ROTRUFIN

CHAPTER 20-LOOSE IN LONDON

We entered St. Mungo's and the nurse at the front desk recognized me.

"Hey," she said brightly. "You are looking for Marybeth?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Go on up," she said beaming at Gillian, James, Lily, Sirius and I.

We headed over to the stairs and began climbing.

We reached the floor and opened the double doors that led into the corridor and began entering the section. I approached the Healer's desk.

"Hello!" the Healer said brightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I said. "Is Marybeth around?"

"Sure," the Healer said. "She's in the Rec room."

We headed into the Rec room. Marybeth was reading a book and looked up and saw me. Immediately, she broke into a huge grin.

"Remy!" she cried as she slammed the book shut and tossed it onto the couch. She rushed forward.

"Hey," I said brightly as I gave her a big hug. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Marybeth said hugging me tightly, and then she released me.

She looked at Emma, Gillian, James, Sirius and Lily.

"Hey," Sirius said grinning at her.

"Who are you?" Marybeth asked looking at Gillian.

"Gillian," Gillian said pleasantly. "Remus had told us a lot about you."

Marybeth eyed her skeptically for some reason.

"You're confused about him," Marybeth said gesturing to me.

Gillian looked at her shocked and stunned.

"Sorry Gillian," I said apologetically. "I forgot to tell you she's psychic."

Gillian just looked at me.

"Now wonder that comment freaked me out," she said laughing.

"You're confused about him," Marybeth continued still gesturing to me. "After what happened last night."

Immediately, Gillian's face flushed with color.

"Erm," I said quickly. "Did you see what happened to Chelsea?"

Marybeth forgot about Gillian and she turned to me.

"No but I saw it in my mind," Marybeth said quietly. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"

"Sure," I said.

She led us into her room.

"What happened last night?" Emma whispered to me.

I shook my head and sat down on Marybeth's bed. Gillian sat on a chair…Sirius, Lily and James sat down on the small little couch.

"What happened to Chelsea?" I demanded.

Marybeth sighed.

"Well, after you left, Chelsea was crying in her room," Marybeth said. "I went to check on her and she told me to go away. So I came back in here. She didn't appear for dinner. I was getting worried and so were the Healers.

The Healers' knocked on her door and I heard her yell to leave her alone. So when nighttime came around and I went to bed, I had a vision and I saw someone dressed in a hooded cape enter the hospital and walk silently into her room. She screamed as something was thrusted into her chest. When I came out of the vision, Healers were running down the corridor in panic. I heard them cry out. I peered out my door just a crack and saw them magick Chelsea's body onto a stretcher. She had been covered with a sheet but some of the blood had come through and stained it. I quickly shut my door before they noticed me."

I swallowed.

"Did you tell them what you saw?"

Marybeth shook her head.

"But the thing is no one else saw anything. How are you going to explain to the Ministry's Magical Law Enforcement that a psychic saw what happened in her mind, but no one else was a witness? They would think I had something to do with the murder because how else would I know such details?"

"So you're basically caught between a rock and hard place huh? If you tell them what you saw, they'd surely put you in jail because they'd think you did it. On the other hand, if you don't say anything, Chelsea's murderer will get away," Emma said quietly.

Marybeth looked at Emma.

"Exactly,"

"Did you see anything at all that might help us?" I asked.

Marybeth frowned.

"No," she said. "I didn't see his face or anything."

"Who'd want to hurt her?" James mused. "She was a nice girl."

"Yeah," Lily said sadly shaking her head.

"What are we going to do?" Gillian said quietly.

"I'm not sure," I said sighing. "But someone came into this hospital undetected and entered her room. It was obviously a wizard or witch…someone with magical powers definitely."

"But then there's the motive," James offered. "Why kill a werewolf?"

"A werewolf?" Gillian said wide-eyed. "Chelsea was a werewolf too?"

We nodded.

"Whatever the person killed her with had to made of silver," Lily said.

"Exactly," Marybeth said nodding.

"I do hope we find out who killed her," I said sadly. "She was my best friend."

Emma made a noise between a cough and whisper, but I couldn't make out what she had said.

"Listen," Marybeth said leaning close to me. "I still have that feeling that something awful is going to happen to you. Please be careful okay?"

"I promise," I said softly.

She nodded.

After we talked to Marybeth, we headed out of St. Mungo's and began making our way back to the park.

By now it was nighttime. I looked up at the sky. It was a full moon.

"Oh no," Lily moaned. "We completely forgot that tonight was a full moon! We can't fly back to Hogwarts until morning!"

Everyone sighed.

"Where can we stay?" Gillian asked.

"Well, we can stay in Diagon Alley," James suggested. "We'd be completely surrounded by wizards and witches. Plus we won't have to worry about getting lost."

"What about the Shrieking Shack? That's all the way in Hogsmeade. Where will you two change?" Lily asked looking at Sirius and James.

"We're just going to have to find a secluded spot," Sirius said shrugging.

"We'd best hurry," I said cringing.

GILLIAN.

We hurried back to London and to Diagon Alley. We managed to rent two rooms above the Three Broomsticks. We were going to have to share.

Remus, Sirius and James hurried off to change.

Lily, Emma and I relaxed in the room.

"Ugh," Lily said yawning. "I'm so beat."

"Me too," Emma agreed.

I laid down on my stomach on the bed and crossed my arms. I rested my chin on top of my arms.

"Are you okay, Gillian?" Emma asked looking at me. "You seem a bit distracted."

"Yeah," I said.

"We can see through you," Lily said softly. "Please tell us what's wrong."

"Well, remember what Marybeth said? About me being confused about what happened last night with Remus?"

Emma and Lily nodded.

"That's because we slept together," I muttered.

Lily's jaw dropped open and Emma slipped right off her chair.

"Oh. My. God," Lily said wide-eyed.

Emma clambered back onto her seat and cleared her throat.

"Really?"

I nodded.

"How was it?" Lily gushed eagerly leaning forward.

"Lily," Emma scolded.

Lily ignored her.

"Fantastic," I said with a slight smile. "But Remus is my best friend. Now it's going to be awkward around him."

"Why'd you do it?" Emma demanded.

"Not sure," I said honestly. "I think it was because I am afraid to lose him."

"Lose him?" Lily asked tilting her head.

"Yeah," I said. "You see, my parents don't really give a shit about me. They're always away and they favor my older brother who plays for the Chudley Cannons. I've always been pushed aside and neglected. My guess is that I was just making sure I wouldn't lose him like I lost my parents. Plus we got caught up in the moment."

Emma's honey brown eyes narrowed.

"So basically you used him?"

"No!" I said shaking my head. "I care a great deal about him! I would never hurt him."

"We've only known you for a few months…we've known Remus for years," Emma said in an accusing tone.

"Trust me okay? I would never intentionally hurt him," I said earnestly.

"Have you talked to him?" Lily asked.

"Sort of," I admitted. "But I'm thinking I really need to talk to him to explain myself."

Emma let out snort.

"You're a slut," she said angrily. "I'm pretty sure Remus cares a great deal for you but does he know you only regard him as a best friend?"

Emma's words stung.

EMMA.

I was really angry with Gillian. She used Remus and now only sees him as a best friend, when I'm pretty sure he felt differently toward her.

Gillian's eyes filled with tears.

"I told you…I have to really talk to him still," her voice began breaking.

"Emma, stop with the interrogation," Lily said looking at me.

"Am I the only one who cares that Remus was used?" I demanded angrily jumping to my feet. "She screws him and then the only explanation she comes up with is 'Oh I was afraid of losing him and we got caught up in the moment?' Don't you think that hurt him? Excuse me, I'm taking a walk."

With that, I left the room, leaving Lily and Gillian speechless.

I began walking the cobble streets of Diagon Alley. It was quiet as most of the witches and wizards had gone home for the night. The street was lit with lanterns.

I pulled my robe tighter around me as the night air took on a chill.

I suddenly heard toenails clicking on the cobblestone street, as well as hooves clopping.

I sighed, recognizing the sounds.

Sure enough, a big black dog, a gray wolf and a huge cream stag came walking up the alley.

The big black dog galloped over to me wagging his tail. I laughed and scratched an ear.

The stag's dark brown eyes were locked on me and his antlers caught the moonlight. I looked at the gray wolf.

I got down on one knee. The wolf came over to me.

"You poor thing," I said quietly reaching out to touch the wolfs head. I began scratching an ear. "Gillian used you huh?"

The wolf licked my hand, and then to my surprise, he began growling.

"Remus?" I asked pulling my hand back.

The black dog and stag were watching apprehensively too.

I stood up. The wolf charged at me, knocking me onto my back. My head hit one of the stones in the street. Before the blackness swallowed me up, I saw the wolf tearing out of Diagon Alley and into the streets of London.

I moaned and groggily opened my eyes. It was morning. I propped myself up onto my elbows. James and Sirius were crouching down next to me.

"You okay?" Sirius demanded as he and James helped me to my feet.

"Yeah," I said rubbing the back of my head, but I felt an opened wound. When I lowered my hands, blood stained my index, middle and fourth fingers. I looked down at the stone. A bit of blood had stained it too.

"Where's Remus?" I demanded.

"Not sure," Sirius said looking upset and worried. "He just took off out of Diagon Alley."

"Oh man," I moaned. "We've got to find him!"

We jogged back to the Three Broomsticks.

"What did you mean last night when you said 'Gillian used Remus'?" Sirius asked.

I immediately told him and James what Gillian did.

"Whoa," Sirius said.

We knocked on the door. Lily answered the door.

"Oh thank God!" she gushed hugging me. "We thought something had happened to you!"

"We've got bigger problems right now," James said gravely. "Remus tore out of Diagon Alley. He's lose in London."

"Oh no!" Gillian cried.

"Why do you care?" Sirius asked coldly.

So he was on my side. I thought smugly.

"I care about him okay?" Gillian cried.

"Enough," James said holding up a hand. "We've got to find Remus."

"Any ideas where he might've gone?" Lily asked hugging herself.

We all thought long and hard.

"St. Mungo's," we all said in unison.

We left Diagon Alley and headed back into London and to St. Mungo's.

We quickly entered the hospital and hurried up to the section where Remus had been staying.

"Where is Marybeth?" Sirius demanded.

"Not sure," one of the Healers said looking upset. "She's missing."

We all looked at each other.

"Split up! Wherever Marybeth is, Remus should be too," James said.

So, James and I headed in one direction while Gillian, Sirius and Lily headed in another.

We heard whimpering coming from one of the rooms.

We opened the door and found Remus in human form, holding his wand aimed at Marybeth's throat.

"Moony! What are you doing?" James cried.

"She lied," Remus said angrily his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Lied? About what?" I asked in calm, soothing tone.

"Chelsea," he snarled.

"What about Chelsea? Speak to us," James said also in a calm tone.

"I realized that something she said didn't sit right with me," Remus said. "She said that she couldn't see the killer's face. Because it was her!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked looking from Marybeth to Remus.

Marybeth had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"The Healer's would've certainly seen someone enter St. Mungo's regardless if the person was magical or not. No one saw anything…isn't that a little weird? Unless the person was wearing an Invisibility Cloak and how would Marybeth know something was plunged into Chelsea's chest? She wouldn't have been able to see the person would she?"

We stared at Marybeth and then at Remus. What he said was making total sense.

"Why'd you do it?" Remus yelled. "WHY'D YOU KILL HER?"

"I didn't!" Marybeth yelled back sobbing.

"DON'T LIE! WHY? WHY KILL HER? SHE DID NOTHING TO YOU!"

"ALRIGHT! I KILLED HER! BECAUSE SHE LOVED YOU AND I COULDN'T LET THAT HAPPEN!"