Weasley Twins - A Fate You Can't Escape

Chapter 114 - Bitter Bites

I ignore Anthony's pleading apologies as I throw my clothes on. My hands are shaking and it take several tries to get my bra to hook. My shirt is missing buttons, but that isn't important at the moment. As soon as I'm mostly decent, I flee the tower, leaving Anthony there alone.

I race to Snape's office, praying that he's in there. I can feel my shirt starting to soak with blood as my shoulder wound burns terribly.  I practically scream the password at the poor gargoyle and run up the steps.

"Professor!"  I shout, starting to feel a bit dizzy.

"Please don't shout, Miss Taylor."  Came the tired response from Snape as I burst into the room.  His eyes go wide as he sees the blood soaking my shirt.  "Are you okay?  What happened?"

"Anthony bit me."  My voice shakes, and I feel the blood start to drip off of the tips of my fingers.  Snape swears loudly, jumping up from the desk to inspect the damage.  "Am I going to..."

I can't say it.  I'm too scared.

"I don't know."  He admits, eying the wound.  "Let's get you to Pomfrey and go from there."

"Okay."  I nod, blinking rapidly as the room spins a bit.  I start following him out, but don't get very far down the corridor before I have to stop.  My vision is blackening on the edges.

"Hazel?"  Snape calls, leaning down to look me in the eyes.

"Sorry.  Just a lot of blood."  I wheeze, trying to get my bearings.

"I've got you."  He mutters, bending and scooping me up.  I open my mouth to protest, but realize I probably wouldn't be able to make it there without passing out.  I clutch my arm on my injured side to my chest, trying to keep it as still as possible.  As Snape marches us through the corridors, I let my head fall against his chest as unconsciousness beckons me.

"Stay awake Miss Taylor.  We're almost there."  He murmurs, picking up the pace.  We burst into the hospital wing, startling Pomfrey where she sits reading a book.

"Severus!  What happened?"  She rushes over, pointing for him to set me on one of the beds.

"Werewolf bite."  He growls, gently setting me down.  The color in the healer's face fades a bit as she takes in the news.

"We'll have to work quickly then.  We only have hours until the full moon."  She starts pulling bandages and potions out of cabinets, rushing to my bed to start her work.

"What's going to happen to me?"  I ask Snape, fear clear in my voice.

"I don't know."  He admits, running his hands through his hair as he paces the floor.  "He wasn't in wolf form, so the effects may not be as severe.  However, you were actually bitten, unlike the Weasley was."

"Oh."  I wince as Pomfrey starts covering the bite in a strange silvery powder.  It burns badly, and I bite my lip to keep from shouting.  She adds a few drops from a vile, and the pain increases, and I can't keep quiet.  I swear under my breath as the wound starts to slowly close.  

"This is the best that we can do for now.  The dittany expedited the healing process, but it's still fairly delicate.  I'd say no strenuous activity, but that may not be an option for you."  She gives me a sympathetic look as she starts wrapping my shoulder.

"Okay."  I whimper as she tightens the bandage.  I turn back to Snape who is now sitting at my bedside with his head in his hands.  "I really messed up this time, huh?"

"We both did."  He mutters, shaking his head.  "If I hadn't allowed him to keep returning..."

"Well, it's too late for all of that."  I sigh.  "Maybe I'll get some cool werewolf abilities."

"Hazel Taylor, you will be the death of me."  Snape says, but cracks the smallest of smiles.

I stay in the hospital wing for the rest of the day.  As evening grows closer, I start feeling sick.  My joints start aching, and I develop a pretty nasty fever.  Both Pomfrey and Snape try to get me to eat, but I feel like I wouldn't be able to keep it down.  Instead, I stay buried under a stack of blankets, freezing my butt off.

Snape leaves for a while, probably looking for Anthony.  Although I doubt the man stuck around after he bit me.  As the sun sets, Snape comes and gets me from the hospital wing.  

"Where are we going?"  I ask, following him outside.

"Do you remember Lupin?" 

"Yeah, of course."

"When he was in school, he's transform in the shrieking shack.  He's what gave it the haunted myth.  When he taught here, I would give him wolfsbane and he could transform in his quarters.  However, until we know to what extent you are infected, we can't risk giving it to you."  He waves his wand at the giant willow tree, and it freezes.  "This way."

He takes me through a tunnel under the tree that leads to the worn down shack.  It's kind of gross and dingy looking.  The walls are covered in deep claw marks, most likely a remnant from Lupin's younger days.

"Unfortunately, this is something you have to do alone."  Snape wraps me in a tight hug, surprising me.  I hug him back, tears stinging in my eyes.  I'm so scared about what's about to happen to me.

"I would advise putting your wand and clothes out of reach if you wish to use them in the morning."  He pulls away and looks me over one last time.  "If you do shift, it's going to hurt terribly."

"I figured so."  I frown.  "I'll see you in the morning?"

"See you in the morning."  He kisses my forehead before turning and leaving the way we came.  I hear him cast a spell on the house to keep me in until morning.  Once he's gone, I strip, placing my clothes and my wand up on a rafter of the house.  Trapped and alone with the potential beast inside me, I wait until the moon rises in the sky.

I can tell when it's time.  I don't have much hope for staying human.

As the beams of moonlight shine through the old slats of the house, a pain comparable to the cruciatus curse rips through my body.  I fall to the ground, a scream tearing from my throat.  It feels like all of my bones are being broken at once as everything shifts. 

And then it's over.  I pick myself up off the floor, landing on all fours.  I gaze down at my hands, startled at the furry paws that greet me instead.  I turn my head to try and see more of myself, and find that I have fully shifted.

My fur is a deep dark gray, and I can smell everything.  I mean everything.  Including the fact that Snape is still in the tunnel, listening for me.

I try to tell him that I'm okay, but it comes out as a weird sort of bark.

At least I can be grateful that I am not a mindless beast.  I still very much so am myself.

I know I am stuck here for the night, so I curl up on the old bed in the corner and close me eyes.  I wonder if wolves dream?

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Werewolves in this story turn into full wolves.  I don't like the way they looked in the hp universe.