Author's Note: Sorry about the huge delay. My notebook got a virus on it, which is where I keep all of my chapters. Unfortunately, the fjucking people at the computer store didn't save ANY of my files. All my pictures, my chapters, my music, everything is gone. SO I have to start from scratch. I had chapters 1-5 written already, and the third chapter had been 6 thousand words. All obliterated. Isn't that nice? Can you tell I'm pissed?
The only good thing that comes out of this is that I can start over again and fix some issues I've been having.
Chapter 2
The welcoming fest was over, and all the Ravenclaws were safely tucked into their beds in the dormitories. All except one. Jaylene Kather quietly descended the spiral staircase that led up to the girl's dormitory and into the common room. Her bare feet were cushioned comfortably on the thick, dark blue carpet underneath her. Bright moonlight streamed in from the numerous large, arched windows that ran along almost the entire circular length of the common room.
The dim outlines of numerous cushy chairs, tables, and a few bookcases were illuminated to her eyes. Her gaze drifted upwards, once again admiring the beauty of the common room ceiling. It was much like the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall, minus the moving parts and the realness of actually looking up at the sky. Yet the most striking feature of the Ravenclaw common room was the life sized statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. She was a regal looking young woman with the infamous diadem atop her stone head which sparkled even at night. No one knew where the original diadem was. It had been lost long ago.
The mystery didn't interest Jaylene's mind this night though, and it hadn't since she was a first year. In her arms was a thick book, a book about a certain magical creature she had become obsessed with over the summer. Before the incident, werewolves were just another animal she needed to know to pass the O.W.L's in her Care of Magical Creatures class. Now they meant more to her than anything.
After sitting in one of the comfortable chairs by the dormant fireplace, the young woman tucked part of her thick, dirty blond hair behind one ear, adjusted her glasses, and opened the book on her lap.
Jaylene Kather didn't stand out in a crowd. In fact, she was a wallflower. The students knew of her, but not who she really was. They knew she was one of the hardcore Ravenclaws. She was nice, and helped anyone who had trouble with their homework. Her thick, dirty blonde hair grew down to the small of her back and was usually in two braids that hung over her shoulders. Freckles were sprinkled across her nose and cheeks as well as on her shoulders. The school uniform didn't suit her figure well, and made her look heavier than she really was. That, coupled with her glasses, she looked quite frumpy.
But no one knew what she was like when she wasn't busy studying, what she was like when she was frustrated or angry... They didn't even know if she had a sense of humor.
Once she had been concerned with what others thought of her. But Jaylene didn't care what anyone thought of her anymore. Besides, she was too impatient to make friends and since it was her sixth year at Hogwarts it was kind of pointless now. Not that it mattered what anyone thought anyway. Not now. A monster was a monster, no matter what.
There was something living inside of her that came out every month at the full moon. It preyed on the innocent and hungered for others blood. It took over her human mind and turned it into a mindless beasts. It took over her and made her into something that she was not.
For she had become the subject of her reading. She had become a werewolf.
The change had been over the summer, a violent night that ended in ashes and the burning remains of her life, her parents, and her sanity. The rest of vacation was spent at St. Mungo's. Her burns were treated effectively and swiftly. She bore no scars from the fire. The bite, on the other hand, had taken almost three times longer to heal. Though there was no bandage for the wound anymore, she still had to rub a thick cream over the scar to stop it from becoming irritated.
The first transformation had been horrible. When she came to the next morning her room was practically in pieces.
A representative from a werewolf orphanage had come during her time at the hospital and talked to her about her changes. Since she was not yet legally an adult she would have to stay at the orphanage until she turned seventeen. Headmaster Dumbledore had also visited her. She would be welcome at Hogwarts so she could further her education and graduate. He also told her of a secret place beneath the Whomping Willow tree that led to the Shrieking Shack at Hogsmeade where she would be able to transform and be safe. It helped that he was now adding wards to make it doubly protective.
Jaylene had been practically numb through the entire process.
Not that she wasn't grateful for the help. The logical side of Jaylene knew that her reaction was understandable, yet a part of her worried constantly what would happen in the future. In one night everything that she held dear to her was destroyed. Before her life was all set out in front of her. She knew exactly where she was going, but now...
Jaylene briefly closed her eyes. She hated herself, of what she had become. She was evil, a permanent dark smudge on a clean, white plate. The next full moon was in a week. It terrified her to her core.
And she was alone.
Morning sunshine glared into the Ravenclaws' faces as they crossed the common room to head down to breakfast. Jaylene had barely slept the night before, even after all that food at the feast. She now had a horrible headache and was in no mood to talk to anyone. One look at the ceiling told her that today would be sunny all day. Great.
Luck was not on her side it seemed, for as soon as she piled sausages on her plate, one of her room mates walked over and sat opposite of her.
"Good morning Jaylene," Diane Telle greeted, smiling. She was a pretty girl with short brown hair and brown eyes. She was also a prefect, and wore her badge proudly. Jaylene spoke to her more that she did any other person, but in no terms was she an actual friend.
Jaylene gave the girl a slight nod and an enthusiastic grunt as she chewed her food. Ever since getting bitten the girl had found herself eating bigger portions of food, particularly meat, and a lot less of dairy and even less of vegetables and fruit. It somewhat concerned her, but it was probably because she was new to being a werewolf.
"I slept like such a baby last night, I always do after the feast," Diane continued, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Did you?"
"Yes, though I have a headache," she half lied. No one knew that she spent long hours of her nights in the common room when all was quiet.
Before Diane could say anything more, the soft murmuring of tired students was interrupted by the owl post. Birds of every shape and size flew in from above, hooting and carrying parcels to their masters. Jaylene herself looked for the giant, ancient bird that belonged to her family... now just her. Edmund hooted softly as he landed somewhat stiffly and heavily on the table, some of his gray feathers coming off his wings. Tied to his leg was the Daily Prophet, which Jaylene had forgotten she had subscribed to.
"Hello Edmund," she greeted, picking off a part of her toast and handing it to him. He nipped affectionately at her fingers and hooted. She then relieved him of his burden. "Now be nice to the younger owls Ed. I don't want Filch to yell at me if you've been causing any trouble," she warned. Ed had quite the temper and his patience was thin to everything and everyone not connected to her family. The girl thought he was getting a little senile though. Once she had seen him hooting angrily at her wastebasket.
The owl puffed out his chest once and then took to the air.
"How old is he now?" Diane asked.
"Um, old," the girl replied, looking at her copy of the paper. Her brown eyes welled up with tears as she glanced at the morgue section, but she didn't read it. Her parents wouldn't be in this issue.
With the owls hooting away, a new noise was introduced into the Great Hall. All eyes turned towards the back of the Great Hall and the Slytherins faces instantly turned sour.
"Oh no, I almost forgot about them," Diane groaned as the four Gryffindor boys took their seats, still bringing attention to themselves.
Jaylene once again gave a Diane a grunt. She didn't really care. There wasn't anything interesting in the paper though.
"They get away with everything. And even though Remus is one of us and one of them you would think that he would help us prefects out. But no," she continued. "Ugh, just look at them."
The girl put down her paper and turned to look at the Gryffindor table. They were making a lot of noise after all. Ah, there was James Potter, one of the leaders of the group. Although this early in the morning his hair was at its messiest, he was still rubbing his hand through it. Sirius was seated next to him, laughing loudly at what James just said. On the other side of the table, she could see the back of the heads of Remus and Peter. She couldn't tell what they were doing.
As she was about to turn away, Remus turned suddenly and looked straight at her. Their gazes locked. They were far away, but she could feel something curious about him. Something dangerous. Something that felt... familiar underneath his inn-
"Are you making eyes at Remus?" Diane's voice interrupted Jaylene's observations, but did nothing to stall the panic that was rising with each breath she took.
"No," Jaylene replied crossly. She needed to get out of here.
Diane just smiled, looking as if she had found some juicy gossip as she watched Jaylene eat the rest of her breakfast in a hurry. "We can talk about this later," she said slyly.
The girl gathered her things and left the table, just catching Professor Flitwick handing out schedules. She was still thinking about the undeniable connection that had happened between her and Remus as she left the Great Hall. She was shaking, she realized. It hadn't been a positive reaction.
Why?
Was he a...? No, there was no way. She was the only werewolf at Hogwarts.
Remus was puzzled. A strange feeling shuddered through his body, his heart began to pump with increasing speed. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. And the feeling was all centered on that Ravenclaw girl. His eyes followed her figure as she left the Great Hall with interest. He had never reacted to a girl in this way before. It was like she was barging in on his territory. And that made no sense.
"Earth to Remus!" Sirius said loudly, causing Remus to turn back. Sirius handed him his schedule, but his mind was not centered on classes right now.
Peter seemed to notice the change in Remus's mood. "Is there something wrong Moony?" he asked, his watery eyes darting between his friend and his plate. Today he had woken up ravenously hungry.
Remus shook his head to clear it. "It's nothing. Just someone I saw that I never noticed before," he replied.
Wormtail looked confused. "That's odd," he said and turned back to his breakfast.
"Thank Merlin we don't have potions with the Slytherins!" Sirius exclaimed, gray eyes roving over his schedule. "The Hufflepuffs are much nicer, though the lady selection could be better."
"That's true," Peter mumbled.
"How could any woman compare to my Lily?" James sighed, eyes straying over to the end of the table.
"She's not yours yet," Sirius reminded him, raising his eyebrows and grinning over at him.
"But she will be mine!" James exclaimed, earning looks from around the table.
Remus and Peter looked at each other and laughed. It was a definite maybe. Remus stole a quick look in the direction where the girl had gone and he sighed softly. Something had changed at Hogwarts.