349This is not officially a chapter. It is a (long-winded and gasp! unedited!) summary of the events that would have taken place had I continued this story. I'm sorry for not actually completing this fic, but I hope this summary helps clear up any lingering questions anyone who still cares about this story may have. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. You guys have been great, seriously.
Lots of love,
scareltnight72
So, as it stands now, the story ends at year 5. The summer starts calmly. Rika chills with her family, while her friends Kayla and Damon go abroad to meet Kayla's estranged family (her absent dad's parents and other relatives). This family turns out to be an old, pureblood family and, while snooping through their libraries, Damon finds a book about lycanthropy that claims there were once werewolves who could transform at will and goes into detail about the history and magic behind lycanthropy. Damon steals this book to give to Rika.
Meanwhile, Rika turns 17. Things grow tense between her, Sirius, and Remus, since she is now a legal adult and is pushing them to let her join the Order. They, of course, are completely against it. There's a lot of intense staring and passive-aggressive bacon hogging. Some chocolate may have been harmed in the process. Harry is torn between supporting Rika and being exasperated by the whole ordeal.
Damon gives Rika the book, and she realizes that she may be able to gain control of her werewolfism instead of trying to ignore or suppress it. She feels that she needs to gain control to ensure that she never hurts anyone (uncontrolled abilities always pose a danger), and so that she can reach her full potential, magically. She wants to immediately begin practicing but is unsure whether or not to tell her guardians. (After all, they're being completely ridiculous about the whole "risking her life" by joining the Order thing.) She agonizes over the decision but eventually decides to explain the situation to them. Her decision to confide in them is meant to show how her relationship to them has evolved; in the past, she would have hidden the truth from them because it would be easier, like she did concerning her detentions with Umbridge.
Of course, both are adamantly against it because "For the love of Godrick's hairy testicles Rika, you can't just go experimenting with unheard of magic just because a random book your friend stole-from the library of people you barely know, might I add, how do you not they're not bloody loony?-says it's a good idea!"-Sirius. And "Do you have any idea how dangerous this could be?! You could get yourself killed! And this book doesn't even have any references! Where are its sources? How do you know anything it says is credible?" -Remus "You don't! Books lie all the time!" -Sirius.
As the debate *cough* fight *cough* goes on, Remus becomes progressively angrier, till even Sirius is like "whoa, mate, chill your man-tits." It becomes clear that Remus is letting his own fears and anger against being a werewolf cloud his judgement on the issue. Rika tries to not to let it get to her—especially since she's grown so secure in her relationship with Remus—but his obvious disgust towards lycanthropy picks at old scars.
Before the situation can completely fall apart, Harry intervenes, and tells them that they're not going to accomplish anything if they keep on this way. They put the discussion on hold, and Rika goes to Grimmuald to get some space. There, she runs into Dumbledore, and she asks him to take her to Hogwarts so she can talk to Rune about some of the things she's read in the book.
Once at Hogwarts, Rika basically camps out in the Forbidden Forrest. The book talks a great deal about things like meditation and becoming attuned to the natural magic that surrounds us, so Rika figures she can start on these elements without much risk. Sirius comes to visit her, and they have a long talk about the issue. Sirius explains that even though he knows it is possible for Rika to gain control of her lycanthropy—due to seeing it in the other timeline—he's still worried that it could go wrong. He asks how she really feels about all this, and Rika tells him that she feels almost compelled to tap into and channel this part of herself; she feels restless.
Sirius reluctantly agrees to support her and goes home to have a talk with Remus. Remus admits that his prejudice against lycanthropy is clouding his judgement. His time with Rika has mellowed his attitude towards the condition, but the idea of further embracing it scares him. He fears such dark magic has the ability to twist and taint those who use it. To which Sirius possess a single question:
"Is it truly dark magic?"
This leads Remus to think more about himself and his own magic, as well as his place in the wizarding world. Uneasy, he visits Rika and tells her that, while he doesn't approve of what she's doing, he trusts her judgement and will support her no matter what ("But you're still not joining the Order." "But Remuuuussss." "No.").
The next school year starts. Rika continues to live in the Forbidden Forest. She steadily obtains more control over her transformations. Then, one day, a man in his late twenties appears in the forest. A man with short but wild curly hair and golden eyes. Her cheekbones. He claims to be her brother and says the faeries told him about her. Like her, he can transform at will. He is the leader of a clan of werewolves rebelling against Greyback. He asks her to join him so that they can exchange knowledge about their condition (neither has mastered it yet). She tells him to return in one week so that she has time to think about her decision.
She discusses the issue with her friends and family who are against her going. They have no idea who this man is and no proof that he is who he claims to be. She is wary, too, yet she feels she can trust him. She goes into the forest and seeks out Puck.
"He told me faeries drew him to me," she says.
"Yes," says Puck. "We are known for our meddling."
"You're not known for your honesty or goodwill," she says.
"No," he admits. "We're not. We like to cause trouble. When you live as long as we, cruelty becomes second nature."
"I shouldn't trust you," she says.
"No," he says. "Yet, I think you'll find there is one thing you can trust in: We who never age wish only for the end yet fear it all the same. We are estranged from life, as we are from death. Vol de mort. Flight from death. The last base instinct that remains. We will burn worlds, yet fear only the burning of our own."
"Voldemort will burn all worlds," she says.
"That he will," Puck says.
"You'll use me like a chess piece," Rika says. "To keep your world from burning, regardless of what happens to me."
"Yet, you still seek my council."
There is no safety anywhere, she knows. The world is about to catch fire, regardless of where she stays. If she has to face the flames, she'd rather meet them head on than wonder and wait.
"What do you think I should do?" she asks.
"If it is peace you wish to seek, then your brother you should meet."
"You rhymed just to piss me off, didn't you?"
Puck only laughs and sinks back into the trees, his body blending into the foliage seamlessly.
So Rika slams open the door to Sirius and Remus's living quarters like "I have to go with my brother, the faeries told me to" and Remus is like "what?" and Sirius is like "Dammit Rika, how many times have I told you to quit talking to the bloody faeries! Do you see what you've done Remus? What you've raised? You let your child run wild through the woods asking bloody faeries for advice like some crazy lunatic!"
"That's redundant."
"Shut up, Remus. And you, young lady! How the bloody hell are you finding all of these faeries to talk to in the first place!?"
"Well, I am a beast."
Sirius groans and shoves Remus. "That's it. I'm done. You. Panic. Now. Forbid her."
Shockingly Remus tells Rika that she can go. Sirius is livid ("No, no, no, no. It's your job to forbid her from everything especially going off with who the hell knows who!).
Remus says that he knows arguing is pointless. He can see in Rika's eyes that she's not going to back down and, now that she's of age, he can't stop her from doing what she wants. Even if it is the worst decision in the entire world for Merlin's sake Rika do you want to give me a heart attack you devil child.
So, yeah. Rika decides to go. No one takes it well.
Before she leaves, Aubrey corners her. He implores her to trust him. She says she does, but he shakes his head.
"You don't understand. You can't. You will one day, if everything goes as planned." He grabs her shoulders, fingers digging into her muscles. His eyes are stretched wide, lined with deep purple-grey smudges from lack of sleep. Rika is struck by both how young and old he looks, even though they are same age.
"No matter what happens. No matter what you hear about me. No matter what you see me do. You can trust me. Always. I will never hurt you."
Rika has heard similar words before. She has had knives thrown in her back, jeers mouthed through the same lips that once formed such sweet words. It's scary. Terrifying. Her pulse rockets. But there's no hesitation when she closes her eyes and says "Okay."
It's a small, understated word, but it carries the weight of her heart. His forehead rests against hers. They breathe the same air.
"Someday," he whispers. "Someday."
She doesn't ask what he means, nor does she think about it. She ignores the way she can feel the words on the back of her tongue.
Someday.
Rika joins her brother's back as they form a resistance movement. She goes on various missions, mostly rescue, recruitment, and relocation for other magical creatures. With their combined knowledge, she and her brother both begin to truly master their transformations.
The world begins to fall apart. She is told that Dumbledore has been killed by Snape's hand; he is a traitor. Aubrey is a traitor.
Rika is at war with herself. Every part of her screams that Aubrey must be innocent, but she can't find any excuse for the reports of him working with the Death Eaters. Trust me, she hears him whisper in her mind.
Trust me. Trust me. Someday.
Someday.
Unable to take it, she confides in her brother, telling him of her feelings for Aubrey.
"I don't know this kid," her brother says. "Maybe he's a liar. Maybe he's not. But I can tell you this:
He might be unwilling to hurt you, but that doesn't mean he's not willing to hurt others."
In the end, Rika doesn't know what to feel. She still trusts Aubrey with herself, but she is no longer sure how far that trust extends.
In the midst of the chaos, Tonks becomes pregnant. Remus is a wreck. Tonks looks pale and scared. Lycanthropic pregnancies are high-risk.
In a rare moment when they're together, Rika corners Remus. She asks him if it would really be so bad to bring another werewolf into this world.
"If it's anything like you," he says. "Then no."
They hug. It gets mushy. Remus is still a wreck, but he's somewhat more emotionally stable.
The war continues. There are rumors that more experimentations are happening to young werewolves. Rika leads a mission to rescue them. It's a trap. Everything goes wrong and Rika is captured. Aubrey is among her capturers. He sneers at her. Kicks, slaps, and insults her. Rika sits in her cell alone. Her heart aches. But she comes to a realization. If Aubrey truly wanted to hurt her—emotionally and mentally—he knew how to. He wouldn't stick to petty surface insults.
Aubrey brings her food the next day. He doesn't speak.
"Do you remember when Sirius went to the other world?" she asks.
"What of it?"
"You weren't yourself there."
Their eyes meet.
"No," he agrees. "I wasn't."
Aubrey is a spy, she thinks. She doesn't know if it is blind hope or knowledge that powers this belief, but she holds onto it. Three days later, her brother launches a rescue attempt. The fight is vicious. Explosions wrack the compound. A chunk of roof falls towards Rika; Aubrey pushes her out of the way, taking the hit for himself.
Rika grabs Aubrey as the retreat, knowing he'll die before Voldemort sends reinforcements. The resistance members argue with her, wanting to kill him on the spot. Rika pulls out her want and threatens them.
Her brother diffuses the fight, but tells Rika that he cannot let Aubrey come with them based on her hunch alone.
"All because you can trust him does not mean the rest of us can," he reminds her.
The resistance needs her. She knows this. This is where she is useful. But she cannot do it.
"I'm sorry," she says. "I'm sorry."
She takes Aubrey and disappears into the woods, where she does her best to nurse him back to health. His right leg is shattered, and she doesn't know if he'll ever see out of his right eyes again. Infection soon sets in.
In his delirium, Aubrey tells her everything. He admits to being a spy and tells of Snape's position as a spy as well. He tells her that Dumbledore's murder was planned.
Rika wants to take him to a safe house, but she knows the other Order members will attack him on sight; they won't believe that anyone sporting a dark mark is innocent (plus, he's spilling secrets they're better off not knowing). She can't leave him to get supplies herself; he'd die if he was left unattended. With no other choice, she stays where she is, hoping to wait out the war.
Aubrey doesn't get "better" so much as he stabilizes. He's not in immediate danger of dying, but Rika's pretty sure there's no hope for his eyes, and he'll probably have to have all of the bones in his leg regrown at some point.
They're hunkered down not too far from Hogsmead, so when massive amounts of magic start buzzing around Hogwarts, she knows she has to go.
She and Aubrey both know she might not come back; and if she does, there's still a chance he might not be there. The air between them is heavy.
"Fuck it," Rika says, and kisses him.
They're filthy and sweaty and covered in mud. Aubrey's chapped lips hurt against the raw nervously-bitten skin of hers, but if one of them is going to die at seventeen years old, then they deserve at least one kiss with the person they love.
Thus, the battle of Hogwarts commences. Harry pretends to die. Neville kicks ass. There are horrible casualties; but Remus, Tonks, and Fred are saved through the power of artistic license.
The power of Good wins the war. Everyone cheers and Remus and Sirius freak out because Harry holy crap you're alive! You defeated Voldemort! And Rika! How dare you run off with your evil boyfriend, but you're alive too!
Too which Rika is like yeah, yeah, that's great, glad you're alive, hey Tonks, how's the baby? Okay, Damon, I need your healing powers now!
Rika runs away from the fight, Damon in tow, to go help Aubrey, leaving behind some very pissed/concerned guardians.
Eventually, everything comes to light, and Aubrey is accepted into the magical community once more (though he is now blind in one eye and did, in fact, have to have all of the bones in one leg regrown).
Serious changes happen within the Ministry. Natural-born werewolves are no longer classified as illegal creatures, so Remus's "ownership" of Rika is void; so, he officially adopts her.
Damon goes on to be a healer. Kayla discovers her wonderful talent for calling people out on their BS makes her an asset to the new legal system. She and Fred get together. He calls her his "honey-boo." Kayla regrets everything (in a loving sort of way).
Aubrey and Rika begin dating (Aubrey is threatened by literally everyone Rika knows. Even Tonks. Especially Tonks (she's still riding high on "mother bear" pregnancy hormones and the fact that Rika is her daughter now; Remus has never been more in love with her).
Aubrey's like "I am so tired of dealing with pureblood bullshit and standards and expectations. I've got a ton of money to support us, so let's just do whatever the hell we want," to which Rika is like "wanna go be singers?"
And so, they become famous singers. Eventually they get married and adopt three children, all of whom were abandoned after becoming werewolves. Their food bill is outrageous.
The End.