Of Deer and Flowers

Chapter Twenty Five

O.W.L.S.

Dear Ann,

I can't believe it! Today of all days Potter and Snape had to decide to duel. Right before our final exam! I tried to stop it, but you know Potter, he had the audacity to ask me out . . .

Remus sighed, as he looked down at question ten of his O.W.L.S. "Give five signs that identify the werewolf." Why was it that every time he took an exam werewolves came up? Granted Professor Marshwick was fascinated by the subject, but there had to be something else to test them on!

Remus shook his head and began to write his answers:

One, the werewolf has a tufted tail, rather then the long fur found on the tail of a common wolf.

Oh he had a tufted tail all right. Sirius had had a field day the first time he saw it, and remarks on it were to be expected anytime the other boy had a chance.

The last full moon had been the first opportunity Sirius, James, and Peter had been given to test out their new Anamagi forms at the same time. Sirius and James had both taken turns going with him, prodding the tree with a long, dead, branch then sitting with him all night, but Peter hadn't been able to master his abilities until fairly recently.

It had taken every persuasive power that Remus possessed to convince the others to wait until he was fully transformed, but still it had been a remarkable experience. With his friends there, Remus had been more fully in control of his wolf form then ever before. Granted that wasn't much.

Straining his ears Remus thought he heard a faint snicker up near the front where Sirius was sitting. He had probably just gotten to question ten him self.

Two, the werewolf's ears are larger than those of the common wolf, allowing him to hear even the smallest of creatures

Three, the werewolf's snout is larger than the common wolf's. This allows room for the longer teeth.

As he wrote this, Remus felt his own teeth with his tongue. Even as a human his incisors were larger then they should have been.

Four, the werewolf's paws are larger than the common wolf's.

Remus glanced down at his own hands. His abnormally long fingers were in perfect proportion to his rather large palms. He remembered back in third year, Claire Quirk has grabbed his hand in fright as Clark's Boggart had turned into a rather large snake of some sort. His one had had engulfed both of hers.

That left one sign to go. The one thing he hated the most about being a werewolf.

Five, while the pupils of the common wolf's eyes are small; those in the werewolf's eyes are extremely large, nearly hiding the iris all together.

There was a blessing and a curse to his eyes. He could see farther than anyone else, and he had never once had to light his wand in the dark. As long as there was the smallest source of light he could see. How ever, when his eyes caught the light a particular angle, they tended to glow. Usually at the worst possible moments.

Last week Professor Hawk had had them working on a Luminous Potion in class. The solution was supposed to glow when regular table salt was added. Unfortunately when Hawk turned the lights down for testing Remus's eyes hadn't registered the change. He had in fact continued to chop up his caterpillars in near pitch dark conditions.

Suddenly James kicked him. "Close your eyes. Hurry!"

"Why?" Remus had asked doing as he was told. James was apparently up to something.

"They're glowing you idiot!"

"No talking boys. Five points." Luckily nobody but James had noticed.

There was another curse attached to his eyes. When he'd been bitten they'd been blue, when he'd started Hogwarts they were gray, currently . . . they were a light brown. His eyes would be gold by the time he was twenty. If he was lucky that was. If he wasn't . . .something would happen to put him under a tremendous amount of stress, they would change instantaneously. His eyes were a painted sign of what he was for anyone who knew the signs.

The change wouldn't be all bad. His eye would mark him out as a peaceful man. They would be the burnished golden yellow of a lion's mane. Only once had he ever seen another werewolf, when the one who had bitten him had been caught. Though young he still remembered. The man had sent chills down Remus's spine, his eyes has been the pale yellow of a lemon's peel. A werewolf's eyes only grew lighter with every human kill. How many people had died to give those eyes that color?

Shuddering Remus pulled himself back to the task at hand and moved on to the next question.

11. Name three ways to escape a Griddylow.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Remus was extremely relieved when professor Flitwick called time and collected the tests. "Did you like question ten Moony?" Sirius asked as soon as he joined the group.

"Loved it," he answered. Still talking they had made their way outside to their usual place by the beach tree when James pulled a snitch out of his pocket.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Nicked it," James answered letting it go and quickly catching it again. Rolling his eyes and pulling out his transfiguration book Remus sat at the base of the tree and began to study.

He was halfway through his review on animal transformation when Sirius began to whine. Well no, not whine exactly, but complain loudly.

"I'm board, wish it was full moon."

"You might," Remus muttered not entirely happy with his friend's opinion. Sirius didn't lose control over his mind once a month. Sirius appeared not to notice Remus's unusually bad mood. "We've still got transfiguration," he added. "If you're board you could test me."

"I don't need to look at that rubbish," Sirius answered pushing the offending text book away. "I know it all."

"This'll liven you up Padfoot, look who it is!" James said quietly.

"Excellent," Sirius hissed, "Snivellus."

Remus frowned and buried his head in the textbook. It was best to let them get this over with. Peter had been attacked, and Snape was one of those who had helped. No doubt he deserved what was coming. Just as long as Sirius and James could go back to their usual pranks when this was over. Remus was tired of their planning nothing but revenge.

"All right, Snevillus." Remus groaned and kept his head down, he wouldn't be expected to stop what he didn't see.

"Impedimenta!" the sound of people coming to watch pulled at Remus's attention. He could hear Snape stumbling around trying to regain his feet while the others laughed.

" I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment. There'll be great grease marks all over it. They won't be able to read a word."

"You wait . . . you wait . . ."

"Wait for what? What are you going to do, Snivilly? Wipe your nose on us?" Snape let out a stream of curses.

"Scourgify!"

That was it! Remus had had enough this sort of public humiliation should be enough for anyone. He was about to get up and put a stop to things when a new voice broke in.

"Leave him ALONE!" Reopening his book he relaxed intending for Lily to take care of it.

"Alright Evans?"

"Leave him alone," she repeated. "What's he done to you?"

"Well it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean." Remus did everything he could to focus on his book. Lily would handle it. James would do practically anything for her.

"I will if you go out with me, Evens. Go on, go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivilly again." Anything including blackmail apparently Remus though with a wince. Lily was obviously going to turn him down. It looked like Remus was going to have to get involved after all. The wolf in him growled at the prospect.

"I wouldn't go out with you if were a choice between you and the giant squid!" There it was. Lily had turned him down. There was a flash of light and a cry of triumph. It appeared Snape had finally managed to strike back. Looking up he checked the damage. James was bleeding, Snape was upside down, and Lily was still yelling her head off. Remus forced himself to return to his book James was trying to make Snape apologize for something he said to Lily.

"I don't want you to make him apologize!" she roared before storming off. Remus sighed hoping it was all over, but James's next few words caught his ears and he snapped.

"Who wants to see me take off Snivilly's pants?"

"That Is Enough!" Remus said slamming his book shut and rising to his feet. Remus had never been the kind of person to yell, and he didn't now. His voice was dangerously low, almost a whisper, and somehow he commanded the attention of everyone present.

"What?" Sirius asked in disbelief.

"I've had enough. Put him down."

"But . . ." James started.

"You've had your revenge. You were given a chance to quit, but you've carried this too far. I will tolerate no more!"

"Are you pulling rank?"

"Moony listen . . ."

"Five points! James, Put . . . Him . . . Down . . . NOW!"

Remus had no idea what his face looked like, but it must have been pretty bad. Peter had run off some where, and most of the crowd had disappeared. Sirius was frowning somewhat confused, and James, surprisingly, had done what he'd been told.

"Next time . . ." he warned Snape as the other boy started to stand.

"There will be no 'next time,'" Remus snapped, "Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Sirius replied coldly. "Come on Prongs, let's get you to the hospital wing."

Remus turned and headed in the opposite direction intending to walk around the lake. He felt a tug on his sleeve and turned his head to see on of Lily's dorm mates Alise, he thought her name was, walking beside him.

"Nobody thought you'd do it," she said quietly.

"Do what?"

"Stand up to them. Nobody thought you would . . .you haven't before."

"I should have said something sooner," he muttered.

"NO . . .I mean . . .I'm glad you didn't."

"Why?"

"Well first of all it gave Lily a chance to take Potter down a few notches." Remus snorted. "And Remus . . ."

"Yeah?"

"You were . . .well . . .terrifying."

"I was?" Remus asked stopping and turning to face her.

"Well, Yeah . . .you were . . .your voice was . . .and your face . . .you still go the expression . . .Here!" She pulled a mirror out of her bag and handed it to him.

Remus was startled at what he saw in his reflection. Looking back at him was a boy with a nasty sneer across his mouth, furrowed brows, and an all around menacing quality to his features. Quickly he blanked his face.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have . . ."

"Don't worry," she said taking the mirror back. "If it hadn't been you it would have been somebody else.

Remus squeezed his eyes shut as she left. He has seen something else as he had gazed into that mirror. A long bar of gold was slashed through the center of each of his eyes.