Heiress of the Curse

Chapter Two - Starting Over

It was late afternoon before Remus felt that he had given Marian as much advice as he had to offer. Rhiannon had supplemented his speech with a few helpful remarks here and there, and had excused herself at noon to go and make sandwiches for them all.

At the back of his mind during the whole discussion, though, Remus had been persistently nagged by the irrational thought, What if I was the one to bite this girl? That was, of course, not possible, since he always made sure to lock himself securely in a basement room during the full moons. The walls of this room were reinforced by several magical wards, as well as equipped with a silencing charm. Rhiannon had reassured him that the night Marian had been bitten, he had remained indoors. So stop worrying about it, already! There must be a rogue that wandered into the area. Well... that could be something else to worry about...

Usually Rhiannon would join him down in the basement room, using her recently acquired Animagus abilities to become a small red fox. Once he had related the tale of his three childhood friends' illegal but generous effort to help him in this way, she had become determined to learn the transformation herself. It had taken her a few months, with his coaching, but she had always been bright and had managed it at last. Every time Remus thought of his wife's loving attempts to help ease his monthly ordeal, it made him smile.

But two nights ago Rhiannon had not been able to join him during his transformation. Her employer had asked her to work a few hours overtime, and Merlin knew they could use the money. By the time she had returned home, the moon had already risen, and she didn't want to risk entering the room only to have his wolf form escape, or worse--attack her. So she had decided to take a walk in the woods, to try and keep her mind off of the suffering her husband was facing alone that night.

He wasn't sure how Rhiannon had stumbled upon Marian and the other werewolf. Probably she'd had to become the fox at some point, to protect herself, and maybe she had driven the wolf away with hexes from the safety of a treetop. In the morning when she'd come down to the basement to tend his wounds and bring him back upstairs, he'd noticed through his haze of pain and exhaustion that her robes were all covered in blood before she even touched him. Alarm had aroused him somewhat from his state of near unconsciousness, and he'd concernedly asked her if she was all right.

"Remus Lupin--of all the considerate people in the world..." he remembered her saying, shaking her head. "Here you are, the one who's just been through a nightmare of an ordeal, and you're asking me if I'm okay."

He'd attempted to smile, but wasn't sure if he'd pulled it off. Rhiannon had then explained about finding the girl, and told him that they would have a guest for a couple of days. Sorrow filled his heart to think that another young life had just been marred by such a tragedy... so early in her springtime years, though she was not as young as he'd been when he was bitten.

He could barely even remember the days before he'd been a werewolf. It was like they had never existed at all; a child of four is just becoming aware enough of the world to start forming memories of its many wonders.

Wonders, indeed... he thought bitterly. Not for those with lycanthropy--society will make sure of that. Try and tell this girl about the wonders of life now and see where it gets you. Although he had to admit that Marian was handling her newfound situation in quite a courageous way.

After making sure that she had understood how crucial it was to shut herself securely away each month, Remus suddenly remembered that she was still a student at Hogwarts... But now, after what had happened to her, would she think she'd be able to go back in September? He had better tell her about the Whomping Willow and the Shrieking Shack--it would be a shame for her to have to quit school. "Marian... were you planning on going back to Hogwarts next term?"

The girl's face became a mask of despair. "Professor, I don't think I can! Of course I want to more than anything, but... what would I do every full moon? How could that possibly work out?"

He smiled. "You forget that I was a student at Hogwarts once. There is a way."

Marian's face lit up again. "Oh... How did you do it?"

"Well, you know that huge... unfriendly tree on the grounds, the Whomping Willow? It was planted just before I came to Hogwarts, because I was coming, and there's a tunnel underneath it that leads to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade."

"Really?" Her eyes were filled with surprise.

"Yes," he nodded, grinning at her reaction. "Dumbledore worked the whole plan out for me--for which I remain extremely grateful! Taking me in when no other headmaster would have... And what an idea he came up with, too. You see, you can temporarily calm down the Whomping Willow by prodding a small knot on the base of its trunk with a long stick. But no one else knew that, so they couldn't get past it and into the tunnel after me--if they'd even known there was anything going on. Madam Pomfrey took me to the Willow every month just before the rising of the full moon. I would travel to the Shrieking Shack to transform... that's how the place received its name. Those howls and screams... weren't made by ghosts."

Now Marian looked even more incredulous. "I never would have thought..." she whispered.

"Harry Potter felt the same way when he found out," Remus couldn't help but say with a chuckle.

"Harry Potter knows?" Revelation after revelation...

"I was friends with his father," Remus told her, growing a bit wistful as he always did when he thought of James. "The rest of it is a very long story--and Harry did not get bitten, if you were wondering. But as for you, I think you had better owl Dumbledore soon and tell him about your new situation. Do you want me to help you do it?"

Marian scuffed her foot on the floor. "I guess... I'm still a bit worried, though. What if Dumbledore...? Well, I know he wouldn't tell anyone whom it wasn't absolutely necessary to tell. But what if the kids at school find out about me?" She suddenly sounded fearful again. "What if everyone gets suspicious of me? My friends in the dormitory might notice something, at least. I... I'll have to disappear for a day or so each month. How can they not notice that?"

"I admit that they're definitely going to," he told her, "but you can make up excuses, stories... that's what I did. And everyone else is not as observant as you think." He paused, wondering if he should go on to qualify that his three friends and roommates had found out his secret... But that would only discourage her, he knew. It might dissuade her from going back to Hogwarts at all. Besides, James and Sirius had been the brightest students in their year, and Sirius was always one to be a bit nosy about his friends' business. Perhaps her friends were not so intelligent or inquisitive. He battled with his conscience for a moment before deciding not to tell her.

"Shall we owl the Headmaster, then?" he asked.

Still seeming reluctant, Marian agreed. "But... I don't have to tell anyone else, do I? What--what about my family?"

Had that not occurred to her before now? "Well, Marian," he said gently but a bit wryly, "I think they're going to notice that something is wrong when the next full moon comes around. It'll still be the holidays then. You'll be at home, without the Shrieking Shack and Madam Pomfrey's care. Where will you lock yourself up? And how? You're going to need help."

The girl appeared crestfallen. "I--I hadn't thought about all that yet," she whispered. Her expression quickly turned to one of terror, as she was likely anticipating with dread what the experience would be like, and how her family would react. What was she going to tell her parents even today, when she returned home from being missing for so long?

Remus felt awful about having to scare her like this, but he knew that the issue needed to be brought up. It was crucial, and inevitable. "You're going to be in pain the next morning," he continued, "and bleeding, and likely unable to do a thing to help yourself. You might break a bone." She winced at the words, and he inwardly winced at saying them. "You'll need a healer. Your parents will have to know."

"But what if they...?" Her voice could barely be heard now. "What if they hate me and kick me out?"

Ah, there was a dilemma--most unfortunately. Not knowing what kind of parents she had, Remus really couldn't be sure what their reaction would be. He knew he was extremely lucky that his own parents had been so loving that they would never abandon their child because of blind prejudice or anything else. But they were the exception to the rule among Wizarding society when it came to lycanthropy.

Carefully, he said, "I doubt that the average parents could truly hate their child, for any reason. But they might become scared, and they may say or do something they regret later; I won't lie to you there. The prejudice has been so widespread among wizards for so long... especially in the oldest, purest bloodlines." That made him think of something. "Are your parents purebloods, Marian?"

She shook her head. "No, my dad has some Muggle relations, and my mum is a Muggle herself."

"Right, then," said Remus encouragingly, feeling somewhat relieved. "That's a good thing going for you."

Thoughtfully, Marian continued, "I doubt my mum even knows much about werewolves at all, and I've never heard my dad talking about them. I'm not sure how he feels."

"You could try and 'sound him out' first, if you wanted," Remus suggested. "Try and find out his viewpoint before you tell him."

The girl nodded soberly. "I suppose... I suppose I could. Besides, I do know they love me very much. I couldn't imagine them ever kicking me out... but I'm still scared."

I definitely understand that, Remus thought, and he voiced his sympathy. "It is hard, and I can't make you tell them, of course, but I would recommend that you do. They can help you, give you support, and Merlin knows you're going to need it." He patted his wife's knee affectionately as he said this. Rhiannon had been sitting silently next to him, just listening, for quite some time now, but he'd still felt her unspoken encouragement during the whole talk with Marian. She smiled back at him.

Marian now seemed to have gained some resolve on what to do when she got back home, for she stood up from her chair. "Do you think we could owl Professor Dumbledore now, sir?"

"We certainly could." Remus and Rhiannon stood up themselves, and the three made their way into the kitchen. Remus pulled a quill and some parchment out of a drawer, while Rhiannon headed out a side door to rouse Ambrose from his sleep and bring him down from the tree. After helping Marian piece out a note to the headmaster, having her write it herself, Remus attached the slip of parchment to the owl's leg and sent him flying off toward Hogwarts.

"Well, it's late enough in the day," Rhiannon said to the girl, "and I suppose you're wanting to return home and not cause your parents any more anxiety over your disappearance. I can Apparate you to the other side of the forest. That's where I found you, and I suppose your home isn't too far away. Maybe you can retrieve your bicycle as well."

"Okay," said Marian. "That would be great. And thank you so much for all you've done for me, both of you. I..." she sounded rather choked up, "well, you saved my life, and you helped me realize it's still worth living. I could never repay you for that."

Remus smiled along with his wife. You don't realize it, Marian, but you have repaid me a little bit, just by reminding me that there is hope for us. It's easy to forget that sometimes, especially right after particularly painful transformations like this recent one.

But he could not speak any of these sentiments aloud. Instead he merely nodded and shook her hand, wishing her the best at Hogwarts this coming year. "Don't be afraid," he said, "and please try not to go it completely alone. You might just find a friend you can trust with your secret. Don't isolate yourself from people, at least."

She nodded, though a bit hesitantly. Rhiannon pulled out her wand, stepped toward the girl, and Remus watched as they both vanished from the kitchen. He headed back into the sitting room then, paced the floor a few times in silent contemplation, and eventually decided to retrieve his set of wizard's chess. Arranging the pieces on the board, he awaited his wife's return.

* * *

Marian's right leg hurt considerably as she pedaled her bike the half-mile back to her home on Larkspur Lane. She wondered if the bite would ever heal... well, certainly it would do that, but would the scar vanish over time? She had other scars as well, though they were not nearly so deep. Scratch marks and claw marks over much of her body...

Oh no, what will I tell Mum and Dad? she thought. I don't want to reveal the truth right away... but they'll still be worried. I'll have to make up a story for now. Well, here came her first instance of having to do that--and she was sure many more would follow.

She wracked her brain. To begin with, where had she been this whole time? No harm in saying she'd gotten lost in the forest. They might not allow her to go back there so late in the day again, or alone, but she had no desire to return to that place for quite some time, anyway. So she could say that she'd been lost, maybe slept in the woods overnight, but how had she come upon these scratches and wounds? Tripping over something and falling down didn't seem hazardous enough to cause the kinds of injuries she'd received... Falling over a small cliff, maybe? Again, that struck her as a bit doubtful.

Now she was getting very close to her neighborhood. Just one more block and she would be home. Oh, hurry, hurry, Marian, think of something! She should have asked Professor Lupin for ideas. Or Rhiannon. The only thing she'd thought to ask the woman just before taking leave of her was if she could come back to the Lupins' house on the next full moon if her parents... weren't quite supportive. Rhiannon had assured her that she would definitely be welcome. They had another basement room that could be securely charmed. She'd given Marian instructions on how to get to the Lupin residence and had said that Marian could contact her or her husband any time over the Floo network for support, advice, or anything. Marian was deeply grateful, but also felt guilty for imposing so much on the kind couple.

Suddenly she was cresting a small hill and turning onto Larkspur Lane. Her house, number 17, stood halfway down the block on the left side. She could see it now: tan with dark blue shutters, two stories, well-kept yard. Her younger brother's bicycle lay on its side in the grass--he never remembered to put it away in the garage and was frequently reprimanded for it. (He wasn't so forgetful with his broomstick, though, because of the Muggle neighbors.) She smiled slightly, but somewhat sadly, at the familiar sight. How drastically things had changed for her in the brief days that she'd been away from her family.

She coasted slowly up to the foot of the driveway. Her mother's car was parked there; she was obviously home from work. Her father might still be gone, but not for too much longer.

Why was she so hesitant to enter the house? Every moment she lingered was another moment that her family would be distraught over her safety. She needed to end it now. Slowly she climbed off her bike, laid it down beside her brother's, and trudged up to the front door. It was open a crack, and she could hear the drone of the TV coming from inside. Pushing the door open at last, she stepped into the living room.

"Mum?" she called. "Kevin? Anybody home?"

She heard a choked sort of squealing noise from the kitchen, and then footsteps pounding down the stairs from the second floor as well. Her mother and sibling entered the living room at almost the same time, the former a flurry of red (with eyes to match) and the latter a green-and-blue whirlwind. Together they almost knocked her down in their excitement and relief.

"Marian, Marian, Sweetheart, Baby, Darling!" The words tumbled out in a cataract of joyful tears. "Where have you been?! You're back, you're back! We've been so worried! We were searching everywhere, we alerted the authorities--but, oh! You're home!"

Marian could barely move or breathe under their smothering embraces; but she noted with a hint of amused gratification that Kevin was just as enthusiastic as her mother, although he wasn't crying, of course. She'd never been extremely close to him, but she loved her little brother and knew that he felt the same.

Finally she managed to gasp, "I'm all right, except you're almost choking me!"

They pulled back a little, and it was then that Marian's mother noticed the scratches and bruises on her arms. A look of concern crossed her face. "You're hurt," she said, examining her daughter closely now. Her eyes moved downward to see a large gash on Marian's left leg and the bandages on her right. "What happened?" she asked in an alarmed voice. "Come, sit down, tell us."

Half-carrying her daughter to the sofa, she gently pushed Marian down onto the soft cushions and seated herself beside her. Simultaneously she ordered Kevin to fetch the first aid kit from the hall cupboard. "It's really not that bad--" Marian tried to reassure her mother, but...

"Codswallop!" was the immediate reply. "Marian Rose Caldwell, I can always tell when you're trying to make light of things, and this is one of those times. Now please, how did you get these injuries?" her mum pressed, as Kevin returned with the medical supplies in hand, and she began to rummage around for antibiotic ointments to apply to Marian's wounds.

Marian's stomach lurched. The moment had come when she'd either have to tell the horrible truth or make up a story... a lie. Her conscience pricked her, but the consequences of being honest... It shouldn't have to be like this, she inwardly moaned. My family deserves the truth, especially after what I've just put them through--but look what I've been through! Don't I deserve to keep my secret? Feeling more torn apart on the inside than she did on the outside, she knew she would need to give an answer soon. At last her fear won out, and she haltingly began to spin a tale that didn't quit hit the bull's-eye on the dartboard of truth.

"Well, er--you know that I went out for a picnic in the woods the evening I disappeared," she began. That was at least true. [First arrow: dead center.] "I wandered off the path I usually take, chasing what I thought was a unicorn, and I ended up getting very lost." [Still straight on target.] "When it got dark I was considering using magic to find my way back, even though it's summer and I'm not allowed, but before I could think of any spells, I suddenly... well, I was attacked." [Another direct hit, but this was a painful one, as it pierced the center of her own heart.]

Alarmed at her daughter's words now, Marian's mother asked, "What attacked you? Or... who? Was it a person?"

"No, Mum. It--it was some kind of animal... it was very dark, so I couldn't see too well... but I think it was a bear." [A final, wavering throw and a miss.]

"A bear?" her mother gasped. "And you survived! How on earth...?"

"Someone came and rescued me," Marian said quickly. See, this isn't so bad, or so difficult. "It was a witch, and she used some spells and drove the bear away. I thought she had a pet fox with her, too," she mused, mostly to herself. "But I was practically unconscious by that time, and she took me back to her house and cleaned me up. (I was unconscious during that part.) The next day she took care of me, too, and then she sent me back home just this afternoon. So that's where I've been." She anxiously awaited her mother's response.

Mrs. Caldwell sat shaking her head in astonishment for a few moments. "If I didn't know about the whole magical world and such, I'd say your story was a bit far-fetched... but I do believe it," she said. "Oh, Honey, I'm just so glad that you're home safe now! We were going mad with worry... your father was Apparating around to different places, searching, and I called all of your friends to see if you were over any of their houses. I finally alerted the police this morning. I guess I should call them back now and tell them that you're home safe and sound."

Marian hung her head, feeling terrible that she'd put her family through all that. She hated for people to trouble themselves over her at all; she didn't want to feel like she was in their debt or obligated to them in any way. (She was already feeling guilty enough about the Lupins saving her life and everything.) "I'm so sorry..." she said.

But her mother quickly waved this away. "No, no, Sweetie, it's all right; I'm just glad we've got you back again!" She gave her daughter another tight squeeze, her eyes still puffy and threatening to spill more tears. At last she pulled away. "I'm sorry; I hope I didn't hug you too tightly there... are you in a lot of pain?"

"No," Marian lied. "I've had a couple days to heal, and the witch, Rhiannon, took good care of me. She's an expert with potions."

She could tell that her mother didn't quite understand, but fortunately she didn't press the matter. Instead Mrs. Caldwell nodded, packed away her first aid kit--after making one last brief inspection of Marian's visible wounds--and then stood up and said that she was going to phone the police and tell them to call off their search. She headed back to the kitchen.

Now Marian was alone in the room with Kevin, who hadn't said much of anything this whole time. She had no clue what to say to him, either, but presently he got up from his chair and told her that he had a project going in his room that he wanted to get back to. "I'm glad you're home safe, Sis," he added before making his way upstairs. Marian smiled.

Half an hour later when her father got home, Marian was put through much the same routine as with her mother, although in a far more sedate way. Her dad had never been one for expressing strong emotions--his mild manners hid his thoughts most of the time, and Marian often wondered what lay below the calm façade.

She related her story of being attacked by a bear, and this time it came more easily. Was she getting used to telling lies already? It seemed she was good at it, at any rate, because her father also accepted the explanation. Trouble occurred, though, when he asked to look underneath the bandage on her leg.

"Why, Dad? It's just... a particularly deep scratch. It's healing fine; Rhiannon gave me some potion for the pain, and she may have soaked it n murtlap essence. I can hardly feel it." This wasn't strictly true.

"Did she use a disinfecting spell?" he pressed, sounding a bit doubtful.

"Well, she said something like 'Ablutio'," Marian remembered.

"Oh. I guess she did." Mr. Caldwell nodded approvingly this time. "All right, I won't bother it. Just making sure my girl was properly taken care of."

Marian was touched to hear that remark. She was also relieved that her parents would not see the bite... yet. But what would happen when she eventually took the bandage off? Maybe she could wait until the teeth marks became less clearly defined... or wear long pants to hide it... Oh, why did it even matter if she had a bite mark on her leg? Bears had sharp teeth, too. Hopefully her parents couldn't tell the difference between a bear's fang marks and--

She shuddered involuntarily. Noticing this, her dad inquired about how she was feeling. "I'm fine, really," she insisted. "Just felt a slight chill for a moment. Maybe I should put on a jumper."

She went to retrieve one from her room, to keep up the pretense; and when she returned to the living room, her mum was calling the family to dinner. Gladly she joined them at the table, eating hungrily, and excused herself the moment she was finished. Withdrawing to her bedroom again, she remained there for the rest of the evening.

* * *

That night Marian had loads of trouble falling asleep. Her body ached, as the effects of the potions had worn off completely now, and her mind was agitated as well. How long would she continue to feel so weak and exhausted? Was that a permanent part of the curse? Thinking back on what Professor Lupin had said, she feared that it was. Oh, great. She had always been in such fine, robust health for most of her life, up until now. Just another change to get used to, she thought bitterly. My whole world is falling apart around me...

Rolling over onto her side, she found herself facing the window. The curtains were open, and she could see the waning moon shining coldly up in the midnight sky. Its glow no longer seemed romantic to her, as it had in the past; instead, it had become a cruel mockery of her condition. She could never escape it--the reminder would hang there over her head every night, save those times when clouds mercifully obscured it.

"Poor, poor Marian," it seemed to say. "Do you really not wish you had died? Look what you have to look forward to... you are slave to me and my curse. You will never be able to live the kind of life you've always dreamed of, now. I have yanked it all out of your grasp. I stole your future, miserable werewolf."

Desperately shaking her head back and forth, Marian softly moaned, "No... no, you haven't! I have hope left... you can't take that from me. There are some good things left..." She turned away and rolled onto her other side. But the pale image of the still-nearly-full moon remained burning in her vision.

Hours later, when she finally drifted off to sleep, her dreams were fitful and constantly returned to a pair of glowing yellow eyes and sharp teeth chasing her through dark woods.