The Tomb Of Our Forlorn Love

Ellary sat at her desk with her chin propped up in her hand feeling quite lonely and restless. Remus had fallen dreadfully ill due to the fact that the approaching night was going to be a full moon. He was currently residing in his dormitory, while Ellary was in Potions class without a partner.

They had finished their Polyjuice potion along time ago and had started a new, even more complicated potion… Veritaserum. It was the potion that forced the drinker to tell the truth and it took over a month to make correctly. However, at the moment it was in its sitting phase, meaning there was nothing really hands-on to do with it. So Professor Slughorn had filled their classes with mostly busy work consisting of random essays and reading assignments. According to the board in front of her she was supposed to be reading a section on the different uses of Dragon Blood, but after reading the first sentence she had already drifted off into her own little world.

Not only was she dreadfully worried about Remus and how tonight would go, but the conversation she and Regulus had the night before was also weighing down on her mind. Her eyes began to wander aimlessly around the dark, cold dungeon room looking for something remotely interesting with which she could distract herself from her own thoughts. Her eyes suddenly came to a stop, however, when she spotted something very curious happening at the front of the room…

“Don’t be a dunderhead, Severus! You know very well that you can’t put frog eyes in a Shrinking potion without it blowing up!” Lily exclaimed, looking up from the essay that she was reading.

The thing so odd about this comment was that she was laughing while she said it. There was a wide smile stretched across her face and she looked as if she was actually enjoying herself.

“Precisely. That would give ol’ Slug a hell of a surprise, wouldn’t it? Teach him to not invite me to be in his stupid club,” Severus smiled back at her.

There was a strange expression on his face as he talked to the redheaded girl. Could that be actual happiness? Ellary hadn’t seen him truly happy in such a long time, not since he had gotten perfect O’s on his O.W.L’s last year anyways.

“Oh don’t say that, he is a nice man,” Lily reprimanded in a friendly manner, pushing him playfully. He pushed her back and she started to giggle. “Don’t push me, you git,” she chuckled, tossing her quill at him.

“You started it,” Severus chortled in response. ‘Holy crap is he laughing?’ Ellary thought in amazement.

She observed the two curiously for the rest of the class as they continued to talk, laugh, and joke with each other the entire time. There had been a definite change in her brother’s attitude. He wasn’t treating Lily like dirt because she was a muggleborn; he was treating her like an equal, like a friend… Could Severus have actually made a friend? A small came to Ellary’s face as she watched the two. She wasn’t particularly fond of Lily or her brother who had neglected to visit her in the hospital wing for that matter, but the fact that her brother looked so happy for once made her happy too. He deserved a little joy every now and then, and he definitely needed a friend other than his textbooks.

“Okay class, that is all for today. Next class you will have to start adding more ingredients to the potion, so it should be a great deal more exciting than today. I will see you then!” Professor Slughorn dismissed the class jovially, when the clock finally struck two o’clock.

Ellary quickly gathered up her books, put the cover on her cauldron, and walked speedily out of the room before Slughorn could have the chance to say anything to her. Severus and Lily were still chatting in front of her as they left, but the moment they entered the outside hall they split apart and walked in separate directions like they didn’t even know each other. Ellary watched the two go their separates ways, ‘Guess I’m not the only one with a secret friendship,' she thought silently to herself, before rushing off to check on Remus.

“How are you feeling, baby?” Ellary whispered softly, resting one of her warm hands on Remus’ clammy, pallid cheeks. Beads of cold sweat were running down his forehead and his eyes were bloodshot and slightly swollen; he looked about as terrible as he felt. “I hate seeing you like this,” she sighed, kissing him gently on the forehead, “I wish I could help you.”

“You being here helps,” he said sincerely “When did you get out of the Hospital Wing?” he asked.

“This morning. I had to sit through Potions without you today, it was absolutely miserable,” she chuckled and he smiled feebly. She sighed, “You’ll feel better after tonight.”

“But I am nervous about today Ellie…” he admitted nervously, “Without James and Sirius what if-”

“Don’t even start,” Ellary placed her finger over his lips, “Peter and I will handle it all just fine by ourselves. Everything will be fine, I promise. You can trust me,” she said to him reassuringly.

“I know,” he replied, but he didn’t seem assured. “But I just think that I should go this one alone. If I get violent, I won’t be able to control what or whom I hurt in the process. I really don’t want you to get hurt, Ellie, especially by me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I caused you harm,” he said with concern.

“I am not going to leave you alone to beat yourself up all night. I am going to be there for you, because I care about you, understand?” she said firmly.

He shook his head a little at her, “I don’t know how you guys put up with me when I am like this,” he murmured.

“Oh hush, this is half the reason why we love you so much. The fact that you are strong enough to deal with something like this amazes me, Remus. You’re strongest person I know,” she told him.

He laughed weakly, “You cannot be serious.”

“I couldn’t be more serious,” she countered, as she gently brushed his hair out of his face for him.

He smiled, “You’re absolutely amazing,” he whispered.

“I know,” she smirked, flicking her hair over her shoulder jokingly, “But I never mind hearing it.”

“I’m serious, Ella,” he said, “You always make me feel better.”

“That’s what I am here for mate,” she smiled and clutched his hand in hers, “What are girlfriends for?”

Remus’ jaw dropped and his golden eyes widened a little at her words, “Did you just say girlfriend?”

“Mhmm,” she responded casually, as if it was no big deal. Something about her conversation with Regulus had sparked to finally make the commitment to Remus, though she had no clue why. “I mean well- if you want me to be your girlfriend that is, I’m not going to force you into anything. But we’ve been dating for awhile and well- I don’t plan on seeing anyone else… so yeah,” she finished, a little awkwardly as her cheeks blushed pink.

He tightened his grip on her hand, “You don’t how happy you just made me,” he said honestly. “Thank Merlin I have you,” he responded, “I don’t know what I would do without you, love,” he admitted.

“You’d get by. You’re one tough kid, mate,” she told him, “But I’m definitely glad that I am here,” she added on swiftly. She leaned down and placed a simple but passionate kiss upon the lips.

“Hey mates, I hate to tell you this, but we better get going soon… it’s getting late. I’ve got James’ invisibility cloak with me,” Peter said, as he walked into the dormitory with the cloak in his right hand.

“Here we go again…” Remus muttered.

Ellary and Peter were doing their absolute best to support a wobbling Remus under the invisibility cloak as they approached the looming Womping Willow off in the distance. When they finally reached the tall, ominous tree, Peter transformed into his rat form and scurried toward the base of the tree to touch the knot located at the bottom. This caused the typically violent tree to completely freeze up for a certain period of time, which allowed them to pass through unharmed. Dumbledore had told Remus about it when he was first accepted into Hogwarts School. When Peter’s work was done, Ellary helped Remus down the secret tunnel that led all the way to the Shrieking Shack in the small wizarding village of Hogsmeade. Inside the Shrieking Shack was a broken down old house, littered with broken portrait frames and dusty old armchairs.

There was a small doggy bed type apparatus in the corner that James and Ellary made in second year, where Remus would usually sleep if he was calm, but the walls around it were lined with deep scratches and bite marks that occurred during Remus’ fits. Just as they entered the room, the moon began to slowly rise over the mountaintops off in the distance. When they finally reached the Shack, Ellary promptly rested Remus on the floor and altered into her animagus form of a cat. A second later, on the floor where Ellary had been standing was now a small, solid black cat with only one patch of white on its chest where the heart would be.

Ellary cowered in one of the far corners with Peter in his rat form while Remus went through the change of becoming a werewolf. It was during his actual transformation that he was the most dangerous of all. The two winced as Remus’ body began to contort and twist unnaturally in abnormal directions. Long, razor-sharp claws began to sprout from his fingers and fangs shot out from his mouth. His normal warm and friendly golden-brown eyes changed rapidly into a daunting, glow-in-dark yellow color that could strike fear into the hearts of anyone who saw them. After only a few brief seconds an entirely different creature stood in front of them where Remus had once been, and to Ellary’s horror it was bearing its fangs angrily at them.