A/N: I went with the name, Scarlett because of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy-tale and because of the 'big, bad wolf'. Since Scarlett is a werewolf in this, to me, it made some sort of sense.

The face-claim to Scarlett Lupin is Liana Liberato.

Prologue

"So howl at the moon, oh how can it be?
The softer the skin, the sharper the teeth.
With nowhere to go, nothing to believe
I'm counting on beauty to kill off the beast."

Love Bites – Ice Nine Kills

On July 20th, Scarlett had woken up to a familiar ache slowly settling right in her bones. The full moon was approaching in six days. She got out of bed and marked a calendar. She got dressed and went out of her room and into the kitchen where her father was at, making porridge.

"I'll never get used to the pain of transforming," said Scarlett.

Her dad looked at her, with sympathy and sadness. "I know, Lettie."

Scarlett knew that her dad would never forgive himself for giving her the 'curse'. Well, since she was a girl, she was going to deal with two monthly curses. It was going to be a pain.

Sometimes she wondered if her dad regretted having a child, but that was a thing that she didn't want to think about. She didn't want to know if she was a burden or a stain on their little house. She went outside and found her little spot where she laid down in the grass. She looked at the morning sky. She usually tried to sleep a lot to speed up the time just to get to the full moon and get it over with; only she had to repeat the process the next month.

It was a never-ending cycle of sleeping and pain. It was a cycle that her dad never wanted her to have in the first place. It was hurtful, knowing that she was a bit of a burden, but she tried not to think of that to much.

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what it would be like if she wasn't a werewolf. She wondered what it would be like if she knew her mother. Her mother, Araminta, had died during the first war. Apparently Araminta had been an Auror and had been killed by Death Eaters, a few months after she had Scarlett. She was vaguely sure that Andromeda Tonks and her husband, Ted, helped out when they could. She was also sure that her father's best friends helped out, before they disappeared. It brought up bad memories for her father, so she didn't ask or pressure him about it.

She closed her eyes.

"Lettie! You got a letter!" called Remus, waking up Scarlett. She got up from the ground and brushed grass off her lacey shirt and denim skirt.

She went inside and looked at her dad. He was looking through some envelopes.

"Rejected," said Remus. He snorted and shook his head. He picked up another envelope and looked at it. He passed an envelope to Scarlett and she took it. In emerald green ink it said:

Miss S. Lupin

She didn't bother with the rest and she popped the ink seal and took out a letter to read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT
AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc.,
Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump,
International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Lupin,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

However, we know of your condition and have enclosed information regarding the proper steps you will take to ensure your safety and the safety of the other students.

Scarlett had stopped reading at that sentence. She hadn't thought of her being a werewolf as a 'condition' but it was more of a burden. She frowned and read the rest of the letter:

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Scarlett took out the supplies list, the train ticket, and there was another piece of parchment that she found. She looked at it, seeing that it was step-by-step instructions.

1. You will report to Professor Snape's office, where he will give you a monthly dose of wolfsbane potion every day during the week of a full moon. It is your duty to remember to drink it.

2. On the day of a full moon you will have to report to the infirmary early to see Madam Pomfrey. She will take you to the Whomping Willow and will disable it.

3. You will go in the tunnel and follow it to the location where you will be able to shift in peace.

4. After shifting you are to report to Madam Pomfrey so she will tend to your wounds.

Failure to comply with these instructions will be followed with an immediate expulsion.

Scarlett swallowed at the thought of being expelled for failing to comply with instructions. Yes, she knew that it was for everyone's protection and safety, and she was glad that Hogwarts was even accepting her.

To be honest, she wasn't entirely sure if she even wanted to attend Hogwarts, because she wasn't sure if her 'condition' would be figured out. She also didn't want to be alone during the full moon, but if her dad, who she considered the bravest wizard of all time, got through it alone, she would too.

"You have an option, Lettie," said Remus in a serious tone. "You don't have to go if don't want to."

Scarlett frowned and looked at the letters. Her dad was giving her an option: she can go or not. It was going to be a burden going through the instructions. Alone. However, she would be given a potion to keep her transformation stable. It was unfair, in a way. She didn't want her dad to transform alone.

But…she would be able to get full meals every day. She would learn with other people her age, who didn't know about her werewolf side. She might be able to make a friend. Also, they had taken all these precautions for her and she turns around and denies going?

It was an important decision.

She wouldn't burden her dad. She wouldn't take food from his mouth, even though he told her that it was his job to feed her. She wouldn't take even more money from him. It was his job to take care of her. She'll go to Hogwarts, have them feed her, house her, and have them take over her dad's job of taking care of her. She'll show that werewolves belong. She'll get perfect marks. She won't be a burden. She'll make something of herself. She'll prove herself.

"I'll go, Dad," said Scarlett. "I'll go to Hogwarts."