Because You Love Me

86. Attack of the Wolf

I can, Alaina thought. Her mind floated back twelve years ago, when Dumbledore wanted to take him to the Dursleys and their Muggle home. She shuddered at the thought of what would have happened had she not stepped up. Her sister was quite vile about anything out of the ordinary. She hugged Harry briefly, grateful that she had been brave enough to rescue him.

"Oh shut up!"

Alaina, Harry, and Sirius all whirled around. Peter was on his hands and knees, in front of Remus, pleading to be freed. Severus hadn't been able to stand it any longer. He was the one who had spoken. He looked up and his face flushed. He was usually more patient and composed than that.

"Forgive me, Alaina. I'm afraid my nerves are a little frayed."

"No worries," she told him.

Severus smiled briefly and then turned his attention elsewhere.

"Now that was a bit of the man I knew," Sirius whispered with a grin. Alaina playfully slapped him and he snickered.

Ron was sitting on the ground and Hermione was sitting there beside of him. She flashed Harry a sweet smile and he returned the gesture immediately.

"Can we go now?" Ron asked impatiently. "What are we waiting for?"

Alaina was about to answer him when she heard someone draw in a sharp breath. She looked over each face. It was Remus. Severus took a step back.

"Lupin, are you alright?"

The only reply he received was an agonizing grunt. It caught Hermione's attention right away.

"Look!" Hermione exclaimed. She had glanced at Lupin and knew what was happening. She pointed high in the sky to the full moon.

They all gazed in that direction, and the same panicked expresions formed on all of their faces. Harry ran forward to Ron and Hermione, who was helping him up off the ground. He got on his other side and they got a safe distance away. Severus ushered Peter off to the side. Alaina was frozen where she stood. Lupin was starting to transform into his wolf form. She had never seen anything like it before.

Sirius ran forward. Instead of staying away, he ran up to Remus and grabbed him by the arms. "Remus, my old friend, haven't you taken your potion tonight?"

Lupin snarled in reply.

"Remember, this is not who you are!" he shouted. "This heart is where you truly live!" He laid his whole hand on Lupin's chest. "This heart here!"

Sirius's cries were doing no good. Remus was fully transformed now. His wand dropped to the ground beside of him. Sirius was trying his best to hold his friend back, but the wolf flung him off like an irksome fly. He landed with a thud on the hard ground.

Alaina gasped "Sirius!" She feared he was hurt, but he stood back up.

"I'm fine!" he shouted at her.

Lupin howled at the moon, startling everyone around him. The sound was haunting. They could all hear how much this hurt him, that he was at least somewhat aware of what was going on. Once he finished, he was down on all fours, and in the blink of an eye, so was Sirius. Sirius knew the kids were in danger, that all of them were. It was the only thing he could think of to do.

Severus watched the whole thing, his eyes widening. He had been on the other side of Lupin's paws before. James had saved him, and as bad as he hated to admit it in the past, he had saved his life that day. His gaze wondered to Alaina. She was frozen and her eyes were widened in horror. Sirius and Lupin were coming close to her, but she wasn't moving.

"Alaina!" Severus yelled. She gazed at him helplessly. "Come on!"

She started forward, but something else caught her eyes. In all of the chaos, Peter had slipped away from Severus and acquired Lupin's wand. He was preparing to run away, to turn back into the filthy little rat he was. He would go back to Voldemort and report whatever he had learned, and he would probably get away with betraying her sister and brother-in-law forever. Anger instantly burned in her veins, and before she knew what she was doing, her power was being used on him.

Peter cried out in pain, catching Severus's attention. Severus subdued him quickly with a spell. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Alaina rushed over to him then.

"Thank you," she panted when she got to Severus. "I might have killed him."

He smiled. "You're welcome. Although I would have had the greatest sympathy if you did." His tone was sarcastic. She grinned.

They turned their eyes to the battle between wolf and dog. Sirius was taking hard blows, careful to avoid Lupin's claws, and trying his best to keep him away from everyone. Annoyed after several minutes of diversion tactics, the wolf knocked Sirius against a rock. He whimpered, and then turned back into human form. Upright again, he staggered away form the scene and into the cover of the forest. He knew he was no use to them anymore. He was hurt.

"What now?" Harry asked. He was trying to mask the fear and panic in his voice. "I hope he's alright."

"I'm sure he is," Severus told him. "But we have bigger things to worry about right now. Sirius can take care of himself."

The wolf had its eyes trained on them now. There was no one left to stand in its way. He growled menacingly. Severus cautiously stepped in front of Alaina. He wasn't about to let her or the children get hurt. Alaina grabbed tightly onto his shoulders. She was scared. She had never seen anything like this before. A low growl escaped the wolf and Severus swallowed hard. They were all about to be eaten alive. The wolf raised it's claw.

"Stop!" Alaina yelled. "Remus, I know you're in there somewhere!"

Her words fell on deaf ears. He brought his claw down on Severus and flung him to the side. Alaina cried out as he landed, about twenty feet away from them, and he didn't move. Alaina started toward him, but stopped in mid-step. She couldn't leave Harry and his friends. Lupin would rip them to pieces. Her heart was torn. She glared at the wolf. He was snarling nastily at her.

"Don't make me do this," Alaina pleaded. "Don't make me hurt you, Remus. I know it's not your fault."

Annoyed, he growled maliciously at her, teeth bared. She winced.

"Mum," Harry said quietly. "Don't hurt him too bad."

"I won't," she promised. Not unless I have to, she thought. Lupin, I hope you can forgive me.

This was the first time she was going to try and use her powers without being angry. She put her hand forward and concentrated hard on what she wanted to accomplish. She thought it was going to work, but nothing was happening. The wolf was descending upon them. A feeling of helplessness settled within her. There was no spell that would subdue him without doing permanent damage. Without her power, there was nothing she was going to be able to do to stop him from killing them all.