Chapter 36: The Final Step
Remus entered his dorm room after his Ancient Runes class had finished to find Octavia sitting in there bent over a cauldron, focusing on her potion. He knew what potion she would be making, he didn't have to even attempt to guess because he knew it would be the final potion for her Animagus process.
What shocked him was that she was making the potion in his dorm room where Sirius could just as easily walk in and see her.
"What are you doing?" Remus questioned but she didn't even look up to face.
"Making a potion, what does it look like?" she finally looked up at him with a smirk on her face.
"Depends, what does the potion do?" he questioned as he walked over and took a seat beside her on the floor.
"Making Sirius go bald?" She spoke while battling her eyelashes at him, hoping to seem as innocent as possible.
"You two haven't spoken in almost two weeks, I don't think that is enough time for you to start doing mean things to him."
"You sure, I did already slap him." She muttered before looking back down at the cauldron, she looked over at the book to see if she was ready for the next step.
"You and I both know that you feel bad for that but yet you refuse to go and apologise because you're still angry at what he was saying." He spoke before handing over the next ingredient for her.
"Thank you," she gave him a smile before squeezing it in her hand allowing the juice to run into the mixture.
"Lilith and I had Ancient Runes while James and Peter had Divination, where is Sirius?"
"Who knows," Octavia shrugged before sitting back against the bed since the potion had to sit for a bit now. "What are you trying to get out of me? I know you know what the potion truly is."
"Your right, I do know it's the next step for your Animagus transformation but what I don't get is why you are sitting up here doing it while Sirius could walk in at any moment."
Octavia looked at him for a moment before closing the book and placing it in her bag, "he already came in and spotted me, he took one look at me before turning and leaving not saying anything."
"Are you okay with that?" Remus questioned softly and she rolled her eyes.
"I'm going to take a shower, can you watch this for 20 minutes and then place it in vials for me?" she questioned and Remus nodded.
Octavia waited until she was in locked away in the bathroom of her dorm before she let the tears fall, even when she entered her dorm she ignored Lilith and kept going to the bathroom.
She was hurt by Sirius' action earlier, he didn't even say anything to her just dumped his bag before leaving the room, didn't even give her a second a look. She wasn't hurt that he was ignoring her, she was hurt that he didn't attempt to talk to her, didn't even give her a look as he walked through the room.
"Are you alright?" Octavia groaned at the sound Lilith's voice, all she wanted was a moment alone.
"I thought I locked the door, why can't I have two minutes alone?" she questioned but it was silent for a few moments.
"Why won't you apologise?"
Octavia scoffed before she started laughing, "me apologise? Did you not hear the things he was saying?"
"Yes I did but they are no different to the things he's said before, well technically I've never heard him speak about cancelling both of your marriages but we've all heard him state that he doesn't care for his family or yours. You slapped him O, you need to apologise for that." Octavia turned around and stuck her head out from behind the curtain to look at Lilith.
"That was my family he was talking about, I don't care if he hates his own family but I love mine, I love my brother and sister. Now leave me the hell alone," Octavia hissed the last part hoping the other girl would leave, locking the door behind her.
But Lilith didn't leave, Octavia just pulled her head back into the shower, hoping the sound of the water will drown out Lilith's voice. "If you want your best friend back you will have to apologise."
"I have you, why would I need him."
"Because despite you telling me that everything is fine I know you have secrets, secrets that you share with Sirius about your home life."
Octavia didn't say anything, just waited until she heard the door open and close as the tears ran down her cheek.
Little did she know Lilith sat out on the bathroom floor leaning against the door in hopes that something else would get said.
"I thought Octavia was making the potion?" Sirius spoke, noticing Remus siting over the cauldron that he saw Octavia sitting at earlier.
"She was but then she left almost in tears, when are you going to apologise?" Remus spoke, not looking up at Sirius.
"She slapped me, I think I deserve the apology."
"Are you telling me that she hates her family just as much as you hate yours?" Remus raised an eyebrow as Sirius walked over and laid down on his own bed.
"No…" Sirius grumbled before scrubbing his face with his hand, he knew partly why she was mad at him but he meant what he said, he didn't really care for either of their families.
His own brother barely says two words to him while they are at home during breaks, at Hogwarts his brother ignores him completely. He hated that Alecto had turned on Octavia like she did and Amycus was always swaying back and forth but there was a part of him that didn't really trust the eldest Carrow, regardless of what Octavia thought about him.
"I get it, well partly. I understand why you hate that she still loves her family, remember I know about the abuse and I cannot begin to fathom as to why she refuses to severe ties with them. I'm beginning to understand why you two refuse to tell anyone about the abuse but you just spent all summer at James', surely you know that his parents will take you both in for the breaks."
"And she will refuse to be a burden…" Sirius spoke out as he saw Remus appear in his vision.
"Here, I don't know how long it will last since O took the book but I'm assuming there is one for each of you."
Sirius grabbed the vial and placed it on his bedside table, "I guess the book was correct about Dreamers being able to complete the transformation faster, she got her animal dreams at the beginning of summer but yet James, Pete and I are nowhere near close." Sirius snapped and moments later he received a pillow in the face. "Thanks mate."
"Your welcome, just go talk to her." Remus spoke, managing to catch the pillow that Sirius threw at him in return.
"Talk to who?" they both looked over at the doorway and found Octavia standing there with Lilith, Sirius frowned at the sight of Octavia, it was obvious she had been crying.
"Don't we have that study group Moony?" Lilith spoke and moments later the two of them were gone from the room.
"Bloody prats," Octavia muttered before walking over and picking up the vial, looking at it. "Wonder if this one tastes as bad as the other one…"
"Wouldn't know, I can't take mine yet. Listen O…" Octavia turned and looked at her best friend.
"No I get it, I understand why you hate my family but I don't understand why you won't give Regulus the time of day anymore. I do apologise for slapping you but I love my family, especially Al and Am."
"I know, I hate that you love them and keep letting them back in after what they do."
"They're my family Sirius…" Sirius stood up and walked over so he could hug her, grateful when she automatically wrapped her arms around him.
"Does this have anything to do with what your summer was like?" he softly kissed the top of her head.
"I don't know, I know I always loved my family before that school, I know at the school they would torture us to reinforce the fact that we shouldn't turn our backs on our family but I don't know how much it affected me."
"It'll be alright, Smith stated we had to break down the walls they created for you and we will, just one step at a time. Now take your potion," Sirius pulled away and laughed at the look on her face, it was obvious she wasn't happy about having to take the potion first and alone.
"If Moony poisoned this…" she grumbled and Sirius laughed again.
"He wouldn't have poisoned it, now if he had access to Veritasearum then maybe he would have slipped some of that in."
Octavia's face lit up and he raised an eyebrow, "do you think we could brew some of that and get the elves to put it in the Snake's pumpkin juice?"
"Now O, I believe that is above our ability."
"Can we buy some?"
"Doubtful, they will see it and confiscate it, now drink the stupid thing." Sirius spoke placing the vial in her hand before walking over and taking a seat on his bed.
Octavia pulled the cork out and took a sniff of it, frowning when there was no smell but then she thought that maybe it wouldn't have a taste. She drank the whole vial, remembering how much she needed to take.
"So what does it taste like?" Sirius questioned after noticing that she didn't contort her face in disgust like last time.
"Strangely enough, meat. Not like one particular meat but just a meaty taste."
"That is strange, wonder if it has anything to with your animal?"
"So my animal eats meat and that only narrows it down to basically every animal I keep seeing in my dreams." Octavia grumbled, not happy with the lack of information from this potion.
"At least you've had your dreams, do you remember how long you have to wait before you can start attempting to transform?"
"I think it was a couple of days waiting for the potion to settle in or make its mark on my body, I'm not too sure, I will have to check the book."
Sirius nodded as she walked over and took seat on his bed, grabbing the book on the end noticing it was one of the books on Dreamers. There was a lot of the information in the books that they were unsure of, they had permanently checked the books out the library and were usually left in the boys dorm apart from one that Octavia generally had hidden in her trunk.
"I still can't believe you slapped me," Sirius spoke in disbelief and Octavia looked up at him before back down at the book.
"You'll live you big baby," she teased and he snatched the book from her hands. "Hey what did you do that for?"
"You do know that's not one of the books from the library that Dumbledore gave you permission for?" Sirius handed the book back over and Octavia took a good look at it, he was right.
The one that made Octavia think it was one of the books they already had was that the title was similar but it wasn't until she was flicking through quickly reading some things that popped up she realised she hadn't read any of this before.
"Where did you get it?" She questioned awe, she just assumed that the only books she would be able to find on Dreamers were the ones that Dumbledore gave her access to.
"Flourish and Blotts, I was in there getting my books for the year and I was looking at the section of magical creatures, I found a couple but only grabbed one knowing that if I purchased a few someone might start asking questions." Octavia gave him a smile before she moved up the bed and sat beside him.
"Thank you, it means a lot to me."
"I told you last year, I will help you with this because I want to know why Voldemort wants you so bad."
"I won't do that to my friends, I won't do what he wants." She muttered darkly and it worried Sirius, he truly hated not knowing everything that happened during her summer, it was like second year all over again.
"I know," Sirius wraps an arm around her shoulder and pulls her close as she opened the book to begin reading it.
.oOo.
Remus was on the hunt for his friends, he knew where Lilith was since he saw her sitting with Marlene and her friends but it was the rest of them he was looking for.
He had a feeling they were up to something although he wasn't 100% sure since it was Sirius and Octavia he saw having a hushed conversation, but he also knew that if those two were pulling a prank of sorts James wouldn't be far behind.
He was walking down a corridor when he heard a noise, he stopped and looking around not seeing anything, even this corridor was portrait free so it couldn't have been one of them.
He took a couple of steps forward when he heard it again, he scratched the back of his neck wondering what was going on. The full moon was in a little under a week so he knew that his senses were at an all-time high but the noise he could hear could be anything.
He took another couple of steps forward and that was when he could smell it, the same smell that always lingered around Octavia because of her perfume. He knew then it was his friends making the noise and chances are they were under the invisibility cloak that James owned.
He walked forward, following the smell before he reached out and pulled on the cloak revealing four of his friends.
"How did all four of you fit under that?" He questioned and Octavia laughed before stepping forward and looping her arm through his.
"Well technically we didn't, it didn't cover the back of us very well. Come we have something to show you."
If it wasn't for the reason as to why Remus went looking for his friends in the first place, the glint in Octavia's eyes was enough to know they have just pulled something. "What have you four been up to?"
"Well we may have done something that will send Filch on a war path aiming for the Slytherins," she smirked at Remus and he shook his head as they rounded the corner.
There was mud, paint and foam bubbles, basically a whole lot of mess covering this part of the corridor but what shocked Remus was the cloaks on the floor that obviously belonged to a Slytherin student.
"If they find out it was you who did this they won't be happy."
"Oh come on Moony, you have to admit this is pretty funny."
"Maybe a little but I believe Filch is coming so we should go before he spots us standing here, we both know he won't believe us when we say it wasn't us since you, James and Sirius are well known for causing mayhem." Remus spoke and Octavia nodded as they turned around and headed back down the corridor.
They both noticed that Sirius, James and Peter had taken off leaving the two of them to get back on their own and they found it easy enough since Filch was too busy yelling and screaming in the distance.
"I thought we were further away from that corridor," Octavia spoke in awe of being able to hear Filch.
"We are, how can you hear him?" Remus spoke and Octavia shrugged. "What if it's the potion finally kicking in, didn't you say one of the books stated you gain abilities from your animal?"
"Yes one book, others stated that we gained nothing."
"Maybe it depends on the animal, you've gained a heighten sense of hearing, maybe whatever animal you can turn into has better hearing then a human."
"What like a werewolf?" she smirked at him.
"Maybe, aren't all the animals you've been dreaming about some form of predators? They need an increased hearing ability to be able to hunt their prey, maybe you're going to be a predator as well."
"Maybe I guess we will just have to see what happens when the others take their potions, I took mine three days ago. I wonder if this means I can begin trying to transform?"
"One would assume yes, but I really do wish you would wait for the others. If they take too long then yes go for it but give them a little bit longer to try and catch up."
"I will, come on let's head back to the common room and see if the others are back there yet." Octavia spoke and pulled Remus further down the corridor.
"It's a bet," they heard Sirius' voice as they entered the common room, they shared a look before the rounded the corner to see what Sirius was on about.
They spotted Sirius and James shaking hands, "What is going on here?" Octavia questioned, placing her hands on her hips when they both turned and faced her with a grin in their faces.
"Those two made a bet to see who can get their dreams first," Peter spoke and Octavia nodded.
"Of course they did, let me guess you are involved as well and what does the winner get?" Octavia spoke and Peter nodded, stating that he was involved in the bet.
"Well it's more the loser has to take their potion first," Sirius stated and Octavia laughed.
"Are you two seriously worried about the potion? I told you it's fine and it taste like meat." She rolled her eyes and heard Remus laugh behind her.
She turned and looked at Remus but something caught her attention, she turned her head hearing the hushed voices of a conversation happening but all of her friends were silent, looking at her.
The voices were becoming too much, more and more were becoming audible and she was no longer able to detect who was speaking and work out who was saying what.
"Moony," Octavia spoke softly while placing her hands over her ears.
"Moony what's going on?" Sirius questioned but Remus didn't even glance in his direction.
Instead Remus stepped closer to Octavia and placed his hands over hers, "just focus on my voice, you can drown the others out by focusing on mine." His voice was low and soft, hoping to not make things worse for her.
He remembered what it was like when he was first bitten, first having to venture into town with his mother, hearing all the things he shouldn't have been hearing and at first it was overwhelming but he learnt how to control it and he was able to use it to his advantage.
"Why won't it stop?" she questioned, squeezing her eyes shut.
"You just have to tune them out, I promise it will get better with time, just focus on my voice and the others will become a background noise."
"What's going on?" James questioned this time and Remus flicked his eyes at their direction, keeping his hands on Octavia's.
"Remember how that one book stated that you could gain abilities?" Remus spoke, hoping the others would work out the code to his words.
"But she hasn't yet, it doesn't make sense," Sirius responded after looking at the pained expression look on Octavia's face.
"No but the drink she had, she said it helps the body start to change, this is just the beginning." Remus explained and watched as Sirius and James shared a look, he could tell they were now thinking what they could possibly get once they take their potion.
Octavia slowly removed her hands, "thank you, it will get better?" she questioned, having been able to focus on their conversation.
"It will, you're much older than I was so you may get better at focusing quicker than I did. For me right now, their conversations as just a background buzz, overtime I learn to focus on hearing the conversations of who I'm looking at."
"You alright O?" Sirius questioned and she nodded.
"I just want to head to the kitchens," Octavia spoke before pulling away from the boys, ignoring the looks they were giving her.
.oOo.
Lilith entered the secret room knowing her friends will be there waiting for her and she found something quite amusing.
It seemed as though Octavia was sound asleep on the couch, Remus and Peter were playing wizard chess, or more so Remus was trying to help the other boy understand the game while it was James and Sirius that shocked her.
James and Sirius were still sitting in the exact same position they were in an hour ago when she left for choir rehearsal, she couldn't believe they willingly chose to sit like that for that long, they weren't known for sitting still for too long with even classes being a struggle some days.
"Are they seriously still going at it?" She questioned as she walked over to where Remus and Peter were sitting.
"Yes they are, apparently they have a bet going between them as to who will get to take their potion next." Octavia spoke and moments later her head appeared above the back of the couch giving Lilith a smile.
"Sounds like them," Lilith rolled her eyes before giving Peter a questioning look. "Why aren't you included in this bet?"
"I am, just couldn't take sitting still for much longer, so I asked Moony for help with wizard chess since James and Sirius always beat me," a frown appeared on his face while Octavia let out a laugh.
"I don't know why, but that kid understands that game way to well. It's like he can work out what you are going to do next, it's probably the only thing he is good at," Octavia smirked at them but it quickly turned into a glare when a cushion hit her square in the back of the head.
She instantly turned around to aim the glare at him.
"I can hear you, you know?" Sirius spoke, his voice low letting them know he was annoyed at what she was saying.
The rest of the group was worried, unsure as to how things would go between the two of them after what happened earlier in the term. As per usual between the two of them once they spoke things were fine, it's just that they were both stubborn and hated being the first to speak, or even apologise first.
"That was the point Sirius, now I'm going for a fly, are you coming or are you going to keep meditating?" She questioned but didn't even receive an answer before the two boys jumped up and ran out of the room causing her to laugh and follow them.
"You still worried that things aren't fine between Sirius and O?" Remus spoke causing Lilith to shake her head.
"No I honestly believe they are past whatever caused them to stop speaking when she slapped him but there's something not right there, like we aren't being told everything."
"I think whatever happened at that etiquette school is being kept from us. You sure your grandmother won't tell you what she knows?" Remus questioned and Lilith shook her head.
"She keeps refusing, stating that I'm not going so she doesn't see the point in telling me but whatever it is bad, I could see it on her face when she spoke."
"You don't think they would hurt O do you?" Peter questioned looking up at them both.
"Don't be absurd Pete, do you honestly think O's parents would send her somewhere where she could potentially get hurt, better question would yours?" Remus spoke, hoping that was certainly the case regardless of what they may or may not do to her at home.
Octavia was sitting there on her broom laughing as James was laying on the ground in agony after attempting to pull off some stunt.
"How's your hearing going?" Sirius questioned as he appeared beside her, she looked over at him and grinned.
"Well if I really focus on James I can hear him complaining about bloody girls and their ability to find anything hilarious because I was laughing at him."
"Yes but I was also laughing at him, the prat thought it would be a brilliant idea to attempt something that is usually reserved for Seekers," Sirius noticed the sly smile on her face, "Don't even think about attempting to try it."
"I won't…this year anyway but as for my hearing, I'm slowly managing. I have to focus harder in classes to focus on what the professors are talking about instead of what our classmates are whispering about."
"Moony stated you'll be able to manage it with time, you were just overwhelmed that first time. As anything else started appearing for you yet?"
"Nope, just the advanced hearing. How are your dreams going?" Octavia questioned, laughing when a scowl appeared on Sirius' face.
The two of them had always been competitive, the fact that she was a Dreamer and that had given her an edge with her Animagus transformation process didn't help dissuade Sirius with attempting to catch up to her so they were on a level playing field.
"You will get there, let's go make sure James hasn't broken any bones." Octavia flew off to where James was still laying on the ground but Sirius didn't move, he just watched the two of them.
He couldn't tell if she was lying about her advanced hearing improving or not, but there was something off about her. Whether or not it was to do with the annoyance of it sounding like everyone was talking in her ear at once or something to do with her summer, he was unsure but he couldn't question her because right now she was attempting to brush her summer off whenever he questioned her.
.oOo.
Octavia stood there grinning at James and Sirius as they took their final potion for their Animagus transformation, she was eager to see what theirs tasted like and if their animal helped determine the taste.
She tried to question as to why they just didn't attempt to produce a Patronus in help of determining what their animals would be but Remus claimed it might take too long and they had enough going as it was between the Animagus transformations, helping Octavia with her magic, homework/classes and then their own clubs or teams.
James and Sirius shared a look still unsure as to if they believed Octavia when she stated that hers had a meaty taste to it, they couldn't understand how it had the meaty taste without putting anything could resemble that taste in the first place.
James went first having lost the bet he had with Sirius about who could get their dreams first, it might have only been a day but it was a loss.
It took 5 days after the bet was made for Sirius to begin having his animal dreams and Remus had convinced them to wait 4 days before they took their potion just in case the hype of waiting for the dreams made them appear.
"O you lied, it doesn't taste like meat!" James exclaimed once he had swallowed his potion and Octavia looked at Sirius hoping he would drink his next.
When he didn't, she spoke. "What does it taste like then Jamesy?" She grinned at him while he glared at her.
It was a couple of days ago that Sirius finally got around to telling her of the nickname that James' mother uses for him, he himself found it hilarious the first time he had heard James' mother using it, it also ended up with him receiving a punch in the arm.
"I'm going to kill you Sirius," James growled but Sirius just shrugged before drinking his own potion.
"James what the hell are you on about mate, it does have a meaty taste to it?"
"I told you!" Octavia spoke triumphantly.
"It tasted like I was eating a bloody salad," James grumbled causing both Sirius and Octavia to laugh.
"Maybe the taste does have something to do with the animal, Sirius and Octavia tasted meat so therefore they could be carnivores while you tasted something resembling a salad meaning an herbivore?" Remus explained and the three of them shared a look.
"Forget the taste, I want to know what extra abilities I will receive." Sirius had a grin on his face as he spoke causing Octavia to laugh out loud.
None of them noticed Peter, standing towards the back not really seen by them all since James and Sirius housed all of them attentions due to the potion they took and what abilities they thought they would receive with a couple of days' time like Octavia did.
Octavia being her annoying self, told them that maybe they wouldn't receive any extra abilities from their animals, maybe it was just her because she was a Dreamer. She stuck her tongue out before letting out a squeal when Sirius launched at her.
.oOo.
"What is that smell?" Octavia scrunched her face up when she entered the boys' dorm, she looked over at Remus knowing that if she could smell it so could he.
"I can't smell anything O," Sirius interjected but she didn't respond, just continued to look at Remus.
"I can't smell anything right now, it's a new moon and no extra abilities at the moment but check Sirius' bed," he pointed towards and Octavia stepped closing, having to stop and put a hand over her nose.
"Bloody hell Sirius, that is disgusting."
"What I can't smell anything?"
"Seriously Moony, how do you put up with this every month?" she complained, Remus just shrugged and she looked at Sirius. "You better figure out what that smell is," she threatened and he looked at her for a moment before a scowl appeared.
"You got two abilities!"
"Again, I'm better than you." She teased before turning and leaving, not before threatening him to figure out what that smell was.
Sirius, a little worried about what she could be planning quickly jumped under his bed in search of what could be causing the smell.
A mouldy Pumpkin Pasty, that the elves must have missed.
.oOo.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who continues to read, set alerts and review my story it means a lot to me but reviews mean even more.
Raven that flies at night thank you for reviewing, it means a lot to me.