Kristin slowed down when she hit the woods. She stopped at a tree to catch her breath. She rested her hand against the cool bark, savoring the fresh air of freedom. She then noticed that her arm had scratch wounds on it, the blood already dried up. "Dang, he did scratch me. I told him he was pressing too hard, the monster," she said to herself. "Well, when I go home, I'll wash it out. It shouldn't be too much longer. I'll be home for breakfast!"
Kristin then heard a sound that made her heart beat faster than when the Beast had her in his death grip. She turned around to see a couple of werewolves staring her down. "As if the day couldn't get any worse!" she declared. She picked up a stick and cursed the fact her locket was gold. "Don't you dare come near me!" she admonished them.
They closed in, much to her fear. She had heard stories of werewolves and she didn't want to become one. They weren't highly looked upon and she figured that was the only way her standing in Hogsmeade could decrease. "Go away! Stay where are you!" she cried at them, waving the stick at them. One of them grabbed the stick and broke it half. She wondered if she could jab them with the pointed end, but that would probably only infuriate them more.
She was about to give up and resign herself to her new fate when a roar startled all three. She watched in amazement as the Beast began swinging at the werewolves. Kristin wondered briefly if he was insane, but then she remembered that if they bit or scratched him, he wouldn't be harmed.
The werewolves got a few good scratches and bites at her former master, but he finally got the best of them. The two ran off whimpering into the woods, while Kristin finally approached the Beast. "What are you doing here?" she asked him, but not in an accusing tone. How could you if you were just saved by someone?
"Your arm—you're injured—werewolves—I had to," he coughed out. He then promptly passed out from the loss of blood. Kristin gasped and used her cloak to stop the bleeding. She then cast a levitating charm on the Beast and returned him to the castle.
Severus came to in his favorite chair in front of a roaring fire. Then the pain in his arm came to his attention. He noticed that one of the werewolves had gotten a good scratch at him. Instinctively he went to clean his wound by licking it.
"Don't do that!" he heard a voice reprimand. He turned to see Kristin kneeling before him, a cloth in her hand. Her black hair was down, falling around her shoulders. He noted that it was a good look for her before his arm stung. She had brought down the rag—drenched in warm water—on his wound.
"That hurt!" he roared. Kristin pulled away and glared at him.
"Well, if you would just hold still, it wouldn't hurt so much!"
"Well, if you didn't run into the woods, I wouldn't be injured."
"Two could play that game. If you hadn't frightened me, I wouldn't have had to run away. Besides, you didn't have to come after me."
"You shouldn't have been in the dungeon. And I felt bad because I injured you and I didn't mean to," Severus said, suddenly remembering her arms. "Is it okay? I think you should be cleaning it."
Kristin seemed surprised at his concern and smiled at him. "I did and then cast a healing charm on it. See?" She held up her arm. "It was only a flesh wound, no lasting damage. Unlike this. Now, hold still," she said, gently placing the rag on his arm.
Kristin placed the rag down, only for Severus to discover it was a napkin. Harmony, to be exact. Remus held her up and asked if she was alright. "I'm fine. I did it for the Master's sake," she said. Lily handed Kristin a bandage and the latter wrapped Severus' arm.
"By the way," Kristin said when it was done, "thank you for saving my life back there in the forest."
Severus smiled at her. "You're welcome. And thanks for taking care of my arm." The two just sat there, some form of barrier seemingly crossed.
Mrs. Weasley, who had provided the warm water Kristin had used, cleared her throat. "It is very late. I would suggest everyone go to bed. Good night," she said, hopping off to the kitchen. Kristin said her goodnights and walked to her room while Severus watched her walk off.
After his daughter selflessly sacrificed her freedom for his, Arthur frantically drove back to the town. He burst in to Madame Rosmerta's, where Sirius was nursing his hurt pride in some Firewhiskey. "I still can't believe she rejected me," Sirius whined, for the hundredth time.
"She's odd—we all knew that," Peter comforted, with the three Gryffindor Sisters agreeing with him. "Both she and her father are. It runs in her family. Maybe you should just give up!"
"Give up? Sirius never gives up! You know that Peter," Sirius stated, referring to himself in the third person yet again that night. "She's the one. We're the perfect couple—I'm dashingly handsome, she's beautifully beautiful. Perfect!"
"But that still doesn't offset the fact that insanity seems to run in her family," one of the Gryffindor sisters cried out. One of her sisters turned to see Arthur burst into the bar. "Speaking of which, crazy inventor slash disgrace to the wizarding world on the approach."
Arthur grabbed Sirius' arm. "You have to help me," he pleaded. "He's got her—she's locked in a tower—you have to help her!"
Sirius pried Arthur's hand off his arm, which he flexed. The sight of his muscles caused all three Gryffindor Sisters to faint. "What are you talking about, old man? Who's got who looked in a tower?" Sirius asked, motioning for Peter to revive the three sisters.
"Kristin is locked in tower," Arthur said, "by a beast! A monster!" His declaration caused all in Rosmerta's to start laughing hysterically, including Sirius. Arthur's face grew as red as his hair. "You have to believe me. Kristin needs our help! I need you to help me out!"
Sirius could smell a joke a mile away and he could sense one now. "Alright, old man, we'll help you out," he said, smiling at the grin on Arthur's face. "Which way did you come in?" The rest of the bar laughed as two of Sirius' lackeys dragged Arthur out of the bar. "Crazy old man," Sirius said.
He then suddenly got thoughtful, placing his finger over his lips and going, "Mmm." He sat like that for a few minutes before smiling deviously. "I've got it!" he declared.
"Got what?" Peter and the Gryffindor Sisters asked in unison.
"An idea. I'm crazy about Kristin, she's crazy about her father, and the old man is just plain crazy," Sirius said. "So, I've come up a way to get the girl at last!" He drew the four all together and began whispering in their ear.
Peter pulled back and just gasped when the plan was finished. "She wouldn't fall for that!" Gryffindor Sister 1 said. "But for her father, she would do anything," Gryffindor Sister 2 said. "So it is a brilliant idea!" the last Gryffindor Sister finished. Sirius just sat back laughing.
