TITLE: Rouge Case of Lycanthropy
WORDS: 3,371
COMPLETED: 7/24/21

  Nothing about this was a good thing. As I laid on the ground in the woods, I knew that was the truth. How did I escape? That should've been impossible. Madame Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Dumbledore worked so hard to ensure that the beast remained contained all throughout the night of the full moon. So why was I out?

  The sunlight was harsh against my sensitive eyes, resulting in me wincing. When I shifted, my whole body ached in pain. Usually I felt weak after the moon, but never has it felt like this. And that was when my mind began contemplating the worst. Had I hurt someone? Or had I just run and worn myself out? If I did hurt someone, were they still alive? Or did I kill someone? Suddenly, I felt sick.

  I pushed myself up to my elbows, turning my head and emptying my stomach into the grass. The taste on my lips was of blood. Inhaling a sharp breath, I finally looked down at myself. Sure enough, my hands were stained with blood and the thick crimson liquid was caked beneath my fingernails. Unfortunately, I knew that human blood and animal blood had distinctly different scents; this was human blood. I had hurt someone and I'd hurt them badly.

"Fuck..." I groaned, pushing myself up to my feet and quickly glancing around. There wasn't a body anywhere, nor was there a blood trail nearby. The person that I'd harmed was no where near here.

  I found myself stumbling through the grass, walking out of the Forbidden Forest and heading back towards Hogwarts. I needed to go to Madame Pomfrey. I needed to explain the situation to her. Someone was harmed. I had harmed someone. Either that or I had killed them. And I wasn't too sure if I wanted to know the truth.

  After a long and painful walk towards the castle, I began making my way towards the hospital wing. Upon entry, I found myself looking at a panicked Madame Pomfrey. When she caught my gaze, her eyes widened. She rushed over to me, assessing my state of being and seeming to inspect all of the blood that I was covered in.

"Who...?" I quietly demanded, not wanting to talk about myself until I knew what had happened to the other individual. She exhaled an exhausted sigh, taking a glance back at one of the beds. My eyes were quick to follow her gaze, locking on the sleeping individual who was covered in gauze.

"No..." I whispered quietly, slowly limping over towards the bedside of the person that I had hurt.

  Lying there was my best friend: Bill Weasley. And he was in an awful state of being.

"He's going to be okay, (Y/N). I promise you. You didn't do anything to fatally wound him. If anything, he's just hysterical because of what he saw..." Madame Pomfrey explained, as if that would miraculously make me feel better. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

  I carefully sat myself down on his bed, feeling tears well up in my eyes. I could've killed him. I could've done it so easily and not have even known. I think that was the thing that devastated me the most. What would I have done with myself if I had killed my best friend? Just because it was the wolf doesn't mean anything. After all, I'm still covered in Bill Weasley's blood.

"Are you hurt?" Madame Pomfrey questioned as I shook my head, looking down at my feet.

"No. Just a bit worn out," I answered truthfully, watching relief wash over Madame Pomfrey. I was more than capable of telling that she believed me.

"Okay. I still think that you should lay down and rest. I'll try to clean you up," She explained as I weakly nodded, knowing that I was in no state to argue. After all, she was probably correct.

  I was dead silent as she used a wet rag to scrub at the dried blood that covered my hands and splattered all the way up to my elbows. She gave me some new clothes and allowed me to use the bed next to Bill's. I think she knew how much Bill meant to me and how devastated I was that I'd harmed him; then again, I would've been extremely upset after hurting anyone. But Bill and I were close, acting as one another's closest friend. In truth, Bill was all that I had.

  After Madame Pomfrey was done cleaning me up, she left to let me sleep. Just as I was about to doze off, I caught Bill moving out of the corner of my eye. That was all it took for me to fully wake up. I rolled over, meeting his eyes.

"(Y/N)? Are you okay?" He asked as I slowly nodded, guilt gnawing at my insides.

"Yeah. What about you?" I questioned as he exhaled a sigh, keeping his eyes locked onto mine.

"I don't know..." He mumbled; I felt my heart break a bit more. I knew he was going to be mentally messed up after being attacked, but all I could hope for was that he'd be physically okay.

"Do you know what happened...?" I hesitantly asked him, keeping my voice soft as I spoke. I wasn't quite sure if that was to benefit my headache or my reluctance to know his response.

"I think... I think there's a feral werewolf at Hogwarts... And I know that you probably think I'm crazy, but it attacked me. It wasn't like I stumbled upon it or anything, either. It found me, almost as if it was looking for me..." Bill whispered to me as I felt my heart ache. Was he right? Did I seek him out? Was that how the wolf broke out?

"You think it was looking for you?" I questioned hesitantly, worry flooding my tone as Bill outstretched a hand towards me. Reluctantly, I extended my arm, our pinkies locking together.

"I don't know. But I'm worried, nonetheless. If there's a werewolf at Hogwarts and it's attacking people, then that's something that we need to worry about. I think I might try and find it. I have to do something about this," Bill explained to me as I attempted to swallow back the lump that was forming in my throat.

"Are you going to try and kill it...?" I questioned him gently, uncertain as to how I should react to all of this.

"I don't know. Possibly. I think I'm going to do some research first, though. You should help me out. I could use your help," He quietly explained as I weakly nodded, not knowing what else to do; if I said no, that was practically admitting that something was wrong. Like I said, Bill was everything that I had, so I find myself helping him out often.

"Okay... How bad are you feeling? And don't lie to me. I'll know if you're lying," I quietly requested as he offered me a weak smile.

"I'm not feeling all that bad. It was strange. It was almost as if the werewolf didn't want to hurt me. It almost acted as if... As if there was something worse around us," Bill quietly muttered as my heart leapt in my chest.

"Are you implying that the beast was protecting you?" I questioned as he exhaled a shaky sigh.

"I don't really know, but maybe. I know that there was something else in the woods, maybe even something worse than the werewolf. I didn't see anything else, though. It wasn't like the wolf bit me, either. It was kind of just... Holding onto me really tight. Most of the injuries are from its claws," Bill muttered as everything inside of me felt strange.

  Could he be telling the truth? Could the wolf have sensed that he was in danger and broke out in order to protect him? Was that even something that werewolves were capable of? Maybe the wolf understood how much Bill meant to me and did everything it could to protect him. Or maybe absolutely none of that is true. Perhaps Bill had invented that entire scenario out of sheer hysteria.

"We'll figure all of this out before the next full moon, (Y/N). And, don't worry, I'll make sure that nothing bad will happen to you," Bill softly promised as I exhaled a shaky sigh, my mind going through so many different thoughts.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Bill..."

• • •

  Bill Weasley had been rather serious about doing extensive research on werewolves. I swear that the pair of us had spent every evening in the library, skimming through different books on lycanthropy through the ages and how different cultures interpreted the beast. However, most cultures held a negative stigma to the werewolf. And rightfully so. After all, once every month, the individual is completely stripped of their humanity only to find that their mind just belongs to the beast.

  We were spending so much time in the library looking up werewolves that it even raised some questions. Many kids wondered if we'd seen anything in the Forbidden Forest because they could've sworn that they heard howling coming from there, meanwhile others questioned if we were just extremely bored. We played the whole thing off as research for a Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment and moved on. For the most part, people believed us.

"So, rumor has it that Hagrid might have a Chinese Fireball out in the Forbidden Forest. Do you think that the wolf would attempt to protect a human from a dragon?" Bill questioned me as the two of us walked towards the Great Hall, about to go have dinner.

"It depends on the human and the wolf. According to some of the texts I've skimmed, werewolves can be rather possessive over humans that they're close to. Are you certain that this werewolf was protecting you?" I asked, just wanting to make sure. However, it all made a bit more sense. My wolf would do everything possible in order to keep Bill Weasley safe.

"The more we look into it, the more sense it makes. But, then that leaves one large question: who is our werewolf? Obviously it's someone that I'm close with," Bill pondered as my heart about stopped. We were getting close. And I still wasn't sure if I should just tell him or let him figure it out.

"Bill... I need to tell you something. Is there any way you could meet me at the lake after dinner?" I asked quietly, my voice going so soft to the point that it was concerning. Bill turned to look at me, offering me a small smile.

"Of course," He replied gently as I nodded, glad that he'd be willing to talk.

  I was going to tell him. I had to. After all, it seemed unfair for me to keep this from him any longer. If he decided to hate me or kill me because of this, then that was just the way things would be. Truly, he wasn't too far from figuring it all out on his own, anyways. I just had to figure out how I was going to phrase it.

• • •

  Bill and I sat down at the lake, the pair of us leaning against a large tree. To say that I was nervous was such an understatement. In truth, my hands were trembling and I felt like I might be sick. Hell, it wouldn't even surprise me if I passed out.

"I really don't know how to phrase this..." I mumbled softly, wanting to be completely honest with him. As if he could sense my nervousness, he grasped onto one of my hands and squeezed it tightly.

"I have something I want to tell you, too... If you'd like, I can go first," Bill explained rather politely as I gave him a weak smile and nodded. I would let him speak first.

  He cleared his throat, actually appearing a bit anxious. But what did he have to be anxious about? Unless he knew. I felt my heart drop simply from that thought alone.

"I like you," He spoke as I felt my heart leap in my chest. I blinked a couple times, simply looking at him.

  Okay, I hadn't been expecting that. I mean, sure, I had a huge crush on Bill Weasley, but never did I expect him to reciprocate those feelings. I wasn't an idiot, I knew Bill could do so much better than me; I think that was the sole reason I buried my feelings for him in the first place. Now my feelings were back and just as overbearing as ever.

"I understand that you might not like me back, but I wanted you to know. I've liked you since second year," He admitted as I inhaled a shaky breath, uncertain as to how I should respond.

"I'm the werewolf," I blurted, which definitely wasn't how I wanted to tell him. But it was out in the open now. I couldn't take those words back, no matter how much I wanted to.

  Bill didn't know what to do with this information. And, if we were being honest, I couldn't blame him. If the roles had been reversed, I'm not too sure what I would do. He was quiet for a while, but he never let go of my hand.

"I'm the werewolf. And I have been the whole time. And I've wanted to tell you. But... But you mentioned wanting to kill me and... And I didn't want to tip the scale. I hurt you, Bill. I hurt you and I couldn't do anything about it. I could've killed you; that thought haunts me. I can't blame you for wanting me dead. Hell, I can't even tell you all the times that I've wanted me dead," I quietly ranted, speaking nothing but the truth. I was done lying to him.

  Abruptly, he grasped onto my chin and pivoted my head in his direction, forcing me to meet his eyes. I blinked a couple times, meanwhile he just watched my eyes. My hands were back to trembling; I felt him squeeze my hand reassuringly.

"Don't talk like that. Don't you ever talk like that. I don't want you dead, (Y/N). I could never want you dead. You showed up specifically to save my life. Even when your mind didn't belong to you, the wolf knew it had to keep me safe. You kept me safe, (Y/N)..." Bill whispered, releasing my chin in favor of cradling my cheek; he ran his thumb over my cheekbone.

"Bill, I could've kill you. I woke up in the middle of the goddamn woods and thought that I had killed you..." I explained quietly, inhaling shaky breaths; I was so beyond afraid.

"Listen to me... You didn't kill me. I'm safe. And I'm safe because of you. Because those kids were right. There's a dragon in the woods and it was close to where I was. You protected me from it..." Bill explained as I carefully touched his forearm, looking at where large scars were forming from the claw marks.

"Bill..." I breathed, but that was all I had time to say before he leaned in and kissed me.

  Most first kisses are uncertain and weary; this was no where close to that. If anything, it seemed as if Bill had been waiting for this for a long time. His hands cupped my cheeks, pulling me in closer to him; meanwhile my hands grabbed onto his Gryffindor robes, attempting to steady their anxious shaking. But his lips were warm and soft, acting extremely inviting. I think both of us got lost in the kisses, keeping close to one another and allowing the other to take what they wanted; in my case, I ran my fingers through his long red strands of hair, meanwhile Bill allowed his fingers to map the skin that spread over my face. Inevitably, we separated our lips and allowed our foreheads to rest against one another's.

"I'm not going to kill you. No one is going to hurt you; I promised you that, remember? I meant it," Bill quietly explained as I weakly smiled, keeping my eyes shut and listening to his words.

"Are you really not afraid of me...?" I questioned him softly, feeling uncertain as to what I should think.

"I don't think I could ever be afraid of you..." He softly replied as I felt him shift. Suddenly, there was an old sheet of paper in my hands, resulting in me opening my eyes and skimming the page.

  Those who have been cursed with lycanthropy might lack the ability to think properly on the evening of the full moon, but that doesn't make them inhuman. These are still people who carry out lives of their own and try their hardest to keep their wolves under control. While some may struggle more than others, that doesn't mean they're less human.
  Another point that many different articles have brought up is the wolf's ability to protect other humans on the night of the full moon. However, this is a rather uncommon occurrence. If a wolf was attempting to harm a human, they tend to use their teeth. However, wolves will grab onto humans and pull them away from danger if they're attempting to protect that human. Typically, wolves will only protect people that their human counterpart is extremely close with. Most articles explain that the wolf believes this person to be their human's mate.

  I froze, recognizing the handwriting only after I'd read through the whole thing. This had been written out by Bill, using this paper as a conglomeration of all the texts he'd read through. Slowly, I raised my head and met his eyes, placing the paper back in his hands.

"Oh..." I breathed, my entire face burning with embarrassment at this point. Did my wolf really think that Bill Weasley was my mate? I suppose the only person I can't hide my feelings and emotions from is myself.

"So, maybe some terrible part of me actually hoped you might be the wolf," He quietly muttered as I looked down, a weak smile appearing on my lips.

"Do you actually believe that I'm just a human bearing a curse?" I asked him carefully, slowly looking up at him once again. He weakly smiled in return, leaning forwards and pushing a gentle kiss to my forehead.

"I believe that you are you. I think that you're just a person who's trying so hard to get by while protecting people from the other part of you. I think that you're one of the strongest people I've ever met. And that I'm more than honored to be a part of your life," He admitted as I felt my face warm up once again.

"You're one of the very few people in the world who are so openminded about people like me who have been cursed with lycanthropy," I whispered to him, watching as he weakly smiled. I allowed myself to mindlessly mess with his hair once again.

"And, if you do think of me as something like a boyfriend, then I'm more than honored," He carefully admitted as I grinned.

"Would you like to be my boyfriend? Is that what you're saying to me?" I asked as he grinned, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

"Absolutely," He replied as I smiled, feeling as if this conversation couldn't have gone any better.

  So, sure, being a werewolf was a pretty terrifying thing. In truth, it was probably the main reason that I was beyond afraid of myself. But Bill Weasley was no where near afraid of me. If anything, my wolf protecting him had only brought him closer to me. So, to some strange degree, I suppose I owed my new relationship with Bill to my wolf. But I was so far beyond glad to finally be with my best friend, yet in a more intimate manner. I was looking forward to my life with Bill Weasley as my boyfriend.