Children of the Moon

"How are you doing, Harry?"

"Fine!" Harry called out, kneeling so the water was just at his chin. The bath wasn't what he expected - after all, he'd never been in a creek before, but it was still great. The water was a little cold, but it was nothing compared to the freezing showers his Aunt used to make him take.

Smiling happily, Harry grabbed the bar of soap that Elysia left for him, homemade just like everything else that was used, and started scrubbing himself with his good hand. The dirt and blood ran off him in a soapy mess. This was really turning out to be the best day of his life. What could ruin it?

A few minutes later, soapy from his head down, Harry grinned before he ducked into the water, letting it wash of the soap and grime. Shaking his shaggy hair like a dog when he emerged a him moments later, Harry stepped rather clumsily out of the water, since his ankle and arm still hurt, and grabbed the towel left for him, which wasn't as white and fluffy like the ones his Aunt liked, but still soft.

"I'm done!" he said after he dried himself off, the towel around his shoulders since it was too big to wrap around his waist.

"Took your time there, cub." Elysia teased as she came from the trees, her hands full of clean clothes. "And you didn't even dry off your hair."

Flushing, Harry muttered his apologizes, but Elysia waved it off. "Don't worry about it, alright? Here." She pulled out another, smaller towel from the pile in her hand, which she set on a nearby boulder. "Let me get that." She draped the towel over his head and started to rub it dry. "You've got some pretty long hair there, Harry. Do you wanna cut it, or do wanna grow it out?"

"You mean I can choose?" Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia always made him get really short hair cuts, cause his hair was so wild; except his bangs, so they could hide his scar. "But isn't it bad to have long hair? My uncle said only hoo-hooligens had long hair, and that means they're bad."

"If you want, we can let it grow out. Didn't you notice that a lot of men here have long hair that they pulled back?" Elysia pointed out. "Besides, I think it won't be as wild once it's longer."

"Really?" Harry thought about it. "Well, maybe I can try it."

"There's no harm in trying." Elysia removed the towel. "Well, at least its not dripping anymore. Here," she said, handing him the pile of clothes. "Change into these - they should be your size."

Nodding, Harry waited a moment for Elysia to turn around before quickly slipping on the new clothes, though he had a little trouble pulling them on. He couldn't help but stare at himself in amazement - they actually fit! They were like the clothes the others were wearing, a long-sleeve dark green shirt and dark brown trousers, but weren't big like the hand-me-downs he got from Dudley all the time. Smiling, he announced he was finished dressing.

"Well look at you," Elysia chuckled when she turned back. "Looking better already. Now let's just see if Elder Arianna has anything for your injuries, alright?" She scooped him up as if he was light as a feather.

As they walked back into the camp, Harry was glad to see that anyone out and about was sitting by the large bonfire. They glanced his way when they entered, glaring at him. and he couldn't help but shift a little closer to Elysia. Thankfully, they soon turned away, talking amongst themselves in low voices.

"Just ignore them, cub," Elysia said softly before they entered a new hut, the one sitting right next to the large garden.

The smell of strong herbs hit Harry the moment they entered the hut. It wasn't all plain like the others. First off, it was larger than the others. Then there was one wall that was covered just with shelves, which in turn were covered with closed clay jars and pots of various sizes.

The opposite was almost the same, but there were also bowls and jars that were all filled with twigs, herbs, and other things Harry was sure he didn't want to know about. There was a table under those shelves, which were very organized, with a cutting board, a few knifes of different sizes, a stone spice grinder, something he'd only seen at Mrs. Figg's house, and a few large bowls sitting next to it that looked like witches' cauldrons.

And finally, there was a cot near the door, covered with furs and raised off the ground, with a small table next to it, currently empty. It looked like a very old hospital room Harry had seen on the telly once.

The elderly woman was sitting next to a fire-pit, a small cauldron over the licking flames. She was sprinkling something inside before mixing it with what looked like a metal stirrer. She didn't glance up as they arrived. "Got him all cleaned up, I see. Good." Arianna gave one final stir before she reached to the side, into a wooden bucket, and tossed a large amount of dirt on the fire, lowering the flames without killing them. "What seems to be the problem?"

"A few cuts and bruises, plus a fractured arm and a twisted ankle," Elysia stated to her like she was reading it off a list.

"Hm." Standing, Arianna moved to the closest shelf, taking the lid off a jar and giving it an experimental sniff. "Sit him on the bed," she said. "I'll be with him in a minute."

Placing Harry on the bed, Elysia sat next to him, and he decided to take this opportunity to ask a question. "Elysia?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Uh... you never..." Harry fidgeted. "Well, you never told me what you meant - by you not bein' human and all."

Stiffening, Elysia looked down at Harry. "I'll tell you later, cub," she said softly. "Promise."

"Now, lets see what we have here," said Arianna as she came over, setting down a tray fill of items on the small table. "First, the cuts. We should get those cleaned in case of infection." She opened the pot, there was something dark yellow inside. "What cuts do you have, young man?"

"T-The one on my forehead," Harry said, point to it, "some on my face, and some on my hands."

Her fingers already coated with the yellow stuff, Arianna slowly covered the cuts on his face, Harry wincing only once when she touched the largest one. Then she moved to his hands, which were covered in tiny cuts from when he was running, and coated them, leaving his hands feeling a little sticky. "Feels funny," he said aloud.

"It'll dry in a few minutes," Arianna assured him. "Now, bruises?"

"O-on my chest and back," Harry said, flushing.

"Take of your shirt, then."

Still a light red, Harry tried to get off his shirt with only one arm, but in the end, Elysia had to help him. He heard her suck in her breathe as she saw his bruises for the first time, which were still black, blue, and red. Clicking her tongue, Arianna shook her head as she grabbed another pot. "Humans," she muttered as she poured a large amount of some dark green cream into her hand. "I can't understand them sometimes. This is going to be cold," she warned Harry.

Before Harry could even nod in understanding, he jumped as he felt Arianna's cold hand on his chest. A few moments later through, he sighed as the pain started to melt away as she spread the cream. Whatever she was using, it felt good. He barely remembered turning around so the medicine could be put on his back.

"Your arm next," said Arianna, not telling him to put on his shirt yet. "If its fractured like you believe, Elysia, he'll be in a sling for more than a few weeks. Lets just hope it's a hairline." She motioned to him. "Hold out your arm."

Hesitantly, Harry did what he was told. Taking his arm in hand, Arianna pressed lightly in the middle of his arm, and he winced. "Mm." She traced her fingers over that area, and just like when she touched him earlier, he could feel tiny sparks going up his arm. "Hairline," she finally decided. "Your arm will be in a cast and sling for at least a month, and you'll have to drink medicine every day to help the bones heal. Elysia, help him get his shirt back on while I get my sling."

"Oh, Harry," Elysia said, shaking her head as she helped him. "How could your uncle do this to you?" She growled lowly. "If I ever meet him..."

"Hopefully, that will not happen," said Arianna as she returned, a white strip of cloth, bandages, a thin but long wooden board, and a mug in her hands. "Hold your arm straight out, and keep it still," she said, and when Harry did what she said with a wince, she placed the board underneath his arm before wrapping them both up. "And you will not being going anywhere near the humans, Elysia, especially not for revenge. Remember the rules - no drawing attention to yourself or anything relating to the clan."

"I know, Elder Arianna," said Elysia with a sigh. "But -"

"No buts," said Arianna firmly as she tied a knot at Harry's elbow. "Child, hold your arm to your chest - that's it." She quickly created a sling before talking to Elysia again. "I should hope you follow that rule, if any. Lets move onto your last injury, mm?" Slowly sitting down, the healer looked at his bare ankle with a careful eye. "Mm. Does it feel broken?"

"Nuh uh," said Harry with a shake of his head. "But it hurts to walk on."

"Sprained and swollen, by the looks of it," Arianna said with a nod. "Elysia, fetch me a bandage and a jar of my swell reducing poultice."

"Yes, ma'am."

Standing, Elysia went to the shelves, and Arianna looked up to him, her pale grey eyes staring into his. "How did you get that interesting scar, Harry?" she asked, using his name for the first time as she brushed aside his damp bangs, showing off his lightning scar.

"When I was a baby," Harry answered slowly, feeling self-conscious. "I was in car accident with my mum and dad. They died, and all I got was this scar." He hastily covered it with his good hand. "My relatives didn't like it."

"But its not a bad thing, child." She gently pushed aside his hand. "Do you know what it reminds me of?" When Harry shook his head, she went on. "Of a very old rune, one that most people get very confused sometimes. Some people might think that it reminds of the rune Eoh, which is usually associated with death."

"Oh." That didn't sound very good.

"Yet I see a completely different rune, Harry. I see the rune Sol, which represents the sun, light. Victory." Arianna nodded slowly. "I think you will be victorious in life, child."

Not completely understanding, Harry just blinked in confusion while Elysia, who had watched silently, held out the items the healer what she asked for. "Elder?"

"Mm?" Arianna blinked, as if coming out of a trance. "Oh, yes, thank you, Elysia," she said as she took the bandage and jar. She took her time spreading the poultice on the bandage, and carefully wrapped it around Harry's ankle. "You won't be able to walk for the next few days," she informed him as she finished. "And I'll have to replace it tomorrow night. Plus," Arianna picked up the mug and held it out to him, "you'll have to take this every day till your arm heals."

Harry sniffed the mug, and recoiled at the smell. "It smells bad. Do I gotta?"

Chuckling, Arianna nodded. "Yes, little one. Just drink it all down and get it over with."

Nodding, Harry lifted the mug to his mouth, frowning at the greenish looking liquid. But with a deep breathe, he brought it to his lips and gulped it down. He resisted the urge to gag as it went down his throat, it tasted awful. "And I have to drink this every day?" he groaned. "Gross!"

Shaking her head even as she smiled, Elysia picked Harry up again. "Come on, lets get you to bed, huh? Its been a long day." She nodded to Arianna. "Thank you for your help, Elder."

Standing, Arianna waved her way. "I will see you both tomorrow after dinner. And don't get into any more trouble, Elysia, I don't want to have to rescue you from your parents again."

"Ah, Severus, thank you for coming on such short notice." Dumbledore waved a hand towards the seat in front of his desk. "Please, have a seat."

Giving a nod of respect, Severus took a seat, crossing his legs and clasping his hands together. He had yet to be told why he was here, but he could only guess. Since the Dark Lord's fall four years ago, his life had become quiet - well, quiet as it can be when you're the Potions Professor at Hogwarts. No dark wizards, no Muggles, no sneaking around and deliver news to each side. No wondering if that day was going to be his last.

So for Dumbledore to look so worried meant that something was very wrong.

"Something has happened," started Dumbledore. "I don't know how it happened - I still hope I'm wrong." He glanced to his desk, and Severus' gaze immediately followed. It was something that reminded him of a Remembrall, or maybe a snow globe. It was a small glass ball that sat on a wooden holder, with a golden band wrapped around it and runes etched into both the glass and band. Inside it was a dark red smoke that swirled around ominously.

"Enough with the dramatics, Dumbledore," sneered Severus, even though on the inside, he was starting to worry. It was always bad when Dumbledore didn't offer a lemon drop. "Just tell me what's going."

Pressing his fingertips together and creating a temple with his hands, Dumbledore sighed deeply, closing his eyes momentarily before looking to Severus. "Harry Potter is missing, Severus."

It took a mere second to hear that short sentence, but what felt like an eternity went by before Severus could absorb it. "What are you blathering on about, Albus?" he finally said. "How can Potter be missing?" The Headmaster had told him four years ago that Harry would be sent to a safe place, where the remaining Death Eaters wouldn't be able to find and harm him. He had listened to the old fool, and never once asked about the boy aloud. Never asked if the boy was well. And now Dumbledore was telling him that Harry was missing?

Subtlety, Severus clutched his hands tightly.

"I'm not completely sure how," answered Dumbledore. "But it seems he's been missing for at least twenty-four hours." He reached out and tapped the smoke filled globe. "This, you see, is linked to the wards that surround Harry's home. When it is white, it means Harry is home. A pale pink means he has left for at least an hour. Red, at least twelve. And dark red, of course, for more then a day."

"Obviously, that means Potter hasn't been home for twenty-four hours," snapped Severus. "That doesn't mean he's missing."

"I told Harry's guardians never to let him leave home for more the twelve hours, that he would be in danger if they did. A informant nearby also tells me she hasn't seen him recently." Dumbledore sighed. "I fear the worst, Severus, so I would like you to check up on Harry, make sure he's alright."

"And why can't you do this yourself?" asked Severus. "You're the one who left him with these people -"

"Severus." Dumbledore leaned forward. "I'm asking you to do this as a favor. Please."

"... Only you could ask me to do this and get away with it without a scratch," Severus growled.

"Thank you, my boy," said Dumbledore with a sigh. "You don't know how much this means to me." He picked up a scrap of paper and held it out to Severus. "This is the address of Harry's home. The quickest way to get there is by my informants Floo."

"And might I ask who that is?"

"Arabella Figg."

"The cat lady?" said Severus with a raised eyebrow. He remembered her from the days of the Order. She'd only come to the meetings a few times, but each time, she talked only about her cats. He learned more about cats from one hour with that lady than he ever wanted to know.

"Her name is Arabella, Severus," corrected Dumbledore gently.

"Yes, yes, I know her name," Severus said with a dismissive hand. "I'm just surprised you had a Squib watch over the Boy-Who-Lived," saying the name with a sneer. "Your fireplace?"

"Go on," said Dumbledore with a nod. "Arabella's expecting you."

Sweeping over to the roaring fireplace, Severus took a pinch of silver power and threw it into the fire, turning it bright green that made his stomach twist and turn. "Arabella Figg's home!" he spoke loudly before stepping into the flames and whirling away.

Stepping out into Figg's living room a few moments later, Severus wrinkled his nose instantly. The house smelled like cat litter, tuna, and cabbages, a truly horrifying smell to one with a sensitive nose - and that came from a man who handed livers, bugs, and much worse things on a daily basis.

"Ah, hello there, Professor Snape." Sitting on her old and worn couch, Figg set aside her tea cup before standing. All the cats in the room, at least ten in all, stared at him, tails twitch as their owner shuffled across the room. "Professor Dumbledore said you'd be coming."

"Mm."

Ignoring the rude attitude, Figg nodded towards the door. "They should still be awake," she said. "But I'd change your clothes if I were you - they don't like magic."

Severus raised an eyebrow to that. They didn't like magic? "Isn't this a wizarding family?" he asked.

Figg gave him a curious look. "The Dursleys? Merlin, no, they're as Muggles as can be. Didn't Dumbledore tell you?"

Not answering, Severus swept out of the house before Figg could ask another question. It seemed this visit would be more interesting than he thought.

"All warm and cozy, Harry?"

Nodding happily, Harry snuggled deeper into the many fur blankets that Elysia had piled onto him and underneath him. It was so much warmer and softer than his old bed - which was basically Dudley's old baby mattress and a worn out sheet.

Smoothing down his wild hair, Elysia smiled. "Good, I want you to stay warm - it gets a little nippy out here."

"...Elysia?"

"Mm?"

"Are you gonna tell me what... what your suppose to be?" said Harry slowly.

After a long moment, Elysia sighed. "It's... it's not that I don't want to tell you, Harry. I'm just not sure how you'd take it. And its not exactly easy to tell."

"Is it something bad?" asked Harry.

"Not to us, it isn't, cub," said Elysia with another sigh. "But to others it's a very bad thing." She paused for a moment, ranking her hand through her hair. "Have you ever heard of werewolves?"

"Yeah, my cousin Dudley use to watch horror films on the telly," Harry said with a nod. "I'd watch sometimes, while I was cleaning." The werewolves in the films were kinda scary, but in the end, he knew they weren't real, and that's what helped him sleep at night. While Dudley, on the other hand, got nightmares once in awhile.

"What do you think of them?"

Confused by the strange question, Harry thought of his answer for a moment. "Well, they're kind of scary in the films. But they aren't real, right?"

"No, Harry, they are," Elysia said quietly. "They're very real." She took a moment to take a deep breath before she went on. "Everyone in this clan is a werewolf, though none of us were bitten, like in the stories humans have heard. Each one of us was born this way. We're one of the few clans that are - most of the clans now a days are mixed groups of humans that were bitten and turned and those born."

"You're a werewolf?" whispered Harry in shock. But she didn't look anything like the monsters in the films. She was pretty, and normal looking.

Nodding, Elysia waited a moment before continuing. "Like I said earlier, we aren't like the werewolves you've heard before. We don't change into wolves only on the full moon - we can change anytime we wish, its at our control. The full moon, though... while it's not usually forced, it is necessary. It's a time that our Mother, the moon, wants all her children to be bathed in her energy. So we can survive. Even those who are bitten understand this, though some resist it, and in turn, the lack of energy they need starts to harms them."

"How can a moon be a mum?" Harry asked softly.

Chuckling, Elysia shook her head. "The moon isn't really our mother, but it's what we call her out of respect, because of the energy she gives us."

"Oh."

"We aren't dangerous, Harry," Elysia said quietly. "Not anymore so than a normal person. But I understand if you don't want to stay with a bunch of beasts. If you want, I'll take you back to the humans - to anyone but your guardians -"

"No!" Harry shook his head. "I don't wanna go back! I wanna stay with you!"

Startled, Elysia looked completely surprised by that answer. "You - You aren't scared of me?"

"A little," admitted Harry. "Cause werewolves are kinda scary..." He bit his lip momentarily. "But not of you," he said firmly. "You saved me - I could have died out there if you hadn't found me." Something came to him, and he looked at Elysia with wide eyes. "You were that wolf," he said in astonishment. "The one that stayed with me all night."

"Yes," answered Elysia with a nod.

Scrambling up, though being very carefully not to hurt himself more, Harry looked Elysia straight in the eye. "I don't wanna leave, Elysia. You took me in, fed me, and fixed me up. That's more than my aunt and uncle ever did." He sniffed, rubbing his dripping nose with his good hand. "Besides, I don't got anyone else. I'd be all alone." He shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. "Please don't make me leave. I wanna stay here with you!"

"Oh, don't cry, Harry," said Elysia soothingly, pulling Harry into her lap and hugging him gently when fat tears started to roll down his cheeks. "Ssh, it's alright. I won't make you leave, little one."

"P-Promise?" said Harry with a sniff.

"With all my heart, cub." Humming softly, Elysia started to rock Harry back and forth. Even though in the back of his mind Harry knew he was too old for this, he didn't tell her to stop. Instead, he leaned his head against her chest and closed his eyes, rubbing his cheeks with a balled up hand in an effort to get rid of the tears that were still coming. This was something that he never got from his aunt, and he didn't remember if his mother did it. So he didn't mind it too much.

"Feeling better?" asked Elysia sometime later, just as Harry was starting to fall asleep.

"Mm hm," Harry muttered sleepily.

Laughing softly, Elysia gently placed Harry back in his bed. "Get some sleep, cub," she whispered. "I'm sure we've got a big day tomorrow."

Harry tried to respond, but in a matter of seconds, he was in a deep asleep.

Standing at the wooden gate, Severus looked down at the paper in his hand. Yes, this was the right place. Number four Privet Drive. He glanced around, sneering. All the houses looked the same, save for the brass numbers on the door. How could Muggles live like this? It was... disturbing.

Pushing the gate aside, Severus marched down the stone path. He had transformed his usual black robes into Muggle clothes, black dress pants, a white button up shirt, and a black jacket. They only thing he refused to change was his black boots - they gave him extra height. Perhaps unneeded, since he was already so tall, but excellent for towering over others.

Knocking on the door twice, Severus crossed his arms, feeling the wand that he kept in his right sleeve. He didn't like to keep it on that side, but he hated to keep it so close to the now dormant Dark Mark. So he had trained himself to use his left hand when dueling. It helped later on as well, during the war and his spying days.

"Just a moment!" called out a woman's shrill voice and Severus frowned. Why did that voice sound familiar?

The door opened, and a thin woman with a horse-like face frowned at him as she took him. "Yes? We don't want to buy anything -"

"I'm not here to sell anything," said Severus briskly. "Mrs. Dursley, I'm here to speak to you about your ward, Harry Potter."

Instantly, the woman went pale. "I don't know what you're talking about," she forced out. "There's never been a Harry Potter here!" And with that, she slammed the door in his face, locking it instantly.

Growling in anger, Severus pulled out his wand, though he transferred it to his right hand. It was obvious she was lying and he was going to find out why.

After making sure that his wand could not be seen to anyone that might be looking out there windows, Severus pointed his wand at the door, preforming a silent spell that opened the door with a click, another that placed a privacy spell on the house, and then another that forced the door to swing open with a bang. He was rewarded with a high pitched scream that no one outside the property would hear.

"Get out!" screeched the woman. "Get out now!"

"Not until my questions are answered, Mrs. Dursley," said Severus as the door slammed shut behind him. "Now produce your ward!"

"I told you, I don't know what your talking about," screeched the woman. "There is no Harry Potter here!"

"What the bloody - who the hell are you?" roared a man as he stomped into the hallway, his shaking wife racing to hide behind him. He was an obese man with a mustache that was twitched as his round face got ruddy. "Petunia, what's going on?"

"Petunia?" said Severus lowly. He knew he recognized that voice. "Petunia Evans, isn't it?" He couldn't believe that she had married such a lard.

As Petunia went wide eyed at her maiden name, someone spoke up. "Daddy, what's goin' on?" asked a large boy at the top of the stairs, looking down with wide eyes. It was certainly not Harry Potter, this boy had blonde hair and watery blue eyes, though he must have been the same again. Still, he was at an unhealthy weight for a boy his age.

"Go back to your room, Dudley!" snapped out Dursley to his son before turning back to Severus. "Now you listen here, I don't know who you are or what you're thinking, but you have no right to be in my house! Leave before I call the police!"

"First, produce Harry Potter," said Severus. "I've been told he's been missing for at least a day."

Just like his wife, Dursley paled, but only for a moment. "I don't know who you're talking about," he growled. "There is no Harry Potter here."

"Vernon!" said Petunia shakily. "I remember him. He's one of them!"

Dursley's face turned purple. "Get out my house, you freak!" he spat, his spittle flying. "I will not have your kind in my house!"

Moving so fast he doubted the tub of fat even saw him take a step, Severus stood only a foot away from Dursley, his wand pressed to Dursley thick neck. He heard Petunia screech again, but ignored it as he started down her husband. "I will not repeat myself again," Severus hissed. "Harry Potter. Now."