Chapter Nine

"So what if you can see the darkest side of me

No one will ever change this animal I have become

Help me believe it's not the real me

Somebody help me tame this animal!

This animal, this animal

I can't escape myself

So many times I've lied

But there's still rage inside

Somebody get me through this nightmare

I can't control myself"

- Three Days Grace

Austin found that she was getting better. Ashlee decided to stay on at the castle. She was moved into Gryffindor Tower and shared space with Austin. The girls caught up quickly in whispers at night and in the library during the daylight hours. Lily became fast friends with the new American. The boys, on the other hand, were careful around her.

No one spoke of what happened to make Ashlee Stanton come to Hogwarts. It was a silent agreement that it would never happen again and that there would be no acknowledgment that it ever happened. Austin was of the understanding that if she decided to go off her medication again, she would see Madam Pomfrey every day during her free periods and that she would come to her friends if she ever felt the need to cut her wrists again.

"Tinny, you do realize that by having all of your friends here know about what is happening right now, I have to help you protect them if he comes, right?" Ashlee whispered two weeks after her arrival.

"I know, Ashers. It's just that they had to know. I couldn't keep 'em in the dark forever." Austin sighed before placing her head down on her books. "The full moon isn't until next month now. We'll be safe until then, right?" Austin was actually a little tired of this conversation. Ashlee continued to bring it up, however.

"Unless he decides to come before then. Remember, he is crafty." Ashlee ran a hand through the right side of her hair so her scar showed just briefly. "It won't matter though. I'm not letting you out of my sight and when the full moon does come, you aren't going outside at all. You will stay locked in the Tower with Lily and the boys. I'll be going on patrol."

Austin sat up quickly and shook her head. "That's crazy talk, Ashlee! If you do that then you could die. Besides, there are peaceful werewolves in the forest, or so the stories go. You can't go on patrol. Promise me that you won't?" Austin pleaded as she shot her hands out to grab at her friends.

Ashlee smiled calmly at the scattered witch before nodding her head, "Fine, I'll speak with Dumbledore and see if there is any way that I can get information about the school and passages into and out of it. That way I can at least go through the halls, is that alright with you?"

Austin nodded her head before releasing the hunter's hands and picking up her pen, "Now, I just wish that McGonagall's essay was easier to take care of as this."

Ashlee laughed and the girls started on their separate assignments.

Dear Austin,

I would assume that you already know that I am coming for you and that I will be taking you with me when I come. I decided that I should warn you that if your friends get in the way, I will destroy them. I have no disagreement with them, you see. I'd rather not spill their blood. That is why I give you this proposition.

Austin shuddered as she remembered her instructions. She knew that Greyback would be ready for when she declined his offer, but she also knew that she would never put her friend's lives in danger. She would do as he asked and it would all be for the best.

Austin threw herself into her studies and research more fretfully and kept an eye on the night sky to see how much longer she had before the full moon. Ashlee had brought all of her father's papers that Austin hadn't been able to get with her to England. It helped immensely to have the information she had been trying to copy from memory.

Austin could be found at any time in the library or a corner of the common room with about four tables clustered together and piled high with notes. She was looking through a book when Remus came up to her table.

"Austin, what are you doing?" Remus' voice broke the silence that Austin had created around herself.

"Just lookin over some notes. What's goin on?" Austin questioned as she quickly shut her book and looked up with her hands folded on the top cover.

"Nothing really." Remus cocked an eyebrow at her odd behavior.

"I'm sorry, Remus. I don't mean to be so rude." Austin gave a small smile before she waved her wand at the stack of books in the chair beside her and made room for Remus at the tables. "Have a seat and I'll show you something."

Remus sat down and Austin could tell that he was excited. He probably thought he was going to be let in on the secret as to why Greyback was after her family. No, she didn't even know the true reason behind that.

Austin pulled a photo album towards her and opened it, "My brothers and I made this when I was only ten. We thought that generations after us would like to know where we came from. This first picture here is of my grandma and grandpa when they first started datin. They were real happy."

Austin smiled as she went through the album with Remus. He commented many times about how her family looked happy and how she looked like a mixture of her grandmother and father. She explained that her father had taken away some of the pictures because they had to do with his research and he didn't want others to get to them. They shared a laugh at her father's paranoia.

"Why don't the pictures move?" Remus questioned as he touched the one of Austin getting her Hogwart's letter.

"None of the pictures of my family move anymore. I took the charm off because it hurt too much to see them smile at me. I didn't like it." Austin shrugged her shoulders. "I know it seems stupid, but they are gone. I have to get used to it."

Remus placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. She was shocked to say the least. Never had Remus shown affection towards her in public before. Normally they would be hidden away somewhere in an unused classroom. He rubbed her arm as he tucked her head beneath his chin. "They are still alive, Austin. The memories you have of them keep them alive." Remus whispered.

Austin felt her cheeks redden as she closed her eyes. Remus always smelled very good. He always had the scent of bath soap, but there was also a pine forest smell and wood fire smoke. She loved his scent but tonight there was something else there, something that tickled a memory. Austin pulled back slightly and smiled at him. She had to be mistaking it, talking about her family is bringing other things out.

"Thanks, Remus." Austin smiled before she pulled further out of his embrace and reached for a sheet of paper. "The full moon is in three days, isn't it?"

Remus' arm was still on Austin's shoulders when she asked her question and that arm tightened around her shoulders. "Yes, it's three days away. Do you think he's coming here then?" Remus removed his arm and leaned forward to look at the chart.

"I don't think he'd be that stupid. I think he'd wait until we forgot he even threatened to come." Austin sighed and leaned her head back. "I'm really not havin fun with this."

Remus smiled softly before standing up and offering a hand. "You didn't come down for dinner. Ashlee asked me to make sure that you ate tonight while she's in a meeting with Dumbledore."

Austin laughed as she took Remus' hand and stood up. "A'right. If Ashers knew that you didn't do it, she'd string you up and gut ya."

Remus shuddered at the idea before pulling Austin along behind him out of the common room. "Good thing that we are going ahead and doing it then."

Austin laughed but allowed Remus to escort her to the kitchens so she could eat.

Three days later found Austin lying in her bed while the rest of her dorm slept. Lily was sleeping deeply from a full day in Hogsmead, Ashlee was doing rounds of the castle to make sure that no one was getting in or out, and James was doing patrols. The rest of the boys were supposed to be in bed, but Austin had seen Sirius and Peter going out on the lawn. She knew that they would be patrolling out there too just to keep her safe.

Austin frowned as she slipped out of her bed and into her tennis shoes. She had already worked on a letter for Lily and she hoped that the letter would arrive in the morning mail. Austin smiled softly as she gave one last look around the room and hurried out.

Getting out of the castle was simple. She had slipped through a few secret passages that Ashlee wouldn't be bothered with because they were in the center of the castle or dead ends. Austin hurried into the shadows of the castle when she exited the front doors. She sighed in relief. The night was almost done.

Austin looked up at the castle windows and didn't see anyone looking out. As such, she hurried across the lawn and into the cover of the trees. Once hidden behind a giant oak, she peaked back at the castle.

Most of the castle was dark, but there were still enough lights on that the outline wasn't lost in the darkness. Austin smiled at the majestic scene before her. The stone walls were mighty and high, the lights gave off a comforting glow. This was her home away from America. This building held her when she cried and kept her standing when she thought the world was crumbling around her. She would miss this place, but there was somewhere she was supposed to be.

Austin turned quickly before the tears could start and ran into the darkness of the forest. The full moon seemed to mock her as she ran. It sneered down at her from the heavens and kept saying, "You won't escape me, no matter how fast you run."

Austin glowered up at the giant rock and kept going. She wasn't trying to run away from her fate…no. Austin Cross was running towards it.

A howl echoed in the darkness and spurred Austin on. She bared her teeth against the silence. No animal stirred on the nights of the full moon, none that wished to live anyway. She hurried on. There was much more that she had to accomplish.

Breaking through a thick bush, Austin tripped and landed in a dry creek bed. She looked around quickly and noticed that there was another living being near her. The animal was large, and the pupils were more rounded than a normal wolfs. Austin held her head up high and stood. She could see the tufted tail swishing low to the ground and she knew who she was staring at as he observed her.

"Greyback, I'm glad you could make it to the meetin." Austin glowered as she opened her mouth and curled her top lip to wrinkle her nose in a snarl. She could feel her legs tense and separate into a better balanced stance for lunging forward.

Greyback huffed in his wolf form as if he were laughing at her before he stalked forward. Austin did not back away…she had already told herself she would not run. She also knew that Greyback would not make this easy for her.

The wolf was upon her in only three strides and quickly she was hit in the side by a giant paw. Austin felt herself fly through the air and out of instinct, she twisted so her stomach was parallel to the ground and put her legs and arms down to take her impact. Landing on the balls of her hands and feet, she flipped around to snarl once more at the advancing werewolf.

Austin was impressed with herself, it had been a long time since she even played like this. She fell into her roll of defense easily and was able to move out of the way of the jaws that would have torn her arm from her shoulder. She slipped back into a crouched position as the werewolf backed away and watched her carefully.

"Tired?" She questioned as she panted. She could smell her blood dripping from her arm and head where she impacted against a tree after a rather harsh swipe of a paw.

The wolf growled dangerously before it lunged again. Austin wasn't ready for the strike and found herself pinned against the ground with the large wolf on top of her. She snarled at him to show she would not submit and attempted to use her feet to kick at his stomach.

As she began to growl from her chest a louder roar of outrage caught her attention. The werewolf on top of her looked up quickly and then was pushed off her. Austin sat up quickly and began to crawl backwards. It was here that she saw another werewolf.

The second wolf was not as large, but it was also male. The smaller wolf was vicious in his attacks on Greyback. Austin sat in between two roots as she watched the fight. The smaller wolf was pushed to the ground and Greyback started advancing towards her again. Before he even took two steps, the smaller wolf was in the way. The growl that came from the smaller wolf caused Austin's heart to pause. That growl told Greyback that she belonged to the smaller wolf.

Austin stared at the smaller wolf as he snapped at Greyback's neck. Those eyes…it couldn't be! Greyback whimpered slightly and pushed the smaller wolf away before running off himself. The smaller wolf turned and stared at Austin's face.

There was a sound to her right and she looked over to see a large black dog. The dog whined slightly and nudged her shoulder while he kept his head below her own. Austin looked away from the dog and looked back at the wolf that was watching her. "Remus?" She whispered into the night.