Chapter 12: Thank you
Friday evening, in the Whomping Willow.
Remus held his knees tighter in a fetal position as he awaited the full moon while sitting on the dusty floor. He was naked, and wrapped in an itchy blanket. He didn't want to unintentionally destroy his uniform more than it already was. In front of him were his best friends, James, Sirius, and Peter. Who were also awaiting for his transformation. As soon as his symptoms would begin to worsen, that's when they knew when to turn into Animagi.
Although Remus had religiously drank the disgusting and mysterious potion that Severus gave him, he still couldn't help but doubt if the potion's effects would actually help his condition. He shivered as a cold and damp breeze flowed through the creaking old hut, he wrapped the dusty blanket around him tighter. Sirius, who noticed that Remus seemed more nervous than usual spoke up.
"Oy mate, you alright? It's not like its the first time you've done this. You okay?" Sirius asked, genuinely concerned for his friend as he approached closer to Remus.
But Remus held a firm hand up to stop Sirius from coming any closer, he could feel his symptoms worsen as the night began to invade the orange setting sun.
"I'm fine. Don't come any closer, don't want any of you getting hurt through the grueling process. I'm just nervous." Remus slowly explained while trying to control his breathing.
"About what?" James additionally asked. Remus gritted his teeth, he could feel the muscles in his mouth begin to clench.
"Severus... Gave me a potion- Urgh!… He said, it would… Help-" Remus tried to say, but he could feel his ribs and chest begin to crack and expand. The grueling pain was about to start.
"Wait-" Peter said.
"WHAT?!" James and Sirius finished.
"He gave you a potion and you just took it?!" Sirius yelled at him.
"You didn't even bother to tell us about it first?" James yelled over Sirius.
Remus tried to explain further but his symptoms were getting worse and pain was beginning to make him sweat buckets.
"S-shut… Urgh!... UP!" Remus had screamed through clenched teeth. His nails began to stretch and elongate, burying them deep into the wooden floors. Adding new marks to the numerous others on the floor.
"We'll talk about this later." James said, as he began to turn into a stag. Peter immediately climbed up unto James' antlers, he turned into Animagi first in fear of Remus' transformation.
"Hope he doesn't croak before we do." Sirius said, as he turned into a dog.
Remus couldn't even hear the last words they said, he was too caught up in the pain of his transformation. He screamed and yelped as bones broke, bent, and weaved around his body. While the transformation was on-going, he couldn't help but think that Severus betrayed him and played him for a fool. He thought the potion Severus gave him wasn't working, since he was still turning into a werewolf. As he continued to dwell in these thoughts, Remus didn't even notice that his transformation was already complete.
The three Animagi stood in front of him silently, awaiting his usual rabid rampage around the room. But to their surprise, nothing happened. Remus was still bent over, but he didn't bother to look up. James wanted to test something out and reverted back to human form with Peter still remaining as a rat on his shoulder. Peter squeaked at James, trying to tell him to turn back or else he could get hurt. Sirius also tried to stop him, but James brushed their concerns off. He slowly approached Remus, while giving ample distance between them to make sure he had enough space to turn back into Animagi as soon as Remus turned rabid.
"Moony?" James spoke up.
This brought Remus out of his hole of hopelessness. Hearing James speak out his name. Remus slowly looked up in wonder. Only then did Remus finally realize what Severus' potion had done, it allowed him to regain his consciousness. Remus whimpered in surprise and happiness. James chuckled in disbelief.
"Merlin, you can hear me?" James asked Remus.
Remus nodded.
"You can think?" Sirius spoke up, turning back into human.
Remus nodded again in a more excited motion.
Peter turned back into human as well after hopping off of James' shoulder.
"Can you speak?" Peter asked.
Remus tried, but only canine whimpers came out of his mouth.
"Well that's a no. But Merlin's balls! You're not rabid!" Sirius yelped in delight and excitement.
Remus was overjoyed, but immediately did he begin to feel shame for his previous negative thoughts towards Severus when he thought the potion never worked. The potion didn't cure him, but Remus thought that this was better than anything that he had ever felt throughout all his transformations.
In the Gryffindor tower. It was already lights out for the girl's dorms and everyone was tightly tucked in bed and so was Iris, but Arianrhod, had other plans. Leaving her mortal body to sleep, Arianrhod left the girl's dormitory. Passing through walls, she floated in the air. Basking herself under the bright and glowing moonlight of the full moon, soaking up whatever energy she can acquire from it. Floating in it's light as if she were gracefully dancing. But she knew it wasn't enough to satisfy her Deity needs. Only very few elixirs she brought along with her were left and although she tried as hard as she could to ration it, she knew that it wasn't enough to quench her
Arianrhod sighed, she looked up at the stars and wondered if she could possibly sneak into the heavenly realm unnoticed to steal more elixirs. Just as she was beginning to plan how to do so, she noticed a bright orange ball of light appear up at the sky. At first she thought it was a passing star, until realization settled in and she suddenly felt a cold shiver run through her whole body.
Once the orange ball began to fall closer and closer to the ground did she notice it being accompanied by green mists and flocks of crows, thus confirming her suspicions.
"Those little brats." Arianrhod said, through gritted teeth. "What are they doing here?"
Flicking her wrists, Arianrhod reverted her deity form to become completely 'unseen'. Although it has worked on mortals and creatures alike, she is unsure whether it works on other Deities too.
'Welp, there's a first for everything.' Airnarhod thought to herself with a shrug of her shoulders. 'But I must not engage with them at all costs. Even I can admit, I'm not in a great position to fight right now. If they notice me, I'll have to escape but that would mean leaving Severus. For sure they'll wait around in this timeline and who knows, those rats might even use him against me.' Arianrhod heavily sighed.
"No matter how enjoyable it is, be the older sibling Arianrhod." Arianrhod mocked, repeating Taranis' words to her while exaggerating Taranis' tone of voice.
The bright fiery ball landed on one of the cliff sides overlooking the entirety of Hogwarts, greenery within a radius of its impact to the ground was burned to nothing, turning the once lush greenery into smoky ash. Arianrhod flew towards the area, once she arrived she landed on the ground without making a single noise. Her cast of perception blocking had worked perfectly. Once the dust and ash began to settle, in front of Arianrhod were her three brothers.
Caswallawn was kneeling on one knee with a fist to the ground. While Affalach emerged straight out of the shadows. The flock of crows merged into two forms, Lludd and Llefelys' emerged, the flocks of black feathers scattering throughout the area.
'Always with the dramatic entrances.' Arianrhod thought to herself, while rolling her eyes at her brothers.
"She's not here, brother." Affalach said, in a hoarse tone. Propping his scythe unto his shoulders, green flames of the Otherworld engulfing the blade's edge.
"She's here, I can smell her." Caswallawn insisted, looking around the area.
"Correction brother, 'was' here." Lludd interjected. Caswallawn glared at him, but Llefelys defended his twin.
"Lludd is right. The realm reeks of her, yes. But the scent is too thin now. She must have transferred to a different realm. Perhaps this one did not fit her standards." Llefelys explained, trying to calm his older brother.
Caswallawn gripped his spear tight, he was clearly upset. Just as he turned around to leave, a howl echoed the night. Caswallawn looked back towards Hogwarts, and so did Arianrhod.
By the edge of the forest close to them, a clear sight of a werewolf could be seen running alongside a stag and a black dog. With the eyes of Deities they could clearly see the rat sitting unto the stag's antlers.
"Look brother, magical mortals turned creatures." Lludd pointed out to Caswallawn, hoping this sight could ease his brother's disappointment.
"Yes, descendants of sister's first pet. Too bad she could care less about them anymore." Caswallawn said, a deranged smile began to form on his face. "It's adorable, no matter the form we can always see through their flesh." Lifting his heavy spear, Caswallawn points it towards the largest of the running animals. The werewolf, Remus.
"Brother are you sure? What if this would create a drastic change in the timeline?" Llefelys asked, concerned of the consequences.
"If Arianrhod can run around dimensions and wreck havoc as she sees fit, why can't I do so for just once? After all, as far as father is concerned, we're out looking for her. While she is changing everything. A few magical mortals dead in a forest where they should not have been in the first place, shouldn't raise cause for concern in our stand." Caswallawn said, lifting his spear higher. Taking aim at Remus.
Arianrhod looked at her brother and back at the four boys frolicking around the forest's edge, who were completely unaware of the danger that has taken a sudden deathly interest in them. Arianrhod had thought about it, was saving them worth revealing herself? But it didn't take long for her to decide, in fact to her it was a no brainer. Arianrhod simply closed her eyes, completely apathetic to the events that were about to transpire. What was occurring at the moment did not concern Severus, and that's all that mattered to her. Arianrhod only went back in time for him and no one else, she could care less about everything else. She decided that the changes that would occur after tonight, she would have to roll with it in the morning.
'How tiresome.' Arianrhod thought, while she lavished in the cool breeze that swept the area.
As Caswallawn was beginning to place force in his throw, Afallach blocked Caswallawn with his scythe, the green flames barely touching Caswallawn's golden armor. Caswallawn raised an eyebrow at his brother, his eyes straining as he continued to side-eye his brother for stopping him. But even Caswallan was not foolish enough to risk accidentally touching the Otherworld's flames. Although it cannot seriously hurt or make God's bleed, but a single touch was enough to make a God's skin blister and boil, causing severe suffering for days. Only Afallach and Beli Mawr are immune from the heat of these green flames.
"Don't be foolish brother. As much as I would allow you to indulge yourself through small game. The scrolls will still reveal to Taranis who killed these mortals. For sure he will tattle to father of what had occurred, as it is very unlike for sister to suddenly go on a murderous rampage. Unlike Arianrhod, we are not his favorites." Affalach finished, retreating his scythe from Caswallawn's chest.
Caswallawn tsked in annoyance, looking back at the four young boys who had decided to run further away towards the lake. Caswallawn gritted his teeth.
"We must leave brother. She could be in a different realm and we are wasting time." Affalach added. Turning away from Hogwarts and reverting into a ball of green glowing smoke. While Lludd and Llefelys followed suit, reverting into swarms of crows. Arinarhod smirked at Caswallawn's pathetic state.
'Like a child throwing a tantrum.' Arianrhod thought to herself.
Suddenly Caswallawn's spear flew from his hands and into the trunk of the tree Arianrhod was leaning on, blasting the tree to bits. Completely missing Arianrhod by an eyelash and destroying at most fifty trees in its wake.
But Arianrhod neither flinched nor blinked. She stared right back at Caswallawn whose face contorted to a mixture of anger, disappointment, and impatience. Caswallawn heaved a heavy sigh and summoned his spear back with an open palm. The spear vibrated and sang as it was called back by it's master, immediately finding itself into the palm of his hand despite the great distance it had traveled in such a short amount of time. Caswallawn approached his brothers who were ready to leave.
"Fine, let's go." Caswallawn said in a grave voice.
His form turning into a bright fiery ball and together the brothers flew out of the mortal realm. Heading towards the next dimension.
Arianrhod did not reveal herself until she was sure she could no longer sense her brothers within a radius of the timeline. She looked back up at the sky.
"So they're looking for me. That must mean father is already aware that I'm gone." Arianrhod sighed. "It hasn't even been half a day in the heavenly realm… How bothersome." She tsked, sighing even heavier knowing that Taranis isn't the only one looking for her now. But so were her brothers.
Arianrhod looked back down and stared at the four Gryffindors who were still frolicking around the vicinity of Hogwarts.
"These idiots." Arianrhod muttered. "They really have no clue of what could have happened tonight. Severus' potion must have worked very well then, if it were to give them enough joy for them to become completely unguarded." Arianrhod said, turning away to leave the cliff. Gracefully floating over the lake while tapping her chin in deep thought.
"They could not sense me despite how extremely close I was to them, Llefelys even said that my magic has gone thin. Now either my magic worked too well…" Arianrhod's feet landed on thin air, as if she were standing on something only for there be nothing beneath her. "or have I really weakened to that extent?" Arianrhod muttered to herself, completely bothered by the changed levels of her strength.
"This is dangerous." Arianrhod said, as she continued to float towards the castle again.
Looking down once again at the four boys beneath her, she noticed that Remus had drawn a huge yawn. Now that his excitement had worn off, he was beginning to feel the effects of drowsiness from the potion.
"Although I did say all that stuff about being the hope for all werewolves in the world. I do wonder if giving the lycanthrope the potion in the first place was the best course of action." Arianrhod muttered to herself, as she watched the four Animagi have a silent conversation of just staring at each other until they had arrived into an agreement of going back to the shack to let Remus sleep off the rest of the transformation.
"But that was solely Viper's decision not mine. I only encouraged him for better purposes other than just making the potion without getting proper credit for it." Arianrhod shook her head, "Doesn't matter, I should be more focused on trying to come up with a plan to convince Severus to go to Slughorn's Halloween party. It would be a delight to see those three make a mockery of themselves." Arianrhod said, her once serious demeanor turning into a happy skip in her floating steps.
But just as she was about the enter the walls of the Gryffindor tower, from the corner of her eye she spots two dark hooded figures escaping from Hogwarts and were headed towards the deeper part of the forbidden forest. A 'red zone' or so what Hagrid says.
'How curious, but I shouldn't pry. I should mind my own business.' Arianrhod thought, her hand sifting through the walls to enter her dorm. But a smirk played unto her lips.
"But what kind of Goddess would I be if I didn't?"
Turning away from the Gryffindor tower she follows the two hooded figures into the forbidden forest.
Severus was calmly reading in the library when in his peripheral vision he noticed someone had pulled the chair in front of him and sat down.
"Good morning." Greeted Iris, her tone was jolly with a small loop in her voice as she said the word 'morning'.
Severus was quite irked by the way she greeted him, but decided to ignore her and continued to review for his quiz on Ancient Runes.
"Morning." Severus greeted back, quick and curt. Shooting down any chance for a longer conversation.
"Have you thought of what you're going to wear for Slughorn's Halloween party for the Slug Club?" Iris asked,
"Wait… What do you mean Halloween party? I thought we only agreed to join the yule party. I never agreed to a Halloween party, much less one wearing costumes. I mean what's the use of it anyway? There's literally nothing that could be deemed scary or mythical to wear, we're wizards and witches for Merlin's sake 'we' are mythical to muggles." Severus said, falling into his bouts of logical lectures. Iris heavily sighed at him, her shoulders slumped.
"I forgot how much of a party pooper you tend to be." Iris said, groaning at Severus who grunted back at her.
"I'll take that as a compliment and just admit it, you're only there for the food." Severus said, propping the book he was reading up on the table to hide himself away from Iris' view.
"Maybe? Maybe not? Either way… we should go." Iris said, her voice reverting back to its chipper mood.
"I'm not going." Severus said in a heartbeat, groaning from behind the book. "If you want to, you can go alone." Severus' eyes were peeking through the rims of the book. "Who am I to stop you? However, I'll be in my dorms where I'm perfectly comfortable in my bed where I'm not wearing uncomfortable dark or stupid clothing that's not even scary to begin with." Severus finished, closing the book shut. He stood up to walk away from Iris and was headed towards Madam Pince's desk. Iris tsked at him as she stared at his back.
"Ugh… It's not about being scary but it's about flaunting what you've got." Iris said, getting up to follow him.
"And what exactly do 'I' got?" Severus asked, rolling his eyes.
"Well for one you are quite dashing with a lovely baritone voice-" Iris began to say, trying to sweet talk Severus. But Severus held a hand up to stop her.
"Enough, you were able to convince me through that method before and I've already fallen for it once, doesn't mean that I'll fall for it again." Severus said, in finality. Leaving Iris to stand alone. Iris tsked at him.
"What a shame, I heard Lily would be going with Alice." Iris suddenly muttered loud enough for Severus to hear only. This statement made Severus stop in his tracks.
'Oh so now I have your attention?' Iris sarcastically thought inwardly while rolling her eyes at how easy Severus tends to be when it came to Lily. Iris began to walk past Severus, leaving him behind.
"I overheard her conversation with Alice in the girl's dormitory in regards to what they were going to wear." Iris smirked to herself. "If I'm not mistaken, I believe she's planning on going as little red riding hood-"
Severus grabs Iris' shoulder before she could walk further away from him.
"We're going." Severus said in a firm tone.
"But I thought you said you didn't want to?" Iris teased.
"I changed my mind." Severus simply said, avoiding Iris' gaze while walking ahead of her. But Iris could see his pale ears go red.
"Well then that's good to know. What do you want to go as?" Iris asked, walking behind Severus by a few steps.
"I don't really care, you pick. As long as I don't have to go shopping with you in Hogsmeade and it doesn't look ridiculous." Severus answered.
"Alright then!" Iris said, in a cheery manner that irked Severus. But he decided to ignore it after she sped out of the library with a skip in her steps.
Severus stood by Madam Pince's desk as he stared at Iris' back until she turned a hall and was nowhere to be seen.
"I just know this is going to be exhausting." Severus groaned, while rubbing the skin in the bridge of his nose as he handed Madam Pince the book he wanted to borrow.
After the book was approved by Madam Pince, he opted to immediately head to his first subject of the day. He deduced that going to class early could give him enough time to continue reading the book he borrowed. But just as he turned the corner, a student had blocked his way.
"Severus, I would like to speak to you. It won't take long, I promise." Remus said, he was waiting outside the library for Severus.
Severus could already tell where this was going, but he only nodded in response as Remus lead him to a corner away from earshot of anyone.
"I would just really, genuinely, would like to say… Thank you." Remus said, without hesitation and teary eyed. "You've given me a whole night of complete freedom and control of my curse, something of which I would pray from both the heavens and hell to give to me for even just a brief moment. Right now to me you are even greater than God." Remus said, almost choking by then.
"Lupin-" Severus tried to say, but Remus cut him off. Holding up a hand to stop Severus from talking.
"I'm not here to ask you to make more. I just would like to sincerely express my thanks to you, that's all." Remus finished, wiping a small tear from the corner of his eye. "Have a good day Severus." Remus greeted, before walking away. But before he took more than three steps away from Severus he turned back to him. "If there's anything you need from me, no matter what it is I'll find a way to help you. I'll also put in more effort to make sure James and the rest don't bother you anymore." Remus said, with the brightest of smiles.
This caused a sudden memory to resurface in Severus' mind. Remus had given him the same smile when Dumbledore had first introduced Severus to the order of the Phoenix as an ally, while the rest doubted him and stared at him with disgust and contempt. Alastor Moody even wanted to chain him right then and there, but Remus was always a mediator for those heated conversations as he always defended Severus. Despite Severus continuing to treat him like less than garbage.
This also reminded Severus of the time when everyone thought that he had betrayed the order by killing Dumbledore. While the rest looked at him with pure animosity and vile hatred. Remus' face was one of disappointment and sadness, it was the one that had pulled on the rusty strings of Severus' heart the most.
Only now did Severus realized why he made the potion for Remus in the first place. Severus wanted to thank him.
"Lupin- No… Remus." Severus called out before Remus could leave.
Hearing his first name come out of the mouth of Severus made him completely stop in his tracks, Remus couldn't believe what he heard.
"You- My name-" Remus stuttered in surprise, but Severus didn't want to delay the interaction any longer as being mushy and open was not really his strong points.
"You're welcome." Severus simply said, before turning away to leave first.
Remus didn't know how long he stood there in shock until Madam Pince tapped him on his shoulder to tell him that he had already missed the first bell. By the time Remus had entered the classroom, a huge smile was plastered on his face despite being late.
After Severus left Remus at the hall, he began to fast walk towards his first class, he felt awkward at the fact that he had shown raw emotion to someone other than Lily or Iris. But just as he was in deep thought of what had previously happened, another student had blocked his path. Looking up to see who it was, Severus who felt that the day was going well suddenly felt like he had just sucked on a lemon.
"Don't you think it's too early in the morning for a round of your ignorance, Potter? Even Merlin's soul is still asleep at this time of the day." Severus said, his eyebrow twitching at the sight of the brown haired Quidditch star.
"Snivelly… I mean- Severus." James said Severus' last name as if he were a child forced to be civil unless whipped. "I'm not here to ruin your day."
"As if your presence alone hasn't already done so." Severus said, rolling his eyes at him. "Why? Just so that you could ruin my other days." Severus side stepped James to walk past him. But James blocked him again.
"It's about Remus." James said, causing Severus to stiffen and finally glance back at James to look at him properly. But his face was completely poker.
"I know you made the potion for him." James continued. "I need you to make it again."
"If Lupin wants more he should ask me himself. I'd rather eat a dungball than see your face right now." Severus said, trying to move away from James. But James kept blocking his path.
"Remus didn't send me. In fact, I'm sure he has probably already told you that he doesn't want to ask you for more. I'm here on my own stead." James explained. "I want to be a good friend. You've gotta make more of that potion for him."
"There are many words that I can describe you with Potter. But 'good' isn't one of them and am I some kind of errand boy to you that you can just order around? Do you even understand how tedious and long that potion takes to brew? You sound as if I make it in an instant." Severus side steps James again, walking ahead of him to leave. "And the ingredients aren't cheap." Severus added.
"Then why make it for him in the first place then?" James called out to him, his tone more frustrated and annoyed. "You've already done it, why give him only that one moment if you don't even plan of doing it again?"
Severus paused at James' question.
"I did it because I didn't want him going rabid around Hogwarts." Severus excused.
"So you're afraid of him." James taunted.
"I'm not afraid." Severus snarled.
"As if." James leered.
"Is this anyway to ask the only person who knows how to brew such a potion for help?" Severus snapped back at James, who in turn became silent.
"Name your price." James insisted.
Severus approached him and spoke so low only James could hear him.
"Just because it was 'you' who asked… No, I don't think I will." Severus said in finality, ending the conversation. Turning around to leave James in the corridor.
"You really are a right prick aren't you, Snivelly?" James grumbled in anger.
"As if that's something new to you." Severus muttered back under his breath.
Once Severus had left, Sirius and Peter emerged from under James invisibility cloak. They had heard and seen everything that had just transpired.
"That prick." Sirius tsked.
"Maybe if you had just… been more humbler about it?" Peter squeaked at James.
James tsked, turning the opposite way to leave with Sirius and Peter following him closely behind.
"Here I was thinking that we'll postpone our little plan for him. Forget it boys, we'll go full throttle at him." James said in finality, a vein slowly popping out of his neck in anger.
Author's Note:
Holy shi- on a stick! I live! I haven't seen you guys in so long and I am so sorry it has taken this long. College life is really beating me black and blue, not to mention that I was having bouts of feeling unmotivated to do or write anything at all. Well I guess that's part of adulting. But anyway, here it is. I'm in the middle of writing the next chapters don't worry. Like I said, I'm not throwing this fic in the bin.