"So...are you going to tell me what happened?"
Severus looked up from his potion. "I...well. I sent her to the muggles. Bauers, Hoover and Park, specifically. They seem most likely to cooperate with an 'authority figure' and they were actually around when the attack happened. They just might mix up their boggart and werewolf evidence a bit…" He smirked.
"Well, that's good for getting her off the trail...But, what about the tracks?"
"What tracks?"
"The human-werewolf tracks?" She said, sounding almost unsure of herself.
He shrugged. "She couldn't find them."
Lily had a look of confusion. "Oh…"
The sun was starting to creep lower and it was making Lily nervous, so Severus called it a day when his feather potion for Amun was finished.
He would dose him every day for a week and if he did not see improvement, it was back to the drawing board, or rather journal of notes that was getting a bit full.
As they were leaving the woods, they made a wandless practice game out of catching 'breakfast' for Amun. Together they ended up with four stunned mice and a tiny colored bird that Lily insisted they release because it was 'pretty.'
He walked Lily to her street, but not her door, since Mr. Evans had banned him from the property. They exchanged their goodbyes on the corner.
Severus headed home and gave Amun his first dose of the potion along with two of the mice. He stored the other two in a jar for later.
He then trotted downstairs to find his mother. Tobias was still not home.
"I have this for you." He held up the vial to her. "For when father returns. It's my first attempt, so you'll have to tell me what happens. It's supposed to make him gag if whatever he drinks has fermented. If he doesn't, or just coughs a bit, it's too weak. If he stops breathing, make him drink some water and I'll adjust it accordingly. Pour it into his morning coffee."
"Thank you, Severus." She gingerly took the potion from him. "Though, why can't you see for yourself if it works?"
"I have some werewolf business to take care of this evening. Don't worry, and don't wait up." He kissed her cheek before heading towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She looked concerned but let him go with a small wave.
Severus walked back to the forest, the spot where he found the small footprint, and headed in the direction it went. If he could find the werewolf before it turned, locking it up would be easier. And it would be less likely to run into the muggles that had (foolish) plans to be in the woods that particular evening or the werewolf capture unit's local enforcer.
It was difficult, and the tracks were old and very sparse. Most of the time he just hoped he was going the right way.
Severus could distantly hear raucous teenagers, the 'saturday search party' if he was not mistaken. He briefly wondered if Kennewick was with them, then decided it didn't matter either way.
He disillusioned himself to be sure he wouldn't be spotted.
He eventually found himself on a farm when the sun was hanging low in the sky. He hadn't seen a track in a while, but he had gone the direction the last one pointed. A herd of cows was grazing in a neighboring field to the one he found himself in.
He pressed on hoping to find something, anything, hinting at the presence of a werewolf.
Flashing lights caught his attention.
An...Ambulance?
Severus headed in the direction of the muggle emergency vehicle.
"-SICK" A man shouted in conclusion to whatever he had been saying as Severus approached them.
"Sir, she was in the hospital nearly all of last week. I tended to her myself and the doctors couldn't find anything wrong other than she is tired, maybe a bit pale and exceptionally hungry. She's just growing, it will pass."
"But it's getting worse!" The man insisted.
Whoever 'she' was, was a few hours from turning into a monster.
"Mr. Schultz, I know you're worried, but give her a bit of time. I assure you, nothing is wrong. If she is still feeling ill in a few days, we'll check her again, but we just released her this morning. When we checked just now, she was perfectly fine."
Like hell she was.
Severus rounded a corner and waited for the medics to leave.
Once they drove away he removed the charm from himself, just to turn right back around and approach the man.
"Excuse me, Sir." Severus said.
Schultz whipped his head round. "Who the hell are you? And what are you doing on my property!?"
"I apologize for the intrusion, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Is something wrong with your daughter?"
"She's sick!" The man all but yelled. "And the bloody doctors are useless!"
"May I see her?"
"What good would that do? Are you a doctor, boy? Or perhaps you have some insight educated adults do not possess?"
His words were dripping with sarcasm. Severus refrained from hexing the man, for he was distressed.
"You might actually be surprised, Sir."
Schultz scoffed. "How so?"
"I believe your daughter is a werewolf."
He paused. Then barked a laugh. "Go away, boy, your fictions are not welcome."
Severus shrugged. "Very well. I was simply trying to save myself the inconvenience of catching her in the woods later. I sincerely hope she doesn't kill you before she finds her way out of the house." He waved at the man as he headed back towards the woods. "Good evening."
"Nutter." He heard the man say as he marched towards his home.
Severus diverted his path once he was out of sight behind the barn. He disillusioned himself and headed towards the house.
He could not, in good conscience, let that poor girl unwillingly kill her own family. It would haunt her for the rest of her life, until the ministry relieved her of that with their execution policy.
