Time in a Bottle (A James Potter Love Story)

Chapter 33

It was now a brisk November evening. The full moon was to come that night and Aurelia was pacing in front of a window in the common room. Her plan for that night was risky, and she knew she would potentially mess up her friendship with Remus, but she had to be sure before she helped the others become animagi. She also didn't tell the other boys, knowing they would convince her to not go.

As the last rays of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, she set off towards the Shrieking Shack. Remus had told them of the house specifically made for him once before and Aurelia did her best to retrace the steps. Once the Whomping Willow came into view, she looked around for any spying eyes before transforming. The swinging branches were a pain to get by, but Aurelia managed to duck and weave between them to reach the entrance. There were a few minutes left, so Aurelia tiptoed in her animal form to reach the door of where Remus hid. His groans of pain hurt her heart as she waited outside the door for the right moment. When the witch heard bones cracking, she stepped into the room, hoping he was already transformed. To her surprise, he was in the middle of shifting, and still conscious of his surroundings. Remus' eyes widened as he caught sight of the snowy white fox. He screamed a pained "No" before the transformation finished.

Aurelia lowered herself down to the floor, showing submission to the werewolf glaring down at her. Heavy paws circled around her as Remus' wolf form smelled the new companion. A huge snout nudged her side, the warm breath making her tense ever so slightly. His ears perked up slightly and he took a few steps back and lowered himself to the ground. He laid there and gnawed at his own legs to keep himself occupied. Aurelia padded over slowly and used her front paw to nudge him, in hopes of distracting him. He ignored the small push so she tried jumping back and forth in front of him. Occasionally, she would push her head into his shoulder. Remus' wolf watched carefully for a moment before swiping at her with a big paw.

As the night wore on, the wolf eventually grew tired. Aurelia did her best to try and keep him from destroying himself while also keeping at a safe distance. Eventually, he curled up and fell asleep. Aurelia stayed in her fox form, lying on the other side of the room watching him carefully. She refused to fall asleep just in case he woke back up. The moon eventually faded from the sky, and Aurelia could see the first signs of Remus turning back. She pulled a dingy blanket over by her teeth and covered him up before leaving the shack.

Not wanting to be caught, she stayed in her animal form as she made her way back to the Gryffindor tower. Upon entering the common room, she froze seeing a familiar face on the sofa. When James heard the portrait open, he looked tiredly over and saw exactly who he had been waiting for. He marched over and picked up the fox before storming off to the dorm. Sirius was leaving for the hospital wing as soon as they arrived and frowned at Aurelia. Peter snored heavily with the curtains drawn around him. James brought Aurelia into the bathroom, placing her on the closed toilet seat, and locked the door before casting a silencing charm. When she didn't change into a human, he tapped his foot impatiently.

Not wanting to make him more upset, she turned back, remembering to transfigure clothes as she cast the spell. She looked down to the floor to avoid his worried look. "Merlin Aurelia have you gone mad? You could have been seriously hurt! And Remus would have blamed himself!"

"I wanted to make sure it would be safe before I let you do it." She whispered.

He knelt in front of her and cupped her cheeks. "You should have at least told me. When Lily asked where you were at last night since you didn't return to your dorm, I was worried sick." Aurelia could see the tears forming in his hazel eyes.

She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. "I'm sorry James, I didn't mean to make you mad."

His eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around her, "Oh no love, I'm not mad. Never mad at you. I just can't lose you and I was scared that I wasn't there to protect you." He helped her stand up, before guiding her out of the room. "Now Remmy on the other hand might need more of an apology." He dug in his trunk and pulled out a sack of chocolates.

They made their way to the hospital wing, and the closer they got, the more anxious Aurelia felt. She started fidgeting, specifically tapping her fingers rapidly against her thigh as they walked. James noticed, and took her hand in his and giving her a soft smile. She looked down to their intertwined fingers and felt her heart flutter. The warmth of his hand made her anxiety lessen ever so slightly. When they arrived at the door, James never let go of her hand. They waited for a moment so Aurelia could steady her breathing. When she nodded, he tightened his grip on her hand slightly, and pushed the door open with the other. They kept their heads down as they approached the bed with the closed off curtains.

When they joined the couple, Sirius' eyes darted to Aurelia's hand in James' and snickered. Remus avoided looking at the witch and a tear ran down his cheek. "Could you two give us a moment?" She looked up to James. Sirius pouted, but followed James when the boy dragged him by the ear. "I'm sorry Rem. I know I should have warned you."

"I could have killed you Aurelia." Remus whispered. "Do you understand what could have happened? I'm a monster!" She winced at the harsh tone.

"I knew the risks! But I've taken years of research! I've been finding information since I found out to try and help you! To try and ease your pain!" She sat down next to him on the bed and pulled his hand into hers. Her eyes scanned over the exposed skin checking for any wounds. Unlike the previous times, the new scars were minimal. "Not once did you try and hurt me last night! If anything, you thought of me as a pesky fly! You are no monster Remus, and you are not alone." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small sack of chocolate. "I also brought you something."

He sighed before groaning and throwing his head back, "How did I become friends with the most stubborn group of people?"

She smiled brightly, knowing that she was forgiven. "It's just the Gryffindor qualities, you are the same way Rem."