the secret of Erised {s.b.}

chapter 33: task

The two days the young group of Gryffindors had spent at Perla's house had been exactly what they needed. Perla had welcomed them with mugs of hot chocolate and fresh-made churros, a Spanish dish that Esmeralda had loved ever since she was a child. The house was decorated in a simple, yet elegant, way. Tiny Christmas lights were tangled up and down the staircase, the Christmas tree had golden accents due to the lights and the ornaments that hung from it, enchanted candles floated in every corner of the house to keep it warm, and the scent of peppermint filled every room.

Esmeralda, Lily, and Clara were sleeping in Esmeralda's room while the boys slept in the guest bedroom. Perla's room was in between both of them, so sneaking out at night was difficult for them. The only night that Perla let it slide was the day before Christmas Eve, a full moon. Her niece had told her that it was imperative for them to go out at night. Perla did not argue, for she suspected that Remus was a werewolf because of his looks as the full moon approached.

That night, Esmeralda guided the boys to a nearby cave while Lily and Clara remained asleep. The young Gryffindor would often use this cave to shift into her Animagus during the Summer while she was away from Hogwarts. The cave wasn't too big for one to get lost in, but it wasn't too small for a dragon, a stag, a dog, a rat, and a werewolf to not fit in. It was also a safe distance from the village and Perla's house, which calmed Remus down. He did not want anyone to get hurt, especially not Clara.

Once they reached the cave, the four Animagi shifted and got in position. Since Esmeralda's Animagus was the largest out of all of them, she decided to guard the entrance of the cave. That way, if Remus got out of control and wanted to leave the cave, Esmeralda could simply breathe fire and scare their werewolf friend. Remus was sitting down on the floor with his legs crossed, breathing deeply and trying to stay relaxed, while Sirius, James, and Peter explored the cave.

Soon enough, the full moon peeked from behind the hills and the moonlight illuminated the dark cave. If that was not the cause of suffering for her friend, Esmeralda would've thought that the moonlight was kind of romantic. Remus began to scream and twist on the floor out of pain. All of his bones began to crack and reform into larger ones to support his wolf-like appearance. After he was done turning, small whimpers were heard from his direction.

Esmeralda blew a bit of fire through her nose to catch the attention of her friends, she knew it was too risky for her to unblock the exit and check on Remus. Sirius looked at her and nodded his small dog head. The large, black dog approached the whimpering werewolf carefully, trying not to make any quick movements that might trigger Reus into attacking him. Once he got close enough, Sirius moved his head slowly against Remus trying to comfort him. The werewolf looked at the black dog confused, but he did not attack.

Surprisingly, Remus also began to move his head against Sirius' head. This affectionate moment lasted mere seconds, for Remus got a sudden rush of adrenaline and pushed Sirius playfully away from him. Sirius barked happily at the werewolf, who howled and moved playfully towards the dog in front of him. James and Peter joined in and began to run around the cave with Remus and Sirius. Esmeralda watched from the exit as the three Animagi and the werewolf enjoyed each other's company.

The girl felt a bit jealous of her boyfriend and his friends. She knew that they had known each other for longer, but her heart longed to be as close with someone as they were. She had Sirius, but he was her boyfriend so it did not count. Sure, she was close to Lily and Clara, but something else was missing from her life. That close connection with someone other than your partner. She was sure that with a bit more time she'd have that with Lily, but she still wanted a close friend other than the red-haired witch.

That full moon would turn out to be the most calm and fun for all of them.

"Mer," a whisper said, "Esmeralda."