A Full Moon at Godric’s Hollow

Another month came and went; before long, Hope was getting ready for the upcoming full moon.

Again.

And she was panicking.

Again.

Over the past couple of weeks, Hope had ventured further through the castle, but only when someone was nearby. She felt safest with Albus in his office or with Newt in his suitcase where she played games with the Demiguise. It was a slow process, but she wasn't sure being here would ever be the same as it was.

The place she'd once felt was home now had a sense of urgency and danger around every corner. How could she fight something her eyes couldn't see?

Tonight was another full moon, and Hope's stomach churned as she poked at her uneaten porridge. She couldn't eat all weekend- the worry that Albus couldn't get the Ministry to change their mind was simply too much.

"You should eat," Newt murmured with a soft smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Shaking her head, she looked over at him, dark rings above her cheeks. She rested her chin on her forearm and murmured. "Not hungry."

Last month, she'd been chained to a wall while a mysterious entity groped her body. Bile rose in her throat as the memory recalled itself, forcing her to recoil into herself. Cringing as the tingles across her skin stung like thorns. Hope could remember the moment so vividly it was like she felt the hands now, sending an army of ants down her spine.

She closed her eyes as he stroked loose hair from her temple.

"Eat something, Hope." A new voice came then, and surprise shook her when she opened her eyes. Albus was smiling.

Eyeing him suspiciously, she slowly lifted her head. Why did he look so happy? Unless…

"Did they change their minds?" She asked, her shoulders raising a little, staring at him intently.

"Not exactly," Albus started, causing Hope to deflate a little, "However, I did manage to convince them of your idea."

"My idea?" Hope asked, brows furrowing as she shook her head. "I had an idea?"

"You did," he chuckled and sat down as the teapot poured a cup of tea for him, "last month you mentioned if you weren't at Hogwarts, you wouldn't need to be chained."

A smile began to curve her lips as she looked over at Newt, seeing his expression had also lifted.

"Hogsmeade?" Newt asked curiously, taking his first bite of porridge.

Albus shook his head. "Too close to the castle, they say, but there is a place we can go. Mind…it'll be terribly awkward."

"I can think of something worse." Hope shrugged, biting her lip.

Albus glanced at her and offered a sad smile with a nod. "Then it's settled. I'll take you there tonight before sundown."

Hope grinned now; it felt like she was old furniture from times past, and he had just lifted a dusty sheet away to give her new life. She'd been closing in on herself all weekend, trying to make herself as little as possible. As if being quiet and small might make her less of a target. A defense mechanism she wished she didn't have to use.

"Where will we go?" She asked and looked over at Newt. "Can't you come too?"

Shaking his head, Albus sipped his tea. "Unfortunately, it would be too…" He glanced around, ensuring no private ears. "Suspicious," he looked at her again, "as our relationship goes."

Hope made a face but nodded. She understood they needed to hide, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Maybe one day, people will be a little less backward in their thinking and allow people to be in love.

"But," he dabbed his mouth, "Godric's Hollow is well enough away."

Hope had heard about Albus' brother and nephew through stories he'd told her on their many nights of talking late. She knew all about Credence and how he'd been fighting something called an Obscurus for a very long time. He had good and bad days, but lately, the bad days seemed worse than usual. When Albus wasn't at Hogwarts with them, he was in the Hollow with Credence and Aberforth, doing his best to alleviate as much pain as possible.

Albus seemed confident Credence didn't have much more time.

"How is he today?" She asked softly, watching his expression. The lines in his face tightened a little, but he forced a small smile.

"Better than yesterday." He murmured but didn't quite look at her. He might be fighting back more emotion and didn't want to push.

Hope nodded, wanting to hold his hand, but stopped herself.

Albus, one of the greatest Wizards in the world, couldn't do much when his own family was suffering so severely. To have so much power and be able to do so little must be a heavy burden to bear.

Hope managed to eat breakfast now that she knew she wouldn't have to be chained to a stone wall when the moon would inevitably rise that night.

Dusk was creeping over the mountain peaks when Hope wrapped her arms around Albus' arm, determined not to get too dizzy this time. They would only stay the night, but it was still difficult to say goodbye to Newt. The kisses lasted a moment longer than the Ministry probably wanted, but Hope couldn't care less about what they wanted.

"I'll see you in the morning. Bright and early." Newt smiled, stroking her jaw lightly.

Hope nodded with a smile. "As long as you promise to go to sleep and not spend your entire night with the creatures."

"I…promise."

Hope gave him a look and nodded to Pick, who sat leisurely on his shoulder.

"You'll tell me if he does?"

Pick nodded in response with a chirp.

Chuckling, Newt shook his head, and before he could defend himself, Albus pressed a kiss to his lips. Silencing any argument that was to come.

Then, in the next blur of a moment, with a grin, Albus apparated them, and he and Hope were in front of his childhood home.

Hope looked the structure over with blurred vision but smiled. "It's so cute…" Albus chuckled next to her as he guided her up to the front door and let himself in; she was still glimpsing the paneling and warped windows before forcing herself inside after him.

Immediately, she was greeted with the smell of a home-cooked meal. Her mouth began watering without warning. The warmth was soothing to the soul, from the fire roaring in the hearth to the rickety wooden chairs surrounding the uneven dining table. It was classically charming and Hope loved it.

A man lay half-propped in front of the fire on a worn chaise. She could only assume this was Credence. She moved a little closer as Albus hung his hat and coat up. Credence seemed to be sleeping; his eyes closed, and he was breathing slowly, but every inhale was shaky, as if he were running a marathon in his sleep. His face was gaunt and pale- honestly, Credence reminded her of herself when she'd first been rescued from the poachers. He probably couldn't keep much nutritional value in his body.

"Don' wake 'im." A coarse whisper came from a little kitchen area. Aberforth, she assumed.

Hope nodded slowly. She wouldn't dream of waking him. He looked like he could use every ounce of rest he could get.

"It's poisoning his body," Albus murmured, standing by her side now as he, too, looked on Credence, a deep anguish in the depths of his eyes.

When he told her the story of Credence, he'd mentioned that an Obscurus is formed by suppressed magic. He'd said if he'd known sooner that he existed and was being mistreated, they would have been able to help him before the Obscurus had a chance to form. But it had, and it would belong to Credence forever- until his last breath.

They moved far away to the table where Aberforth was setting up a small dinner for them. He didn't speak much but cast glances her way until Hope finally caught his stare.

"Thank you for letting me stay here tonight." Her voice was soft as snowfall so as not to disturb Credence.

"Hm." Aberforth nodded and went to get something else from the kitchen.

Albus smiled softly as he sat at the table across from her. "My brother isn't much for conversation, but he has a softness for those needing help."

Returning the smile, she nodded. Hope couldn't imagine how Aberforth must be feeling. Watching his son grow weaker. It wasn't right for a parent to watch their child die. It was one of the cruelest things the universe could throw at a person.

Dinner was a quiet affair, with the occasional whisper, and Hope couldn't contain her love for the food in front of her. The stew looked horrendous but tasted like Heaven.

"It was our sister's favorite." Albus smiled fondly, a twinkle of sadness in his eyes. Hope wondered then if she had any brothers or sisters. Did she have a sibling who only grunted two-word sentences or one who requested specific slow-cooked suppers because they found happiness in the memories the taste provided?

Maybe she had a huge family who had been looking for her for so long that they thought all hope was lost.

It was a wonderous yet terrible thought. To imagine Hope had family out there waiting for her filled her with warmth, but to think they might be suffering from her loss turned that warmth into ice.

Just as Hope was sipping from her glass, something stirred by the fire. Looking over she watched as Credence slowly started trying to sit up.

Aberforth was up the next instant, walking briskly over to him, and went to his knees. He draped a blanket over his shoulders to help him slowly stand. As he turned, she could see the sweat pouring over his brow, yet he was shivering as if he were stuck outside in the middle of winter.

"Albus," Aberforth said in a quick panic, and his brother quickly joined to help Credence walk down the hall, disappearing into the bathroom. Hope could hear the water in the tub begin to run, and Albus returned a while later.

"He needs cool baths every so often," he murmured in answer to her silent questions, "the fever can rage high at times." Albus sat at the table, but he didn't make a move to touch his half-eaten meal.

Hope's appetite was gone, too.

Swallowing hard, she nodded. Albus had said he didn't have much longer, but that was two months ago when he'd told her that. Two months made a world of difference, and for Credence, it seemed his end could come any day now.

"I'm sorry." She murmured as she reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

Albus nodded, wiping some of the moisture from his eyes. She felt it wasn't for her sake. She imagined he didn't want Aberforth to see.

A couple hours later, Hope was situated on the living room floor in front of the fire. A mattress of blankets beneath her with Albus nearby. They hadn't disclosed their relationship to Aberforth and had no intentions of doing so tonight. So, no touching hands would happen tonight. Not that Hope minded. She had a lot on her mind and was sure Albus did, too.

While wishing Credence, if he had to die, could at least pass in peace and not pain, her eyes grew heavy. She was asleep as the full moon soaked through the curtains and bathed their blankets. Then, seemingly in the next moment, she was wide awake.

Glancing around, Hope watched the last ember in the fire die out. Albus was deeply asleep. Unsure of the time, Hope nestled back in to try and sleep a bit longer, but the sound that must have woken her before did so again.

Opening her eyes, she looked around. A soft, moaning pant came from somewhere in the house.

Credence.

Scrambling to her feet, she quickly made her way down the hall, bare feet making soft thumps as she stopped at Credence's bedroom door.

Inside, Aberforth leaned over his son, holding a damp cloth to his forehead as Credence seemed to writhe in his own skin. Tears spilling down his cheeks.

Inching her way into the room, she didn't look at Aberforth, who glared tiredly at her. She understood she didn't exactly ask for permission to come in, but something forced her through the door anyway. She watched Credence's eyes follow her. Sitting carefully on the side of his bed, he gave a shuddering breath.

"Who are you?" He rasped, the red around his eyes watering, making her feel itchy.

"I'm Hope." She nodded. An instinct she had no right arguing with her told her to take his hand. So, she did. Hope took hold of Credence's hand and squeezed lightly.

What happened next, Hope never would have expected.

Something black began to ooze through her veins, making her veins visible through her skin. Her heart began to pound erratically as a sensation like no other began to build. It was like her body was absorbing something, pulling something from Credence.

They shared a gasp, but while Credence was able to sit up a little stronger, Hope went to the floor on her knees. She held her chest as her body began fighting something. It was like she could feel a warzone going on inside her very cells, trying to annihilate something that didn't belong. Sharp pain rushed through her body, invading her like a nasty infection.

A hand pressed against her back, a familiar voice near her ear.

"Hope? What's going on, what happened?"

The blood rushing past her ears made it difficult to comprehend Albus' words.

"She's taken some of the Obscurus into her own body," Aberforth spoke in quiet bewilderment.

"How is that possible?"

"I didn't know it was."

Hope choked in a breath that felt like fire, growling deep in her throat. As if the sound alone might scare off the intrusion on her body. Of course, it did no such thing as a fever ravaged across her skin. Looking up at the side table, the mirror reflection there caught her eyes.

Black eyes stared back at her as dark veins curled up her neck and along the sides of her face.

Ages seemed to pass, and Hope was officially worried she'd somehow caused herself irreversible damage by touching Credence, but then the symptoms began to alleviate. The black in her eyes faded, and the tattoo-like veins were dissipating. The pain in her body was also softening, leading to only a dull ache.

Sighing, she leaned back on her heels and rubbed her temples.

"Hope?" Albus whispered softly.

Glancing up at him, she met his tearful eyes. His beard was wet with what had already spilled down his cheeks.

Stroking the dew from the spot, she frowned, gazing up at him searchingly.

"I thought I lost both of you." He murmured, taking her hand and pressing a soft kiss to the knuckles. Both were uncaring that Credence and Aberforth were right next to them.

Hope looked over at Credence, her eyes widening.

He was sitting up straighter, his eyes no longer glassy but sharp with uncertain confusion.

"Whatever you did, Hope," Aberforth began, completely ignoring her and Albus' display of affection, "helped him. What…did you do?"

They all stared at her unblinkingly.

What had she done?

Slowly shaking her head, she swallowed hard.

"I don't know."