Thankyou to Everyone that has Review! It gives me the motivation to write and carry on this story...now on with the show! I only own Michelle and any OCs that may appear throughout the story
Chapter 12
"Hufflepuff this way, follow me and stay together!" Heidi McAvoy, one of the prefects, tried to wrangle us all into an orderly formation. Dumbledore had ordered us all back to the common rooms, so that the teachers could deal with the troll safely. I tried to keep up with the rest of the students, but a sharp stabbing pain kept shooting across my lower back, I tried to ignore it as best I could.
"I thought Hogwarts was supposed to be a safe place" Cedric wrapped an arm around me and helped me along with the rest of the group. He must have noticed that something was wrong.
"It is, look the teachers will handle it" I muttered through gritted teeth, that is when I noticed Cedric wasn't helping me towards the common room at all, but towards the main entrance.
"Of course, they will...but I need you to follow me" I frowned and dug my heels into the stone to stop me from going any further. What was he playing at, there was a troll on the loose and he decided now was a suitable time for a stroll?
"What? Cedric what are you doing?" I wrapped my arms around my stomach as the pain became unbearable. He did not say anything as he gently gripped my arm and marched me out of the building. I tried to read his expression to see if his emotions were giving away anything.
"What are you doing?!" I growled, ripping my arm out of his grip.
"Shell please just trust me" Cedric raised his hands defensively.
"Trust yo—You dragged me out here, there's a troll loose in the dungeon and you're asking me to trust you?!" I felt my anger rising with each word. Just who did he think he was, demanding that I follow him when a dangerous creature was on the loose.
"Shell it's important"
"Important?!"
"Yes, now come on" He stubbornly took my arm again and began heading down the hill towards Hagrid's hut. I looked around confused. The night had really begun to set in now and the wind rustled through the grass creating an eerie feeling.
"Wait why are we going to the forbidden forest?" I questioned. It was an unwritten rule that students were not allowed in the forest, due to the array of creatures that took up home there.
"Shell...look up" Cedric kept his voice calm as he spoke. I frowned at him before raising my eyes to the sky, then I noticed it, the pale circular, glowing glare of the moon. Not just any moon but a full one. No! How could I have forgotten about this? Had I even taken my potion? The pain in lower back chose that moment to shoot up my spine causing me to grab my head in agony. This was it the beginning of the change.
"Cedric run!" I yelped out, falling to my knees as the pain became increasingly prominent.
"Shell it's okay, I'm right here" Cedric tried to reassure me, but his voice did not have the same calming effect that Fred's did. Fred had mastered the way of calming the wolf over five years, just by talking to me. It sounds strange but it was the way he spoke to the wolf, reassuring it, telling it that there was nothing to worry about and for some strange reason it worked.
"You don't understand, it's not me" I whimpered, clutching my head tighter as my bones start to crack and elongate.
"You won't hurt me, I trust you" Cedric kept his hands in front of him defensively, but he had backed away slightly.
"I'm not me when I'm the monster, I won't know it's you!" I yelled at him, gauging his reaction as I lifted my head. He took another few steps back and I knew right away that my eyes had changed colour, to a soulless black.
"Michelle..."
"GO! GET OUT OF HERE!" I screamed in a last attempt to scare him off. By now it was too late, I could feel each crack and each strain as the bones began to rearrange themselves. My senses became more heightened, my vision sharper and my hearing clearer. A few minutes later the transformation was complete, and I was now subject to a night of loneliness. You know those cheesy films, where the werewolf throws their head back and howls at the moon, well yes that really does happen. My howl was piercing, pitiful and as it ended, I dropped my head again and began whimpering.
"Mickey?" That was it! That was the voice I needed, the one that had helped me through so many torturous nights, the one that kept me calm. I lifted my pitch-black eyes to meet the warm chocolate pools that belonged to my best friend, Fred. He came! He had come out to find me, there was danger in the castle, but he had taken the plunge and come to find me.
"Hey Mick, it's okay, I'm here" He kept his voice low, smooth, soothing before slowly making his way towards me. I watched him carefully as he reached out a hand towards my nose. Everyone says werewolves are dangerous, volatile creatures and in some respects, they are, in others, if handled correctly they will not harm anyone. Fred knew this, he knew not to make any sudden moves, he knew to take his time and let me adjust to what had just happened. I nuzzled my snout into his hand letting him know that it was okay, I recognised him.
"That's my girl" He whispered softly, before slowly starting to lead me towards the forest. At times like this it was the safest place for me, I could run freely and not worry about meeting any unwanted faces.
The next morning, I found myself curled up at the foot of one of the large oak trees that lay in the forest. Fred, as always, had brought a spare change of clothes for me, which I quickly put on to block out the cold. One of the downsides of being a werewolf, you go through quite a few clothes, not intentionally. A light breeze washed over me, lifting my hair as it went. As far as full moons go, that one was quite tame, it made it easier having Fred there, but I couldn't help but beat myself up over forgetting.
"Mickey?" Fred was leant against the same tree I had slept under, his flaming hair dishevelled, tie loose around his neck and his sleeves rolled up past his elbows. He still had a few freckles dusted across his nose, making him look slightly child-like.
"Hey" I croaked, forgetting that after a night of howling at the moon my voice would be almost non-existent. He chuckled and pushed off the tree to make his way over to me. Fred would always give me a check over to make sure I hadn't injured myself during the night, it was sweet of him, but I knew he was just showing that he cared. He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, frowning as his gaze landed on the left-hand side of my neck. I watched him carefully, knowing he had just found the fresh scratch that lay there, I could feel the tug and pinch as I moved my head.
"Hold still" He spoke softly as he pulled his wand from his back pocket and pointed it at the wound "Episkey" the skin begins to nit itself together, but much like the one around my eye it would scar and leave a reminder of what I was.
"It's no use, just another scar to add to the mix" I sighed as I pulled my collar over it, pulling my tie a little tighter to try and hide it. Fred pulled me into a hug, engulfing me in his pine scent.
"Why didn't you come and find me Mick?" He rested his chin on my head as he spoke tightening his hold on me. I buried my face into his chest, feeling his warmth calm me.
"You told McGonagall you weren't helping me anymore" I whispered before lifting my head to look at him. Those deep brown eyes met mine, creasing slightly as he frowned.
"What are you talking about, I never said that to McGonagall" He moved a piece of hair off my forehead before resting his hand on my cheek. I unconsciously leant my cheek into his hand. Fred was my best friend there was no doubt about that and I knew he had a girlfriend, but I could not help but feel there was something more between us. I loved him; I knew that deep down but what I did not know was if he felt the same way. Occasionally we would say it to each other, most of the time it was in a jokey way, in some ways I think he meant it, but I was too scared of losing him to ask him.
"But at the start of the year you wouldn't even look at me or be around me...at least that's what..." I took a deep breath as I realised what I was saying. Cedric was the one that told me Fred didn't want to be around me. Cedric was the one that told McGonagall that Fred would no longer be helping me on the full moons. How could I have missed this? How could I have been so blind to what he was doing that I almost lost my best friend in the process.
"Mickey?" Fred placed two fingers under my chin to get me to look at him. The tears began to prick at the corners of my eyes as the realisation came into full force.
"He lied to me" My voice was shaky as I forced the words out. Cedric, my own boyfriend, had lied to me, caused me to lose faith in the one person that I had trusted for so long. My own boyfriend, a person I thought I could trust, that I entrusted my heart to, had lied to me.
"Mick, we need to get you to the hospital wing" Fred pulled me in for another hug before taking my hand to begin leading me out of the forest. The walk back up to the castle was quiet but Fred never let go of my hand, letting me process everything, intermittently squeezing my hand. How could I have been so stupid? We passed George on the way to the infirmary, he made to talk to us, but Fred just shook his head and he backed off.
We finally made it to the hospital wing, and I was whisked away by Madam Pomfrey. Fred stayed by my side as she checked for any bruises and wounds. She tried her best to heal the scar on my neck, but it wouldn't budge. After she had done with me, she moved onto Fred making sure that he was in tip top health.
"There you go dear, almost as good as new" She patted my shoulder, then turned to clear away her medical supplies.
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey" I offered her a small smile, which she returned before wandering over to the other side of the room.
"How are you feeling?" Fred took one of my hands, running his thumb over the back of it, sending those figurative tingles down my arm.
"Like I've been run over by the Knight Bus" I chuckled biting my lip. It wasn't far from the truth; I had a massive headache forming which was one of the side effects of the transformation and my stomach kept turning making me feel sick. This was why I needed an extra day after the full moon to recover if I went back to lessons now, I would just end up back in the hospital wing again.
"You know I'll always be there for you" Fred smiled crookedly. The corner of my mouth pulls up into a smile that mirrored his and, in that moment, I knew that we would be okay.
"Thanks Fred" I whispered squeezing his hand as I spoke.
"I've missed you Mickey" He moved to sit next to me, keeping my hand in his.
"I've missed you to" I nudged his shoulder with my own, causing him to chuckle. I missed being like this with him, being able to laugh and just be in his company. He at with me for another hour, laughing and joking like we used to.
"Michelle!" Cedric burst through the hospital wing doors and strode over to use, his face darkening when he saw Fred had hold of my hand.
"I'll see you later" Fred took that as his moment to leave, pressing a kiss to my temple before he stood up. Cedric watched him with angry eyes as he moved away from me.
"See you later" I gave him a small sad smile as he placed his hands in his pockets before striding out of the door thanking Madam Pomfrey as he went. I looked up at Cedric and almost flinched at the expression on his face. This is what I was dreading, the moment Cedric found me after the full moon.
"Why was he here" He spit out through gritted teeth as he sat across from me on one of the neighbouring beds. I bit my tongue before I answered not wanting to anger him anymore. Cedric had never liked how close I was to Fred, but he never really understood why either. No matter how many times I had tried to explain it to him, it just seemed to flow straight over his head.
"He helped me after my transformation" I muttered quietly, knowing full well that this was going to blow up into yet another argument.
"If you had let me stay, I would have helped" He sounded like a petulant child as he spoke, one that never got their own way. I glared at him quietly seething as he tried to pin the blame on me. I stayed quiet for a few more moments before jumping to my feet and lashing out. My hand met his cheek with a satisfying crack that echoed around the room.
"How dare you!" I kept my voice low with an added amount of venom "You lied to me! Fred has been there through every full moon since I met him, and you made me believe that he didn't want to be around me…why?" Cedric flinched as my words sliced through him, cutting so deep that if they had been a real weapon, they would've left scars.
"I was jealous" he retaliated rising to his feet in an attempt to make me back down.
"Jealous?" I laughed at the ridiculousness of his answer.
"Yes!"
"Are you serious right now?" I stood my ground not letting his height intimidate me. How dare he try and decide what's best for me, clearly, he didn't know me that well.
"It's the truth" He raised his voice as he tried in vain to defend himself.
"Wow…I can't believe you" I spit clenching my fists by my sides, trying with everything in me not to slap him again.
"You're always around him, laughing and joking" His argument was falling apart with every pitiful word he said.
"He's my best friend Cedric!" I could see Madam Pomfrey hovering just in case she needed to intervene.
"Seems like more than that" He grumbled keeping his eyes on my face as if he was waiting for me to start apologising, but if he really knew me, he knew that wasn't going to happen.
"I can't believe it, I just had one of THE worst nights of my life and all you're bothered about is whether Fred likes me more than a friend?!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and it was only making my headache worse. I needed to remove myself from the situation and soon.
"Is it so hard to believe? I've seen the way he looks at you" He folded his arms across his chest "And you're keeping secrets from me".
"And I'm the one being ridiculous?!" I felt my anger rising and it was getting harder to keep a lid on it "Cedric I'm a werewolf! That is my secret! You know how I get around a full moon and you're questioning me?" The conversation was getting more and more ridiculous as it went on. I rubbed my temples to try and stop the headache from completely taking over.
"Michelle…" Cedric unfolded his arms and took a step towards me. I moved backwards, my legs hitting the bed behind me, throwing a hand up to stop him. I glared up at him, my forest green eyes glowing with rage. Madam Pomfrey had moved closer, and I could see the concern crossing her face.
"No…No…no more chances…I'm done, I've had enough" I spoke through gritted teeth, tears threatening to fall as I made the decision that should have been made months ago.
"What do you mean?" he knew exactly what I meant but he was pushing my buttons, trying to make me snap.
"What do you think it means…we're done!" I yelled finally letting everything that I had bottled up explode. Since the first day back at Hogwarts, I had been harbouring these feelings of resentment towards Cedric. I just wished I hadn't waited so long to finally break up with him. From the moment he squared up to Fred outside potions in our first year I knew that he was going to cause trouble, yet somewhere in the back of my stupid naïve brain I decided to go out with him, almost ruining my relationship with Fred.
"Shell…please" He tried using my nickname as if to pacify me.
"No…no more second chances" I growled as I shoved past him and made my way out of the hospital wing as the tears began falling, burning their way down my cheeks. I fled, running straight past Fred, George and Angelina, straight past Hannah and out into the courtyard. I kept running not knowing where I would end up but just wanting the pain to stop trying to rip my heart out. I didn't love Cedric, I knew that now, but it still didn't stop my heart wanting to break in too pieces over someone that I thought cared for me. I ended up at the care of magical creatures' area before falling to my knees. The tears carried on falling, my breaths turned into hiccups as I pulled my knees to my chest and let my forehead rest on them.
I didn't know how long I was there for, until I raised my head to search for a rustle that I had heard. The sun was high in the sky meaning it was around midday. I sniffled as I searched for the sound trying to figure out what had followed me down to the edge of the forest.
"Hello?" I croaked my throat sore from the crying, my eyes burning from the lack of moisture. The rustle came again just off to my left side. I turned my head to try and capture the culprit only to see that Nugget was sat a small way away from me his head tilted to one side as if he was trying to figure out what was wrong.
"Hey little guy" I sniffled again, holding my hand out to him. He crawled forward slowly, sniffing my hand then bounding over to me squeaking as he went. I picked him up and hugged him to me, burying my face in his fur. He purred and burrowed into my shoulder almost as if he was trying to comfort me. I didn't even question how he had escaped the common room as I held him close letting his purrs soothe me.
"I thought you might need a friend" I lifted my head to see Fred sat on one of the tree trunks his elbows resting on his knees. I gave him a small smile and buried my head back into Nuggets fur.
"Thankyou" I whispered lifting my head up to look at him, my eyes must've been red raw from the crying, and I could imagine that I had a nose to rival Rudolph.
"Hannah picked him up from the common room" Fred explains as he made his way over to me, kneeling beside me he placed his hand on my shoulder "Mickey, what happened?" I bit my lip unable to speak as the tears threatened to fall again. Fred pulled me into a hug making sure to include Nugget who squeaked at the movement.
"Am I a bad person?" I sniffled my voice watery as I spoke.
"What? No Mickey of course you aren't, how could you say that" Fred muttered into my hair as Nugget squeaked in agreement with him. I ran my fingers through Nugget's fur trying to calm myself and watched as his beady black eyes met mine.
"I'm a werewolf Fred, that instantly makes me bad" I whimpered as the tears began falling again. Nugget wormed his way closer to me placing his head under my chin. Fred sighed as he rested his forehead against my temple.
"You always told me that is wasn't the monster than made the person, Mickey you are the bravest, most caring person I know, and you do not have a bad bone in your body" He spoke quietly, his breath washing over my face. I whimpered and sniffled as he pulled me closer to him, trying with all his power to comfort me. We sat the for another few hours, both Fred and Nugget letting me just cry and vent. After so long Fred decided it was time to move with Nugget squeaking in response as he wanted feeding.
"Fred…thankyou" I whispered as we reached the castle. He stopped and once again pulled me into a hug his chin resting on the top of my head.
"Anything for my girl" He replied keeping an arm around me as we headed through the wooden doors of the entrance hall. The twins, Hannah and Angelina all decided that I needed to go straight to bed and sleep the events of the day off. I tried to protest but, in the end, it was four against one, well five against one if you included Nugget. With a heavy sigh I tucked Nugget into the pocket of my robes and made my way towards the Hufflepuff common room. Once inside the dormitory I pulled Nugget out of my pocket and placed him on my drawers next to Snowy's cage. I dug around in my bottom drawer for some food for him and gave him a small handful before starting to get ready for bed. I buried myself under the covers and pulled curtains around the bed to give myself some privacy not wanting to face the other girls in the room. It finally dawned on me how tired I was as soon as my head hit the pillow. Nugget had finished his dinner and proceeded to curl up on the pillow next to my head purring in content. I chuckled quietly before closing my eyes and falling into what had to be the most peaceful sleep I had ever had.
Aww our poor little wolf, nothing seems to be going right for her :( and bless little Nugget he just wants to look after his new friend...Please Read and Review for more :)
