Chapter 3
The Clearing Sky
The urge to scream was so intense, it would be just a few short seconds & the werewolf would rip the flesh from her bones; but time seemed to stop.
The werewolf released her, & Neenu fell to the ground in shock.
The sounds of her pursuers faded away slowly as the sun crept through the early morning alleyways. Then the werewolf changed.
He was a handsome man, but his face was lined slightly by years of hardship. His kind eyes stared down at Neenu, glazed over by the onset of tears.
He held out his hand to the crumpled girl on the ground; Neenu withdrew whimpering thinking him the enemy.
She no longer had the strength to fight even if he was, she was spent, and the thought of even reaching for her wand eluded her in her dazed state.
"It's all right," his voice was soft flowing like wind in the trees.
"It's all right. I'm a friend of Sirius."
"Reamus?" Neenu stammered, a single tear of hope rolling down her cheek.
"How did you guess?" a playful smile crinkled on his face.
"Holding onto a last hope, I 'spose," Neenu smiled.
Taking her hand, Reamus helped pull her up off the ground. Her body gave way under her & she fell back down again, the signs of a fever growing on her face.
Lifting her up again in both arms, Reamus cradled the girl as he made his way down the streets. Neenu snuggled into his shoulder at peace at last.
She awoke to find mid-afternoon sunshine warming her face.
She shot up out of the bed. "Where am I?" she mumbled to herself, slightly afraid in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Creeping out of the musky room, Neenu descended a small flight of stairs, following her nose as it led her to the lovely smell of food.
Entering the kitchen, she found a man with his back to her.
Was he friend or foe? The night had been all a blur to her she hardly knew herself.
The man suddenly turned around,
"Ah you're finally awake. Good." Reamus smiled as he placed a steaming pot of stew on the table. "Hungry?"
"Um, just a little," Neenu replied as her rumbled loudly in response to the smell of food.
Sitting down at the table, Reamus handed Neenu a bowl of the sweet smelling stew.
The room was silent as they both slurped down the meal, until Reamus broke the silence, his voice concerned & mournful,
"We had almost lost hope you know, of finding you," he looked up at Neenu, who had stopped eating.
"We thought we were too late, that They had taken you."
"I thought the same for while. I had no idea how I was going to keep running from them. You saved me from a fate worse than death," Neenu replied, no emotion in her tone.
"They wiped Harry's memory of the night," he sighed. "I s'pose that it's for the best."
"He'll still remember," Neenu smiled. "One day he'll remember; just like I'll remember everything I've lost one day."
Reamus smiled, "There are some things that shouldn't be remembered, though."
Neenu nodded as she began to eat her stew again.
"I'm excepting visitors tomorrow," Reamus announced. "They're coming to see you & to discuss what is to be done. Do you think you're ready?"
Again Neenu nodded, no longer wishing to talk.
"Finish your soup, then I'll clean up those wounds of yours. After that, you best go rest again to ready yourself for tomorrow."
The Clearing Sky
The urge to scream was so intense, it would be just a few short seconds & the werewolf would rip the flesh from her bones; but time seemed to stop.
The werewolf released her, & Neenu fell to the ground in shock.
The sounds of her pursuers faded away slowly as the sun crept through the early morning alleyways. Then the werewolf changed.
He was a handsome man, but his face was lined slightly by years of hardship. His kind eyes stared down at Neenu, glazed over by the onset of tears.
He held out his hand to the crumpled girl on the ground; Neenu withdrew whimpering thinking him the enemy.
She no longer had the strength to fight even if he was, she was spent, and the thought of even reaching for her wand eluded her in her dazed state.
"It's all right," his voice was soft flowing like wind in the trees.
"It's all right. I'm a friend of Sirius."
"Reamus?" Neenu stammered, a single tear of hope rolling down her cheek.
"How did you guess?" a playful smile crinkled on his face.
"Holding onto a last hope, I 'spose," Neenu smiled.
Taking her hand, Reamus helped pull her up off the ground. Her body gave way under her & she fell back down again, the signs of a fever growing on her face.
Lifting her up again in both arms, Reamus cradled the girl as he made his way down the streets. Neenu snuggled into his shoulder at peace at last.
She awoke to find mid-afternoon sunshine warming her face.
She shot up out of the bed. "Where am I?" she mumbled to herself, slightly afraid in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Creeping out of the musky room, Neenu descended a small flight of stairs, following her nose as it led her to the lovely smell of food.
Entering the kitchen, she found a man with his back to her.
Was he friend or foe? The night had been all a blur to her she hardly knew herself.
The man suddenly turned around,
"Ah you're finally awake. Good." Reamus smiled as he placed a steaming pot of stew on the table. "Hungry?"
"Um, just a little," Neenu replied as her rumbled loudly in response to the smell of food.
Sitting down at the table, Reamus handed Neenu a bowl of the sweet smelling stew.
The room was silent as they both slurped down the meal, until Reamus broke the silence, his voice concerned & mournful,
"We had almost lost hope you know, of finding you," he looked up at Neenu, who had stopped eating.
"We thought we were too late, that They had taken you."
"I thought the same for while. I had no idea how I was going to keep running from them. You saved me from a fate worse than death," Neenu replied, no emotion in her tone.
"They wiped Harry's memory of the night," he sighed. "I s'pose that it's for the best."
"He'll still remember," Neenu smiled. "One day he'll remember; just like I'll remember everything I've lost one day."
Reamus smiled, "There are some things that shouldn't be remembered, though."
Neenu nodded as she began to eat her stew again.
"I'm excepting visitors tomorrow," Reamus announced. "They're coming to see you & to discuss what is to be done. Do you think you're ready?"
Again Neenu nodded, no longer wishing to talk.
"Finish your soup, then I'll clean up those wounds of yours. After that, you best go rest again to ready yourself for tomorrow."