metanoia

Chapter Thirty-two

For the rest of the night, the night that never seemed to end, Padfoot was there keeping Moony and Star in check. Moony was extra vicious and rowdy that evening, after the run in with Snape he clawed at Padfoot and himself every chance he had because he was angry that he couldn't get his prey. With each swipe Moony and Star took at Padfoot, Sirius felt even more guilty about what he had done.

When the pair came to, in the early hours of the morning, they were furious. Letti did not think, she let her anger take over and she punched Sirius hard in the jaw. She was absolutely pissed about what went down, partially at Sirius for putting them in that position but on the other hand it was her fault that they were even vicious tonight because she convinced Moony to put some sugar in their damn Wolfsbane. Remus looked at Sirius and could tell by the look in his grey eyes that he was the reason that Snape almost got killed.

 "Sirius Orion Black, how could you? We could have hurt him, killed him, or worse? What the Hell were you thinking?!"

Sirius shrunk back as his best friend yelled at him. He knew that he messed up, that it could have gone a lot worse if Prongs hadn't saved Severus when he did. The pang of guilt hit Sirius like a ton of bricks. He looked to Peter and Letti, who also wanted an explanation, then to Remus, "I thought you took your potion and I only meant to scare him. To get him to stop trying to figure out what was going on with you."

Remus couldn't make himself look at Sirius any longer, forcing himself to look at his reflection in the mirror that was hanging to his left. He saw his dirty, bloody reflection but he truly only saw the monster that he was. Screaming, he slammed his fist into the glass and it shattered onto the ground around his feet, bloodying his knuckles as well. "You used me, you used Lisette, the monsters to scare him! He almost died tonight! I'm dangerous, that's why you guys are Animagus because you can't be around me. That's why I didn't want you or Alex here on Full Moons. You used me, you used Lisette and you made me feel like an even worse monster than I am."

Sirius walked closer to him, trying to comfort him, whispering, "Rem-"

"No!" Remus screamed, his voice echoing throughout the Shack. "No, you don't get to come near me. Don't talk to me, don't look at me, just leave me alone. What you did was horrible, unforgivable, and I can't be around you right now." Remus limped out of the Shack and to the Castle, leaving Lisette, Peter and Sirius behind.

Sirius looked at the girl seeing the pure hatred in her generally kind eyes, "This is the worst thing you could have done, Sirius. You fucked up."

___

James caught up to Snape but by the time he finally reached him, Snape was talking to Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore. The three of them turned and looked at James, but Severus no longer looked scared or traumatized but smug because he had finally caught the Marauders.

McGonagall and Dumbledore took the pair to Dumbledore's office. They took James in first to get the story. James sat down in the chair and began recounting the story, talking 100 miles a minute, "Severus almost got mauled to death by Remus and Lisette. Before you ask, they're together because they learned about each other and are using each other for moral support. Anyways, he was told how to immobilize the tree and when he got into the tunnel, he was met by Remus and Lisette and their furry little problems. I somehow managed to pull him out before he got hurt but he ran away, coming straight to you two."

McGonagall slowly sat down on Dumbledore's desk, mumbling, "Oh dear."

"So, just to be clear he saw Mr. Lupin and Miss Lightwood this evening after they turned?" asked Dumbledore, pinching the bridge of his nose.

James nodded and Dumbledore seemed concerned. The two professors looked at each other then the boy, uncertain of how they were going to twist the story on Mr. Snape. Dumbledore clears his throat, looking at Potter, "Okay, my dear boy, this is the story. You were out of bed to set up a prank on Mr. Filch when you saw Mr. Snape approach the Whomping Willow. Concerned for his safety, you followed him. When you saw that his life was endangered, you pulled him out of the tunnel. Mr. Potter, I don't know why you were out tonight but I thank you for saving Mr. Snape's life this evening. And I will ensure that he won't repeat to another living soul the events of tonight or Mr. Lupin and Miss Lightwood's furry little problem. Now off to bed." They dismiss James then bring Severus in.

___

James ran into the Gryffindor Common Room, waking Alex up with a start. She rubs her eyes and scrambles to her feet, looking at her watch, "Prongs? What- what are you doing here? You're supposed to be- Did something happen to Moony or Star?"

James nodded his head, sitting down on the couch that she had just jumped up from. She could tell by the look he had in his eyes that something was seriously wrong. Her mind raced, imagining every possible thing that could have gone wrong tonight. She sat down next to the messy haired boy, "James, what happened?"

He looked into her dark eyes, seeing the concern she held for Moony and Star. Exhaling, James runs his hands through his hair, "Severus Snape got into the Whomping Willow this evening. Apparently Padfoot told him how to stop the tree and that if he wanted to figure out what was wrong with Moony once and for all that he had to go tonight. He only meant to scare him enough to stop digging but when Snape got in the tunnel Moony and Star were there. Moony almost killed him but luckily I saw him sneaking into the tree and saved him myself before Moony got to him."

Processing what she'd just heard, Alex looked at her cousin with disgust, springing off the couch and toward the door, announcing, "I'm going to kill that little piece of shit."

 Any good feelings she might have once had toward Sirius Black was instantly gone and replaced with pure hatred.

James quickly grabbed her wrist, anchoring himself so she couldn't get away to murder their best friend. She kept pulling at him, trying to wrench her wrist from his grasp but he wasn't budging, "Let go of me right this instant, James Fleamont Potter."

"No, Alexandra Aurora Worth, I will not. You can't kill him," James hissed at her, tightening his grip on her wrist.

Then the portrait door swung open and in climbed Sirius and Peter. James let go when he saw the pair and Alex took it as her window of opportunity. She pinned Sirius against the wall, drawing her wand on the man she once called her friend, "How dare you put them in that situation! You're his best friend and we all know how they both feel about their condition and now you've gone and done this? He could have died, Sirius, and that would have been on you. But it would have haunted Remus and Letti for the rest of their lives because they would have believed that they are the monsters they think they are! You're a horrible human being, Sirius Orion Black. And an even worse friend!"

She let him go, storming out of the Common Room and toward the Hospital Wing to check on Remus and Letti. Stomping all the way there, Alex grumbled to herself about how horrible Sirius was for putting their friends in that position. When she opened the doors to the Hospital Wing, she saw Remus propped up on the bed, shirtless with three claw marks cut deep into his chest and Letti with a busted lip.

"Al? What are you doing here?" Remus whispers as Alex walks up to him. She sat on the foot of his bed, staring at the gashes on his chest. Remus sees where she was staring and covers it with his shirt, "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Like Hell it is. Did you two not take your potions? Did this happen after Snape showed up?" Alex hissed, pulling away his shirt to inspect the cuts.

At the mention of Snape, Remus and Lisette's eyes go wide and his skin goes very pale, "How did you know about that?"

"James told me what Sirius did. I'm so sorry that he put you two in that position," Alex apologizes as Madam Pomfrey scurries up to them, shooing her away so she could dress his wounds.

Lisette looked to her friend as Madam Pomfrey cleaned his wounds, "Rem, I'm so sorry about the potion. If I hadn't convinced you-"

"No," Remus cut her off, wincing as the nurse rubbed the claw marks on his chest. "We both did it. We're both responsible."