[A/N: Happy New Year! Yes, it's been a year since the last update... and it's been a long year indeed. I'm on break from school for a few weeks, but I'm not sure if there will be another chapter up anytime soon. I promise that more chapters are coming, though. Hope you enjoy this one!]
James swaggered out of Transfiguration class, having completed the day's assignment with ease. He waggled his vibrant violet eyebrows at Lily, who rolled her eyes as she passed by.
Sirius, who now sported a well-trimmed goatee instead of different-colored eyebrows as had been the goal of the lesson, shook his head ruefully. "I still don't know how you expect her to go to the Ball with you. Halloween is this weekend."
"It's going to happen, Padfoot. Just you wait." He grinned at Melody and Remus, both of whom had managed to moderately lighten the color of their natural eyebrows. "What about you lot? I know anyone you manage to ask will pale in comparison to Lily Evans, but you've got to at least try."
Melody glanced at Remus, who was suddenly very interested in the Transfiguration book he was holding.
"We've already got that covered," Sirius chuckled, twirling his goatee between two fingers. "The three of us are going stag, in honor of the glorious moment when Evans humiliates you and refuses your advances."
"I'm not sure if I'll end up going," Remus said quietly. "I think I may be coming down with something again. I don't know if I'll be well enough for an evening of revelry." Sirius and James exchanged a glance, but Melody frowned, concerned.
"Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey? Whatever it is, I'm sure she can help..."
"I'll be all right," Remus assured her. The foursome reached their Potions classroom and took up a pair of desks together, as usual.
"Today, we will be learning how to brew the Hiccoughing Solution," Professor Slughorn declared as he wrote some instructions neatly on the board in front of them. "Contrary to popular belief, the Hiccoughing Solution does not cure hiccoughs; it actually induces them. To reverse the effect, you'll have to recall the counter-charm; which you'll hopefully remember from your fifth-year Charms studies."
Melody nodded along as she took notes, but she was finding it harder and harder to concentrate in her classes, now that Remus seemed to be getting ill again. Sirius and James had said that this was normal for Remus; but surely it was neither normal nor healthy to end up in the hospital wing on a monthly basis.
Everything seemed to be fine, though, as the four friends trooped to the Quidditch Pitch to watch the match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. The losing House would face Slytherin in just two weeks, while the winning team of today's match would face Gryffindor a week after that. Melody wanted to get a good feel for each of the teams, as she'd be facing one or the other very soon, so she'd brought some parchment to take notes on the players.
"This is Quidditch, Mels, not a Transfiguration exam," Sirius teased her good-naturedly as they settled into their seats in the stands.
"Oi, she could be on to something," James admonished. "Maybe little Melody will be our secret weapon for winning the next match; not that we usually have much trouble against Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. But she might just find an extra weakness we haven't noticed."
"You mean aside from Bertram Aubrey's infatuation with Melody, not to mention anything else with a pulse?" Sirius grumbled, scooping his arm around Melody's waist protectively.
Melody almost dropped her quill as Sirius's hand settled on her hipbone. "I think the two of you have more than scared him off for good," she pointed out, watching as Bertram flew past with his team, pointedly avoiding gazing anywhere towards the area Melody and her friends were sitting in, and nearly crashing into the stands in the process. "Shouldn't you be commentating?"
"I only commentate when Gryffindor is playing," Sirius sniffed. "I have standards, you know."
The match was only just getting underway when Remus, who had been exceptionally quiet even for him, cleared his throat softly and stood up. "I think I'll... I'm going back to the Common Room for a bit. Let me know how the match ends, will you?"
Sirius was immediately on his feet, studying Remus's face with concern. "Are you all right?"
"Do you need us to go with you?" James asked from where he sat on the other side of Melody.
"I'll be fine," Remus insisted, but Sirius insisted harder, and the two of them left James and Melody sitting in the stands. James seemed invested in the game, but he wasn't as cheery as usual; and as soon as it ended, he made a beeline for Gryffindor Tower, with Melody at his heels, instead of hanging around to chat with Evans. He bid Melody farewell a little too light-heartedly; and by the time she made it back from the evening's Slug Club dinner, the Common Room was empty save for a couple of third years who were occupying James and Sirius's usual spots.
At breakfast, Melody was disappointed but not surprised to see that none of the three boys were around. She ate quickly before hurrying back to grab her Charms textbook, which was still lying beside her bed where it had been left the night before, after she fell asleep reading through next week's chapters.
She ran into Sirius and James, who were clambering out of the portrait-hole on their way to class.
"I think they're just about to clear up breakfast," Melody said regretfully. She glanced past them at the Fat Lady, who was waiting with her eyebrows raised to see if Melody was planning to step through. "Is Remus... Did he end up in the Hospital Wing again?"
"Don't worry about our old boy; he'll be spritely as a spring chicken in a couple of days," Sirius assured her with a yawn. "We just fancied a bit of a lie-in."
"And as for breakfast, we'll just pop in on Oddy and grab some snacks before Charms starts. So turn that frown upside-down, before you end up being late to class, Mel," James said, smiling wearily. "We'll meet you there."
Melody's brows drew together, and she was about to say something else when the Fat Lady cleared her throat expectantly.
"Sorry," Melody apologized, hastily mumbling "Jelly Slug" even though the entrance was already open. Sirius turned to wave as he and James left; stretching his arms high above his head in a yawn, and his shirt slipped up briefly from his navel—and Melody could have sworn she caught sight of several black and blue discolorations along his ribs; like he'd been pummeled and kicked for hours on end. As the portrait of the Fat Lady swung shut behind her, Melody had to steer herself to her room, knowing that she really would be late if she dwelled on what could have possibly caused those bruises.
Melody arrived at dinner a little later than she meant to; having been engrossed in a project for Care of Magical Creatures. James and Sirius were already finishing up with their plates, and Remus was still nowhere to be seen.
"I've brought Remus's Care of Magical Creatures homework," Melody said, sitting down just as the boys were standing up.
"We'll put it with his books in our room," James assured her, accepting the bundle of parchment.
"Are you going to see him? I thought he wasn't allowed visitors," Melody recalled, but Sirius shook his head.
"I've actually got to make a stop at the Hospital Wing for my own sake," Sirius said ruefully. He lowered his voice. "Took a tumble down the stairs of the secret passageway when we went to nick some food before Charms. Seven flights of stairs are no joke, really—I've been putting it off all day, but my ribs could use some love from Madam Pomfrey."
Sirius ruffled her hair as he strolled away, whistling; and James waved goodbye, blowing a kiss to Lily, who was walking towards the Gryffindor table. "I'll see you at the Ball tomorrow, Evans!" She rolled her eyes at him and sat beside Melody.
"You look troubled," Lily said matter-of-factly as she helped herself to some of the autumnal spread of foodstuffs along the table. "Perhaps spending all your time with those two tosspots really has taken its toll on you."
Melody chuckled half-heartedly. "Maybe you're right." She ladled some squash soup from a nearby tureen into the bowl that was in front of her. "But he had those bruises before they went down..."
"Hm?" Lily asked, distracted by the roll she was buttering extensively.
"Nothing. Never mind," Melody said brightly. "Wow, the house elves have really outdone themselves tonight—everything is so colorful and... fall-y."
"Wait until you see tomorrow's feast," Lily told her. "They really go all out for Halloween."
"I had almost forgotten that was tomorrow," Melody admitted, slurping a spoonful of hot soup. "Are you looking forward to the Ball?"
"I was for about twelve seconds after it was announced, until Potter began bombarding me at every turn, showering me with invitations to be his date. Truth be told, I'll probably end up going alone."
Melody cleared her throat, nodding thoughtfully. "I'm sure more people would have asked you if James hadn't made it clear to the whole school that you're supposedly going to be his date."
"Oh, more people did ask me, but I think going alone will be more fun, anyway. I'd rather have my pick of dance partners. What about you? Any particular scholarly young men with grey eyes catch your fancy?"
Melody's cheeks flushed, and she coughed a little, attempting a smile. "I'm probably going to go on my own, too." She cleared her throat again, pausing as she brought her spoon to her lips. "Oh, no. This isn't squash soup."
"No, I think it's pumpkin," Lily said, tilting her head to peer over at the various tureens of soup. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm allergic to pumpkin," Melody sighed, pushing her bowl away and standing up.
"Uh-oh. Are you all right?" Lily asked concernedly.
Melody sneezed. "I'll be fine," she assured Lily, feeling her eyes begin to itch. "I've got a potion for it; it's in my trunk."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"There's no need," Melody assured her. "I won't, y'know, die if I don't take it immediately—I just have to take it as soon as possible." She waved goodbye and walked quickly out of the Great Hall, taking the steps two at a time and hurriedly exclaiming "Sugar Quill" to the Fat Lady.
With a few sips of her allergy potion, Melody's symptoms subsided, and she was able to breathe normally. Melody sighed in relief, setting the potion bottle down and leaning against the windowsill for support, resting her cheek against the cool windowpane.
A movement down in the shadows of the grounds caught her eye, and she squinted into the darkness, wondering what it could have been. The gentle, pattering rain was obscuring most of her vision, but in a flash of lightning, she saw two indistinct figures bend over and transform into animals.
One of them, a large black dog, crouched low and began inching forwards towards the Whomping Willow; pausing every now and then when a low-hanging branch came too near to its head. A few times, the dog got caught in the ribs; and though Melody could not hear what was going on down there, she was sure it must have whimpered in pain.
When it finally reached the base of the Whomping Willow's trunk, the dog did something that somehow caused the tree's dangerously flailing limbs to freeze, as though struck by an Immobulus Charm. The other animal, something large with long horns of some sort, followed after the dog; and they disappeared underneath the tree. After a moment, its branches began to wave again, swinging dangerously as far as they could reach.
Melody had a feeling that she knew exactly who those two indistinct figures had been. Quietly, she undid the latch on the window. A few drops of rain spilled into the room, but she ignored them. Melody clearly envisioned her Animagus form, and transformed, turning into a delicate little robin.
The wind buffeted her back and forth as she flitted to the ground, soaking wet, but she made it. Her bird form's body was too small for the Whomping Willow to reach, so she hopped forward, easily reaching the base of the tree. Melody hesitated, not sure what she should do. It had to have been Sirius and James who had transformed and then disappeared beneath this tree. Obviously, if she could illegally become an Animagus without anyone knowing, surely there were other people in the world who had done it, too. There must have been a good reason that they had snuck off to some secret passageway under the Whomping Willow without informing anyone. Was it really her business to find out what they were up to? But, then again... This had to have something to do with Remus and the fact that he was always ill.
Melody remembered how much pain Remus had been in the night she'd helped him to the Hospital Wing; how he always seemed to be tired, with fresh cuts across his face every time he returned from falling ill. If there was even the slightest possibility that she could help him, or understand him better by finding out what was wrong, then sneaking around in the dark after hours was worth it. She hopped into the opening that had been concealed by the many waving limbs of the Willow, and swooped down, flying for a little while before stopping in her tracks.
A terrifying sound was issuing from the darkness ahead of her. It sounded agonizingly heartrending; like something—or someone—was dying, or wished that they were close to death. Her little robin's heart beat madly against her frail chest as she crept forward. There was enough room for her to transform, but she felt that being small and quick, if she needed to get away, was safer. There was no telling what manner of creature she'd find in here.
As she drew nearer, the roars of pain were punctuated occasionally by a sorrowful dog whine, or the gentle scuffling of hooves pacing around a room. Melody held her breath, and poked her beak around the corner.
She could not have been prepared for what she saw. A werewolf tore around the room of a building that was run-down, abandoned, and worse for wear; scratching and biting itself in anguish. In the corner stood a beautiful stag, watching the werewolf with a doleful gaze; and near it, a large black dog lay with its nose on its paws, whining softly.
There was no doubt about it... even in werewolf form, the creature retained its grey eyes that were usually full of warmth and sadness, but now expressed nothing but agony and bitterness.
Remus.
Melody remembered at the last second that if she gasped, it would come out as a chirp that would echo through the empty corridor she was hiding in.. She edged forwards just a little bit more, but the dog raised its head, sniffing the air as it looked from side to side.
She backed away, flying back through the corridor as quickly as she could, and back out into the thundering rain. It was a struggle to reach the seventh floor, but she made it back to Gryffindor Tower—only to find that the window to her dormitory was closed and locked again; probably by one of her roommates, to keep the rain out.
Flapping her small wings desperately, Melody swooped along the side of the castle until she found a window that was slightly cracked open. She squeezed through it, exhausted; flitting inside with sopping wet feathers.
Melody transformed back into a human mid-flight, running down the hall with echoing footsteps until she had to stop and take a breath. Still soaking wet, she leaned against a tapestry she hadn't ever come across before, one of trolls dancing around in tutus, and slid down it until she was sitting on the floor in a growing puddle of rainwater.
Tears streamed down Melody's face; her eyes more swollen than they would have been if she had not taken her allergy potion after eating that bit of pumpkin soup. Her shoulders shook with sobs that she tried to keep quiet, in case Peeves or Filch and Mrs. Norris were lurking nearby.
How could she not have realized what Remus was going through? They had done an entire unit on werewolves in her Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures class last year at Ilvermorny. She was overwhelmed by the amount of pain—mental, emotional, and physical—that he must have to endure; not just once a month, but every day of his life! Having to be afraid of someone discovering his secret, or of hurting someone, and not even being able to enjoy something so simple as the light of the full moon...
Her heart hurt so badly for him that she felt it was surely going to break.
"I need..." she whispered to herself between hiccups and sobs. What did she need? Just a place to be alone; to think; to calm down, somehow.
I just need a place to calm down, she thought miserably. I'll wake the entire castle if I keep blubbering like this.
There was a scraping sound behind her, and Melody scrambled to her feet, watching in wonder as a door materialized in the stone wall. It had definitely not been there before. Confused, but fascinated, Melody pushed the door open, and walked through.
She emerged in a quiet room tinged with relaxing scents like lavender and valerian, gently lit with salt lamps and draped with silk canopies. There was a bed with cushions, pillows, and blankets, and a nightstand that bore a heating pad, a jug of water, a pot of tea with a teacup, tissues, and a folded set of pajamas. Melody turned around to see the door melt away behind her.
Still shivering slightly and wet with a combination of salty tears and cold rain, Melody turned around again to see that there was now a full bathroom on the other side of the room, complete with a shower, soap, towels, and everything she might need for an overnight stay.
"Well... Crazier things have happened," Melody said quietly. Her voice sounded pitifully small and forlorn to her own ears. She numbly went through the motions of getting ready for bed, and found that tears were still streaming down her face as she fell asleep in the mounds of pillows and blankets that had so mysteriously appeared. Her dreams were few and fitful; filled with pairs of anguished grey eyes staring at her from the surface of the full moon.