HIDDEN MARAUDER CHAPTER 7

Before full moon, Remus went to the hospital wing to look for Madam Pomfrey to take him to the Whomping Willow to transform himself in the old shack in Hogsmeade. As for James Sirius and Peter, they're going to the room of requirement for their 'transformation' too. Meanwhile, Centaury and Lily were in their dormitory. The other girls occupying the same dorm were at the common room. Lily was practicing some charms on a flower to make it bloom more. Centaury looked at the window where she can see two figures were walking towards the whomping willow.

"What are you looking at, Centaury?" Lily asked, noticing Centaury's blank stare at the window.

"Nothing, Lils" Centaury said.

"Hmm" Lily looked at her and smiled. "Tell me, you've been showing yourself to everyone lately. Is there something going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Centaury smiled.

"It's about Remus, isn't it?" Lily said. Centaury just shrugged.

"He's a good friend" Centaury said. "How did you know it was Remus?"

"Well, given the fact that he always smile at you, he stares at you at meal times and you did the same way too" Lily said, she was glad that Centaury at last has a friend besides her.

"Err... He's nice and gentle." Centaury said. "And he's my friend"

"Are you sure he's just a friend?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"I see him... as a friend only, nothing more and nothing less" Centaury said.

"I see" Lily smirked.

"I'll take a walk, Lily" Centaury said. "See you"

"Where are you going?" Lily asked, she was taken by surprise that Centaury would like to take a walk all of the sudden.

"Somewhere" Centaury said. Centaury left the room and went to the portrait hole without being noticed. Someone bumped her though, she can't see them but she can hear their voice.

"Ow! Why are you stopping James?" A voice asked, obviously it was Sirius.

"I bumped to something!" James said irritated.

"I don't see anything" Peter's voice said.

"Neither do I, so keep quiet or we'll be heard!" James said and Centaury let them pass through. Though Centaury was really going to the whomping willow, she decided to go with those three.

After a few minutes, James, Sirius and Peter were at the room of requirements and Centaury was just tailing them. Even though they were invisible, Centaury could hear their voice in her thoughts. Centaury found a cauldron filled with gray simmering potion on the center of the room. It was a potion for being an animagi. Centaury looked at the three nervously, she was not sure if this is going to work.

"So now what?" Peter asked as the three went out of the cloak.

"It says here, add the blood and the markings together and drink them immediately." James said. Each of them grabbed their goblets and poured some potion into it. They stared at their glasses.

"James, I don't think this is a great idea" Peter said nervously.

"I am not a marauder if I don't know what to do" James said and added his and the stag's blood and the bit of the Stag's antler. He immediately drank it and closed his eyes. Centaury watched at him anxiously as he dropped to his knees.

"James" Sirius said softly as he looked James was shaking. Animagus potion could go horribly wrong if it was brewed wrongly.

"I—I'm okay" James gasped. Then after a few minutes, his appearance was slowly changing until he was barely recognizable. James then turned to a stag very similar with the one they took the blood; the difference is that James' antlers were larger and more distinguishable. The stag looked at them for a few minutes then turned to human form.

"James! Are you alright" Sirius asked, James grinned.

"Yeah" James said. "You just have to focus more"

"Alright then," Sirius said and took his potion and adds the necessary ingredients. Same with James, it took time to transform. Sirius was a big shaggy black dog. His paws were larger compared the normal ones and he was hairy. After that, it was Peter's turn. Peter took his potion as he added the ingredients. And it took him almost an hour to transform. He was a small fat brown rat with noticeable long whiskers.

Centaury smiled as he watched the three practicing to transform into animal and human form, though they do it rather noisily. Centaury was amused, but then, she remembered Remus. She hurriedly went out of the room that made James to notice the door's sudden movement. Centaury went outside the castle and straight to the whomping willow. She went inside the whomping willow without being squashed by the tree. There she found a tunnel, which she was sure would lead to Remus. There were tines wherein she would wonder where Remus would go... she has a shrewd suspicion though. On her way to the shack beneath, she could hear loud howls and scratches. She was right... Remus is a werewolf. No matter what, Remus is still her friend and being a werewolf doesn't change anything. Like him, Centaury also got secrets...

"—hold still dear" Madame Pomfrey said while dabbing some ointment on his fresh wounds.

"Thanks, Madame Poppy" Remus said as Madame Pomfrey bandaged his wounds with a flick of her wand.

"Oh, it's nothing dear" She said and left. Remus tried to rest himself after the night's torture. He needs to be ready for another rough night again.

'How are you?' A voice said and made Remus to jump and cause him pain. 'Sorry!'

"Centaury?" Remus called to where she was. Then he gave another audible gasp when Centaury just shows herself to him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Centaury said. Remus was surprised... did she, know?

"I... I—how did you know I was here?" Remus asked.

"Well... I know what you are" Centaury said and Remus' mind raced.

"So you know what I am" Remus said quietly. "It's okay if you want to stay away from me... I understand" Centaury looked at him. Just as he thought... people would stay away if they knew what he is...

"No! Why on earth will I do that?" Centaury said harshly and stood from where she was sitting. "You're my friend and I don't care what you are!" Remus was surprised to the way she reacted.

"Because... they don't want to be in my company" Remus said quietly, not looking at Centaury.

"Don't count me as one of them" Centaury said. It was rather scary... her voice was in total harsh as though Remus did something unforgivable. "Your being does not change the way I see in you."

"You still want to be my friend?" Remus asked, this time he was looking at her.

"Of course, we're still friends, no matter what" Centaury said and gave him a weak smile. "I don't want to lose a friend like you..." Remus smiled at what she said. She was like James, Sirius and Peter. She didn't dessert him...

"So I take it, you're okay with that?" Remus said.

"Yeah" Centaury said.

"How did you found out?" Remus asked. Centaury took her seat again.

"I followed you" Centaury said.

"What... how did you get in the whomping willow?"

"The tree didn't see me" Centuary said. "You also didn't saw me"

"Huh..." Remus said. "Wait—I didn't see you coming in here either..." Centaury took her wand and poked it on her head and she became invisible.

"I've been using this spell" Centaury said and she revealed herself again.

"Disillusionment charm" Remus said bemused. "So that's how you're getting invisible all the time" Centaury laughed at him.

"Yeah" Centaury said.

"But why" Remus frowned and rest on the bed. Centaury looked at him thoughtfully.

"Because... I don't want to be noticed. I'm a bit anti social" Centaury said. Somehow Remus knew there was more to it.

"I see" Remus said, not pressing the issue.

"I gotta go" Centaury said poking her head with her wand and she disappeared. One bewildered moment passed, James and Sirius came.

"Hiya Moony!" James said merrily.

"Prongs, Padfoot!" Remus said joyfully. He was glad to see his friends alright. "Where's Peter?"

"He's at the great hall for lunch" James said.

"So, how did the transformation go?" Remus asked.

"Took some time to transform..." Sirius said. "But we managed though"

"So anyway, to whom were you talking to?" James said. "We heard other voices"

"I was alone" Remus said blankly.

"No, we really heard voices" Sirius said in his cocky grin.

"Can you see someone here?" Remus said calmly. He's not going to tell Centaury's secrets to anyone.

"Hmm, I think it was that Centaury girl" Sirius said. Remus blinked.

"What made you think of that" Remus said frowning.

"Because, soft and enigmatic voice belongs to her and we didn't see her in the great hall with Lily" Sirius said and Remus sighed.

"Why is she here?" James asked.

"Asked me how I am" Remus said. "She knows..." James and Sirius were surprised.

"And she's okay with that?" Sirius said.

"Yeah, said she doesn't care what I am" Remus said calmly.

"Wow that's definitely something!" Sirius said cheerfully.

"Yeah, anyone who doesn't dessert our Moony, is one of us!" James said.

(A/N : What do you think? did she get to be an official marauder?)