Of Witch and Wolf

[Of Witch and Wolf - Chapter 1]

The evening grew cold as the sun disappeared behind a distant mountain, and Savannah Stormcrow hurried to her private chambers to drop off her books. The clouds were gathering, and the wind whipped Hogwarts' banners madly around their flagstaves; perhaps tonight would be the night to end this wretched curse. She quickly changed out of her school uniform, pulling on jeans and a thick sweater and tucking her dark hair up in a ponytail. She caught a glimpse of herself in the vanity mirror, and as she did so she forced herself to slow down.

"Don't get your hopes up," she said aloud as she stared at her reflection. Slowly, she walked over to the vanity and raised her hand to it. She pressed her hand to the glass, her flesh fingertips meeting their cold, reflected counterparts. Cold, yes. That was what she felt. Cold and hollow, like the bestowers of the curse she bore. Cold like her mother and father in their graves. Cold like a vampire's heart.

"Don't get your hopes up," she said again as she withdrew her hand from the glass. She turned on her heel, not wanting to look at herself anymore. Quickly she pulled on her boots, and with a wave of her hand she flung open the shutters that covered the ceiling-high windows of her room. The moon was rising now, the moon that she so dearly loved - it was her sun - and she would not want to miss seeing its glow over the lake. She grabbed a thick wool blanket and tucked it under her arm, then headed toward the tower.

In the hallway she met Remus Lupin, once a Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor at Hogwarts, and who had now returned not as a professor but instead under the guise of an administrator, though Savannah knew better. He spent most of his days in the library, where she worked, though he often disappeared into the Restricted Section. They had first met when he was teaching the Defense class, and they had become good friends. During his time away, after he resigned, he would send her an Owl Post once in a while, to let her know that he was surviving. When he returned, they had picked up the friendship where they had left off, and she now counted Remus as her closest friend. Of course, it was much easier to carry on their friendship now that she was not a student.

"Hello, Savannah," Remus greeted her. He wore his usual sad smile, though his eyes were bright. He carried a stack of books under one arm and his briefcase under the other. "I haven't seen you around all day."

"Good evening," she smiled back at him. "I've been in the library, but it's you who've been hiding in the Restricted!" she teased. Her eyes fell to the stack of books, and she reached out a hand. "Would you like help?" she asked.

"Ah, no thank you," he said quickly, recoiling slightly. He looked immediately apologetic. "I'm just returning these. School business, you know. It's fine, thank you."

"Right, then," Savannah said, gently patting his arm. "I'll see you later. Good night." She began to walk away.

"Savannah?"

"Yes?" She turned to him.

"Would you perchance be available for supper tomorrow evening?"

She smiled. "I would like that," she said, her eyes glittering.

Once again Remus flashed his forlorn smile, and Savannah knew that this was as happy as he could ever outwardly appear. "Would eight o'clock be alright for you?" he asked.

"That's a fine time, Remus," she said. "I will see you then."

Remus nodded his goodnight, then disappeared into the darkness of the long hall, whistling to himself.

Savannah rubbed her arms as she once again made her way toward the tower. She wasn't necessarily cold; in fact, quite the opposite. It was a warm, tingly feeling that enveloped her whenever she talked with Remus, and it had only begun very recently. She was somewhat frightened of it. She did, however, recall feeling this way once before, many years ago, when she had been hugged by her mother.

She forced the feeling aside as the tower came into full view. The moon was just beginning to peer over the mountain opposite of where the sun had set. Savannah climbed the steep spiral staircase, and moments later she emerged at the top of the tower.

Remus, I hope you are safely tucked away in your bed, she thought to herself. The moon is not friendly to all.

Here, at the top of the tower, the wind whipped her hair across her face, stinging her eyes. Thunderous clouds gathered in the distance, but it appeared that she had misjudged them earlier in the evening, for they certainly would not reach Hogwarts until morning. Now she wished she had worn her windbreaker, as the harsh wind seemed to blow right through her sweater. She unrolled the blanket and wrapped it around herself, then sat on the edge of a window-arch. She was content to look out across the lake and watch the moonstruck ripples.

Her thoughts returned to the strange feeling she had been having lately. Yes, she had certainly felt this way before. Many years before. In fact, in just a few weeks, it would be twelve years to the day since her parents had been slaughtered by the vampire cult. And that feeling... Yes, she remembered, it must have been from her mother. Her mother's love, her mother's protection. It was the Old Magic that she felt, that must certainly be it.

But what of Remus? He was her closest friend, the only person with whom she shared secrets, and one of very few with whom she shared her meals. She had learned early on that she sustained some sort of aura, one that drove people away no matter how hard she tried to befriend them. Headmaster Dumbledore seemed impervious to it, though she knew she had never felt the Old Magic when speaking with Dumbledore. Remus seemed never to notice her "aura" (if that was indeed what it was), although when they had first met she thought he was simply ignoring it, desperate as he was to be liked and make friends.

But no, she had asked him about it point-blank many months ago, and he declined knowing or feeling anything about it, and she believed him. Perhaps it was because he was practically her only friend. Perhaps it was because he was cursed as well, cursed with lycanthropy - being unable to tolerate the moon, just as she was unable to bear the sunlight. They were two tortured souls, meeting only under the cover of darkness...

Savannah sighed. Twelve years, nearly. It was a cruel punishment that she had received for being her parents' child. Twelve years since the vampire cult had demolished her home, since they had destroyed her parents and placed upon Savannah the curse of the vampires. Twelve years since she had slept. Only four years, though, since she had last seen the sunlight. She had only made that mistake once, when she had been unable to bear the darkness anymore, and it was a lesson well learned. The sunlight hadn't killed her, only drained her consciousness, but it took an enormous amount of rest and quite a lot of special potions and healing to keep her mind from succumbing to delirium.

She had grown used to it now, though, and sometimes she even fancied that she liked the darkness. She had the moon, which she visited every evening, and she thought it a shame that she was unable to share it with Remus, for the moon itself was beautiful and enchanting. It was now two years since she had graduated from Hogwarts, but because of her condition, the Headmaster had allowed her to stay at the school and take a job as a librarian under Madam Pince. She was forever grateful for not being cast out into the wizarding world, as she was sure to be shunned. Though she was generally a happy person, there were moments when the weight of her curse brought her down, and it was during these times that Remus was there for her. She was content to stay at Hogwarts with the Headmaster and tolerable Madam Pince, and especially with Remus.

It was early morning when Savannah bundled up her blanket and reluctantly left the tower. The clouds were closer now, much closer, but she couldn't be sure that they would roll in before the sun came up. It was safer for her to leave now so that she wouldn't even be tempted to await the sunrise.

It was in one of the outer corridors that she found the scattered remnants of a tweed jacket and a shredded library book. There were also bits of white cloth and a khaki-colored fabric, and one button.

Savannah knew.

"Remus?" she whispered into the darkness. "Remus, where are you?"

If he were near, as Savannah suspected he was not, his lupine ears would have heard her. Instead, all was quiet, with the exception of the wind whistling through the trees.

She couldn't tell how long ago he had been here. She had gently scolded him once before for being somewhat absent-minded, but now he had apparently neglected (or forgotten) his wolfsbane mixture. She could picture him walking through the corridor, oblivious to the moonlight that streaked through the arches, with a book open in his hands. He would slow down, his finger on a particular passage in the book, and, too late, he would glance up and realize that the full moon was upon him.

Savannah quickly gathered up Lupin's remaining clothing and stuffed them behind a loose stone at the end of the corridor. She glanced outside the windowed hallway; the moon was low in the sky, though there were not yet any signs of sunrise. If she hurried, she could make it back. She had an idea of where Remus might be.

***

As she had suspected, Savannah found Remus by the edge of the lake, not far from the Whomping Willow. With whatever logical thought he had had left, he had tried to make his way to the Shrieking Shack, where he could be alone and away from other people, but he had apparently encountered something nasty along the way. What little there was left of the moon was completely obscured by dark clouds, and so Remus lay on the rocky lakeshore, in his human form and curled up in a fetal position. He was naked, though partially covered by leaves. His body was bloody; his arms and legs bore long, deep scratches, and there was an awful gash along the left side of his ribcage. His hair was matted with blood, and there were bright red streaks across his face.

"Oh, Remus!" Savannah cried as she saw the state he was in. She rushed over to him; his skin was cold and clammy, his eyes wide open and pupils still dilated, and he was shivering uncontrollably. She quickly brushed the leaves from him and threw the blanket over him, rubbing it vigorously with her hands to warm it up.

Remus blinked and attempted to speak as recognition entered his eyes. "...Vannah?" he whispered, confused. His voice was raspy, and Savannah noticed that his lip was bleeding.

"Shh, hush now," she said, comforting him. She crouched low before him, nearly touching his nose with her own. "Remus, we don't have much time. We have to go now." She brushed a strand of blood-streaked hair from in front of his eyes. "I am going to take you home, Remus. But I can't carry you. I need your help."

Savannah glanced nervously at the sky. The moon was gone now, and there was a dim hazy glow along the eastern mountain. The sun would break over the mountain in less than an hour; they would need to move fast.

"Come now," she said. She slid one of Remus's arms around her neck while pulling the blanket tight around his shoulders and waist. He was unsteady on his feet, and Savannah was supporting most of his weight, but at least he was able to take a few steps at a time. Their progress toward the castle was slow but constant, and they entered the darkened inner corridor with time to spare before the sunrise.

Savannah half walked, half carried Remus to his chambers, then led him to the washroom and quickly drew a hot bath for him. As she removed the wool blanket from about his shoulders, she covered his waist with a hand towel and guided him to sit in the bathtub. She pushed up the sleeves of her sweater, and then, using a washcloth and an herbal soap, she gently washed the blood and dirt from his body. All the while, neither of them spoke, although Savannah noticed the return of the warm, sweet feeling in her gut.

She held Remus steady as he leaned back, and she gently washed his hair. She couldn't help but lovingly run her fingers through the now-clean strands, tucking his slightly greying hair back behind his ears. Remus had closed his eyes and his breathing was now less ragged. Using a second washcloth, Savannah carefully cleaned the blood from his face, and she studied him as she did so. He had one new scratch across his forehead, but the rest of his face seemed to be clean of injury; the blood was probably sprayed from whatever it was he had fought. His brow was slightly furrowed, as if he were distantly remembering what he had just gone through that night. Unconsciously, Savannah gently drew her fingertips across the long scar on his left cheek. Remus opened his eyes halfway.

"Savannah," he whispered, his voice still hoarse.

Savannah leaned in closer to him. "Remus." She smiled. "You are home now. Everything is fine." She stroked his cheek with her finger.

"Vannah. I am... so tired..."

Savannah wiped an imaginary spot from his chin. "Come, then," she said. "Let's get you to bed." Remus sat up. As Savannah stood she pulled a large bath towel from the towel rack and held it open for Remus. He carefully stood up and wrapped himself in the towel.

Savannah smiled at her friend. "Now get yourself dried off, Remus. I'll turn down your sheets." She left the washroom, closing the door behind her. And she was absentmindedly rubbing her arms again as the tingling sensation washed over her. She pulled down her sleeves in an effort to ignore the feeling, but somewhere, in the back of her mind, she didn't want to ignore it. She wanted to revel in it.

It felt like sunlight.

Sweet sunlight, the kind that warmed her very soul. The kind of sunlight that had swept over her as she danced on the front lawn when she was a child. The kind of sunlight that melted snow and made flowers bloom and kept summer breezes warm even late into the night.

She suddenly realized that the sun had already risen, and before she touched the bed she had better close the window shutters. She did so quickly, pushing aside all thoughts of pleasant sunlight in favor of hurtful sunlight, and then she turned down the comforter and sheets on Remus's bed. A moment later, Remus came hobbling out of the washroom with the towel wrapped around his waist. Savannah helped him climb into bed, but she did not pull the sheets over him; she needed to dress his wounds first.

"Would you like some hot tea?" she asked, holding up a little teapot. Remus nodded, and with a simple spell she heated the water and poured it into two waiting teacups. It was a lovely lavender tea that she and Remus often shared, and they both liked it sweetened with honey.

As the tea was steeping, Savannah fetched a nurse's kit that Remus kept in the bottom drawer of his vanity. She sat on the bed next to him, carefully drying his wounds, and cleaning them with peroxide, and then bandaging them with gauze and medical tape. Then she pulled the sheet and comforter over him to keep him warm. When she was done, she returned the kit to the vanity and picked up a comb, and she combed Remus's damp hair back from his tired face.

He turned his head toward her as she combed his hair. How handsome he was! Though his normally bright eyes were bloodshot and tired, Savannah could see the quiet strength hiding within. His jaw was tightly clenched, and she knew that his body was throbbing with the pain of his recent attack. She wished desperately that there was more she could do for him, but there was little. She would need to send Madam Pomfrey in to care for him today. Remus closed his eyes.

As she set the comb on the nightstand, she glanced at the clock. Sighing, she realized she would have to leave soon to open the library. She added two dollops of honey to each cup, then placed one cup on a saucer and set it on the edge of the nightstand for Remus to easily reach.

She leaned in close to him so that she wouldn't have to speak any louder than a whisper, supporting herself with one hand on either side of his shoulders. "I have to go now, Remus," she said quietly. Her own ears heard a hint of regret creep into her words, and she wondered if he had sensed it as well. She forced a half-smile. "I need to open the library, or Pince will have my head. I will send Poppy to look in on you."

Remus's eyes opened slightly. "Thank you," he whispered, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. His voice was not quite so raspy now, and Savannah felt sure that he would mend quickly.

She wasn't sure what came over her at that moment. Something about his voice, and the tired, lonely smile. His beautiful eyes. The radiating inner courage. And the warm feeling of sunlight. Everything collided at once, in her heart and in her mind, and now, in her body. She hesitated at first, unsure, and then very gently she kissed him, she pressed her lips to his, and she could feel the scar across his mouth and his hot breath on her cheek.

And then it was over. She had pulled away, not even realizing it herself. She said nothing - what could she say? Remus said nothing as well, but there was a bit of color in his pale features, and his half-open eyes glittered. She hoped she hadn't embarrassed him; if anyone should be embarrassed, it should be her.

She pulled half a chocolate bar out of her sweater pocket and placed it on the nightstand next to his cup of tea. Then she turned on her heel and left in search of Madam Pomfrey.