Crying Siren, Singing Wolf
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The last day of exams left Serena a feeling of great contentment. All of the students passed, her and Lupin's test. She loved it when that happened. What's more she convinced Lupin to go to Italy with her, well almost,
"Come on what else do you plan on doing?"
"Working" Lupin was examining the Marauders Map.
"Working? During the summer?"
"Yeah why not?" Serena made a noise halfway between a snort and a giggle.
"Because its summer, you go to the beach and tan. Come tan with me. You know you wanna."
"Well. Maybe, but what about Cam-" he stopped suddenly, Serena jumped up concerned and looked at the map 6 dots were running from Hagrid's. Serena gasped 5 of the dots where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dan, and Cameron. The 6th dot said, Peter Pettigrew.
"I thought the cat ate him" Lupin looked at her oddly
"What do you mean?"
"Later. look! It's Sirius Black! He's collided with them!" she grabbed his hand and began running
"Serena –where-"
"The Whomping Willow. Sirius is going to kill him!" they reached the Whomping Willow quickly. Serena removed the ring Lupin had given her and threw it as hard as she could at the knot on the tree. The tree's branches stopped swaying menacingly.
"How'd you know?" Lupin asked as Serena put the ring back on her finger.
"Luck. I was mad one day and took my anger out on the tree," she shrugged "I've got good aim. Apparently."
She dropped his hand., They where in the Shrieking Shack and there was muffled sounds upstairs.
"WE'RE UP HERE!" Someone suddenly screamed, it sounded like Hermione, "WE'RE UP HERE- SIRIUS BLACK- QUICK!" Lupin sped off towards the stairs Serena on his heels. The sight that awaited them made Serena gasp. Sirius was on the floor bruised and bloody, with Harry standing over him. Ron was on the bed with what appeared to be a broken leg. Hermione was cowering, Dan was up against the furthest wall pale with fear but wand out backing up Cameron, Cameron had his wand out and looked ready to assist Harry if need be.
"Harry don't!" Serena exclaimed
"Expelliermus!" Lupin shouted at the same time. Harry's wand plus, 4 more flew through the air to land in Serena's grasp. She out them in her jacket pocket then followed Lupin over to Sirius.
"Where is he Sirius?" Lupin asked. Harry's face went from Sirius, to Lupin, to Serena then back to Sirius. Sirius said nothing for a moment then pointed at Ron, who looked utterly mystified.
"But then…" Lupin said quietly "why hasn't he shown himself before now?" his eyes widened with a sudden realization "unless he was the one…. unless you switched without telling me" both Sirius and Serena nodded
"Professor," Harry said, "What's going on-" he stopped suddenly when Lupin grasped Sirius's hand, pulled him to his feet, and embraced him. Serena shook her head murming,
"Reckless, completely and uttery reckless. The whole lot of them."
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed. The 2 adults let go and Lupin and Serena turned to her, she had gotten up and was pointing at them accusingly
"You- you-"
"Hermione"
"You two and him!"
"Hermione calm down-"
"I didn't tell anyone! I've been covering up for you"
"Hermione listen to me please! We can explain!" Lupin shouted.
"I trusted you" Harry shouted at them "All those years I thought you where my friend Serena! And all the time you two have been his friends."
"You're wrong" Lupin told him "I haven't been Sirius's friend but I am now. Let me explain," Serena was blushing
"No!" Hermione shouted "Harry don't trust them, they've been helping Black get into the castle, they want you dead too-"
"Now wait just a minute…" Serena beagn but Hermione ignored her.
"- he's a werewolf!" the color drained from Lupin's face, and Serena saw Cameron too go extremely pale.
"Not at all up to your usual standards Hermione." Lupin told her Serena muttered something unintelligible "Only one out of 3 I'm afraid. We have not been helping Sirius get into the castle," Serena muttered something else unintelligible. "And I certainly don't want Harry dead…." He shivered and Serena gave his hand a squeeze, "But I wont deny that I am a werewolf," out of the corner of her eye Serena say Ron attempt to stand. Lupin made a move to help him.
"Get away from me werewolf." Serena could see Lupin cringed he looked over at Cameron as if telling him something that only the two of them could understand. Before he turned to Hermione
"How long did you known?"
"Ages. Since I did Professor Snape's essay… both of them." Serena smiled
"He'll be ecstatic" she said
"He'll be delighted," Lupin said coolly at the same time "That's why he gave you the assignment twice. He was hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant…did you check the lunar char and realize I was always ill at the full moon?"
"Or did you realize that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw him?"
"Both" Hermione replied, Lupin laughed
"You're the cleverest witch of you age I've ever met Hermione."
"I told you" Serena murmured
"I'm not," Hermione continued "Or I would have told everyone what you are!"
"But they already know. Or at least the staff do"
"Most of 'em do anyway. Of course not all of us teachers were told right away." Lupin elbowed her gently in the ribs.
"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?" Ron gasped "Is he mad?" Serena griined, she'd often woundered the same thing herself.
"Some of the staff thought so. He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy."
"Most of them relaxed when it appeared that I trusted him" Serena said with a small shrug " I didn't know that, they thought that they didn't know that I didn't know he was a werewolf so they figured he was trustworthy…umm okay just pretend that I said something a little less confusing."
"AND THEY WERE WRONG!" Harry's yell rattled the windows "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!"
Serena saw Cameron's face go from pale to red. His fists clenched up so tight that little bits of blood dripped from them. Don't to something stupid, she pleaded silently, Please Goddess, let him keep his temper in check.
"Harry stop it! Professor Lupin has not been helping Black, he's telling the truth!" he said loudly but keeping his voice steady. All eyes where on Cameron now, and Serena hoped Cameron wasn't about to do anything stupid, such as revel the secret that he had tried to hard to conceal
"Cameron we can't trust him, you can't trust a werewolf! You know that! Everyone knows that" Ron said. To everyone's surprise Cameron chuckled a bit,
"Cant trust a werewolf?" he asked and laughed some more "Yea I suspect in some cases that may be true. But I trust Professor Lupin, I know he's trustworthy."
"Can't trust humans either," Serena muttered Lupin hushed her with a look that said, This is Cameron's show.
"Cameron how can you trust him, werewolves-" Dan started to say
"Can't be trusted?" Cameron finished and Dan nodded. Lupin looked at Cameron and Serena saw the look in his eyes, though his face stayed the same, Lupin's eyes appeared to be telling Cameron to keep quiet. If Cameron had understood Lupin's order, he wasn't going to listen.
"Well I can see why you wouldn't trust a werewolf, but I do trust him, I have a very good reason of why I trust him, simply put I trust my uncle" Cameron said.
Harry, Ron, Dan, and Sirius gave Lupin and Cameron a look that made Serena snort. Cameron took off his sunglasses, which he had refused to take off all year, the resemblance between Lupin and Cameron; was stronger then ever Cameron could have very well been a younger Remus.
"Harry wait! Cameron's a werewolf too!" Hermione, who had been very quiet, shouted. Cameron looked at her, Serena and Lupin both wanted to step in but a look from Cameron told them he was fine.
"Me? A werewolf?" Cameron laughed "Not really"
"Harry him and Lupin are working with Black!" Cameron looked hurt but the hurt on his face grew to determination.
"I've never met him before tonight. Guys we've been friends for 3 years-" Cameron stopped mid sentence he turned to Hermione
"What makes you positive that I'm a werewolf?" he asked her
"Little hints, like you wearing sunglasses all the time, and your never around for a full moon," Dan stepped up behind Hermione
"Actually there's only been a couple full moon's Cameron hasn't been around for." Hermione glanced at Dan and pretended not to hear him
"The clincher was when you sliced you hand with the knife with the silver blade, you went right up to Madam Pomfrey even though the cut wasn't that deep and could have easily been bandaged. And didn't come back down till the next morning" Cameron looked down at his hand the wound still visible he rubbed his other hand over it, and gave a sigh that sounded just like Lupin.
"Hmm those are very good points which I guess could lead you to the conclusion that I'm a werewolf" Cameron started, sounding so much like his uncle that Serena's jaw dropped. "First of all you know the reason I wear my sunglasses, and you know that its because bright lights hurt my eyes I have no reason to hide that fact, besides that would have absolutely nothing to do with being a werewolf. Professor Lupin doesn't wear sunglasses and Serena does. 2nd if I was a werewolf wouldn't I have transformed that night you where teaching me about your Arithmancy class, it was a full moon that night if you remember correctly. That was the night you guys," he nodded to Harry, Ron, and Dan "Where working on your astrology homework with the moon patterns? And as for the silver knife, you're actually correct on that fact. I did have to go see Madam Pomfrey because of the silver, and I was up in the hospital wing all night because I was sick from it."
Cameron paused for a second, and Serena had a deep dark feeling she knew what was coming, Lupin apparently did too because he was watching Cameron with a worried look on his face. He looked ready to intervene, but Serena placed her hand on his arm
"Let him handle it, he knows what he's doing." she said then under her breath so softly that not even Lupin could hear "I hope."
"But the only reason that affected me like it did, was because I do have werewolf blood,"
"So you are a werewolf!" Harry shouted. Cameron rolled his eyes.
"Harry if you don't stop shouting you're gonna cuase a cave in," Serena quipped.
"Did I say that? No all I said was 'I have werewolf blood'"
"Cameron we want the truth are you a werewolf or not?" Dan said angrily Cameron sighed again
"The truth is I'm not a full werewolf… I'm only half, what that means is as long as I don't look at the full moon, the transformation wont take place, which is why Professor Sinistra has had to give me er a different assignment when it come to the full moon." Cameron looked at his friends who refused to look at him, "Guys I couldn't tell you, I wanted to, but I couldn't" he turned to Dan "Dan come on you trust me right?" Hoping his best friend would.
"I thought you were my friend, you lied to us," Dan said shrinking back from Cameron and standing near Harry.
"It's not lying," Serena insisited, "None of you outright asked him if he was a werewolf."
"And that means Professor Lupin's been helping him too!" Harry shouted again
"I have not helping Sirius, and neither has Serena,"
"Uhhh….." Serena muttered more intelligible words.
"-and Cameron has nothing once so ever to do with this in fact he knows as much about what Sirius is doing here as you 4 do" Lupin said, "Will you let me explain…. Look-" he nodded to Serena who tossed the wands back to their owners, "There you're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"
"If you haven't been helping him," Harry glared at Sirius as he spoke "Then how did you know he was here?"
"The map" Serena murmured
"You know how to work it?"
"Of course," Lupin waved a dismissive hand, "I helped write it," Serena, remembering the incident in Snape's office, couldn't help but grin
"He's Mooney but that's not important"
"You wrote-"
"The important thing is I was watching it carefully this evening-"
"Apparently he figured you'd visit Hagrid before they killed Buckbeack. He was right wasn't he?" Serena had crossed over, sat next to Sirius and watched Lupin pace intently.
"You must have been wearing you're fathers old cloak Harry-"
"How d'you know about the cloak?"
"The number of times I saw James disappear under it," Lupin waved another dismissive hand, he looked at Dan "And since its nearly impossible to fit 5 people under that one cloak, I'm under the impression, you where using your fathers cloak also am I correct Dan?" Dan nodded a little.
"You know about my dad's cloak?" Lupin nodded.
"Again from the number of times I saw Max disappear under his."
"The point is" Serena continued with an accompanying eye roll, "That even if you're wearing an invisibility cloak you can still be seen on the Marauders Map. He watched you cross the grounds to Hagrid's hut."
"Twenty minutes later you left. But now you were accompanied by someone else."
"No we weren't-" Lupin ignored Harry
"I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought the map must have malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"
"I thought Crookshanks ate him." Serena added.
"No one was with us!"
"And then we saw another dot-"
"Moving fast towards you-"
"Labeled Sirius Black-"
"We saw him collide with you-"
"We watched as he pulled 2 of you into the Whomping Willow-"
"One of us!" Ron shouted
"No Ron 2 of you." Lupin had stopped pacing and had locked eyes with Ron.
"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?"
"What? What's Scabbers got to do with it?"
"Everything" Lupin and Serena said together
"Could I see him please?" After a moments hesitation Ron brought out an obviously scared rat. Lupin gazed at him wit a great deal of scrutiny.
"What?" Ron repeated, "What's my rat got to do with anything?"
"That's not a rat," Sirius croaked
"What do you mean- of course he's a rat-"
"No he's not" Serena whispered, "He's a wizard."
"An Animagus" Lupin added by the name of Peter Pettigrew"
"Your all mental" Ron said
"Ridicules" added Hermione
"That's loony" Dan said, even Cameron looked doubtful but did not say anything
"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" Exclaimed Harry "He killed him 12 years ago!" he pointed at Sirius who twitched.
"I meant to," he growled "But little Peter got the better of me… Not this time though!" he lunged at suddenly at Scabbers. Serena heard Ron yelp with pain as his broken leg was shifted.
"Sirius no!" Lupin shouted as he and Serena tried to drag Sirius away from Ron. "WAIT! You can't do it that-"
"They wouldn't understand- we've got to explain-"
"We can explain afterwards!" Snapped Sirius, trying to throw them off.
"They've- got- a- right- to- know- everything" Lupin painted.
"Ron's kept him as a pet!" Serena exclaimed.
"There are parts of it even I don't understand. And Harry-"
"You owe Harry the truth Sirius!" Sirius looked at Serena, she had the oddest look in her eyes, and suddenly he understood what her young friends meant to her.
"Fine. Tell them whatever you want," he said backing off "But make it quick you two I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for."
"You're nutters all 3 of you" Ron started "I've had enough I'm off." He started to stand up and fell back on the bed; Lupin and Serena pointed their wands at Scabbers
"You're going to hear us out. Just keep a tight hold on Peter."
"HE'S NOT PETER HE'S SCABBERS!"
"Remus" Serena was leaning against the bed "You'd better tell them quickly. Sirius looks like he's going to rip off Peter's tail and beat him with it." Lupin nodded and began. He told them how when he was young he was like Cameron and was bit and became a full werewolf. How he was so happy to be let into Hogwarts following in his older brother and the rest of his family's footsteps. How Sirius, James, Max, and Peter his best friends became Animagus, to make his transformations more bearable. How guilty he felt, feels about destroying Dumbledore's trust. About how Snape was in a way right about him.
"Snape?" said Sirius finally taking his eyes off of Scabbers "What's Snape got to do with it?"
"He's here Sirius. He's been teaching here as well"
"He's my older brother," added Serena. Lupin looked at Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dan, and Cameron.
"Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment, to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job," Serena's eyes darkened and she muttered something unpleasant and possibly filled with swearing.
"He's been telling Dumbledore all year that I'm not to be trusted. He has his reasons…. You see Sirius here played a trick on him, which nearly killed him a trick, which involved me-" Sirius snorted.
"It served him right. Sneaking around trying to find out what we were up to…. Hoping he could get us expelled… Oh sorry Serena" she shrugged
"Say what you want. I realize that he's the biggest most pathetic moron that most people have ever met."
"Severus was very interested in where I went every month. We were all in the same year-"
"He didn't like them. Jealous of your father's Quidditch talent Harry," Serena made a face "Stupid prat," she looked at Dan as she said this remembering what Sharpsnout had called Snape in the Marauders Map.
"Anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey she led me to the Whomping Willow. Sirius thought it would be er amusing, to tell Snape how to work the passage."
"If your father hadn't saved him I'd be an only child… then again maybe that's not just a bad thing."
"Serena."
"Sorry"
"So that's why Snape doesn't like you." Harry said "Because he thought you were in on the joke?" a sharp twitch caused Serena to whirl around as a silky voice said
"That's right," behind Lupin Professor Snape stood there taking off Harry's cloak. Hermione shrieked, Sirius and Serena jumped up.
"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," Snape threw the cloak at Serena aiming his wand at Lupin's chest, "Very useful Potter I thank you…. You're wondering how I knew you were here?" his eyes shone with triumph. "I've just been to your office Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight so I took a goblet full along. And very lucky I did" Severus snorted "…. Lucky for me, I mean. On your desk I found a certain map. One glance told me everything I need to know. I saw you two running along this passage and out of sight."
"Severus-"
"I've told the headmaster time and again that you're helping your old friend Sirius Black into the castle Lupin and here's the proof. But even I never dreamed that you'd use this place as your hideout. And I certainly never thought you'd drag my sister into this. How does it feel Serena? To have been working along side of one of your greatest enemies? Did you know he was a werewolf?"
"Not everyone is as biased as you," Serena muttered so quietly that not even Cameron or Lupin could hear her.
"Severus you're making a mistake, Sirius isn't here to kill Harry- Let me explain"
"Two more for Azkaban tonight. I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this you know… He was convinced that you were harmless you know Lupin… A tame werewolf."
"Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back in Azkaban?" without warning thin cords shot out of Snape's wand and wound themselves tightly around Lupin. Cameron took his wand out from his pocket and looked ready to attack Snape. But a look from Serena pushed him back. Sirius however made a move towards Snape and he pointed his wand at him.
"Give me a reason to and I swear I will" Serena swallloed, this was going to far. She planted herself between Sirius and her brother's wand and streatched out her arms.
"Serena you're being melodramatic, get out of my way."
"Severus you're being a moronic tosser. Bite me."
"Serena. Get… Out…. Of…. My…. Way."
"No, you've got it everything wrong. Your not interested in justice just revenge because Sirius made a fool of you."
"Serena you amaze me. What is it about you that you always fall for You-Know-Who's supporters?" Serena's lower lip trembled.
"I guess my taste for evil comes from you Severus. Will you curse me? You know it'll only bounce off of me and maybe hit you, or one of the students.. Or will you start acting like my brother and let me explain?"
"You have 10 minutes"
"Lupin hasn't been helping Sirius" she gulped "I have," Snape's wand arm trembled.
"What?" Serena sighed and lowered her arms, suddenly tired.
"At the beginning of the school year I met an enormous black dog. I'm always running into animals so I didn't hesitate in joining with him. His mind was amazing. It wasn't dog like. Not deep down. So I questioned him. I was ready to turn him in. Then I saw what really happened the night Peter died," she put a hand over her heart. "It was his memory. It couldn't lie; I've been feeding him all year. It was convenient. I hadn't been eating you see. I also covered for him when we were seen together. Nobody thought anything of it. I introduced him to Crookshanks. Crookshanks is such a smart animal. He could get Sirius things I couldn't. Neville's passwords and such. I smuggled him in on Halloween. I knew it wasn't Harry he was after…." Lupin made a muffled noise, knowing what it was, Serena cringed.
"You're lying," Snape said flatly, "To save your werewolf lover. Yes I know what's between you two. I have eyes Serena. The two of you. You act like you used to with Quirrell. I'm surprised it didn't take you longer to find a new Romeo. You want to love him. Fine. But don't lie to protect him."
"Professor Snape… why would Serena lie?"
"KEEP QUIET YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DONT UNDERSTAND" Sparks flew out of Snape's wand hitting Serena's chest, she placed a hand over the light bruise mark and glared.
"You're letting your emotions run away with you, dear brother."
"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape continued, ignoring Serena completly "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you…."
"The jokes on you again Snape" Sirius retorted "As long as the boy" he pointed at Ron "Brings his rat to the castle, I'll go quietly"
"The castle?" Snape said cruelly "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors when were out of the willow. They'll be glad to see you Black. They'll have a kiss for you I daresay." Sirius and Serena paled
"Please hear me out…. The rat…..look at the rat!" Sirius croaked.
"Severus. Please. Believe me, Sirius is innocent."
"Quiet Serena," Snape snapped his fingers and the ends of Lupin's bonds flew to his hands "I'll drag the werewolf, maybe the Dementors will have a kiss for him too." He laughed.
Serena heard a soft low growl, she saw the panic in Cameron's eyes soon give way to anger, he dropped his wand on the floor and looked ready to attack Snape from behind with his bare hands, and judging from the determination and anger in his face he wasn't going to listen to reason. Not to Snape's knowledge Cameron lunged at him Serena watched over Snape's shoulders as Harry and Dan grabbed Cameron, and with difficulty held him back, he struggled to get loose he was saying something, but so softly Serena couldn't hear it. Finally he stopped pulling, but Harry and Dan still held his arms firmly because he was still lightly trying to struggle. It was as if Cameron had lost all sense of human reason and was letting his wolf instincts control him, Harry and Dan said something to him Serena had to smile a bit They trust him again, she thought to herself, His friends trust him. And though he still had the deep loathing and anger in his eyes he was calmer he looked more upset now then angry and he was mumbling something.
"Too bad Serena but you won't have the last kiss," Snape sneered Serena did what Cameron had intended to do, she flew at him. She knocked him over and snatched his wand. He threw her off but Serena expected this and landed on her hands before flipping back over him so she was facing him.
"Cool!" Dan exclaimed before getting elbowed.
"If you weren't my brother," she spat "I would kill you. As it stands I'm going to seriously injure you."
"Are you? I don't think you can," he stepped forward and grasped the other end of his wand and drew her close "Sweet Serena Siren. Can't hurt her brother no matter how angry she is," he jerked his wand back as Serena sank to the ground. He was right of course and boy did that piss her off, her eyes filled up with tears, Has losing my spark made me a coward? Or was I always like this?
"Expellimus!" Harry suddenly cried. Apparently he wasn't the only one, because Snape flew backwards and into the wall so hard that a small dribble of blood seeped through his hair.
"Oh. My. God!" Serena exclaimed jumping up
"You shouldn't have done that." Sirius told them, "You should have left him to me"
"We attacked a teacher" Hermione moaned "We're going to be in so much trouble." Lupin was struggling against his bonds. Cameron dashed over to him and found himself next to Black, after looking at each other for a second they both untied Lupin.
"Thank you Harry," Lupin said, he put his hand on Cameron's shoulder and looked Cameron in the eyes "Cameron I'm proud of you, you did the right thing in listening to your friends. I would never forgive myself if you had gotten hurt." Cameron nodded
"It was stupid I know I should have just left well enough alone. But I couldn't let them hurt you," Lupin smiled and gave a nod. Cameron looked over at Dan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione who where all smiling at him he grinned back.
"And you Serena," Lupin began as she cringed "Next time I find a convicted murderer in your office please let me in on it." Serena relaxed.
"Hey sure, anytime."
"That doesn't mean I believe you," Harry said. Serena ran a shaking hand through her hair, which inexplicably had reached it's normal waist-length.
"I can't watch this anymore. If no one has any objections I'm going to watch for Dementors outside of the Whomping Willow."