I think I'm getting up to speed again...yeah...forgive me if the last
chapter wasn't that good...I wrote it while in my friend's bedroom during a
68-person anniversary party (lots of good food...ohhh, the food was
awesome)...it was craaaazy...plus, I was on a bit of lull in my sugar high...so,
forgive me. Thanks a lot for all of your reviews: it keeps me up to speed
on trying not to be as terrible. Harry Potter is not mine, never was mine,
and I wouldn't care if I ever get it...I mean...who...needs...all that money,
right? Right? sigh
Ch. 5: At the Void
Aya leaned uncomfortably against the door, unsure of what to do as she stared at Remus sitting propped in his bed. "What would you like to do, Remus?" she asked quietly, twisting her fingers behind her back in her discomfort.
Remus, shrugging, asked, "Are you sure it's okay you can miss class like this?"
She nodded, saying, "I have an excuse. Family thing, you know."
"Family?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, that," she said with an involuntary blush. "Professor Dumbledore was very close with my parents before they died...still is. Let's just say he considers me his 'adoptive' granddaughter."
"Woah," Remus said rather stupidly, raising an eyebrow, thinking, What else is there I need to know about you, Aya?
"What's your excuse?" she asked. "You know, for skipping class and all? Can't you just go to the hospital wing or something instead of staying in bed?"
Remus panicked, thinking, Oh, God, if she finds out I'm a werewolf that'll be the end of this...relationship. Thinking quickly, he said, "Nasty cold that I've had for quite some time...I...er...went to see the medical ward about it and they said I should just rest up...you know how simple a cold is, they don't really have a medicine specifically for it!" He coughed for emphasis.
"Oh," she said, but something about her tone made Remus doubt whether or not she believed him. He sighed. "So? What would you like to do?"
Grinning, Remus asked, "Ever played Wizard's Chess?"
"Now, then, how to take proper caution against a Belgian Bull Snap," the DADA professor was saying.
"Belgian asshole more like it," Sirius whispered with a sigh as he flicked another paper football through James' ready fingers, scoring yet another point for his home team. "Stick to Quidditch, Prongs. You suck at football."
James rolled his eyes. "It's an American sport anyway, isn't it?" he whispered back.
"How the hell should I know?" Sirius answered a little loudly. "I don't live there, now do I?"
"Mr. Black," the professor said, "perhaps you would rather share with us how to play this American football of yours?" Several Slytherins in the room snickered; watching a Gryffindor get ripped to pieces by a teacher was fair sport for them.
"Oh, no, sir," Sirius said sarcastically. "This is waaaay more interesting than football, believe me. I mean, you don't have to worry about getting eaten by a Belgian Bull Snap in football!"
"Mr. Black," the teacher answered, "Belgian Bull Snaps are not carnivorous. They eat dirt."
"Well, who can tell with them, you know?" Sirius answered.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Black."
"Dammit," Sirius hissed, rolling his eyes and leaning back in his chair, "I was hoping for an internment at Azkaban, but that'll do."
"Sirius," Lily whispered in his ear, concern in her voice, "I wish you wouldn't say such things. Azkaban is a terrible place."
"I can handle even twelve years in Azkaban, Lily. You don't have to worry about me. My mother's punishment enough."
"You beat me again, Remus!" Aya cried, sitting back with a laugh on the bed.
Remus beamed, said, "I should just let you win; I've got to be a gentleman, you know." He leaned over and tickled her, making her giggle.
"Stop...stop it!" she cried, tears of mirth streaming down her face. He reached down and tickled her ankles, grabbing at them until she cried out in pain, trying to pull quickly away.
"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Remus asked, his voice full of concern as he looked down at her ankle, which she tried to cover up with her pajama bottoms.
"It's...it's nothing," she said quietly, blushing.
"No it's not...let me see it." Before she could even protest, he pulled it up to reveal a nasty looking scar that cut deep around her ankle in a vertical slash. He sucked in air through his teeth, then looked up to find her looking away from him. "That looks like it still hurts," he said.
"I said it's nothing, Remus, so leave it alone!" she hissed, a sudden venomous tone in her voice that made him shrink back while she quickly covered it again. Seeing the hurt look in his eyes, she said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Remus...I didn't mean to snap at you like that."
"It's okay."
Another damned awkward silence.
"Shall we play another game, then?" Remus said tentatively, searching her face
Her face broke into a gentle smile. "Sure," she said. "If you let me win, of course."
"Maybe," he said, placing the chess pieces in order again. "Ever read Dragon Prince?" he asked after a slight pause, wanting to keep her happy.
She nodded, said, "I love Sioned. The sunrunners are so cool, but I think it was rather a spin-off of Frank Herbert's Bene Gesserit, if you ask me."
Remus, raising an eyebrow, said, "Oh, really? I never thought of it that way...coincidental, I'm sure."
Aya nodded. "How about the Earthsea Trilogy?" she asked.
"Oh! Ged! I love him!" Remus cried. They laughed. After a slight pause, Remus asked, "May I...may I kiss you again, Aya?" His voice shook.
She blushed, twisting her fingers in her lap again. "Yes," she whispered, staring at her lap. They leaned towards each other, the chessboard more than simply forgotten as they kissed.
Who would've thought a werewolf could feel like this?
It was the third time he had thought it as he stared at Aya, now asleep next to him. His heart skipped a few more beats as he gazed at the way her black hair played over her face, accenting her skin color. Making sure she had more covers, he kissed her on the forehead, then wrapped his arms protectively around her, whispering in her ear, "I'll protect you from everything in this world, Aya. I swear it."
He felt stupid saying such a thing, but there was a part of him that knew it was true. Making sure she had enough bed covers, he snuggled against her, then felt her clammy cheek. Wondering at it, he held her close, then closed his eyes with a sigh.
"I hate all this goddamn homework," Sirius said with a sigh as he tossed his books nonchalantly on his bed, reveling in the clatter they made as they hit the floor.
"For the last time, Padfoot, shut up. Moony's sleeping, remember?" James hissed, glaring at him as he slipped into his nightgown. "Besides, you could've been doing your homework an hour ago and been done with it, but noooo, you had to flirt with Amelia. Sex freak."
"Sex has nothing to do with it. Just fun," Sirius retorted. Peter rolled his eyes, then lit the candle in the center of the room with his wand. Light flared into the room, illuminating the bedside ahead of them. "Is it me," Sirius said slowly, examining the bed, "or did Remus gain some weight today?" Curious, he walked over to Remus' bed, then pulled back the curtain around it slowly. With a gasp, he fell backward, nearly taking the curtain with him.
"Shhh!" James hissed.
"What's wrong, Padfoot?" Peter asked, gazing at Sirius, who staggered to his feet. As Sirius stood there, he held his hand to his mouth, then doubled over in quiet laughter.
"What the hell's wrong with you now, boy?" James said, coming over to see what the fuss was about. "Haven't you ever seen Remus asleep....before....oh...my....well, that's unexpected." Peter looked over their shoulders, then nearly laughed aloud.
"Who would've thought...Aya and Remus...ha!" Sirius whispered under his breath. "Not even halfway through the school year...do you think they...?" His voice trailed off as a devilish grin came across his face.
"Oh, stop it, you sex fanatic," James said, pushing him. "Of course not. Remus isn't that sort of guy...is he?"
They all glanced down at Remus still with his arm protectively around Aya as she pressed her face against his chest. Sirius shrugged, then whispered, "'Atta boy, you old dog!"
Slowly but surely, Remus opened his eyes on September the twenty- sixth, then groaned with loathing as he remembered the fated full moon. Just when I was getting all comfortable with her, he thought glumly, kissing her forehead, feigning off his own wave of nausea, but failing to do so. He rolled onto his back, trying to still the sickening feeling in his stomach.
Oh, no, he thought as he put a hand to his mouth, then expertly leaped out of bed, sprinted out of the room, and on up to the boy's bathroom. Delightful, he thought as he leaned over the toilet.
After making sure he had washed his face, though still feeling achy, he made his way back to the bed, opening the curtains until he looked at the bed. "Aya?" he asked, looking around wildly. The bed lay empty, as did the rest of the room.
Aya was gone.
"Gooooodmooooorning, lover boy...I mean, sunshine!" Sirius cried as he opened his curtain with a huge grin plastered on his face. "Have fun last night, Moony?"
"What are you talking about?" Remus asked, looking up from his feet as he sat on the bed.
"Wait a minute...where's Aya?" Sirius asked, looking around.
"I don't know. She was gone when I came back from the bathroom...and...hey, don't you dare jump to conclusions, Sirius!" Angrily, he tossed his pillow at Sirius' face, missing completely.
"Aha! And now thou art without thy pillow of death, foul denizen!" Sirius cried triumphantly.
"I'm feeling too ill to even want to try, Padfoot. And besides, shouldn't you be getting ready for...school?" Remus said with a snicker. Sirius paled.
"Knave," he hissed, glaring at him. "You just be glad I like to go out on full moonlit strolls with you, my dear Moony."
Remus rolled his eyes. "Get ready for class before I report you, Sirius Black," he said with a reserved, superior air.
Growling, Sirius muttered, "Prefects." Then, he stood, wakened the others, and made ready for class, all the while glaring at Remus, who had lain back on his own pillow and was looking at the ceiling through narrowed eyes. Full moon, Remus thought, more like Fool's Moon.
"Hey, Lily, have you seen Aya this morning?" Sirius asked as they walked to class.
"No, I haven't since the night before last," Lily replied, meeting his gaze with a look of worry.
"That's odd," Sirius replied, shouldering his book bag, "because Remus said she was gone when he came back from the bathroom."
Lily stopped in the middle of the hallway, nearly making several second and third years collide with her. Though they protested, her death glare, a fair trait of hers, sent them quickly running for their next class at top speed. "Where...where was Aya last night?" she hissed.
James, turning, grinned, said, "You didn't know? She spent the night with our ickle Remus." He snickered.
Lily's eyes widened in shock, then she gave a warm, knowing smile. "Shall we go to class?" she asked, grabbing James by the arm and pulling him to class, faster than he ever wanted to.
"Are you ready, Mr. Lupin?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she stood by the front doors. Wrapping his cloak about him, Remus nodded, stifling a yawn; it felt a little odd to be going out to the Whomping Willow again after three months of going into the forest by his parent's home, but he would get used to it. With a curt nod, she opened the doors, letting the rays of the setting sun seep in. "Sorry you had to miss dinner, dear, as usual," she said as she followed him out the door.
Shrugging, he said, "It's alright. I'm usually not hungry around this time of month anyway." In the back of his mind, a dark little thought formed: saving up for later, aren't you, Remus? Saving it for a good hunt tonight?
He shivered, but not from the cold. Oh, shut up, he told himself, my friends will join me in an hour or so. I'm NOT going hunting.
He crossed the lawn in his bare feet, following in Madam Pomfrey's wake; wearing shoes was pretty trivial, since he would be too tired to wear them anyway after the transformation back to his human form. As they reached the Willow, Pomfrey muttered a flotation spell to her wand, then, letting it skirt along the grass, had it reach up to touch the usual knot on the tree to still it. As the wand returned to her hand, he couldn't help but say, "That was something different. I was wondering if you forgot to bring that stick with you to still it, Madam."
Shrugging, she replied, "Even I need a bit of excitement at times, Remus." Placing her hand on his shoulder, she said quietly, "I'll be in the Hospital Wing as usual if you feel the need to go there after...tonight. Good luck, Remus...I'm here for you." Smiling in thanks, Remus retreated into the underground tunnel that led to the Shrieking Shack as the sun finally set completely.
"Hurry up, Prongs! He's already transformed by now," Sirius hissed in James' ear. Remus never liked having them see him transform.
"Since when am I the sole driver of this cloak, Padfoot?" James hissed back. "Ow, Wormtail, that's my damn foot!"
"Sorry," Peter whispered.
As they reached the Whomping Willow, Peter transformed into a rat and moved towards the knot in the tree. After a few moments thrashing, the Willow stopped as if made of stone, the moonlight glinting off the branches.
Quickly discarding the Invisibility Cloak, James and Sirius joined Peter down the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. James, stopping to roll the cloak and place it by the tree, could hear the loud padding of Sirius' feet, now in dog form. Quickly transforming into a stag, he followed. Another grand night of fun in Honeydukes and more, he thought, knowing if he could smile, he would. Not even the frightening sounds of the werewolf's violent movements ahead of him could quench his spirit for adventure.
"Are you done transforming, Remus? We have to get back to Hogwarts before anyone knows we're missed," Sirius called, leaning against the creaky old door in the Shrieking Shack.
"Yeah, but I'm not dressed," Remus' croaky voice replied. "Go on ahead, guys. I have an excuse. You three don't."
Standing up, James called through the door, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, now go on!"
"Alright. Come on, guys," James said with a wave of his arm. "Let's get back."
Remus listened to their movements, growing fainter and fainter until it faded completely. Sighing, he leaned shakily against the door, feeling tired but much better. The night had been fun indeed, though his memory was a bit fuddled as usual, an effect of being in wolf form. Deciding to take his sweet time, he finished putting his pants on, wrapped his cloak around him, then went out, slowly going down the stairs, then making his way over to the entrance of the tunnel.
It was dark and damp as usual. His feet were already soaked in dirt by the time he made it outside, squinting in the sunshine. "Another successful full moon," he said to the daylight, stretching and sighing. Feeling a little reckless, he moved off to the right, wanting to skirt along the Forbidden Forest. He skipped along, gathering stones and chucking them at trees. Suddenly, he tripped over a rather large root, falling flat on his face with a loud cry. Afraid he might be heard, he swung behind a tree and waited awhile. "Mad, loony Moony afraid of getting caught," he said to himself with a laugh, feeling slightly drunk and lethargic.
As he looked into the gloom of the Forbidden Forest, his eyes traced along the forest floor; they caught something glinting in the sunlight like the light from a diamond. Curious, he crawled forward, bending down to see what it was. "Blood!" he gasped, leaning back. A small trail of blood zigzagged into the Forest. Not unicorn blood, he thought, but, perhaps a centaur? I should help, at least. He crawled forward, following the trail, then looked up into the gloom to see a small shape in the gloom between two large trees.
Narrowing his eyes, he stood and walked forward, grateful for the shifts of sunlight that glinted into the Forest. "What is that?" he said aloud as he came nearer. A figure of some kind lay in a crumpled heap on the forest floor, the trail of blood clearly leading up to whatever it was. Maybe I should go back and get help...that might be some dangerous animal that likes to eat guys named Remus, he thought tentatively, and almost made to turn back to Hogwarts when a sudden feeling of doubt reached him. Sighing, he turned, carefully stepping over a fallen log before advancing on the figure. "Just don't be dead...or mean," he said aloud as he came closer, then cried out as he saw who it was.
Aya lay naked in a bloody heap on the forest floor, one arm strewn across her face.
&)&)&
Sorry, guys, but it's a cliffie...sucks, doesn't it?
Ch. 5: At the Void
Aya leaned uncomfortably against the door, unsure of what to do as she stared at Remus sitting propped in his bed. "What would you like to do, Remus?" she asked quietly, twisting her fingers behind her back in her discomfort.
Remus, shrugging, asked, "Are you sure it's okay you can miss class like this?"
She nodded, saying, "I have an excuse. Family thing, you know."
"Family?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, that," she said with an involuntary blush. "Professor Dumbledore was very close with my parents before they died...still is. Let's just say he considers me his 'adoptive' granddaughter."
"Woah," Remus said rather stupidly, raising an eyebrow, thinking, What else is there I need to know about you, Aya?
"What's your excuse?" she asked. "You know, for skipping class and all? Can't you just go to the hospital wing or something instead of staying in bed?"
Remus panicked, thinking, Oh, God, if she finds out I'm a werewolf that'll be the end of this...relationship. Thinking quickly, he said, "Nasty cold that I've had for quite some time...I...er...went to see the medical ward about it and they said I should just rest up...you know how simple a cold is, they don't really have a medicine specifically for it!" He coughed for emphasis.
"Oh," she said, but something about her tone made Remus doubt whether or not she believed him. He sighed. "So? What would you like to do?"
Grinning, Remus asked, "Ever played Wizard's Chess?"
"Now, then, how to take proper caution against a Belgian Bull Snap," the DADA professor was saying.
"Belgian asshole more like it," Sirius whispered with a sigh as he flicked another paper football through James' ready fingers, scoring yet another point for his home team. "Stick to Quidditch, Prongs. You suck at football."
James rolled his eyes. "It's an American sport anyway, isn't it?" he whispered back.
"How the hell should I know?" Sirius answered a little loudly. "I don't live there, now do I?"
"Mr. Black," the professor said, "perhaps you would rather share with us how to play this American football of yours?" Several Slytherins in the room snickered; watching a Gryffindor get ripped to pieces by a teacher was fair sport for them.
"Oh, no, sir," Sirius said sarcastically. "This is waaaay more interesting than football, believe me. I mean, you don't have to worry about getting eaten by a Belgian Bull Snap in football!"
"Mr. Black," the teacher answered, "Belgian Bull Snaps are not carnivorous. They eat dirt."
"Well, who can tell with them, you know?" Sirius answered.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Black."
"Dammit," Sirius hissed, rolling his eyes and leaning back in his chair, "I was hoping for an internment at Azkaban, but that'll do."
"Sirius," Lily whispered in his ear, concern in her voice, "I wish you wouldn't say such things. Azkaban is a terrible place."
"I can handle even twelve years in Azkaban, Lily. You don't have to worry about me. My mother's punishment enough."
"You beat me again, Remus!" Aya cried, sitting back with a laugh on the bed.
Remus beamed, said, "I should just let you win; I've got to be a gentleman, you know." He leaned over and tickled her, making her giggle.
"Stop...stop it!" she cried, tears of mirth streaming down her face. He reached down and tickled her ankles, grabbing at them until she cried out in pain, trying to pull quickly away.
"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Remus asked, his voice full of concern as he looked down at her ankle, which she tried to cover up with her pajama bottoms.
"It's...it's nothing," she said quietly, blushing.
"No it's not...let me see it." Before she could even protest, he pulled it up to reveal a nasty looking scar that cut deep around her ankle in a vertical slash. He sucked in air through his teeth, then looked up to find her looking away from him. "That looks like it still hurts," he said.
"I said it's nothing, Remus, so leave it alone!" she hissed, a sudden venomous tone in her voice that made him shrink back while she quickly covered it again. Seeing the hurt look in his eyes, she said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Remus...I didn't mean to snap at you like that."
"It's okay."
Another damned awkward silence.
"Shall we play another game, then?" Remus said tentatively, searching her face
Her face broke into a gentle smile. "Sure," she said. "If you let me win, of course."
"Maybe," he said, placing the chess pieces in order again. "Ever read Dragon Prince?" he asked after a slight pause, wanting to keep her happy.
She nodded, said, "I love Sioned. The sunrunners are so cool, but I think it was rather a spin-off of Frank Herbert's Bene Gesserit, if you ask me."
Remus, raising an eyebrow, said, "Oh, really? I never thought of it that way...coincidental, I'm sure."
Aya nodded. "How about the Earthsea Trilogy?" she asked.
"Oh! Ged! I love him!" Remus cried. They laughed. After a slight pause, Remus asked, "May I...may I kiss you again, Aya?" His voice shook.
She blushed, twisting her fingers in her lap again. "Yes," she whispered, staring at her lap. They leaned towards each other, the chessboard more than simply forgotten as they kissed.
Who would've thought a werewolf could feel like this?
It was the third time he had thought it as he stared at Aya, now asleep next to him. His heart skipped a few more beats as he gazed at the way her black hair played over her face, accenting her skin color. Making sure she had more covers, he kissed her on the forehead, then wrapped his arms protectively around her, whispering in her ear, "I'll protect you from everything in this world, Aya. I swear it."
He felt stupid saying such a thing, but there was a part of him that knew it was true. Making sure she had enough bed covers, he snuggled against her, then felt her clammy cheek. Wondering at it, he held her close, then closed his eyes with a sigh.
"I hate all this goddamn homework," Sirius said with a sigh as he tossed his books nonchalantly on his bed, reveling in the clatter they made as they hit the floor.
"For the last time, Padfoot, shut up. Moony's sleeping, remember?" James hissed, glaring at him as he slipped into his nightgown. "Besides, you could've been doing your homework an hour ago and been done with it, but noooo, you had to flirt with Amelia. Sex freak."
"Sex has nothing to do with it. Just fun," Sirius retorted. Peter rolled his eyes, then lit the candle in the center of the room with his wand. Light flared into the room, illuminating the bedside ahead of them. "Is it me," Sirius said slowly, examining the bed, "or did Remus gain some weight today?" Curious, he walked over to Remus' bed, then pulled back the curtain around it slowly. With a gasp, he fell backward, nearly taking the curtain with him.
"Shhh!" James hissed.
"What's wrong, Padfoot?" Peter asked, gazing at Sirius, who staggered to his feet. As Sirius stood there, he held his hand to his mouth, then doubled over in quiet laughter.
"What the hell's wrong with you now, boy?" James said, coming over to see what the fuss was about. "Haven't you ever seen Remus asleep....before....oh...my....well, that's unexpected." Peter looked over their shoulders, then nearly laughed aloud.
"Who would've thought...Aya and Remus...ha!" Sirius whispered under his breath. "Not even halfway through the school year...do you think they...?" His voice trailed off as a devilish grin came across his face.
"Oh, stop it, you sex fanatic," James said, pushing him. "Of course not. Remus isn't that sort of guy...is he?"
They all glanced down at Remus still with his arm protectively around Aya as she pressed her face against his chest. Sirius shrugged, then whispered, "'Atta boy, you old dog!"
Slowly but surely, Remus opened his eyes on September the twenty- sixth, then groaned with loathing as he remembered the fated full moon. Just when I was getting all comfortable with her, he thought glumly, kissing her forehead, feigning off his own wave of nausea, but failing to do so. He rolled onto his back, trying to still the sickening feeling in his stomach.
Oh, no, he thought as he put a hand to his mouth, then expertly leaped out of bed, sprinted out of the room, and on up to the boy's bathroom. Delightful, he thought as he leaned over the toilet.
After making sure he had washed his face, though still feeling achy, he made his way back to the bed, opening the curtains until he looked at the bed. "Aya?" he asked, looking around wildly. The bed lay empty, as did the rest of the room.
Aya was gone.
"Gooooodmooooorning, lover boy...I mean, sunshine!" Sirius cried as he opened his curtain with a huge grin plastered on his face. "Have fun last night, Moony?"
"What are you talking about?" Remus asked, looking up from his feet as he sat on the bed.
"Wait a minute...where's Aya?" Sirius asked, looking around.
"I don't know. She was gone when I came back from the bathroom...and...hey, don't you dare jump to conclusions, Sirius!" Angrily, he tossed his pillow at Sirius' face, missing completely.
"Aha! And now thou art without thy pillow of death, foul denizen!" Sirius cried triumphantly.
"I'm feeling too ill to even want to try, Padfoot. And besides, shouldn't you be getting ready for...school?" Remus said with a snicker. Sirius paled.
"Knave," he hissed, glaring at him. "You just be glad I like to go out on full moonlit strolls with you, my dear Moony."
Remus rolled his eyes. "Get ready for class before I report you, Sirius Black," he said with a reserved, superior air.
Growling, Sirius muttered, "Prefects." Then, he stood, wakened the others, and made ready for class, all the while glaring at Remus, who had lain back on his own pillow and was looking at the ceiling through narrowed eyes. Full moon, Remus thought, more like Fool's Moon.
"Hey, Lily, have you seen Aya this morning?" Sirius asked as they walked to class.
"No, I haven't since the night before last," Lily replied, meeting his gaze with a look of worry.
"That's odd," Sirius replied, shouldering his book bag, "because Remus said she was gone when he came back from the bathroom."
Lily stopped in the middle of the hallway, nearly making several second and third years collide with her. Though they protested, her death glare, a fair trait of hers, sent them quickly running for their next class at top speed. "Where...where was Aya last night?" she hissed.
James, turning, grinned, said, "You didn't know? She spent the night with our ickle Remus." He snickered.
Lily's eyes widened in shock, then she gave a warm, knowing smile. "Shall we go to class?" she asked, grabbing James by the arm and pulling him to class, faster than he ever wanted to.
"Are you ready, Mr. Lupin?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she stood by the front doors. Wrapping his cloak about him, Remus nodded, stifling a yawn; it felt a little odd to be going out to the Whomping Willow again after three months of going into the forest by his parent's home, but he would get used to it. With a curt nod, she opened the doors, letting the rays of the setting sun seep in. "Sorry you had to miss dinner, dear, as usual," she said as she followed him out the door.
Shrugging, he said, "It's alright. I'm usually not hungry around this time of month anyway." In the back of his mind, a dark little thought formed: saving up for later, aren't you, Remus? Saving it for a good hunt tonight?
He shivered, but not from the cold. Oh, shut up, he told himself, my friends will join me in an hour or so. I'm NOT going hunting.
He crossed the lawn in his bare feet, following in Madam Pomfrey's wake; wearing shoes was pretty trivial, since he would be too tired to wear them anyway after the transformation back to his human form. As they reached the Willow, Pomfrey muttered a flotation spell to her wand, then, letting it skirt along the grass, had it reach up to touch the usual knot on the tree to still it. As the wand returned to her hand, he couldn't help but say, "That was something different. I was wondering if you forgot to bring that stick with you to still it, Madam."
Shrugging, she replied, "Even I need a bit of excitement at times, Remus." Placing her hand on his shoulder, she said quietly, "I'll be in the Hospital Wing as usual if you feel the need to go there after...tonight. Good luck, Remus...I'm here for you." Smiling in thanks, Remus retreated into the underground tunnel that led to the Shrieking Shack as the sun finally set completely.
"Hurry up, Prongs! He's already transformed by now," Sirius hissed in James' ear. Remus never liked having them see him transform.
"Since when am I the sole driver of this cloak, Padfoot?" James hissed back. "Ow, Wormtail, that's my damn foot!"
"Sorry," Peter whispered.
As they reached the Whomping Willow, Peter transformed into a rat and moved towards the knot in the tree. After a few moments thrashing, the Willow stopped as if made of stone, the moonlight glinting off the branches.
Quickly discarding the Invisibility Cloak, James and Sirius joined Peter down the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. James, stopping to roll the cloak and place it by the tree, could hear the loud padding of Sirius' feet, now in dog form. Quickly transforming into a stag, he followed. Another grand night of fun in Honeydukes and more, he thought, knowing if he could smile, he would. Not even the frightening sounds of the werewolf's violent movements ahead of him could quench his spirit for adventure.
"Are you done transforming, Remus? We have to get back to Hogwarts before anyone knows we're missed," Sirius called, leaning against the creaky old door in the Shrieking Shack.
"Yeah, but I'm not dressed," Remus' croaky voice replied. "Go on ahead, guys. I have an excuse. You three don't."
Standing up, James called through the door, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, now go on!"
"Alright. Come on, guys," James said with a wave of his arm. "Let's get back."
Remus listened to their movements, growing fainter and fainter until it faded completely. Sighing, he leaned shakily against the door, feeling tired but much better. The night had been fun indeed, though his memory was a bit fuddled as usual, an effect of being in wolf form. Deciding to take his sweet time, he finished putting his pants on, wrapped his cloak around him, then went out, slowly going down the stairs, then making his way over to the entrance of the tunnel.
It was dark and damp as usual. His feet were already soaked in dirt by the time he made it outside, squinting in the sunshine. "Another successful full moon," he said to the daylight, stretching and sighing. Feeling a little reckless, he moved off to the right, wanting to skirt along the Forbidden Forest. He skipped along, gathering stones and chucking them at trees. Suddenly, he tripped over a rather large root, falling flat on his face with a loud cry. Afraid he might be heard, he swung behind a tree and waited awhile. "Mad, loony Moony afraid of getting caught," he said to himself with a laugh, feeling slightly drunk and lethargic.
As he looked into the gloom of the Forbidden Forest, his eyes traced along the forest floor; they caught something glinting in the sunlight like the light from a diamond. Curious, he crawled forward, bending down to see what it was. "Blood!" he gasped, leaning back. A small trail of blood zigzagged into the Forest. Not unicorn blood, he thought, but, perhaps a centaur? I should help, at least. He crawled forward, following the trail, then looked up into the gloom to see a small shape in the gloom between two large trees.
Narrowing his eyes, he stood and walked forward, grateful for the shifts of sunlight that glinted into the Forest. "What is that?" he said aloud as he came nearer. A figure of some kind lay in a crumpled heap on the forest floor, the trail of blood clearly leading up to whatever it was. Maybe I should go back and get help...that might be some dangerous animal that likes to eat guys named Remus, he thought tentatively, and almost made to turn back to Hogwarts when a sudden feeling of doubt reached him. Sighing, he turned, carefully stepping over a fallen log before advancing on the figure. "Just don't be dead...or mean," he said aloud as he came closer, then cried out as he saw who it was.
Aya lay naked in a bloody heap on the forest floor, one arm strewn across her face.
&)&)&
Sorry, guys, but it's a cliffie...sucks, doesn't it?