Just to warn everyone, this chapter gets really morbid later on. If you
don't like blood and pain and such, I'd suggest not reading it. Even I'm a
bit startled at the turn the chapter took, and I'm the one who wrote it!
Chapter 6
Remus stormed out of the room, pushing past Sirius as he passed him on the stairs. The black-haired boy looked at him, startled, before continuing up towards their dorm room. Remus took no notice of him.
The common room was too crowded for Remus' current mood. He wanted to be somewhere quiet. The library would do... But when he finally slipped into the semi-dark corridor, he saw through the wide library doors that it, too, was full of quietly talking students. He growled low in his throat and turned around, heading outside. Maybe the fresh air would improve his mood.
Mrs. Norris glared at him as he left the building. Dinner was in a few minutes, and she was angry that there was nothing she could do to stop him from going outside. Smiling half-heartedly, he crossed the grounds and slipped into the Forbidden Forest.
For a moment, Remus considered turning around and finding a new place to brood. The forest was especially dangerous at dusk, and Remus was tired, his wits dulled by his emotions. There were many dangerous beasts in the forest, and they wouldn't hesitate to hurt him for trespassing on their land.
Then again, he told himself grimly, I am one of them. I'm as much a dangerous magical beast as they are. Standing a bit straighter and taking out his wand, Remus headed deeper into the forest.
* * *
Liana took a long drink from the stream running through the forest, glancing sideways at a fat rat by her side. It was obvious from the rodent's actions that he wasn't a normal rat: he was staring her up and down, not the least bit nervous about being in a carnivore's presence. Especially a small one like her, who would find a rat as fat as this one to be a nice snack. Drinking her fill, Liana let the rodent learn what he could about her. She doubted he could cause much trouble, whatever he was. When the rat scurried away through the tall grasses, Liana turned away from the stream and trotted off, watching out of the corner of her eye to see where her little companion went. Her sharp eyes saw the grasses bend where he passed, and before long she saw him join two students and a stag. They were well hidden; Liana never would have noticed them if not for the rat.
Satisfied and trying to place the shadowy faces she'd seen, Liana wandered through the forest. She wondered vaguely if it had been Remus and Lily, for Remus was hardly afraid of the forest, and the Marauders were known for going in there whenever they felt like it. But what were he and Lily doing alone in the forest? Lily was going out with James-indeed, they often acted as if they were already married-and never went anywhere without him.
But now that she thought about it, Liana realized they hadn't been alone. There was a stag there, and the rat had obviously been running back to them. What were two students doing with animals from the Forbidden Forest? Muggle animals, no less, although the stag had looked rather more majestic (and white) than most Liana had seen pictures of. Suddenly she realized who they'd been: the Marauders! Mentally kicking herself for letting the rat look at her so closely, she quickened her pace and hoped he hadn't seen anything that he could identify her by.
Liana's wolf nose picked up the scent of poison ivy, the only muggle plant that had managed to grow in the Forbidden Forest. She skirted the plant easily, but had to entirely alter her course a moment later when she came upon a whole patch of it. She sighed and took a sharp left, heading deeper into the forest. It didn't matter where she went; in her wolf form, she instinctively knew where she was at all times. She had little chance of getting lost.
The forest wasn't very scary in daylight; in fact, it was quite beautiful. Sunlight filtered down through the canopy of leaves, and dust motes rose wherever Liana stepped. The specks of dust shone brightly in the rays of light, rising and falling in the soft breeze. When Liana reached a clearing that was literally choked with flowers, she couldn't stop herself from flopping onto the thick bed of flora and taking a roll. Satisfied, she stood and shook herself off. But the clearing was too beautiful, and she couldn't bear to leave it so soon. There was a large opening in the leafy canopy above her, and the October sunlight was very bright. It was chilly, but Liana's fur kept her warm as she curled into a tight ball, nose buried in her tail.
I should just stay a wolf all the time, Liana thought as she drifted off. It's much easier that way...no need to worry about friends, or family, or any of that silly business. But even in her half-asleep stage, Liana knew that wolves were made to roam in packs. She couldn't bear to be alone all her life... Although I've done a pretty good job of it so far, she thought bitterly before falling asleep completely.
* * *
Remus heard a soft rustle nearby. Looking around sharply, his eyes fell on a bush that was moving slightly more than seemed natural in the light breeze. Before he took another step, a smell hit his nose: a bird. Sure enough, when he neared the bush to inspect it more closely, a sparrow took flight and flew away, chirping in fear at the smell of the werewolf. Another sound behind him made him turn on his heel, but it was only a harmless snake slithering among the leaves. Remus realized that his senses must still be exceptionally strong; it had only been a day since his last transformation, although it felt much longer.
The forest was much more boring than he usually thought of it as; even with his senses picking up everything within a few hundred feet of him, and sometimes more, there wasn't much to do. It was much more exciting as a werewolf, prowling around with his friends, trying to catch a unicorn or find a phoenix to accompany Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix that sat, quite alone, in his office all day. Now that he was alone with nothing in particular to do, Remus took note of his surroundings.
And as he did so, his boredom faded to fear. The forest was silent except for the occasional rustlings and chirpings. It was dark; the trees blotted out any dull light the dusk offered. His hyper-active senses picked up every sudden noise, every pair of shining eyes that looked out at him from behind a bush. And he soon realized why everyone was so afraid of the Forbidden Forest.
But this is where I belong! he told himself fiercely. Ever since I was four years old, I've belonged in a place like this... He shuddered as memories flooded back to him. He'd been so stupid as a kid...
*Eleven Years Earlier*
Remus giggled happily and followed his older brother into the moonlit forest that surrounded his house. He was four years old, and always happy to follow his seven-year-old brother on his little adventures into the forest. They always had such fun, even if their parents got mad whenever they found out where they'd been.
"The forest is dangerous!" his mother would shriek.
"There are beasts in there we can only imagine," his father would say, quieter than his wife but even more angry. Remus would look sorrowful, following Beryd's example, and their parents would eventually leave them alone.
Beryd called softly to his little brother, waving his arm excitedly. As Remus toddled towards him, he pulled back a large bush and pointed silently. There, sleeping curled up in the middle of a clearing, was a large gray wolf. Before his brother could stop him, Remus squealed in delight and ran forward to get a closer look. Beryd hissed for him to come back, trying to be quiet and not wake the wolf, but it was too late. The wolf's ears had pricked up at Remus' cry, and now it stood swiftly, growling ferociously. Beryd stared, transfixed, at its deep gray eyes and glistening white teeth. Remus screamed, his delight turned to fear, and tried to run back to Beryd. But he tripped over his own feet and fell heavily to the earth.
The wolf was advancing on Remus. Beryd stood motionless for a second, unable to move for fear, before jumping into the clearing, his toy wand drawn. He carried it with him everywhere, and although it couldn't do more than send sparks, he often fancied it was a real one. Now he wished it were.
At the boy's sudden movement and high-pitched war cry, the wolf switched its terrible gaze from Remus to Beryd. It preferred moving prey; it was simply more exciting. Growling low in its throat, the wolf launched itself at Beryd. The seven-year-old screamed, flailing his wand futilely as the beast slammed into him. The weight of the full-grown monster knocked Beryd to the ground. His breath and his strength left him suddenly, and his weak little toy went rolling into the underbrush. A searing pain cut through him as the wolf locked its jaws onto the boy's throat. It savored the flavor of human blood for a moment before ripping viciously upward.
Remus stared in shock as the wolf tore his brother's throat apart. Blood was everywhere, and Beryd wasn't moving. Oh, why wasn't he moving? The wolf soon tired of tearing at the lifeless body, and, smelling Remus, turned slowly to see the boy still in the clearing, lying motionlessly on the ground.
It was Remus' fear that saved his life. If he'd been running, or trying to get away, the wolf would have advanced much more quickly. As it was, the little boy was frozen with fear. All the muscles in his body were tensed up, and he shook slightly as the beast turned to stare at him with its baleful eyes. He choked back a whimper, swallowed nervously. The wolf snarled, showing its long, white teeth. Suddenly, with a terrible growl, it leapt for Remus. The boy found his wits just in time and rolled out of the way. The wolf landed softly, not missing a beat as it turned towards its prey again. Remus rolled again, but the wolf had taken hold of his upper arm and was grinding its teeth painfully into the flesh. Remus cried out in pain as the wolf snapped the bone easily between its teeth.
White, shaking, weak beyond imagining, Remus gave up. He sobbed uncontrollably as he realized that he would never see his parents or brother again. He would never go to Hogwarts, never fly on a real broom, never use a wand. He would never do any of the things he'd always dreamed about...
The little boy didn't even notice when the wolf released his arm. He left it dangling at his side and continued sobbing into his other sleeve, oblivious to the shouts and the struggle taking place a few feet from him. When he felt himself being lifted into the air, he merely thought he'd died, and that his soul was flying away into the night. It wasn't until he felt himself tumble onto soft, clean, cool sheets that he realized he wasn't dead-he was home.
The four-year-old looked up with tear-filled eyes. A blurry figure stood over him, and after blinking away the tears, Remus could see a grim look on his father's face. He almost smiled with relief at the familiar person standing there, but a jolt of pain went through his arm, bringing him back to reality. He began to bawl again, with pain and fright and relief...the feelings mixed up in him until he didn't know what he was thinking or feeling at all.
Finally, sleep overtook the exhausted toddler. His dreams were far from comforting. In them, a wolf with gray eyes stood over him, something bloody in its jaws. Behind the beast, Beryd stood waving sadly at him. His throat was torn to shreds, and as Remus watched, his brother's head fell onto his shoulder, smearing blood on his robes, before tumbling to the ground. More than once that night, Remus woke screaming.
* * *
Remus realized with a start that he was curled up against a tree, silent tears running down his cheeks. The hand gripping his wand was white- knuckled, and he was covered in a cold sweat. He stood slowly, leaning against the tree for support, and brushed the twigs and leaves carefully from his robes. Pale and shaking, Remus continued his trek through the forest. Again and again, he forced himself to block the memories that were flooding back to him. He didn't want to remember the look on Beryd's face as the wolf jumped on him...
Shuddering and pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, Remus looked around. He'd wandered into a wide clearing filled with flowers. He gasped and stepped back when he saw a wolf curled up in the middle of it, just as the werewolf had been all those years ago...
He shook the thoughts firmly from his mind again. This was not a werewolf, obviously, and it was sleeping peacefully amid the flora. He lit his wand, using a different spell than usual that would make the light dim and soft. The wolf in the clearing was shiny black, and curled up tight with its nose in its tail. It shivered slightly with every passing breeze, but slept on.
Remus sighed and put out his wand. He turned to leave, but something about the wolf struck him. Turning back and lighting his wand again, he stepped closer to get a better look. Sure enough, upon closer inspection, it became obvious that this was the same wolf he'd seen earlier that day. The same wolf, according to Peter, who'd prevented that third-year from being bitten.
Running his hand through his hair, Remus sat down thoughtfully in the soft bed of flowers. The wolf stirred, but didn't wake. Specks of dust rose into the air, glinting in the starlight and moonlight that shone brightly in the clearing, now that there were no leaves blocking their paths. The wolf heaved a sigh and shifted onto her back, paws in the air in a very doglike manner. Remus smiled; if she wasn't so small and thin, he'd say she reminded him of Padfoot.
He didn't know why, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the little black wolf that slept a few yards from him. There was something so familiar about her, but not physically. It was as if her very presence was comforting and homey. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, without a care in the world, made him happy and at peace. He soon forgot his earlier anger, and the memories that had overtaken him not ten minutes ago faded to their usual place in the back of his mind. Before he knew it, he was dropping off.
* * *
Remus must have been exhausted, for he fell deep asleep so quickly that he didn't even notice when he fell onto his back in the flowers. His movement and noise didn't wake him, but it woke Liana. She flipped onto her feet quite suddenly, alert and ready to fight. It took her a while to realize that there was no danger, only Remus.
Remus? What was he doing there?
She cautiously approached the prone figure, sniffing him tentatively. He didn't seem to be hurt, but why would he be fast asleep in the depths of the Forbidden Forest?
Now that she thought about it, why was she? Looking up, Liana noticed with a start that the moon was rising above the trees, and the stars were shining brightly in the velvety sky. Had she really been sleeping there all afternoon? And why was Remus with her...had he come looking for her, or was she just flattering herself?
The questions popped around in Liana's mind, but before long, they drifted to the back again and she settled comfortably on the bed of flowers. She must not have gotten enough sleep, for she was feeling drowsy again already...
No! She shouldn't be tired...she'd been sleeping for hours. With a start, Liana realized there must be something in the clearing, perhaps that beautiful dust, that was...
What was she thinking, again? The wolf shook her head and settled it comfortably between her paws again. No worry. Certainly she'd remember it when she woke up...
A loud screech startled Liana to her feet again. She looked angrily at the colorful dust as it rose with the air currents. There was something funny about this clearing, and it was beginning to get on her nerves. Sniffing angrily, she trotted out of the clearing and away from the magical dust.
As soon as she was away from the influence of the dust, Liana's mind focused again. She remembered with a start that she'd left Remus in the clearing. Quite possibly, no one knew he was there, and if she left him, he'd sleep there until he starved to death. Groaning at the thought of going back into that accursed clearing, Liana turned and loped back to where she'd been. She tried dragging the prone boy out with her teeth, but he was very heavy and his robes were beginning to rip. Growling and Changing back to her human form, Liana placed her hands under Remus' arms and pulled.
Nothing happened.
The dust seemed to have more effect than just drowsiness; Remus felt like he weighed a few tons, and Liana could hardly even pick up his arm. She rolled her eyes, glaring at the damned dust, and slapped Remus smartly across the face.
Holding his hand to his cheek, Remus awoke with a start. He turned, wide- eyed, to see Liana kneeling next to him, an annoyed look on her face.
"What was that for?" he asked angrily. Now that she was in front of him, the anger from earlier returned to him full force. Why wasn't she in the hospital wing, where she should be? Liana shrugged.
"I had to wake you up," she said matter-of-factly. Remus grimaced and rubbed his cheek, pushing himself to his feet.
"There're gentler ways of doing that, y'know," he grumbled as he followed her out of the clearing. But Liana wasn't listening. She was humming to herself and picking her way through the forest.
"We'd better get back to the school as fast as we can," she said casually. "We're way past curfew by now." Remus nodded absently, his mind back in the clearing with the black wolf. It hadn't been there when Liana had waken him; she'd probably scared it away.
"Did you see a black wolf in the clearing before you woke me up?" he asked carefully, wondering how odd he'd sound. Liana looked at him sharply.
"No. No, why would you think that?" She smacked herself inwardly for sounding so obvious. She was so terrible at quick thinking...
"Uh, no reason..." Remus muttered, surprised at her snappy answer. He would have said more, but he had to jump back to avoid a tree branch that snapped at him after Liana passed it. She was walking quickly, deftly avoiding low-hanging branches and jumping deer-like over fallen logs. Before long, she was far ahead of Remus; he could only catch occasional glimpses of her through the thick foliage. More than once, he thought he saw the wolf ahead of him, before realizing it was Liana's black hair, streaming out behind her in the light breeze.
Chapter 6
Remus stormed out of the room, pushing past Sirius as he passed him on the stairs. The black-haired boy looked at him, startled, before continuing up towards their dorm room. Remus took no notice of him.
The common room was too crowded for Remus' current mood. He wanted to be somewhere quiet. The library would do... But when he finally slipped into the semi-dark corridor, he saw through the wide library doors that it, too, was full of quietly talking students. He growled low in his throat and turned around, heading outside. Maybe the fresh air would improve his mood.
Mrs. Norris glared at him as he left the building. Dinner was in a few minutes, and she was angry that there was nothing she could do to stop him from going outside. Smiling half-heartedly, he crossed the grounds and slipped into the Forbidden Forest.
For a moment, Remus considered turning around and finding a new place to brood. The forest was especially dangerous at dusk, and Remus was tired, his wits dulled by his emotions. There were many dangerous beasts in the forest, and they wouldn't hesitate to hurt him for trespassing on their land.
Then again, he told himself grimly, I am one of them. I'm as much a dangerous magical beast as they are. Standing a bit straighter and taking out his wand, Remus headed deeper into the forest.
* * *
Liana took a long drink from the stream running through the forest, glancing sideways at a fat rat by her side. It was obvious from the rodent's actions that he wasn't a normal rat: he was staring her up and down, not the least bit nervous about being in a carnivore's presence. Especially a small one like her, who would find a rat as fat as this one to be a nice snack. Drinking her fill, Liana let the rodent learn what he could about her. She doubted he could cause much trouble, whatever he was. When the rat scurried away through the tall grasses, Liana turned away from the stream and trotted off, watching out of the corner of her eye to see where her little companion went. Her sharp eyes saw the grasses bend where he passed, and before long she saw him join two students and a stag. They were well hidden; Liana never would have noticed them if not for the rat.
Satisfied and trying to place the shadowy faces she'd seen, Liana wandered through the forest. She wondered vaguely if it had been Remus and Lily, for Remus was hardly afraid of the forest, and the Marauders were known for going in there whenever they felt like it. But what were he and Lily doing alone in the forest? Lily was going out with James-indeed, they often acted as if they were already married-and never went anywhere without him.
But now that she thought about it, Liana realized they hadn't been alone. There was a stag there, and the rat had obviously been running back to them. What were two students doing with animals from the Forbidden Forest? Muggle animals, no less, although the stag had looked rather more majestic (and white) than most Liana had seen pictures of. Suddenly she realized who they'd been: the Marauders! Mentally kicking herself for letting the rat look at her so closely, she quickened her pace and hoped he hadn't seen anything that he could identify her by.
Liana's wolf nose picked up the scent of poison ivy, the only muggle plant that had managed to grow in the Forbidden Forest. She skirted the plant easily, but had to entirely alter her course a moment later when she came upon a whole patch of it. She sighed and took a sharp left, heading deeper into the forest. It didn't matter where she went; in her wolf form, she instinctively knew where she was at all times. She had little chance of getting lost.
The forest wasn't very scary in daylight; in fact, it was quite beautiful. Sunlight filtered down through the canopy of leaves, and dust motes rose wherever Liana stepped. The specks of dust shone brightly in the rays of light, rising and falling in the soft breeze. When Liana reached a clearing that was literally choked with flowers, she couldn't stop herself from flopping onto the thick bed of flora and taking a roll. Satisfied, she stood and shook herself off. But the clearing was too beautiful, and she couldn't bear to leave it so soon. There was a large opening in the leafy canopy above her, and the October sunlight was very bright. It was chilly, but Liana's fur kept her warm as she curled into a tight ball, nose buried in her tail.
I should just stay a wolf all the time, Liana thought as she drifted off. It's much easier that way...no need to worry about friends, or family, or any of that silly business. But even in her half-asleep stage, Liana knew that wolves were made to roam in packs. She couldn't bear to be alone all her life... Although I've done a pretty good job of it so far, she thought bitterly before falling asleep completely.
* * *
Remus heard a soft rustle nearby. Looking around sharply, his eyes fell on a bush that was moving slightly more than seemed natural in the light breeze. Before he took another step, a smell hit his nose: a bird. Sure enough, when he neared the bush to inspect it more closely, a sparrow took flight and flew away, chirping in fear at the smell of the werewolf. Another sound behind him made him turn on his heel, but it was only a harmless snake slithering among the leaves. Remus realized that his senses must still be exceptionally strong; it had only been a day since his last transformation, although it felt much longer.
The forest was much more boring than he usually thought of it as; even with his senses picking up everything within a few hundred feet of him, and sometimes more, there wasn't much to do. It was much more exciting as a werewolf, prowling around with his friends, trying to catch a unicorn or find a phoenix to accompany Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix that sat, quite alone, in his office all day. Now that he was alone with nothing in particular to do, Remus took note of his surroundings.
And as he did so, his boredom faded to fear. The forest was silent except for the occasional rustlings and chirpings. It was dark; the trees blotted out any dull light the dusk offered. His hyper-active senses picked up every sudden noise, every pair of shining eyes that looked out at him from behind a bush. And he soon realized why everyone was so afraid of the Forbidden Forest.
But this is where I belong! he told himself fiercely. Ever since I was four years old, I've belonged in a place like this... He shuddered as memories flooded back to him. He'd been so stupid as a kid...
*Eleven Years Earlier*
Remus giggled happily and followed his older brother into the moonlit forest that surrounded his house. He was four years old, and always happy to follow his seven-year-old brother on his little adventures into the forest. They always had such fun, even if their parents got mad whenever they found out where they'd been.
"The forest is dangerous!" his mother would shriek.
"There are beasts in there we can only imagine," his father would say, quieter than his wife but even more angry. Remus would look sorrowful, following Beryd's example, and their parents would eventually leave them alone.
Beryd called softly to his little brother, waving his arm excitedly. As Remus toddled towards him, he pulled back a large bush and pointed silently. There, sleeping curled up in the middle of a clearing, was a large gray wolf. Before his brother could stop him, Remus squealed in delight and ran forward to get a closer look. Beryd hissed for him to come back, trying to be quiet and not wake the wolf, but it was too late. The wolf's ears had pricked up at Remus' cry, and now it stood swiftly, growling ferociously. Beryd stared, transfixed, at its deep gray eyes and glistening white teeth. Remus screamed, his delight turned to fear, and tried to run back to Beryd. But he tripped over his own feet and fell heavily to the earth.
The wolf was advancing on Remus. Beryd stood motionless for a second, unable to move for fear, before jumping into the clearing, his toy wand drawn. He carried it with him everywhere, and although it couldn't do more than send sparks, he often fancied it was a real one. Now he wished it were.
At the boy's sudden movement and high-pitched war cry, the wolf switched its terrible gaze from Remus to Beryd. It preferred moving prey; it was simply more exciting. Growling low in its throat, the wolf launched itself at Beryd. The seven-year-old screamed, flailing his wand futilely as the beast slammed into him. The weight of the full-grown monster knocked Beryd to the ground. His breath and his strength left him suddenly, and his weak little toy went rolling into the underbrush. A searing pain cut through him as the wolf locked its jaws onto the boy's throat. It savored the flavor of human blood for a moment before ripping viciously upward.
Remus stared in shock as the wolf tore his brother's throat apart. Blood was everywhere, and Beryd wasn't moving. Oh, why wasn't he moving? The wolf soon tired of tearing at the lifeless body, and, smelling Remus, turned slowly to see the boy still in the clearing, lying motionlessly on the ground.
It was Remus' fear that saved his life. If he'd been running, or trying to get away, the wolf would have advanced much more quickly. As it was, the little boy was frozen with fear. All the muscles in his body were tensed up, and he shook slightly as the beast turned to stare at him with its baleful eyes. He choked back a whimper, swallowed nervously. The wolf snarled, showing its long, white teeth. Suddenly, with a terrible growl, it leapt for Remus. The boy found his wits just in time and rolled out of the way. The wolf landed softly, not missing a beat as it turned towards its prey again. Remus rolled again, but the wolf had taken hold of his upper arm and was grinding its teeth painfully into the flesh. Remus cried out in pain as the wolf snapped the bone easily between its teeth.
White, shaking, weak beyond imagining, Remus gave up. He sobbed uncontrollably as he realized that he would never see his parents or brother again. He would never go to Hogwarts, never fly on a real broom, never use a wand. He would never do any of the things he'd always dreamed about...
The little boy didn't even notice when the wolf released his arm. He left it dangling at his side and continued sobbing into his other sleeve, oblivious to the shouts and the struggle taking place a few feet from him. When he felt himself being lifted into the air, he merely thought he'd died, and that his soul was flying away into the night. It wasn't until he felt himself tumble onto soft, clean, cool sheets that he realized he wasn't dead-he was home.
The four-year-old looked up with tear-filled eyes. A blurry figure stood over him, and after blinking away the tears, Remus could see a grim look on his father's face. He almost smiled with relief at the familiar person standing there, but a jolt of pain went through his arm, bringing him back to reality. He began to bawl again, with pain and fright and relief...the feelings mixed up in him until he didn't know what he was thinking or feeling at all.
Finally, sleep overtook the exhausted toddler. His dreams were far from comforting. In them, a wolf with gray eyes stood over him, something bloody in its jaws. Behind the beast, Beryd stood waving sadly at him. His throat was torn to shreds, and as Remus watched, his brother's head fell onto his shoulder, smearing blood on his robes, before tumbling to the ground. More than once that night, Remus woke screaming.
* * *
Remus realized with a start that he was curled up against a tree, silent tears running down his cheeks. The hand gripping his wand was white- knuckled, and he was covered in a cold sweat. He stood slowly, leaning against the tree for support, and brushed the twigs and leaves carefully from his robes. Pale and shaking, Remus continued his trek through the forest. Again and again, he forced himself to block the memories that were flooding back to him. He didn't want to remember the look on Beryd's face as the wolf jumped on him...
Shuddering and pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, Remus looked around. He'd wandered into a wide clearing filled with flowers. He gasped and stepped back when he saw a wolf curled up in the middle of it, just as the werewolf had been all those years ago...
He shook the thoughts firmly from his mind again. This was not a werewolf, obviously, and it was sleeping peacefully amid the flora. He lit his wand, using a different spell than usual that would make the light dim and soft. The wolf in the clearing was shiny black, and curled up tight with its nose in its tail. It shivered slightly with every passing breeze, but slept on.
Remus sighed and put out his wand. He turned to leave, but something about the wolf struck him. Turning back and lighting his wand again, he stepped closer to get a better look. Sure enough, upon closer inspection, it became obvious that this was the same wolf he'd seen earlier that day. The same wolf, according to Peter, who'd prevented that third-year from being bitten.
Running his hand through his hair, Remus sat down thoughtfully in the soft bed of flowers. The wolf stirred, but didn't wake. Specks of dust rose into the air, glinting in the starlight and moonlight that shone brightly in the clearing, now that there were no leaves blocking their paths. The wolf heaved a sigh and shifted onto her back, paws in the air in a very doglike manner. Remus smiled; if she wasn't so small and thin, he'd say she reminded him of Padfoot.
He didn't know why, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the little black wolf that slept a few yards from him. There was something so familiar about her, but not physically. It was as if her very presence was comforting and homey. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, without a care in the world, made him happy and at peace. He soon forgot his earlier anger, and the memories that had overtaken him not ten minutes ago faded to their usual place in the back of his mind. Before he knew it, he was dropping off.
* * *
Remus must have been exhausted, for he fell deep asleep so quickly that he didn't even notice when he fell onto his back in the flowers. His movement and noise didn't wake him, but it woke Liana. She flipped onto her feet quite suddenly, alert and ready to fight. It took her a while to realize that there was no danger, only Remus.
Remus? What was he doing there?
She cautiously approached the prone figure, sniffing him tentatively. He didn't seem to be hurt, but why would he be fast asleep in the depths of the Forbidden Forest?
Now that she thought about it, why was she? Looking up, Liana noticed with a start that the moon was rising above the trees, and the stars were shining brightly in the velvety sky. Had she really been sleeping there all afternoon? And why was Remus with her...had he come looking for her, or was she just flattering herself?
The questions popped around in Liana's mind, but before long, they drifted to the back again and she settled comfortably on the bed of flowers. She must not have gotten enough sleep, for she was feeling drowsy again already...
No! She shouldn't be tired...she'd been sleeping for hours. With a start, Liana realized there must be something in the clearing, perhaps that beautiful dust, that was...
What was she thinking, again? The wolf shook her head and settled it comfortably between her paws again. No worry. Certainly she'd remember it when she woke up...
A loud screech startled Liana to her feet again. She looked angrily at the colorful dust as it rose with the air currents. There was something funny about this clearing, and it was beginning to get on her nerves. Sniffing angrily, she trotted out of the clearing and away from the magical dust.
As soon as she was away from the influence of the dust, Liana's mind focused again. She remembered with a start that she'd left Remus in the clearing. Quite possibly, no one knew he was there, and if she left him, he'd sleep there until he starved to death. Groaning at the thought of going back into that accursed clearing, Liana turned and loped back to where she'd been. She tried dragging the prone boy out with her teeth, but he was very heavy and his robes were beginning to rip. Growling and Changing back to her human form, Liana placed her hands under Remus' arms and pulled.
Nothing happened.
The dust seemed to have more effect than just drowsiness; Remus felt like he weighed a few tons, and Liana could hardly even pick up his arm. She rolled her eyes, glaring at the damned dust, and slapped Remus smartly across the face.
Holding his hand to his cheek, Remus awoke with a start. He turned, wide- eyed, to see Liana kneeling next to him, an annoyed look on her face.
"What was that for?" he asked angrily. Now that she was in front of him, the anger from earlier returned to him full force. Why wasn't she in the hospital wing, where she should be? Liana shrugged.
"I had to wake you up," she said matter-of-factly. Remus grimaced and rubbed his cheek, pushing himself to his feet.
"There're gentler ways of doing that, y'know," he grumbled as he followed her out of the clearing. But Liana wasn't listening. She was humming to herself and picking her way through the forest.
"We'd better get back to the school as fast as we can," she said casually. "We're way past curfew by now." Remus nodded absently, his mind back in the clearing with the black wolf. It hadn't been there when Liana had waken him; she'd probably scared it away.
"Did you see a black wolf in the clearing before you woke me up?" he asked carefully, wondering how odd he'd sound. Liana looked at him sharply.
"No. No, why would you think that?" She smacked herself inwardly for sounding so obvious. She was so terrible at quick thinking...
"Uh, no reason..." Remus muttered, surprised at her snappy answer. He would have said more, but he had to jump back to avoid a tree branch that snapped at him after Liana passed it. She was walking quickly, deftly avoiding low-hanging branches and jumping deer-like over fallen logs. Before long, she was far ahead of Remus; he could only catch occasional glimpses of her through the thick foliage. More than once, he thought he saw the wolf ahead of him, before realizing it was Liana's black hair, streaming out behind her in the light breeze.