Something unexpected

Chapter eight

Five days pasted and Nikoli seemed to have disappeared. Fallen off the face of the earth. Albus couldn't find him anywhere. He went to Nikoli's quittditch game and he didn't play, he wasn't even there. Teddy was gone most days in herbology and when he was there he looked dismantled. His hair would be matted and he would always have some kind of wound. From what?
Today was Saturday and Albus had had enough, he wanted answers. He wanted Nikoli.
Grabbing Nikoli's hoodie-that he had left in his room-he threw it over his head and took his wand and map while stuffing it in his pockets. His hands were sweaty and shaking but he ignored them too annoyed with Nikoli to care.
"Teddy,"Albus marches up to Teddy as he sits with James and Fred,"I've got to talk to you."
"What is it? you look...drained,"Teddy says coolly as he fixes his blue hair.
"What's going on with Nikoli," Albus asks with his arms folded.
"What do you mean mate?" Teddy asks getting up and leading Albus somewhere more private. Fred and James continues to talk about their plan for a prank, Albus assumes.
"You know exactly what I mean,"Albus states,"he's been gone for days. Teddy...is he...sick...is he...,"his voice trailed off trying to think of the worst. He didn't want to imagine it.
"He's...," Teddy's face turned white and he tried to fake a smile,"he's fine mate. He's just...taking some time off."
"Off of what?! He's not even in his dorm Teddy," Albus practically shouts at him. "He missed quittditch. He loves quittditch. He lives for quittditch," Albus says worried,"you're not telling me something. I'm going to find it out." Without another word Albus marches off and looks out side to see clouds block the full moons light. He takes out his fathers map and mumbles,"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

The whomping willow stood motionless in the middle of the school grounds and Albus looked everywhere for Nikoli. Furrowing his eyebrows, he saw that Nikoli's foot prints were where the shrieking shack was. Albus breathed in confused and looked over at the now settled whomping willow. 'The map never lies,' he remembers his dad telling him. Albus rubs his temples and hears a low howl from beyond the distance. Feeling his body shake, Albus runs his hands through his black hair and ,using all of his courage, slid down the hole.
"Bloody hell," Albus gasps as he looks around the dark dusty room built under the willow tree. "Lumos," he then mutters as he looks around the empty bedroom.
He found a door at the back of the room and he opened it hoping there was no big scary beast.
The tunnel was long and dark. It smelled of rotten food and echoes of screams swelled through it. He spots a door at the end and the shrieks get louder. He knew what the shack was for. His father had once told him about it, 'people say it's haunted.'
He remembers being so scared of it after he really knew the truth: the shack was for a werewolf, Teddy's dad to be exact. The shrieking they heard wasn't some kind of ghost but a person, a person who was suffering. Albus was terrified of the idea of werewolves; he wasn't so terrified of the person. He was terrified that a person could be morphed into a vicious blood thirsty beast with no control over him or herself.
Opening the door, his stomach flops at the sight before him. The hand-me-down couch has stuffing out of it and cloth is everywhere. There's certain scratches on the wooden walls and howls grow louder as Albus walks down the stairs. "Nikoli?" Albus almost screeches looking down the staircase. A low howl came from downstairs and Albus runs down them with his wand ready for anything. With his map stuffed in his skinny jean pocket and his wand in his left hand, he walks along the railing going closer to the low moans. Soft cries were heard and Albus saw a figure in the doorway downstairs hiding from the moonlight. "Nikoli?" Albus called the figure knowing it was him.
Nikoli curled into a ball and cried hard. His body was like a wolves although it had no hair only skin and he was skinny like he hadn't eaten for months. Albus felt his heart drop when he saw Nikoli like this, "Nikoli its...its Albus. Albie...," he stumbles with his words.
Nikoli looks up and Albus feels his body crumble. His once warm blue eyes that glittered in the light were cold and hallow. The moonlight seems to seep through somehow and it shines causing the werewolf to howl after prancing up. Albus steps back feeling his heart pounding out of his chest. He feels claws rip through his flesh in his leg and he falls down from the pain. Watching the blood flow out he tries not to scream as the werewolf pounces on top of him. "Al?!" Albus hears Teddy's voice from upstairs.
"I'm..." Albus struggles to talk as he fights to get Nikoli off of him. Teddy rushes down stairs to see Nikoli on top of Albus with Albus's leg bleeding out. Albus screams feeling his arm snap from Nikoli's wolf like strength and he feels hot tears fall down his face. The wolf's dagger like claws tear Albus's cheek and Teddy pulls his wand out,"stupefy!"
Nikoli's body goes flying to the grey hard wall and falls down unconscious. Teddy rushes to Albus's bleeding body silently say," Locomotor Mortis." Nikoli's legs quickly bind together so he's unable to get up.
"Albus what were you thinking mate?" Teddy whispers to Albus who's unconscious from the fall. Soft cries come from the werewolf in the shadows and Teddy runs to him after putting a bandage spell on Albus.
"Nikoli," Teddy whispers while holding the bonded wolf," this is not who you are. You will overcome this. You're kind, you're loved."

***

"Blimey," Scorpius's voice rings through Albus's ears,"those lilies are dreadful." He adds looking at the dead lilies next to Albus.
Rose laughs as she sits next to Albus's motionless body,"Lucy fancies dead flowers,"Rose shrugs her shoulders and makes a face while talking of her odd cousin.
Teddy walks in the hospital wing with Victorie who's wearing Teddy's black hoodie. Victorie puts her hair in a messy bun and sits on the bed where Albus lies. "Is he okay?" She asks Rose.
"He lost a lot of blood,"Rose says,"I've no idea what in Marlins bloody Beard he was doing."
Teddy hunches over and sighs,"he's fine though...yeah?" Teddy looks at the scratches on Albus and feels his stomachs bubble. Victorie rubs Teddy's back knowing what happened.
"Madame Promfrey said he'll be quite fine. He only broke his arm," Rose tells Teddy.
"She's been feeding him bone mending potion,"Scorpius tells his best friends family.
"Where's Nikoli?" Rose looks around for the boy with sandy blonde hair and deep electric blue eyes.
Teddy shrugs his shoulders,"he's already visited." He makes a face knowing he's speaking the truth: Nikoli did visit and he cried at the foot of Albus's bed.
Albus moans lowly while he moves his head back and forth. Opening his eyes he finds his best friend and his family looking down in him. Looking to the left he sees dead lilies in a beautiful case and weakly smiles thinking of Lucy. "W-where's Nikoli?" Albus whispers as he sits himself up. "Is he alright?" Albus looks over at Teddy who tries hard to stare into Albus's sad green eyes.
"How are you?" Rose furrows her eyebrows confused as to why Albus is worried about Nikoli.
"Is he okay?" Albus asks Teddy again.
"He visited you last night," Teddy tells him truthfully. He sees no satisfaction in Albus's face and slowly says,"you've...you've been unconscious for three days. Nikoli left this-this morning he's getting you some candy." Albus's face brightens up and Teddy smiles weakly lowly cursing himself for lying to his cousin.
"Out of my way Edward,"Madame pomfrey shouts at Teddy as she rushes to Albus with bone mending potion in her hand. "One more large gulp of this and you'll be as good as new,"she shoves the potions in Albus's face and patiently waits as he drinks the rotten tasting potion.
"What exactly were you doing Al?" Rose asks him once he finished drinking the potion down.
"I...um...,"Albus scrambles for words.
"Hats enough of you! Go on now!" Madame Promfrey rushes everyone away except for Teddy.
"Nikoli...Al....l-listen mate,"Teddy fools with his necklace,"h-he wanted me to tell you not...not to bother looking for him."
Albus felt his heart stop and his stomach drop. Biting his lip he tried hard to remain as calm as possible. "He...what?" Albus tilts his head "I thought he was getting candy?"
"He's not. He-he thinks it's best for you...for you to not see him...,"Teddy tells hims slowly.
Albus doesn't say anything. He just looks down at the white blanket and stares blankly.
"He doesn't-"
"Want to hurt me?" Albus scoffs.
"Yeah,"Teddy sighs. He watches as Albus wipes away smalls tears from his eyes.
"Too late,"Albus whispers."