Pawns & Players - Sirius Black

-9-

I can't go back to yesterday, I was a different person then. - Lewis Carroll

Days had passed by and everything seemed to find its place. The feeling of belongingness was truly washing over the young girl for the first time in her life when the smell of breakfast pulled her focus back to the Gryffindor table. Sitting in between Lily and Remus, not missing the boy's painful expression, she spotted her owl dropping a howler in front of her. Rapidly catching onto the situation, the frail girl did everything in her power to destroy the package in front of her.

"HOW DARE YOU-" Before the torment had even started, the entirety of the hall turned to the Gryffindor table. The sound was so loud that it had cut off every possible conversation and had now everyone's full attention as it continued.

"DISGRACE OUR FAMILY WITH THE WORST SCANDAL IN OUR BLOODLINE'S HISTORY. IF I HEAR ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT A SINGLE THING YOU DO, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT I WILL TORTURE  YOU IN YOUR SLEEP UNTIL YOU STRANGLE TO DEATH. DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO YOUR FUTURE, HOW WILL I GET ANYONE TO MARRY A USELESS GRYFFINDOR-"

The screams went on for many more minutes, with the girl hiding her face and her newfound friends jumping on the table to make a last effort to destroy it, the first waves of laughter around the hall had turned to scared and pitiful eyes after the citation of three more detailed murder methods. The loud echoes seemed to also disturb the scarred boy sitting right next to the girl drowning in worry, anger, and embarrassment and soon left the hall looking tired and sick. 

"Where are you going? The dungeons are the other way. We have potions remember ?" Asked the girl catching up to the boy, trying to forget the great hall situation when she heard Walburga Black's voice in the exact same format, rising from the great hall.

"I have a horrible headache, I think I will skip this time" Answered the Lupin boy cracking a fake smile, and the small figure catching up to him heavily sensed a lie.

"Hospital wing it is then ! I already know how to brew a Herbicide potion."

"It always happens, I will just lie down for a bit"

"Nonsense ! Besides, it gives me a reason to skip Slughorn ranting about anything else than potions for an hour." As she swiped her arm between the boy's.

The looks given by Madam Pomfrey and the interestingly damaging "headache" screamed mystery to be solved, and the girl had read too many of Charles Dickens' books to not jump on the adventure and so, left the hospital wing to plan her next step.

As the night came, she soon realized that all preparation was unnecessary when the boy was obviously trying to find a cause to leave the common room. Sneaking out right after him, and much less suspiciously so, the weak and small-looking girl followed him through the school's halls and later revealed a hidden tunnel leading up to the famous Hogsmeade village, yet the shops and pubs were nowhere to be seen as her view was covered by a large tree.

Instantly, she spotted the sandy brown hair slipping under it while one of the branches sprung around forcefully and tried to attack the girl. Sneakily finding the start of the tunnel the boy disappeared into, she slid under it only to be faced with the boy, panic visible on his face as his pupils grew and took the shape of a-

Werewolf ?

Everything happened so fast and the tiny girl looked up in shock. Throwing her bag and necklace to the farthest side of the room expecting to gain some time, she lifted her wand to start morphing in a few seconds into a Snowy Owl, now flying around the werewolf's head, distracting him while enjoying the freedom flying gave her and feeling the slight breeze on the floating animals face.

-

The next morning, the boy opened his eyes after a painful full moon, only to see a girl's face two inches apart from his, cleaning his bare chest with healing spells. 

"Good morning wolf-boy, rough night ?" Asked the girl with a sarcastic smile.

"How ?" The boy was still not fully awake.

"You really need to start acting less suspicious, this is only your first transformation here and the two boys you are starting to get close with do not seem like the type to let things slide silently. But to answer your question, I'm an Animagus. My parents didn't even notice me not speaking for a month, they actually seemed quite content now that I look back. At first, I just did it for fun but I see now how useful it is." Laurel responded matter-of-factly, still healing the wounds carefully.

"You are a minor, it's illegal for you to be a registered Animagi."

"I'm quite hurt you take me as such a rule-follower Lupin."

"It's N.E.W.T level magic."

"I was always scarily good at Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, not having any friends helped that."

"I will do anything." His eyes begged, trying to sit up straight.

"Oh no don't worry I'm not one to use my skills to kill people. I mean not people like you at least."

"No, please do not tell anyone I mean, I will do anything I'm begging you ple-" Covered in blood and dirt while pleading, Laurel understood her first impression of him much better.

"I wasn't going to"

"I'm- a werewolf.

"Lucky for me I'm not blind"

"I could have killed you"

"And yet you didn't." The brunette lifted her head. "I will see you next month" And with that, she left the boy, thankful for eternity, arising a lifelong bond.