moonlight sonata | werewolf one shot

[tobias charles watkins]

WARNING
PG 13: Violence, gore & language

JULY 29 2026 - FULL MOON
South Downs National Park

The campfire crackled, shooting bright red embers high into the dark night sky, accompanied by occasional billows of smoke. Toby's mum had insisted he signed up for a summer excursion hosted by the Institute of Outdoor Education. A school hosted by Muggles. His mother was close friends with the head organizer, who happened to be a half blooded witch who liked to do things 'the traditional way'. It was fun pretending, though sometimes it felt like borderline lying. Toby was acquaintances with the organizers daughter, Sammy, from their parents knowing each other through work at St. Mungos. So he was glad he had a friend he could anchor to during the experience. Toby struggled interacting with Muggles more than he did his classmates at times because he was always so careful with what they talked about. This time around he found it easier. The expedition group consisted of 10 young adults, including the older group leader, but they were all on the expedition for the same interest of wildlife and outdoor learning. Since Toby was often in the hospital ward, he missed getting fresh air. Being outdoors always brought him back to ground. Lately, he needed anything to help him feel grounded.

Carrying the heaviness of a broken heart was something Toby wasn't expecting to deal with after graduation. The pair realized there were too many conflicts currently at the castle and she had other endeavors she wanted to pursue currently. It was an amicable break up but Toby missed Lusie to the point where it made his inside ache. Not only did he lose his girlfriend, but he lost his best friend. Fuck, he felt so pathetic. This expedition was supposed to be a distraction for him but he found himself thinking about her with every sunset, when the breeze ran through his hair at the breathtaking sea cliffs. He found himself wishing he could experience such wonders with her, which was stupid. Teenage love was a battlefield.

Toby plopped a marshmallow into his mouth before chucking one at the back of Sammys head, watching it bounce into the fire and melting. "Piss off, Toby! Y'fuckin nerd." the blonde exclaimed in harsh jest, snorting and rolling her eyes mockingly as she struggled to get her marshmallow onto a skewer for over a good minute now. "Are you gonna keep playin' with it, or eat it?" Toby joked lightheartedly, watching her fumble the marshmallow into the fire. Sam groaned, the rest of the group let out a cacophony of giggles as the marshmallow fizzled into the fire. "NOOOO--That was the last one!! Bollocks!!" she weeped dramatically, throwing herself onto the floor in a fit of defeat. They all hollered with laughter and watched in a comedic silence as the lone marshmallow charred in the fire.

An hour passed, Toby and Sammy were laying at opposite ends of the tent and waiting for others to retreat, when suddenly an ear piercing scream came from inside the woods. And then another. The pair turned to each other with genuine looks of horror as the sound of bones crunching and more blood curdling screams filled the air. Sammy crawled over to where Toby was as if he could protect her.

A blond haired muggle boy grabbed for his backpack and started for the exit of the tent. Toby’s mouth opened, unable to muster the words fast enough, "Wait, Christoff!!" Toby exclaimed lamely, but more fearing of what was out there. His heart and expression dropped, fear pinching at his gut. "Nope, fuck that. I'm out." He stated dryly, but fumbled with the zipper in his hand as the rustling and growling came closer. Toby felt himself grab for his wand, and hesitated. He was with Muggles. The gangly teen lunged from his sleeping bag to turn off the lantern which was illuminating their tent. The bushes violently shook around them.

It became deafeningly silent while the small group tried to hide in the darkness of the tent. He was holding his breath to keep quiet. A growl rumbled through the air as the tent collapsed around them, claws and teeth pierced through the fabric in a frenzy. They screamed in unison. Christoff reached for the zipper and started to make a run for it. He didn't make it two steps before a dark mass jumped him and dragged their body into the tree line. Sammy started to run dumbly in the wrong direction, so the monster easily took her down, breaking her legs instantly. Toby watched in horror, frozen from fear. His heart was beating in his ears and he wished he could apparate but he knew he couldn’t safely without splinching himself, there was too much pressure in this moment of panic. As he started to turn to run, he knew he didn't have a chance. The mass charged toward him and dug its claws deep into his skin, throwing him against the ground. Toby's chin scuffed against the dirt, instantly tasting blood in his mouth as he bit down on his tongue. The force of the impact trapped the air in his throat and he was completely frozen trying to gasp for air. Pain filled his entire body overwhelmingly as his ears started to ring, vision going blurry.

When he opened his eyes, his first sight was a very hairy being, with bright yellow eyes, and large shining white teeth standing over him. The look in his eyes scared Tobias. There was a lifeless monster behind those eyes. ”NOo!" Toby yelped, trying to kick him in the face out of desperation. His teeth pierced deeply into his leg, pulling his entire body toward him effortlessly as soon as they got a grip. Toby's fingers dug into the hard dirt, attempting to pull away from his sharp teeth and nails. Warm blood covered Tobias's body as he tried to crawl away, but the monster bit into his shoulder deeper, pinning him to the ground harder the more he struggled. ”This isn't how I'm going to die. Not today." he desperately reached into his pocket and drew his wand before belting, "Avada Kedavra!" A green explosion spurted from the tip of his wand and everything went silent. The large mass hit the ground surrounded in smoke.

Toby's shoulder and leg were burning and bleeding profusely. He lay still in the darkness breathing hoarsely, tears streaming down his face. The young man rolled on his side to try to stop the bleeding, but his eyes finally got a glimpse of the lifeless bodies surrounding him. He breathed in deeply, wanting to scream but couldn’t find the energy.

The realization hit him that this would be his last Full Moon as a human if he didn't die - and Tonight he didn't realize it was a Full Moon until it was too late.

Then, everything went black.

18 Years Old

JULY 29, 2026

FULL MOON

THANK YOU MALIA TATE FROM ADOXOGRAPHY