Once in a Blue Moon

Chapter 9

A dense, humid fog obscured the full moon as it began to set beyond the horizon. A thick, silver haze had descended over the grass and trees, causing dozens of playful, young shadows to dart among the many-colored leaves. The ground was warm and moist, mingling the damp, earthy smells of the woodlands with sweat, pheromones, and the slightly metallic tang of blood. Remus yawned complacently; eyes half shut in drowsy satisfaction. He was far too comfortable to even think about getting up just yet. Five more minutes, Remus thought to himself and buried his head deeper into his soft, wiggling pillow...wait a minute; what pillow?

Not even an extra large bucket of ice water could have jarred Remus into consciousness as quickly and as effectively as that one little word did. His eyes burst open in acute awareness. What in the world was he doing with a pillow in the middle of a park? Let alone one that twisted and moved as if it were alive? Remus was stunned (to say the least) and continued to lie still in the tall grass, completely at a loss of what to do. Somehow, his wolfish romp in the thicket had caused him to spoon a very slender, very dirty person. A woman?

Remus frowned. Had she been hurt while his conscious self was incapacitated? No. He knew the creature in his arms was alive; he could hear her breathing, and felt her mud-caked chest rise and fall in his arms. How did they get here? Why was she still here? He wracked his brains for an answer, but received only fuzzy, disjointed images, and a dim feeling of arousal when he tried to remember last night's escapades. Was she like him? A werewolf? Remus was now very, very confused.

Well, I can't just lie here all day, he thought to himself. Remus tried to disengage himself from his new companion, but only succeeded in entangling himself even further. Then, with a loud, contented sigh, the mystery woman squirmed around to face him. Remus inhaled sharply through his teeth; his eyes widened to the size of golf balls. He knew her smooth skin, marred as it was by tiny scratches and purple bruises. He recognized her jet-black hair, wild and tangled as it had become. His lips had kissed those soft, pink lips with all the fervor and passion his tired body had ever possessed. Here, lying beside him, and dreaming peacefully, was the love of his life...Lyca Frost. Tentatively, as if he were afraid this was all some wonderfully horrible dream, Remus brushed a thick strand of hair away from her face.

Lyca stirred; rubbing her cheek with the back of her hand and desperately clinging to the last vestiges of sleep. She was tired and groggy, typical symptoms for the day after her monthly change. Her arms and legs were swathed in a cool, nocturnal breeze, causing goose bumps to appear on her exposed skins. She shivered her way into the waking world, blinking the sleep and darkness away from her blue-purple eyes.

Granted she had seen a lot of strange and downright unusual things in the past few months, but the absolute LAST thing she expected was to find Remus Lupin cradling her in his arms. He was just as she remembered him: disheveled, light brown hair flecked with premature gray; gaunt, pallid face wrecked with scars; thin, wiry body distracting in its obvious nakedness.

"Is this a dream?" She asked, her voice barely audible. Lyca was sure she sounded as weary and desperate as she felt, but didn't care. She wanted Remus here so much; her heart would break if this turned out to be some twisted reverie.

Remus licked his dry lips. "If it is," he replied. "Than I hope it never ends." Lyca let out a tear-choked laugh, and grabbed Remus into a vice-like embrace. "I missed you so much," was all he could manage to say.

Tears flowed freely from both parties and they were engulfed in a passionate deluge pain, guilt, and undying devotion. Remus blamed himself for everything. He hid his face in the nape of her neck mumbling heartfelt apologies and desperate pleas for forgiveness.

"Shhh," Lyca cooed, running her fingers though his hair. "There's nothing to forgive. It's not like you killed me or anything,"

"I might as well have," he replied. "I cost you your family, your friends, your education...I cursed you to spend the rest of your life as a mindless beast."

"Hey, who are you calling 'mindless'?"

"You know what I meant," he said dejectedly.

"No I don't," Lyca reassured him with a smile. "Besides, you have obviously never met my family. They're a bunch of prats! Honestly, I am better off without them."

"But-"

"No 'buts'," she replied and brought his eyes level with her own. "Now you listen to me Remus, none of this is your fault. I was being a nosy little pie-eater and got what I deserved. That bite you gave me hurt like the dickens!"

Remus interjected, "See! That's why I-"

"Nuh uh uh," Lyca quipped. "You didn't let me finish."

She paused for a moment: 100 mega-watt smile still on full blast. "It's true that life has not been easy since I found you in the Shrieking Shack that night. But I would rather suffer a hundred werewolf bites if that meant I could be with you. My family and so-called 'friends' never showed me one third of the love and affection you gave me in a handful sly glances and furtive caresses. They shunned me; you loved me. Life as a wolf once a month is a thousand times better than the shallow existence I lead without you. I love you, Remus."

Remus just sat there, mouth wide open, flabbergasted and wondering. Lyca loved him; she didn't hate him for the shame and pain he had (albeit unwittingly) caused her. She forgave him. She didn't blame him. She loved him! He felt as if Christmas had come early. She loved him! Remus smiled for the first time in months.

"I love you too."

They lay together in the grass, arms wrapped around each other, gazing into each other's eyes, drifting in and out of consciousness. And content with doing nothing else but simply being together. They talked about anything and everything: what had happened at school once Lyca had left, WHY Lyca had left, Lily and James's wedding, had Sirius gotten arrested yet, did Pettigrew grow a backbone, the Dark Lord's terrorist activities, and other such things. It was nice in an, 'I'm so happy to see you ' and a 'let's pretend we're not naked' kind of way.

A sudden hoot and the distinct flutter of wings disrupted their conversation. A brown spotted owl had landed on a low hanging branch by Remus's head, hooting loudly into his ear. It was carrying a small piece or ragged parchment in its beak. Remus sat up, reaching out to take the note from the near-hysterical bird. It wasn't signed, but he recognized the untidy scrawl of his friend Sirius immediately:

Moony,

You are needed at Godric Hollow!