#werewolf bite

You briefly wondered if you could summon the box without going any further down the corridor. You held out your wand and tried to latch on, the box moved just a little, but you couldn’t quite reach to bring the whole thing towards you. You would need to get just a little closer.

You weren’t sure quite how it all happened, one minute you were taking slow, calculated steps towards the room at the end of the corridor, the next you were frozen to the spot. You slowly turned your head to the left to see inside the bedroom, bathed in moonlight. Your heart dropped hard and fast when you saw a gangly creature with strong, spindly hands, lips puled back over sharp teeth and pure hunger in its dark eyes. A werewolf.

He stood up, curiously watching for you to either run or attack him and you felt your instincts kick into full gear. You were only two flights up the stairs, you were close enough to summon the box, the second you felt the cool metal in your hand, you leapt over the banister, landing fairly well on the ground floor and listened to the roar of the werewolf lurching forward, getting caught on the doorframe before landing behind you in a heap.

You didn’t wait around to find out if he was dead or not, you just got up and ran. The box was insanely heavy and would definitely slow you down. You couldn’t apparate inside the house, but you could see where Tonks and Kingsley were waiting for you just beyond the no-apparition zone. You pumped your legs as hard and as fast as you could, not daring look back, but the two Aurors were firing off shots behind you which told you the werewolf was closing in.

Eventually, you threw the box in the direction of Kingsley, who caught it in mid air and brought it safely down. Mission complete. But it wasn’t the end of your troubles. You felt a set of sharp claws, scratch at your back, sending you sideways and making you lose your balance enough to fall.

The second you were down, the werewolf was over you and its teeth clamped down on your forearm. The pain was unbearable as you screamed out so loudly, you thought you could taste blood in your throat. Suddenly you were thrown high the air, feeling the sudden pull of something unseen. Kingsley had caught you the same way he caught the box and the second you felt his hands around your arm, you disapparated.

‘Shh, shh,’ Tonks was trying to get you to stop screaming, but you couldn’t keep quiet enough not to wake the painting of Mrs Black and alert the whole of Grimmauld Place to what had happened.

The next few days were a hell you’d never known. Pomfrey was there, doing her best to clean your wounds, to close them up with whatever remedy she found, but the pain was worse every time she touched you. Eventually, you just begged her to knock you out.

When you came to, you felt the pulsing of your body, heat rising through each of your wounds on your back and forearm and making them worse than before. Even with the thin, oversized t-shirt and shorts, you felt like you were burning up.

Was this what dying felt like? Why couldn’t it just be over? Why did you have to go to that damn house on a full moon?!

You managed to prop yourself up on you elbow and down the pain relief that had been left beside you on the bedside table. It barely helped. You felt greasy and unclean, and you were certain it wasn’t just to do with needing a shower. You managed to get yourself to your feet, and made it a few steps, before your energy depleted rapidly.

You wailed out in pain as you landed on your forearm, rolled onto your back and arched at the agony of it. You heard someone racing up the stairs to your room, hoping it was Pomfrey to knock you out again, but hearing the sounds of the one person who might have known what was happening to you.

‘It’s alright, Y/N,’ Remus said, gently moving you to a sitting position, resting you against his chest and keeping as far away from your wounds as possible. ‘Just relax, deep breaths for me. In,’ he breathed in deeply. ‘And out.’ Exhaling in the same way, showing you what to do and eventually helping you to calm down. ‘It’s alright, just rest for a while.’ You felt his hand stroking your greasy hair and somehow still felt embarrassed about the way you looked. ‘Trust me, I’m very used to it by now.’ He tried to joke, but you couldn’t see any humour in his words.

‘I’m…’ you croaked, swallowing and finding your mouth dry as a bone. ‘I’m sorry.’ Your mouth was only dry because all moisture seemed to be finding it’s way to form a layer over the top of your skin. Your body was greasy, and you felt filthy.

‘What on earth are you sorry for?’ Remus asked, gently, still keeping you close to his chest and stroking through your hair.

‘I… I didn’t mean for it to happen.’ You began crying, unable to swallow without it hurting. ‘I didn’t mean it.’ You wailed, grasping at his cosy, old cardigan and feeling some sudden urge to scream and destroy everything in the room, but Remus wouldn’t let you explode like that.

‘It’s alright,’ he said again, pressing his lips to your forehead. ‘You did nothing wrong. Nothing in the world. You retrieved the box and Dumbledore believes he has found something of use in defeating Voldemort. Your actions might mean an end to this war. You did everything right, Y/N.’

You felt him rocking you gently, relaxing you through his movement. You managed to calm down to stuttered breathing, but you couldn’t go any further than that.

‘Am I going to die?’ You asked, feeling him inhale deeply as he thought of an answer.

‘It will feel like that sometimes,’ he said, quietly against your forehead. ‘It will feel like everything is ending and there is nothing worth staying for, but you will make it through this. I promise, there is something worth staying for. The first time, in three weeks to be exact, you won’t believe me, you’ll hate me for saying it, you’ll maybe do something you’ll later come to regret, but Y/N, I promise you will find a way to get to the other side… and when you do, I’ll be there, waiting for you, ready to help you.’

You didn’t know what to say, so you said nothing and just felt your body flare and ache in places you hadn’t even conceived of hurting. You don’t know how long you stayed on the floor of your room, but you were vaguely aware of Molly asking if you were okay, Remus assured her that you would be fine. You were so far from fine it was impossible to even remember the feeling of mild content.

‘I’m scared.’ Suddenly you were shivering, and Remus was working hard to keep your temperature steady and your mind calm.

‘I know.’ He whispered. ‘I know you’re scared Y/N, but please believe me when I say that no one braver could do this.’ His hand came up to gently wipe away your tears, the warmth of his hand was suddenly everything.

‘Don’t leave me.’ You begged.

‘I won’t,’ he promised. ‘Not for a single second.’ Remus kissed your forehead and smiled gently down at you. ‘If I was reading the room correctly, you were heading for the bathroom,’ he moved your hair out of you face and let his eyes roam over your features. ‘I dare say, a bath might do more good than a shower.’

A bath sounded amazing, but you were worried the hot water would irritate your wounds.

‘Help me?’ You begged once again.

Remus suddenly looked a little hurt. ‘You never need to ask me that. Ever.’

You finally let a deep breath go, it was relief, the knowledge that the worst thing in the world had happened to you, but you wouldn’t be alone. You were never alone.