THIS WILL BE MY LAST UPDATE BEFORE EXAMS!

So yeah, I'm procrastinating with revision.

Enjoy.

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars,"

–Khalil Gibran

Chapter Twenty-Eight:

I was awake before I opened my eyes, helplessly clinging to a fraying dream that had already drifted away, back into my subconscious. My eyes fluttered open, welcomed by grey morning light that shone through the small crack in the curtains. I felt hazy and distant as I tried to focus of the grey silhouettes surrounding where I lay.

Blinking, I saw Sirius standing at the foot of my bed in the hospital wing. He looked grim; Padfoot's usual smile had seemingly drifted away replaced with a frown and sad eyes.

"W-what happened?" I coughed.

Sirius frowned, "You morphed into a human while in the Shrieking Shack and got… clawed… by Remus,"

I started at him, only now realising the stinging sensation that was building on my face. I raised my fingers to my cheek and felt the three long jagged lines running from the corner of my eye to my lip. I felt tears beginning to sting my eyes, but pushed them back.

"Riley… you saved my life," Sirius whispered, moving to sit beside me, "Thank you, and I'm so sorry that this happened…"

"I-It's okay… it's just a bit… shocking, I guess," I frowned, still running my fingers along the thin scars.

Sirius bit his lip, "There are some… implications… that come with it though. I'd tell you, but I think Remus would like to talk to you about it himself… he's really sorry about all this, he feel terrible,"

My eyebrows shot up, "I'm not a werewolf, am I?!"

"Merlin, no! I'll let Remus explain, okay?" Padfoot clarified and I let out a deep breathe.

"So, how bad is it?" I asked, gesturing to my face.

He bit his lip, "It's not bad, just a little strange, I guess,"

I closed my eyes and tried to morph it away, "Is it gone?"

"Riley, it's a cursed wound – it won't ever go away," Sirius brushed the hair out of my eyes and I felt shivers go down my spine.

"I was afraid of that," I sighed, pushing away his hand.

Sirius smiled weakly, "It's not the end of the world, Riley. You're okay, you're alive. James managed to tackle Remus off you long enough for Peter and I to get you out,"

"I know…" I whispered and felt his eyes burning into mine.

Then, as if on cue, the doors burst open. Andi walked with her usual look of indifference beside Alice who ran in looking around as hyper as usual, accompanied by a smirking James, awkward Peter and brooding Remus with an arm in a sling. Frank and Ted walked in not far behind.

"Riley! How're you feeling!" Alice grinned, and I noticed she was holding Frank's hand.

Frank looked at me strangely, "Is it true you wandered off into the Dark Forest and got attacked by a wild hippogriff?"

I gave a sidelong glance to Sirius, who nodded slightly, so I put on a smile and said, "Yeah, I got bored and thought the forest looked pretty interesting,"

"Well, look at your face now? Smart move, genius," Andi crossed her arms across her chest and I could see Ted behind her, rolling his eyes. I think their relationship was still being kept on a need-to-know basis.

It seemed as if everybody was dating somebody but me.

And maybe James.

"Hey, she gets to miss class, so it's can't be all bad," Peter backed me up. Or well, he tried.

Andi scoffed, "Doesn't change the fact she got three lines down the side of her face,"

"Andromeda!" Alice slapped her arm.

Remus visibly winced in the background.

I shrugged, "I've also got two eyes, a nose and a smirk. So what?"

"I told you never to call me that…" Andi grumbled.

Alice rolled her eyes, "Let's go, Little Miss PMS," and the two left with Frank and Ted, who mouthed 'sorry' to me as they passed through the doorway. I chuckled under my breath, well used to Andi's more… abrasive… nature.

"Those two girls are strange," Peter stated to nobody in particular.

I laughed, "Well, they're friends with me, so they have to be,"

"What are you trying to say about us, Vixen?" Sirius mocked looking offended.

I grinned mischievously, "Oh, nothing…"

"Sure," James rolled his eyes, "Oh, and Riley, we got you some Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans," he tossed me the packet and I caught it in my lap.

I shook it and sent Prongs a scowl, "James, this is completely empty. Very funny."

"I got hungry on the way here!" he protested, but I just kept glaring at him, and my friend eventually cracked, "Fine, fine. Here's the actual box," and he threw me the real one.

"Thanks," I grinned, "For the beans and for saving my life,"

James shrugged, "My pleasure, Vix,"

Peter looked up at the clock and bit his lip, "We've got Care of Magical Creatures, like, right now guys,"

Sirius looked at the time, "Shit!"

James grinned, "See ya' later, Vixen… oh, and by the way, ten points were taken from us for being out of bed after curfew so… yeah, bye!"

What?

Then the three boys ran out of the door, papers flying in their wake – leaving me alone with Remus. We were the only ones who didn't take that class, me because of Divination and Moony because of Arithmancy.

He sat hunched at the end of my bed, looking into his palms.

"Remus it's…" I started, but was interrupted.

"Don't say it's okay, because it's defiantly not okay, this is anything but okay," he said, anger in his voice.

I sat up further and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head, and his eyes met mine, tear-filled eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Riley, this is my entire fault," he sunk his head down again.

I smiled slightly, "Remus, it's hardly your fault. You had no control over your body, whereas I did. I chose to turn human to…"

"… save Sirius. You see? This is why none of you are ever coming with me on Full Moons again. It's just too dangerous," Remus spoke flatly. His mind was made.

I sighed and gave him a small smile, "Hey, no harm came out of it. Nobody ix dead. Nobody is seriously injured. I've got a few scratches, so what?"

He shook his head, "They're not just a few scratches, they're cursed scars, Riley!"

"Cursed how?" I asked in a small voice.

"From now on you're going to take on a few wolf-like… traits and tendencies," Remus said softly, "I'm so sorry,"

For some reason I felt relieved, at least it wasn't too bad. At least I wouldn't be turning into a werewolf every full moon. Just a few tendencies, how hard can that be to manage?

"So… what kind of traits," I asked slowly.

He shrugged, "You'll be territorial, irritable, over protective of those close to you, have new found love of raw meat and may need to shave a little more often,"

I smiled, "That doesn't sound too bad…"

"But it doesn't excuse that fact that I hurt you, Riley," Remus brushed his fingertips along my scar.

"It's okay… you'll be okay," I smiled sadly.

He shook his head, "Riley, nothing is ever okay. Not for me,"

Then he turned and left, with a slight limp in his step.

I was a naturally fidgety person. I never liked sitting down for too long, but since I hadn't fully recovered from my scratch yet, Madame Le'Dionettre seemed to think it'd be best if I remained in bed, in the hospital wing.

If I didn't get out soon, the old bat would be carting me off to the nearest psychiatric ward instead. Not that that sort of confinement would do me any good either, but that's all society did right? Lock the different people away.

I was again, trying to wipe the scare off my face, when none other than Lily Evans walked in – a stack of books in her arms.

"Sup Evans," I greeted her.

Lily jumped half her load beside me with a scowl, "Ariana asked me to deliver these. You ditched you're tutor session to go gallivanting in the Dark Forest last night, so she's assigned some reading,"

"I do not gallivant, I strut, thank you very much," I nodded quite seriously, barley keeping myself from laughter.

"You know, I was going to say sorry about your face, but then I realised you probably wouldn't care since you can just wipe it right off," Lily sneered.

I frowned, more to myself than her, "Actually, I can't. It's a cursed scar. I'm going to be disfigured for life…"

She looked at me with surprise, "Hippogriffs don't give cursed scars…" Lily looked puzzled until it clicked and her eyes went wide, "You were with Remus! Oh Merlin, no wonder he's been brooding worse than usual lately,"

My eyebrows shot up, "What? How did you know…"

"Pfft, please. Who do you think covers his Prefect shifts on the night of the full moon?" Evans rolled her eyes as if I were stupid.

I shrugged, "Okay, yes it was Remus, but I'm okay. I survived,"

"Obviously," she smirked, "still, you need to do the reading for Ariana,"

Sighing, I said, "Fine. Whatever. Want a Bean?"

Lily eyed the small box I'd outstretched to her cautiously, "Who gave them to you?" she asked.

"Prongs," I stated.

She frowned and turned to leave, "I'll pass,"

Before she reached the door, I spoke, "He's not all that bad you know. I'm alive because of James,"

She turned, surprise written across her face, "Really?"

I nodded, throwing a bean up and catching it my mouth, "As I said, he's not all bad. He's got good intensions, and although he has a weird stalker-like way of showing it… James really does love you,"

The look of Lily's face was had to determine as she muttered the words, "Thank you," and left me alone again.

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