To The Moon and Back | Remus Lupin's Daughter

32. Reunited - Remus

the sensation of sunlight warming my skin woke me the next morning. groggy from lack of sleep I attempted to take in my surrounds. Sirius still in his animagus form stood at the other side of the run down room dragging over an old blanket for me and Astra. the second this i noticed, as memories of last night came rushing forward like a steam engine me with full force. 

curled up beside me, cuddling in one of my old jumpers was my now ten year old daughter. small patches of blood seeped into the fabric, her face was bruised, her lip busted and small scratch marks ran down from her left cheek down along her neck. It hurt to see her like this. it had been a rough night. possibly the worst full moon i'd experiences since she arrived. 

It had seemed to be all fine, she fell asleep almost instantely but around 1am she woke whimpering the pain from whatever torture that rat and his friends put her through. she was convulsing something fierce and kept scratching at herself, tearing her skin unintensially, only for her to howl out in pain for hours. 

It took me, padfoot and the five alpha's to get her calm down and sooth her, but we didn't do it fast enough as she'd still recieved a number of injuries. I have no idea if they would heal or if like normal werewolf inflicted injuries would they scar? 

"hey, you're up. how are you feeling?" Sirius asked drapping the blanket over me. 

the warmth of the scratchy fabric was more than welcomed as a breeze cut through the shack. 

"like i've been hit by a train." i groaned as my joints ached. "has she woken up again?"

he looked down at astra with sad eyes. "no, just some jumps and jitters... Moony," he paused running his hand over his face, he looked exhausted the bags under his eyes could rival my own "I'm almost positive they used the cruiatus curse on her more than once. I recognise the after effects" 

i couldn't help the growl that slipped past my lips. I'm sick and tired of people hurting my pup. the previous two days had been hell. not knowing where she was, if she was okay was torture. By the time sirius' ring activated it was too late for us to try and locate her the full moon was too close and dumbledore wouldn't let any of us track her down. He claimed she'd send some staff to find her, clearly they didn't or she would have been taken tot he table and not appeared before us after a firey dragon materialised in front of us. 

To say i was stunned to see her was an understatement. I'd expected to see my little girl. my sweet prescious little girl who'd just turned six, not the ten year old standing before me in the outfit she disappeared in, i almost didn't believe it was her till i recongised her scent and then her eyes, her eyes were a give away. It hurt. I'd lost five years with her because he mother was a bitch and kept her from me, now Pettigrew harmed her so much the elements speed up her aging to heal her... it wasn't fair. I'd lost even more time with my little girl. 

"We need to get her to poppy" Was all i could say. 

"We'll go now, the council has gone to inform dumbledore about what happened. Anne and elladora are pissed. it's clear dumbledore's rescue team never reached her. at least not in time to help her anyway." Sirius growled, with a wave of his wand the blanket around me had been transfigured into a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a tee shirt. 

With a thankful nod, i picked up Astra who was still sleeping exhausted form the hellish night she had. We made out way down through the shack towards the familiar dirt passage way to the wamping willow. 

The route to the hospital wing felt like years. we didn't speak a word. The portaits on the walls watched out every move as we moved through the castle, numb. 

bursting through the hospital wings, causing an echo to vibrate off the walls as we rushed to the nearest bed and set astra down on the bed. 

"What is the meaning- oh Merlin!" poppy started, only to take one look at Astra before she jumped into action working on Astra.