Raven

Raven

Chapter 1

She ran, as fast as her little legs could carry her, away from the monster her father was being that night. It had happened before, but tonight was worse. Her mummy had told her to run, to get as far away as she could, and she had, tears streaming down her plump cheeks as she ran. She could hear her mother's screams behind her, and wanted to go back to her mummy, but she ran, through the woods that surrounded the large house, just running as far as she could.

The sun was rising before she stopped, now barely walking, unable to keep going. She whimpered in fright, lost, when she saw the little cabin. Trotting up to the door, she shoved at it, and it opened. Finding a soft rug in front of the embers of a fire, she curled up and slept, not caring that she could have put herself in as much danger as she had left.

Remus Lupin stared in consternation at the small girl-child that was curled up on the rug in the main room of his small cottage, tucked away in the woods. He'd woken up at about sunrise to a draft from the front door, which should have been locked. *Apparently not.* He shook his head, and moved further into the main room, preparing himself breakfast, amazed that the clatter didn't disturb the girl.

He turned when he heard the whimper, and saw the girl's face contorting in fright, a nightmare gripping her. Kneeling down beside her, he picked her up, rocking her until she calmed down. As she slipped back into a deeper, calmer sleep, he stood, carrying her into his bedroom, and tucked her in before going back out to the other room. An owl was waiting at the window, with his mail, what little there was.

She woke up in a strange place, in a nice bed, with none of the shouts that normally woke her, or the presence of the man who was supposed to take care of her, not treat her like he treated her mummy. She whimpered, shying away from the memories, suppressing them. She didn't want to remember those times. Mummy had said to run.

A strange man came in, concern on his face. "Are you all right, little one?"

Her eyes were wide, shrinking away from him slightly as she shook her head mutely.

"I won't hurt you." The stranger had a worn, but kind look on his face. He didn't look like he'd hurt her. Maybe she could trust him? He held out his hand, not coming any nearer.

She slid off the bed, her eyes fixed on him as she crept forward, tentatively placing her hand in his, still silent as when she had come.

Remus kept his eyes fixed on the wide, frightened pools of black that were the little girl's eyes. She slowly placed her hand in his, still saying nothing.

"Are you hungry?" He wasn't certain what he was going to do with a small child, or how to take care of her.

She nodded, and followed him back into the other room, where he made her a small bowl of porridge, lacing it liberally with honey. Her eyes widened at it, and she slurped it down, even licking the bowl clean before setting it down. She looked up at him again, her eyes pleading, and Remus smiled, making her another bowl.

As she ate this one, he sat down across from her, still curious. "Do you have a name?"

She shook her head, and shrugged. She didn't remember. Remus sighed, and cleaned up the bowl after she'd finished. He couldn't leave her alone while he was out, but he didn't relish the prospect of taking a small child with him while he went to get supplies from town, or while he made the visit to Sirius.

"I have to go run a couple of errands, ok? I'll be back." He stood, heading for the door, and found her clinging to him, shaking her head. Remus turned, and crouched down so he was on her level. "You don't want me to go?"

She shook her head, her eyes showing fright again.

"Would you like to come with me?"

She nodded, not wanting to be left alone. If she was left alone, the nasty man might come back, and there would be no one there to protect her, like her mummy had. Her mummy had told her to run, to protect her from the nasty man.

The thin man smiled slightly, and stood, holding out his hand for her to take. She reached up, and took it. She'd run here, and he'd been nice. He'd given her breakfast, and let her sleep, and she had sensed someone rocking her when she'd had her nightmare.

As they walked along a path, a rabbit leapt across the path in front of them. She pointed, bouncing slightly. She'd had a rabbit, once. Her expression fell. The nasty man had killed it, when her mummy locked her door.

The girl's expression lightened a bit, then fell when she saw the rabbit, pointing to it, and bouncing a little on her toes. She looked up at him with a sorrowful expression on her face, and Remus wondered if she'd once had a rabbit, and what had happened to it.

"Did you have a rabbit?"

She nodded, her eyes tearing, a few drops running down her cheeks.

Remus picked her up, letting her cry into his shoulder. "I'll get you another rabbit, then, will that be good?"

She nodded, wiping at her nose with an already grimy fist, covered by an equally grimy sleeve.

"Hmm, we're going to have to get you some clothes while we're in the village." He smiled, trying to cheer her up, talking about the village, and the people in it.

She stared around her in wonder at all the amazing things. There was someone flying on a broom! And people with magic wands, like in the stories her mummy had read her. The nice man took her into one of the stores, where a plump woman smiled, and held out her arms to take her.

She shook her head, suddenly frightened. She clung to the nice man with all her strength, lashing out when someone tried to remove her.

Cicilia Rayne backed off when the child nearly took her eye out with her tiny fist, staring in amazement at Lupin. "Well. Quite clingy, isn't she? I can't fit her with new clothes if I can't pry her away, Lupin." She glared at the werewolf, waiting for him to convince the little hellion she wouldn't hurt her.

"Little one, Cicilia's not going to hurt you." Her protector smiled slightly, setting her down, though she refused to let go. "And you need new clothes."

She pointed to the floor emphatically, letting him know that he wasn't allowed to leave.

"I won't go anywhere. I'll be right here." He smiled. "Now, let Cicilia get you some new clothes, ok, little rabbit?"

She nodded reluctantly, turning to face the plump woman with trepidation. She was shown to another room, where there was a bath tub, and was soon in warm water, and being scrubbed off, before she was wrapped in a thick towel, and clean clothes pulled on over her head.

Cicilia came out while her daughter was dressing the small child, a concerned, and angry look on her face. "Remus Lupin, do you know where that child came from?"

Remus looked up at her, concerned, shaking his head. "I found her curled on the rug in front of my fire place this morning. I have no clue who she is, or where she came from, or why she's out here. I was hoping you could take her on?"

"No. I'm certain that child would be out here in a flash if she thought you were leaving." Cicilia shook her head. "No, that's not what I was going to talk to you about. Wherever she was before, there is no way she can go back. Someone hurt that little girl, in ways she shouldn't have been."

Remus blinked, his expression becoming concerned, and quite a bit angry. "What do you mean, Cicilia?"

Cicilia came closer, sitting down across from him, and keeping her tone low. directing her wand at the sign in the window, turning it to closed. "Someone beat that child, and worse. There are bruises all over her back, and the backs of her legs. And signs that..." Cicilia paused, uncertain of herself. She'd never seen anything like that before, in all her years of dealing with runaways and orphans. "It looks like someone treated her as if she was a full-grown woman, instead of the small child she is."

Remus's eyes blazed up at that, and Cicilia hurried on before he could say anything.

"Lupin, that child trusts you. You're going to have to take care of her, protect her. And going to locate whatever damned bloody fool did this to her won't help."

Remus nodded, trying to tamp down his anger. He found the idea that someone could do that to a child.... He cut off the train of thought before his anger could flare again.

"The child needs a name, Lupin." Cicilia was watching the girl as she scurried out of the back room, and over to Remus, and clung to him. "She needs a name."

She looked out the window as she clung to the nice man, and saw a pretty black bird sitting on the cobbles outside. Tugging at his clothes, she pointed at it.

He looked, and smiled. "That's a raven."

She tilted her head, then pointed at it again, then at herself. She liked the sound of that.

"You want to be called Raven?"

She nodded, smiling. Her name was Raven.