One Last Chance: A Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin Love Story

XXXII

Remus pulled his jacket closer to him since it began to rain. He hated leaving. The forest and woods were frightening to most people, but after having most transformations there, it stopped scaring him about ten years ago.

It occurred to Remus that this was the first full moon since he married Dora and he hated leaving her. She'd been sick for so long, it could become serious only seconds after he left. He ran faster, going as far as his legs could take him. He wasn't going to risk being near a village.

The moonlight began to shine. Remus wasn't going to be able to run anymore. He glanced up at the more, which was once beautiful to him once upon a time. He only looked up at shining circles in comfort, knowing his wife was looking at the same one.

Soon, the transformation would begin.

He felt his blood boil. His bones seemed to collapse and change shape. Remus gave up on fighting it and laid down on the forest floor. The world was spinning. Or maybe it was him? His body seemed to be on fire. His bones turned to sand in order to take a new form. Remus wailed in pain and fury. This was going to be one of the rougher nights, he thought. He curled into a fetal position and whimpered helplessly, even though it wouldn't help.

His breathing became heavily and ragged. He closed his eyes and parsed his lips, hoping the pain would lessen. How he wished his friends were here! His skin burned, he felt the fur sprouting up and growing thicker. He screamed again, eyes closed tight in pain and fury. His flesh seemed to burn. His breaths became shorter and faster.

Suddenly, Remus felt everything around him stop.

New urges filled him. The urge hunt. To kill. To watch blood drip from the corpse of his enemy. His senses were heightened. He could hear birds sing the midnight lullabies from miles away. He could hear the chatter of little mammals. The wind whistling through the trees. He became aware of the warm summer night.

It also occurred to him that he was hungry.

Remus was exhausted, the werewolf he became was not. And wanted nothing more than to kill and inflict pain. Remus couldn't control himself. He wandered the forest, searching for a small creature to have for a midnight snack. How Remus hoped he wouldn't encounter a human that was wandering the forest, but the werewolf could care less.

Remus no longer had control over himself.

~oOo~

Dora spent the evening catching up on books and worrying. She hoped she was spending more time on the first one than the second. She wanted to rest, but just couldn't. And God, how she wanted some chocolate.

A pile of books sat nearby. They were ones she hadn't read yet. Mostly classics. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. That pile was getting smaller by the hour.

How long was it since he left? Two, three hours? Longer than that? She groaned and leaned back against the couch, bored out of her mind. She could look for Remus' chocolate supply and raid it, but that wouldn't be as much fun without him here.

She could visit Molly or her mum. She'd be able to see the kids again. Of course, it wouldn't exactly be safe. Full moon, other werewolves. Death Eaters and her beloved auntie Bellatrix trying to kill her.

Dora closed the book in defeat and decided she would go to bed. Remus would be back in the morning and she could help him then. She slid under the covers and tucked her books in the nightstand cabinet. Her eyes gently closed and she drifted off to sleep.