Lupin's True Love

November 3, 1973

Esmeralda moved through the students toward Rowena Ravenclaw. She knew that they were all going to learn something new as she placed the essays that the students had finished onto the desk. She quickly found herself a seat among the younger students.

"Today we shall learn something a bit more difficult. Not everyone shall be able to do this." Rowena moved away from her desk and motioned to the dozen phials that littered her desk. "I asked Lord Slytherin to brew this potion for me. You will each take a phial and drink it. Once it has taken effect, Lord Gryffindor and Lord Slytherin will lay you on one of the beds at the back of the room. The potion should wear off within the hour." She looked around at the frightened students. She saw Esmeralda sitting straight and still in her seat and smiled softly. The girl does know how to hide her fears. "Esmeralda."

Esmeralda rose gracefully to her feet. She noticed that Godric and Salazar had moved to stand behind her. She felt their masculine presence on either side of her. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought that Godric could hear it. Taking the phial from Rowena, she bowed slightly. "Thank you, Lady Ravenclaw." She held the phial in her right hand and pulled the stopper out with her left. She slowly brought the phial to her lips and quickly downed the surprisingly sweet potion.

The phial slipped from her fingers as she fell into a darkness that nothing could penetrate. She never heard the phial shatter onto the stone floor. She didn't feel Godric's strong arms wrap themselves around her body as he caught her before she could touch the floor.

Lily gently shook Veronica's unnaturally still form. "Come on, Veronica. Wake up."

Veronica's chest rose and fell with each breath but she didn't wake no matter how much Lily shook her. Patricia stood at the foot of the bed wringing her hands with worry. Emma moved toward Lily as Jessica stayed near the door.

"What are we going to do, Lily?" Emma looked down at her sleeping friend.

"You and Patricia go and get McGonagall. Tell her that Veronica won't wake up." Lily sank onto the edge of the bed. "I'll stay here and see if she wakes up. Jessica, you go and tell the guys what has happened."

The three girls scurried out of the room as Lily looked down at her sleeping friend.

Esmeralda felt like she was walking through a dense fog. She turned slightly as she looked for a way out of the fog. Suddenly she heard several animals moving toward her. She backed away from them as they moved colder to her. A large arctic wolf yipped once before bounding forward and jumping up on her. Its tongue felt smooth against her cheek. Esmeralda sank to her knees so that the wolf could reach her a little more easily. A large lioness moved toward her and laid down on her right side as a falcon circled the group twice and landed on Esmeralda's shoulder. She smiled softly as the fog started to fade away.

Her eyes fluttered open to see a concerned Godric leaning over her.

"Are you well?" Godric helped her sit up on the bed that she had been resting on.

"Aye, milord."

"What did you see?" Godric sank onto the edge of the bed.

Esmeralda thought of the three beautiful animals that had come to her. "A wolf. A beautiful, white, arctic wolf." She knew not to tell anyone but Rowena and Godric of the other animals. She had to wait until she had them alone.

"Aye, that will suit thee." Godric smiled, making Esmeralda blush and her heart race.

Veronica gasped as she woke. She shook her head slightly to try and clear the remains of the dream form her muddled mind. Professor McGonagall was seated in a chair beside her bed. She was waiting patiently for Veronica to explain what had happened in the dream.

"Professor, what happened?" Veronica swiped at her loose hair that had fallen across her face.

"I believe that you had another dream. Would you like to tell me about it?"

Veronica's eyes swept around the room only to see that they were alone. "I dreamt of the Founders again."

"What happened this time?"

"Ravenclaw was teaching about the Animagus transformation. Esmeralda took the potion and Gryffindor caught her. I think he's in love with her."

"I believe he was. Did Esmeralda have a form?"

"She had three. One was a falcon with a white stripe of feathers among the tail feathers. The second was a large lioness with stripe of white fur down one of her legs. The form that she told Gryffindor was an arctic wolf." Veronica fingered her comforter. "May I ask you something, Professor?"

"What is it, Miss Croft?"

"Would you train me to become an Animagus?"

Professor McGonagall looked down at the girl still playing with her comforter. She knew why Veronica wanted to become an Animagus. She nodded slightly to herself. "Meet me in my office Wednesday night at seven. We'll start then. Perhaps by the end of the year you'll be able to achieve your form." Professor McGonagall climbed to her feet. "Make sure that Messrs. Potter and Black know nothing of it."

"Thank you, Professor." Veronica watched her professor leave the before climbing from her bed.

Lily, Emma, Patricia, and Jessica rushed into the room.

"What happened?" Lily sank onto her bed.

"Was it what happened to you in October?" Patricia watched Veronica rummage through her trunk.

"Come on, Veronica. You've got to tell us." Emma bounced slightly on Veronica's unmade bed.

"I'm going to get a shower and then head down for lunch since I missed breakfast." Veronica lifted her bathing supplies into her arms and headed to the showers.