Nope! Even after all this time I still don't own Harry Potter!

I am sorry for the looooooooong absence! Do I have an excuse? Well let's see my summer was extremely busy! With my two kids riding their horses, putting on a horse show at my place and then they also played soccer. Then when they went back to school I thought that I would be able to get a few minutes to myself... but alas first my internet went down and then when I finally got it back my computer, who is old so my IT guy(aka my husband) told me. I said that 8 years is not old but my IT guy said that was a dinosaur! However after much crying and lots of pleading my sweet IT guy fixed my computer, with new programs:( that I am still trying to get used to! But at least I feel comfortable enough now to try to starting posting chapters again!

On another note I posted a image to go with my story! Hope you like it! Hope it works! LOL!

Now on with the story!

Chapter Eighty-eight

Guarded

The walk to the Hospital Wing was a quiet one. Shacklebolt was in the lead and Lupin brought up the rear, and Taylor was once again between her brother who was following Shacklebolt and the Hufflepuff who was behind her.

When they reached the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomfrey met them at the doors and after a quick exchange between Shacklebolt and the nurse they went in and the doors were shut and sealed behind them. Pomfrey quickly examined them all and healed any cuts they had. The Head Boy was by far the worst for wear and was sporting numerous cuts and bruises from his fight with Greyback, though none were serious. When they were all patched up the house elves brought them some soup, sandwiches and pumpkin juice.

Taylor finished before the two boys, not because she wasn't hungry but merely the fact that she couldn't eat as much as they did. Sitting on the beds where they had eaten, she could see Lupin watching her. She glanced at her brother and the Head Boy and both were still eating and Shacklebolt was standing off with the nurse talking quietly. Getting up she walked over to her parents' friend and smiled. His eyes met hers and then darted past her to the two teenaged wizards and back before deciding to speak.

"You've been sleeping with Hunter," it was said quietly, no more then a whisper.

Taylor swallowed. She'd forgotten about Lupin being able to hear a lot better too. She glanced over at the Hufflepuff and had the distinct impression that he was listening to this conversation too. "Yeah, but just sleeping. Nothing else. Harry stays in the common room too. It's the only way he can sleep. I couldn't do anything else."

Lupin stared hard at James' daughter. He knew she was traveling down a dangerous road but he couldn't seem to do anything to stop it. She had bravely faced and fought several Death Eaters today, and then she had been brave enough to ask Minerva about Hunter staying with her. A move that was so like her father and mother that it hurt. "I understand that. What you need to understand is that he could be dangerous. If what you guys said about the manipulated werewolf toxin is true, then there is no guarantee that the Wolfsbane potion will work." He knew that he'd have to discuss it with Alaster, Poppy and Minerva but as with anything like this there was no way of telling for sure until the full moon.

Taylor felt her heart constrict painfully and she realized just how much she had been assuaging her own worries with the fact that Greg wouldn't become that mindless beast she'd heard last time. She looked up at Lupin to see the sorrow in his eyes as well. He'd told her so that it wouldn't be a shock if it didn't work. "They really won't take him out to the Shrieking Shack this time will they? Not with Voldemort looking for him?"

Lupin glanced past the witch again to the Head Boy who had stopped eating and was waiting with a sandwich still in front of his mouth to hear the older werewolf's answer.

"I don't know. Any closer to people if the potion doesn't work will be far worse on him. We will have to carefully weigh everything."

Taylor nodded, and went and sat back down beside the Hufflepuff.

Ten minutes later Slughorn arrived with the Wolfsbane potion for both werewolves. After making equally disgusted faces they both drank it down in one long swallow.

Pomfrey checked them over once more and then discharged the three teens. Shacklebolt and Lupin escorted them up through the castle to the Gryffindor common room. McGonagall had sent word down that the Head Boy was to go there and that she would make sure the Hufflepuffs were told that he was fine so they wouldn't worry.

When they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, they secured their code words for the next morning and Lupin explained that one of them would be back at curfew to make it appear like the Head Boy left, while he slipped back in under the cloak.

Taylor followed her brother through the portal and she heard the cries from her friends when they saw him. Others in the common room called out their relief as well.

"Harry!"

"Well you three are a sight for sore eyes!"

"Harry! Taylor! Oh thank Merlin!"

"Bloody hell Harry! You had us worried!"

Ginny didn't bother saying anything, she just threw her arms around Harry and hugged him tight.

"Taylor! Oh Greg! Do you know how worried we've all been?" Hermione cried as she hugged the younger witch. Taylor returned the hug. The Head Girl hugged Greg too, as other Gryffindors all gathered around, expressing their relief that they were safe.

"Yeah, you have no idea how scary that was watching you three disappear like that!" Ron said and he gave Taylor a hug, even slapping a hand on the Hufflepuff's shoulder to show he was glad he was all right as well. Even Neville and Dean gave her a hug, Seamus just smiled at her saying he was glad they were okay.

Taylor hugged Ginny too when the other witch finally released her brother. It wasn't long before the five-some and the Hufflepuff all ended up on the sofas in front of the fireplace and the whole of Gryffindor house gathered around wanting to know what had happened.

Harry gave a brief description of the events and after some questions and some wild discussions by a few of the more exuberant Gryffindors, the crowd began to drift away.

Hermione and Ron explained what had happened after the three left by Portkey.

Ron's yells had alerted Professor Flitwick and the whole school had been taken to the Great Hall again and then escorted to their own common rooms, where they had been holed up ever since.

They talked only about things that they didn't mind being overheard until curfew and Harry slipped his cloak to the Hufflepuff and they made the usual show of him leaving and then sneaking back in under the cloak. Tonight though, instead of sitting in the corner to study, he sat in front of his witch on the sofa and leaned his back against her legs. The common room emptied slowly and finally near midnight they could start talking about all that had happened.

It was nearly three before they finally called it quits and went to bed or lay down on the sofas.

Taylor curled up against the tall Head Boy as he stretched out on the sofa. They had taken to magically enlarging it so that it was a little more comfortable. She knew he had to be exhausted but she could tell he wasn't asleep even though his eyes were closed. She could hear the soft snores from her brother after only a few minutes.

"Hey, what are you thinking?" She asked softly as her fingers traced circles over the material of the shirt on his chest.

"About everything that happened today."

Taylor was silent for a few moments. The fire in the fireplace had died down to mere coals and there was very little light. "It's been an eventful one." She was quiet for a while, "So is anything in particular bothering you?"

The Hufflepuff sighed heavily. "I met and fought with the werewolf responsible for me being bitten. Even if he didn't do it personally."

Taylor hugged him. "You are not anything like Greyback, Greg. He's wrong. I've seen you have every right to strike at someone and you didn't."

"But I almost did. I was so close to losing control…"

"But you didn't. And that's what makes you different." Taylor said gently.

"How do you know? How can you be so sure?"

"Because I've felt that way when I've used Dark Magic a few times. I could have killed the werewolf that bit you. I had the spell ready to roll off my tongue, but I stopped. I'm not a killer Greg, and neither are you." She put her fingers over his lips to stop his protest, "I'm not talking about when you are a werewolf. You have no control then, but when you do, you are not a killer. You have too kind of a heart."

"I watched a man die today. I…" she could hear his breath catch.

"I know. I'm sorry." Taylor sighed, she had such mixed feelings about Wormtail dying, and she hadn't really allowed herself to dwell on it. Other things had been so easy to think about instead and probably more important. "He was a Death Eater," she said it softly, hoping to make him feel better as anger flooded through her.

"It didn't seem to bother Potter very much."

Taylor lost the battle to keep the hard bitterness out of her voice, "He saved Harry's life only because he owed him a life debt. It was the only good thing Wormtail ever did."

The Hufflepuff was surprised by the emotion in his witch. He could almost smell her anger. "How did a Death Eater owe Potter a life debt?"

It took a moment for Taylor to get control of her bitterness and the pain it caused to answer, "Remember I told you about the night in the Shrieking Shack in our third year? Well, Harry saved Wormtail from Lupin and Sirius Black. You remember me telling you that right?" the Hufflepuff nodded. "Well Wormtail was the traitor that…" Taylor hands curled into fists, "betrayed Lily and James Potter to Voldemort."

The werewolf could feel the tension in his witch, heard the bitter pain in every word. The irrational anger she felt for Potter's betrayed parents didn't quite add up. The pain in her voice was way beyond that which would be naturally occurring for one's friend. "So why did Potter save him that night?"

Taylor told the Hufflepuff the rest of the story that she hadn't already, giving up on trying to keep the hurt and bitterness from her voice. When she finished, the Head Boy was silent. The story was truly a heart breaking one. He found it hard to imagine someone who called themselves a friend betraying a whole family to Voldemort. He knew the story of the Boy-Who-Lived of course and had grown up believing it had been Black who betrayed the Potters. The true story was even sadder. An innocent man had spent twelve years in Azkaban, a friend had lived that long believing the wrong man was a traitor, and the real traitor had lived as a rat. He wasn't sure if he would have saved Pettigrew from Lupin and Black and he said as much.

"Yeah, Sirius and Lupin were surprised too. But like Harry had said, dead the truth dies with Wormtail. Plus if Harry hadn't have saved him… Harry would have died this afternoon. The rat at least did one good thing in his life." Taylor's voice so bitter it almost choked her.

The Hufflepuff was quiet, his arms holding his witch tightly, giving her whatever comfort he could, even if he didn't fully understand why she held such a hate for the man who had died.

When sleep finally came, the exhausted witch and werewolf slept soundly and the sun was shining in the windows of the common room when the witch finally stirred. Glancing around she saw that the other Gryffindors were taking advantage of the disruption in classes yesterday and had decided to take a break from their studying and were sleeping in late. Summoning her brother's cloak she threw it over the slumbering Hufflepuff and gladly closed her eyes again as she fell back to sleep.

"Taylor! Taylor wake up!" a voice hissed as something poked at her.

Taylor forced her eyes open to see Hermione staring down at her and it took a couple of seconds before her groggy mind processed where she was and who was still sleeping soundly behind her.

"What time is it?" Taylor asked blinking up at her friend.

"It's nearly ten o'clock! Lupin has been waiting outside for over two hours for someone to come out of the common room! He's not very happy! He nearly scared Susie to death and she came to wake me up." Hermione said low and fast.

Taylor looked around the common room and noticed it was still empty, thank goodness. She turned around and poked the sleeping werewolf. "Greg you have to wake up! Lupin is waiting outside!" all she got for her effort was a grunt and an arm wrapped around her pulling her against him.

"Greg if you don't get up I'll soak you in cold water!" Hermione added as she drew her wand.

"Man, do you witches ever sleep?" the Hufflepuff mumbled.

"It's almost ten o'clock!" Hermione hissed.

"In the morning?" came the groggy question.

"Yes, in the morning! Lupin is waiting outside to take you down to your common room! If McGonagall finds out about this…" Taylor didn't need to say anymore as the Hufflepuff's head came up off the sofa and out from under the invisibility cloak.

"Shit!" he said as he scrambled to get up, knocking Taylor off the sofa in the process. "Sorry," he said as he helped her up again, rubbing his hands tiredly up over his face.

"Take the cloak." Taylor said, passing him her brother's cloak, "That way no one will see you going down through the castle. Just bring it with you later. We'll see you shortly at breakfast. Now go!"

Taylor watched as the tall Hufflepuff disappeared beneath her brother's cloak and the portrait swung open as he left. Sighing she looked up at her friend.

"You can wake Harry. We need to get some breakfast and then get started on our revision." Hermione's voice was bossy as she headed for the stairs leading up to the girl's dormitories.

Taylor sighed heavily and poked her brother. "Come on Harry it's time to get up. Miss Know It All has cracked her whip!"

Taylor could have sworn she heard, "Then take the whip," mumbled from her brother before he rolled over and looked at her sleepily.

It didn't take long for Taylor to be thankful that today was Saturday and there were no classes. She hadn't been overly keen on having a bodyguard to begin with and by the time she was finished eating breakfast she was even less so.

McGonagall had assigned Moody as her guard for today it would seem and the ex-auror didn't have any trouble letting her know he wasn't impressed with the idea either. It wasn't anything he said, it was more what he did as he stood against the wall watching her eat. Everything she touched he would make a show of examining with his magical eye, before frowning at her for eating it.

The Hufflepuff sat beside her and noticed her annoyance. "Just ignore him," was his advice and Taylor tried to heed it.

When they were finally finished Moody told them they had two choices, they could either go to the Hufflepuff study room or the Gryffindor common room. Taylor kind of felt bad for Greg, as her brother, Ron and Hermione all said their common room.

The news that the three of them now had a guard posted to them caused rampant speculation to run through the school. Some of the milder stories were closer to the truth. Some of the wilder ones… had them battling Voldemort as dragons surrounded them.

Hermione had to go see McGonagall for a moment about rearranging the patrol schedule and Ginny said she'd rather face the dragons then be stuck in the common room with a bunch of stressed out fifth and seventh years so she headed off with her friends for a while.

Walking back up through the castle with her brother, the Hufflepuff, Ron, Moody, Shacklebolt and Lupin, Taylor really wasn't thinking when she said she needed to use the girl's lavatory and turned to go in. Only to find that she was frozen in place before she could take another step.

"Just where do you think you are going, Porter?" Moody growled in his gravely voice.

"To the washroom!"

"Well you will just have to wait until we get to Gryffindor Tower." Moody said with finality.

Taylor was not impressed, and her stubborn self exerted itself. "Well I can't wait!

"Look Porter, you'll wait if I have to stun you and float you up to Gryffindor Tower!" Moody snapped testily.

Harry could tell his sister was about to say something back, "Taylor!" he cautioned her, trying to make her just give it up. He could see defiance in her eyes as she met his. He didn't know what she was going to say but she started "Look I…" and the words died in her throat. The Hufflepuff bent down and whispered something in her ear that Harry couldn't hear at all, and he saw his stubborn sister back pedal faster than he had ever seen and she mumbled, "Yeah fine." Harry happened to glance at Lupin and could see the older werewolf was fighting to try to hide a smile, as the group continued on its way to the Gryffindor common room.

Harry settled in his favorite place on the sofa, Ron sat in his and the Hufflepuff sat down comfortably on the other one. He watched as his sister made a beeline for the girl's stairs and the washroom there. He waited a few minutes and then curiosity got the better of him.

"What did you say to her anyway? I was sure she was going to go off half-cocked like she usually does. Moody really knows how to push her buttons."

The Head Boy grinned as he shrugged, "I just asked her if she wanted Moody going into the lavatory with her and watching her as she used the toilet, you know with his magical eye and everything."

Harry stared at the Hufflepuff for a second before he burst out laughing, Ron joining him. No wonder his sister had relented so fast.

The rest of the day they spent studying and finishing their class assignments. The atmosphere in the common room as stressed as it had been all week.

That night Taylor brought up the topic that was bothering her, as the six of them sat around the dying fire in the empty common room.

"Do you think McGonagall is going to send Greg out to the Shrieking Shack tomorrow night?" She could feel the tension in the Head Boy as he sat beside her. He wasn't as bad as the last time, at least he knew what he had to expect this time. Still, knowing Voldemort was looking for him and was more than likely to try something, had to weigh heavily on his mind.

Hermione thought for a moment, "If she does it won't be alone, or I should say unguarded. She will most likely post at least one Order member in the tunnel."

"What happens if the Wolfsbane potion doesn't work?" Ron asked before he clarified. "I mean after this time, if it doesn't work? Once we graduate there won't be a Shrieking Shack to go to."

"Usually the werewolf or their family constructs a cage so that they don't hurt anyone. I've read about a couple of cases where that has been done, though the werewolf usually ends up hurting himself more. The smell of humans so close by is hard on them." Hermione said sympathetically.

They talked for a while longer but decided to call it an early night. The unknown of the following night weighing heavily on all their minds, Harry even decided to head up to his bed with Ron saying that he'd slept on the sofa long enough.

So as the fire died down, Taylor lay curled up with the werewolf on the sofa staring into the fire. They were quiet for a long while before the Head Boy brought up the thing that he was worrying about.

"I want you to promise me something."

Taylor looked up at him but she thought she knew what was coming.

"Promise me that you will stay here in Gryffindor Tower tomorrow night. No matter what happens. Whatever McGonagall decides."

Taylor looked away from him, she couldn't promise that.

"Taylor?" his voice took on a pleading note that pulled at her heart, "Please look at me," gathering her courage she looked up into his eyes. She could see the dangerous look lurking there like it had all day, but also the fear, "I'm… I'm not sure I can walk away from you tomorrow knowing that you might put yourself in danger. You need to promise me that you will stay here safe with Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione. I can go, I can face this thing, even the mindless beast, but only if I know you will be safe."

Taylor looked away. She had lied at different times to people, or omitted telling them the whole truth, though she had never lied just to lie and she had never gone back on her word when she gave it. She wouldn't start now.

"I'm sorry. I can't promise you that." She felt terrible because she knew she was hurting him by not being able to promise him what he'd asked.

"Witch!" the word was no more then a snarl as he grabbed her, lightning fast, and pinned her under him on the sofa, his whole body pressed down on her, his face mere inches from hers.

A thrill of fear shot down her spine as she realized that he'd pinned her before she could even react and that she was fully at his mercy. His one hand had her wand hand pinned so that it was useless. His eyes glittered with that dangerous, wild light.

Lowering his head his lips brushed over hers gently, belying the fierceness in his eyes, and he kissed her tenderly until she was breathing hard. He could smell her awakening desire and a growl rumbled in his chest as he moved his lips to her neck and nibbled there.

When he returned to her lips he said huskily, "You are my witch." His kiss turned demanding and soon had them both gasping for air. He shifted his body then and laid down beside her once more, except his head lay on her chest now and he wrapped one arm around her middle as his leg hooked over hers.

Taylor could almost feel the tension leave his body as he snuggled against her. Breathing deeply he was soon sound asleep. She wished she could fall asleep that easily, but thoughts plagued her and it was a long while before she was able to fall asleep too. That night she was plagued by dreams of a red eyed Voldemort as he came relentlessly after her, no matter where she ran, as the howls of a werewolf sounded all around her.

When she awoke the next morning the sun was filtering over the trees. She noticed she was once again wrapped up in the Hufflepuff's arms as his heart beat steadily beneath her ear. She laid there for a while, knowing no one was usually up this time of morning on a Sunday. She felt safe in the Hufflepuff's arms, even her disquieting dreams didn't really bother her here. She was surprised when the Head Boy's deep voice spoke softly.

"You were dreaming last night and talking in your sleep."

Taylor froze, as she wondered what she might have said in her sleep. With an effort she asked, trying to sound casual, "Oh? What did I say?" She felt his arms tighten around her and he kissed her on top of the head before he answered.

"I think something or someone was chasing you. You kept pleading, 'No, go away, please, leave him alone'. Who was chasing you?"

She considered not answering him, or just brushing it off as nothing, but she had heard the low growl in his chest and knew if she looked up into his eyes she'd see that dangerous look in them. His over protectiveness would never leave her alone until he heard the truth.

"I was dreaming that Voldemort was after me… and you too. I could hear the howl of a werewolf… It was just a dream."

"I won't let him hurt you Taylor. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you are safe from him." The Head Boy's voice was solemn.

Taylor felt a shiver travel through her and she pushed up so she could look into his blue eyes, as she suspected that dangerous look was in them. She wanted to tell him that there was no way he could do that. That her fate was as wrapped up with Voldemort as her brother's was, but she didn't right now. She knew that the beast, or whatever it was that made that look burn in the Hufflepuff's eyes, would never be able to accept that. So she lay her head back down on his chest as she whispered, "I know."

A/N Well there you go! One more chapter! I'd like to thank the anonamus person who reviewed yesterday and asked about this story! You were the proverbial kick in the butt that I needed to get over my nerves about the new programs on my computer and post a chapter! So Thank You! Whoever you may be! ;) I hope you liked this chapter... the next few chapters... oh heck who am I kidding! The rest of the chapters left are one crazy, twisted, hang on for dear life ride! So hope you are hanging on! I'll be posting again on a regular basis(baring my computer dying or the internet at my place giving me greif again) So hope you enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who has read this far! And THANK YOU for being patient while real life interferred with this story!

Until next time, cytpotter