Cursed by Moonlight (HP fan fiction)

Chapter 10: Wolfsbane Potion - part two

Those dates never ended well, why would this?  Because you actually like this girl, my thoughts chanted happily.

 “I just need some potion ingredients,” she said letting me know where we were heading to.

We disapparated together, Brie leading us to the destination.  I placed all my trust in her, knowing that we weren’t going to take any detours.  She hadn’t given me any reason to not trust her up to now.

We arrived to a small back alley across the street to the apothecary, our hands still lingering together longer than usual.  I was the first to reluctantly let go, trying to make it look casual.  I looked around us, seeing who was about.  My eyes scanned the deserted street of shops, but I knew death eaters lurked in every dark corner, waiting for the innocent to pray upon.    When none were insight, Brie stood closely to me and we began walking quickly across.  Two magical beings going to buy some potion ingredients, that’s all that was happening.  We both kept our heads down, trying to not encourage interest, just like the first time we met each other here. 

“Are you hoping to bump into another girl walking like that?” Brie teased me quietly. 

My insides melted even though I knew the comment was a joke.  “I just don't want to make eye contact with anyone, apart from you,” I replied without thinking.  

The distant sound of a ringing bell alarmed the owner someone was stepping into the shop.

Instantly a young man appeared by our side wearing a dirty apron.  I watched him closely when he spoke, in today’s time you couldn’t trust anyone.  “How may I help you today?” he asked with a strong American accent.

His blond hair was neatly styled and his brown eyes looked like he genuinely wanted to help us.

“I’ll be just over here,” I said to Brie, wanting to give her some privacy.  This, after all, was her shopping trip.  I branched off to my left, not paying much attention to the things around me.  I wasn’t much of a potion maker, I passed at school, but I wasn’t talented at it.

The shop assistant followed Brie around the shop, constantly talking about something or another.  I didn’t pay attention to them; instead I looked down to see what was in front of me, trying to look busy or at least interested. 

Small vials of premade potions in collections stood on the shelves and I looked directly ahead, reading the potion name.  Love potion.  My eyes focused on the person behind the potion bottles and across to store to Brie.  She must have caught me looking because she met my eyes and sent a smile in my direction. 

Something inside me awakened, why was I denying that I liked her?  Just because she was hot, did not mean I didn’t stand a chance.  At school James and Sirius always said they wanted the girls to say no to their faces, and hear the words from their lips before they gave up pursuing them.  That was what I was going to have to do with Brie.  It might hurt being rejected, but at least I’ll know the answer and I won’t think about what could have happened.

“I don’t need any help, could you please just leave me alone,” Brie’s voice rang out into the silence, getting more irritated by the second.

My feet began to move in her direction without me telling them to.  Nobody was going to hurt her whilst I was around.

The shop keeper didn’t look taken back at all.  “A pretty young woman shopping alone, that is a death wish if you bump into a death eater, babe,” his accent was grinding on me.

“I believe she wanted you to leave her alone,” I said firmly and stood next to Brie.  She slipped her arm around mine, clinging on.  The man in front now did look taken back, but I couldn’t concentrate on him, not whilst I had Brie touching me.

“I just thought-” I cut him off straight away, he didn’t need to explain.

“You thought wrong.”  The American shuffled off and stood behind the till, leaving us alone together.

I looked at Brie, her beautiful grey eyes sparkling with something that I had never seen before.

“Thank you, Remus,” she paused.  I loved the way she said my name, I didn’t feel invisible to her.  “For protecting me,” she finished.  My whole being filled with pride – she felt protected, and suddenly that made me feel more important.  As though to put the cherry on top of the cake, she leaned across and lightly placed a kiss on my cheek, just like she did the day we met.  I had to stop myself from tracing with my fingers where my skin burned with the meeting of her lips.

If I was ever going to stand a chance with her, I was going to have to move quickly.  I didn’t ever want to enter the friend zone.

“You’re more than welcome,” I said smiling.  She made me smile more than my friends did.  Smiling with her was different to them, our situation wasn’t funny; I just felt happy all the time.

I glanced at the wolfsbane ingredients in her hand, an ingredient not used in everyday potions, and extremely pricey.  This made me raise my eyebrows at her.

She looked down, breaking eye contact.  “I like making potions,” she said clearly.

Something was amiss, but I brushed it off.  The war was making us all suspicious of every little move people did.  Brie was only buying potion ingredients.

My mind wondered idly as I waited for her to be served.  If only I could afford wolfsbane all the time, then at least I could be slightly more normal.  The monster inside me would be controlled.  When Dumbledore gave me the wolfsbane potion instructions, I knew I’d never be able to make it, it was the most complicated instructions I had seen, something a skilled brewer would have difficulty making.  And I couldn’t hire anyone because nobody would be willing to brew a potion that wasn’t ministry approved, that was a fact. 

I mentally sighed, but suddenly it hit me.  it was as though an imaginary light bulb image above my head.  I gasped, loudly.

“What?” A shocked expression formed on Brie’s face, who had joined me.

My mind flew through the possibilities, quickly calculating all the clues so I could come to my final conclusion.  Brie, kneeling near the book and looking surprised as I walked in, then buying wolfsbane the same day, finding her scent in the woods after a full moon, then meeting her unharmed.  Brie seemed eager to leave, and soon before the next full moon.  She seemed to have such a big secret, she was so desperate for me to not know and never find out. 

I had one answer.  One I could have had before if I had worked it out.  Everything clicked together like the final jigsaw piece.  Her biggest secret, her fear of me finding out, her being alone and running away from Voldemort.  Now I held the answer.

“Nothing, nearly tripped,” I muttered to her.  She smiled up at me, and then took my hand in hers.  We were alike in so many ways.  I knew she would understand me like no one else had.  We were the same.

Brie was a werewolf.

A/N:  As you probably know that I can't stick to a certain day to upload this story, so I have thought of a new way.  I won't be uploading the next chapter until I get at least 10 votes on this one.  It should be easy to do, the last chapter has more than 10, and that way I will have some time to write the next chapter.  I'm actually beginning it now so it will be ready for when the little goal is met.

I'm sorry if you think I'm being harsh!  But please do let me know what you think of this chapter below too.  Even if you are leaving a comment to tell me to upload, I appreciate every single one of them!