Werewolf Hunting

Disclaimer: Don't own. I would be scared if I did.

Yay! Another chapter! I like to feed my reviewers!

Chapter Twenty Seven: Wild Faun Chase

Boewyn and Moody walked for some time, following the path which Boewyn had found. The trees moved in tightly around it and Boewyn and Moody were often forced to move around them. Despite the fact that it was only early morning darkness began to creep in around them as they got further and further into the trees. The two men were fully alert as they slowly and carefully made their way along the path. Both of them were listening for any sound other than their own footsteps and breathing and the small sounds of animals hidden from their site. Their eyes were sharp, picking up every movement around them. Both of them stayed silent saying nothing to each other as they walked. Occasionally Boewyn would stop and check the path before them, making sure they were still on the right track before moving on again.

They had been walking for what felt like an hour at least before Boewyn came to a complete halt.

"What is it?" Moody questioned, keeping his voice soft.

Boewyn pointed down the path, Moody following his outstretched arm. He squinted slightly and then saw it, a large gap in the trees. The end of the path.

"Think we're getting close?" he muttered softly, turning to look at the hunter who was frowning slightly.

"I don't know" Boewyn finally replied, his face serious. Moody nodded.

"but then again, there's no time like the present!" Boewyn bounded forwards. Moody cursed.

"Damn it man. Will you stop? You're gonna get us killed!" he hissed and went after the hunter.

Boewyn reached the end of the path and stopped suddenly, Moody nearly crashing into the back of him. Boewyn peered theatrically around the tree, and then made a disappointed noise.

"There's no one there. There's nothing there. Aww nuts."

"Good!" Moody hissed. "if there had been someone there, we'd probably be dead you idiot!"

"Insults get you nowhere, Al."

"Oh shut up" Moody muttered bitterly, looking around where the path had come out.

Another clearing.

Moody swore violently.

"I hope you're not married, Al. I'd hate to be the wife you kiss with that mouth."

"Shut up!"

Boewyn just laughed and walked into the clearing, looking around with interest, then turning his attention to the ground. Moody leaned against a tree, closing his eyes. This was turning out to be a wild faun chase.

"It's an apparition point" Boewyn said suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen.

"What?" Moody asked, opening his eyes and looking at the hunter.

"This clearing. It's an apparition point, I'm sure of it."

"How on earth can you tell that? You don't even have a wand to detect the magical trace apparition leaves."

"I don't have to, Al." Boewyn spoke slowly, as though he was talking to a child. "There are a lot of footprints that go nowhere here. Someone walks in, stops and then the footprints vanish. They've apparated. Duh!"

"Don't you 'duh' me" Moody threatened. He raised his wand and cast a few spells then swore.

"You really do hate it when I'm right, don't you?"

"Shut up!"

"You are really on a roll today, that's the third time you've told me to shut up this morning."

Moody told Boewyn to do something that was probably physically impossible unless you were a contortionist.

"Well!" Boewyn said, affronted.

Moody muttered under his breath for a while.

"Can you get a trace on where they go?"

"There's too many, they go everywhere." This time is was Moody talking like Boewyn was stupid.

"It's easy enough to pick one. Just pick the one that goes somewhere were a hide-out would be. You know, nondescript, nothing around, out of the way, not many people about – especially not muggles, you catch my drift?"

Moody blinked, then swore again.

"Hey! I'm right again! Now I'm on a roll! Sweet."

"This may take a while. There are a lot of traces to cipher through." Moody grumbled.

"If this point is used only by those death chewers, they are bound to wind up returning to the same point. You'll want the coordinates of the point which gets apparated to the most." Boewyn said this with a bright and innocent grin on his face.

Moody stared at him.

"I hate you"

"Well it's a feeling at least"

---

Sirius stalked into the dormitory and threw his bag down on the floor with a loud thump.

"Enjoy detention, Padfoot?" James asked, not looking up from the magazine he was reading.

"Bite me, Prongs"

"I'm a herbivore" came the reply

"OH HA HA!" Sirius snapped viciously and then threw himself down onto his bed.

Snape had left them alone since the cheerleader prank, obviously not wanting to be wearing skirts again. However today it seemed he had been feeling rather bold and had said some things to Sirius about Remus and his disappearance that had resulted in Snape growing a very nice set of ram's horns, and Sirius being caught by McGonagall and getting two hours worth of detention.

Sirius lay on his bed cursing for a while. Finally he stopped.

"Run out of breath, Padfoot?" Peter asked from his own bed, where he too was reading a magazine.

"You're really jokers today aren't you?"

"A real grouch today aren't you?" James retorted.

"Stupid Snape"

"Hear, hear!" James cried

Sirius couldn't help but snort at that and then returned to his melancholy state.

"I wish there was something we could do to help."

"We all want to help, we've all said it a hundred times since this first started and we all know there is nothing we can do" James had put down his magazine and was looking sternly at Sirius. The resemblance between him at that moment and McGonagall was striking.

"That doesn't stop me from wanting to help! I feel useless!"

"We all do" James snapped. Peter was watching the two with concern etched onto his face.

"But whining about it doesn't help at all!" James continued. Sirius and Peter could both see that James was getting fired up, and nobody liked James when he got angry.

"So just shut up about it alright!"

Sirius sighed and looked down at his hands.

"I'm sorry, I just…"

"I know"

Sirius looked towards the window. Today was a Saturday and while they would normally be outside on the weekends, they sky was threatening rain and possibly a storm. The boys had opted to stay inside where it was warmer and drier.

"I just hope he's ok" Sirius announced softly.

"Us too, Pads, us too."

---

"Found it" Moody announced

"About time too!" Boewyn declared from his spot under a tree at the edge of the clearing. He got to his feet and walked to stand next to the Auror.

"Paris?" Came the question before Moody could deter it.

"No" Moody was trying his hardest to keep his voice calm.

"Bummer"

Moody gave Boewyn the apparition co-ordinates.

"This points about ten kilometers from where these go. Just in case."

"Constant Vigilance!" Boewyn cried – the opportunity had been too good to pass up.

"Just shut up and get going" Mood snapped.

Just as he apparated he heard Boewyn shout "FOUR!"

Authors Note: There we go pumpkins. Have another chapter on this fine Australian Spring Saturday Morning. AND IT'S ACTUALLY NOT RAINING!

I was asked for more Marauders. So there you go. Enjoy:D