When she woke up she was in a sterile bed with scratchy white sheets that could only belong to St. Mungo's hospital. Remus was at her side. He looked an extra level of terrible. His hair was messy and his eyes were sunken. Perhaps it was around the full moon, but she could see it was more. It was sadness.

"Remus." Her voice felt unused, and she cleared her throat, trying her best.

"Stel!" Remus grabbed her hand, his fingers trembling. "Thank Merlin you woke up!"

"So that wasn't a dream, then? I'm truly out?" She tried to sit up but she was so weak.

"Severus found you. I don't know how he managed. I had been looking everywhere for you. When you didn't leave potion for me I knew something was wrong, but I never thought that…" His green eyes watered with emotion.

"...where is Sirius?" She glanced around, concerned. It wasn't strange that her mother didn't show up, or her father. But Sirius was always there when she was sick or injured.

"Sirius…" A dark shadow covered Lupin's face, his whole body trembling. "Sirius has been arrested and sent to Azkaban."

"What?!" She tried to get up again, this time succeeding in getting to her elbows. Remus just watched her, a haunted look to his eyes. "What for? We have to get him out!"

"He killed a dozen muggles, and our friend Peter. And then turned Lily and James into the Dark Lord."

"No…" Runestella furrowed her brow. "No! That isn't him! Not Sirius! He wouldn't do that. He loved his friends! He loved them more than he ever loved me!"

"They found him on the scene laughing. He was caught red handed. Stel… I think he lost his mind. He isn't the Sirius we knew anymore." The heartbreak Remus wore was enough to convince her, though deep down she never wanted to believe that her sweet older brother would even be capable.

"Wait… if he turned in James and Lily… that means…?" Her jaw dropped open.

"They're dead. You-Know-Who killed them both. He failed to kill their son and ruined his own body in the process. The Potters are gone. And so is the Dark Lord. The war… is over." A single tear ran down his cheek. Before this he had done a brilliant job in keeping his sadness in, but the subject became too heavy to handle.

A profound sense of relief hit her. Unlike Remus, she didn't know Lily and James. She couldn't grieve for them when Voldemort's death was such a victory. She was abandoned in the cell because her tormentor was dead. Never would she have to tell him any of the secrets behind her cursed experiments. She was free.

But… Lily was dead. Severus' Lily. And Sirius was responsible.

Her stomach churned.

"Oh… oh… poor Severus…" The look on his face when she mentioned Lily after he rescued her made sense now. The Dark Lord didn't honor his promise to leave Lily alone. Even when Severus chose to protect her instead.

"Poor Severus?" Remus scoffed. "He was in cahoots with You-Know-Who until the very end. He hasn't come to see you once since dropping you here. Why do you pity him?"

"Well…" Her gaze caught on the small green vial on her side table labeled Vinegaroon Acid. He had done as she asked. "Because he saved my life."

"There's… something else." Remus gripped her hand and she flinched, unused to tender affection. He waited until she calmed her nerves.

"Your brother Regulus… he's...passed." He carefully tried to word it so she couldn't be upset, but she already knew. That familiar ache throbbed in her heart, hearing it vocalized, but she had already grieved.

"I know. I was… informed."

"Then you know about your father?" Remus watched her and saw her face fall, and then realized she didn't know at all. "Your father passed shortly after your brother. No one knows why. Perhaps shock? He took your disappearance especially hard and the news of Regulus sent him over the edge."

"Oh." It was a complex web of emotions that she felt. On one hand she was so terribly saddened by the loss of her brother and her father, a hole opened in her soul she could never fill. But on the other hand… she had such a weird relationship with her father. He was the one who originally suggested the union with Avery, and he refused to listen to her objections of his character. In a way he was directly responsible for her suffering.

But she never wished him death.

Silent tears coursed down her face and Remus pulled her into his chest while she cried. Over his shoulder, she could see the Vinegaroon Acid bottle, sitting on the side table in place of the person she truly needed.

Severus never came to see her in St. Mungo's. Perhaps he was too distraught from the loss of Lily. Still, Runestella felt hurt by it. She had been tortured both mentally and physically and was forever changed, but still Lily was more important. Lily was gone and she was still a larger presence to Severus than she ever was.

Remus was kind. He kept near her side, sure to help in any way she needed. But recovery was harsh. She was malnourished and normal food was too harsh on my system, so she had to build up her ability to process richer foods. The food was terrible, but her mental state was worse. Rune had severe PTSD, and small things would set her off. The sound of a banging door, or even footsteps would break her down entirely. It took a lot of time to fight her way back to reality and a lot of coping techniques to find some sort of normal. The doctors were worried about her tenancy to disassociate when she was rattled but it was habit. It kept her mind clear and was harder to break into her thoughts.

Eventually, when she was at least able to go a few days without an incident, they saw the light to her recovery. When it was time for her leave, she returned to the Black manor. Only to realize that what was left of her mother was but a shadow of what she used to be.

"You! You shouldn't have survived!" Walburga screeched, throwing picture frames and candlesticks at her. "Regulus should have lived! You ruined the union with Avery! You are defiled! Dirty! Useless to the family!"

Her lip curled when she stared at Runestella's face.

"You look like a monster. Unnatural. I don't want you here. You disappoint me just as much as Sirius did. All you had to do was open your legs and give birth to a pureblooded child, but you couldn't even manage that."

As she left her childhood home, some of her clothing and jewelry packed into a suitcase, Kreacher rushed to catch up.

"Miss! Little Lady!" The house elf popped up at her side and she jumped, easy to frighten now.

"Oh. I'm sorry Kreacher. I forgot to say goodbye." She smiled at him shakily.

"Kreacher wanted to give you this!" He passed her a bank book and a key. "When Mistress was in a better state of mind she would have wanted you to have it. Don't take it personally, Miss. She hadn't been herself."

Shocked, Runestella took the offering.

"What is this?"

"Your trust fund, Miss. Mistress has kept quite a lot of funds in Gringott's under your name. She was meaning to give it to you on your wedding day, I believe." Kreacher gave her a rare smile, his grouchy and scowling face showing kindness. "It's only right you have it. Kreacher… persuaded her to transfer the balance from Young Master Regulus' vault as well. It would… only sit after all. And the Young Master would have it no differently, Kreacher is sure of that."

"Thank you, Kreacher." She clutched it to her chest, grateful for his gesture. With this she wouldn't have to worry about where she would stay or how to survive.

"If I may suggest, Miss… perhaps you should seek out the Baines family. They've been vassals of the Black Family for generations. They'd be more than happy to lend you sanctuary if you need it. Or even a new identity if Miss needs it."

"A new… identity." Her mind raced. Perhaps that was what she wanted. No matter where she went she couldn't shake the feeling of being hunted. She couldn't deny that the Dark Lord had developed an attachment to her, and though he was supposedly dead she felt like he would swoop in to take her to the altar at any minute.

"You are a good friend, Kreacher." She thought briefly to give him clothing but knew he would never accept it. And it meant little unless it came directly from the head of the house.

"Oh. Kreacher is not a friend. Kreacher is just a servant of the noble House of Black. Do not worry, Miss. Kreacher will keep your room tidy while you are gone, and keep your portrait in good repair. And perhaps when you are able, and if the Mistress allows, you can come back."

He was so loyal to their mother, but because of how close he was to Regulus he had a soft spot for Runestella. The little elf, at least, left her feeling warm after the scathing words of her mother.

"But you are more than a servant, Kreacher. I hope you know that."

And she was rewarded with the way his sagging ears perked up ever so slightly.

She did just as Kreacher suggested and visited Ruthford Baines. He was more than pleased to receive her. And, just as she was persuaded to do, she took on a new name. Just to make it a little harder to find her. Officially in the records Runestella Black was alive but still missing, and she now went instead by Rune Baines. Only Gringott's knew the truth because she registered both names on her trust. But no secret would leak from Gringott's.

And then she found a small place to stay outside of Godric's Hallow. Nothing special, but somewhere with small walls that reminded her of the specialized potions room at Hogwarts she would hole up in to hide from Avery. It was ironic, since she was held in a cold stone cell, but well furnished stone dungeons felt like Hogwarts. And she felt safer there, at least for the years after Avery graduated.

Remus visited her regularly. She always jumped when he arrived, the PTSD of her confinement weighing on her. He finally got her to open up and she told him the truth, and how she was now living in a constant state of paranoia. That was when Remus suggested a strange but novel idea.

Perhaps she would feel safer if she became an animagus. Unbeknownst to her, Sirius was also an animagus. He apparently turned into a large black dog to keep Remus company during his shifts. And he was unregistered so he was hard to track by the Ministry, but also hard for the Death Eaters to pin down.

If she became an animagus she could escape much more easily if she was cornered. And it would be a nifty way to hide. Though Remus and Rune knew it was strange for her to feel so paranoid after Voldemort had died and the Death Eaters were in prison, she still felt uneasy just existing. And Remus wanted to do whatever he could to make her feel better.

At the start of the full moon, ironically marked during Remus' first shift since she returned, she put a mandrake leaf in her mouth and had to keep in her mouth until the next full moon. If she swallowed or chewed it she would have to restart so she was meticulous about keeping the leaf safe. She got a small crystal vial that had been charged in the rays of the full moon and put the leaf inside, along with her hair. And then once a day for seven days she added dew untouched by the foot of man or sunlight. On the last day she added the chrysalis of the death's head hawk moth.

And she let it sit, untouched, in a dark place.

Every day for weeks at sunrise she would put her wand over her heart.

"Amato Animo Animato Animagus."

And then again at sunset.

She was astonished to realize her heart was beating twice. There was a whole new life growing in her chest. It was a long wait to the next electrical storm. Becoming an animagus was time consuming hard but she found it was a worthy distraction. The schedules she had to keep to brew the potion and chant the incantation kept her from disassociating and kept her busy. When she was focused on not messing up the process she wasn't thinking of her trauma.

Or thinking about why Severus hasn't tried to find her.

Remus, however, was a steady presence and always there to keep her company. With her trust she had plenty of money to acquire ingredients and was able to consistently brew him wolfsbane. Another welcome distraction.

During her long wait she used her skilled hands to craft the vial of resurrection potion into a necklace. It was a strange comfort to her now. Testament that she survived the hellhole she was made to ensure, but also a cheat card she could use as any moment. The potion would be useless if she didn't have it when it mattered.

Finally the weather was perfect. An electrical storm had been building all through the morning, the air heavy and thick with moisture. She waited patiently, staring at the window and hoping that it would finally break into thunder. And then, with a sharp crack, the first strike hit the ground. When it was strong overhead, her body hummed with power, telling her it was time. She walked to the dark closet where she had hidden her potion and was pleased to see it was glowing red. It was ready.

"I think it's safe." Remus leaned against the door. "I'll be with you, don't worry."

It wasn't usually advised to be near others when first transforming, but Remus had seen this process many times and knew what to expect. She was grateful to have him and nodded, pulling out her wand.

The point rested on her heart.

"Amato Animo Animato Animagus." She clearly annunciated, the incantation now second nature to her. Shortly following she raised the potion to her lips and downed it.

A burning pain engulfed her body and she grunted, but it was bearable. It was nothing to the Cruciatus Curse. The second heartbeat in her chest thudded harder, the sensation so acute it felt it would burst from her. She writhed and twisted, the pain ricocheting through her bones.

As she turned she wondered if this is what Remus felt every time he shifted. And why he was so afraid.

She realized that she was shrinking, and before she knew it the transition was over. Her wand was on the floor next to her. Curious as to what her form turned into, she hopped forward. And realized that she was hopping. And her body felt very light.

Holding out her arms, she saw the light from the hallway glisten on the deep feathers. They were wings.

"Oh. You're a raven." Remus chuckled, leaning down to grab hold of her. She jumped as he easily scooped her small form into his arms and pocketed her wand for safekeeping. "Come on, Stel. I'll show you a mirror."

One they got to a mirror she realized she was truly a raven, just as Remus had said. She had a long elegant beak, tiny three pronged feet, and glossy black feathers. Along her neck was a fan of ruffled feathers that obviously mimicked the high collar on the dress she was wearing. Because of the skirt of her dress, the tail of her Raven was a touch fuller than a usual bird.

"If you want to return to your human form, clearly visualize your human self. You will come back."

She thought of herself. Of her long, wavy black hair and dark eyes. Pale skin. Unnatural complexion that was reminiscent of a porcelain doll. Younger than she should be.

And just like that she turned into herself again. Her monstrous, beautiful self.

"That was quick. It usually takes a few tries." Remus easily held her though she was a fully grown adult woman now. And yet, even as an adult she was petite and light of weight. A fit man would have no problem picking her up, as Remus showcased by the ease he cradled her.

"I'm used to magic of the mind now." She explained, stepping down and receiving her wand.

"Now all you must do is imagine your raven form and you can go back. You might need to use your wand and the incantation for a while, but before long you will get so good at it you will be able to do it with a thought."

It was a freeing moment for her, becoming an animagus. It gave her a sense of security and made her feel less trapped. And she absolutely utilized her new ability.

She took to it quickly and was controlling her form with skill and precision. Once she didn't need to hold her wand to transform, she could keep it on her person and transform with it so she would have it wherever she went. With her wand in hand she felt more comfortable venturing out into the world outside of her small safe haven.

And when she left, feeling the fresh air kiss her skin and the sun tickle her cheeks, she thought once more of the hill overlooking the Black Lake and craved the scent of dittany on the wind. And Severus, steadfast, sitting beside her with a firm but comforting sternness.

Unlike when she was confined, she didn't just have to daydream. She could just go and see him.

For the first time since her recovery she sought out Severus. According to what she was told by Remus he was now the Potion Master at Hogwarts, directly succeeding Professor Slughorn. A position that might have been hers in another life.

She had to be creative to get there. Hogwarts had many enchantments that prevented surprise visits and had to be physically approached. She used floo powder to travel to the Three Broomsticks and stayed for a butterbeer as to not draw suspicion and then ducked around back to transform.

Wings were convenient. She was able to fly directly to the school, dodging a few crabby owls on the way. Finally she saw the familiar skyline of the castle, perched over the Black Lake. She was wise enough to fly high enough she wouldn't be snagged by the giant squid, and avoided dipping too far into the Forbidden Forest. As she neared, recalling every nook and cranny of the place, she was sure to also avoid the Whomping Willow. The absolute beast of a plant had managed to take out many birds before.

If Snape was the Potion's Master he would likely be in the Dungeons. A place she could not easily see. Instead she turned and went back towards the Black Lake. Where their hill was.

She didn't think she would meet him there. In fact, seeing his black silhouette lounging in the grass took her completely by surprise.

Suddenly she felt a keen social anxiety and dove to meet the ground quickly. Hopping behind a boulder, she peeked out to watch him.

By the time she had managed to get to Hogwarts it was well into the day. After classes and nearing sunset when Snape might have free time. He stared off over the lake, a wistful expression furrowing his brows.

She knew him well. There was pain in the set of his eyes and the tenseness of his jaw. He was grieving, still. Lily still had a grip on his heart.

Pain hit her chest and she ruffled her feathers, trying to shake the feeling off.

She looked around, scanning the perimeter with her keen corvidae vision. Along the shoreline was a familiar plant she knew well.

Dittany.

A plant immensely helpful for brewing healing potions.

Careful not to draw attention to herself she hopped her way to the nearest growth, inspecting it with her beak for quality. Once she found the best branch, she snapped it off and was sure to keep the leaves preserved. The flower was a little beat up, but it was not as useful as the leaves.

She hopped back to the hill, approaching him carefully. When he sensed something nearby he whipped his wand out and pointed it at her. His suspicion waned when he saw her bird form.

Ravens were native to Scotland. It was not unusual to see one. And it was not strange for a raven to act cunning or clever, so her human reactions were also not suspect. Which was lucky because she froze the instant his wand came out, her wings ready to flap away.

"Shoo, birdy." He sighed, putting his wand back. She hopped closer, careful not to startle him again, and dropped the dittany by his side.

"… dittany?" Snape picked it up, his brows pulling together as he inspected the fine quality of the leaves. "What for?"

For potions, of course! She replied in her mind, but knew he couldn't hear her. Instead she tilted her head at him. Really all she had wanted was to shake him from his melancholy the only way she knew how: with their common interest in potion crafting.

"Thank you." He offered, watching her carefully. Severus was cunning and because of his experiences in the war he was very untrusting. Already he suspected her.

Though she could die from embarrassment she hopped around in wild circles, making a show of pecking the ground like she was foraging for bugs.

I'm a normal bird. She thought, trying to recall normal bird things to do. Getting a good dose of inspiration she hopped to his side and ruffled her feathers so she could preen them.

"What a weird bird." Snape scoffed, picking at the useless flower petals. "Perhaps normal for a corvidae, though."

After a while of pretending to preen she simply fluffed out her feathers. It was getting cold on the hill as the sun got lower in the sky and she hoped the air she trapped in her feathers would warm her.

"I should return to the castle. Supper will be served soon." He stood up and adjusted his carefully buttoned robes before casting one look at Rune. "Thank you for the company. And the dittany."

She croaked in her deep, throaty but musical raven voice in return. The hard part of being a raven is ravens can somewhat mimic human speech. So if she got sloppy she might give herself away.

As he left she wondered if he would be there again the next day.

Because she was given plenty of money by Kreacher she felt no pressing need to work right away. It left her with a lot of free time. And a desire to see him.

It became habit for her to check every day to see is Severus was at the hill. To ensure she would make it on time she would leave the Three Broomsticks early. It was embarrassing that Madame Rosemerta now knew her by name, so she switched it up and would sometimes go to the Hog's Head instead. And then she would go and search for something to bring Severus as an excuse.

Once she was brave enough she found herself venturing into the Forbidden Forest. When necessary she could flash back to her human form to forage before turning back into a raven. She flitted through the forest in that manner until she found something of worth. Sometimes it was a leaping toadstool or a spare shed spider fang, but on lucky days she would strike gold.

This time she found a unicorn hair, silvery and potent. A truly priceless ingredient for both wands and potions alike.

Pleased, she hummed a throaty raven song as she made her way to the hill. Sure enough, it was that perfect time of day when Severus was deep in his thoughts. Now when she approached he didn't threaten her with his wand.

She landed and cheerfully hopped to him, bouncing around to get his attention.

"Ah. You have returned." He smirked wryly. She croaked in response, hopping a little pattern in front of him.

"What have you there?" Now he was used the offerings and looked for what she would give him. The unicorn hair was fine enough and the light of the dusk low enough he couldn't quite make it out.

She lifted her leg and wiggled her little bird toes, trying to show him to hold out his hand. It was such a precious item she couldn't risk giving it to him haphazardly. She wanted to deliver it properly.

For a moment he stared at her before allowing a chuckle. The sight must have been amusing.

"Like this?" He held his hand out palm up. Pleased, she hopped a little more to celebrate the successful communication before turning to come close to his hand. Gently she leaned forward, her beak touching his palm, and released the unicorn hair.

Snape was confused at first. The hair was so light he could have lost it. A small breeze hit and the hair almost went flying. Rune squawked, adjusting her wing to cover the wind. Realizing there was something in his hand he closed it and looked closer.

"A unicorn hair?" His eyes widened. "You must have been the Forbidden Forest. It's dangerous for a small bird like you."

She croaked, confidently hopping about to show how unbothered she was by the danger. Ravens weren't really the smallest bird to begin with.

"You know, I read about ravens." Severus began, safely wrapping the hair in a handkerchief and pocketing it. "I read that gift giving is pretty common for your species."

It was a relief to know he thought it was just corvid behavior.

"I also read that sometimes ravens will give gifts to birds they are interested in mating with. And that they will do dances and stunts to catch their attention. Are you trying to court me? Can I assume you are a female raven?" It was very like him to do research on something he was curious about, but she was not prepared for the emotional attack.

Overwhelmed and embarrassed she let out a gurgling croak and puffed up her feathers. She was so focused on hiding she didn't notice him reaching forward and grabbing her. Somehow he managed to grab her so her wings couldn't extend and she grunted, legs flailing.

"Calm down. I was kidding."

As if it were the most normal thing in the world to do, Snape started smoothing her feathers and petting her. As if everyone just manhandled birds and groomed them.

"I like how you have this ruffle of feathers like a necklace. It's pretty cute and unique, actually." Snape smoothed at the errant feathers and a chill spread down her body. She was blindsided with the attention.

It was so unlike him to use terms like 'cute', and much more unlike him to be so affectionate. She knew it was because he thought she was a bird and that he would never act this way around another human. But still she was flustered, and let out a distressed croak before wiggling away and flying off.

Back at her little townhouse she sighed. Because she hated staying alone, thanks to her time stuck in the cell, Remus agreed to room with her.

It was time to finish the wolfsbane potion for Remus. It had been simmering at a fixed temperature for days and just needed the addition of the powdered Occamy egg. She was so focused on getting the correct texture for the powder that she didn't even notice Remus coming in.

"Did you go to visit Severus again?"

She told him about her escapades, but Remus still didn't like their connection.

"Ah… yes." Remembering his compliment on her feathers she flushed.

"And he still doesn't know you can turn into a raven?" His question was pointed and she stopped.

"No."

"He'll be angry once he finds out." Remus warned. "He's always like that. It's not worth wasting your time for."

"He needs a friend." She tried, swooping the pestle around the bowl of the mortar.

"Except you aren't approaching him as a friend. You go to see him because you have loved him since school years." It was a harsh statement, but his face softened. "You're gonna get hurt, Stel."

"I know." She whispered. Severus would never let go of Lily. Just as she wouldn't let go of Severus.

"You Slytherins are so frustrating with your unending unrequited love!" He sighed.

She sprinkled the egg powder into the brew and waved her wand, stirring it six times counter clockwise before waving her wand again. It puffed with magical smoke, turning it the standard neon blue. It seemed an easy process, but only a few potion masters in the world were proficient enough to brew it. Now it just had to cool before bottling it.

"Can't you just… look at me instead?" Remus blurted, the sudden outburst making her forget the potion entirely. "I have been your closest friend for many years now. Not knowing where you were when you were captured was agonizing. Can't you just stay by my side?"

"Remus…" Rune sighed and placed her wand down before taking his hand. "You are my dearest friend. And I can't risk losing that."

"You won't!" He insisted, holding her hand tightly in return. "I will always care for you."

"I'm too broken to be able to complete you."

He froze, a pained expression twisting his face.

"You need someone that can be there for you and help you through the trauma of your condition. Because of what I went through… I have too much trauma myself to be of any assistance. We are great friends because we can understand each other, but good friends don't make a healthy relationship."

It hit home. He looked shellshocked by her rejection, but he understood it.

"Don't look at me like that. It's breaks my heart. I do care for you so much. But it's not the same." Her voice shook, emotion capturing it. "I can't help it. All I can think of it him."

It was ironic. Because her greatest pain is how all Snape can think of is Lily. And she was doing the same thing to Remus.

But unlike the brooding, obsessive Slytherin types, Gryffindors moved on easier. Remus would be fine. And he would find someone perfectly suited to him.

"… I understand." He was resigned but unhappy about her decision.

"Well. Tonight you can start taking your potion." Rune changed the subject. "And now that I'm an animagus, I will keep you company through the night of the full moon."

"No!" The subject change was effective because any trace of sadness was gone and all that was left was panic. "It's dangerous to be around me when I'm transformed!"

"Not for an animagus. You told me that my brother became one so he could keep you company when you shifted. I will do the same."

"… Rune, I don't like you putting yourself in danger like this." As always, Remus blamed himself for his condition.

"It's no danger. I'm a bird animagus. I can fly away easily if it gets too dangerous."

And just like that another phase of her life started. She would visit Severus and then spend time with Remus right before the full moon. He was terrified every cycle, so she stayed with him to make sure he wasn't lonely.

But Severus was a cunning Slytherin, which meant he quickly caught on that something was strange with his bird friend. Their rendezvous reached an end when he finally called her out. They had been sitting and basking in the light of the setting sun for a while. It was getting colder now and became harder to find ingredients. She resorted to going deeper into the Forbidden Forest and mostly collecting animal parts. This time she found a fwooper feather.

He stared at her thoughtfully, before finally allowing his suspicion to rise.

"Who are you?"

The words stopped her dead, her feathers ruffling.

"You clearly understand me, then. Are you a spy? For who? The Death Eaters remaining?" For a long moment neither of them moved. She tried to coyly cock her head, as if she didn't truly understand, but he scoffed.

"These gifts you bring me… not one of them were useless. They were all potion ingredients. Some very valuable ones at that. And in good condition. No bird could even be taught to be that accurate."

In a bid to fool him, she picked some grass and brought it to him.

"And you always show up at the same time, like you know the hours of the day."

It was getting harder and harder to pretend.

"You also disappear every month around the full moon, and always return directly after. You can't be the one afflicted since you are a raven, but you must have a werewolf friend to attend to."

She stopped, wondering if their small moments were coming to an end. Looking up at him, she locked with his frustrated gaze. For a long moment they stared.

"Are you not going to show yourself?" He asked, his teeth gritting. She backed away.

If she were good and honest she could reveal herself. Ask for forgiveness for fooling him. But there was an anxiety that hit her. He didn't write to her when she was released from St Mungo's. What if he didn't want to see her? What if this made him hate her more?

Terrified of the fallout, she raised her wings and took flight.

"Stop there! Animagi Revelio!" Snape whipped out his wand, flicking it and causing a white-blue light to flash from his wand. The spell hit her, which was to be expected because he truly was a deadly shot. By this point she had gathered some air and was gliding near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Transforming back midair was dangerous, but when an animagus was forced to turn back they had to use their wand to transform again. It wasn't as easy as just using her magic to transform back. If she used her wand to change she would not transform with it and either lose it in the forest or break it.

Deciding she should manage, she allowed herself to fall in her human form and took her wand out. Other spells were fair game.

"Arresto Momentum!" She flicked the wand pattern and turned it on herself, slowing her descent. When she got close enough to a tree, she gripped a branch and hefted herself into the canopy.

"Stop there!" She heard Severus in pursuit. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized he was rushing in her direction.

"He's fast for his age…" She muttered in irritation, as if he wasn't just a few years older than her and in his twenties. Holding her wand out and drawing a boundary around her space, she readied for another spell.

"Cave inimicum." The spell concealed presences within a boundary of the caster, so she hoped it would be enough. Sure to keep behind the trunk of a tree when he approached, just in case, she held her breath as he huffed and stared around the forest boundary.

As usual he was too clever.

"Homenum Revelio!" He uttered, waving his wand. Her spell disintegrated. With a peep she ducked behind the tree, hoping he wouldn't see her. After a few long moments without discovery, she dared to peek around the trunk.

Judging by how he carefully tucked his wand back in his wand pocket, he appeared to have given up. Her hiding spot in the canopy of the oak, shadowed by the leaves and shielded by the trunk, was sufficient enough to avoid discovery without magic.

"I was hoping…" Severus sighed. "Never mind."

Once he was gone, she finally descended from the tree. It was getting dark in the forest, which wasn't ideal, but it was still bright enough after the last full moon that she could still travel. She didn't completely trust that Severus wouldn't be outside of the forest, waiting to ambush her. So she sighed and wandered further into the forest, hoping to kill some time before leaving to go to Hogsmeade where she could ask Madame Rosemerta to borrow some floo powder.

Perhaps she'd find some good ingredients.

But it was cold. She shivered, not quite dressed for the temperature drop of the damp forest at night. As a raven it wasn't so frigid, and she thought to be in the warmth of the Three Broomsticks by now, freshly back from her rendezvous. All of her planned were muddled.

She was so focused on keeping warm she was easy to sneak up on. Once she felt a presence she whipped out her wand, ready to fend off an acromantula or a red cap, but deflated in the presence of a centaur.

A lovely centaur at that, with a golden body, pale hair, and eyes so blue they were breathtaking. And he was young, barely out of his colt years. His calm breath puffed into smoke at the cold in the air, and he approached confidently but with confusion.

"What are you?" He asked.

"W-what do you mean?" Rune shivered, holding her arms around her chest.

"You have many souls inside of you. And a beast. Your time has nearly stopped. It's as if you have partaken in the blood of a unicorn, but you still feel pure." His brown furrowed. "Your main soul is chaotic and tortured, as if you have been through much suffering."

It was so accurate she couldn't refute him, so she looked away.

"I w-was a test subject. I d-drank potions that ch-ch-changed me."

"Why don't you use your wand to warm up?" The centaur asked.

"I d-don't want to d-disturb anything l-living here." While she had been courageously traversing the forest for ingredients she had respected it, never taking more than could be sustained and only gathering what wouldn't be missed. She was sure not to harass the wildlife or stir up any nests. It was the respectful way to ensure there would be plenty of ingredients to harvest in the future. And she truly did love magic creatures, though she had never been in a place safe enough she could keep and care for one herself.

"… I see." The centaur took the fur off his shoulders and wrapped her in it gently. Usually they didn't wear much in the way of clothing, but he too had to keep warm. "You shouldn't be wandering in these woods alone."

"T-thank you." She smiled, very touched by his gesture. She tucked her ice cold hands under the fur, letting them warm up.

"I am Firenze." The beautiful light blonde hair of the centaur glowed silver in the moonlight.

"I am Rune Baines." She offered her hand in greeting and the centaur stared at it before gently taking it and playing along with her human customs. His large grip felt so warm on her freezing hands.

"That isn't your name." Firenze announced, shaking his head. Centaurs were remarkably clairvoyant, and this one seemed to be a head above the rest. She wryly smiled back. While she would usually hide her identity, she didn't feel like the centaur would put her in danger. Not one of her very sensitive instincts were warning her away from him, so she just told the truth.

"Well, no. My true name is Runestella Black."

"Ah, one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, as you humans call it. And closely tied with the Dark Lord."

"Well, yes. But I changed my name because I don't want to be."

A long paused followed and he dropped her hand.

"I believe you."

His acknowledgement made her feel warmer than the furs.

"You talk like you have experienced the world and had reached the age of enlightenment but you can't be older than a dozen years." She teased. The centaur's cheeks flushed pink and be became bashful. A very young person thing to do.

"I am old enough." The centaur protested. "But you are the first human I have ever encountered."

"Is that so?"

"No matter, you are unnatural so you shouldn't linger in this forest. There are many that would prey on your for your unique blood." Firenze led the way, heading towards Hogsmeade. Likely he divined where she would want to be.

"Is my blood truly that special?" At some level she knew it was enough to make a miraculous potion and she nervously thumbed the vial at her neck.

"You are a being who is slower than the rest. You are aging, but much slower than other humans. It seems the curse of the unicorn blood you used was transformed in this manner. Though one could say aging as you are is a curse in itself. Blood as unnatural as yours will have miraculous uses, which is why you must guard yourself."

They neared the end of the forest and she took the fur off to give it back, but Firenze shook his head.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" She asked. Growing up at Hogwarts she had heard tales of the centaurs and was always told they were hostile to visitors.

"Because you have suffered enough." His eyes softened. "Though do not return here. I hold no hostile intentions to humans, but my brethren would not be so forgiving of your condition. To us, you are nothing sort of an abomination."

"Well, that's harsh." She dryly replied, but she knew he meant it. Touched he still helped her despite his belief that she was a monster, she hugged her fur closer.

"Thank you, Firenze. I was having a miserable day before you happened upon me."

"You are welcome." He gave her a small bow before returning back to the forest. With a sigh, she trudged back to the Three Broomsticks.

Life as an abomination was difficult.