Disclaimer: see part one.
Chapter eight.
Rena was pushing the food on her plate around with her fork, occasionally giving it a vicious poke. The other Ravenclaw students chattered happily around her and a group of fourth-years were laughing loudly.
"Seat taken?"
Rena looked up and stared at Luna Lovegood. She was one of the few people in her class Rena could relate to. They had formed some kind of friendship that went no further than that they both sat next to each other in class and that they sometimes worked together on their homework.
Luna could talk for hours about the most bizarre things and she seemed to believe in almost everything. She wore strange, mismatching, clothes in odd colors and kept her wand behind her ear for safekeeping. The other people in the class, basically the whole Ravenclaw-house, had started to call her Loony Lovegood.
"You are right you know….you really shouldn't eat that stuff." Luna said, adding mashed potatoes and carrots to her plate. "You never know where they come from or what's in them!"
"My sausages?" asked Rena and stared critically at the squashed heap or meat on her plate..
Luna nodded "They just use all sorts of meat-leftovers and jams it down into…."
"Fine, fine" Rena said pushing the plate away, her nose wrinkling in disgust. She really didn't need to add that picture to her imagination.
"What do you think about Professor Lupin? I heard he brought in a Boggart for the third-years. Wouldn't that be something! I would really like to see a Boggart" Luna chatted on, adding sauce, some more vegetable and topping everything with sugar. Rena wondered if she had done the last thing on purpose or just mistaken it for the salt.
"You can't see a Boggart. It's always in the closet and when it opens it takes the shape of the thing we fear most" Rena said "So nobody knows what it really looks like"
"Hm….well, I wouldn't want it to turn into something ghastly. What do you fear the most?" Luna said and started to dig in on her plate. Rena waited a few seconds, anxious to see her response to mashed-potatoes, vegetable, sauce and sugar. Luna didn't seem to notice, but poured more sugar on her plate. Rena hid a small giggle when she saw the other Ravenclaws watching them, obviously disgusted at Lunas eating habit.
"Fear the most…." She mused. " I don't know….I have never been much fan of spiders…but I wouldn't want to meet one of those Dementors either" she shuddered thinking about the Christmas morning when she had meet one of them by the edge of the forest.
"What do you fear the most, Luna?"
"Werewolves" She said quickly. Rena felt her cheeks burn and she looked down in the table and chocked "Were.. we…werewolf?"
Luna nodded "Big monsters, with sharp teeth, talons that could cut your throat and a bloodlust so intense it will attack anything…. You can't trust a werewolf, not even in human form. My dad told me. Werewolves can be anywhere you know….that's why I wear a silver necklace, to protect me. You should to."
Rena just stared down in the table and swallowed deeply.
After lunch, they decided to go to the library and do their History of Magic homework. Luna was happily talking about some Danish-gnomes and their power to turn anything into cheese, while Rena tried not to think about what Luna had told her.
She wouldn't be near me, talking so happily if she knew Rena thought miserably. She wondered what the students would do if they ever found out what she was. She had seen pictures of people with pitchforks and torches chasing werewolves out of their city. What would the scenario be like if a mob of angry students, armed with wands, came after her?
"I think we took a wrong stair, or something…" Luna said suddenly. The stairs at Hogwarts had a will of their own and often moved around, and some even said that they had a will of their own and liked to led students astray.
"This is close to the Slytherin dorm. Let's get out of here!" Rena said. They turned around and had only walked a few steps when pumped into somebody.
"Ops, sorry!" she exclaimed and went down on all four to collect her books.
"You stupid idiot!" Malfoy snarled, giving one of Lunas book a fierce kick, sending it halfway across the corridor. "What are you morons doing here? This is the Slytherin part of the school, no place for riffraff and mudbloods."
"We took a wrong turn, didn't mean to intrude on your territory" Rena said, trying to hide the venom in her voice. Malfoy glared at her, but seemed to be reminded of the last time he had tried to get her in trouble, for he turned his attention back to Luna. She was back up on her feet, fumbling with her books.
"I said, get out of my way!" he pushed her, and Luna stumbled backwards and hit the wall.
"Stop it" Rena yelled, rushing over to Luna and helping her back up on her feet. "What is your problem anyway?"
"My problem is idiots like you that contaminate the school" he answered, looking down at them with a vicious and narrow glare. A few other Slytherins had gathered, all looking amused at the situation that was unfolding in the hallway. The prospect of looking good in front of an audience only agitated Malfoy.
"Look who's talking" Rena mumbled, tugging Luna back up. She was rubbing the back of her head and her eyes shone in pain. "Lets go Luna" she said softly.
"I want none or your lip" Malfoy growled. He crossed his arms across his chest and placed him self in the middle of the corridor, blocking the way. "Say you're sorry".
"First you wanted us to go, and now you're blocking the way. Make up your mind!" Luna said and tried to push past him. He gave her other forceful nudge in the shoulder and she stumbled backwards again, but maintained her balance.
"You lowlife need to learn your lesson, you need to learn who is above you!" Malfoy said sharply. A few of the Slytherins agreed heartily and started to chant his name.
Malfoy grabbed Rena by the shoulders and forced her down in a kneeling position in front of him. She tried to get up, but more Slytherins arrived and pinned her down. Luna didn't know what to do and she stared wide-eyed at the students, too afraid to interfere.
"Now, say you're sorry and…lick my boots!" Malfoy said triumphantly and the Slytherins cheered again.
Rena kept her eyes at the ground, feeling the pressure of the students trying to force her head downwards. She tightened her fists in anger and tried to calm her self. Her pulse was quickening and she could hear her heart pound loudly.
Once. Twice.
She tried to fight the urge and the need for power; she tried to push away the voices urging her to submit to the calling inside her. She had the strength to pull free and fight them she only had to….allow the change to happen.
She raised her face, meeting Malfoys glare and his eyes shone like a vulture looking down at his expecting pray.
"Let, me go." she said in a strained voice.
There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh and Rena felt her cheek sting and her eyes water. A few of the students swallowed anxiously and backed away. Malfoys glare of power and triumph only brightened and he raised a perfect eyebrow.
"Come on then!" he said.
Rena struggled against the people holding her down, but their grip on her shoulders tightened and a claw-like hand grabbed her neck. She winced in pain and felt the hand clench her neck tighter.
Her anger was growing, not as much because of the pain, because of the humiliation. The students around her were sniggering and she could hear Malfoy crack some joke about mudbloods and that this was where he had always wanted them.
Rena could feel the power starting to pulsate through her body and she took a deep breath, trying to calm down and to keep the beast under control. She suddenly knew that she could change if she wanted to. She could lash out and rip them all to pieces and she would enjoy it.
Malfoy raised his hand to hit her again, but suddenly hesitated. She was looking straight at him, her eyes glowing in an unnatural yellow color. And she was smiling. A brutal wolfish smile and as he watched her he could swear her teeth were lengthening and that her ears were growing.
There was just something about her…about the creature that scared him and he lowered his hand. The students trying to force her down had suddenly become aware that they were holding down a loaded spring of muscles and power ready to jump up at them.
The atmosphere grew tense from a powerful and angry source, and from somewhere there was a rumble, like tombstones falling down. Their instincts told them to flee and they scrambled away, pushing to come first.
Luna had pressed her body against the wall, not sure what was going on, but she could also feel the terror in the air. Rena was still sitting on the floor, hiding her face, body trembling slightly. Then, slowly, she rose.
"Um….are you okay" Luna asked slowly.
"Yes" Rena said in a lowered voice.
"What did you do? Why did they run away?"
Rena didn't answer, she was staring down at her hands, watching the claws grow back into her hands and the fur disappears. She was still shaky from the rush of power, but suddenly she felt very weak. It had taken all her willpower to keep the wolf at bay, but somehow she knew that if she wanted to, she could change. Whenever she wanted. She just wondered if she would manage to change back.
"Stupid Ron!" Hermione said angrily and slammed the door behind her. "Stupid Harry! Why can't they listen to reason for once!"
On Christmas morning she had met a very excited Harry and Ron, almost looking twice as happy as Harry, babbling about a Firebolt. Of course they hadn't given much thought that the most likely giver was Sirius Black and that the broom was possible jinxed. It had been the first thought that had entered her mind.
In the last couple of days neither Ron nor Harry had spoken to her and they have tried to avoid her at every opportunity. She had never known how much she depended on their friendship until she was alone. For the first time she realized that she hardly knew anybody else in this school except Ron and Harry.
"Stupid" she yelled again and rammed her palms against the door. It hurt. Pain vibrated through her arm and her eyes shone with tears.
Hermione walked over to one of the sinks and turned it on. She let the basin fill with cold water and then forcefully washed her face, hoping to get rid of some frustration.
Why couldn't they realize that she was only thinking about their, Harry's, safety? Sirius Black was a dangerous man. If he had been capable of escaping from Azkaban then buying a broom and putting a dangerous charm on it was probably only child's play to him.
Hermione continued to scrub her face, her skin turning red. She then checked her reflection in the mirror and thought.
Strange…Moaning Myrtle should have started to ….well…moan about now…" a movement in the mirror caught her attention and she spun around.
"Sorry" the girl said, "I didn't mean to disturb you."
It was Rena, another source for Hermiones frustration. She didn't know why the girl bothered her so. Maybe it was because Ron wouldn't stop talking about her and why she was being mysterious and that there was something going on between her and Professor Snape.
Since when did I start value Rons opinion? Hermione thought and suddenly felt her face turning crimson.
"Its okay I…."
Hermione stopped and suddenly noticed Renas red and puffy eyes. Had she been crying? Her left eye and cheek was swollen and red and she knew that tomorrow it would be black and yellow.
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked concerned and took a step in her direction. "Who hit you?"
"I…I walked into a door" Rena whispered and pressed a sleeve against her mouth; Hermione could see that she was biting down into the fabric.
"Come-" Hermione said softly, took her by the shoulder and led her towards the most inner corner. Rena almost collapsed like a rag doll and she propped her self up against the wall to stop her self from falling down. Hermione crouched down opposite of her and gave a weak smile.
"R….Really" Rena said " I am okay"
"You sure don't look like it" Hermione replied.
"Well…I am a little tired, not getting much sleep" she swallowed a ragged breath. How would Hermione react if she told her that she dreamed about killing people? That her nightmares were filled by intense bloodlust so strong she woke up with bite marks on her own arms. That just a few minutes ago she had been so angry that she had almost changed and attack a group of students.
"School stress and all that" Rena said, not looking at Hermione.
"It isn't healthy you-know. You should really talk to a teacher or something" Hermione said softly "maybe your head of house. If you can't sleep, I am sure madam Pomfrey will brew you a sleeping potion or something."
Hermione sighed deeply, not knowing what she could do to help Rena. She was starting to get really worried, and she suddenly remembered that day when they had seen her having a seizure. Was there a connection between that incident and the way Rena looked now? Maybe Rena really was being poisoned?
"Rena" Hermione said softly "What happened that day….when you collapsed on the grounds outside the Greenhouses?"
Rena looked up at her, briefly, then returned her glance to the ground. She was biting her lower lip and flexing her fingers.
"I…." She paused and her eyes flickered nervously around in the room, and then she seemed to reach a decision. "Can you keep a secret?" she asked hopefully. Hermione nodded.
"I…I mean a really big secret, you must promise to not tell anybody!" Rena's voice was growing stronger and more hopeful.
"Sure" Hermione said confidently.
"I…." Rena started but suddenly the school bell ran. It was as if she had ordered a wake-up call. She snapped out of whatever line of thoughts she had been in and leaped to her feet and said "I'll be late for Charms" She exclaimed and before Hermione could say anything else, she dashed out of the door.
Thank you for reading and please review.
