, gently lowering him to his feet. He crumpled to his knees as soon as she let go, grasping his shoulder desperately as the arm swung loosely from its socket.

"Fred, Fred! What happened? Blimey, we have to get him to the hospital wing!" George said as he touched down and ran to his brother's side.

The rest of the team joined him in a huddle as Oliver Wood knelt to examine the wound, finding his shoulder blade in dire shape.

"It's shattered," Wood said grimly, "George's right, we have to get him to Madam Pomfrey."

"It's...it's nothing, I can just use my arm as a bat and swing it around at Bludgers now." Fred joked, trying to grin as he grimaced from the pain.

"You idiot, you can't play now! You'll never recover in time for the game!" One of his teammates commented, sounding utterly spent from weeks of practice.

"No, I can fix it, hold on." Eileen said, kneeling next to Fred as she examined the damage. Gently, she removed the hand holding his limp arm as she passed her wand over the wound, chanting her healing charms as she did. Finishing and examining her handiwork, she said, "How's that feel?"

"Bloody brilliant." Fred muttered as he swiveled his shoulder in its socket, swinging his arm to get the ache out as the others gawked in awe.

"Forget exams, just do that and they'll be hiring you at St. Mungos!" Cheryl exclaimed, running over to grab his arm and wave it around.

He pulled free and scowled at her, protesting, "Oi, you trying to break it again?"

"What's with you, Fred? Your body is here but your head's somewhere else! Mind a Bludger doesn't try to off you while you're daydreaming!" Wood scolded harshly, obviously stressed about the possibility of losing one of his best defenses before the big game.

Fred didn't respond, he merely sat on the grass and gazed dismally at the ground with a look of guilt on his face, his bangs hanging in his sad eyes.

Eileen watched him for a moment before whispering, "You can do it, Fred, I believe in you."

"You...you do?" Fred looked up at her, his eyes begging her for encouragement.

"Of course, your team needs you to win that cup, I want you to win it."

"For you?"

"I...I suppose, if you want to." Eileen mumbled as she blushed and looked away.

He blinked for a minute before slowly smiling and saying, "Anything for you, Dove." Grinning, he got to his feet and shouted, "I think that did the trick, must have been feeling sick, good as new now! We've got a game to win, let's go show those Slytherins who's boss!"

The team cheered, completely oblivious to anything going on between the two young people; they were just glad he was still able to play and deemed Eileen the team's lucky charm.

"That's more like it, let's go!" George said cheerfully, clapping his brother on the back as they ran off to retrieve his deserted equipment.

Eileen sat back down, her friends taking their places at her side as they watched the twins horse around before taking flight and chasing down the Bludgers roaming aimlessly in the sky.

"What was with him? He usually seems so excited about these matches." Lucas commented, his head lulled back between his shoulders as he reclined on his hands, crossing his legs out in front of him.

"End of the year jitters, they're always tense on the final game. Got that and O.W.L.s to worry about, you know." Cheryl covered for Eileen.

"Oh, I didn't think about that, it must be hard playing sports and having school at the same time." Lucas mused.

Eileen threw Cheryl an appreciative smile before they began to cheer on the team again.

The next day didn't seem to come fast enough as many students anticipated the game that afternoon. Team spirit ran amuck, red and gold banners dancing boldly through the air as they combated the green and silver flags waving arrogantly through the crowds. Cheers were shouted and taunts were exchanged all morning as tension built over the approaching championship.

Eileen and her friends joined Ron and Hermione in the center of the field, first row seats to the grand showdown between the rival houses. The group chattered about the game and who they thought was better than who on each team.

Finally the players took the field and did a couple practice laps around the field, soaking in the crowds enthusiasm to pump themselves for the game. Fred and George passed by where they were seated, Fred seeming to be looking for them as they swung by.

Eileen quickly jumped to her feet and hung over the railing, waving her arm and shouting, "You can do it, guys! Beat those Slytherins! Go Gryffindor!"

Fred's serious expression changed to a broad grin and he gave her a thumbs up before flying away with his brother, joining the team on the ground to begin the game.

Eileen settled back in her seat with the others who were still cheering, Ron and Cheryl seeming to be having a cheering war with some Slytherin 3rd years in the stands next to them.

"Gryffindor sucks!" A Slytherin boy screamed.

"Your mom never complained!" Ron yelled, getting thwacked in the back of the head by Hermione who looked disturbed by his comment.

The boy just stared in stunned shock.

As the game got underway, the crowds cheered loudly, becoming more obnoxious depending on who scored a goal. The game wore on, team members being knocked out of play or getting flagged by the referee; goals were made and blocks were executed to add excitement and suspense to the event. It was finally a couple hours in when Gryffindor made their winning move and caused an uproar in the stands.

Eileen ran with the others to the field where the Gryffindor team stood high-fiving each other and meeting the fans as they swarmed around.

"You won!" Eileen shouted with a smile, running up to Fred and George.

Fred beamed and swept her up in a hug, spinning around once before setting her down and smiling down at her with the joy of someone who had everything in the world he could ever want.

She blushed and turned her attention to George, saying, "You guys did so well today! Your blocks were amazing!"

"Learn to ride a broom and maybe you could compete against us someday!" George replied loudly over the crowd.

"No way, she's our good luck charm! Let's hear it for the dove that saved the day!" Fred cheered, causing Eileen to blush more as she tried to protest.

The team cheered and the twins quickly swept her up into the air and carried her off the field, her laughter echoing after them as the crowd slowly followed. One lone figure lingered behind in the stands and watched them leave with a mix of contempt and longing, quickly fading away as he disappeared out of sight.

OoOoOoOo

The weeks passed as Eileen finished her pre-O.W.L. exams and began the real O.W.L. tests. It was halfway through the week and many students in her new year looked mortified and half-crazed from all the tests they had been taking. The twins goofed off as usual but Cheryl wasn't her usual carefree self as she spent more and more time in the library and less time with Eileen.

One such lone evening, Eileen took a stroll through the school grounds to let her head clear. It was another full moon and she had gotten into the habit of leaving the school and journeying to the shrieking shack just for safety's sake. She hadn't seen Lupin that day since the exams for his class but he seemed to be distracted by something and didn't mention meeting up at the shack. She assumed he was already there and decided to head over and join him.

The moon finally poked its bright head out from behind the clouds and Eileen gazed up at it curiously, admiring the glow it cast upon the schools ancient walls. She did not have long to enjoy the silent stroll when screams broke out in the distance.

That came from the whomping willow, Eileen thought before breaking into a run, her wand drawn. She could feel the air getting unnaturally colder as she pushed her short legs to move as fast as they could, desperately hoping Lupin had not transformed in the open.

A dementor flew over her head, ignoring her presence despite the fear she felt within her racing heart. Another flew past and yet another, hoards of ghastly figures appearing out of the darkness and encroaching on the place the tree stood.

More screams echoed through the air and Eileen ran faster before feeling the draining effects of the dementors weakening her stamina.

Panting, Eileen began to slow before coming to a complete stop and hunching over to catch her wind, the cold air stinging her lungs as she gasped for breath.

The sound of dogs growling and scuffling rang out and Eileen began to worry. She knew something was very wrong and her will to stop whatever it was from happening gave her the energy to run the rest of the way to the site of the fight. By the time she'd reached the willow, the scene had come to a standstill: several bodies laid motionless on the ground a few yards from the willows reach, the limp form of Snape hanging helplessly in the air nearby like an opaque ghost.

There was no sign of the dementors anymore, as if they'd been scared off by some mysterious force. Taking advantage of the calm in the battle, Eileen ran over to the feeble man she knew was Sirius, several harsh wounds on his face and body from the fight. His wounds were too large for any animal that lived on the grounds and she guessed Lupin had been unlucky enough to be outside when the moon came out.

Looking up at her guardians unconscious body floating a few feet away, she furrowed her brow in thought before gazing out at the forbidden forest knowing Lupin had escaped in that direction; his scent still hung in the air leaving a trail for her to follow.

"I have to find him before he attacks someone else." Eileen muttered to herself before standing. Quickly, she woke Snape and released him from the spell he was under.

Groggily, he looked down at her and mumbled, "Eileen? What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way here for the night cause it's a full moon. Then I found all of this." Eileen said, motioning to the bodies of the students and man lying at their feet.

"Full moon? Lupin..." Snape looked worried as he glanced around, drawing his wand.

"He's not here, I have to go find him before he hurts someone." Eileen said, starting to run off.

Snape grabbed her arm and said, "You can't, he's too dangerous! He probably forgot his potion, he's not going to be reasonable. I'll go find him."

"No, I can handle him, I'm a werewolf too, remember? As long as I can calm him down enough to get close to him, I can change him back and get him somewhere safe." Eileen knew she didn't have time to waste arguing with him and her eyes expressed this concern.

Snape was still wary of letting her go but said, "Hurry then, I'll take care of them."

Nodding, Eileen hurried off into the forest, tracking down the scent of her teacher. Her senses were heightened by her werewolf side and made it easy to follow him through his crazed journey through the forest. Deeper she went until finally she saw him up ahead digging in a hole, obviously searching for something hiding inside it. Before she could do anything he had caught her scent in the air and turned to face her, looking curious as he sniffed loudly.

A look of confusion crossed his wolfish face as he growled and crouched, not sure if she was human or animal.

I can't help him like this, I have to let myself transform. I just hope I can stay in control long enough to get to him, Eileen thought, swallowing as she lowered her guard and let the moons power take her over. Her body seized with pain as her bones changed within her, reshaping into the skeleton of a werewolf. Cream colored fur sprouted from her skin as she fell to the ground on all fours, gritting her sharpened teeth to keep from screaming in agony.

Lupin watched her hungrily, a mix of fear and fascination in his canine eyes as she completely transformed into a small albino werewolf right in front of him.

Feeling her control over her powers slipping, Eileen made to move quickly in her approach of the werewolf, whimpering in a mock submission to the larger wolf.

Lupin sniffed her curiously as he strode over to her, feeling confident in their size difference but not sure if she was really a werewolf or not.

She crouched and tucked her short tufted tail between her legs, lowering her ears and watching him cautiously as he circled her, taking in her cowering form.

Come on, Lupin, I know you're in there somewhere, Eileen thought, struggling to stay humanly conscious.

Finally, Lupin growled under his breath and tackled her, pinning her on her back and towering over her with his teeth bared in a savage grin, his tail high in the air.

She heard a low growl emanate from her own throat and didn't know why she felt the urge to submit to his will. She kept her tail tucked between her legs and locked gazes with him, hoping to reach the man trapped inside the animal before she lost control of herself.

For a moment neither of them moved, both lost in each others eyes as the soft sounds of the forest filled the air.

Cautiously, Eileen placed her paws on Lupin's shoulders and let out a low whimper as she thought, I hope this works. Can you hear me, Lupin? Come back...

Growling, Lupin seemed to wince and try to pull away but Eileen sunk her claws in, holding him as he howled. His body shuttered with hers as they slowly changed back to their human forms again, Lupin collapsing onto Eileen in exhaustion.

They lay still on a bed of decaying leaves, shivering from the changes they'd undergone that night. Their exhausted breaths hummed in each others ears until they came to their senses again and began to stir.

Lupin slowly pushed himself up and blinked groggily down at the weary eyes of the young student beneath him, his own eyes widening as he realized neither of them were dressed.

Blushing profusely, He fell backward away from Eileen and tried to run but her hand grabbed his arm in time to stop him.

"Professor, wait, you can't - " Eileen tried to protest to his retreat.

"Why are we naked! What happened? Don't look at me!" Lupin shouted, turned away from her in shame.

Blinking in confusion, Eileen said, "You turned under the full moon, I had to stop you before you hurt someone. I...I had to turn too."

Looking back with a concerned expression, Lupin said, "You...but why?"

"It was the only way I could get close to you. I didn't want to accidentally hurt you with my magic and you were angry so..."

"Eileen...you could have just used a stunning charm, it would have worked fine." Lupin muttered, still flush and quite embarrassed to be sitting naked next to his student.

"I didn't want to take the chance." She said softly, holding his hand tightly.

They fell silent for a moment as the awkwardness settled in and Eileen knew he would rather be roaming as a werewolf then sitting nude with her.

Sighing, she stuck her free hand out and said, "Accio wand."

"Eileen, that won't - " Lupin started but her wand flew past his face to her outstretched hand like an obedient pet.

"I can do a lot of things normal witches and wizards can't do, remember?" Eileen reminded him, "Accio robes."

More silence fell as they waited for clothing to arrive, Lupin still scrunched up to conceal his manhood from sight as Eileen sat calmly next to him, completely oblivious to her nudity.

Two robes floated over to them through the darkness and landed in Eileen's lap, both large enough for them to conceal themselves with. Quickly, they pulled them on and began to walk toward the school, the dead leaves crunching under their bare feet.

Softly, Lupin said, "This is going to be between us, right? I doubt anyone else will see the nobility of your actions considering the consequences."

"I agree. Professor?" Eileen looked up at him with her large blue eyes, a sense of calm in them that made Lupin uneasy.

"Yes?" He said awkwardly as he stepped over a branch in their path.

"I'm glad you're safe." Eileen smiled.

Slowly, he smiled softly and whispered, "Likewise."