✧FRIGHT NIGHT✧

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It was a strain on any of the Marauders to see their best mate go through the changes of the moon, however since Aurora had been the smartest of the bunch, her tracking had made it all the more easier to plan accordingly. If he needed a break she would come in and aid him politely and with a stress-free environment. Even claiming that she stole one of her roommates sweets to get him on track.

However, something about this night had Aurora feeling sick. Queasy even. And no, unfortunately in Sirius' case it was not Rabastan's kisses that made her feel this way.

There was something rather haunting about tonight, other than the issued full moon.

The young girl ventured out first, hiding away upstairs, away and out of sight. Mere minutes later did she hear Remus starting to get ready through his own private ritual as the others just so happened to get an assigned detention.

McGonagall had done Remus a favor and rescheduled it on a later time for him, but the rest were not that fortunate. However, since Aurora was the only one, it truly felt like old times.

Seeing Moony, playing and responding to questions pertaining to where the rest of the pack would be. She said they were traveling and claimed that she didn't know when they would be returning.

Pretending to act said gave Moony something to strive for and pretenatally giving him a task in upping her attitude. With him distracted it gave less attention in attacking himself and it had him rather playful...

That is, until there had been footsteps.

"Human...HUMAN!" He had roared, and it was a monstrous difference between that of his conversation between Salem or the rest of his pack. This had been a full-fledged werewolf, and instead of anything else this turned demonic.

Not caring for the being in front of him had he flattened her to the ground in hopes of getting closer to the body downstairs.

Salem quickly roared in warning to whomever the dumbarse out of the three had been, however as she took a whiff it hadn't been Sirius. His cologne was highly distinct, as was James'. And Peter usually smelled of dinner or lunch from the day, but this was sour.

But very familiar.

Her heart plummeted as she instantly sped off to follow Moony and as she saw the sight above as she was ready to pounce on top of the werewolf who was stalking high and mighty to the one and only: Severus Snape.

The girl was not prepared, there was no sort of preparation or sanctioned plan as to how to react. She wasn't brave or bronzy like her Sirius, nor cunning ambition.

It was time to get creative.

As Snape had seemingly been frozen in his spot after leaving the door wide open. So with the smallest fraction of movement on Moony's behalf had she pounced as her instincts had intended.

The two tumbled, however it was the painful howl that Aurora...Or in this case, Salem had projected as Moony had bit her in thinking it was indeed Snape.

With her blood drenching Moony's teeth had sent a spinal endurance to Aurora as she backed up and out of the corner as she shifted back...But it wasn't on choice, her body was screaming to return to normal. And with that had she fallen to the floor.

"B-Black?!" She had been clutching her shoulder in complete disregard to anything the Slytherin had been saying as she looked solely into Moony's eyes. Crying to the pain but also raising her wand.

A stunning spell soon left her wand as she struggled to get to where Severus had been staying, and although the young Black daughter was a thin little gal. She definitely pertained it in muscle and curves as she grabbed him, both in support as well as tugging to where the damned door was still open for the taking.

With Moony now once again free of the spell, she knew she had to be diligent with it. Every time it was sent, Moony would be able to get out of it quicker each round.

Thus having her focus on Snape exiting than anything else at the moment.

However, with that being said she threw him out the door and switched back. Just in the nick of time on his behalf...But not on hers.

The attack was rendered horrific as she attempted to fight back, bloody and in no shape to continue. But it was as if it was in the air as she pleaded with the beast.

However, the smell of more humans prompted him to grow even more enraged and bloodthirsty. He plowed her down once again, and unfortunately to the nasty Slytherin, he had yet to move very far still battling what this had entirely been.

But Moony had other plans than just Snape. The smell held faintly of meats that Salem would bring, and it enacted both his hunger for food and his thirst for blood.

The three remaining Mauraders stilled in seeing the fact that Moony had been released. And it could only mean one thing.

"A...Aurora..." Sirius breathed, his heart rate rummaging against his chest as he darted in front of the rest. "SIRIUS!" James yelled, attempting to get on after the werewolf. And yet here they all were, standing in awe at the fact that Severus was still in harms way. Yet managed to hide behind a tree and...Surveillance the entire scene.

Sirius was the first to initiate an attack on Moony, giving time for the other two to go and see what had happened to Aurora and in entire hopes of everything being okay...But it wasn't.

"RORY?!" James yelled, falling out of his Stag form and struggling to get his limbs to hurry along to slide behind the girl, she was panting heavily.

Yet the biggest issue was her getting bitten.

He quickly looked around and around as he saw a large chunk of her skin being taken out of her shoulder, the blood soaking her white blouse as it seeped the floorboard as well. The girl was struggling to regain consciousness but it was no use, it was a fruitless battle that there was no chance in winning against.

James was in utter panic, and while Peter was rushing down the stairs in his human form, shouting that Sirius managed to get Moony into the woods or something along those lines.

But James looked up with a tear stained face as there was no part of him that wanted to tell his best mate—His brother of what happened to—

Sirius was going to blame himself, blame himself for allowing her to join, or to continue to join. For being late, for all of it.

But it was Peter, the mindfulness at the moment as he croaked out that Rory had an emergency bag full of potions. So he ran up the stairs and used his rat nose in hopes of finding anything with her human scent that didn't imply that of her blood.

Soon he had found it indeed, reaching inside was the leather-like suitcase come out and he rushed to return to James, who was still in a state of shock. "Prongs!...James!" He ushered, pushing whatever sort of potion bottles and vials that were here and there.

Course the one that screamed to James the most as his mother is indeed a medic witch and aided his at home injuries as he played by himself more times than not with his broom.

He twisted the top with shaking hands as the expected dropped presented itself. Pulling himself together for a moment did he squeeze the given top rubber as the dropper commenced it's given task. But the second the liquid had touched Aurora's skin she screeched out in pain.

Peter held her down in worry that it would cause even more pain if she were to move too much. "I'm sorry..." He cried, closing his eyes in torment as he couldn't force himself to watch as he squeezed once more.

The pain was ultimetnally too much to bear for either as another drop could've been administered, but neither party could've handled the pain.

Finding given rags and placing them ontop of the sizzling wound as it was reacting to the potion to the highest expectation money and this little Ravenclaw's intelligence could buy.

The rags soaked up the remaining blood as it was starting to clear up the most prominent injury, the rest were brought to James' attention as Peter pointed out the scratches. But offered up the healing sap that would work better for the entire lot of them.

However it was the worst of anything that could happen, Severus Snape had come down the steps once more. Not on his own accord of course, but if word returned to Rabastan...

It was the fear of his fellow population that was fueling his actions.

As well as his hatred for these Marauders.

But here he was, caught in the doorway as he saw the worst of any possible scene. Aurora had saved him on her own, costing her what could only be her freedom and title. Now she would be cursed with the moon as Lupin had been.

And Severus hated himself for it.

Lily was going to be devastated and Aurora personally had never done anything to her to offend him. Kind, but never out of her way.

He had saved her life, perhaps he could—

"James..." Peter ushered, and it had finally caught the toerags attention that Snape was in their mists. The secret was out and it must've been what happened.

"Is...Is she—" Potter had felt more than his normal male hormones, but his sudden unleash of his wand in such a real and threatening manner. It had Snape flinch at such a violent attempt. And to make matters even better, it had been right to the neck.

"What. Happened." He ordered, spitting every word through his teeth as he attempted to remain calm. Or as calm as he could with Aurora acting lifeless just around.

Sirius himself was chasing Moony had been too far into the forbidden forest to really feel the human factor anymore and the eldest Black decided that he need his sister's tracking skills as they were always more intone than his own...But what he emerged to was nothing that he could've inspected.

It was James threatening Snape underneath the whomping willow and now in the shrieking shack. His noise now filled with the pure scent of iron...Blood. As he managed to put together the scent with—what?!

His eyes scanned the rest of the room and instead of even paying more than a glance to the snake in their den, his legs darted his towards his fallen sister as she was breathing more calmly.

But the amount of blood that had been there was a sign that—Sirius stilled as he saw the bite, and his tears instantly sprung as his fingers couldn't manage to pull any more of her blouse to the side.

She had been bitten by a werewolf, and as the curse applies...Aurora would face the same fate as Remus.

Snape, who had stayed silent only remembered the question at hand when the wand pointed at his throat had been pushed forward further into his neck.

"I...I followed Lupin d-down here and—" His stuttering explanation had been spoken to all numbed ears as James' wand fell down.

Shame drenched them all as no one dared to speak, until it had been Sirius who threw a hex towards Snape. "YOU COULDN'T LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE SNIVILIUS, YOU HAD TO STICK YOUR HOOK OF A NOISE FURTHER INTO OUR BUSINESS?!" He shouted, his anger rallying even that of Walburga Black.

Course he had been a well seasoned Black in terms of dominance.

Throwing another hex wasn't all that difficult, it was not throwing an actual curse that he stopped himself from ushering the three-syllable word that was just on the tip of his tongue.

"Mate...Pad—Sirius!" James held him back from anything further. Especially when Aurora needed more than just her given potions, she needed an expert opinion and Snape, even the potions master in the making...Could not give anything in terms of what could help.

He scurried off, rushing as there was no helping aiding him this time as he darted on his skinny limbs as they carried him without a single break from the willow to the Slytherin common room.

The others embraced the silence, but the lingering idea of needing to act was causing them all to hesitate. They couldn't even ask her what had happened, nor ask her advice.

This they have to do on their—

"Sirius...We have to take her to the infirmary." The poor Black heir had been struggling with the idea, they couldn't hide Aurora being a werewolf...And for the first time in his life was Sirius thinking ahead.

Aurora could not be a werewolf if she was a Black, her parents would disown her within a heartbeat. Then what? His sister outcasted?

The tears continued to press on as he sunk down to his knees beside her, not daring to look at the bite but her pale face.

At this point she desperately needed to be looked at, and it had been Peter's budging to get a move on while James and Peter attempt to find out where James had gone.

As he gently picked up his sister, not even the smallest once of a stiff muscle had happened. Instead it was James fixing her falling arms and placing them gently into her lap as her cheek was pressed against his chest.

"I...I need McGonagall." He issued, and the two were confused. But weeks ago had his sister confided in him that she told his head of house after the entire ordeal of a thought of curse being fired at them.

The two looked very fondly to the deputy mistress of Hogwarts, and so that was the first place Sirius was in desperate need in going too.

He hurried along, not carrying about getting caught. Daring Flinch to even try anything at the moment. And now he was in front of McGonagall's door, and he didn't just tap at the door. He pounded the wooden, not giving any sort of break.

The elder witch was simply grading papers, not sleeping like Sirius assumed. So when she peeked her head out, it confused her. "Mr.Black, it is beyond curfew...I hope this isn't one of your lots ridiculous—" She took in his expression and opened the door more kindly to see the remains of Aurora's ripped up and shredded shirt and skin.

The gasp had filled her lungs and she sprung into action, she had propelled Aurora to float into the air as Sirius was beyond tired after all that he endured.

McGonagall hadn't even seen the bite, but she assumed what this was. And so they more or less sprinted towards the infirmary and the women sent the sister off into the closest bed while waking the nurse.

Pomfrey came unexpectedly quick as she hurried to perform her own magic, Sirius claimed that James had done more of it. He explained the given scenario as it being the boys 'checking' on Aurora and it went horribly wrong as someone must've been 'taking a walk' more so on the other side in Hogsmead. Which had prompted Moony to get agitated and smell more than a few humans around.

Madam Pomfrey did not know of the young girl being an animagius but it didn't strike her as being that surprising as the girl's intelligence was known throughout the school.

But here she laid, weak and barely breathing as it was jagged every time she hit the given mark.

The bite was under control, but Madam Pomfrey did not know much about bites and their given affiliation to Lycanthropy and it's dark matters.

"We have to inform her parents of—" 

"No!" Sirius shouted, before anything he thought of what his cold-hearted and sorry excuse of a family would do when they thought she was a werewolf.

Would they do worse than burn her off the tapestry?

McGonagall saw the struggle in Sirius' voice as he choked on each and every thought that was wedged in his head. So with the blood-stained hands had the professor simply wrapped her hands around them in hopes of gaining his proper attention.

With that did she look him dead in the eyes as she promised nothing was going to happen to his sister. Or she be damned.

She said it before, but their parents didn't deserve their children.

With things silence once more, Pomfrey suggested that they message Dumbledore himself to take a look at the bite. But Sirius would not leave his sister's side for anything in the world.

He had left in hopes of getting her to help even more, and now she wasn't even awake to know what happened let alone open her eyes.

Dumbledore had been rather quick, but it was more or less because he was intrigued as to what happened exactly. Course Minvern had given him a small indication that Aurora is a partly registered animagius and helps Remus with his moons and suddenly everything had gone wrong.

Sirius waited what felt like ages to get the eldest person in the castle itself to get from his study to here. But he simply looked at the given bite and concluded the simple fact that Severus himself could've explained.

"It seems Ms.Black is lucky, she had been bitten when she in her animal form...Thus the curse is not to be passed." Sirius had never felt relief in any shape or form than what had happened in that very moment, so much so that he cried in front of his professor, the headmaster as well as Madam Pomfrey.

"Mr.Black, your sister will be quiet alright...However we urge you to let her go and do what she seeks out for Mr.Lupin. Madam Pomfrey here has reported that his monthly changes had been seeing better results. It wasn't until Professor McGonagall told me of what your sister has done...A hundred points, to Ravenclaw...For the creative." He smirked, but already the young girl was looking insanely better.

"Please...I need to stay with her—Please." He ushered, and before anyone could say a thing against his plead. Dumbledore waved to a bed to usher it closer.

"We keep this hidden, say that you and your friends were having an unauthorized practice with each other and thus...An incident. It allows her to heal to become unnoticed, and from my understand that you all know of Remus' affiliation. You must keep—" 

"Remus doesn't know she knows." Dumbledore had been taken by that explanation, that the kindest act Aurora or anyone could commit for him was happening without his acknowledgement and Merlin was it unsettling.

With Aurora now out of danger and not going to be cursed the rest of her life. Sirius began to calm himself down.

"Then he is to know of what could've occurred. I suggest we all get some rest..." With that the rest departed, allowing Sirius to wallow in his own misery and fear of what would've happened.

But as the deputy mistress followed the headmaster a given ways, the women was two seconds away from writing the adoption papers to the young Ms.Black.

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Date Posted: 03-17-19

Time: 4:59

Words: 3298