Midnight approached slower than it usually did. Tru was sitting on the common room couch. Her friends sleeping around her. The silence was almost unbearable. She wanted to scream just to break it. And get it overwith. Her father was probably waiting for her. Standing in the great hall.
Tru's heart suddenly stopped. Her potion...she forgot to take it today. It was thirty seconds before midnight now. She paniced and ran to her dorm. She ruffled through her things. The seconds ticked away and finally she found it...three...she opened the vile...two...she drank deep from it and swallowed quickly...one...
Tru then realized she was still in the dorm...she had to get out before it was too late. She shuffled to the door, her heart was pounding harder and harder, her vision became blurry, she finally made it to the portrait hole. She ran and ran, she was getting closer, she ran out of the door down the stairs till she got to the first floor, by this time only her fur had erupted.
Down the grand staircase, out into the entrance hall. She could feel her fangs growing steadily longer inside of her mouth. Out the entrance hall through the courtyard. Her head began to loll to the side of her shoulder and she let out a piercing howl of pain. She barely made it to Hagrid's hut before she was full wolf again. She scratched at the ground. There was something wrong. Something she couldn't quite decifer. She looked around and growled at a figure who's back was to her. She had the urge to jump at it. No, she couldnt'. She swiped her face and ran into the forest toward the clearing.
The trees were blurry. She could only see the path before her. Faster and faster she seemed to go when finally she reached the clearing. She stopped and panted and whimpered. Tears slid down her dark, furry cheeks and they dripped onto the hairs of her arms and legs. Her dad was there already. "Where were you?" he asked in urgency. Tru looked up at him. Her fur turned light as though it would if she still had skin and was going pale. "Tru?" Tru tried to walk forward but before she could, her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
She saw herself fall, heard her father's howl, then nothing more.
The next morning, silence echoed itself around the clearing. No one was there, not even the two that normally inhabited it once a month. The halls of Hogwarts were with the normal hubbub of schooling and homework being passed out. Draco's head lay upon his desk in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin wasn't there that day. Instead, Professor Ellina McGonnagall took his place. It was their last class of the day. All four of the friends, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco were so bored and tired they could barely hold one eye open even a glance.
Draco turned his head to the seat next to him, usually occupied by Tru. But he hadn't seen her all that day. Not at breakfast, lunch, or any of the classes they had together. He thought she had slept in at first, but then he had the sense that something was terribly, terribly wrong. The bell's ring finally came to his ears and he, Harry, Ron, and Hermione got up, but before they could leave "You four..." Miss McGonnagall held them back. "Please...I need to have a word."
"With all of us?" Hermione questioned. "Yes. It's important." Draco's attention was caught and he went straight over to her and sat down on a desk close by. The others following suit. Ellina closed the door and locked it. When she was walking back, the key twirled nervously in her fingers. She sat on the teacher's desk in front of them and sighed. Her eyes met theirs and she had a hint of sadness in them. Draco could see a tear trying to form, but she held it back as best she could.
"Tru..." she began. "Has fallen desperately ill. She's been...unconsious all day today. We are not sure but she might be in a short coma. Now she's in the hospital wing, her father has been in there with her all day today. He encourages you all to go and visit Tru as much as possible, talk to her as if she can hear you until this is all over. It shouldn't be a very long one if it is. But I am to escort you there as soon as Professor Lupin comes to fetch us."
The looks on all of their faces were shocked. Draco looked away, his mouth gaped open. Hermione's eyes were already trailing tears down to her cheeks, Harry and Ron both were staring at their shoes. "How did this happen?" Ron asked. Ellina sighed. "It was another full moon last night, she took her potion too early before midnight and...it caused a mixup and when she became werewolf, the potion hadn't started to work fully yet, it clogged an area in her veins and she couldn't breathe. She passed out and hasn't been awake since a little after midight."
Draco's head snapped up. "WHAT!" they all looked at him shocked. "Didn't you know?" Harry asked. "KNOW WHAT?" Draco asked. "Tru got her werewolf genes shortly after her sixteenth birthday. Her and her father are both werewolves." Ellina explained. Draco turned away. He wasn't disgusted, more...scared. Not scared of her...but scared that she was going to...to die.
"She wont...die...will she?" he asked. "No. She won't die." "I'm scared..."
Harry went over to him. "You're not scared of her are you?" Draco's eyes met his. "Never I lo-..." his eyes travelled to the others. "I love her as a great friend. She was the first real friend I ever had...and nothing will change that...I just dont' know why she never told me..." His eyes began to well up with tears but he pushed them back.
A knock on the door startled them back to life. Ellina walked across the room opening the door. Remus stood there. His face was pale and weak looking. "Well...come on." He said quietly. and they all silently made their way to the hospital wing.
Draco stayed behind. Sad. Disappointed. And teary eyed.
