Fanfic100 - No Control

Fanfic100 - No Control

Cries of anguish filled the air. Remus Lupin could feel the bones in his fingers shrinking into digits, his nose growing and forming a snout, his teeth becoming larger and sharper. He shielded his head from the moonlight, as if hoping that if he fully blocked the light, the pain would stop. He knew, though, that such a thing was not true. But he had to hope.
His teeth were grit together, biting back a scream as his ears receded farther back on his head and grew longer and hairier. Transforming into a werewolf was a sensation he had grown used to, yet at the same time hadn't grown used to at all. He expected it, sure, but the pain was so excruciating that it was always ten times worse than the previous month. Everything about him was changing: the cracks of his bones as they changed were sickeningly loud and he could see fur growing everywhere on his body.
He couldn't hold back anymore. Remus hunched forward and fell to his knees, his new claws making marks in the floor as he tried to hold himself up. He screamed out as loud as he could, tears cascading down his scarred cheeks. He could see amber eyes in the back of his mind, glaring at him in the darkness. They appeared every full moon, looking malicious and bloodthirsty. Whose eyes they were, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that they were the eyes of a werewolf; they haunted his very soul, and whenever he closed his eyes, they were there, watching him. They robbed him of his free will every full moon.

He knew he was reaching the end of his transformation, for it was the most painful part. His torso began to extend, his hips grew wider and his legs changed positions with more disgusting cracks. His human cries, repressed by the snout, had become loud, blood-curdling howls. He could only keep his mind for a few more seconds, and just as he crouched on all fours, the trap door opened. His eyes, a bright, glowing amber, not unlike the ones that flashed through his mind, flew to the door. He snarled, saliva dribbling down his face.
A young boy's head had popped up through the trapdoor. Remus fought to keep his mind for just a bit longer. He held himself back with a loud whine, his body resisting his command to stay still. He wanted to run, to jump, to kill...
“Remus-?” the boy whispered, but that was it. Remus Lupin lost all sense of self. His frightened expression had faded into one of hunger as he crept low to the ground, preparing to pounce. He was not the gentle, quiet Remus Lupin anymore.
“It's not Hogsmeade, it's not Hogsmeade!” the boy cried quickly, slamming the trap door shut again. The werewolf could smell them so well, right beneath him, but he now lacked proper fingers to open the door. He whined and clawed at the wood, trying to chase the smell of blood that was so quickly disappearing. When he realized that they were gone, and were not coming back, the werewolf whined pathetically, ramming and biting at the furniture in the room. He destroyed everything, then bit and scratched at himself, unable to keep still. This was his life. This morbid ritual every month was part of his life.

This was Remus Lupin.

*

The next day, Remus did not wake until the late afternoon. He was greeted by an extensive amount of pain that was still a relief compared to the night before. His eyes were still a bright amber, and had not faded into the light brown they typically were. Usually he remembered nothing on the night of the full moon, but this time was different. It was hazy, but he remembered it. He had fought so hard to remain human, and had seen Peter Pettigrew, a friend of his, somehow enter the room...

His friends knew now. He was sure of it.

He didn't have the energy to panic. All he could do was roll onto his side in attempt of finding a more comfortable position. However, instead of feeling pillow beneath his cheek, he felt parchment. It took a good couple of minutes for Remus to gather the will power to pick up the note.

“Remus,” it read.
“Or should I call you Moony now? Hah hah, get it? Moony? Anyways, chill about last night, okay? We'll talk about it later. We won't judge you for something you have no control over. To prove to you you're still our best mate, here:” Remus blinked as chocolate appeared out of nowhere with a crack and dropped onto his pillow.
“Have some chocolate. You'll feel better.

-The Marauders”

Remus, although surprised by the note, couldn't help but smile. He took the chocolate and carefully bit into it. Almost immediately, the pain lessened and he relaxed, closing his eyes.

Life was good again.