Lupin's True Love

September 3, 1973

A woman, with long flowing dark brown hair, lifted the hem of her skirt over her ankles as she raced along the uneven ground. She saw a woman, with flowing black hair, ushering students back into the castle while a woman, with her blonde hair pulled away from her face, hurried toward the forest. A shriek was heard over the grounds and the woman slid to a stop.

"Lady Rowena! What has happened?" The woman glanced at the black haired woman.

Rowena Ravenclaw looked up from the children. "The griffin Salazar ordered has broken its bonds. Godric and Salazar are trying to keep it from harming the children." She watched as the woman hurried toward the forest. "Nay, Esmeralda. 'Tis too dangerous."

"I must try." Esmeralda Eversole hurried down the path toward the forest. She heard a soft voice hurrying the children away from the forest. She knew that it was Helga Hufflepuff.

Esmeralda reached the paddock and saw two men in the center of it. One had black hair that curled slightly around his collar. His blue eyes showed the determination to get the griffin back into its bonds. The other man had pale blonde hair that was tied back at the base of his neck. He had his wand out and trained on the beast. She also saw several children still within the paddock. Esmeralda hoisted her skirts almost to her waist and climbed over the rough-hewn fence surrounding the paddock.

"Godric! Salazar! Allow me to see if I can tame it!" Esmeralda hurried toward the griffin.

"Nay, Esmeralda! 'Tis too dangerous!" Godric Gryffindor pulled out his wand and aimed it at the griffin.

A young girl screamed shrilly as she fell directly in the path of the rampaging animal. Esmeralda's emerald green skirt flapped in the breeze as she raced toward the girl. She slid to a halt before the shrieking griffin.

Esmeralda held her hands out to the side as she bowed to the griffin. "Please, my friend, allow me to take the chains from thy neck." The griffin shrieked again. "I promise to free thee." Esmeralda slowly straightened as she reached for the chains clamped around the griffin's neck. The chains clanked and clattered as they fell to the ground. She didn't notice that Salazar Slytherin and Godric were moving toward her and the griffin but the griffin did. He reared up as Esmeralda released the chains. She fell back hard.

"Esmeralda!" Godric and Salazar started to hurry toward the fallen woman.

"NAY!" The griffin landed between Esmeralda and the worried men. It snapped at the men as they tried to get close to Esmeralda. "Don't try to get any closer. It'll hurt you."

Esmeralda started to climb to her feet. She cried out as she put pressure on her broken ankle. The griffin turned around and nudged Esmeralda. She reached up and wrapped her arms around the griffin's neck. The griffin gently hoisted her onto its back and trotted toward the castle.

Lily pulled back the curtains surrounding Veronica's bed. She watched Veronica wrap her arms around her pillow. She reached over and shook her friend gently to wake her. "'Roni, we're going to be late for class."

"I had the weirdest dream, Lily." Veronica stretched slightly as she rolled toward the edge of the bed. "A woman named Esmeralda helped to free a griffin."

"Will you please hurry up? I know for a fact that James and Remus are waiting downstairs for you." Lilly turned on her heel as she started for the door.

Veronica shrugged slightly as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. When she stood up, she cried out in pain as she fell to the floor. "My ankle!"

Lily dropped her bag and whirled around. She clapped her hands over her mouth when she saw her friend. Veronica felt the tears running down her cheeks as she watched her ankle begin to swell.

Patricia knelt next to Veronica. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I thought I'd fall out of bed this morning." Veronica rolled her eyes as she took a deep breath. "No, Patricia. I think my ankle's broken."

"We'll get you to Madam Pomfrey." Patricia and Lily pulled Veronica to her feet.

Emma grabbed Veronica's robe and threw it over Veronica's shoulders as Lily and Patricia helped her slide her arms into the sleeves. Emma tied the belt as Lily and Patricia draped Veronica's arms over their shoulders. They carefully maneuvered down the stairs. James and Remus jumped to their feet when they saw the three girls coming into the common room. Remus hurried over to them.

"What's wrong?" Remus carefully moved Veronica's arm over his shoulders.

Veronica's foot hung at an odd angle as Remus and Lily moved toward the portrait hole. "I think I broke my ankle."

"How?" James hovered behind them.

"I don't know. All I did was get out of bed." Veronica yelped as her foot hit the floor.

"That's it. You can't hobble to the Hospital Wing. I'm carrying you." Remus scooped Veronica into his arms and turned to James and Lily. "Someone needs to go and tell Professor McGonagall what's happened."

James and Lily raced toward Professor McGonagall's office while Remus hurried up the stairs to the Hospital Wing. Veronica clung to Remus for dear life. She whimpered with each slight movement as Remus shouldered open the door to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey looked up from the potions that she was organizing and stared at the two teens.

"Mr. Lupin, what is the meaning of trying to break down those doors this early in the school term?" Madam Pomfrey noticed Veronica's pale face and the tears streaking down her cheeks. "Put Miss Croft on that bed while I get everything I need."

Remus laid Veronica gently onto one of the empty beds. "First day of classes and you're in the Hospital Wing."

"Not funny." Veronica hissed through the pain as Madam Pomfrey returned to her bedside.

"Well, let's see what you've done to yourself now." Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over Veronica's ankle and watched a pale green light surround the swollen ankle. "What did you do to break your ankle, dear?"

"Nothing. I just climbed out of bed." Veronica hissed in pain as Madam Pomfrey pulled on her ankle.

"Resarcio talus." A navy light surrounded Veronica's ankle. "Did you have any unusual dreams where you might have thrashed about?"

"I was having a dream about a lady freeing a griffin. She fell over and I think she broke her ankle." Veronica closed her eyes against the pain of her bones healing themselves.

Madam Pomfrey pulled a sheet up over Veronica's bare legs. "Well, you're not going to classes today."

"But I've got to go to class! I don't want to get behind!" Veronica started to climb from her bed only to be pushed back in it by Remus.

"You're going to listen to Madam Pomfrey even if I have to tie you to the bed." Remus pressed Veronica back into the pillows. "I don't want you breaking your ankle again because you're too stubborn to listen to reason."

"I believe Mr. Lupin is correct." Professor McGonagall moved fluidly across the room.

"But Professor..."

"Messrs. Lupin, Black, and Potter will make sure that you get your assignments." Professor Lupin looked at Remus. "I believe you had better head to breakfast and explain the situation to Messrs. Black and Potter before they get any crazy ideas to come and check up on Miss Croft."

"Yes, Professor." Remus leaned over and kissed Veronica's forehead. "I'll see you at lunch."

Veronica watched until Remus's retreating back disappeared through the door. She looked up at Professor McGonagall. "Professor?"

Surprise didn't show on Professor McGonagall's face as she sank into the chair beside the bed. "May I ask how you broke your ankle?"

"I'm not sure, Professor." Veronica bowed her head slightly. "All I did was climb out of bed."

"Perhaps I can explain it." Dumbledore stepped the door. "Miss Croft is someone very rare. She is a dream seer."

"A dream ... what?" Veronica looked at Dumbledore confused. "What are you talking about, sir?"

"A dream seer. There have only been a few found throughout history. That last one was about 500 years ago. The Lady of the Western Lands. She could see the future in dreams. One of her dreams helped her mate defeat his greatest enemy." Dumbledore moved toward one of the windows. "Never has a dream seer been able to see the past."

"How do we know that it was the past, sir?" Veronica glanced at Professor McGonagall who shook her head slightly.

"Tell me about the dream."

"Well the one lady had long dark brown hair. It fell past her waist. Her dress was to the ground and the bodice of it was cinched up in the back. It was like a medieval gown. On her feet were leather boots. She called out to another lady. She called her Lady Rowena." Veronica looked over at Dumbledore who was nodding.

"You were seeing the time of the Founders. Tell me. Have you ever had other dreams like this?"

"A few. Mostly Godric Gryffindor is in them. I think he was in this one, sir." Veronica fiddled with the sheet covering her.

"Well. You must be seeing Gryffindor before he married. I think it would be best if you wrote these dreams down as you have them. It might help you to make a connection."

"Jessica gave me a book, sir. It's about how to make a pensieve. I thought it would help me with the dreams." Veronica bit her lip slightly.

"A wonderful idea. I believe it will indeed help." Dumbledore swept his way to the doors.

"Sir, why did I break my ankle?"

Dumbledore turned slightly. "I believe any minor injury that is inflicted onto the lady you described will transfer to you."

"Does that mean that if she dies so will I?"

"No, dear girl. You might feel the pain of her death but you will not die." Dumbledore walked out the Hospital Wing doors.

"I believe I will leave you to get some rest, Miss Croft. I'm sure you have a lot to think about." Professor McGonagall walked out of the Hospital Wing leaving Veronica alone with her thoughts.

This is something I can't tell James, Sirius, or even Remus. They'd just freak out on me. Veronica snuggled down under the covers and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.