Several sunlit days were spent smiling in the almost empty ward. Not much had been said of what was to happen between the pair, but their hands remained warmly rapped around each other- Teddy would trace her palms so delicately with his thumbs, and Victoire would blush and look at him in a way that only he knew how to read. If it were not for Victoire's injury, or for the rather bleak surroundings (which the two of them tended to leave unmentioned), it was rather blissful.

Of course, relatives would visit, sometimes shriek and cry, sometimes pretend that nothing had happened at all, sometimes they'd try not to stare, and sometimes they wouldn't be able to help themselves- the only thing that was really consistent was him. Something inside Victoire knew that this was how she wanted it to be, forever. Maybe minus the pungent smell of cleaning potions, and distant moans of other patients in separate wards.

It was nearing the end of Victoire's days in St. Mungo's that Bill Weasley had his first very serious discussion with her.

'Do you mind?' He'd said to Teddy quietly one afternoon, Teddy knowlingly patted his shoulder before joining Fleur in the hallway.

'How do you feel?' Bill asked Victoire, sitting tentatively down on Teddy's armchair.

'Average,' Victoire shrugged, turning a page in Witches Weekly,

'Really?' Bill said,

'Yep,' Victoire replied, refusing the make eye contact.

'You know we need to talk about this,' Bill told her,

'Not now,' Victoire shook her head, 'there's time later.'

'Put the magazine down,' Bill snapped,

'Why?' Victoire contested angrily,

'Because we need to talk, now' Victoire threw down the paper, crossing her arms angrily.

'Go on then,' she spat.

'I know you're angry,' Bill said slowly, 'and I know this is hard,'

'No you don't!' Victoire cried, 'you don't know!'

'I do know,' Bill said firmly, touching his own face.

'Oh,' Victoire said quietly, 'I forgot,'

'It's alright,' said Bill, 'I know you don't want to think about it, but it's almost time.'

'Time for what?' Victoire sniffed,

'The full moon.' Bill said flatly, 'it's Saturday.'

'No,' Victoire said, 'No, I might be like you, I am like you,' she said almost hysterically, 'I'm sure of it,'

'I got lucky,' Bill said, holding her arm, 'we don't know if you did yet,'

'No, please,' Victoire's voice shook, 'please, I- I don't want to be one of them!'

'Nobody does,' Bill said darkly,

'D-don't let me change,' Victoire cried,

'It's not a choice anybody can make,' Bill said, 'Merlin, I pray that the miracle that happened to me happens to you too, but I can't control it,'

'I- I don't want to think about it,' Victoire said, covering her eyes,

'I know you don't…' Bill whispered, 'but the ministry are going to want answers, they're going to want to monitor you,'

'No… no!' Victoire cried,

'They need to be aware, so that you can be safe… so that everyone can be safe,'

'This can't be happening,' Victoire said, 'I- I wanted a future. I wanted to have a job, a family-'

'That can still happen,' Bill said softly,

'No!' Victoire cried, 'no, it can't! I-I'm dangerous!'

'You need to calm down,' he told her, taking her hands, 'breathe.' Victoire trembled. 'This Saturday, the Lycanthropy board are going to collect you and take you to a safe compound unit where they can evaluate your condition.'

'Did you-?' Victoire began,

'No-' Bill shook his head, 'times have changed since my injury… things are far more…regulated and orderly. The Lycanthropy board is new.'

'I- I don't want to go,' Victoire sniffed,

'It's the law.' Bill told her,

'W-will it hurt?' Victoire stammered,

'Transforming isn't meant to be pleasant.' Bill said, 'but there is a chance that you won't.'

'What will they do to me?' Victoire asked,

'I have a letter from the board here,' Bill said, reaching in to the pocket of his jeans, and retrieving a neatly folded piece of parchment.

Dear Miss Weasley,

The Lycanthropy Board have been informed of your very unfortunate injury, we send our highest of apologies and sympathies. We are sure that you are aware that such injuries come with great repercussions, ones that must be evaluated for the good of yourself and the greater wizarding community.

Werewolves have provided a threat to society for longer than magical history can document; here at the Lycanthropy Board we believe that such threat is due to a combination of factors. The biological structure of such a creature causes a werewolf to innately seek attack and conflict, but we believe that such instances are spurred by a previously wide spread prejudice of the species. The Board understand the great difficulties faced by those infected, both physically and socially, and aim to aid your transformation and further existence.

Under such circumstances, the law requires that you undergo a formal inspection of your case. The night of your 'first turn' is marked by Saturday the 4th February. You will be escorted from your ward by our deputy head, Nigel Horn to the evaluation unit at 1600 hours.

What to expect:

-A full physical examination

-Blood, urine and saliva samples and tests

-Human state endurance tests

-Full examination of wolf transformation, unaided.

-Wolf state endurance tests

-Medication sampling

-On going medication trial (6-8 months)

You will be transported back to your place of residence at approximately 1300 hours on Sunday the 28th February.

Many thanks,

Harriet Hambledon

(Head of the Board of Lycanthropy)

'I can't' Victoire shook, 'I can't go, I can't, I can't!'

'I'll go with you,' said Bill, 'I'll stay with you the whole time,'

'No, you don't have to,' Victoire shook her head,

'I want to,' Bill said, 'You're my daughter, I love you, and I want to be there. Just me and you.'

'Just me and you?' Victoire asked,

'If that's what you want too,'

'Yeah,' Victoire nodded, 'thank you, dad.' She said, squeezing her father's hand.

Teddy offered to join the pair of them several times in the days that passed between Bill's talk and Saturday, but Victoire had insisted that Bill was the only one she wanted there. Something told her that her visit to the Lycanthropy Board was going to be something less than enjoyable, and that her dignity was certainly not going to be upheld. She wanted nothing less than for Teddy to be there.

Victoire was silent as Teddy helped her pack her trunk ready for her departure from the ward. After her examination, she'd return to Shell Cottage until she felt 'emotionally ready' to return to Hogwarts. At the moment, Victoire couldn't even fathom the thought of going back to the castle looking the way that she did. Mr Horn arrived at the ward at exactly four o'clock that afternoon, and with a tight embrace, Victoire said goodbye to Teddy for the first time in a month. She gripped tightly to her fathers hand as they held on to the portkey brought by Horn.

They arrived in a vast expanse of burnt yellow grass, the sky above an ominous blue-grey. A number of large corrugated iron block buildings clustered on a slab of black tarmac, surrounded by a tall barbed wire fence. Victoire swallowed.

'Follow me,' said Horn in deep southern accent, leading them round to a tall metal gate. He muttered something under his breath and they swung open, only to shut abruptly and loudly behind them after entering. 'First we will go to unit one, for the formal papers,' he said, 'and then my colleague Teresa will lead you to unit two, for your medical evaluation. You'll be set from there.' Victoire nodded.

'Thank you,' said Bill, trying to be polite as Victoire gripped on to his arm.

The inside of 'unit one' was bleak. White washed walls and threadbare carpets, with a plastic desk behind which a gaunt looking woman scribbled aggressively on parchment.

'Ah,' she said flatly as they shut the clad door behind them. 'You must be…?'

'Victoire Weasley,' said Bill,

'Yes, yes,' said the woman, 'Come here, girl,' Victoire approached her gingerly. 'I'm going to need you to fill out these forms, and get your guardian to sign them.' Victoire nodded. Several forms, and finger prints later, Victoire was met by Teresa Grout, a tall slender woman with bouncy blonde hair.

'You'll need to leave now,' she said shortly to Bill.

'No, I'm going to stay,' Bill insisted,

'It's against policy,' Teresa snapped, 'you need to go home,'

'I promised my daughter I'd stay,' Bill told her flatly,

'I understand this is difficult, but it is the rules,' Teresa said, with no hint of any form of understanding in her voice.

'Fuck the rules,' Victoire gasped slightly at the sound of her father swearing.

'Mr Weasley, I do not want to have you forcibly removed from the property.'

'Then I'll stay,' he said through gritted teeth.

'If you must, you can wait in unit seven.'

'What happens there?' he asked,

'It's a staff unit.' She said, 'you'll be unwelcome.'

'I'll stay with my daughter.' Said Bill.

'Unit seven, or you leave.' Teresa spat.

'It's ok, dad,' said Victoire, 'go to unit seven, at least I'll know you're here.'

'Are you sure, darling?' he asked,

'It doesn't matter if she's sure, you're going.' Teresa said, 'now follow me, Victoire.' Victoire was practically dragged into a sterile white testing room, where she was measured and prodded and forced to take various medicines with varying immediate side effects. Hours passed, and soon it was twilight. And it was time. A large metal crate, about fifteen foot by fifteen foot, with ten foot walls was just outside unit 4. A monitor was strapped tightly to Victoire's ankle, before she was thrown in to the cage, the door slammed and chained behind her.

Victoire shivered in the cold, her breath evaporating before her eyes. She was to be out here all night, and she was almost sure that she'd die of the sheer cold if she weren't to turn. She felt her heart race, so heavy and hard that it was in the throat and in her ears and making her tremor. The fear was painful.

It was dark. Jet black. So dark Victoire couldn't even see her hands infront of her face.

And then, there was silver.

The round moon had just uncovered itself from the dense clouds.

A sweat broke across Victoire's brow. Suddenly she was hot. Too hot. Like she was in a bath of boiling water. And then it was dry heat, like baking and burning in an oven. Her heart raced even faster now, so fast that it was one vibrating beat, so fast that she couldn't even breathe, let alone scream.

The pain was splitting, excruciating. Like every bone was breaking, just the sound of them snapping was enough to make Victoire's stomach turn.

And then, Victoire was gone.

I am ridiculously sorry (again) about how long I've taken to update recently. I've been unwell (I'm better now) and having exams and lots of work, and generally been really really lazy, and for that I am SO sorry. I know what it's like to be made to wait for something and it's really annoying!

Anyway, thanks for sticking with the story, even though I am completely useless!

Please, please, please let me know what you thought of that chapter! I love hearing what you have to say- I read every review and they literally make my day!

Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon!

Lots of love darlings,

Em x