Grim Convictions, Book 1: Relics of the Founders

by HarlanSpindlewheel

Elsbeth Ledoux is the perfect example of a pureblood princess. Well, at least on the outside. Feeling troubled by her family's beliefs and their growing involvement with a powerful dark wizard, Elsbeth begins to question her reality and is faced with an impossible decision. Blood is thicker than water - will she let it sink her? [Marauders Era] [OCxSiriusB.]

5. Chapter 5: The Marauders

WOO! Long time no see guys! I've missed you all! :)

Sorry for the massive delay... I moved states and it's taken me a bit to get situated. But I'm back and more passionate about this story than ever!

This is definitely one of my favorite chapters thus far, so I hope you enjoy. If you do, please fav, follow, and review! :)

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- THE MARAUDERS -

Huffing and puffing, I focused on my breathing as I followed River up the path. In through the nose, out through the mouth, and repeat. Maybe I was more out of shape than I thought, but it looked like River was struggling just as much as I was. Like the past—how many was it? Eight or nine trips back up to the greenhouse classrooms, we entered and immediately sat down at the nearest bench to take a break. Every one of my limbs ached and I reached a hand up to massage my shoulder.

"Alright," River said with a huff after a few minutes of resting. "One more round. Ready to go?"

I groaned as every muscle in my body protested against me as I stood. Walking over to the workstation, we each heaved two of the Mandrake pots into our arms. I felt as the plant inside wiggled around at the movement, only making carrying them that much more difficult. I stumbled momentarily at a particularly aggressive jiggle, but regained my composure quickly and headed out the door behind River.

The full moon was astonishingly bright over our heads. It lit our path as we navigated our way back to the greenhouses near the forest. More than once, I tripped on a stray branch or rock but was somehow able not to fall. The late fall air hugged my face, nipping at my nose. Had it not been for our current labors, I probably would have been pretty chilly.

For some reason, I had once again agreed to help River move the Mandrakes back to the lower greenhouses the night after she had classes with them. I should have learned from assisting her with the task last year, but her pleading swiftly won me over. The plants didn't react well to levitation spells, so it was best to carry them by hand. Given how much effort it all was, I had no idea how she had managed to get them all up to the classrooms this morning. Hopefully, Hagrid had helped her out.

Careful not to shift the pots too much, I lifted a shoulder to readjust my earmuffs. These were baby Mandrakes but they still had the potential to do some significant damage if we heard their cries. They were all potted, sitting securely underneath soil, but we made sure to wear the earmuffs as a precaution anyway.

"Oof!" River said, putting her armful down harshly on the table. She rubbed a hand over her forehead, wiping away the sweat that had accrued. "Well. That's always fun, isn't it?"

With the end in sight, I felt as my arms gave out and I firmly landed the last two planters on the table next to hers with a resounding thud-thud. Pinching my finger underneath one of the heavy pots in the process, I gasped, waving my hand around as one does in an attempt to swat away the pain. When it had subsided, I examined the extremity, now red and pulsating with the beating of my heart.

"Yeah," I finally replied to River sarcastically, "so much fun."

She just gave out a laugh as she collapsed on a nearby bench. Ripping off her earmuffs and throwing them to the floor, she leaned all the way back until her upper body was resting on the bench while her legs and feet dangled off. I hopped up to sit cross-legged on the table next to the Mandrakes, throwing my earmuffs to the side as well. I placed my palms flat on the surface and then twisted my torso every which way. With a couple of pops, I felt my spine crack and let out a sigh of relief at the feeling.

We both sat in silence as we caught our breaths for the last time.

"I really do appreciate you helping me out with this," River said as she raised her arms straight above her to stretch them out. "There's no way I would have been able to do it alone."

"You can thank me in house points," I joked, placing my elbows on my knees and hunching over.

"Is that extortion?" she giggled

"No, I don't think extortion involves this much work on the part of the benefactor."

We both shared another hearty laugh. I massaged my calf a little bit, already feeling the twinging pain that would radiate through my limbs for the next few days. The Mandrakes wiggled in their pots next to me, still upset about having to be moved around.

"Do you think we need to cover them tonight?" I asked, moving to rub my knee as well.

"No," River said with a massive yawn. "I think it's still just warm enough outside. The greenhouse should still be comfortable for them."

"If you say so," I joked. "It's on you if they're grumpy about it. You know these guys hold grudges forever."

I hopped down from the table, almost buckling over as my feet rebelled against moving. Hobbling, I pulled off my apron and hung it up on the coat rack near the door. I didn't even see the point of wearing the thing, as my sweater underneath ended up covered in dirt anyway.

"Eh," she shrugged, slowly leaning up with a groan. "They're Hagrid's problem starting tomorrow anyway."

Standing with another lift of the arms to stretch, she walked over to hang up her own apron. She tried dusting off her sweater with a pat of her hands, but it was futile. The soil was stuck to both of us. She even had some in her hair and I imagined I looked the same. I definitely had to stay out late in order for no one to see me in the common room, especially my brother and fiancee.

"You know," River said, now standing in front of vials filled with Stinksap sitting on a nearby workstation. She took them one by one, analyzed them, and then set them in a crate to be carried back up to the castle. "The Fluxweed can wait until the next full moon. There's no need to pick it tonight, you've done enough work."

As if to prove her point, I couldn't help the yawn that escaped my lips. Nevertheless, I had to pick the plant. Both to hand over to Slughorn as well as to have an excuse not to head back to the dungeons so early in the night.

"No, no, it's fine," I shook her off with a wave of my hand. I stretched my arms once more as I grabbed sheers of various sizes from another workstation. "If I wait another month, I will not hear the end of it from Slughorn."

Her giggle harmonized with the clinking of the last of the vials she put in the crate.

"True that. Well, if I can't convince you otherwise, I'm going to head up and put these in the storage room. Otherwise, I won't hear the end of it from Horace. I'll probably tuck in after that… Will you be okay down here by yourself?"

"Of course," I tied a tool belt around my waist, stashing some glass bottles inside. "Not like I'm not out here most nights, eh?"

"You're right on that," she pulled her coat over her dirty clothes before grabbing the crate of Stinksap. Her face contorted in pain, her arms probably pushing against carrying anything else for the night. "Too right, actually. You should get a life beyond these plants, Beth."

"Not likely," I joked back. "If I do, who else is going to do all the work around here?"

She gasped in mock insult, but it quickly morphed into a giggle fit. The glass bottles in the crate clinked as her body shook. She walked towards the door, pulling it open with a nudge of her foot considering her hands were otherwise preoccupied.

"Well, please don't stay too long. I know you'll ignore me, but really. You could carry a half-giant in those bags growing under your eyes."

It was my turn to pretend to be insulted. She did have a point, though.

Between Prefect duties, wanting to help in the greenhouses, and just generally not wanting to go back to my common room before most everyone was asleep, I was having a lot of late nights. And while I had always gotten up early for classes before, Lucius' hospitalization was seeing me get up at unholy hours of the morning to sit bedside for the pre-breakfast visitors. Thankfully, he was set to be discharged on Thursday, two days from now. That would at least add a couple more hours to my sleep schedule.

Subconsciously, I pulled a hand up to feel at said bags. There was a clear definition where the skin raised ever so slightly underneath my eyes and I could just picture the area being stained a shade darker than the rest of my face. I sighed, maybe I would skip my trip to the kitchens tonight in favor of getting an extra hour of sleep.

The image of Sirius Black popped into my mind as I recalled my run-in with him last night. Yeah, I would definitely not be going back to the kitchens tonight. I could survive a few more nights without food if it meant not running into him like that again.

"Yeah, well," I retorted playfully. "I'm usually able to hide them with makeup. You know, when I'm not sweating it off to ever so graciously help my Herbology teacher with physically draining activities."

"Alright, alright," she laughed me off. "Seriously, don't stay out too late. I will start siccing Filch on you if need be. Have a good night, my sweet Puffapod."

"'Night River," I giggled as she finally disappeared.

I took a moment to sharpen my sheers, placing each one of them into my tool belt after they seemed satisfactory. When I was on my second to last pair of shears, I thought I heard some sort of creature ring out through the night. It was very faint but still able to penetrate the greenhouse walls. It was wolf-like, but harsher, almost sounding like the creature was in pain. I didn't pay it too much mind, this wasn't the first time I had heard a beast while working, given that the greenhouses were so close to the Forbidden Forest.

Putting the last pair of shears in my tool belt, I put on my jacket and headed out to the garden. Lighting the tip of my wand, I tiptoed through the foliage like so many times before. A smirk lit up my face remembering the large black dog I had guided on this very path just around a week and half ago. I wondered if I'd be seeing him again soon. It was kind of nice to have the company if I was being honest.

Finally reaching the windowsill where we kept the Fluxweed, I inspected the sprouts to decide which were the best to pick. To help guide my movements, I put my lit wand in my mouth to light up the planter in front of me. The moon shone brightly above me while the cool air nipped at my fingertips as I began plucking the weed.

Using the shears, I cut individual Fluxweed sprigs from their bushels and then switched to a different pair to cut the roots. After cleaning them up a little bit, I opened one of the bottles and gently packed the weeds into it for storage. When the bottle was full, I corked it and opened another one. Every so often, I had to shift the wand in my mouth to get the optimal lighting.

It was easy for my mind to wander when I was alone like this in the garden. There was something about the monotony of my movements that put my brain in a trance, allowing me to think freely. Unfortunately, the only thing I could focus on these days was the miserable state of my life.

"I don't think you're following your heart on this one," Sirius had said last night. I roughly pulled a sprig from the windowsill as I remembered his words. What did he know about where my 'heart' was? There was so much he couldn't know, so it was beyond bold for him to make a statement like that.

I think I knew where my heart was, and it was with my family. Despite how much I would suffer, I couldn't leave them behind, especially when I knew Byron didn't want to do this. Only made worse by the inclusion of my grandmaman to the situation. No, I had to do this for them. They were already sacrificing so much for me.

"You have to think, would they do the same for you?" He had gone on to ask. No doubt Byron would. At least that's what I would have thought two weeks ago. I was less optimistic about mother and father, but surely when it came down to it, they would be willing to make as many sacrifices for me as I was for them, right?

My mind traveled to the man that was Baptiste Ledoux. He had clearly passed on his tall and foreboding stature to Byron. Not a big joker, it was the type of 'be on your best behavior whenever he's around' relationship. Dinners were—tense wasn't the right word—but definitely formal, even when it was just the immediate family around the table. We chatted cordially about things but never reached anything past surface level. In many ways, he was the perfect example of a political Ministry man.

But there were times when his facade cracked.

Christmas mornings in Paris were some of them. Like to Byron and myself, our grandmaman meant a great deal to him. So whenever we were all crowded around the large tree in the sitting room of her castle on the outskirts of the city, we really got to see our father's true personality.

Nothing was off-limits to grandmaman. Being the matriarch when we were in her home, she had all the authority over him. Her playful poking and prodding never failed to eventually ignite a smile on his face that lasted well throughout the day. We would all roar with laughter as she regaled another tale from his days as a wild youth. You wouldn't expect him to be the kind to laugh when he was the butt of a joke, but when it came from grandmaman, it always hit differently. From a place of love. These days, she also set her sights on Byron and me, only adding to our collective glee.

I imagine we wouldn't have that kind of Christmas this year, though.

However, it was through these moments and others where I was able to see the true man my father was, not just the outer shell he wore daily. I knew deep down that he loved his family.

While I didn't know the circumstances that led him down his current path, I wondered if there was still time to change routes. If not for himself, because at the end of the day he was indeed an idealist pureblood, but for his children. Surely he knew that this war was something that bent us too far.

Another sprig was snipped and put into a glass bottle. Now full, I corked it and moved onto the next. Just a few more to go. The sweet song of my bed was calling me home as I worked on.

My mother on the other hand was not so reserved. Loud and excitable, when we weren't with my father she was the first to speak her mind about things. Unfortunately, it was most likely directed towards those of 'inferior' blood status. However, one of her most prominent redeeming qualities was the love and respect she had for her children.

Even though Byron and I were vocal around her about the downfalls of our fellow purebloods, she would never admonish us or treat us any lesser. I would even go as far as to say that she valued our opinion, but could never say for sure.

She had to have no clue what her family was up to because she absolutely would not stand for Byron being put in his current position. Hopefully, the same held true for me as well.

With a crack of the knuckles, I uncorked my second to last bottle. Finally, in the home stretch, I worked a little quicker. My hands and fingers flitted around like they were on autopilot. First cut, then trim, then store and repeat. I imagined I could do this with my eyes closed at this point.

There must have been a reason that Sirius had said that to me last night. I knew things with his family were bad, but I always chalked it up to his own insolence and general 'bad boy' rebellious lifestyle. It was clear from the very few occasions we saw him at social gatherings growing up that he was and had always been the black sheep of the family.

But maybe I had it wrong. What if it was his family who pushed him away instead of the either way around? There must have been a lot of hate in that household for their situation to blow up so significantly just over a difference in opinion on blood status. Even I couldn't imagine our father ever hating us if we voiced our real thoughts. But then again, we now lived in different times.

"ARH-WOOOOOO!"

I froze, my shears hovering right at the base of the last sprig I needed for this bottle. It was the same sound I heard earlier, only this time shockingly much closer. With shaky hands, I replaced the sheers into my toolbelt and grabbed my wand from my mouth.

Already spooked by the proximity of the noise, I was made even more so by the fact that it was coming from somewhere in front of the greenhouses rather than the Forbidden Forest.

"Nox," I whispered, putting out my wand. With only the moon and the faint lights from the greenhouse to guide me, I made my way very slowly around the structure. I kept close, keeping one hand on the wall as extra support but still almost tripping on some roots along the way.

When I reached the front, I ignored every immediate instinct to just run for the door and looked around. The full moon cast an eerie glow over the grounds and the castle that lay beyond them. I could only see a few lights on in various windows. I imagined most were in bed given it was probably well after midnight at this point.

My eyes strained to see, every shadow seeming to move as my eyes played tricks on me in the dim light. Still quivering, I wrapped my jacket closer around me against the chill wind. We were a week away from Halloween, but the leaves had already started to fall, making the trees in the distance much more sinister-looking as their patchy branches cast spindly figures on the hillside. My head snapped left and right at every sound that now seemed to be amplified in the dark.

Off in the distance, the Whomping Willow unmistakenly quivered. I know this because I blinked, thinking it was just another trick, but was proven wrong when it did it once more after I reopened them. The branches flicked around aggressively and suddenly the figure of something emerged from its base. Subconsciously, I moved forward to get a closer look.

It was definitely a beast of some sort, standing very tall when using the Willow for scale. With each breath, it's entire body heaved heavily. It was standing on its hind legs initially but soon was on all fours, head swiveling around to look for its next course of action. It moved further away from the Willow, now more clear as it stood on the open grounds.

My breath caught in my throat as I found myself frozen on the spot. I wasn't sure if it was because the beast had broken out into the open or if it was because I had traversed too far away from the greenhouses, but I felt way too close to it. We still had plenty of space between us but I wasn't sure how fast this thing was or what it was looking for. Just as the thought crossed my mind, its head flipped in my direction.

I knew I'd been spotted because it gingerly made its way towards me, picking up speed with each step. Based on its momentum, it would soon be in a full sprint. Fight or flight instincts kicking in, I turned towards the greenhouse. I had moved further away from the building than I thought. A swift look behind me confirmed my fears that the beast was now rapidly making its way down the hill. Setting off in the fastest sprint I could manage, I kept my eyes focused on the door to the greenhouse. The adrenaline was the only thing to steady me and keep me upright.

With a harsh shove, I burst through the door of the greenhouse. I bolted every single lock along the frame and reached for my wand to place some extra protective spells.

"Shit!" I exclaimed. My wand was not in my pocket, having must have fallen out during my race to get back here. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

Frantically looking around, I ran towards the back of the room. Figuring it was the best protection I had, I squatted behind a, surrounded on all sides by bags of soil and compost. Everything around me was quiet as I tried to control my breathing, winded from all the activity and general fear of the situation. It seemed like I was sitting there for ages, not hearing a sound beyond the excited Mandrakes now once again wiggling in their pots due to the commotion I caused coming in here.

For a moment, I thought I had outrun the beast. Maybe it gave up on its pursuits when I disappeared into the greenhouse? Not soon after, I was proven wrong.

I let out a small screech as something collided with the door. It rattled intensely, clearly being the beast trying to enter. Fortunately, the door seemed to hold and after a petrifying couple of seconds, the banging subsided. But it wasn't over. I heard it climb up the walls, claws scraping against the enchanted glass making a noise akin to nails on a chalkboard. It went up the wall and planted itself on the roof, walking around with a fervor.

The roof to the greenhouse was made of clear glass, but I couldn't see the beast with my vision being obstructed by the table in front of me. I could hear the tip-tapping of his nails somewhere above me, my breathing increasing ever closer to hyperventilation with each step it took. It slowed, trotting around the expansive space over my head. It stopped suddenly, cloaking the room in silence once more.

With the unnerving feeling of eyes on me, I slowly raised my face upwards. Gasping, I found my eyes locking with that of the beast. Now closer and undercast with better lighting, it was clear to see it's dog-like snout and elongated, skeletal body wrapped in a dark coat. It's sharp teeth barred at me. While I couldn't hear it through the glass, the quivering of its jowls indicated that it was growling viciously.

Now, I recognized what I was facing. I had analyzed many sketches of them during my third year while I wrote several essays by candlelight in the common room. My peers saw them as lesser, their parents fighting hard within the Ministry to pass legislation that would restrict their rights within the wizarding world. It was one of the most infuriating weeks of my life because I just couldn't understand how they were judged so harshly for what happened one night a month.

Nevertheless, disregarding my political feelings towards them, I knew I was in a lot of trouble. I had to act quickly because I was being chased by a werewolf.

It moved to stand on its hind legs once more, hovering momentarily before slamming its front paws back on the roof. When it saw that those efforts failed, it attempted to scratch its way through. The bloodlust seeped through its very being as it continued to scratch, bang, and lunge at the glass right above my head. I was once again thankful for how resilient the greenhouse building was.

It was in a complete frenzy now, preoccupied by its failed attempts at getting inside. I glanced at the door, seeming leagues away now but really my only option. If I could only get my wand, I could possibly hold it off long enough to survive and make it back to the castle. For a fleeting moment, I imagined myself screaming as I ran through the courtyard and waking up the entire school. So much for that discreteness I promised Byron.

But there was no time to debate it too deeply. As its head writhed along with the sound of its claws against the glass, I made a break for it. Feeling my heart beating through every inch of my body, I heaved myself up with the assistance of the table and darted for the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the Mandrakes were full-on floundering and tossing about, some even getting dangerously close to the edge. Shears and bottles of Fluxweed bounced out of my toolbelt as I picked up momentum.

Halfway to my exit, I realized that this plan was absolutely not working.

With a roar loud enough to penetrate through the glass, I could hear the tapping of its claws speed up. In no time it had caught up with me, hovering over me as I made my way to the door. My fear made it harder to breathe and I felt myself losing momentum. I was a body's length away when I looked up to see the creature jump. It shook the earth as I felt it land firmly just outside the closed door.

It rattled the frame once more, this time way more aggressively. I began to see it give way to the beast, the screws of the door wiggling out and dropping to the ground with small thuds. I backed up quickly and stumbled, landing firmly on the floor. My vision went fuzzy for half a second as my head impacted with the ground.

I leaned up just in time for the werewolf to break through the doorway. The crash was deafening, wood splintering with a loud crack and shooting in all directions. A couple of pieces even reached me, now halfway back into the greenhouse, and I felt as they scratched my face. Now unobscured, it was clear just how terrifying the beast was. It barred its dagger-sharp teeth as it slowly made its way towards me on all fours.

It was closing in on its prey, closing in on me.

Saying I was vulnerable was an understatement. My upper body propped up by my hands on the dirt, I remained on the ground. In a last-ditch effort, I scooted back as fast as I could, eyes remaining firmly planted on the creature in front of me. Despite my efforts, however, I knew I was a goner. No matter how far away I got, the werewolf would soon be towering over me.

My left hand bumped into something fuzzy. Instinctively I glanced down and saw River's discarded earmuffs. Something clicked in my mind. I looked back to the creature, still slowly advancing but slightly picking up speed. If I worked fast, I might be able to pull it off… it might not even work but there was only one way to find out.

In swift movements, I grabbed the earmuffs off the ground and placed them on my head. I ripped myself from the dirt, fighting off the vertigo that threatened to make me fall. I cleared the distance between me and the table easily but watched the beast lunge at my movements out of the corner of my eye. With no time to spare, I snatched one of the pots.

Once again facing the werewolf, now dangerously close, I pulled on the branches of the Mandrake and lifted it from the soil. Its screams filled the room instantly.

The werewolf floundered, stopping in its tracks to whip its head around vigorously in an attempt to rid itself of the noise. It ripped through nearby shrubbery, demolishing herbs and plants of all kinds. River wasn't going to be happy about that. The Mandrake's screams competed with the howls it released. Getting more desperate, it started thrashing in my direction, knocking over whatever stood in its path.

Keeping the first one uprooted, I quickly reached for another Mandrake pot and pulled. The screams of the second harmonized with the first. With a few last lopsided steps, the beast came crashing down just a couple of bodies' lengths away from me. It writhed for a few more seconds before becoming completely motionless.

Even without the earmuffs, I'm not sure I would have heard the noises of the Mandrakes over the sound of my beating heart ringing in my ears. I stood frozen for what must have been minutes, waiting to see if the werewolf would spring back to life. It gave a few twitches, but remained on the floor, unconscious.

With shaky hands, I finally set down the Mandrake I was still holding onto the table beside me. I left it unpotted for now, just in case, and moved to the discarded one that had landed on the ground during my frantic efforts. Seemingly upset about its newfound place on the floor, its shouts had evolved into a blood-curdling screech. Even through covered ears, I saw a couple of black spots form in my vision as I placed it next to the other one.

I waited for a bit, pacing back and forth between the two tables that framed the center aisle of the greenhouse that now occupied the creature.

A werewolf. How did one even get this close to the castle? I would think that the security of a school like Hogwarts wouldn't allow for this thing to just waltz into here. But there it was, ungracefully sprawled out on the floor, mouth agape with its tongue slightly peeking out. It twitched once more and I shivered a little.

After a few more minutes, I decided I had to put the Mandrakes back in their pots. I didn't want to hear it from Hagrid about how he suffered the torment of two particularly cranky Mandrakes. I was more or less confident that enough time had elapsed for them to have knocked the werewolf out for the night. Then when it transformed at dawn, I could just bodybind the human and get a professor. Easy, right?

The Mandrakes practically swatted at me as I put them back in their planters and covered them in soil. After wiping off my hands on my pants, I finally uncovered my ears but kept the muffs positioned on my neck in the event I needed to quickly put them back on. With the plants back in their pots, I peeked slowly over to the beast to see if there were any movements to indicate that the effects of the Mandrakes were already wearing off. It didn't stir and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Slouching on the same bench previously occupied by River, I put my head in my hands. I seriously thought my life wasn't capable of getting worse, but here we were.

I was just rubbing my eyes for the fourth or fifth time when I heard twigs snapping outside. My head shot up and I felt a crick form in my neck from the force of how quickly I twisted it to look out the door.

The rate of my heart began to increase once more as I stood. Ignoring the sharp pain I felt at the base of my skull every time I moved, I inched away from the door while my eyes darted between it and the werewolf on the floor just a ways in front of it. Had it been roaming in a pack? It took two Mandrakes to fall and, while I had plenty to spare, I couldn't be sure that I had enough to subdue an entire pack. Especially considering I would have to pull them one by one without my wand to help me.

I glanced at the table with all the plants for no more than half a second before landing back on the demolished doorway. The thing probably weighed tons by the looks of it, so there was no way I would be able to tip it and all the Mandrakes over at once. Futile plans raced around my mind as I listened to the crunching of the foliage outside get louder.

Something squeaked loudly, clearly in the room, but I didn't see anything enter through the doorway. At least not from my position now on the other side room. I listened as it got louder, traveling as if it were moving along the wall to my left towards me. My eyes followed the noise and my back bumped into the back wall of the greenhouse just in time to see a fat, grey rat round the corner at the baseboard.

"Ew, ew, ew!" I couldn't help but scream as it ran right up to my feet and scampered around.

I tried to jump on the windowsill behind me but the pain in my neck made me falter. A hand shot up as I tried to cushion the sharp feeling. My noises of disgust were replaced with ones of agony. I was almost too distracted to notice that the rat was now making a beeline for the werewolf in the middle aisle.

"No!" I sprinted after the thing, my hand remaining in place while the other arm flailed about. I probably looked like an idiot, but it was hard to care when I thought about how this rat could probably shock the beast out of its slumber with one perfectly positioned bite.

It was fast, dodging and weaving my every attempt to grab at it. Somehow, its movements felt intentional. Like it wanted to reach the werewolf for some reason and was using calculated efforts to avoid me in order to do so. It didn't proceed forward frantically in a way that a normal rat would, but almost seemed to assess my actions and react to them.

We were about one body's length away from the werewolf when I got desperate. Flinging any pain I had in my neck out the window, I lunged for the creature scampering just in front of me. As my body met the ground once more, I wrapped my hands around its small body and squeezed tight to secure it. My extended arms ended just a few inches in front of the giant beast. I could feel its hot breath on my knuckles.

The rat squirmed as I slowly stood, backing up once more.

"What the hell?" I seethed at the rat.

I pulled it up by the haunches and positioned it so we were eye level. Still fighting to get free as it dangled before me, I glared at the ugly thing. When it noticed my look, it stopped fidgeting and appeared to glare right back at me. Now being this close, I realized how huge it was too. This was definitely not a normal rat.

"Are you insane? That's a werewolf, you idiot."

It continued to glare at me for a few more moments before it started fidgeting around once more. Moving a little more violently now, I was one tug away from dropping it. Scrambling to keep ahold, it took quite a few tries for me to finally envelop it in my hands once more. Even then, it continued to writhe around between my fingers.

Magic creatures were really getting on my nerves tonight.

"Would. You. Stop?" I bit the words out between thrashes. "'Cmon, let's just get you out—"

I had taken one step towards the doorway before I paused and a huge gasp escaped my lips. Standing there, looking kind of smug with himself, was the shaggy black dog that I had come to know so well. I had to blink a couple of times to make sure I was hallucinating as a result of the events of the night.

"What in the actual hell?"

I looked between it, the rat in my hands, and the werewolf on the floor. Pieces of a larger puzzle began to connect in my head. The eeriness of how both the dog and the rat seemed to perceive what was going on beyond normal animal understanding came to the front of my mind. At first, I thought I was just imagining it all, but now I wasn't sure that was the case… And werewolves are actually humans beyond the full moon, aren't they?

Supreme agitation now guiding me, I stormed past the beast on the ground. I narrowly missed kicking its legs on the way towards the door as I kept my eyes staring straight into those of the dog. Halting aggressively just before him, I dangled the rat right in front of the mutt's face.

"Go on," I challenged. "Take it. Wild dogs love catching pests, right?"

As I expected, the dog didn't move a muscle. I shoved the rat even closer to his face. The wide tummy of the rodent now grazed his snout. For the first time, the small animal remained still in my hands.

"TAKE IT!" I yelled, no longer caring if I woke the giant beast behind me.

The dog did, however. He cowered a little under my gaze, sidestepping ever so slightly to look and see if there had been any movement behind me at my outburst. He looked back to me, whining as if imploring me to be quiet.

"Who are you?" I seethed. "Who's your friend here?"

I shook the rat a little for emphasis. The dog didn't make any movements and his face fell level, for once not giving away any hint of emotion. I had my suspicions that this was no average dog from the beginning but now I was sure I was dealing with something more. Something human. And this rat was just the same. It was no coincidence that they both showed up here together on the same night that I was nearly devoured by a werewolf.

"Who are you?" I said louder. Still nothing from the four-legged fiend in front of me. "Fine. Have it your way."

Turning abruptly, I made my way back over to the table with the Mandrakes. The werewolf was still passed out, but I faltered with every twitch of its body as I made my way past it. Upon reaching the table, I used my free hand to wiggle the muffs back onto my head and over my ears. The rat once again started to squirm as I pulled a potted plant towards me.

"I don't know what it'll do to you," I said as I turned back to face the dog in the doorway. I placed one hand on the stem of the Mandrake and held the rat up with the other. "But I can almost guarantee it'll be over for your friend here. Even if they are babies."

That seemed to pique the dog's interest like I wanted. He began to move forward, head low and threatening as it bared its teeth and began to growl.

"I'm going to give you to the count of three," I said, wrapping my fingers more firmly around the Mandrake's stem. "One…"

The dog inched closer at a faster pace now, eyes not moving from me even as it neared the werewolf.

"Two…"

The rodent was absolutely thrashing in my hands now, desperate to get away. Its movements were so aggressive that it jolted my arm with every attempt to free itself.

"Thr—"

I removed my eyes from the dog to look at the Mandrake, wanting to make sure I had a proper grip before pulling it from the soil. I was just about to tug when I was interrupted by a loud voice from the doorway.

"Alright, alright!" James Potter was saying frantically, hands raised in the air. "Let's just all calm down, okay?"

He was standing in the demolished frame, hair a mess as always. He wore his casual after class clothes that seemed entirely too lightweight for how crisp the evening was. Slowly, he brought his hands down but still kept them slightly aloft as he inched his way towards me and stood just beside the raggedy dog.

"Ledoux, just..." he began to inch forward again but stopped abruptly when the beast on the floor twitched. "Just put the rat down. He must be making your arm ache with the weight of him."

He chuckled when said rat let out a squeak that seemed to rebuke him. However, I remained quiet. If I raised my eyebrows in shock any further, they would leap off of my head.

To say I was unbelievably confused would be an understatement. If he was here, who was I holding in my hands? The dog? The werewolf? It felt like another connection was made in the wirings of my mind as I counted how many others joined us in the room.

They weren't the Gryffindor Quartet for nothing.

"No way," I said, more with disbelief than anything else. "Who's who?"

I looked at James and held up the rodent to emphasize the question. He avoided my gaze, sharing a quick but worried glance with the dog beside him.

"What're you going on about?" He pulled out his best attempt at being confused but I saw right through him.

"This has got to be Peter," I looked at the rat and it gave me a huff. "Now it's just about which one is Sirius and which one is Remus."

I looked between the two canines. While I didn't peg Remus as a dog kind of guy, Sirius just had to be the werewolf. He seemed like the reckless kind to wander into trouble and get bitten. What was the most perplexing, though, was how the other two managed to become animagi in the first place. Remus could make sense, but Peter? No way I would have believed it. Did this mean James was also one? And for what purpose anyway?

"Honestly, what are you saying?" He feigned a scoff. "You alright? Maybe spending too much time around the Belladonna."

I sighed loudly and dramatically, so over tonight.

Without saying a word, I reached my free arm out towards the Mandrake and grasped its stem again. I sent threats with my gaze towards the Gryffindor but he remained silent, almost daring me to pull on the plant. After a few moments, I shrugged and began to lift it from the soil.

There was a sudden and odd sensation in the palm of the hand that was holding the rat. It was tingly, almost like static shock. I felt the fingers that were wrapped around the small creature begin to spread as I tried to keep ahold of it. But it became too large and heavy, and I had to drop it as I watched its body contort. Its perky ears rounded and moved down the side of its head, while its facial features grew and shifted. Its paws stretched into hands and feet at the ends of arms and legs, now attached to a torso.

Finally, a maroon sweater replaced the grungy fur. In what seemed like an instant, I found myself face to face with Peter Pettigrew. He gave me a wary look before peeking at James and then down to his feet. He almost seemed embarrassed.

"Ah-ha!" I bit dryly at James, basking in the triumph of me being right.

"Wormtail," James groaned in annoyance, rubbing a hand down his face. "I was handling it, mate. No way she would have done it. You would've been fine."

He was overly confident as he spoke. To be honest, I wasn't actually sure if I would have followed through myself. I was kind of rolling with the punches right now.

"Handling it?" The plump boy to my left said. Peter crossed his arms, just as annoyed while he lightly glared at his friend. "You're delusional. I was just about to be offed by one of those screaming nightmares."

"You should know by now not to underestimate me," James said smugly, stuffing his hands into pants pockets.

"I'll remember that for other situations. I mean, look, she's still got her bloody hand on the thing!"

In all the commotion, I had forgotten the hand that was on the stem of the plant. The Mandrake below the soil squirmed under my grip, already protesting the possibility of being uprooted. I could let go, but I felt like it gave me the upper hand in this situation.

"Ledoux," James directed his attention to me. "You can lay off it now. Yeah, it's Peter. Happy?"

"Not until the other one reveals himself," I said as confidently as I could. I was grateful that my hand was preoccupied with the Mandrake stem or else it would be trembling. My mind still couldn't wrap itself around what the hell was going on tonight. Even beyond this, we still had a giant werewolf passed out in between us.

James remained quiet, sending the dog a shrug. We waited for a few long moments before the dog began to transform, much in the same way that Peter had. He shifted back into his human form much more rapidly. Maybe I was just used to seeing the transformation now, or maybe he was far more skilled than Peter at it. Either way, I blinked once and Sirius Black had replaced the shaggy dog.

"Alright, Ledoux?" He said just as smugly as James, even shooting me a wink. What a prick.

Suddenly, realization hit me like a Hippogriff headbutting me straight in the gut. Remus was a werewolf? It was kind of unbelievable. What would put him in that predicament? He was so demure. Part of this group of goons, sure, but was always the more reasonable one of the bunch.

But if I thought about it more clearly, there were the inexplicable scars on his face that now made much more sense. When I had asked Lily about them one night on patrol, she had said that he had told her it was some sort of tumble he took as a kid. This 'tumble' must have involved a werewolf, it would seem.

"Dear Salazar," I muttered. "There's no way."

I finally let go of the Mandrake stem in order to sit on the bench. In my surprised stupor, I was still able to notice the boys exchange worried glances. It was almost like they were talking without speaking.

"Ledoux," James finally said as he began to approach me. It wasn't lost on me that he had begun to pull his wand from his back pocket. He sidestepped the werewolf, Remus, with ease. Like he had done it a thousand times. "There's no need to overreact here, okay? I know this is a bit… much."

I took a deep breath and held up my hand to stop him. I knew what he planned on doing and I wasn't about to let that happen.

"Potter," I said sternly, meeting his eyes with a glare. "I swear if you try to obliviate me right now, I will find out somehow and destroy you."

He looked shocked at being caught in the act, turning to Sirius who just shrugged while keeping his face neutral. He pulled his wand into full view now, but hesitated and seemed unsure of what to do.

"Besides, I doubt you'll be able to do it." I sighed and leaned back. My neck ached and I subconsciously reached a hand up to massage it. "Smart as you may think you are, obliviation is no joke. Easy when you read about it, but it's different in practice. So don't be a twat and put your wand away. While eternal memory loss from a botched spell sounds like a dream, I'm actually not in the mood right now."

He remained speechless. We had a brief stare-off, my glare softening into one of resignation. Finally, he repocketed the wand.

We all remained in silence for what seemed like hours but was probably only for a few moments. Finally, I let out an exasperated sigh and stood up. I walked over to a workstation along the wall, pulling additional pairs of earmuffs from where they hung above the table. I made my way to each of the boys, handing them a pair one by one.

"Here," I said as I reached Sirius, "we'll need these just in case."

"You don't know if he's gonna be out all night?" Peter practically yelled. The other boys sent him a glare, so he continued more quietly. "I mean how can you not know?"

"It's not like I've done extensive research on how Mandrakes affect werewolves," I bit at him. "It took two just to take him down! They're babies, but still… Point is, it—he—already reacted differently to what we know from class, so while he's down for the count now, I really don't know what to expect here."

Peter gave out a huff, crossing his arms and leaning on the nearest table. I actually saw Sirius smirk out of the corner of my eye.

"Just relax, Wormtail," James said, kneeling down to kneel next to Remus' werewolf form. He seemed oddly calm around the beast, which fascinated me once I got past the general anxiety of the situation.

"Wormtail?" I asked after hearing the name for the second time now, raising my eyebrows as I continued to watch the bespectacled boys movements.

"Yeah," Sirius piped up. He poked at some Chomping Cabbage sprouts and I fought the urge to chide him. "It's a nickname. We all have one. Peter's Wormtail, James's Prongs, I'm Padfoot, and our man on the floor there is Moony."

"Prongs?"

"He turns into a deer."

"It's a stag," James pouted, getting up off the floor but gaze not leaving Remus as he went to lean next to Peter. They were like night and day, the former looking a little wary but resolved, while the mousey boy next to him was trembling like a Bowtruckle on a windy day.

"Ah," I simply responded. "Really on the nose there, huh?"

"Not like you caught on, did you, sweetheart?" Sirius smirked once more, finally meeting my eyes with his cool grey ones. I wanted nothing more than to smack the look off his face.

Rolling my eyes, I started to move around the room. The Fluxweed was all over the place. Thankfully, some of the vials hadn't broken in the skirmish, but there was still plenty scattered around.

"So is there anyone else in your gang of—assuming illegal—Animagi that I should know about?" I asked as I crouched down to start picking the clipped sprigs up. I ignored the ones closest to Remus, flinching a little when he gave a particularly aggressive twitch.

"Just us, don't worry," Sirius said. I was shocked when he crouched down next to me, helping me pick up the Fluxweed. The other two joined suit after a while, even daring to get close to Remus to pick up the sprigs nearest him. "Just us Marauders."

"What?" I stood up, apparently too fast as the pain in my neck once again radiated through my body and I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips.

"It's what we call ourselves. Guess word of that hasn't reached the snake pit," James shrugged. I couldn't even roll my eyes as I placed the Fluxweed on the nearest table to hunch over, waiting for this wave of pain to pass. "Are you okay, Ledoux?"

"Not really," I managed to groan out. "I think I gave myself whiplash or something."

"I know a spell for that," he said, coming closer and pulling out his wand.

I moved back a couple of steps, my lower back meeting the table.

"Nice try," I seethed. "Like I said, Potter, I'm not in the mood to get obliviated."

He rolled his eyes, landing right in front of me.

"Don't get your wand in a knot," he raised his own. "I solemnly swear that I am only out to help here."

The other boys laughed quietly behind him and I sensed some inside joke.

I considered for a moment, my neck throbbing as if in encouragement to let him do it. Resigned, I gave out a small nod.

"Alright then," he smiled. "Which side is it on?"

"This one," I leaned my head to the right, exposing my neck. The movement hurt and I let out another wince.

He placed his hand on my opposite shoulder before sending me a remorseful look. He raised his wand until the tip was pushed lightly against the base of my neck.

"Not gonna lie here. It might pinch a bit."

"Just do it, Potter."

He whispered an incantation and I felt a sharp pain radiate through my neck and up my head. It was like my skull was about to explode for a few painstaking seconds and then finally… nothing. It was over before I could blink twice. I rotated my neck a few times just to double-check. Surely enough, he'd done it.

"Cheers," he said with a smile as he stepped back. I returned a small one in thanks.

We went back to a thick and awkward silence as he rejoined the other two boys leaning on the table across from me. I mimicked their movements, crossing my arms as I sized them up.

Peter was still shaking like a leaf, clearly uncomfortable with the entire situation. He kept sending me glances before averting his eyes to anywhere but mine. I realized this must have been the first time someone had found out about their secret and I couldn't help the sense of power that began to grow in my stomach. I knew a secret about the "other side." Maybe that could help me in the future somehow. But when I looked at Peter's terrified expression, I mentally slapped myself for even thinking such a thing.

James stood in the middle of them. He was lost in thought, staring blankly at the ground. But even so, he carried an Alpha Male air about him and I had no doubts he was the one leading the charge here. It had always been him, after all, that initiated conflict between them and everyone else. Though, tonight, he didn't exude his usual cocky attitude but rather seemed level-headed and reasonable. I wondered why he always acted differently otherwise. He must have noticed me gawking because, like Peter, he met my gaze. There was a flash of anger before it melted into confliction. At least he also didn't know what to do with the situation at present.

And finally, there was Sirius. Like James, his playboy act was nowhere to be found. He looked rather bored or maybe fatigued, like me knowing all this was one of the last things on his mind. It made sense. He had larger battles to fight. He was disowned, an outcast in his own right despite running with the most popular group of students in the castle. Seeing his brother every day, probably knowing what he was becoming, was its own battle for him. Maybe becoming a shaggy dog was his only reprieve.

And then it hit me.

"Damn it all to Salazar," I breathed out as I placed my face in my hands. Suddenly, I was too embarrassed to face them.

"But maybe I know more about you than you think." That bastard! It had been him those nights, collecting Wolfsbane for Remus. Him who had carried me over to a makeshift bed as well, I remembered as I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. That aside, he had maybe heard a bit too much about how I was feeling as it concerned my current state of affairs. Indeed, he knew more about me than I had previously thought. That was dangerous for me. One mention of my faltering emotions and I could be in danger, my family could be in danger.

Speaking of it, this entire situation could put me in danger if someone found out I was here with them. My heart rate increased as I shot into action, making my way towards the door.

"I need to borrow a wand real quick," I said, not looking back towards them.

"What?" I heard James say incredulously. "Use your own!"

"It's somewhere between here and the Whomping Willow. Dropped it when I was fleeing for my life." I turned to shoot him a quick glare. He looked down solemnly.

I reached the door, feeling a presence behind me just before I walked outside. I turned, expecting James, but was surprised to meet the grey eyes of Sirius. He raised his eyebrows as if to ask me what the hold up was. Another blush crept onto my face as I quickly turned and exited the greenhouse.

The grounds were as silent as a graveyard, the full moon now seeming a little too bright. It was a reminder of everything that had just happened and I shuddered which had nothing to do with the cold.

Scanning the grounds up to the castle, I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. I double-checked every shadow, looking for any signs of movement that I may have missed. When everything remained as still as it should be, I pivoted and rounded the corner to the back of the greenhouse. Instead of entering the garden, I went to stand in front of it, now only a couple of large paces away from the Forbidden Forest.

"Can I see your wand?" I reached a hand out to Sirius. He just stared at me silently. "Please."

He sized me up for a moment before sighing and giving in. He reached in his back pocket and placed the wand in my hand. It was simple but beautiful, with Runes of all sorts wrapping around its base.

"Thanks," I said softly before turning back to the forest. "Homenum Revelio!"

Nothing happened. I turned at a couple different angles facing the forest, repeating the spell as I did so. Each cast turned up nothing. I released a sigh of relief and handed Sirius his wand.

"Shit, Ledoux," he said as he grabbed it. "You weren't kidding, were you? You actually think they're keeping tabs on you."

"I don't think it," I said firmly. "I know they're following me."

"How?"

"My brother told me," I whispered, ashamed.

"Merlin," he breathed. "That's messed up. You know that, right?"

I didn't respond, suddenly finding twiddling my fingers very interesting.

"Whatever," I finally said. "It's none of your business."

"But—"

"Can you help me find my wand? I'm gonna need some light," I asked before he could continue.

Without waiting for an answer, I made my way back around the greenhouse. I tried to retrace my steps as best I could while Sirius lit his wand. We searched the grounds, my back aching as I leaned down to peer into the grass. At one point, I stopped for a moment to stand and stretch lightly.

I took the opportunity to look at Sirius. His expression had melted back into one of boredom as he continued to look around.

"You're quieter than usual tonight," I commented casually. "Where's that usual playboy energy?"

"Not really appropriate considering the circumstances," he shrugged, eyes not leaving the grass beneath him. "Plus, I know it's wasted on you."

"Wow," I said sarcastically. "Should I be offended?"

He shot a smirk my way, his eyes lighting up in the moonlight.

"Hardly," he said playfully. "Like I said, you're different. I wouldn't waste my charm on someone like you."

"'Someone like me'? But that sounds like something I should be offended by."

"I mean, you're clearly not out to win my heart like most of the ladies around here. What's the point? I'll save my dazzling personality for the long line of girls out to get me."

"It's because you're not my type. A bit too humble for me," I replied just as playfully. "I'm after someone a little more arrogant."

"Clearly," he muttered but I didn't miss it. I couldn't hide the frown that formed on my face. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."

"No, it's okay," I resigned. "He's an absolute prick."

He smiled at that, though his face betrayed a hint of sadness.

"It sucks, doesn't it? Not having control over your future."

"Mmm," was all I could reply at first. "Guess I'm just used to it by now."

He scoffed. "You shouldn't be. Getting betrothed was my breaking point."

"What?" I stopped in my tracks. "They had already set you up with someone? But you were so young."

"So are you."

I couldn't think of anything to say because there were no words to argue with that.

"Besides there's no such thing in The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," he sneered. "I think they were just trying to cover their asses and make up lost face from when I was sorted into Gryffindor."

"With who?"

"Not important."

"I assume she goes here," his face gave nothing away. "'C'mon just tell me, Sirius."

His eyebrows raised at me calling him by his first name.

"Black," I corrected myself quickly but an arrogant smirk still crossed his features.

"It was Murk."

"Oh, wow," I said astonished.

Ismelda Murk was probably the worst student to currently reside at Hogwarts. A year ahead of us, she had made it clear very early on that she would associate with nothing and no one that didn't carry the ideals of the pureblood elite. Even before this whole Dark Lord mess, she had an odd affinity for the Dark Arts which she did not keep a secret. The thought of marrying Sirius must have made her want to vomit.

"She was probably overjoyed when you left home," I kept my tone light. However, his face noticeably fell. Maybe I had hit a nerve on accident.

"Yeah, well she wasn't the only one," his tone was somber and it prickled at my heartstrings.

"Sirius, I—"

"Found it!" He exclaimed suddenly. He reached down and pulled my wand from the grass. "Huh. Not exactly the look I would have thought for a pureblood princess like yourself."

He handed me the wand. It was made from rosewood, the body a natural, regal red. However, that was the only overly luxurious thing about it. From its base jutted an uncut crystal that led into a rustic hilt. It was the exact opposite of what all my peers possessed which made me love it even more.

"Yeah, my mother was absolutely furious," I smiled at the memory from when I was eleven, ignoring his 'princess' comment. "She marched right back into Ollivander's, but he said he couldn't do anything about it. 'The wand chooses the wizard' and all that. She swears that we'll go to Gregorovitch's one day and try again."

"I think you should keep it," he said. "Suits you."

Something in his tone set me off unexpectedly. Sirius Black could have no idea what 'suited' me.

"Listen," I said. "I was really upset and really exhausted that night. My emotions got the better of me and I may have revealed too many of my feelings but… that doesn't mean you know me."

He stared at me blankly which only made me more annoyed.

"It's actually really unfair too," I continued, light irritation dripping from my words. "You can't just go around as a dog, prying information from unsuspecting victims."

"I'm sorry, did I force you to say anything?" He asked.

"Well, no but—"

"Then I don't see how it's my fault," his tone had become playful once more, making my frustration boil over.

We had a mini-glare off, mostly on the part of me. A smirk permanently attached itself to his features now, as he must have felt like he had the upper hand. I still felt misled in it all, but in the end, there was nothing I could really do. At least I hadn't spilled anything too important to 'my side.'

"You didn't tell them anything, did you?" I finally whispered out, directing a nod towards the greenhouse.

His smirk faltered into a reassuring smile. "Nah. Didn't think it was my place."

I nodded, slightly surprised but ultimately grateful.

"Thanks," I sent a small smile his way.

"You know," he coughed uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head and averting away from my gaze, "you can talk to me anytime about it all. I've been there, as you know. Even if you don't end up following my path, I'm happy to just let you vent and I can vent back. I'd actually enjoy releasing some steam because, uh, the guys listen but they just don't get it, you know…? I guess I know how Remus feels sometimes when he talks about his own afflictions…"

By the end he was rambling, probably in response to my ever-growing look of shock as his words went on. Was he trying to be nice to me right now? We'd hardly exchanged any words before last night, beyond the chides I sent his way whenever we had an altercation between them and the Slytherins I had to associate with.

"I—I mean, only if you want to, of course," he stammered at my silence. He regained his composure quickly though, the smirk returning to his face. "But don't tell. I don't want anyone to know I was nice to a gal that I wasn't trying to shag."

"Ugh," I finally broke from my state of disbelief. "You're foul."

"The foulest in the school," he said proudly.

"Gross," I said as I turned back to the greenhouse. "C'mon. You guys have some explaining to do."

We entered the greenhouse after a silent but comfortable walk. The entire time, I considered his offer. It would be nice to talk to someone that understood what I was feeling. Will used to be that outlet but no longer, it seemed. I'd considered confiding in Andromeda more but she had her own worries. And it's not like I had any other close friends…

Peter and James were sitting on the floor in front of Remus now, each within reach of two Mandrakes that they'd placed next to them. They looked tired, and I could only imagine the toll these nights took on them. They really must be the best of friends to go through all this.

"So what went wrong?" I sat back up on the table of Mandrakes while Sirius took a seat next to James, facing away from me. I tried to ignore how close he was. If he leaned back slightly, his head would rest on my crossed legs… I pushed the thought away. "Weren't you guys making the Wolfsbane Potion? I seem to recall even telling Sirius about how long it took to brew it."

"We followed the recipe!" Peter called out, clearly no longer worried about waking Remus. "It didn't look exactly right but we still gave it to him right before he transitioned."

"Wait, so you only gave it to him tonight?" I said annoyed.

"Yeah…" James chimed in, looking at me puzzled. "What's the problem?"

Before I could even register what I was doing, I reached out and smacked Sirius on the back of the head. His hand went up to the spot instantly, accompanied by an "OW!" on his part.

"What the hell was that for?" He turned to glare at me.

"Did I or did I not tell you that it needed to be consumed once a day for a week before transitioning?" I glared back. "Not all in one go, you twat."

His face flushed in embarrassment. "Shit…" He just muttered. "Must've forgotten that part."

"Padfoot!" The other two boys groaned in unison.

"I didn't see either of you two wankers volunteering to grab the Wolfsbane," he refuted, crossing his arms in a huff. He leaned back but stiffened and sat up straight when his head brushed my knees as I expected they would.

"Yeah, but that's because you wanted to—" Peter didn't get to finish as James reached out to smack him on his shoulder and shake his head. He sent me a sheepish look. I didn't even bother to pry.

"Whatever, you guys are idiots," I dismissed. "What did it look like when you were done?"

"Purple-ish," Peter continued. "We thought it was close enough to blue to be okay."

I groaned. "You must not have let the bay leaves soak for long enough. You know, you could have poisoned him. Wolfsbane's a very difficult potion to make and it shouldn't be taken lightly."

They all sunk their heads in shame and I instantly felt bad for my words. These weren't just boys playing around with a cauldron. They were genuinely just trying to help out a friend afflicted with something he couldn't control.

"Well, either way," I continued somberly. "Why'd you let him on the grounds?"

"We thought it'd be safe with the Wolfsbane," James shrugged. "Quickly learned that wasn't the case though, eh? Just had to be the one night someone was hanging out in the greenhouses so late."

I rolled my eyes at his nonchalance. "What's under the Whomping Willow?"

"A path to the Shrieking Shack. It's where he's holed up on full moons. We wanted to start using Wolfsbane because it drives him insane being trapped in there."

"No way," I said, a little fascinated. "So it's not haunted then. The wailing is actually him."

"Yep," James popped the 'p' as he said it. "Surprised no one's caught on, considering it only 'shrieks' on the full moon."

"Hmm," I considered. "Maybe stick to the Forbidden Forest next time, yeah?"

James actually let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, noted."

Remus twitched significantly and we all froze. James and I already had our hands on the base of our earmuffs. But after a couple of seconds, he stopped moving once more. We collectively let out a sigh of relief.

"What usually happens when he wakes up?" I asked hesitantly.

"He's a bloody wreck," Sirius said sadly. "We take him to Madame Pomfrey and he's usually out for a least a day."

"She knows?"

"Yeah, her and Dumbledore. He's the one who made the path and the shack."

Thinking about it, it all started to add up. The Willow was planted the same year we entered Hogwarts. Dumbledore had planned this out significantly.

"Well, he might be a little more out of sorts this time because of the botched Wolfsbane. Can't know for sure but probably in your best interest to tell her when you guys get to the Hospital Wing."

In fact, he might be really out of sorts with the combined effects of both the potion and the Mandrakes. He was in for a very rough day, at best. I once again felt a flash of pity when I saw the sunken heads of the boys on the ground.

I jumped off the table, barely missing kicking Sirius. On a mission, I knew couldn't help with the effects of the Wolfsbane but I could at least alleviate some of his upcoming pain.

Rushing over to one of the window sills, I plucked some various herbs there before going to another window sill to do the same.

"And what are you up to?" James asked and I turned to meet the curious faces of the boys.

"I'm not sure how to treat his reaction to the Wolfsbane, so sorry for that but," I ripped one last herb I needed and went over to a workstation. "I think I'll be able to alleviate some of the pain he'll be having from the Mandrakes. Then at least you won't have to tell Pomfrey about that."

I pulled a mortar and pestle over to me, placing in the herbs one by one and grinding them. As each one went it, I marked them off on the list in my head so as to double-check that I had everything.

I heard the boys rise and come to stand right behind me. I tried to ignore their eyes on my work, letting the soothing sound of the pestle crunching the herbs calm me.

This type of work had been my escape for years now. I was always trying to come up with new combinations that could be used for healing or otherwise enhancing spellwork. This remedy was one of my own making, an adjusted version of one River taught me when I first had an altercation with a particularly cranky Mandrake. I just hoped my additions would be potent enough for the werewolf on the floor.

Sirius leaned on the table, facing me. His eyes studied me and my cheeks flared up. Merlin, what was up with me tonight? It must be the exhaustion.

"You're not gonna poison him, right?" He finally asked.

"Please," I said flatly. "Out of the lot of you, he's definitely the one I like the most."

"Should I be offended?" He smirked as he mimicked my own question from before. I tried to hide the small smile pressing against my lips.

"Shut up," I said, adding the last herb I needed and grinding. "Can someone light up a cauldron? There's moon water in the back. Make sure it's from the New Moon. We just need a couple jars."

"On it, darlin'," James said. There was that charisma I was waiting for.

He set up a cauldron next to me, lighting its base up with his wand. Meanwhile, Peter poured the water in. Sirius hadn't moved, eyes still watching me intently. It was getting harder and harder to concentrate with his piercing gaze.

"What's next?" James asked.

"Let it come to a boil," I threw in some uncrushed cloves and cinnamon.

"This seems old school," Peter commented.

"Don't fix what isn't broken," I replied simply. "Our ancestors knew more than you think. Magic is ultimately grounded in the world around us. It's not all bells and whistles."

The water gently started bubbling and I began adding the crushed herb medley, pouring portions of it in at five-minute intervals. In between each addition, I held up my wand and whispered incantations.

"Can you grab me some elderberries?" I asked no one in particular. James returned with them in the blink of an eye and I dropped them in.

"There," I said as I wiped my hands on my jeans. "That should do it. How long do we have until he transitions back?"

"We've got about half an hour until sunrise," Sirius finally spoke up, spooking me a little.

I glanced at the still unmoving werewolf on the ground.

"Um," I said, embarrassed. "Does he change back with clothes on?"

"Want to wait and find out?" James sent me a wink.

"Please tell me you have an extra pair of pants around here?"

"'Course we do, but I think it would be more fun to see your expression when you see him lying on the floor without them," they all let out a snicker but he quickly stopped after noticing the glare on my face. "Alright, alright. You're no fun, Ledoux. Peter'll go grab them."

"What?" The pudgy boy whined. "Why me? You know I hate going under the Willow. Gives me the creeps."

"Just do it, Wormtail," James said firmly.

With a resolved grunt, Peter transformed back into his rodent self. I watched as he scattered along the floor and out the door, still in disbelief that it was actually one of my classmates.

"We always keep an extra set of clothes in the Shack," James explained. He nodded towards the cauldron. "What are we supposed to do with all this?"

I moved over to a shelf in the back of the room, rustling around our supplies until I found what I needed. With a rip as I pulled, I made several smaller cloths out of a larger sheet of canvas. Bringing them back over, I put out the fire under the cauldron with a flick of my wand and then placed them in.

"These'll need to soak until he wakes up," I said. "For his forehead. He'll probably need to drink some as well, considering everything."

I looked over to Remus with empathy but was redirected back to the boys when Sirius gave out an awkward cough.

"Just to warn you," he started. "He's not going to be happy that you know about all this. He's really ashamed about it all, even though he shouldn't be."

His usually bright grey eyes were sad and I once again felt my heart lurch.

"Elsbeth," James said, just as somberly. I stopped at the use of my first name. This was definitely more serious than I thought if he were willing to get personal. "Please. Don't let this leave this greenhouse. I know we don't see eye to eye, but this is beyond politics. He shouldn't suffer because of something that wasn't his choice."

They were both pleading now, their stances defeated.

I could very well go to Byron today and tell him everything, let him and Lucius use it as leverage. But I knew I wouldn't, even if I was on their 'side.' James was right, this wasn't about blood status or anything else going on in the world.

I glanced at Remus once more, his body slumped but looking tense. It's almost like he knew, even in this state, that his body was about to be ripped apart as he turned back into the quiet and studious boy everyone else knew. At that moment, something in me broke and I felt the need to not only keep his secret but help him as best I could.

"I promise," I said, turning back to James and Sirius. I met both of their gazes one by one, trying to convey how earnest I was. "Nothing leaves here."

The boys looked at one another, still slumped but looking a little more relieved.

Just then, Peter returned. He was in human form, huffing and puffing with red cheeks to match. He slammed the garments down on the nearest table.

"You know," he said, trying to catch his breath. "I can't carry all of this as a bloody rat. Had to rush all the way back here. Almost slipped on some rocks under the Willow several times!"

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, mate," Sirius said, back to his normal self. It was almost like we hadn't just shared an intimate moment between the three of us.

Then, the first rays of sunlight began to peek through the glass of the greenhouse, blinding me in the process.

"Here we go," Sirius said, moving towards Remus with James close behind. "You might want to put on some earmuffs and grab a Mandrake just in case, sweetheart. And turn around unless you really do want to see our boy in the buff."

He winked and I flushed as I watched them all turn back into their animagus forms. Seeing James as a stag for the first time was alarming and I couldn't help but gawk. He looked regal, with his large antlers emitting an all-powerful kind of energy. I should've expected nothing less pretentious of him.

But I could only stare for a moment before I heard the werewolf on the ground groan, waking up from his unconscious state as the transformation began.

Turning, I placed the muffs on my head and kept one hand on a nearby Mandrake. Even through the thickness of the muffs on my ears, I could hear the wailing. First, coarse and animalistic, like some sort of dog dying from a monstrous wound. There was rustling around as I figured the rest of the boys were trying to contain the beast. Gradually the noise melted into the shouts of a human, still sounding like they were in pain but eventually receding into tired groans. I so wished I could see what was happening, to give myself context, but I remained faced away.

"There, there, Moony," I heard James say quietly, like a father comforting his son. They must have transformed back.

I removed the earmuffs and placed them on the table, figuring it was safe to do so. Waiting for my cue, I fiddled with my fingers as I listened to them moving around. There was the occasional groan, supposedly from Remus, but it wasn't nearly as pained as before. He sounded more exhausted, like he wanted nothing more than to pass out. Unexpectedly, I heard the crash of a glass bottle.

"Dammit, Wormtail!" Sirius quipped.

"Sorry," the other boy said timidly.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and swiveled to see Sirius.

"It's done," he smiled ruefully. He tilted his head towards the cauldron. "What do we gotta do?"

"Grab one of those mugs, please," I pointed towards a shelf in the corner.

I went over to the cauldron and began pulling out the soaked rags. I didn't wring them out, assuming we'd need as much of the concoction as we could manage. Sirius made quick work of getting the mug and I dipped it in, pulling out a cup of liquid filled with as many of the herbs as I could manage.

"Here," I handed it back to Sirius. "Make sure he drinks it, weeds and all."

He just nodded, making his way towards Remus. I gathered the rags, not caring that they stained my sweater a dark red as they dripped while I walked.

Hearing Remus was one thing, but seeing him was something else altogether. I could feel my heart breaking when I finally set eyes on him, sitting on the floor as James and Peter propped him up. He looked haggard, like he had been beaten by a hundred men but wasn't left with any external injuries. He slouched as he heaved, still trying to regain control of bodily functions like breathing.

In short, he looked horrible. And I realized I wasn't ready for the sight of it. But I quickly took a deep breath, regaining my composure, and went to squat next to Sirius in front of him.

"Here, Moony," Sirius was saying. "Drink up."

His head lifted slowly, turning to look at him. He was reaching out for the cup when he noticed my presence and his eyes went as wide as they could in his state.

"What," he groaned out. "What the hell is she doing here?"

"Um," I said, looking around at the boys who were also at a loss of what to say. I blabbed the first thing that popped into my mind. "I came in just now… Was checking on some things before breakfast…? Saw you a little out of sorts so I thought I'd help out."

"Merlin," he slumped his head once more. "You're such a horrid liar."

The boys sent me a haggard look and I shrugged. I tried, I mouthed to them.

"She knows," James said, trying to rouse his friend with a rub on the shoulder. "But she's not going to say anything, okay?"

"Yeah, she won't say a word," Sirius said strongly. He was still facing Remus but I knew it was a warning for me. "She's promised."

"I told you all we shouldn't have left the shack!" Remus exclaimed but immediately followed it up with another yelp in pain.

"We didn't know that it wouldn't—"

"We're all so stupid. Someone could have gotten killed... Or worse, infected."

"Remus you really need to calm—"

"Hell, why don't we do it every full moon? See how much havoc I can wreak?"

"Now you're just talking non—"

"This is so stupid. Nothing is going to work! I'll always be a threat."

"Hey!" I said harshly before any of the boys could chime in again. I placed a hand firmly on his knee, hoping it was at least a little bit reassuring. "No one got hurt, so get off it. They need to take you up to Madame Pomfrey soon but I can't let that happen until we deal with your Mandrake symptoms. So can you just suck up the dramatics for a second?"

His head finally shot up and they all became eerily silent. James gave me a pointed look as if to tell me to watch my tone, but I ignored him.

"So?" I said, looking only at Remus.

After a moment, he simply nodded.

"Good," I said with a sigh. I turned to James and Peter. "Can you all lean him back? There's bags of soil over there if that'll make it easier."

James jumped up and grabbed one, coming back and resting it against one of the benches. Slowly, we all moved Remus back, perching him against the sack in a position where he was able to let his head roll back. He did so without being told.

I shooed James out of the way so I could sit right next to him.

"Are you particularly fond of this shirt?" I asked him.

"What?" He shifted his head slightly to peek at me in confusion.

"This shirt," I repeated. "Would you be overly emotional if it became kind of unwearable?"

"I guess not," he sighed in resignation.

"Excellent," I raised my wand to make a tiny tear at the base of one of his sleeves. I turned to Sirius, still holding the mug, while I ripped the shirt up to his collarbone. "Can you feed him that while I take care of his shoulders?"

Without a word, Sirius and Peter exchanged places.

"Alright, Moony," Sirius said. "Bottoms up."

He lifted Remus' head and poured the drink slowly. He sent me a weary smile as I watched momentarily before going back to the task at hand.

Shoulder and collarbone exposed, I took one of the rags and placed it on his bare skin. Loaded with the liquid, it seeped into the surrounding fabric of the shirt, making it look like he was bleeding profusely.

"What are you even doing?" I rolled my eyes at James' irritated tone.

"Tension from Mandrake exposure gathers in the forehead, neck, and shoulders. I'm trying to alleviate those pain points," I said curtly. Sirius pulled the mug from his lips. "You done?"

He nodded. "All finished, sweetheart."

"Brilliant," I placed my hands gingerly on Remus' head. "You can just lean back now. Take a nap or something if you'd like. Meditate. I don't know, do whatever werewolves do the morning after."

I smiled as the broken boy actually attempted a chuckle.

I grabbed the rest of the rags, placing them around his neck and forehead. Sirius reached over to grab one, mimicking my movements on Remus' other shoulder.

"Thanks," I said to him as all the rags were placed. I raised my wand once more and Remus winced when I whispered another incantation. It only lasted a moment before he relaxed back into the sack of soil, eyes closing peacefully. I stood and brushed off my knees, the other boys following suit. "There. I opened his pores to let the liquid seep in. He should be good to go in about half an hour."

"That was some major ancient shit," Peter chuckled and we all joined suit.

"Yeah," I walked back to the workstation. "But I would bet ten Galleons it'll be the best he's ever felt after a transformation. Unless your stupid botched potion-making counters it."

I walked over and started cleaning up the cauldron, waving my wand and watching the remaining liquid vanish. I went to grab it but stopped short when another hand wrapped itself around the handle and hoisted it up.

"You know," Sirius said as he headed towards the supply shelves, completely unphased by the weight of the cauldron. "You've got a real knack for this kind of stuff."

"Er, thanks," I said as I grabbed some of the other things on the table and followed him. "But it's all because of River, really. She's been teaching me a lot."

"Hmm," he mused, placing the cauldron down with a solid thunk. "Too bad all that skill'll be wasted when you become a pawn for the Ministry."

I froze, nearly dropping the stone bowl in my hands. Setting my mouth in a stern line, I placed it down with more force than necessary.

"That doesn't concern you," I hissed out, looking to make sure the other boys weren't listening. "How'd you even know about that anyway?"

Startling me, he leaned in close. I felt his breath tickle my nose, our faces mere inches from one another. I could smell the musk of his cologne and I hated how much I enjoyed the scent of it.

"You guys aren't the only ones with access to intel about the other side," he whispered, eyes intensely boring into mine.

"Lily made it seem like you guys weren't that involved yet."

"Some of us are a little more…" He gave out a slight smile and I felt my heart stop. At this proximity, his features were somewhat brilliant. His loose locks framed his face delicately, perfectly accenting his admittedly handsome face. I was yanked out of my thoughts as he continued. "Eager to join the cause than others."

We remained close for a few more seconds, my breathing remaining hitched until he finally pulled back. With a wink, he went back to his friends. I shook my head violently to shake away the emotions bubbling over in my mind.

"Ah, but they're absolute shit this season," I heard James say to Peter as I returned within earshot. "The only time Avishan blocks a goal is when he gets lucky. Thank Merlin that Devys is set to replace him on the national team."

"Really?" Peter asked, shocked as he stopped messing with a stick he found on the ground to look at James. "I thought Thunbine was taking his place?"

"Right? So did everyone else, but he's become the alternate."

"It's rubbish, if you ask me," Sirius joined in as he sat down and became a part of their semi-circle around Remus. "Devys is a baby in the league. Thunbine's got serious experience."

"Experience doesn't mean shit when you're as talented as Devys," James shrugged.

"I think someone's in love," Remus said hoarsely, eyes still not opening.

"Shut up," James pushed Sirius as he laughed at the joke, the latter teetering slightly from the force of it.

Silently, I sat down next to Peter, hunching over as the exhaustion hit me. This lifestyle really was unsustainable. I tuned the boys out as they turned from Goalies to Chasers for another Quidditch team I didn't care about. Leaning my head in my hand, my eyelids fluttered, feeling like weighted stones.

I didn't know I had fallen asleep until someone was lightly shaking me awake.

"Hey sleepyhead," Sirius said quietly. He was crouched right in front of me and I looked past his broad shoulder to notice James and Peter supporting Remus near what was left of the doorframe. "We're gonna head up. You coming with?"

I rubbed my eyes slowly. He stood, extending a hand to help me up which I gladly accepted. Every inch of my body ached from the weight of the night's events. I would gladly lay flat on the ground of the greenhouse if it meant I could just pass out right now. But I knew I wasn't able to do that. The morning was already running late and soon my presence would be needed in the castle.

"I better clean up around here," I shook my head. "River'll kill me if she sees the place like this."

"Sorry," Remus whispered, looking ashamed. The boys holding him shifted uncomfortably at his tone.

"Oh, you need to hush," I said firmly. "Just take it easy, yeah?"

He nodded and sent me a small smile. "Thank you, Elsbeth. I really do feel better and I appreciate it."

"'Course," it was my turn to shift awkwardly.

Despite his words, he still looked broken. If he hadn't done it many times before, I wouldn't have believed that he would ever recover. Each step made him wince, sometimes accompanied by a pained gasp. But beyond the physical, his face was tortured. I could tell he loathed his lack of control more than any accompanying pain.

They were almost to the door when I made a decision. One I might regret later, sure, but at that moment I couldn't care less.

"Wait," I said softly. They all turned to look at me and I suddenly felt insecure. "Come back Sunday. I can only make a two months' supply of the potion in advance or else it loses its potency. But as long as the Wolfsbane continues to grow well, I can keep making it as needed."

The boys just looked at me in stunned silence, Peter's mouth even opening a bit to gape at me. It made me regret saying anything at all.

"That would be," Remus started before stopping, at first almost looking as embarrassed as I felt. But then, I saw an immense look of relief wash over his features. "Honestly, that would be brilliant. Thank you."

"Well I do work down here quite a bit," I said playfully as my confidence rose with his words. "And as much fun as I've had tonight, I would really prefer not to do this again."

"You and me both."

With one final weak chuckle, he turned with James and Peter. They both shot me some grateful nods as they shuffled him out.

Feeling unusually happy, I turned to head back to the workstation in order to continue cleaning up. I was abruptly halted when I felt a hand on my wrist. I whirled and was once again met with Sirius' piercing grey eyes. It made me jump a little, having just assumed that he had followed the rest of them.

"You know," he started before I could say anything. "He's probably hating himself right now. Hating what he put you through."

"He really shouldn't—" I began but he didn't let me continue.

"And he'll never really say how much you making the Wolfsbane Potion means to him, so I will. Really. Really. Thank you. And not just from him but from all of us, really."

"I," I started, a little caught off guard. "I mean, it's really nothing."

"You don't have to do it, so it is very much something."

His hand was hot and calloused as he shifted to wrap it around my own dirty one. It filled me with a sense of comfort like I'd never felt before. It was a feeling I didn't know I needed until I was experiencing it at that moment.

"I'll see you around, Elsbeth."

Without waiting for me to respond, he gave my hand a couple of squeezes and walked out the door. For what seemed like the millionth time tonight, I felt a blush rise to my cheeks.