It was getting darker and I was right the sun had barely peered through the enshrouding clouds and just in time for me to see it fall sickeningly below the horizon. The moon began rising over the invisible horizon and something stirred in me, there was a deep, resounding growl as I stood back to a tree for support and clenched my fists against the beginning of what was going to be a very long night.
It was awful, my head splitting, changing; I clawed at my skull, the pain too much to bear, and screamed as what I had thought would still be fingernails ripped open my skin. My clothes suddenly seemed too tight and tore as I grew taller and broader, my ribcage exploding in fire and my legs stretching. I whimpered, I screamed, I even swore in Parseltongue but there wasn’t anything I could do, even my ears felt as if they had been ripped off yet I knew they were still there because they were pressed flat against my head. I became more desperate as the screaming became howls and darkness began to swell around me, it all seeming too much for one being to handle. I snarled out the last of my pain and gnawed my left leg as it quickly grew to catch up with the other in a sort of animalistic hope it would stop the hurting, but that stabbing pain was only an itch now, barely anything to worry about. The thrill of the moon was upon me, and it was time to run; I gave in to the dark.
I woke up almost in the same place I had lost consciousness in; I could tell by the sound of the water and the stone under me, but even with the normally peaceful surroundings my heart was blasting out a staccato in my arteries and I was breathing erratically. I tried to move but gravity seemed to have flattened me onto the ground as if I was paralyzed; the cold, wet pebbles of the beach underneath me soothing the old bruises on my legs and arms but greatly aggravating the new ones. I cautiously opened my eyes, the light stung them as my vision rocked and I almost vomited, I placed a hand on my head as if to stop it from falling off; which I was sure it was going to do at any moment.
I tried to sit carefully but failed miserably, my stomach clenched and I threw up over the beach, my head reeling. I breathed raggedly and collapsed in a heap, only just missing the puddle of reeking stench that I’d just brought back up.
I closed my eyes and then steadily opened them again, I rolled so that my head was facing down into the pebbles stained red by the blood -that I was aware was also dribbling from my skull and dripping down my face - and pulled my knees up to my chest slowly, tears coming to my eyes as I felt every inch of all the cuts, scrapes and bruises on my shins as I dragged them up. I pushed my hands under me and swayed a little nauseously, the world span again and I dry retched, nothing left in me to bring up, it was already pooled on the ground to my left. I blinked the dizziness away and pushed myself shakily to my feet, retching and almost falling to the ground again but instead I used the motion of my dizziness to propel me to the tree closest to me. I leant against it for support and barely acknowledged the deep claw marks in the bark of the tree. One hand still on my head I breathed deeply for a few more unsteady heartbeats and then began looking for my bag. I lifted my head from where it hung between my shoulders and looked up, straight into a persons’ hand.
I froze, not looking up but just concentrating on the scarred flesh of the hand extended towards me. “I knew that there was something too co-incidental about you being ill this week.”
I dared to look up and saw the face of my Defence against the Dark Arts professor looking down at me, his brow furrowed in deep thought. “And I knew that what that boggart turned into wasn’t a crystal ball.” I replied shakily, holding my hand up to stop him from speaking and quickly turning to heave yet again, all that came up was saliva and a little blood, which I chose to ignore.
“We need to get you to the hospital wing.” He said and I shook my head as I turned back to him, which turned out to be a bad idea because I fell backwards a step and had to grab an unoffending branch to prevent me from falling onto my back.
“E…everything I need….bag.” I tried to speak between deep breaths but it didn’t work too well. I looked at the tree and then carefully stepped behind it, grateful that my bag was still intact in its entirety and had the potion in it. I un-stoppered it and swallowed it in one gulp, and strangely enough it seemed to work immediately because I didn’t instantly bring it back up. Realising that I was very cold- probably because I was naked and hairless- I pulled on my underwear, a shirt and then a pair of loose fitting trousers – which was just about all the clothing I owned- and stepped back around the tree to see Professor Lupin buttoning up his shirt, I turned my back respectfully and realised that my wand wasn’t where it should have been. It wasn’t in my bag at all; I began panicking and rummaging through it, desperately trying to find it. “If you’re looking for your wand it’s here.” I turned too sharply and pressed an already bloody hand to my head as my world rocked violently; he was holding his wand in one hand and had mine in the other. “Professor-” I began shaking bodily, my head was pounding.
“Just a precaution.” He explained, but didn’t look as if he was going to give it back any time soon.
“Professor if this is about the mark on my back-” I said remembering suddenly.
“Are you working for Voldemort?” He asked abruptly if it wasn’t for the tired tone in his voice it would have been cold.
“No.” I answered sure of myself and though he looked hesitant but didn’t break his gaze.
“What is that on your back then?” He asked and I answered without needing to think.
“It’s a birthmark; it signifies that I am an heir of Slytherin.” I added quickly knowing that my life could depend on it; he frowned and I could tell he was trying to figure out whether I was telling the truth or not.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone you were a werewolf?” He asked changing topic swiftly.
“I didn’t want to have to leave Hogwarts.” I answered sincerely, and he seemed to realise that I was telling the truth because his face softened.
“We had best get you cleaned off,” he told me and with a wave of his wand a towel appeared, he held it in his hand and muttered “Aguamenti,” and it began dripping at the corner closest to the ground. He walked towards me and gave it to me; I wiped my face and carefully ran it through my hair, turning the white towel deep red.
“I hope my transformations weren’t as bad as yours when I was your age.” He said, and I just looked at him not sure of how to answer. He appeared to be concerned, and once I had got most of the blood off my head and hands he made the towel disappear.
“So how long have you known I was a Werewolf?” He asked me.
“Like I said, it was the boggart that made me suspicious, then the past few days you seemed to follow the same sort of patterns that I was.” I paused and tried to balance myself again, the world had just become a little blurred again, but it quickly went away. “But I wasn’t entirely sure.” I finished finally and he nodded.
“To be honest I wasn’t sure about you until I saw you change, before that it was just a mild assumption, that and Professor Snape told me that you had been missing the last full moon.” He seemed calm but still had my wand firmly held in the hand farthest from me.
We started walking and I could tell he was taking me back up to the castle when the trees began to thin and more sunlight pounded down on me. The professor saw me flinch and placed a hand on my shoulder making sure I was okay, when I nodded back to him we continued up to the castle. “I forget how bad it can be without the Wolfsbane.” He told me, although he was talking more to himself, I wasn’t sure what Wolfsbane was but I was hoping it was I thought it was. When we reached the doors I followed him through and felt aware of every set of eyes on me, not that there were many people around inside, most had already gone out into the grounds but there were still a few odd looks and I could imagine why. After the beating I’d given myself last night I would look horrible and even next to Professor Lupin, who looked paler and more skeletal than usual. I was led up to the upper regions of the school where his office was, and once inside he shut the door behind us and told me to sit down in a seat opposite the one he took.
“I would imagine that you are wondering why I didn’t call the dementors the second I saw your… birthmark,” he said it unsurely, when I didn’t say anything he continued, leaning towards me in his seat his hands together, elbows leaning on his knees. “Despite what better judgement tells me to believe, I don’t think you’re a Death Eater, even though things add up in that theory’s favour.” He stopped again and sighed, his hands going to his temples, rubbing them; obviously I wasn’t the only one with a splitting headache. “Professor if you aren’t sure then why aren’t I-”He interrupted me just as I began speaking.
“Because for some reason I trust you,’ he butted in, sighing loudly he stood, striding over to the fire and throwing in some floo powder. “Headmaster could we please talk a moment?” He asked the green fire, a second later, Dumbledore was stepping out of the fire and brushing the left over ashes off his robes. “Certainly Remus-” seeing me and raised an eyebrow, turning back to Lupin. “You were right I take it?”
“Yes.” He answered simply and looked to me. “But she has- what I think might be the Dark Mark.” Shivering, I wrapped my arms around me and clenched my teeth knowing it wasn’t the Dark Mark. I was knackered and freezing, but I couldn’t afford to say something stupid or I’d be signing my own death warrant.
“Is it true?” The headmaster asked me directly and when I shook my head he looked relieved and thoughtful, Lupin looked disbelievingly at me and then at the Headmaster.
“You’re just going to believe her?” He asked a trifle perturbed.
“Well you obviously considered she could be telling the truth or you would have given her over to the dementors without all of this.” Dumbledore didn’t sound angry just intrigued with Professor Lupin’s actions. And that made two of us.
“Professor,” I said to the other werewolf and he turned to face me, “You saw it yourself, and I think I’m right in saying that it doesn’t look exactly like a Dark Mark.” I said to him quietly, and Dumbledore looked pointedly at him, “And I know that it kind of resembles it but I suppose it all comes down to trust again, doesn’t it?” I asked and sighed. We seemed to have reached an impasse; they didn’t trust me completely and I couldn’t see what else to say to prove it to them; then it occurred to me. “I think I can prove it.” They both frowned and I stood and pulled my shirt up at the back just enough so that they could see the mark but made sure that my chest was covered; I was already aware of the fact that Professor Lupin had seen me fully naked, and while I wasn’t too bothered by nudity, it was inappropriate to other humans. They were both perfectly silent until I lowered my shirt and turned around. They both had their eyebrows raised.
“It isn't the Dark Mark” Professor Dumbledore stated as I sat; wincing as the cut on the back of my leg caught on my trousers.
“Shall I take her down to see Severus?” Professor Lupin asked the old man, who nodded. “Perhaps to the Hospital Wing first though,” he added and patted me on the shoulder and was about to step into the newly appeared green flames when he was stopped by Lupin.
“She’s a much larger wolf than me Albus.” He called and the headmaster turned, and looked impressed.
“In which case I would imagine her transformations are much worse,” he smiled pleasantly, “Good morning.” He bade us and stepped into the incandescent fire.