𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 || 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲

19. trees, tonks, time

song of the chapter:
Believer
by: Imagine Dragons
•••

    "Ugh," Cass awoke with a groan. Her entire body ached, and the pain reached deep into her bones, and she could even feel her eyes throb. Cass assumed that the pain was because of the shifting of her bones during her transformation and the girl wouldn't have been surprised if that was true. Cass used the wall to support her as she stood up, rubbing her eyes with her dusty hands to erase the sleep from them,

    "OH, CRAPY CRAP. SHIT." Cass's hand came away from her face covered in a gooey red substance, it looked partially dried with little red-wine-colored crusties forming a thin top layer. On the palm of her hand, Cass could feel the warm liquid staining her skin. Now aware of the blood that was leaking out of her body, all Cass could smell was a biting tangy metal-like scent. Cathleen slid her back down against the wall, her legs not able to support her own body. Along her stomach was a long deep gash going all the way from below her left breast down to her right thigh. She frantically used her blood-covered hands to try to lessen the amount of blood flowing out of her, but it did hardly anything. Vaguely Cass thought that it was a good thing that the amount of blood leaking out of her had already slowed, as she hurt herself while she was in her animal form. The wound had been reopened during Cass's transformation back into a human.

    Cass needed to get hold of her wand and perform a healing spell on herself or anything that would lessen the amount of blood flowing out of her. Unfortunately, she purposefully left it outside at the entrance of the Whomping Willow in case her wolf form got ahold of it.

    Cathleen knew that she couldn't just sit and wait for McGonagall to come to get her, so despite the burning pain, Cathleen began to make her way to the exit of the shack. She had not thought this through, even if she managed to get her wand, she wouldn't be able to go inside the castle or even onto the grounds. Cass left her clothes with professor McGonagall and it wouldn't be right of her to walk around a public space with her clothing ripped every which way.

    While Cass was overthinking her failed plan, the tree entrance opened, sending Cass to stick her body flat against the wall, praying that it was Professor McGonagall, and not an unsuspecting Hogwarts student.

    Cass's fears came true as the long shadow of a person fell across the floor of the shack. The girl's heart began to beat faster as she thought about what would happen when the student saw her. Time seemed to slow for Cathleen as the shadow became smaller and the person neared the entrance of the shack. Cass leaned as far up against the wall as possible, wishing she was invisible knowing that she had nothing to defend herself with and she was in no condition to physically fight her way out. Just as Cass started to feel even more lightheaded after holding her breath in, a blob of pink hair appeared through the doorway and Cass let out a breath of relief, knowing that her secret was still safe.

    "Wotcher," Tonks entered the shack. She took one look at Cass's injuries and immediately took out her wand without making any fuss and healed the damage Cathleen's body received from the full moon.

    "What are you doing here, Tonks?" Tonks could tell Cass appreciated the assistance, even if the black-haired girl did not directly express it.

    "Just helping out my little wolfy with her boo-boos," Tonks cast a spell that siphoned off the blood on Cass's torso and hands. It was the same spell that Cass used on her friend Nora when she cut her face with what she and Sophia claimed was accidental magic.

    "Don't call me 'little wolfy' ever again," Cass glared at Tonks, which just made the older witch let out a laugh.

    "Alright, angry wolfy." Cass rolled her eyes, dropping the subject, knowing that in the end, Tonks would continue to call her whatever she pleased. Cass was glad she wasn't being called America anymore. That name was so ordinary, it nerved her.