Thank you all for the reviews. I appreciate them!
Aradia-rising: That's a good suggestion. I'll keep it in mind. I haven't tried a Sirius story. Perhaps...hmm. Thanks for the idea!
Chapter 14
Aurora sat on her bed the following night trying to dampen her curiosity. With the appearance of the dog last night she had forgotten all about seeing what Remus was up to.
It's really none of your concern, you know she told herself. Remus would tell me if it was important and I trust him.
With that settled she tried to focus her attention on her Herbology homework. She was in the middle of writing an explanation on the properties of mallowsweet when the niggling voice in the back of her mind came forward again.
But was with all the animals traveling in a pack like that, she asked herself. And why did Remus disappear into the Whomping Willow?
The snoring of one of her roommates pulled her from her doubts and she lowered her lit wand closer to her Herbology report, though she didn't really need to. The full moon outside was flooding her dormitory with soft light.
Too bad Remus is ill. It would be very romantic to be out stargazing by the light of the full moon. Stealing kisses between studying. Mmm. She allowed her mind to fantasize about Remus's kiss before making up her mind.
She needed to see him. Now. She didn't care if he was ill or not. Surely he wasn't contagious anymore. Madame Pomfrey would never know. She was in the castle and Remus was not. She need be none the wiser.
Aurora put on her trainers and grabbed her cloak before setting silently off across the grounds.
She walked quickly until she neared the lake and a noise caught her attention. There was a definite sound of crunching grass that had her stopping dead in her tracks, listening hard.
It didn't sound like feet. It sounded more like...hooves.
Aurora turned to look around for source and found it was the same group of animals from last night. She could see clearly now that they much closer to her. What she had mistaken as a moose or a buck last night was in fact a great stag. There was the huge black shaggy dog she had dubbed Sirius and the large rat. But they had also added one more their number.
It looked like another dog. She squinted into the night to see it more clearly. No, not a dog. A wolf, she realized and again wondered at the odd traveling group.
She took an instinctive step backwards as she noticed the wolf sniffing the air and turn it's yellow eyes upon her. Shit, that' s no ordinary wolf, Aurora thought. She grabbed her wand from her jean pocket as the werewolf suddenly began running at her.
Fear paralyzed her momentarily before she said the first spell that came to her mind.
"Stupefy!" She yelled.
Horror struck she tried to get her feet moving to run but all she could do was watch the werewolf racing at her as if in slow motion. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the stag and dog begin to run at her also.
Oh Merlin, I'm going to die she thought frantically as she finally managed to take a step backward at least.
The werewolf was right on top of her now, the spell beginning to wear off. It lunged at her and swiped a paw furiously at her face, catching her on the cheek. The other paw took a swing and got her shoulder, shredding her cloak.
Aurora shrieked with surprise and pain. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the black dog begin to attack the werewolf. They tumbled backwards as they rolled around on the ground.
That was all she needed to know she had to get the hell out of there. She began to run back up to the castle. But the stag was running with her now.
It dipped it's great antlered head and angled itself at her as if to attack her legs. She cringed, preparing herself for the pain that was about to follow. But it never came and suddenly she was lifted from her feet. Surprised, she looked down to find herself on the stag's wide back, carrying her to the castle.
It was as if she had been sucked into a world of make believe. She had never seen animals behave this way but she hardly had time to dwell on it. The stag pounded across the grounds and she found she had to hold very tightly to it's neck just to keep from falling off.
When it reached the front doors he skidded to a halt and allowed her to climb off his back. He stared at her nonplused for a moment before looking down at the ground then back. As if he were trying to make a decision.
And for the second time in two days Aurora had the feeling that an animal was more than meets the eye.
"What are you?" She asked softly.
With one last decisive look the stag in front of her turned into a man. And not just any man. Remus's friend.
"James?" Aurora said disbelievingly.
"Aurora, you've got to get to the hospital wing." James said hurriedly pressing her torn cloak to her shoulder wound in an effort to stop the profuse bleeding.
"You're an Animagus?" She asked, not hearing him.
"Yes." He said impatiently and grabbed her by her uninjured shoulder to shake her to attention. "Listen to me, you need to go to the hospital wing. Don't tell Pomfrey what attacked you."
"Why?"
"Just don't. You'll regret it later if you do. I promise you. For your own sake." He said almost pleading with her.
"Ok." She replied slowly.
"I need to get back and help Sirius. Can you make it on your own?" James asked quickly.
"Yes, of course. Wait, how did you know I named him Sirius?" Aurora asked with confusion.
"Remus will explain everything when he's back to himself again." James said and turned on the stairs. "Oh and please don't mention the Animagus thing to anyone."
"No. No I won't. Thank you for saving me." She said and with that James turned back into the impressive stag and cantered back toward the lake.
When Remus is back to himself again? What in the hell did James mean by that, Aurora wondered as she walked slowly to the hospital wing.