"Have you got everything you need, dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked Remus as they approached the Whomping Willow.
Remus simply nodded, holding up the folded clothes in his arms ever so slightly. His pre-full moon symptoms had included an incredibly sore throat that month so he was trying to avoid speaking as much as he could.
Madam Pomfrey mumbled something and a crackling orange bolt of light flew from her wand, landing squarely on the knot at the base of the tree, causing it to freeze in place. "Well then, I shall see you in the morning."
Remus gave her a quick wave as she began her march back up to the castle before turning to the immobilized tree and making his way towards it. He ducked through the entrance at it's base and trudged along the dirt tunnel until he reached the Shrieking Shack. Remus wasted no time in placing the clothes on the rickety coffee table in the middle of the room and slumping down in the patchy brown brown armchair beside it.
His eyes fluttered shut. He was exhausted - his whole body ached, his throat was raw, his skin was clammy and itchy and he could feel his nose beginning to run. Madam Pomfrey always made sure that he made it to the shack a fair bit earlier than the estimated time of the moon rise, so he knew he had enough time for a quick nap. It didn't take long for him to fall into a light sleep.
He was woken by a loud crash accompanied by a surprised shriek. He leapt out his chair, instantly regretting his decision as his head pounded and vision swam with the sudden movement. He grabbed his head, blinking a few times, before stumbling over to one of the shack's many boarded up windows.
Remus peaked through the largest gap between the boards to see a middle aged woman in royal blue robes collapsed on the ground, an upturned bench beside her. He recognised the woman as Aiyana Elman, the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures' Being Division at the Ministry and a proud activist for the rights of House-Elves, Centaurs, Goblins and, more controversially, werewolves. Remus had seen her sitting on that particular bench reading on several occasions when he had peered through the window whilst waiting for his friends to arrive (her daughter lived in Hogsmeade so she regularly paid the small town a visit).
He did not recognise, however, the tall, cloaked figure standing above her, a metallic mask covering everything but their eyes. He had seen that mask several times before on the front cover of the Daily Prophet. A Death Eater.
There was no doubt in Remus' mind that Aiyana's disparate views that so often got her into trouble with the Ministry and the newspapers were the reason she had been targeted for this attack. There was also no doubt in his mind that he needed to help her.
His instincts took hold as he ran across the other side of the room to the dilapidated back door before opening it and slipping out the back of the shack as quietly as he could. He knew he would need the element of surprise on his side if he was going to over power a Death Eater.
He crept around the side of the house, remaining just out of view as the Death Eater interrogated Aiyana. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying from that distance but he could tell that it wasn't going well. The Death Eater shouted "Levicorpus" and then cackled as Aiyana was pulled into the air and left to hang upside down.
Remus frowned. He had thought that only Hogwarts students knew that spell after one of the students invented it (Snape wouldn't admit to it but Remus knew it was him). Perhaps it had finally begun to spread outside of the castle's walls. Unless...
He dismissed that train of thought, instead focusing on what he was going to do next. If he waited for the perfect moment, he-
"Avada Keda-"
"Expelliarmus," Remus shouted, jumping out from the corner he had been hiding in at record speed and wincing at the pain in his throat. A red bolt flew from his wand and hit the Death Eater, flinging her wand away before she could finish her spell. The adrenaline kicked in as he rushed forward, casting Liberacorpus on Aiyana so that she fell to the ground.
The Death Eater had made a run for her wand, picking it up just as Remus muttered a "Stupefy", giving her enough time to deflect it with shielding charm. Aiyana, who had also made a scramble for her wand, shouted "Flipendo," causing the Death Eater to be flung into the dirt, her hood dislodging to reveal a ponytail of thick black hair. It was evident that she did not have much dueling experience.
She grunted before rolling onto her front and pushing herself back up as fast as she could. She quickly surveyed the area, looking for anyway to get back into control of the duel, before spotting an older woman who was watching the spectacle through the front window of her cake shop.
The Death Eater disapperated in a puff of black smoke before returning moments later with one hand gripping the back of the shopkeeper's shirt. The woman, upon realising the change in surroundings and the wand held to her throat, let out an ear piercing scream.
"Drop your wands or I'll ki-"
A loud crash interrupted her as the back door of the shack was flung open and two figures rushed out. Grace and Sirius came running down the hill, wands raised. The Death Eater, noticing how very out numbered she was, let go of the woman and disapperated once more. The woman wasted no time in running back to her shop.
"What happened?" Sirius asked as they reached Remus.
"Was that... one of his? A Death Eater?" Grace asked.
Remus simply nodded in response, running a hand through his hair as he caught his breath.
Aiyana stepped forward. "I cannot thank you enough for what you just did. Your-"
"Merlin's beard, you're Aiyana Elman. I'm a huge fan of your work! Your speech at the last Magical Creatures Convention was absolutely-" Grace began, before realising how rude she'd been. "Sorry, I just..."
"It's fine, dear," Aiyana replied, before turning back to Remus, only to notice that his eyes were glued to the full moon that had just appeared low in the sky. "Are you alright?"
Grace gasped, following his gaze, immediately grabbing his shoulder and pushing him back towards the shack. "You have to run! Now!"
Aiyana stumbled backwards as she slowly put it all together. The full moon, that look in his eyes, the scar that covered his face...
She broke out into a run before disapperating all together.
Remus doubled over as his bones cracked and elongated, his skin stretched and his human mind began to slip away. Both Grace and Sirius stepped back and transformed into their animagus forms, knowing that there was nothing they could do now but hope that the cake shop was far enough away the the fully grown werewolf in front of them wouldn't catch the shopkeepers scent.
---
IM SO SORRY ITS BEEN SO LONG
I'm uploading this without having written the next chapter which I shouldn't do but oh well you guys deserve an update its been way too long
I've been soooo goddamn busy and there's only a week left until school starts again :///
Thank you all so much for sticking around
- Grace
YOU ARE READING
The Forest - R.L.
Fanfiction(Remus Lupin - Marauder's Era ) She was wandering through the forest when she saw it. A wolfish being, about as tall as herself, with scruffy grey-brown fur and a snarl forming on its lips. But she wasn't afraid. --- Grace Thorne is an eleven year o...
