Seventh Year
Moira sat quietly at the study table in the Library. The rest of the school was at dinner, so the large room was silent. Only the crackling fire made a sound. In front of her, several large books were spread open, detailing the most advanced Dark Magic she could get her hands on at the school. Her Advanced DADA final wasn't for another month, but she poured over the books, examining curses and counter-curses. It had been an obsession for her since the summer, when they visited her house.
"O'Shaughnessy, where have you been getting your information?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course, you do. You've been tracking us for ages. Do you expect us to believe it's just luck?"
"I just follow the wreckage you leave behind," he snarled.
"CRUCIO!"
Moira watched as her father writhed and screamed, bound to the chair.
"Papa!" she cried, trying to run to him. She was grasped harshly and thrown to the ground next to her mother, also bound.
"Christopher!"
"Mrs. O'Shaughnessy," the Death Eater purred. "Perhaps you can convince your husband."
Moira expected the wand to be turned on her mother and cried out again, but turned her head in time to see the wand pointed at herself.
"CRUCIO!"
The pain was exquisite. Her very bones seemed to be on fire, burning through the muscle and skin which bound them. Vaguely, she heard screams, but she couldn't tell if they were her own or those of her parents.
Please! Please just kill me! The pain!
The pain stopped just as suddenly as it had begun. She was lying on the ground. The voices came to her slowly.
"-Mrs. O'Shaughnessy. I know you don't want to see your little girl hurt. Tell your husband to tell us what we want to know."
"No, Papa," Moira gasped.
"Christopher!"
"Papa, no," she said louder, finally finding her voice.
"Don't tell him, Chris!"
"Foolish woman!" A green light filled the room. Moira squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the pain to begin again. Instead, she heard a scream. She opened her eyes slowly, looking up at her mother. Her face was twisted in horror, but lifeless. She was dead.
"Mum?"
"Tell me what I want to know, O'Shaughnessy, or your sweet little daughter is next."
"MUM?"
"I will not allow Him to win," her father answered weakly.
"Tut, tut. That's not a very loving father, allowing such a beautiful daughter to die such a senseless death." He turned on her, spinning his wand in his hand. 'You heard your father."
"NO! Leave her out of this! Moira!"
Moira spun on her knees, sweeping the Death Eater's legs out from under him. He fell to the ground, losing his grip on his wand. Moira grabbed it and scrambled to her feet. Pointing it at him, she said:
"I'll kill you if you move."
He laughed, sending chills down Moira's spine.
"You don't have the power for that, Little One." He kicked his leg out, hitting her in the stomach. She doubled up in pain, but before she could straighten herself, he too was on his feet. He gripped her throat and shoved her against the wall.
"You like magic, Little One?" He pounded her against the wall again, banging her head. "Let me show you how it's done." He pulled the wand from her grasp and pointed it at her father. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Again, the green light filled the room. Moira squeezed her eyes shut again, not wanting to see what she knew was happening. She heard his laughter again, could feel his breath on her face.
"You should have killed me while you had the chance, Little One." He slapped her hard. "I think I'll let you think about that." He hit her again, this time, with a closed fist. She slumped to the floor, unconscious.
"Voldemort's men are becoming increasingly aggressive." Moira had heard the words before she was aware she was still alive. "They have begun attacking Aurors. Almost hunting them." Professor Dumbledore? Professor, what are you doing here? The footsteps stopped nearby her. A heavy sigh. "So much destruction. So many lives. Moira was one of my brightest pupils. Very promising."
Am I dead? Gods, I can't be. No, I'm not dead! Help me!
He touched her face.
"Moira?"
"Moira?" Someone was shaking her gently. "Moira, are you okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, I must've fallen asleep." She rubbed her bleary eyes and looked up into Remus Lupin's worried face. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I was just dreaming."
"About what?"
"Nothing."
Remus turned the chair next to her so it was facing her and sat down.
"That seemed pretty intense for nothing." He looked down at his hands. "Was it about- what happened over the summer?" His amber eyes slid back up to her face.
When she didn't answer, he stood up.
"I'm sorry, Moira. I didn't mean to-"
"Yes. It was," she answered quietly.
"Did you- I mean- Have you- talked to Dumbledore about it?"
"Several times. It doesn't seem to be helping."
"You know that if you ever need to talk-"
"I know Remus." She reached out and squeezed his hand. "Thank you."
"Well, I have to go. I have to meet Sirius and James."
He stood up hurriedly. Moira sighed. Remus had once been her best friend, now he was avoiding her, ever since the summer. He wasn't the only one, either.
"Mind if I come with you? To say hi, I mean. I haven't seen Sirius all day." She gathered her books from the table. "I think I'm starting to go through withdrawal," she said forcing a smile as they left the library.
They were making their way to Gryffindor Tower when Remus stumbled and dropped his books. Moira stooped to pick them up, but noticed he was leaning against the wall, his arms wrapped around himself. He was pale and his jaw was clenched as if in pain.
"Remus, are you okay?"
"No," he gasped, sinking to the floor.
"What's wrong?" she asked, touching his face. He was burning up. "Remus?"
"Ughn! Hospital Wing-" he stammered, gripping himself tighter as a fresh wave of pain rolled through him.
"Come on," she said, pulling him up and sliding her arm around his waist. "Let's get you to Madame Pomfrey." They made their way slowly, drawing curious stares from fellow students. Finally, she spotted James exiting a classroom.
"James! James!" she called. He didn't seem to hear her. Remus was sliding out of her grip. "POTTER!" she screamed. He turned, and upon seeing her and Remus, ran over and slipped under Remus' arm, claiming the weight from her.
"You don't look too good, Remus," he said as Remus was gripped by a fresh wave of pain. "Moira, I'll take him to the Hospital Wing. Go tell Sirius. He should be in the Tower." James steadied Remus as they made their way down the hallway. Moira raced off toward the tower.
"Haberdash!" she called, and the portrait swung open without her having to break her stride.
Lily was sitting on the couch, a book open in her lap.
"Moira? What's wrong?"
"Sirius! Where's Sirius?"
"In his room, I think. What's the matter?"
Without answering, Moira raced up the stairs on the boys' side until she came to the door marked "Seventh Years." She knocked, then opened the door before anyone answered.
"Moira?" Sirius looked up from his bed where he had been reading, stunned. "You're not supposed to be in here." He smiled coyly. "I could have Peter leave, though."
"Hey!" Peter called from another bed.
"Peter, go find Remus," Sirius told him, rising from his own bed.
"No, Sirius, something's wrong. Remus." She was gasping for breath.
He was in front of her in two strides.
"Are you okay?" he asked, gripping her shoulders. Worry creased his face.
"I'm fine! Remus is sick! James took him to the Hospital Wing." She saw Sirius and Peter, who had emerged from behind the curtains of his bed, exchange a look.
"But he's got ages-" Peter started, but was silenced by a look from Sirius.
"Moira, go downstairs. I think Lily's there," Sirius said, kissing her forehead. "We'll check up on Remus."
"I'll come with you!"
"No. Just, stay here. Please?"
"Sirius, you know something. What's going on?"
"Please, just trust me." Sirius rushed from the room with Peter close behind.
Moira was sleeping on the couch when the three boys returned to the Common Room sans Remus. She glanced at her watch as they clamored through the portal. Nearly 2am. She looked over the back of the couch to see them slinking up the stairs.
"Sirius?" The three boys jumped at the sound of her voice.
"Moira? What are you still doing up?" Sirius asked, walking to where she was now standing. "Were you waiting for me?" He smiled uncertainly. Moira knew that smile. He had been up to something.
"How's Remus?"
"He's good. Just resting a bit."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. It was just a, uh-"
"Stomach cramp," James called out from the stairway.
"Yeah. A stomach cramp."
"Then where have you guys been?" Moira asked innocently. "It's really late."
"You're saying that like you think we've been up to something. Are you insinuating that I, Sirius Black, have been up to something?"
"Can you honestly tell me you haven't?"
A sheepish smile was his response.
"James? Where's Remus?" she asked, without taking her eyes from her boyfriend.
"In the Hospital Wing," he answered simply.
"No, I went there before curfew. He wasn't there. What happened to him? Sirius?"
Sirius didn't answer. He looked everywhere in the room but at her.
"James?" she asked.
"He, uh-"
"Peter?" She turned and looked the short blonde boy in the eyes. "Peter, what happened to Remus?"
Peter looked to Sirius and James for help, stammering incoherently.
"Moira," James said finally, stepping forward. "It's not for us to say anything. It's not our place."
"It's a full moon," she said, watching James' face carefully. A look of surprise crossed it and quickly vanished.
"I think so. I haven't been outside to check." From the look on his face, she could see that he was lying.
"Sirius," she said, turning back to her boyfriend. "When I told you Remus was sick, you asked if I was okay. Why?"
Sirius' eyes widened. He looked to his friends for help, but they just stared back, just as stunned.
"This isn't the first time it's happened, is it?" Moira continued. "James, you didn't even ask me what happened. And Peter, you thought he had ages. Ages until what?" She turned back to Sirius. "He's a werewolf, isn't he?" she asked quietly.
"Moira," Sirius answered quietly, "James is right. It's not our place."
"The hell it's not. I knew Remus before I knew you, Sirius Black. Now tell me the truth. Is Remus a werewolf?"
"Shh!" James approached her, motioning for her to keep her voice low. "Yes, Moira, Remus is a werewolf."
When Remus returned to the Tower a few days later, James told him what had happened. He wasn't surprised. Why should he have been? He had practically changed right in front of her. However, he was a little nervous. Five people had discovered the truth in the last seven years. Now Moira knew.
He had borrowed James' Invisibility Cloak and waited outside the entry to the Tower for her to return from the library. She jumped when she saw him standing in the shadows.
"Gods, Remus, you scared me."
Without saying a word, he placed his finger on his lips and motioned for her to place her books in the shadow. Then, covering both of them with James' cloak, he led her through the school to a hidden passageway that allowed them outside. Remus did not say a word until they had reached the Quidditch Field some distance from the school.
Finally, he removed the cloak, but continued to say nothing. What was he going to say?
"Moira, you can never tell anyone."
"You brought me all the way out here to say that?"
"I'm serious. No one."
"Remus, you're overreacting-."
"No, I'm not." He gripped her shoulders. "Moira, this is not a game. This is my life! Don't you understand?" He stopped. She had her hands on his chest, pushing him away. He removed his hands, running them now through his hair. "Don't you understand, Moira, that it's not a question of parents freaking out that their kids will get mauled? It used to be, but it's not anymore. This is serious. People are terrified of werewolves because Voldemort has so many in his employ. There are actually clubs of wizards who hunt them down and display the hides. If anyone finds out that I-."
"Remus, you're overreacting about having to warn me. I am well aware of your dangers, and I will never tell another. You can trust me."
"I'm sorry. I just had to make you aware-"
"I am aware, I promise you, Remus. I am all too aware of how dangerous it is to stick out of the crowd in this war. I swear, I will not allow the same to happen to you. Hey." She cupped his cheek, bringing his eyes to meet hers. "I don't know what has changed between us, why you avoid me whenever you can. Or why you seem to think you cannot trust me anymore. We've been best friends since our first year. I don't know what I would do if I lost that. I hope I haven't already."
"You haven't."
"Thank you."