The Space Boy and The Red Head

2 - Not so Happy Holidays

Thursday - 7th of December 1995

Apollo groaned as he walked down the stairs. His bones were achy and his skin felt itchy. His mood was terrible. Cormac knew to stay clear of his brother the day of a full moon due to how irritable he would get. But right now Apollo wanted company. He hadn't received any letters from the twins at all since the Christmas school holidays started and Lee wasn't the most regular of responder. He'd been allowed home earlier this year due to the full moon being at the start of the month, this would let him recover at home. Especially since this full moon would span two nights. He'd already got through Wednesdays now, he just had to make it through tonight too.

Apollo's parents had also apparently taken on some sort of new responsibility they couldn't discuss with their kids. They frequently had to leave the house for secret meetings. Apollo had guessed it was due to the upcoming war. A pit settled into his stomach as he realised his parents had gone out to another meeting, they had forgotten it was a double moon full moon. He was alone in the house with his brother and the moon would be rising soon.

He hated asking for Cormac's help with his condition. He wanted to keep his brother as far away from the monster as he could. But he knew that Cormac would have to place the protective charms on the small hut at the bottom of the garden. The hut had been built for Apollos transformations, it stood in the further est point of the garden and looked rather frail. However, all the defensive and strengthening magic placed upon it meant it was practically indestructible, originally built when he was a kid it seemed a bit small now. The only thing Cormac would need to do tonight is recast the locking spells on the door and the silencing charm to soundproof the shed.

The younger brother looked up from his book, Quidditch through the Ages, to see his older brother walking into the room with a sad expression on his face. Cormac stood up and walked over to his brother, patting him on the back, carefully as to not hurt him further.
"Are you ready to head out?" He questioned.
Apollo just nodded and solemnly turned towards the door. The snow was crunching under his bare feet as he walked to the small outbuilding, his teeth chattering all the way. He wore just an oversized, extremely torn up robe. Anything else would be destroyed as he transformed. This at least protected his modesty but did little to keep out the bitter chill of the Scottish Highland's evening air. He stepped over the threshold and turned to look at his younger brother. They each bid good night to one another then the door closed. Apollo could hear Cormac placing the enchantments over the door and just before his footsteps retreated back to the house, Apollo heard him mumble a message of good luck and apologies.

Then silence fell over the garden. With no window in the rundown shed, the teen only had the ache in his bones to guess when the moon would rise and judging by the pain it would be soon. He hung the tattered robe up on a hook by the door and sat against the opposite wall. Curling in on himself when the pain began to become unbearable. He skin felt too tight. His body felt too small. Then the transformation began. Hair grew out of his skin, much thicker, coarser hair than the long black hair he usually sported. His body morphed as his bones snapped, ligaments and muscles tore apart. His teeth grew longer and his mind was lost to the beast.

The beast clawed at the walls that kept him imprisoned. It longed to be released from its confines, to explore, to hunt in the white snow. It craved the taste of blood, desperate to find something to ease its hunger. When no such opportunity arrived the wolf turned to his own flesh. His claws and teeth pierced through his skin as his instincts grew stronger. The wolf howled in pain but was briefly satisfied with his work, licking each wound briefly before inflicting the next.

Cormac didn't sleep that night. He rarely did during the full moons. Instead he watched out the window, monitoring the position of the moon and the outbuilding. He had planned to finish his book, it had been an early Christmas gift, but instead it he kept glancing at the same words, never managing to make it to the next page. He was both scared of and scared for his brother. He felt guilty about the uneasy feeling that he got knowing what was trapped in their garden. He knew it wasn't his brothers fault, he knew his brother had no control over the beast, he knew that it was a hellish ordeal for him to deal with. And he especially knew that Apollo would never intentionally attack him but he couldn't help but feel nervous when he saw how bad the wolf could hurt itself, he dreaded to think what it would do if it managed to escape and get him. Cormac felt shameful at these thoughts, wondering if the sorting hat had been right to place him in Gryffindor. At least he knew Apollo belonged there, courageously dealing with each moon cycle.

Cormac was pulled from his guilty thoughts as a bright green light flashed from the fire place. He turned to see his parents walking out as the flames from the floo powder dissipated. They tried to quietly sneak over to the stairs but froze when they spotted Cormac on the couch. The blood drained from their faces as they looked beyond him to the window. Had they really forgot about the full moon, they'd left their sons to deal with it alone. They sat down either side of their son, each placing a protective arm around him whilst exchanging guilty glances.

"We are so sorry we weren't back sooner. Why don't you try to get some sleep son? We've got it from here" David McLaggen said, stroking the hair from his forehead.
"Goodnight darling" spoke Rosie as the youngest of the family left for his bedroom. She knew he would lay in bed all night, staring at the ceiling but it at least it meant there was a slight chance that he might get some sleep. She sighed as she looked back out over the garden. The moon shown bright casting a pale blue glow over everything, reflecting on the snow and ice. The night was silent, partially due to the silencing charms placed on the shed, to muffle any sounds the wolf made.

Her heart broke for her two boys. It felt like it was truly shattering knowing the suffering Apollo's condition caused him, and how Cormac had to witness his brother go through the painful experience. And her heart felt like it finally broke when she remembered the news she'd have to share with the family in the morning. The war was beginning to escalate and Dumbledore needed the McLaggen couple to use their ministry ties for the war effort. Which meant moving the family away for a short while. But that was an issue she would discuss with them in the morning.