In The Shadows² ★ Draco Malfoy

*Transformation

O.W.Ls were proving to be much more work than expected for the fifth years, and Professor Snape in particular was giving his students a hard time by setting them essays what felt like every week. Briar had been so busy with her other work and quidditch, that she still hadn't started their two parchment roll essay on uses of defensive spells, and because of the approaching full moon she couldn't bring herself to write it

"Briar," Ginny said to her best friend who was staring out of the library window looking exhausted

"What?" Briar replied harshly

"Are you coming to practice tonight?" she asked

"No," Briar said, rolling her eyes "Sure, let me just show up on my broom as a big fluffy wolf and bite everyone's head off, that'll be fun"

"Ok, well you can stop biting mine off" Ginny suggested

"Go snog Dean," Briar shrugged "Or are you in yet another fight? I wouldn't be surprised"

"What's up with you?" Ginny scoffed angrily and although she knew the answer, she was annoyed at Briar's behaviour

"I have bigger problems than you and homework" the werewolf replied 

Ginny realised she wasn't going to get anywhere with Briar in her state, so she just rolled her eyes, huffed and walked away. Briar knew she should feel bad for snapping at Ginny but her whole body was sore and she was dreading the pain of transforming tonight, so she didn't really care

Briar's state continued to worsen during the day and after dinner she had to drag herself down to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where the Whomping Willow sat. 

"Wingardium Leviosa" she muttered, pointing her wand at a fallen branch, which she then used to press a knot in the tree trunk, causing the thorny, heavy moving branches to still. Then she crept into the same hole Sirius had led her through 3 years ago, until she reached the Shrieking Shack

This was her third full moon since returning to Hogwarts and every time she transformed she wished her dad was still there to help

When the moonlight began to shine through the dirty windows, Briar quickly pulled a silver vial from her robes and drank its contents before she stripped out of her uniform and placed it aside to keep it clean

After nearly an hour Briar felt the familiar uncomfortable feeling of a transformation creep up her spine and she clenched her jaw in preparation because sure enough seconds later her back began to arch unnaturally and a cry of pain tore from her throat

That cry continued to get louder and louder as the transition continued, until in her place now sat a silver furry wolf, whimpering in pain. 

Transitions at Hogwarts were always more painful than at home because at home she knew she had her dad so she had another wolf to comfort her, but here she was all alone and in pain, with only the scratches on the wall caused by her dad to look at

This particular transition seemed to be more painful than the previous ones, and Briar felt like the angry, violent, emotionless werewolf side of her was pounding in her head, desperate to break out but she knew she couldn't let it

But when she felt that feeling trying to seep through, Briar let out a cry, which came out as a howl and threw herself against the wall, raising her paws to her head as if to try block it out

Her wolf was trying to fight her and Briar could feel her human side being pushed back. When her howls became angry and her eyes became black, she knew it had been, but she could hear herself in the back of her head trying to hold on

The fight in her brain caused her to panic and she continuously threw herself against the walls and furniture to try render herself harmless in case her wolf side did push through completely