Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Second Chapter

Ch. 20 - Distractions

Days passed, and with each and every sundown, my patience disintegrated. The Quidditch Cup was coming up, and I had no interest in watching it, except that I had been officially named the 'Guardian' of Hogwarts. People began following me around, telling me shit like, 'Rumour has it the shadows repel the Grim...'

I would snarl and snap my jaws at them, then say, 'It's bullshit. Leave me in peace or I'll leave you in pieces.'

*

My stomach twisted nervously as I sat in the library, finishing up the homework I was doing - Study of Ancient Runes. I mumbled things under my breath, trying desperately to keep my mind off Sirius Black, Jenny and James. With all the stress I had been bottling up, I had been completing every single bit of homework the day I got it. The more homework I got, the better I felt that day.

Recently, the teachers has been giving out much more than usual. Usually, I would complain and get it done then wallow in my emotions alone, but the piles of files, books and parchments were building up around me and it was almost comforting. I sighed quietly as I put down the last word on my paper, tucking it into my 'Runes' stack to my left.

I reached for the next bit of homework, and saw my shaky hand before me. I bit my lip and balled my hands into tight fists, making them shake even more. I placed them on my forehead and squeezed my eyes shut, my whole body trembling with the effort of maintaining my emotionless facade.

"I never thought I'd see a Shadow Claw nervous. Where's your defence?" A young, gentle, familiar voice permeated the air and I lifted my head, gritting my teeth to stop from both crying and lashing out, "It's harder than it looks, Professor Lupin. I have a feeling you know more about effort than I do, though." I said, my voice strained. I snatched a bare bit of parchment and started my next homework, which happened to be Lupins - draw your Boggart fear.

I began to sketch dead Shade, his mangled and bloodied corpse fresh in my memory, until I thought of worse. I paused and glanced at Lupin who had sat beside me, studying me intently, "Where did he go?" He gestured to Shade on my page. I lowered my eyes back to the paper, sketching dead Jenny and James too. "He left." I swallowed hard, "Pack duties." I gripped my pencil hard, and I knew it would snap soon, so I took a deep breath and loosened my hold, sketching a Light Claw standing over them all with a vengeful look in its hollow eyes. "He took Nova's cub with him. He said it wasn't safe here, and that he'd take me with him... but he can't." I felt a rogue tear slip down my cheek and I wiped at it frantically.

Lupin touched my shoulder, "I know what Sirius Black did to you, Shadow. But, don't you think he did it for a reason? You said he seemed kind and fed you and kept his house elf away from you." He murmured. I understood what he meant, and I didn't blame him - I had just assumed Black wanted to ruin my life. I shrugged, adding the details for Shade, then I moved onto Jenny's features. "That was more than a decade ago. He hadn't been to Azkaban. Besides, he could have been planning to sell me, or something. I didn't know. I was scared. I was alone. He was the only hope I had left." I finally realized that maybe Sirius had tried to help once, and he never intended harm to come to me - mentally, anyway.

Lupin nodded silently, watching me add the background details of the bloody scene on my parchment. "You draw this like you've seen it before." He said.

I opened my mouth to speak; to say that I had seen it in the Boggart, but closed it again when I got his meaning. "He doesn't know. I didn't..." I bit my lip, "It wasn't my fear. It was what I feared may come." I looked at Lupin, with his drawn brows, "It was a sign."

*

Fifteen minutes passed us quickly, where nobody said anything. I finished my parchment and gave it to Lupin, telling him it would be easier for me to give it to him now.

"With all due respect, Professor, but don't you have work to mark? Things to do?" I asked, tucking my very last piece of finished homework into its allocated stack. Professor Lupin chuckled softly, "I came here seeking the same thing as you." I gazed at him, a connection between us forming, "A reprieve. An escape."

I lowered my eyes, "A distraction." I uttered, and he nodded, placing his hand on my arm. "If you need anything, come to me, Shadow. You know where to find me." He leaned closer, "Just not on a full moon." He smirked and I felt my lips tug into a small smile, "Indeed." I replied, watching the Professor walk away from the library.

*

"Distraction, distraction, distraction, distraction..." I mumbled rapidly under my breath as I walked down the emptying hallways. Where was everyone going?

Damn! Of course!

The Quidditch Cup!

I followed suit, but in my own (stylish) way. I shifted and roared  as I sped down the hallway, making the students shriek and yelp, ducking out the way and moving to let me pass. I zipped down the corridor, out the large, wooden door and took to the skies. I circled around the clock tower where Nova was waiting, "I never thought you'd make it!" She called at me, and I rolled my eyes, "Hurry up shorty!"

"I'm not short." Nova grumbled as she spread her wings and dived off the balcony, then we began flying towards the pitch, her speed and my agility kicking in. Together, we roared and snarled, soaring high above the Quidditch pitch like dark clouds of... well, awesomeness.

I gave Nova a look and we both nodded, diving for our school houses. Nova snatched a Gryffindor banner and trailed it through the air, and I did the same with a Gryffindor flag, ignoring the yells of protest from my house, Slytherin.

Nova and I flew around, roaring loudly one after the other.

This was going to be an intense game.

Just a quick update thingy - I don't edit my chapters at all, and I think that might be a problem for some, so I might go back to Shadow Claw #1 and start editing it so it's all neat and proper. Don't worry though, I'm still going to update the chapters on this one. ^_^

~Shaded