Chapter Fourteen

"She's been here long enough to see
That I'm no saint by now
Every mornin' I wake up surprised
To find her still around

The love that she gives to me
Could be no truer sign
Every now and then
Angels fall sometimes"

- Josh Turner

Austin frowned. She had lost track of time since she became Madam Pomfrey's intern. She hadn't even realized how fast time had gone by. She had been an intern for two months now and the end of term was just in two weeks. Austin snuggled back into the chest of Remus as they lounged on his bed going through pamphlets of notes for the N.E.W.T.'s that were coming up next week. James and Sirius were busy playing games in a corner and Peter was taking a nap curled up on his bed.

Everything was quiet other than the slight chuckles from James and Sirius and the quiet snores coming from Peter. Austin was content and happy as she flipped through her notes and Remus seemed to be content as well with his legs on either side of her. However, she felt as if something was wrong.

Austin tilted her head back with a soft smile as Remus lowered his parchment to look down at her. "When is the next full moon?" She questioned softly as her chocolate eyes sparkled.

"It's at the end of the week, thankfully." Remus muttered before looking away.

Remus had been becoming more cautious with her with every full moon. Didn't he remember that she could transform too? Well, not yet, but some time in her future. "That's only in four days," Austin frowned before moving to sit in front of Remus. "W-what does it feel like? When you transform?"

Remus' honeyed eyes widened as he looked back at her. Austin knew it was a very morbid question and that it probably wasn't the best thing to ask at a time like this. James and Sirius even quieted in the corner.

"Will you two leave and take Peter with you, please?" Remus croaked out as he turned away to look at them.

When the three boys were gone, Austin was fiddling with the frayed knees in Remus' only pair of jeans. She knew that he was watching her intently, trying to figure out why she was asking about his transformations and what was going through her head at this very moment. Remus' hand came to take hers from his jeans and she finally turned her paled face to look at him.

"Why do you want to know all of this, Austin? Are you…are you frightened of being with me?" Remus questioned softly, his eyes now leaving her face.

Austin felt a smile tug at her lips as she reached out with her free hand to turn his scarred face back to hers, "Did you just say we were together? I didn't think ya'd come up with anythin." Austin was teasing him, trying to make him smile and not worry that he wasn't worthy of her. It wasn't working.

"Only if you realize that just randomly snogging me in the corridors and broom closets is completely different from dating a werewolf. Austin, you don't understand how the Ministry here is with my kind. They're horrible." Remus pulled away from her and sat up, her previous question forgotten now.

"I do know, Rem. Mr. Burnings is a werewolf here and he ain't doin too peachy either. He was arrested the other day because he wasn't plannin on doin as the Ministry says anymore. They decided he went rogue and took him in. Beatrice owled me the other day to tell me, she don't know what the Auror's are plannin ta do with him yet, though. That's the good thing." Austin sighed before shaking her head. Yes, she was upset that the only father figure she had left was now gone and was probably going to be killed. She was very upset about it, but right now Remus needed someone to bring his self-esteem back up, "Listen, Rem, I know all the hardships that werewolves go through. I understand it and I wanna be there with you when it starts happenin to you. I think I may be goin through it too."

This last sentence brought Remus back and he was immediately back on the bed and holding her face between his hands, "What are you on about, Austin? I thought you weren't going to be changing."

Austin frowned and turned her eyes towards his chin so she didn't have to look in his eyes. She just knew that he would look at her differently because she was turning. He never wanted her to; that much was clear. She closed her eyes as she felt the burn of tears. She wouldn't cry over this!

"I never said I wouldn't change, I just said I didn't know when. I can feel somethin in my gut, it tightens up every day and I feel like I'm gonna be sick. I don't like it, but I know the signs. I'm not an intern Healer for nothin." Austin tried to smile but she knew it looked horribly sad as she looked up at Remus.

There was pain in his honey eyes…and was that disgust as he let go of her face? Was he disgusted with her? Austin made to stand off the bed and he didn't stop her. She felt as if her heart were breaking as she walked towards the window, wishing he would say something. She couldn't even bare to look at him in case he was looking at her with condemnation.

Austin had always wanted to transform when she was little. Her brothers made it look fun and like a blessing. She felt cursed that she didn't change, but now Remus was making all of those memories seem horrible. He was making her feel dirty and cursed and…and…and every other bad thing in the world. Austin hadn't noticed when her tears began to fall, but when they did Remus was there to catch them.

He pulled her to his chest in his strong and sure hands, wiping the salty water from her cheeks and attempting to comfort her by rocking them back and forth in some strange dance. Austin listened to his heartbeat, which was always fast when she was pressed against it, and tried to slow her tear flow.

"I promise that I'll be there for you when you change, Austin. I won't let you go through it alone." Remus muttered as he placed a kiss atop her head.

Austin was shocked, shocked enough that she was able to stop her tears and look up at him. "Don't you hate me now?" She whispered and she could feel her voice crack over the word hate.

Remus chuckled as he kissed her forehead, "How could I hate you? You've done nothing wrong. I was just surprised before."

Austin felt as if her heart was breaking all over again, but she realized that it was just swelling. Immediately she grabbed ahold to the back of Remus' neck and brought his lips forcefully down upon her own. A growl escaped from Remus' chest and that just caused her to press herself more firmly against him. They stumbled back until Remus fell backwards onto his bed with Austin sprawled on top of him.

Their tongues fought for dominance as Remus rolled them over so she was beneath him. Austin was surprised to find that she had no problem with being submissive. Remus pulled away from her and looked down. She knew immediately that Remus would not be taking advantage of her tonight even if she had initiated a very heated kiss. He gave her a soft smile and leaned down once more to place a gentle kiss upon her lips. Austin didn't allow him to get away too quickly, however, and they continued to kiss for quite a while.

Remus lay there with Austin and felt horrible. Of course he wanted to take their relationship farther, but in reality their relationship just began. He couldn't do that to her and that was why he stopped the kiss for the second time. He closed his eyes as he settled into the pillows with Austin.

"Holy shit, Rem! We forgot we kicked the boys out!" She exclaimed with a laugh a few minutes later as she sat up, "They'll think we did do somethin!"

Remus could hardly care as he watched her throw her head back. This simple action caused her sunshine hair to fly behind her, her neck muscles to tense, and her breasts to bounce beneath her top. He smiled at reached for her again, he just wanted to lay there a little longer.

Austin giggled as she scooted away from him and threw her legs over the side of the bed, "No, Rem! We gotta go and get 'em. Not to mention, I'm starvin! Ya think the house elves will give us any food?"

Austin Cross may be the death of him now. She was more potent at killing a male werewolf than silver condoms were. Remus smirked as that thought crossed his mind and grabbed for Austin's hand as she twirled towards the door. She was just too amazing for her own good and she brought out the best in him every day.

"We will have to see Madam Pomfrey about getting you tested. I don't want you coming to the Shack unless we know for certain you are turning this cycle." Remus stated calmly as he tried to smooth her hair down.

Austin smiled up at him, a new glow about her that made her look just like an angel. "Of course, Rem. Come on, though! I'm not jokin when I say I'm hungry. Feed me!" Austin complained as she pulled him towards the door.

"I'll feed you, alright." Remus grinned wickedly and chuckled as she yelped and darted out of the room.

Remus chased the blond witch down the stairs and finally caught her in the middle of the common room. She shrieked playfully as he spun her around. It was only after he had placed her back on her feet that he noticed they had an audience. Not the entire house, but most from their year.

"I'm not going to ask what you two were doing up there all this time, but I am going to ask that it wasn't on my bed," Peter said seriously which started everyone off into hysterics.

Austin disengaged herself from Remus and skipped to where Lily had been working on some sort of essay before they had entered the room. She immediately sat down and began to whisper something before a door sounded from upstairs.

The group quieted as Ashlee Stanton joined the party. Remus forced himself not to growl as he stepped closer to Austin. However, Stanton was coming straight for him with the angriest look on her face.

Austin was there immediately and knocked the werewolf hunter back with a growl ripping from her chest. That was when everyone noticed the silver dagger fly out of the dark haired witch's hand.

"Austin!"

Remus didn't know who yelled her name, all he knew was that he was now pushing Austin behind him as she tried to move him away from the murderous hunter.

"How dare you touch her after I told you to leave her alone? How dare you even look at her?" Ashlee yelled at the top of her lungs.

Remus could only be glad that it was lunch time and the entire school was down in the Great Hall or on their way to classes.

"What the hell are you doin, Ashlee?" Austin yelled right back, a threatening growl backing up her words. "If you hurt him in any way, you know I will have no choice but to kill you."

Ashlee stopped short as she turned her blue eyes on her friend. Remus didn't dare to breathe. Hurt was the first thing to appear in Ashlee's eyes and then there was indignation. "At the age of five I swore I would protect you. My father trained me so that one day you would know who you were and would be able to stop all this mess of crazy werewolves running around. Now I see that you are just like the rest of them." Ashlee sniffed slightly as she turned her face away from Austin, "I never thought that you would end up choosing some flea ridden half-breed over me."

That was when it clicked into place for Remus. Ashlee Stanton never reacted to any of Sirius' jokes or flirtations. Ashlee Stanton never looked at a boy at this school. Ashlee Stanton never showed any concern for anyone unless they were getting too close to Austin. Ashlee Stanton...was in love with Austin Cross.

It seemed as if the same thing crossed through Austin's mind because she moved away from Remus, shaking off his hand when he went to grab her. "You never had to pledge you'd protect me, Ashers. You never had to come here. I thought you'd like to know what was going on, help me get better, help me to understand what was goin on. I thought you'd be a friend to me." Austin was whispering her words in the quiet common room, "I never knew that ya felt this way. I didn't know that you would think hurtin the man that I did choose would make me love you the way you love me. I didn't know, Ashers, and I'm sorry for it…but I can't be who ya want me to be. I'm not that girl."

Ashlee turned her blue eyes back and hissed a final warning, but this time towards Austin, "Greyback won't stop hunting for you. It's your father's fault. You shouldn't have looked up to him and held him so high. He wasn't looking for a cure. He was looking for a way to cause all humans to be turned into werewolves."

Austin didn't move as Ashlee picked up her dagger and walked from the common room. Somehow, Remus knew that Ashlee Stanton would be leaving for good now and would never be back in Austin's life. That was when the shock subsided and she turned to face the room. Her usual chocolate brown eyes were turning a lighter shade with unshed tears. Remus moved swiftly to her side to help her to the sofa to sit down.

"She was just mad, she didn't mean any of that. Your father was looking for a cure." Lily whispered as she sat on the other side of Austin.

"No, she's right. I held Daddy up to high. That's why he wanted my blood all the time. He had to know what caused us to be able to transform so late in life without being bitten. He never tried to use the things that others did. He always tried strange stuff. She's right…Oh god, she's right." Austin leaned forward and placed her head in her hands, "I've had all his damn notes and all his damn letters and I never noticed it! How could I have been so stupid?"

Remus didn't know what to do for her, but Lily did. "You aren't stupid, Austin. You just weren't observant at the time. We all believe that our parents are too good to be true until it's too late. The truth slaps all of us in the face once in a-"

Austin stood up and turned around, her eyes flashing a dangerous gold that Remus knew too well. "You don't know, Lily! You aren't the daughter of a crazy man who gave his daughter up when she was only five years old! You don't understand what I go through each and every day!"

Everyone was silent until Remus stood and wrapped his arms around her small frame. He was confused, but he had a good idea of what was going on. "I will not let Greyback get you, Austin. Do you hear me? You will not go to him."

Austin gave a watery laugh before she shook her head, "He will always continue to come back. You may have scared him off once, but he'll come back. He always does."

It clicked then for Remus. She wasn't worried earlier in the year that Greyback was going to kill her, that wasn't why she tried to take her own life. No, Austin Cross was worried that she would be forced to mate with Greyback. Remus felt a growl build up in his chest. "He will not have you," Remus growled lowly as he pulled away from her and forced her to look at him. "You are mine."

Sirius cleared his throat as Peter squeaked. James and Lily just stood still as they watched the two lovers stare at each other. There was nothing else to do, but wait for Austin's reaction. It was when she lowered her eyes and whined softly before placing her head beneath Remus' chin that everyone relaxed.

"Jimmy ain't the alpha in this group." Austin muttered once she was sitting on Remus' lap in a chair by the fire.

The group laughed as James became indignant, "That is not bloody true!"

Remus knew this wasn't the end of everything. He would have to wait and watch. He would not lose Austin to Greyback.

The full moon arrived, but Austin wasn't allowed to go with Remus to the Shrieking Shack. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Pomfrey were worried that she wouldn't actually be transforming.

"We've never encountered someone like you before, Miss Cross. There is no way to be certain if you will ever transform." Pomfrey tried to explain.

The moon had been up for three hours by now and Austin had only felt a slight twist of pain in her stomach. There was no fur, no paws, no tail. She was confused because she had been certain that she would transform.

"Why did I feel everything that my brothers always talked about then? How come I'm not out there with Remus right now?" Austin whispered as she glanced at the glowing orb in the sky.

"The only thing that we can determine as of now, Miss Cross, is that it just isn't the time of your transformation." Dumbledore gave a kind smile as he stared at the young American, "We have informed St. Mungo's to run a few blood tests and see what they may find. We are hoping to have the results by tomorrow morning."

"Are you alright?" McGonagall questioned as Austin doubled over in pain suddenly with a load groan. "Is she transforming?"

Pomfrey had already grabbed her wand and was running it over Austin's frame. "No, but something isn't right." Pomfrey frowned as she forced Austin to lay down straight on a bed.

Dumbledore and McGonagall helped to keep Austin settled against the pillows as Pomfrey continued her scan of the young woman. Austin gasped in pain and withered against her bed. She could feel a clenching in her stomach, a horrible crunching in her bones. Her blood was pumping faster and it seemed as if her heart would beat straight through her chest. Her jaws ached and her ears rung. There was a scream that stretched on before Austin realized it was her. Austin tried to clamp her mouth shut, but her jaws hurt too badly.

Pomfrey could find nothing wrong with the American witch. Bones were not breaking to change form and she wasn't growing hair or a muzzle. There was nothing that should be causing this pain. Quickly, she rushed to her office and pulled three separate vials of potion from shelves and brought them back to the panting witch.

"If she isn't transforming, Poppy, what is causing this?" Dumbledore asked once the potions were forced down Austin's throat.

The pain had ebbed away slowly, the shadows began to cover her vision, and she felt her body fixing the injuries that were caused by her thrashing. Pomfrey shook her head with tears in her eyes, "I do not know, Albus. There is nothing wrong with her."

"I'll send an owl to St. Mungo's. Perhaps they can send someone here to help?" McGonagall also sounded close to tears as she stared at one of her prized students.

Dumbledore nodded before pulling a chair up to her bed, "Since she has no family to wake up to, Minerva, will you fetch Miss Evans for her?"

Austin did not stir the next morning as Remus was brought in on a magical stretcher. She did not move when Lily brushed her hair from her face. Austin did not even twitch when the new healer touched a bruise on her arm. Everyone was worried for her and did not know what to tell Remus when he finally awoke at mid-morning.

"What happened?" Remus asked in a hoarse whisper as James helped him sit up and Sirius pressed a cool goblet of water to his lips.

"You had a rough night. You aren't too bad off, but you started howling and trying to get to the castle. We had to get you back to the Shack early. You almost took Sirius' head off." James chuckled before settling Remus back into the pillows.

"Why would I try to come to the castle? Did someone go outside?" Remus coughed before turning his head to the side. "Why is Austin here?"

James and Sirius glanced at each other before deciding he needed to know, "Mate, she had some complications last night. No one knows what happened. There's a healer here from St. Mungo's. Him and Pomfrey are trying to see what's causing this."

Sirius had been talking, but Remus didn't hear anything past complications. A feeling of dread set over him as he forced himself to sit up. Pomfrey had done well with healing him of his worse injuries, but he was still sore. A small wince and he was out of bed and at Austin's side. He placed a gentle hand on her cheek and picked up her hand in his other one. She was cold, but the blankets were all the way up to her chin.

Remus glanced at her chest and saw it rising and falling. She was still alive, just not waking up. Remus fell into the chair next to her bed and continued to hold her hand in both of his. James and Sirius stood behind him, neither trying to talk or urge him back to his bed.

Twenty minutes passed until the doors opened. Peter came through with two people behind him. One was a dark haired man who was walking with a noticeable limp and seemed to be in fair amounts of pain. His face was weathered and contorted in his pain, but he walked swiftly through the wing towards the bed where Austin was laying. The second person was a girl of possibly thirteen. She had dark hair as well, but she was moving better than the man. She hurried forward past the man when she saw Austin.

"What happened?" The girl asked as she looked up at the three older boys.

"Beatrice, calm down, dear." The older man spoke softly as he sat on the edge of Austin's bed. He then looked up at Remus, and the young werewolf gasped. This man had the same golden shade to his eyes that Remus did. "So, you're the young werewolf that Austin has been speaking of so fondly." The man smiled gently before offering a hand. "I'm Gerald Burnings and this is my daughter Beatrice."

Remus shook the man's hand and that of the girl's, before speaking, "Remus Lupin and these are my friends James Potter and Sirius Black."

The other two boys shook hands and then quiet descended upon the group. Peter was standing at the end of the bed, looking down at Austin with pain in his blue eyes. Remus thought back to the day before when Austin had said Mr. Burnings had been taken by the Ministry but at dinner time she had been pleased to announce that Mr. Burnings was released as she read a letter from him. The Ministry officials could not find a real way to hold him since he was still going about their rules for his transformations. Remus just hadn't thought that Mr. Burnings would have been sent for when Austin fell ill.

"Mr. Burnings, I'm glad you were able to make it so quickly. I had, however, thought you would wait until at least later this evening." Dumbledore's calm voice sounded from the door to Pomfrey's office, there was a note of fatigue to his voice that Remus heard.

"Headmaster, I couldn't leave her alone. I'm the closest thing she's got to a father now. I had to come to her as soon as I was able. Besides, Beatrice needed to be here as well." Mr. Burnings spoke quietly before standing with some help from his daughter to shake hands with the headmaster.

"Of course, I understand. Poppy may have something for your pain, if you would like?" Dumbledore offered as he waved his hand towards the nurses' office.

"Yes, thank you." Mr. Burnings responded before giving one last look at Austin. "Will one of you tell me if she wakes up?"

Remus nodded his head, unable to speak at the moment. Austin had always told him that she knew a werewolf here and that he had a daughter, but Remus never thought he would meet that werewolf one day.

"Austin always said she'd get sicker before she got better," Beatrice whispered after five minutes of the adults being gone.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked as he came closer to the bed.

"She fainted before during the full moon. She thought she was going to change and had me get Daddy to take her out somewhere so she didn't hurt anyone. He sent her back with a portkey because she fainted. She'd woken up two hours later and just smiled it off. She said that it was probably nothing and there wasn't any need to worry about it. The second time she did it, she didn't wake up until the next morning. That's when she told me that she wouldn't get better until she got sicker. This is the third time it's happened, now." Beatrice told her entire story in a whisper as she moved hair off Austin's pillow. "I can only hope that she does get better, though."

Remus growled lightly as he stared at the pretty third year, "She'll get better. She has to."

"Moony, calm down." James snapped as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Remus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He smiled his apology at the younger girl, but she just smiled and reached for Austin's other hand.

Austin had to get better, she really did. Remus hadn't even told her that he loved her yet.