Moony was forced behind that man's mind, trapped immobile in his own body. The wizard, that pathetic being, was poisoning them both to keep his control. It hurt. Both of them were in agony as wolfs-bane spread through their system, one dose at a time. Wolf's only appreciation for this act was that the wizard suffered just as much.
Moony reached for control pulling on the powers of the moon. His claws scraped across the ground, and her scent filled his nose. Internally he screamed a howl that shook the wizard's mind; he cried a song of longing, protection, and grief.
MINE. PACK. GO TO HER.
Moony knew this was a pointless act, the wizard had never listened before and wouldn't now even if her scent was that close. Even if they'd both seen her within their new den. The cub walked the halls clueless of who they were, wandered alone, pack-less but for the two cubs at her side. No mate guarded her, no alpha watched over her. It should have been them to raise her. Them to teach her how to hunt and survive.
The wizard was a fool.
NO. Not safe.
The wizard kept them away, wrestling away the control Moony gained and forced them still. But now the wizard had taken it a step too far, he had trapped Moony within his own body as the moon sang her call. The wizard had poisoned them to prevent Moony from approaching their cub.
Moony recalled the nights after his pack's death. The first moon he'd had control and had awoken in the wilderness. It took a mere moment for him to realize what happened to Prongs and his mate. They were dead, their pack bonds ripped away, leaving him screaming his sorrows to the moon that gave him life. He was alone, alone without a pack, without a soul to wander with, in the forests. But perhaps not. Moony knew the scent of the cub, could still feel her presence in his core.
The cub, Holly, was alive and in need of protection.
Moony had tried to reach her that night, sprinting heedless of his own body demands toward her. He ran until his paws bled and he foamed at the mouth from the sheer exhaustion of it. Moony knew his time-limit; he could always sense the moon power and knew when it would pull its strength from him, returning control to the man.
He reached her just as the sky crested with light. He approached on four bloodied paws and scented her within the temporary den she had been placed in. Then, by force, he relinquished his control, having faith the wizard would claim her. She was pack, she was their cub, she was theirs to raise and protect.
But the wizard did not claim her. He fled the home, leaving no sign but a set of bloodied paw prints that he had ever been around Holly Lily Potter. Moony, aggravated and confused, tried again for the next moon. But once again, the wizard did not approach.
The third moon after Moony woke chained to the floor in a basement that scented like fear and hatred. Moony nearly killed himself trying to escape, to find and reach his cub. At that moment, he cursed the wizard for daring to deny him this, swore he would get free, and reach his cub.
By the fourth moon, Moony knew the wizard would never allow him to have his cub. The man would continue to live on pack-less heedless of what it was doing to their mind and magic. And Moony would continue to be chained. The wizard betrayed the pack, and Moony ensured he was punished for that injustice. Moony, as he woke every moon chained down, rent his claws through his own body. He would show the world that the wizard was a traitor. He punished the man, clawed into his skin, and he howled at the wizard, never giving him a moment's rest.
The wizard, Remus Lupin, was a traitor to the pack and to themselves.
Now, years later, Moony was more trapped than even with his cub so very close. Furiously, Moony snarled, claws ripping at his wrists. The cub was in reach, he could scent her in the air, and yet he could not reach her.
Moony would not let the man rest, never. Poison or not, this was his body, his night, and he'd regain control by any means necessary.
Hours later, Remus lifted his battered body up on weakened arms. Blood coated the floor where the monster inside him attacked itself when he'd gotten too weak to keep control. Weakly Remus lifted his wand and summoned a Protronus to call Poppy. He needed help and realized quickly that he could not reach the infirmary under his own power.
Remus realized it quickly, the wolf was still too strong under the full moon's draw. He would have to speak to Severus about strengthen the wolfs-bane to push it farther back. It would kill him faster, but Remus would finally be safe to be around the children and her. It would be better for Holly and the other children if he, and by extension the wolf was weaker.
Holly…
Remus closed his eyes shoving the wolf back as it growled furiously in his mind. It was ever demanding he go claim their cub. The wolf didn't understand the little nuances of being human. The wolf didn't know what would happen to him or Holly if he let it truly loose.
A traitorous part of his mind corrected that statement, one that screamed that the wolf was safer than Holly's pet.
Remus had realized it in an instant. No matter how much his wolf weakened him the night before, no matter much how it howled enraged at the presence of the dementors. No matter how firmly it shoved at his consciousness when Remus finally saw her after all those years. Remus had been focused enough to notice after he saw it with her.
The dog had been unconscious at Holly's side. Its head had been in her lap, and it' body laid out between the door, where the dementor had been, and Holly. The breed, the size, the name had been unmistakable. Sirius Black had reached the cub but hadn't... hadn't hurt her. Remus couldn't fathom it, not even after gentle inquires that led him to learn Sirius had been at her side for a month without hurting her.
The children were clearly clueless about his true identity, and the nickname had been a coincidence. Remus honestly started to convince himself he was wrong; the dog was just an unfortunately named Muggle mutt. But then the pranking began.
Remus grew up with Sirius, he knew his former friend's methods, and the unknown prankster matched the man far too well. Severus, the victim of many of those pranks, also recognized the technique. Severus was, as a result, actively trying to convince Dumbledore every staff meeting that Black was near. No one believed him, not without a sighting. No one but Remus that was, he, however, was firmly seated in denial.
The truth of it was, Remus couldn't handle the idea that Sirius and the dog were one and the same. His mind would crack if Sirius indeed was innocent and had suffered twelve years in Azkaban for nothing! So Remus pretended the dog was just a dog, and the prankster was just some bright student.
He brutally ignored the wolf that insisted the dog, and Sirius scented the same. Just as the wolf told him that Peter's pack bond never broke so he could be alive.
He ignored it. Threw his head in the sand, stuck his hands in his ears, and denied it. Sirius was not innocent. He was not. And Holly, she would be better without him and the wolf.
Please let it be a trick of the mind.
"I don't think my memory is happy enough," Ron admitted scratching his chin in thought. So far, he'd managed to get a wisp of silver but nothing fully formed; none of them yet, in fact.
In an empty classroom on the third floor, a small group was practicing the Patronus charm. The group included the four younger Weasley's, Hermione, and Holly. Hermione had transfigured a fake dementor, which was really a mannequin with a sheet over it, for help with their spell. Otherwise, books on the subject littered the floor, some bought by Owl-order, others borrowed from friends, or from the library.
They had been at it for several weeks and by that point several hours for that one day. Currently, only the twins, Ron, and Holly had managed wisps, while Ginny and Hermione hadn't gotten even that.
"Which one are you using?" Ginny asked cross-logged on the floor with a book in her lap.
Blushing slightly, Ron mumbled something and looked away, causing them all to give him a considering look.
"Ronnie-kins… what-cha thinking about?" George's expression took on a foxy look as he nudged Fred, both ready to tease.
"The first time I heard my soulmate's voice." He rushed to say before they got too bad with the teasing or started to come up with other reasons as to why he was blushing. Like the first time, he- ahem, never mind.
"That won't work." Hermione spoke up, "the witch Malia Armitage suggested memories associated with soulmates would backfire when it comes to a dementor since they pull at your soul. She suggests using a memory associated with the soul would put them in danger."
"There's no proof of that, it's just a theory." Holly said from the window. She was staring out at the forest at the dementors she could see occasionally appeared at the boundary to the school. The sight of their forms made her skin crawl, but it helped her focus on her spell and the reason they were learning it. The Dementors were unnaturally obsessed with her, and Holly did not want her soulmate suffering through the unknown of their attacks any longer.
"It might be," Hermione responded, "so I've been attempt to use a memory from my childhood, rather than one associated with my soulmate."
"Oh yeah, and how's that working for you 'Mione?" Ron eyed Hermione's wand where nothing had happened the entire time they'd been working. The girl hadn't even gotten a wisp like Ron had. Hermione naturally had nothing to say to that and turned with a huff back to her attempts.
Holly left them too it as she sank her hands into Padfoot's fur. The theory could be right, or it could be harmful to their attempts. Holly's best memories were associated with singing and him, so… perhaps she ought to try it. To think of him and what he meant to her. To focus on the feeling of anticipation of the moment they'd finally meet. She could picture it vaguely, his face was nothing but a shadow in her mind, but his voice was as clear as day with how often she'd heard it. Holly would go running into his arms, and he'd lift her up, spinning her in excitement… he'd be taller than her, of course, so she'd be lifted clear off her feet. With utter joy, he'd beg for her name, and he'd whisper it in a husky tone before leaning forward and pressing their lips together for the very first time.
Holly's eyes snapped open, and she twisted on the spot: "Expecto Protronum!"
Silver exploded from her wand, four clawed paws touched the ground, and a little body shook as if amused. Twisting a small head around, it glanced at her with a broad smile and inclined its head.
"Wow!"
"Holly, how'd you do it?!"
"A hyena?" Fred spoke up. They all rushed over, admiring the animal in the room, "you must have a great sense of humor, Hols."
Holly released the spell as she felt a fierce drain on her magic, and the silvery animal vanished with a shaking inaudible laugh. She gasped a bit, admitting to herself that there was a reason so few people could cast that spell. It was incredibly taxing on her magic. Still, Holly couldn't stop herself from smiling. She'd done it.
"I just thought about my soulmate, about meeting them one day and what I'd feel then," she shrugged a little, "and it just sort of worked."
"Brilliant, I'm going to try it," George announced, he and Fred rushed back to their corners to rethink the memories they wanted to use. Hermione wasn't terribly impressed, but progress was progress, and Holly had gotten the spell to work first, so she was willing to try it. Ron clapped her on the shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up before trying the spell himself again. While Ginny started to loudly theorize why she'd gotten a hyena of all things. Most theories suggested Patronus took the form of what you found safe or what you loved. So why did Holly get a hyena?
Taking a short break herself, Holly glanced back out the window as Padfoot placed his head against her leg. He looked almost proud of her if dogs could look proud, and Holly gave him a little grin. She'd done it. Now she could protect herself and her soulmate the next time the damned things attacked her.
Little did she know Sirius was proud. If he'd been human, he would have been glowing with it. His pup had performed the Patronus charm at thirteen, a full corporal Patronus at an unheard-of age. She was so gifted! Merlin, he wished he could brag… unfortunately, he had no one to brag too.
In the end, Holly was the only one to get a full Patronus, though the twins had come close. Holly suspected this was less because of the memories used and more because of the cost of magic it took to bring forth a full animal. The group was still going to try though. As Hermione said, a wisp was better than nothing Ginny cited.
Otherwise, the school year continued on despite the dementor presence. Several students got too close to the forest during April and had nearly lost their souls. The fall out had been intense and coupled with a lack of Sirius Black sightings, caused massive outrage among the parents. Hermione believed it would only be a matter of time before Fudge caved to the pressures, and the dementors were removed from the picture. It was something the entire school population was looking forward to.
On the other hand, the school remained rather cheerful due to the actions of a rather proactive prankster. An 'epic' prank occurred every Friday against Severus Snape and Remus Lupin like clockwork, which had both professors absolutely twitchy and jumping at nothing. Holly suspected one Friday nothing would actually happen, and the pair would be jumpy and paranoid the whole day. Otherwise, a multitude of small pranks seemed to plague the general populace throughout the rest of the week. For example, one afternoon, the entire school ended up with randomized hair colors. The next afternoon four notorious bullies in Slytherin were strung up with fake boobs in the Great hall. The Slytherins had no idea how it occurred or who did it, and yet they vowed revenge. However, with no culprit, the students' victims, including a rather odd Ravenclaw and a pair of eleven-year-old Slytherins, had no one to thank.
In April, Professor Lupin discovered a bogart in one of the empty classrooms and 'borrowed it' for a lesson on the creatures. Having already learned about the monsters and the charm used to defeat them, most of the class was excited to practice the riddikulus spell for real.
Most of the class that was.
They stood in a huge line, Slytherin's and Gryffindor's mixed up as they took turns one by one to face the boggart. So far, the most hilarious of the boggart transformations had been professor Snape in Neville's grandmother's clothing, which would be the talk of the school for weeks. It was prank level, yet not from their resident prankster, who most believed had to be a first-year. Hermione's boggart ended up being professor Mcgonegall, who ended up acting like a cat in her human form as a nod to Hermione's pet Crookshanks and the woman's animegus form.
Following Hermione, Ron stepped up, and the boggart revealed an enormous spider for his worst fear. With a flick of his wrist and a determined voice, Ron put roller-skates on the thing, and it tripped up, causing a new rush of laughter from the class. Grinning, Ron stepped aside, and Pansy, who happened to be lined up behind him, stepped forward.
She and Ron were officially divination partners by then, and neither of the appreciated it. Holly and Hermione had heard about their bickering ever since Hermione dropped the class. Ironically, however, their partnership resulted in a massive boost in grades for both Pansy and Ron. Despite their fights, they worked very well together in class, and it was a growing source of debate for the rest of the class.
Pansy shot Ron a glare as she stepped up, and he scowled at her making a face. As they did, Holly leaned over to Hermione and whispered. "I swear they actually like each other in secret, this has to be a show."
"I'm convinced Ron, and she will be dating by next year, the real question is when he tells us about it."
Holly huffed, "it's not like we'll judge him, it's not like it's Malfoy."
"She is a Slytherin though, maybe he thinks we won't approve."
"Maybe."
They shut up as Ron joined them, and the boggart facing Pansy settled on a form of a pair of people. A woman who had Pansy's hair and a man with a furious glare on his face. After a second, the man snarling stormed toward Pansy aggressively. Pansy, clearly afraid, automatically stepped backward, bumping in Daphne Greengrass, who stood behind her. As the man opened his mouth, he spat at Pansy.
"A blood-traitor, how dare you sully our family-" Pansy flinched back as several things happened at once. Ron made an aborted step forward almost protectively. While Pansy lifted her wand to do something, anything. She was frozen there as the man loomed over her, trapped in place until Daphne Greengrass snatched hold of Pansy's robes and dragged the girl behind her. Whoever the man was, a man whom the Slytherin's all recognized, paused then his form twisted away.
Their professor then seemed to realize he ought to have interrupted, his delayed reaction angering a large amount of the class. Holly gave Lupin the benefit of the doubt purely because he looked like he was about to sick up, he was so pale. Thankfully for him, Daphne was more than equipped to handle her own worst fear.
The man transformed into an enormous Snake, and Daphne only paled slightly before her wand spun, and it tangled like a pretzel and found itself trapped. As it struggled, several students laughed, Daphne shot a look backward. The expression on her face wasn't overly clear to most, but Holly read it in an instant. Pansy was still shaking, and the girl needed a friend, Daphne wanted someone to take over the boggart so she could get Pansy away.
Holly was one of few to read the intentions on Daphne's face, and closest. She stepped forward, passing Pansy without a word and took Daphne's spot in the front dragging the boggarts attention from Daphne to her.
"Thanks Potter," Daphne said under her breath as she took Pansy's arm and dragged her to the back of the classroom to calm down. Holly didn't respond as she stared the boggart down. It focused on her and its form twisted. Concentrated on what could be her worst fear, she missed Ron following Daphne and Pansy with his eyes, worry evident across his face. Holly dared not look back as the boggart settled on a familiar form.
It was her.
Holly's stood mirrored as her other self opened her mouth and nothing came out. Her mirror was mute. Holly's breath came out in a rush, she should have expected it. She had theorized a dozen different possibilities, including a dementor and Voldemort. But she never expected- she should have-
She lifted her wand mind blank at how to make herself amusing when their professor appeared, placing himself between her and the boggart. Holly exhaled deeply as the boggart twisted once more taking herself away and replacing it with a… potion vial? No, it changed immediately after to a white orb floating in the sky. Lupin lifted his wand and flicked it, causing the globe to transform into a balloon that popped and went flying back into the cupboard.
Left stunned Holly glanced up at her teacher who turned to look at her, she was left reeling as his eyes, typically brown, caught hers. His eyes had changed to the shade of molten gold, Professor Lupin opened his mouth to address the class, and Holly caught a glimpse of fang. Then he abruptly shut up, flinched, and his eyes returned to normal.
"That's enough for today." He forced through his lips and darted backward slightly as if he were afraid to be close to her. As he did, his hands gripped together shaking as if he were terrified of his own shadow. Yet, he smiled. "Early release today, go have fun." And attempted to shoo them from the class.
The class didn't wait, Daphne rushed Pansy out, and Hermione grabbed Holly to do the same.
The intent on her face, the moment they were away from Lupin and his class, Hermione rounded on Holly and Ron both. A sudden clarity in her eyes as she announced the truth. "I think… I think Professor Lupin is a werewolf!" giving them a brand new reason to suspect Remus Lupin.
Daphne Greengrass had no intention of taking advantage of the situation, but others would. The Gryffindor's might not realize what had happened, Daphne believed few would come to the correct guess, but the Slytherin's would. So Daphne waited until Pansy finally stopped shaking to say it.
"Which one is it?"
Pansy flinched, arms around her knees she lifted her face and stared at Daphne through her hair, but she didn't speak.
Daphne continued unperturbed by this. "Your boggart was the Dark Lord a year ago." Daphne knew that for a fact, she had been visiting Pansy's side when they'd happened upon a boggart in the Greengrass family home. Somehow it had gotten into the house during the holiday's and her sickly grandfather hadn't cleaned enough to have noticed it. He had come running when she and Pansy had freaked at the red-eyed visage they'd heard about only in stories. Daphne would not soon forget the way her grandfather collapsed to the ground and begged for mercy before realizing what had happened.
"It's your father now, Pansy… explain."
Many would assume Pansy's fear, having recognized her father for who he was, came from the same reason as many other Slytherins. They'd believe that Pansy's father was violent. Daphne would say the man was, but he always had been, and whatever made Pansy fear the man was more recent. Not to mention the words he'd said…
"You found your soulmate… didn't you?"
It should have been something that caused Pansy to run to Daphne in joy. Something that would have had them both cheering over, something to be proud of, something amazing. But Daphne knew such things weren't so simple in a pure-blood family. Not for Daphne who's father was planning her betrothal already as he spoke with Lucius Malfoy. Not for Theodore, whose soulmate was decided male and incapable of carrying the family line. Not for Blaise, who had found his in a step-sister as his mother plotted her new husband's death. And not for Pansy who very likely had-
"Swear you won't tell." Pansy lifted her gaze furiously. A true witch's power in her eyes as they glowed with accidental magic. Her emotions bled through revealing the power of her core, not many of the current pure-blood generation had a power like that. And none had glowed with the power Potter's had when the dementor attacked them.
"I swear not to use it against it unless our friendship should shatter," Daphne swore instead. Pansy accepted it well enough, for all that they'd been trained not to, they trusted each other. They were friends, as many believed Slytherin's couldn't be with all the propaganda against them.
"It's…" Pansy swallowed the name. She suspected it, she was reasonably convinced she knew her guess was right but… she hadn't spoken about it. Not outside the safety of her own thoughts. Still, she trusted Daphne and maybe her friend could help fix this. "Weasley."
"…" Daphne tilted her head, "Which one?"
Pansy choked and gave a soft moan as she dropped her head backward. "Ron, obviously! Do you think those blasted twins or the girl would be my match? Honestly!"
"Well." Daphne hedged slightly, "it's not like I know anything about Ronald Weasley either… do you?"
Pansy stretched out her body as she relaxed. Daphne wasn't going to judge her for something she couldn't exactly help, not like her parents would. "Not really." She wiggled her toes in her shoes to distract herself, "beyond the obvious obnoxious way he eats." Her nose scrunched, "and… well, he's decent at divination, not a bad partner even if his personality leaves much to be desired."
"He's loyal." Daphne mused thinking on what she did know. As she spoke this, she watched Pansy's reaction to see how bad it was. "He sticks with Potter like a guard dog, not to mention brave-"
"He's a Gryffindor." Pansy scoffed, and Daphne quickly corrected her.
"One that put himself between us, Granger, and Potter and a dementor. That's not the average Gryffindor bravery, that's knight in shining armor level."
Pansy's cheeks flamed, and Daphne internally cringed. She was right, but she was hoping Pansy wouldn't react. There was a reason Pansy was scared of her father, and it would be easier for everyone involved if she didn't have feelings for Weasley. "Are you sure he's your soulmate? Have you sang to each other?"
"Obviously not." Pansy's eyes hit the roof before returning to Daphne, "we can barely stand being in the same room as each other, let alone long enough to sing."
"Then how do you know?"
"Because I heard him." Pansy deflated quickly as she thought on the moment it happened, "he was with Granger and Potter in the hallways. Remember that night when I was behind curfew, and Snape almost caught me?" Daphne nodded, "it was because I was hiding from them. I heard them singing this song… I'd never heard it before, it… it's probably one of the dozens of Muggle languages. Still… the words, they echoed in my head at the same time they were singing."
"So you're sure… hell, Pansy, what are you going to do?"
"Ignore it?" Pansy shrugged helplessly, "it's not like I'll be allowed to marry him. My father… he'll kill Weasley if he finds out, he killed mother's soulmate so it wouldn't be a shock."
"Pansy…" Daphne gazed at her soulmate in sorrow. One more Slytherin, one more of their year who'd never be with their true match. Just like she wouldn't… "Screw that."
"What?!" Pansy gasped at the sudden Muggle phrase coming from Daphne's lips.
"I said screw that!" she reiterated, "Weasley is your soulmate, and your father is a bloody cruel monster. Why should you deny true love just because he might find out? No! No, we're not going to do that. You hear me! You and I are going to come up with a plan so you and Weasley are together. And… and we'll make one for Blaise too! Bloody Black's already marry their cousins, he can damned well marry his sister!" Daphne stood up as she spoke, her posture turning aggressive and her magic churning dangerously as she firmed up her choice.
She was not going to be like the generation before her. Clearly, they fucked up with the arranged marriages, after all, most of the previous generation was dead or imprisoned. That wasn't going to be her!
"You don't even know if I want to be with him!" Pansy argued her single point, and Daphne ruthlessly ignored it.
"Weasley doesn't know you're his soulmate, so we'll just keep him clueless. Instead, you don't sing around him, and you get to know him. That was you can discover if you want to marry him and how much we have to risk to ensure it." Daphne nodded to herself firmly, "Right, come on. We have to plan your next Divination class. You're going to seduce Weasley by the end of next year at the latest!"
"Daphne!"
"Chop chop, Pansy! We have a twelve-step plan to complete!"
The year had been too normal. The year previous had basilisk attacks and Voldemort in a diary, and the year before that was Quirrel-mort. Now this year, there were dementors but no actual attack on her person otherwise. She didn't like it and was growing more paranoid as the year went on. Honestly, she was expecting Black to come popping out of the woodworks any second now to murder her.
Holly sat in an alcove writing carefully in her journal as she attempted to translate her soulmate's latest song into English. She was getting faster and faster at doing it as she learned more words and used the language more fluently. Soon she, and Hermione would both be completely fluent in the language Holly was referring to as 'Soul-lish.'
"Oh, as I went home on Monday night, as drunk as drunk could be." She laughed slightly at the lyrics knowing her soulmate was trying to cheer her up with the playful song. He was incredibly good at telling when she was in a mood.
"I saw a horse outside the door, where my old horse should be"
She laughed slightly and wrote the lyrics down to sing back to him after he was don; that way, he could correct her 'soul-lish' accent. Before she sang the translation and corrected him in return. Though he was picking up English far faster than she was picking up 'soul-lish.' Honestly, it was like he was being helped, which would not be fair.
"Well, I called me wife and I said to her, 'will you kindly tell to me.; who owns that horse outside the door, where my old horse should be?'"
Holly snickered as his voice slurred dramatically, he was pretending to be drunk while singing. Or was he drunk? He could be, it wasn't like she could see him and tell. Regardless Holly picked up the next line as they ran through the song. All the while, she thought about the next song she should translate for him. As she did, she heard a laugh in his voice and allowed a fond expression to escaped her. He was always checking on her through song, especially now that they could speak the same language. He had dozens of different songs to regale her with, ones that started her morning by wishing her a good one. Endless songs about the sea, love, and pirates. He had songs that expressed a desire to learn how her day was. And he songs that gave her a hint into his own.
If she sang about a lousy day using a song literally titled 'bad day,' he'd return with dozens of pleasant ones to turn her mood. He'd even picked up her 'bad day' song and sang it if he had one, and she'd return the favor, sometimes just singing nonsense to help in whatever way she could.
The truth was, she was entirely in love with him already, but she was terrified at what would happen if she told him that. Don't get her wrong, Holly wanted to but… but she wanted to say that in person.
Love put through song was common, very common, but… somehow it didn't feel right for her.
Holly sighed and flipped her page as her soulmate stopped the cheery song, sensing from her tone that the one he was singing was no long cheering her up. Holly wished she could apologize. Holly appreciated it, but… while nothing had gone wrong with her day, she was in a mood.
A world away Shanks frowned. His soulmate had been a bit tense lately, to the point it came out in her voice. He didn't know what seemed to be bothering her, but he suspected it was the time of the year. Soon it would be the summer season in the East Blue, and that matched the period where her voice nearly ceased all singing entirely. This phase had occurred twice in the past two years, and Shanks had taken note of it. He just hoped it was temporary had it had been in the past.
"Gonna wish I had a storm warning~!"
Shanks paused, listening to the deep voice singing nearby and perked. A new song. Eagerly he sped through the crowds on the island as the lyrics hit his ears, and he grinned wider. This would be an excellent song to sing to his soulmate. The song continued until he found the performer encircled by a large crowd. From what Roger had been able to tell the island they'd docked at was amid their monthly sing-along, but they seemed to take it a bit more seriously.
The entire island was having a party. Everyone celebrating and huge sales going on for the day. Performers were on the streets, and a huge area near the coast had been cleared for the sing-along. When night fell, everyone on the island would go to the beaches and raise their voices in one single song designed for the island about the island. Shanks had already accepted a lyrics sheet so he could learn the words and sing along when the time came. He had already memorized just in case it helped now that he could and would translate when the time came.
Maybe this time, he would sing the location to her in her language, and she'd get a real idea of where he was and that he was looking for her.
"I'm gonna wish I had a sign~" sang the performer, and Shanks snorted. He knew that feeling.
Idly Shanks glanced around as the singer continued looking for someone from the crew. Rayleigh had emphasized the need to be aware of who was around them at all times, a by-product of their observation haki training. The first-mate had also suggested he might be attacking Shanks at random while they were docked as part of their training. While also implying Roger would be doing the same, but Shanks doubted that. Mostly because Roger and Rouge had taken off the second they could 'like a pair of giggling teenagers,' to quote Rayleigh. Shanks wasn't so naive anymore to not realize what they were going to do while docked, though he was avoiding thinking about it.
In the distance, he spotted a flash of blue and focused on it with a smirk. Only one person he knew had hair that shade, Buggy. A mischievous look crossed his face, and Shanks moved to follow his friend.
Back in Hogwarts, Holly jerked as someone spoke her name in a raspy unused voice. She lifted her attention from her journal as she was pulled from her melancholy thoughts to find Professor Lupin standing several feet away. Merlin, Holly hadn't even heard him enter the hallway. She didn't know he could walk that softly.
"Professor?" she answered, almost wary.
"You don't need to fear cub." He answered, and paranoia rushed upwards. It had been too quiet after all.
"I'm sorry?" she put her journal down, and subtly grabbed her wand. But Lupin did not approach. Instead, he stared at her with molten gold eyes.
"No." He rasped out, "I am the one who is sorry, cub." He still didn't step forward, and Holly slowly slid to a standing position to equalize them slightly out of instinct.
"Why?"
His head ducked slightly, and it was distinctly canine about it. He didn't bare his throat or anything, but the meek posture was apologetic. Lupin stood like he was trying to make himself smaller, and it was honestly calming.
"Because I failed you cub… I should have been there for you, I should have claimed you, and I didn't."
"What do… do you mean?" Holly lowered her wand slightly.
"May I approach?"
Holly eyed Lupin cautiously, at the liquid gold eyes and the awareness that he was a werewolf. Hermione and Ron had given her plenty of horror stories, but Holly was trying to reserve judgment. She didn't really care that he was furry once a month, but rather that he was eerily focused on Padfoot. Still, Holly was Gryffindor enough and curious enough to allow him near, even with gold canine eyes.
"Okay."
Lupin shifted moving much faster than Holly believed he could and suddenly dropped to a knee before her. Holly gaped, staring downward as he tilted his head up to look at her and began to speak.
"I… was friends with your parents."
And shook the foundations of her world.
Shanks rounded the corner that Buggy had wandered into and peered into a darkened alley. Instantly Shanks stopped and lifted his guard as he cast a wary eye into the darkness. He'd seen the darker parts of the world, and even if he could still hear the loud music of the festival, the alley was an eerie reminder that crueler things lingered in the world.
The memory of a bloodied body, shaking hands, and his stomach rebelling nearly caused Shanks to retreat.
He couldn't see the end of the alley that Buggy had vanished into the darkness. An eerie level of it. It shouldn't have been so dark; the sun was still up for the gods' sake. Shanks flicked his eyes back toward the public street only temporarily thinking that he should leave Buggy to himself. The other teenager had been trained just like Shanks, he knew better than to get himself into too much danger. He probably didn't need Shanks to come running after him.
Probably.
He should just go back to the main road. Buggy was fine-
"Hey don't!-"
Shanks snapped back to the street as someone - Buggy - gave an aborted scream. His feet carried him forward faster than his mind could think, and Shanks rushed into the darkness. Several steps in, he found a large clearing, an empty area surrounded by taller buildings on all sides. It was shadowed from the sun, a clear meeting place for those who didn't want to be seen. At the entrance hidden by darkness, Shanks stood as he took in the scene before him.
Buggy was on his knees, hands at his stomach from a blow that Shanks hadn't seen. He was surrounded by men full-grown and a violent looking woman; she was the very image of gorgeous but cruel. Sneering, she stared down at Buggy, who looked as if she'd stepped on his heart.
"But I thought…" Buggy choked out as he lifted his head. The woman, in response, gave a loud, cruel laugh that the men echoed.
"Moron, as if I'm truly your match." She brushed her hair back with long nails, "I just made you think that so you'd follow me. Amazing what people will believe when you look like I do and say the right things." She batted her eyelashes, so she looked as innocent and helpless as possible.
Shanks instantly realized what happened. The woman must have pretended to hear Buggy's voice in her head, she'd tricked him into thinking he was her soulmate before leading him into this place. Into this situation. Shanks' heart hurt for Buggy at the moment, many had fallen for such tricks, and Shanks was unsure if he would have realized the truth of not. Deep down, Shanks decided then that he'd test his soulmate with her language, which no other knew before he trusted her. That decision, however, did not help him or Buggy at this moment.
"Fuck you!" Buggy spat trying to stand. Her foot lifted and cracked into his chin before he could, and Shanks watched as Buggy's eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious while the woman laughed.
Alarmed, Shanks rushed forward, going for the sword at his waist. He had no idea what these people intended to do, but he wasn't going to let them hurt his Nakama any further.
"Get away from him!" he yelled furiously. Shanks rushed forward striking out at the woman who darted back and out of range. In a moment, he stood over Buggy's body, brandishing his sword protectively between himself, Buggy, and the enemy, who quickly surrounded him.
"Who are you?" asked one of the men pulling a gun from his side to aim it between Shanks' eyes.
"His friend." Shanks answered, trying not to fear his nervousness show. They greatly outnumbered him. He'd have to take great care if he wanted to get himself and Buggy out of this situation safely. But it didn't help that his friend was unconscious now and unable to help.
The woman scoffed to his answer, deciding on a whim upon seeing the flaming red shade of his hair: "bring him to." She stated.
Swords were drawn, guns pointed, and Shanks struck out at the first man that charged him. He cut the man down and turned on his heels to take the second out from behind him. Shanks told himself it was just like any other training session. He could handle this.
He lept into the air as a man went for his legs and kicked out in the same motion. A third man cried out as Shanks' swung out. His armament haki crawled up his sword as he focused entirely on the battle. So far, he couldn't get haki to work every time he fought, but with enough concentration, he had it working then.
Parry, dodge, turn. Shanks flowed like Rayleigh had taught him to. Twisting under a sword and- his eyes flew wide as one of the men he hadn't noticed decided not to attack Shanks. Instead, the man aimed his gun as Buggy's head.
"Stop, or he's dead." Was the rather simple order.
He froze, reacting far quicker than his attacks had. Then men didn't adjust to his sudden stillness. They didn't stop their attacks, and a sword brutally stabbed into his side.
Shanks cried out, automatically reaching for it. His palm met the blade, and he grabbed it fast before it could be pulled from his body. Rouge had drilled the information into him; he'd bled far more if whatever stabbed him was yanked out.
He shot a look down, shocked. He'd been stabbed, he'd been-
"Morons! Now we have to pay for a doctor!" cried a woman voice, but Shanks couldn't look away from the blood. He'd been beaten plenty of times but never stabbed- had it hit something vital? What- what did he do-
Shanks looked up at the man who had stabbed him and bared his teeth. The bastard would pay for that!
"Knock him out."
The blow struck with no warning, and Shanks' word went dark.
Holly sat heavily beside Remus Lupin as he altered her perceptions of the world.
"When I saw that boggart… I- the wolf was furious… he could smell your fear, and he wanted to rip apart the world to protect you from all dangers." Remus swallowed as he stared away from her like he couldn't bare to look at her and see her reaction to his words, to his cowardice laid bare. "And I realized that he never intended to harm you… I cannot believe I never realized that."
Remus looked somewhere past her shoulder as he explained. "The full moon after your parents died, I was in the forest. It was the middle of nowhere, a safe place Lily found. She calculated that at a regular speed, a werewolf couldn't find civilization in any direction before the sun came up. It allowed me to transform safely while allowing my wolf to run free."
Holly nodded along even if he wasn't looking at her. That made sense; if she were a werewolf, that would be something she'd do. Remus continued: "that night, I apparated there in my grief and when I woke up… I was in the middle of Little Wingwing right outside your aunt's home… there were bloodied paw prints on the ground below me, and your scent was in my nose." His hands wrung together, "I thought… I thought the wolf intended to kill you and had run out of time before the sun rose."
"Why?" He jerked sharply in confusion, and Holly elaborated, still trying to catch his eyes, "why would you think that?"
"I was starving, and his lingering emotions was desperation… and anger."
Holly hummed but didn't argue that point. She instead thought the wolf had been trying to reach his 'pack' instead of gunning for her life. But this was Remus' story.
"I fled, terrified that it wanted to hurt you. It was worse when the next moon I woke by your house again… after that, I locked myself up." He gestured to his scars, "and I punished myself for that."
"So, you avoided me to keep me safe?"
"Yes." He cast a relieved look at Holly hopeful that she'd caught onto his intentions. However, the expression on her face was neutral, she gave none of her internal thoughts away. She didn't speak the fact that she would have been a hundred times better off around a werewolf than the Dursley's. Or that she was quietly furious at Remus for not taking her from that. The fury fought in her chest against the relief that Remus was family.
She might not have had him before, but she had him now. Hopefully she could trust him with the secret of where she was living during the summer.
"But when I felt the wolf's fear when the boggart stood before you…" Remus closed his eyes painfully, and she leaned forward, hoping when he opened them, she could see them, "I thought… maybe you'd give me a chance."
"I would?" Holly blinked in surprise, recoiling slightly, and Remus nodded. Finally, he turned and looked at her.
"Will you allow me to be in your life, Holly?"
Holly hummed slightly, staring into the molten gold eyes, wondering who or what was really in control of Remus Lupin. The meek professor present for every moment before had brown eyes, just brown. The only other time she'd seen gold was when he'd been between her and the boggart when he'd had full fangs in his mouth. Hermione and Ron both claimed to not have seen the color, too focused on the boggart and Holly's distress to notice it. But she wasn't mistaken, the color was gold.
She had the sudden feeling that she was looking not at the man, but the wolf.
Holly, however, was willing to give a relationship with Lupin a shot, even if he was a wolf. However, she had one crucial question for him before she did. And that was namely, what did he know about Peter Pettigrew?
She opened her mouth to ask- and a feeling of dread crept up her spine. Like her magic was warning her of something. Holly gasped in alarm had automatically reached for her chest even if she felt no pain.
Something was wrong.
"Cub?!"