Mossy blocks of stone carved to perfectly smooth finishes stacked like Jenga blocks build up the enormous castle in front of me. The sheer beauty of the Hogwarts Castle was enough to make me want to cry, especially after the summer I've had. Stood out here, under the sunset, I feel tranquil, and truly home. Quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace around me, I walk into the castle, robes billowing around me.

When I enter the Great Hall, the feast has already begun. Strong aromas of food fill the air and make my stomach rumble. I walk to the Ravenclaw table and sit next to Meadow McLoughlin, my dorm-mate and best friend. Blonde curls framing her round face, Meadow swivels to turn her pretty features towards me.
"Star! How was your summer?" Bubbly as always, Meadow keeps me in conversation while we eat, until suddenly, she trails off.
"Meadow? What's wrong?" I ask, concerned for my friend.
"St-Star, your face, its gone all… warty." I peer at my reflection on the silver plate beneath me, and sure enough, a goblin-like hag stares back at me, an expression of horror painted over her grotesque features.

I look up to see the entire hall watching me in silence, all except for three giggling boys at the Gryffindor table. Tears stinging my eyes, I flee the Great Hall, and run outside, too upset to notice that the Marauders were missing a fourth member. The sky was rapidly darkening above me, and the moon was beginning to rise. My thoughts drifted to Arlo for a moment, out there with just my mother, who was nowhere near as good at looking after him as I was. I found myself near the whomping willow, and (using the trick I'd learned from Hagrid last year) I crawled down labyrinthine passageways to the shrieking shack.

Everyone seemed to think this dank, dark place was haunted, but I usually came here to hide from the Marauders and I'd never seen anything out of the ordinary. My hands felt for my face to find it had returned to normal, clear, pale skin with an upturned nose and large brown eyes. Only then did I allow my tears to spill, pouring down my face like rain against the windows of Ravenclaw Tower during a storm.
A crash behind me alerted me that I'd been followed.
"Who's there?" came a strained voice from the tunnel. "I know someone is, I can hear you crying."
"Oh, go away. I was here first, find somewhere else to go." I responded, before gasping as the face of a sickly Remus Lupin appeared through the door.
"What do you want? Come to hex me again? Well go ahead, I don't care." Lupin stared at me as I spoke, a look of urgency in his eyes.
"You need to leave. Now." He spoke with such definite finality, I almost did as he said.
"I was here first, Lupin. You and your asshole friends have caused enough damage tonight, can't you just leave me be?" Tears threatened to spill again, and I had to bite my lip to hold them back.
"Smith, you don't understand, you need to – "
"Don't tell me what to do! Go away Lupin!" I cut him off.
"Star, please, just – "Lupin turns and falls to the floor panting.

I can barely make him out through the pale moonlight. I take a step towards him. "Lupin?" I question, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
"GO!" he roars, turning to face me. The light of the full moon shows me features warped by what I know is lycanthropy. I run to the door, and pull the handle with all my might, but to no avail.
"Remus, it's stuck!" I shriek, terrified. I hear him stand behind me, and he puts his large hand against the wooden door.
"Enchantments… No way out… Only in… I'm so… Sorry." He pants, before collapsing back to the floor. I bend down and grab his chin.

"Remus, look at me. Look at me, Remus! Look into my eyes, it's going to be alright, just latch onto me Remus. Let the world disappear, it means nothing. The only things that exist and matter in this universe are you, and me, and so look at me, listen to me. Latch onto me Remus, my eyes, my voice, my scent, it's going to be okay, I promise." Almost trancelike, Remus looks at me, open mouthed. "That's it, Remus, breathe. Imagine the woods. A lush, green forest lit by fireflies with a silver lake in the middle, full of fish, and there's just you and me, running free. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

A howl tears through the shack and Remus rolls backwards in pain. I know better than to try and hold him now. I watch as each individual bone in his body cracks and breaks and reforms into a beast of monstrous height and strength. It turns to me, green eyes showing me the reflection of my petrified face. I look down at the ground and lift my hand. The wolf sniffs my hand gingerly, before rubbing its great head against it and panting playfully.
I let out a breath I'd been holding for what felt like forever, and smiled, looking at the beady eyes peering back at me. Gently, I lift my other hand to cup the wolf's face and rub up and down the bridge of his nose.
"Let's sit, shall we?" I say, more to comfort myself with the end to the silence, than because I think the wolf understands me. Once I'm comfortably down on the cold floor, the wolf sits and lays his head in my lap. I let out a small laugh, and continue stroking him, before beginning to sing the same song I'd been playing on the train. I wondered if, back home, Mother was singing the same song to Arlo.

Behind me, the door creaked open, and in rushed three creatures: a large, black dog, a majestic-looking stag, and a rat, trailing behind. They look ready to pounce and fight and seem extremely shocked to see me sat with the tame werewolf's head resting on my knees.
The dog stalks towards me, and I fin myself glowering into the same pale grey eyes that belong to Sirius Black; then it all makes sense.
"Sirius." I say, not as a question. I turn to the stag. "Potter." And to the rat, "Pettigrew."
The dog sniffs Remus and the wolf stands quickly, growling and snarling, stood in front of me protectively.
"Wolfie. No." I say firmly, grasping his furry front paw, pulling him back down next to me. "It's alright. It's okay." Keeping his eyes on Sirius, the wolf lays his head don again, and I continue singing, until I fall asleep.

Two chapters in one night! I probably won't have all my updates this consistent, I'm just in a writing mood tonight! Hope you enjoyed, like, review and follow for more updates.

As I said previously, I don't own anything except Star, Arlo and now Meadow. :)