To Change

Lara

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the charming Greys, did you really change school just to get a second look at me?" a sneering voice said behind me.

I turned on my heel, my wand out before I even registered what had been spoken by whom. Alex, Sirius and James had done the same at my side. It had been three weeks since the start of the year and we'd been walking down a deserted corridor, on the way to lunch when the refined German voice was heard.

Oh shit. Lara! Alex said, recognising the boy leaning casually in a nearby arch. He looked much like he had a year ago and I remembered all the years, all that had changed was the expression.

Four of his friends stood around him and I acknowledged Snape with his greasy black hair and hooked nose. They all sniggered at us and I felt my blood boil.

"I've beat you in a duel before Irvine. Don't make me do it again." I said through clenched teeth.

The familiar face bored into mine as his friends cackled with laughter. Slowly his face twisted into a smirk.

"Now Larissa darling, that is hardly how you should greet old friends, hasn't your pappy taught you proper etiquette? You haven't even given me a peck on the cheek yet." He gave me a fake puppy dog frown and fluttered his eye lids; I really wanted to hex him about now.

"Come on Lara. We haven't got time for this lot" Alex snarled, his own mind red with rage and his hand clenching his wand. Irvine turned to him and I wandered what he saw when he looked at my brother.

"What's wrong Ally? Jealous? Do you want a little kissy too?" The Slytherins roared with laughter, although they couldn't know the full cruelty behind the question. And Darien knew it; I could see the glint in his dark eye.

How dare he?

Suddenly Sirius stepped up next to me. He radiated the same anger that had swallowed my mind.

"Think you're clever don't you, Irvine? How about you shut the hell up before I make you?"

"Aww. Sweet. I didn't know you'd found a new boyfriend so quickly Ally."

James

I looked between the twins. Both had been boiling with anger before but both had suddenly changed, just with that one comment. They had the same expression, so similar they looked like one person.

Their faces were smooth, calm and still as stone but flames seemed to dance in their eyes. Their right hands both held two pale wood wands at their sides. They looked chillingly at Irvine and I suddenly realise these twins, so quite normally, were powerful, unnervingly so. I was taken aback.

"You're walking a very fine line Darien" they said with one voice, no louder than a whisper but heard clearly even over the Slytherin's rapidly diminishing laughter.

I looked at Irvine and saw in his eyes a flash of, was that fear? He stiffened his jaw and determinedly pasted a sneer on his face.

"Ouch, was that a threat?"

"Actually yes it was" They replied in the same soft voice, a hint of sarcasm added.

The boys were looking between each other uncertainly now, though Irvine took no notice, this was obviously not what they had planned. I caught Sirius' eye and he raised his eye brows in slight shock.

Alex

I'm not scared of you. Darien's thoughts said quietly and determinedly. It was obvious he had projected it; he'd always had a way with doing that.

"Oh but I think you are Darien you never were that good at hiding things from us." Lara said.

"Ich habe deine Gedanken gesehen. Ich kenne die Wahrheit und du weißt es. Du fürchtest die Wahrheit, fürchtest sie genug um sie wegzuschieben. Ich? Ich habe keine Angst mehr. Dank deines kleinen Stunts letztes Jahr." I said

[I have seen your thoughts. I know the truth and you know it. You fear the truth; fear it enough to push it away. Me? I am no longer afraid. Thanks to your little stunt last year]

"You know nothing" he snapped viscously, I had hit a nerve it seemed "tell me how did your pappy react when he found out? Eh? I wanted to be there, of course, wanted to see you squeal like a pig. Who knows maybe I still will, I'll just keep my fingers crossed. Better watch your back Greys."

Then he stormed off, his friends in tow. His handsome face and grown red in his anger, twisted into forms I hadn't seen until after his visit in the summer, the visit to England.

I watched his retreating back, my mind elsewhere. The past memories of better times coming to me.

Sirius

"Nicely handled, may I say? You had him scurrying off like a dog with his tail between his legs" I smirked, clapping Alex on the back.

Alex was staring down the corridor his eyes distant and Lara smiled sheepishly at me.

"Yes, well. He knows we can get revenge if he does or says anything" She said, her eyes glancing at Alex every few seconds.

James laughed and practically skipped to our side.

"Well, looks like we shouldn't get on the wrong side of these two, Pads. The way you spoke together was just downright freaky!" she said with a signature lopsided smile.

Alex seemed to suddenly focus on us and grinned, looping his arm around his sister's shoulders. His grey eyes looked playfully at us.

"Indeed, one of the many advantaged of being Legilimens from birth" He said looking at us slyly, his sister chuckled.

"Yes, one of many" She said suggestively.

I raised my eyebrows in shock, my jaw dropping, and James seemed to be chocking. They could read minds? All this time they knew what we were thinking – shit! Did they know about Remus? Or about – no! I had to stop thinking! How was I supposed to do that!

Suddenly the twins were laughing out right, clutching each other to stop from falling. I stared at them in bewilderment, talk about hysteria.

"We're sorry! Ha! The look on you faces!" Lara said.

"That was so worth it!"

"Couldn't figure out if you were going to jinx us"

"Or knock your selves out to guard your thoughts!"

Me and James exchanged baffled looks.

"So... are you saying you can't read our minds then?" James said uncertainly, he was fingering his wand nervously.

The twins calmed a little.

"I'm sure we could if we wanted to"

"Which we don't"

"But we never try it"

"It's the worst breach of privacy ever to do so"

"We can only sense if you are near"

"Or your feelings if they're particularly strong"

They grinned. It was so weird when they spoke like this, though I had sort of got used to it since I'd met them. I'd always wondered how they knew what the other was thinking or going to say. They would sit there having their own conversation but nobody could hear it then they'd both get up with a fully formed plan between them. So this was the reason.

I didn't know if I should feel comforted by this revelation that they could sense thoughts. If Alex ever saw... but he wouldn't, I would make sure of it.

Remus

We Marauders were sitting on the grounds by the lake. It was lovely weather; the sun was shining brightly in the clear sky and its rays glistened on the shimmering surface of the lake. Peter was stretched out finishing some Charms homework, chewing the end of his quill absently. Sirius was lounging at the foot of a tree inducing giggles in some nearby fifth year, very deliberately. James was writing a love poem to Lily, grinning excitedly; I shook my head in amusement as I saw he'd dotted the 'i' of her name with a heart.

The full moon was in four days. I didn't want to think about it, but it was always there.

I was staring across the lake to where four other people sat.

Lily, Alice and the Greys were sitting talking and laughing together. As I watched they were joined by two others – Amy and Tabby. I swear I had never seen one without the other (unless Tabby was trying to catch up with the energy packed girl) and I smiled as Amy skipped down the path and threw herself at the gathering. Lara was laughing as she caught the full brunt of the excited teen and was push flat on her back, under the mass of tangled limbs. Her face was clear to me and seemed to glow. Her joyful face radiantly stood out.

Once Tabby had helped the girls up (Alex had stood by laughing at the pile) I watched as Lara dusted herself down. She was wearing a tight fitting, black and white stripy top and snug black skinny jeans. Her clothes hugged her elegant figure and showed off her curves. Her waist length silver hair fell down her back loosely like spun water that seemed to float around her. She was so beautiful.

Three and a half weeks, less than a month, and she had already seized me.

I thought over the revelation that her and her brother could do Legilimency. I wondered if she knew how she made me feel. I hoped she didn't. She wouldn't want me, who would? I was the untidy boy with damaged robes and not enough money for more. And then even if she did, she never would once she learnt of my affliction. I would sicken her, surely. Besides, I was too dangerous, I couldn't let my wolf hurt her. I wouldn't.

Lara Grey, three and a half weeks and she'd already taken me. She was so strong and free, she was perilous and fiery, soft and kindly, sad and broken. She had been through so much pain and horror and yet she could still laugh and joke and tease. How did she learn to trust people after everything that had happened to her? How did she move on from what her family had done to her?

Could she see or hear my thoughts? The way my mind dragged itself to her, like my eyes. Could she sense the struggle inside me? The way I longed to just forget I wasn't human, wasn't worth her, that I wasn't dangerous. I wished with all my might that I was normal; that the fact the full moon was coming had no bearings on me, other than for astronomy homework.

Four days and I would change. The pain would hit me like daggers, I would lose my mind again, lose my control over my body, again. The wolf would jump free and pounce, I would forget about Lara. She would be nothing. It was just a vicious animal and if she stood in front of the wolf then it would... I wouldn't be able to stop it, me, I would be able to stop myself! Me! To think I could hurt her, that I could bite her, I could...

I could kill her and I would wake in the morning knowing what I had done.

Three and a half weeks.

Whether be known to her or not, she had stolen this werewolf's heart.

Alex

I sat alone in my room. The Marauders were gone.

I wouldn't have thought much about it if they hadn't lied. They often went off to accomplish some prank, although mostly I joined them. I wouldn't have been surprised if they didn't invite me, it wouldn't have bothered me but still, usually they told me. Usually they didn't lie.

I knew they'd lied. My mental senses pricked up at a lie, you couldn't lie to me unless you had your thoughts guarded, which they didn't. Lara was the same.

James had said they were looking after Remus' ill mother while his father was away. This was James, James who never lied, not seriously, not like this. He was good at it, oh yes, I could tell that much just not good enough though. James said that they did this every month, just for a night.

Remus had defiantly seemed shaken. Too much so, if you ask me. Black circles had lined his eyes and he hadn't slept in two days – I'd felt him, lying awake, tossing and turning. He was quivering, subtly from the inside, and in his eyes was a silently veiled fear. Could all this be because of his mother?

The Marauders had been talking quietly to themselves a lot lately, shifting subject when me or Lara came near.

I didn't know what to think.

I got up and paced the room. Lara, in her own dorm, was doing the same. We were both thinking hard. I went to the window and looked out into the night. The moon, glowing and round as a galleon, sat in the sky and lit up the grounds.

I had known these people for just under a month and yet I felt as if I'd known them my whole life. But no, less than a month...

Remus

I shivered violently, my whole body wracking with denial. I was so cold. Icy needles stabbed my exposed arms, legs and torso. My clothes were in the tunnel where my friends would soon be, I didn't want to rip them, again.

I could feel the moon rising into the sky, all my senses pricked with its movement, as it moved higher and higher and...

I whimpered, hot tears running down my face, and my legs collapsed beneath me so that I hit the splintered floor of the shack. I didn't notice. I clutched myself, as I always did, unwilling for the inevitable. Even after my friends joined me I held myself close at this point, as if I could hold myself in this shape, this mind. I knew the pain was coming when I felt the moon reach its highest. It beckoned to me, drew me in and my wolf sprang into action.

I screamed in a very human way, the last of the night.

Curled up, my bones cracked and thrust and stretched, even as my skin and muscles tried to keep up. I was on fire from within and from my still humanised hands claws knifed their way through my skin. The same was happening in my half snout with my teeth. I shrieked again, or perhaps I howled.

The spine was growing, the flesh stretching like dough with it. Fur was sprouting from every inch of the, now grey, skin. Long, bony, paws had pushed themselves out of the feet and the senses had picked up speed with the new nose, ears, eyes and mouth.

The wolf howled.