The Flower and the Badger

Chapter 9

When Anna awoke her entire back felt stiff. Her shoulder was wrapped in bandages, and she was sure that there were some on her back as well. There was someone sitting in the chair next to her bed. It wasn't Harry, or even Fred, but Remus. His face flooded with relief when he saw that she had woken up. "Oh thank Merlin." Remus said quietly. "Amma, you don't know how sorry I am."
"What are you talking about?" Anna murmured. "What happened? The last thing that I remember is the werewolf."
"There's, um, there's something I have to admit to you." Remus said, a guilty expression on his face. "And you may hate me after I admit it."
"Remus, you're my godfather." Anna said. "I could never hate you."
Remus chuckled softly. "That werewolf that attacked you....well....it was me."
"What?" Anna said in surprise. "It...it was you?" Her godfather was a werewolf?
Remus stood up from his seat. "I'm sorry, I'll leave. I'm sure that you don't want me anywhere near you-" he stopped as Anna grabbed his wrist. "Don't go." She murmured. "Please stay. Remus, just because you're a werewolf, it doesn't make you some terrible monster. It doesn't change who you are on the inside. You're still you."
"Just like your father." Remus murmured as he sat back down. "Your father, Sirius and another....friend of ours, they became Animagi to help with my transformations."
"Animagi? But wouldn't they have to register with the Ministry?"
Remus nodded. "They were supposed to, but as I was the only one who knew that they were Animagi, they didn't."
Anna smiled softly at how her father had learned to be an Animagus just so that he could help his friend. "Remus....thank you for telling me. And don't worry, I won't say a thing to anyone."
Just then, Dumbledore walked in. "Professor Lupin, might I have a word alone with Miss Potter?"
Remus nodded. "Of course Headmaster." He gently squeezed Anna's hand before leaving.
"Now, as you may recall you were bit by a werewolf." Dumbledore said, and Anna nodded. "Yes Professor, I remember."
"As you may or may not know, when someone is bitten by a werewolf, then he or she turns into a werewolf as well."
"So....so I'm a werewolf then?" Well that was wonderful. As if she didn't have enough that she had to deal with at the moment.
"Every full moon, you shall transform. However, before every transformation, Professor Snape shall give you a Wolfsbane Potion. This potion shall ensure that you retain your human mind while in your werewolf form."
"Thank you Professor." Anna's mind was all over. How the hell was she going to tell her friends? Harry? How was she going to tell Fred? How would he take the news? Would he still want to be with her? Would it be safe for him to be with her? Anna knew that the Wolfsbane was supposed to help her, but what if it didn't help enough? Or what if something went horribly wrong? What if she attacked Fred? Or Harry? Or heaven forbid Hermione. No, none of them could know. This was a secret that Anna would have to keep to herself. She couldn't risk them knowing and getting hurt. Not to mention Ron had the biggest mouth if anyone she ever knew. If she told him, it wouldn't be five minutes before he unintentionally blurted it out to someone else. And if Pansy were to find out....Anna's social life would be just about over. She kept thinking about these things long after Dumbledore had left. She just didn't know what to do either than to isolate herself from everyone. But if she did that then they would know that something was up. So she couldn't do that. She groaned as she rubbed her temples. "Bloody hell...." She muttered. "What am I going to do?"
"They say that talking to yourself is a sign of insanity." Cedric grinned as he sat next to her bed.
"I think that we both know that I went crazy a long time ago." Anna retorted, making Cedric laugh slightly. "Are you okay? They wouldn't tell us what happened."
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing serious." It was a good thing that Anna was a decent liar. "I was scratched by a wolf. It's nothing that won't heal."
"Are you sure?" Cedric asked worriedly, and Anna nodded as she took his hand. "Cedric, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. Really."
"You're my best friend." Cedric replied as he took her hand. "I'm always going to worry about you."
Anna rolled her eyes. "You're like the annoying older brother that I never wanted to have."
"Hey!" Cedric pouted at her. "That hurt!" He placed a hand over his heart.
"Aw, are little Ceddy's feelings hurt?" Anna said in a baby voice, which only made them both burst into laughter. Thankfully Madame Pomfrey hadn't heard.
"Anna!" Hermione ran in and dashed to her side. "Are you alright? What happened? No one's saying anything. There's rumours going around the castle that you and Millicent Bulstrode got into a fight and she tried to kill you."
"I'm okay Mione." Anna quickly assured her. "I didn't get into any fight with Millicent. Because if I had, it would have been her here and not me."
Madame Pomfrey came in at that moment. "You both need to leave now, Miss Potter needs her rest."
Cedric and Hermione both hugged Anna before leaving, and Anna looked at Madame Pomfrey. "Madame Pomfrey...is...am I really a werewolf now?"
"I'm afraid so dear." Madame Pomfrey said sympathetically as she had Anna roll onto her side so that she could change her bandages. "I'm sorry, you're far too young to have to go through this. But then, most people that get attacked by werewolves often are."
After she changed the bandages, Pomfrey fluffed up Anna's pillows and adjusted her blankets so that Anna was more comfortable. "Can I get you anything before you go to sleep?"
Anna shook her head. "No thank you."  She settled in, but it was a very long time before sleep came to her.