STARMAN; 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 [1]

Chapter 2.

It was quite a sunny day when she received the bone chilling news that she never thought she would hear. A sentence that only in her dreams could she ever hear, where she would wake up in cold, sweat, and reach out for Remus' sympathy.


"Your father has escaped."
She ran out of her childhood home, leaving behind a sighing Remus, who yelled after her. She hastily continued her way, knowing that if she got in trouble, he would be able to find her.
She stopped at a nearby park to rest. It was somewhat close to Harry's house she reminded herself, but made no way of going there. It's not as if she would be greeted with kindness or even greeted at all. She sat on the swing and remained motionless.

It is widely expected how piercing a gaze falls on you when you're not looking. Almost as if it's made to hurt you. So it was standard for her to feel fear the moment she felt eyes at the back of her head.
The clinking of the metal swing stopped. The rubble underneath her feet felt like blades underneath her soles. She couldn't even take another breath before she was assured that she was safe. She turned her head around.

A huge black rabid dog looked back at her, simply staring. She remained still. The light from the playground shone directly on her, so it wasn't a big feat for her to understand that she was on the dogs direct vision. Maybe the dogs direct target, she concluded from the way that it was looking at her.

She thought about jinxing the dog, but concluded that it would be too drastic of a measure. Instead, she slowly got up from the swing. The dog got closer. She took a breath in. And allowed the transformation to happen. She herself looked alike to the dog. A dark brown fur surrounded her instead. But she stood as tall as it was. For a moment, the creature staggered. Andromeda's eyes glowed from the light of the playground. The dog took a few steps back. Then it disappeared inside the bushes, whimpering.

Andromeda decided to run back home in her animagus form. She was devastated, yes, but her wrongdoings finally dawned on her, on how she left her uncle on the porch, and how she didn't even think that he was hurting too.
As she got back inside the house, she realised something else.

Her father is out of prison. A father that her friends don't know about. A father that is responsible for the death of her best friend's parents.

She couldn't remain Harry's friend. He didn't deserve her lies, nor her family's wrongdoings.

She broke down on the hallway entry, her knees falling with a thud. The door closed behind her and she begun crying her eyes out. Lupin rushed towards her, hearing the commotion, and sat on the floor with her, pulling her on his lap.

She cried for hours on end, a timeline that flanctuated from sobbing to shaking and finally sniffling. He continued to shush her and let her cry into his shoulder.
"I.. I can't.." she tried to say.
"It's okay. Let me do it for you. Whatever you need. I'm here." He shushed, and a wave of tranquility rushed over her. She was out like a light.

On the morning after, Remus very gladly informed her how he earned a professor's position in Hogwarts. They were both ecstatic. As was Minerva, who wouldn't admit to Annie how she helped Remus be favoured for the position, after he informed her of her breakdown.