Infamous | Fred Weasley x OC |

Chapter Twenty Five

"One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin threateningly ahead. His wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest as they chained him to the immobilised willow.

Ron was sprawled on the ground, resting against the trunk of the willow, the opposite side of the trunk to Pettigrew. His leg was resting on a protruding root and Hermione was looking at it with a piteous smile reassuring him that Madame Pomfrey had cured worse and that he would be fine once they'd got back to the castle.

Harry was a little way away from the others, talking with Sirius. They were standing with their backs to the others, staring up at the castle. It was just a shadow in the darkness but the glimmering lights shone out from the windows looking like thousands of twinkling stars against the night's sky.

I was standing on the other side of Pettigrew, looking out across the grounds. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to try and make sense of everything that had happened. I'd had so much new information piled on top of me and, to make things worse, I was still confused from the potions exam.

Lupin had come to stand next to me. He didn't say anything, he just stood beside me and looked out across the grounds as well.

"I'm not okay," I said, "If you were going to ask."

Lupin smiled lightly and said, "You are very much like your mother."

"I'm a bit sick of people telling me that," I admitted, "I've had enough of it today to last a lifetime."

"I can imagine it came as a bit of shock," Lupin said and I snorted.

"A bit?"

"Okay, a lot," Lupin smiled but it quickly faded, "I'd been thinking about how to break the news to you all year, as soon as I saw your name on my register," Lupin explained, "At first I thought it was just a coincidence that you shared a surname with my old school friend but as soon as I saw you, well, the likeness between you and your mother is undeniable. I was going to tell you when you first came to my office. But that was when I thought Peter was innocent and Sirius had betrayed Harry's parents. After I started to suspect that Peter had something to do with it, I didn't want to tell you anything about him until I knew the whole truth. I hope you can understand why I did what I did."

"No, I get it," I said with a sigh, "Doesn't make it any easier though, does it?"

"I can imagine not," Lupin said sadly.

"I thought today... well, I thought I'd get to know my dad," I admitted, "First I thought it might be you, because of that photo, then when you said you were friends with my dad I thought it could be Sirius. I've gone from having a werewolf for a dad, to a murderer, to a hero, then to a different murderer. And I'm not sure what one would have been best if I'm honest. A werewolf, an ex-con or a murderer."

Lupin chuckled weakly and pulled at his collar.

"I don't want to add to the confusion but," Lupin said and hesitated as if he were working up the courage to admit something else to me. I can't catch a break, can I?

"I don't think things can get much worse, you might as well just tell me," I said with a shrug.

"Your mother and I were very close and when you were born, she asked me to be godfather," Lupin said.

"And...?" I prompted.

"And I agreed."

"Oh..." I said, honestly not that surprised. I doubt anything could surprise me after the day I've had.

"So you might not have a werewolf for a father," Lupin continued, "But you do have one for a godfather."

"If anything that's a bit weirder..." I admitted then shrugged it off, "But it's nice to know I have at least one male figure in my life that isn't a murderer."

"Is werewolf really any better?"

"It's not any worse," I said, turning to him and smiling then returning my attention back to the rolling fields of the Hogwarts grounds, "But I have only seen you as a person so far." I joked but this time Lupin didn't say a word.

The clouds parted and covered the land in bright white moonlight. I looked over to Lupin to prompt him to say something but thought better of it. He was standing perfectly straight, so straight it was as if he couldn't move. He was just staring straight ahead, wide-eyed and unable to say a word or move a muscle.

"Professor?" I asked, hoping he would tell me that it wasn't a full moon, that he was not going to turn into a werewolf and he was not going to kill us all.

"Caswell!" Sirius shouted urgently and I whirled around. He was staring at me and Lupin with wide eyes and pointing up at the sky. Please tell me that moon wasn't full... "Run."

I willed my legs to move, to run away, to do anything but they were rooted to the spot. All I seemed to be able to do was panic as Lupin began transforming into a werewolf before my very eyes. He cried out in pain, a horrific scream that made me both wince and feel incredibly sorry for him. His howls turned to whimpers as he transformed further, looking more and more wolfish. And still I couldn't move.

Then I fell. Someone had pushed me out the way. I lifted my head, half expecting to see Sirius but it wasn't. I briefly came face to face with the beady eyes of Peter Pettigrew and watched him transform into a rat and scamper off across the fields.

For some reason, a large black dog and appeared seemingly out of nowhere and launched itself at the werewolf. It was swatted away and limped, whimpering in pain, back at Lupin. I scrambled to my feet, now far enough away from immediate danger that my body had decided to move again.

"Harry!" I shouted and he, Ron and Hermione all looked to me, "He's gone."

Harry seemed to pause, thinking of what to do next. A frustrated grimace washed across his face.

"We need to get up to the castle and tell someone and then-" He began instructing but was cut off by a large whine from a dog, "Sirius," He breathed and took off running after the dog, who had limped away beyond the willow. The werewolf ran after the dog and Harry ran after them both.

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked. At least one of them knew the danger they had placed themselves in.

"Go after him!" Ron prompted as Hermione stood still, glancing conflicted between where Harry had disappeared off to and where Ron lay unable to walk, "You're the brightest of us all, he's going to need help."

Hermione nodded hurriedly and ran after Harry. That left me and Ron. I sighed and ran over to him.

"Reckon you can stand?"

Ron looked up at me with a frown.

"With your help? I 'spose. Why?"

"We need to get back to the castle," I said, throwing an arm around Ron and he threw his arm around my shoulders, "Someone needs to help them and I reckon that someone is Dumbledore. Come on."