Despite the stillness in the air and his raging fever, Remus’ teeth chattered. If they needed a remote patch of forest to transform in, the commune would have worked fine. With his clothing and wand tucked away, Remus sat patiently at the base of a tree. While some around him exchanged nervous glances, speaking to one another without words, Alex leaned his head back against a tree, eyes closed. Next to him, Evie kept her gaze on the forest floor as she stretched her neck, tilting her head from side to side. A cool breeze whipped through the trees, sending leaves skittering across Remus’ feet, replacing the silence with a rush of noise like static in his ears. Remus squinted, trying desperately to see into the dark reaches of the forest, but found nothing more than a gaping black emptiness. He was sure something was there, just out of sight. If he could will his eyes to see a bit further. When the familiar feeling of pain took hold, Remus’ bones and tendons stretching past their limits, he gave up looking and squeezed his eyes closed.