Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Final Chapter

Ch. 13 - Hermione's Demons

There was an immediate scream from downstairs; like a fox caught in a mouse trap, it sounded as if it did not belong, and yet it suffered anyway.

"Hermione." I breathed, then my throat elicited a deafening snarl and I made for the door. Salem, however, had the right state of mind (well, for an advantageous male with no right-wrong compass, it was right enough) and snatched me by the waist, hauling me away from the door and away. My body, in a frustratingly obvious movement, relaxed at his touch even though I struggled.

Jenny noticed.

She narrowed her eyes.

She knew.

My eyes widened at her, and my breathing accelerated. I had never been able to lie to Jenny directly without her noticing a little something, but she had evidence. There was no way I was getting out of this one.

"Shadow." She said sternly.

Another one of Hermione's agonizing screams rang out, and then a pounding shout from the cellar. It sounded like Ron.

I swallowed hard and breathed deeply. I closed my eyes slowly. Salem was still behind me, statuette. "Pull down your turtleneck." She ordered. I could not disobey, and so slipped my shoulder out of the turtleneck, exposing the dark, scurrilous hickies that Salem had laid upon me that very morning. If that wasn't bad enough, he leaned down past my neck and kissed them slowly, a sardonic smirk racing past on his lips.

Jenny shoved him away, but I caught her arm harshly in a grip she did not approve of. "Don't, Jenny. Leave it." I demanded.

She shoved at me, and I let her go. "Shadow Claw! He raped-"

I snarled, "Salem did not rape me, Jenny. I went willingly, you oblivious half-blood." Her eyes widened with... fear? Draco stepped in, clutching at her waist tightly to keep her away from my side. James gave an obvious cough, "So, you're telling us, Shadow, that you have a family with kittens and shit, and yet you had sex with Salem willingly?" The word 'sex' stood out from all that he spoke.

I sighed heavily, and shook my head. "It wasn't like that-" I started.

"So, like fuck buddies?" James cut in.

"JAMES!" Jenny and I shouted at the same time. I glowered at her, before turning back to James, "No. It's complicated-"

"It's not complicated, you're just a cheat!" Jenny snarled. I launched at her, taking Draco with us as we rolled upon the floor. I shifted to weigh them both down, but Salem was already in his Claw form and hauled me from the pile, James' barking Grim-form on the bed, getting dirt everywhere as usual. I bit into Salem's shoulder and made it out of the room, James nipping at my heels viciously like a blood hound. I skittered around the corners like a frightened kitten, my breathing erratic and eyes fearful, smashing into walls, paintings, candelabras, and all sorts of other house-hold items. It took a whole half an hour of running to finally get some leaway between myself and my violent friend.

As I reached the large front, green-tinted, serpentine hall, James took my back legs out from underneath me and I went crashing into the table. I groaned loudly, my whole body quivering from effort and then thudding against the polished, nigrine floor with a dull thunk. James appeared beside me like a ready prison guard, his muzzle wrinkled back in a bloodthirsty snarl, slowly inching closer.

There was a dark laughter. James froze, his snarl dissipating, his ears flattening, his growls forming into whimpers, his tail tucking between his legs. He leapt into my side, shuddering and trembling in absolute fear, his front paws poking out from beneath my wings. I glanced up.

There, from above the table, I spotted Fenrir Greyback. He was more wolf than human, with greying, thick hair that reached his jawline and hung past the nape of his neck. He was large - larger than my father - and sported a sadistic grin. I fought off James' grip at my side and launched over the other side of the hall. Draco and Jenny came sprinting from the hallway, their sides heaving and their hands touching ever so slightly - Fenrir narrowed his eyes, and licked his lips. "More the merrier, eh?" He growled, the sound a nasty, gruff, reverberation that makes it sound as if he's got gravel for teeth, and marbles in his mouth.

I stalked back and forth against the wall, but after a small while, I darted over to James (who was, decidedly against his better judgement, frozen to the spot) and dragged him back over to where I had been previously, my wings lowering over him. He whimpered and buried his muzzle into my front leg. I gave off an unimpressed growl, but I let him stay by my side and nudged his head with my muzzle.

"Stay away from her."

"Stay away from him."

Draco and I spoke at the same time. I gave him a mystic look, but he wasn't looking at me. Fenrir neared, ignoring our warnings, but he casted me an almost wary glance, as if he knew I was dangerous. As if knew lycanthropy did not affect Claws, and that he had turned James at a young age, when we still dwelled within the attic.

"Fenrir." Narcissa called from the shadowed corner of the room. Her eyes were darkened somewhat. "Leave them be."

Much to my utter surprise, Fenrir obeyed. Narcissa disappeared.

"James, go up to the room." I gritted out. Slowly but surely, James emerged from underneath me, but he sat down and did not move. Jenny crouched down beside him and ruffled his hair, still glaring at me in hatred. Draco sighed and jumped as Salem patted his shoulder, "Not keen on that one." He grumbled, trailing his fingertips over the cracks in the dark, mahogany table.

"I'll have to agree with you on that one." Another figure materialized from the darkness, but it was not Narcissa.

"Hello, Shadow. Long time, no see." The Light Claw purred, padding forward, his shoulders flexing slightly as he did.

"Estos." I hissed.