Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Final Chapter

Ch. 21 - Open Wounds, Open Secrets

There was havoc, there was mayhem, there was-...

Unease.

Professor McGonagall raised her wand within the entrance hall and cried, "Piertotum locomotor!" The statues began to loosen and twitch before each then every one - lions, golems, warriors, suits of armour, and all the like - leapt from their plinths with echoing crashes. "Hogwarts is threatened!" The professor shouted, "Man the boundaries, protect us, do your duty to our school!" The stony idols marched by with their paws, claws, maces and spiked balls held high.

I whirled around at a splutter of silence.

There, looking flustered and somewhat ashamed, stood Percy Weasley. Fleur then turned and said, "So -'ow eez leetle Teddy?" Lupin took out a photo of his son excitedly, Teddy - a chubby baby with tufted turquoise hair, waving his tiny fists at the camera. It reminded me of Snowy and Tobias - my heart lurched and I had to steady myself with a paw.

"I was a fool, a pompous prat, an idiot!" Percy roared, so much so that Lupin almost dropped his photo. I gave a growling chuckle and brushed against his side, "Careful now. I don't want you dropping him before he gets a chance to fly." I teased, the man ruffling the fur between my flickering ears. "Not so fast, Shadow. You'll need a saddle if you want my boy on your back." He laughed, his smile sincere and yet sad.

Perhaps neither us would make it out of this.

I briefly glanced around, shuffling my wings. Percy had embraced his mother, father and siblings, still moaning about how he made such a mistake by blocking them all out.

"Shadow." My joints went frigid, and moved stiffly of their own accord.

Turning, turning, turning...

I knew that voice.

Salem hung in the doorway of the Great Hall.

Yes- literally hung. From the jaws of my mate; he was backed by a few warriors, including Nova and Hawthorne, their sleeping kittens snuggled tightly into their arms but their expressions were both concerned and afraid.

The Stone Claw I had divulged in many a moon ago was battered, clawed, ripped at and torn at the seams, blood seeping from each and every cut, laceration and wound scattered upon his body.

Shade was angry. Oh, how he was angry.

Did he know?

I did not dare play the victim. I had deliberately fallen into the bed of another male, without shame (at the time, of course. I still feel the shame of my actions) and that had spurned on a chain of reactions within my belly - pregnant with a baby, of whom the father was more than likely Salem, but I gripped on the hope that Shade had his genes within me first.

"Shade-?" I breathed out, bounding ever closer. I sniffed at Salem with pitying eyes but Shade snarled and dropped him heavily on the stone-plated floor, advancing on me with sharpened claws and vicious teeth.

He knew.

I folded under his power as he shoved me back harshly, falling onto my haunches. He made a hissing whistle, pausing above me. A warrior of the clan came forward with Snowy and Tobias in his hands by the scruff, both mewling and struggling - my mothering instincts soared and I released a dangerous, rumbling noise from my chest - but Shade ordered our little ones to his side and they did so, sitting behind his paws with sniffling noses and red-rimmed eyes. My mate sat with regal stature, tail curling around the cubs and muzzle sniffing over to check their well being.

Finally, assured Snowy and Tobias were well enough, he faced me with a curl-lipped maw and muttered, "What is mummy, Snowy?"

Snowy gave a whimpering mew, "T-t-traitor."

"That's right, good girl. Tobias - what did mummy do?"

Tobias tucked his head into his sister's shoulder and violently shook his head. Shade gave a violent growl, "Don't make me ask you again, Tobias. What did mummy do?"

My little baby mewled in fear and submission, "B-b-betwayed y-y-y-you, d-daddy."

I was outraged.

I stood on shaking legs - no, the cold dared not my skin, but the ire that came with the knowledge that Shade had turned my kittens against me. "How dare you, Shade! You have every right to accuse me of my crime, but don't you dare turn my own cubs against me!" I roared. Shade snapped his jaws at me, "I have every right, you whoring sleaze!"

My heart clenched. No- my heart was out of the question.

"The Claws will not help in your puny war. We have no part. If Shadow chooses to fight, then she discards her identity as a Claw altogether." Shade paced back and forth, voice echoing out for all to hear. He turned to me directly.

"You'll be pleased to know your parents, along with the remaining Claws of their clan, conducted a plan against Voldemort's hideout in Malfoy Manor. Turns out it was all a trap because he had assumed Claws were involved, and their ranks were slaughtered."

I lurched heavily, paws spreading out wide to steady my swaying vision. "... remaining?" Was all I could gasp out. Shade stood on strong legs, eyes unreadable as I held back from vomiting; he lifted Snowy and Tobias to his back after shaking out his pelt. "Yes, remaining. Didn't you hear? Snatchers murdered most of them, along with a third of my own clan."

My world was spiraling into darkness. "No..!" But Shade wasn't listening, he continued to speak, but his voice had somewhat softened now.  I turned my eyes up to meet his gaze. "I loved you, you know." A statement. He knew I knew that - and I loved him. I still did. I still do.

I felt salty tears hit my paws, imperfections like shattered glass - I fixed it when it broke, but I could always see the cracks in that reflection. The same principle applied to my relationship with Shade - it was never stable- how was I only just looking past everything to see this?

Everything caved in as Shade left, the last words rolling from his maw, like a clawed icicle snatching at my barricaded soul.

"You were the first person to break my heart. For the rest of your life - no matter how short it will be - you will always be the one who hurt me the most."

He briefly looked back.

"Don't forget that."