Chiara sat near the fountain, staring blankly into the night sky. In her human form, she didn't feel that comfortable out in the grounds this late, but she still wanted to be outside in case something happened. Most of the students were back in their common rooms by now, so most of the castle was eerily quiet. It was just like Chiara was used to-which isn't the norm for a Hufflepuff.
She felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Hi, um... Mr. Lupin told me to watch you while you transform tonight."
Chiara was shocked. "Mr. Lupin?! An adult, thinking he should be putting a student at risk of a werewolf attack?!"
"He clearly cares about you," said Dani. "I mean, nobody wants you to hurt your schoolmates, but nobody wants you to hurt yourself either."
Silence.
"Do you want to play gobstones? Or something?"
Chiara looked around. She couldn't quite see the full moon behind the pillars of the courtyard yet.
"We do have a bit of time..."
************************************
"That was fun."
"Thought it might help to take your mind off things," said Dani.
"Honestly," said Chiara, looking back up at the night sky, "I don't think I've ever been-oh, CRAP!"
Chiara took off out of the courtyard, and Dani, noticing the full moon in the sky, chased her down the corridor and out into the grounds. Along the way, something fell out of Chiara's pocket, Dani picked it up but felt like making sure Chiara had a smooth transformation was more urgent, so she tucked it into her pocket.
"Dani, no!" Chiara yelled once they were outside. "Run, I don't think you have a lot of time left!"
"I'm not going anywhere! I promised Lupin!"
Chiara stopped.
"I'm your friend, Chiara," said Dani. "I won't let anything happen to you, at least until you get to the forbidden forest."
Chiara didn't retaliate after that, and Dani did as she promised.
************************************
"Come in!"
Dani stepped into the artefact room. "Tonks told me you were probably here. How was last night?"
"Even the forbidden forest is dangerous for young werewolves," said Chiara. "Nothing from last night episkey couldn't fix though. We're lucky Greyback isn't around."
"That's good enough, I guess," said Dani.
"Actually, I think I actually had more self-comtrol last night. Maybe it was because I wasn't as stressed." Chiara smiled at Dani. "I'm actually glad you were here for me."
"Anytime."
"Thanks, that's not something a werewolf hears a lot."
"Did something happen? Like, with other kids?"
"Actually, yes." Chiara sighed at the memory. "I hung out with this girl-Selina-as a kid, before Hogwarts. When I told her I was a werewolf, she wasn't scared, she told me she'd be with me. Until I transformed in front of her. I'm glad YOU didn't, I don't know... My mum had to obliviate Selina after all was said and done."
"Wow," was a Dani could say. More awkward silence later, Dani took out a photo of a beautiful sunrise. "I think you dropped this. Last night."
"Oh!" Chiara eagerly took the photo back. "I'm glad you returned this. Lupin gave it to me. He said his friend Prongs took it to remind him that the sunrise would always come."
Prongs. That rang a bell. Dani remembered the piece of parchment she found under Percy's rat the year before. It seemed normal until Rakepick proved otherwise.
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot & Prongs are proud to present: The Marauders' Map
What if Lupin was a marauder? He could be Moony-
"By the way, Kettleburn's essay on fwoopers isn't due today, is it?" Chiara suddenly asked.
Swear words were uttered, and the girls took off to the great hall with their bags. The marauders were a story for another day.