A/N: Hello to all readers. This is my first published fan fiction and I am very happy to bring it to you. This story came to me when I was reading the various stories for Fenrir Greyback and Remus Lupin. I found that most of them were extremely violent and/or non-con slash and although some of it was very canon and good writing, I wanted a different sort of story for them. I started thinking about what would've happened if Remus had been raised by Fenrir and then this came into being. I hope that some of you will like it and please review and tell me what you think.

THANKS: My deepest thanks to my beta-readers Makoto Sagara and Snowfire the Kitsune who read over this chapter for me. I couldn't have done it without you!

DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns all of Harry Potter's world and its wonderful characters. I own nothing but the situations I put all the characters in and all OCs. This is only for entertainment purposes, no copyright infringements intended.

WARNING: Mild violence at end, angst, mild language…maybe…This is a slash story, but there is no slash in this chapter…so enjoy.

Chapter 1

John Lupin was at his job at the Ministry. Emily Lupin was out buying ingredients for her newest potion and Remus was at home reading a book of Muggle folklore curled up on the couch, when he jumped at a knock on the front door. Excitedly he thought of his father getting off work early or his mother returning from the market her arms full of bags of the sweet, sour and disgusting wares of her work, filled his head. He put his book on the couch before bounding across the room and opening the door, a happy grin on his face…before he saw who was there.

"Hey, you're not my Dad or Mum. Who are you…sir? " Remus asked disappointed by the lack of his parents on the other side of the door and the presence of a strange-looking man.

The man gave him a surprised look and then his thin lips curled into a crooked smile, causing Remus to notice his teeth were large and looked more like a dog's than a human's. The man crouched down so that Remus and he were face to face, and when he spoke his voice was hoarse and low. "My, you are a mannerly little one aren't you? I am a friend of your father and was hoping he was home, but he isn't, is he?" the man asked.

"No, so, you work with Dad at the Ministry?" he said. His eyes were drawn to the worn, slightly shredded robes the man wore, thinking that his job must not pay very well if his robes were shabby before chastising himself for thinking such a rude thing.

The man shook his head disrupting his slicked back black hair that Remus could see had strands of silver-ish gray in it despite the fact that he didn't look very old. "I don't work with your father currently, but I hope that we can work together. If it is alright, can I come in to wait for your father?" he asked politely, looking in at the homey looking living room.

"Well, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers and I really shouldn't have opened the door to one, so…I'm sorry, but no. I don't think my parents would be happy if I let in someone I don't know. I'm sorry, sir, but I'm sure my dad will be back soon," he said, starting to close the door.

"Wait," the man said, putting his foot in the door quickly. "I am a friend of your father's and if I introduce myself properly we won't be strangers, will we?" he asked earnestly.

Remus looked at him, his head cocked to one side before his eyes looked at the floor. "I…I guess not…my parents won't be angry with me if you aren't a stranger, right?"

"I don't see why they would be mad at you," he said seriously. "Fenrir Greyback, nice to meet you," he said putting his hand out to shake.

"Remus John Lupin, happy to make your acquaintance, Mr. Greyback," he said, shaking hands with the man and opening the door slowly, still uncertain that he was making the right choice. Greyback walked into the room and sat on the couch.

"Would you like any ice tea or water? I'm not allowed to brew the hot tea yet," Remus asked wanting to be a good host seeing as this was his first opportunity to do so.

The man grinned, "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, might I have a glass of each?"

The boy ran into the kitchen, taking out three glasses and the pitchers of water and iced tea when he heard the man speak in the front room. "This book says it is folktales, but I don't recognize any of them. What are these?"

"Muggle fairytales, my mother is Muggle-born so I read both Muggle and Wizard stories. They are different, but there are similarities," Remus said pouring iced tea into two of the glasses and water in the third before putting them on a tray and walking out to Greyback, the tray floating behind him and then over to man.

"Similarities, like what?" he said a little mockingly, picking up the water glass and gulping down the liquid, quickly draining it trying to think of one thing a Muggle and he would possibly have in common.

Trying to ignore the man's scornful tone Remus answered quietly, "Muggle fairytales have stories with a villain called 'the big bad wolf'. He can talk and is very polite at first but still dangerous and just wants to trick and hurt people. Just like in the wizard tales of werewolves. There is also-"

"Is that how you see werewolves, kid?" Greyback asked sharply, "As polite, but deceptive monsters who just want to hurt you?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Remus looked at him, his eyes large in shock at the man's sudden change of demeanor. He glanced away not being able to look at the man's face, which made him feel like when he said something wrong to his parents and got in trouble. "I never called them monsters, Mr. Greyback. I don't see them that way, but I am confused," he answered, appealing for the other man not to be mad at him.

"Confused by what?" Greyback said, softening his voice a little bit after having realized he had overreacted. The boy had no idea what he was saying and to who. He was just a kid.

"If they aren't that way, then why does everyone in the Wizard and Muggle worlds think they are?"

"Muggles don't deal with things they don't understand well and Wizards…well, they can't tell the difference between a werewolf at full moon and one the rest of the time. Not to mention even in human form werewolves are special, more powerful, and most Wizards hate to be weaker than someone they see as a lesser being, an animal," Greyback stopped, having noticed that the young boy was sitting quietly and eyeing the floor. "What's wrong?"

"I'm…scared of them…werewolves. Not because I think they are animals or monsters, it is because…well…I don't know," Remus said biting his lip.

Greyback studied the small boy; he had thought to teach the boy the truth of werewolves, but something was off about him. The way he was acting wasn't like the other children he had encountered.

He decided to test the boy, "If you don't see them as animals, what are they?"

"Some - most - are Wizards and some are Muggles and I've heard that they are stronger and faster than humans. Some people say that they like blood like Vampires, but I don't know if that is true," he answered hesitantly; he was scared that he would make his guest angry again.

"So, they are like normal people?" he asked with one eyebrow lifted.

"Yes, I think so…I mean they can't all be bad, right? Besides no person can be all bad," the boy said as his innocent eyes locked with the man's.

"If they aren't so bad why are you scared of them?" Greyback asked, feeling as if he had hit the jackpot with a child that knew the stories, but was still open-minded. He was just the rarity that Greyback needed, that they needed.

"I-I…can you keep a secret, Mr. Greyback?"

"Yes," he said almost starting to laugh; secrets were his life, part of his survival.

"You promise never to tell…promise me you won't tell my daddy?" he asked, sounding desperate.

"I promise I won't tell anyone anything, especially your father. My word, Remus, cross my heart and hope to die, stick a thousand needles in my eye," he said, putting his hand out to shake again, a reassuring smile on his face.

Remus gave him a small smile and shook his hand, "Thank you," he said looking relieved.

"So, what important secret am I keeping?"

"It is complicated…I-I'm told that I am strange, even for a child of a Wizarding family. Most children are scared of the dark, while I love it, it's comforting. The dark is like a blanket; it wraps around everything and holds it in its grip, but it is a gentle grip, like a hug," he said, looking earnest. Greyback just nodded.

"People usually love the sun. They love the sun more than the moon, but the sun…The sun is so sharp, painful. It's hard to look at and forces its heat on people. I mean, I know it is important and we need it, but just because we need it doesn't mean we should love it and I don't understand why people do! The moon though, is soft. You can look as long as you want because it is gentle, like fog. Everything looks prettier in moonlight. It is perfect. Why do we have to sleep while it's in the sky? I'd rather sleep when the sun's out," he pouted, showing that despite his large vocabulary and manners he really was just a kid. Remus then looked at him and glanced away after seeing something in Greyback's face.

"That's the reason I'm scared…I'm strange, too strange and if Dr. Aglinger is right than I fit the profile for a predestined werewolf," he said his hands gripping his knees and his teeth biting into his bottom lip, "I'm scared because if werewolves are just regular people…then what if I am preordained to be one?"

"A predestined werewolf...no…werewolves are either born or bitten. No one is destined to be a werewolf," Greyback said uncertainly, having never really considered the idea, but it had to be rubbish…had to be.

"Dr. Aglinger did a study of all the people attacked by werewolves that survived the attack and were turned over the last ten years, with exception of a deliberate attack and found common traits. They all enjoyed night time, liked walking during full moon-"

"Remus, it is common sense that if you walk around during full moon you run the risk of getting bit," he said trying to reassure the boy and, to a lesser extent, himself.

"There are other things too: more half-bloods are bitten, a higher percent of people are born with my blood type, and many of them admitted they had…had always had a feeling something like this would happen-"

"That doesn't-"

"Not to mention, Dr. Aglinger, he thinks that certain people carry a scent that attracts and makes you more likeable to cand-ids…er…You know, like wolves or dogs. If you have that scent then a werewolf will smell you when they are transformed…they are more likely to bite you," Remus finished. "When I found out about this…I don't know. It clicked. I had a feeling that it will happen, and I'm scared of being…being like that."

"Remus-"

"I-I've also had dreams…nightmares about being one…hunting and blood…I'm not a seer, but the dreams could mean something…"

"Remus…you are an extremely precocious child and you are smarter than most children I've met, but you aren't using your full intelligence. There is no guarantee that you will become one, no matter what you've read or dreamed. You also don't have to assume you'll be alone if you do," he said gently, feeling strangely protective of this child and decided to put aside his objective for a while.

"When a werewolf is turned, they usually end up alone and sometimes that is the best case scenario. People, parents even…kill children for being werewolves."

"They aren't killed by other werewolves," Greyback said softly.

"What, other werewolves…I-"

"Wolves live in packs. Why should werewolves be any different?"

The boy looked at him, his emotions muddled, and then, his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "My daddy works to track down werewolves and write the laws directing their behavior. I think it is called Werewolf Capture Unit. Yeah, and I thought they wrote a law against large gathering of over-"

"Five people…yes, well…can you keep a secret, Remus?"

"Of course, you're keeping my secret so I promise I'll keep yours. Cross my heart," Remus said drawing an "X" over his heart with his fingertip.

"The werewolves still make packs in secret. You see they have cover jobs and houses, but half the time, they meet in nomadic packs. Werewolves are happier together and safer, far away from normal people that could hurt u…-them" he said quietly, hoping the boy didn't hear his slip up.

"Umm, nomadic…what does that mean?" Remus said looking puzzled.

Greyback laughed loudly. "And here I thought you knew everything. Nomadic traveling is traveling from place to place without a location or pattern. They create a home that is always moving."

"How do you know all this, Mr. Greyback?"

"I'm a rather knowledgeable person, Remus. I know quite a bit. I even went to Hogwarts," he said smiling as Remus' face lit up.

"Really, what house were you in?"

"Slytherin."

"I thought Slytherins were mean, but you're not mean," Remus said curiously.

"Why thank you, I'm happy you don't think so…some people wouldn't agree."

"Were you mean to them?"

"I wasn't nice, but I wasn't mean exactly…Slytherin is full of people that are cunning, traditional, resourceful, determined, vain, ruthless when they need to be, ambitious and value power. Which is usually what makes them into powerful people and powerful allies," he said with a smirk.

"And you are powerful, aren't you, Mr. Greyback?"

"Yes, I am," he said proudly. He cherished his power greatly, seeing as it was all he really had.

"Aren't you lonely though?" Remus asked after a while.

Greyback felt a strange emptiness in his stomach and chest. He shook his head. "What, why would I be lonely?" he asked with a laugh.

"You said people are afraid of power sometimes, so are they are afraid of you? If they are afraid of you, they wouldn't want to be around you so…you would be lonely wouldn't you?" Remus asked him.

"I guess, but I don't feel lonely though," Greyback said confidently, silently denying any feeling in him that said he was lying.

"So, are you married?"

Greyback gasped softly, frowning before shaking it off and smiling "Goodness, Remus! What sort of question is that? How old do you think I am exactly?" he said, giving loud a genuine -sounding laugh.

"I don't know," he said shrugging before studying the man. "I think maybe you are twenty-five years old. Am I close?"

"Sort of…not really, I am nineteen years old, although it is nice to know I could pass for a twenty year old or more," he replied, giving the boy a devilish smile which made Remus start laughing.

"Why do I get the feeling some innocent person will pay for my slip up?" Remus said after he had stopped laughing.

"I don't know whether to feel honored or offended by that statement, Remus Lupin," Greyback said jokingly.

They both smiled and sipped from their glass.

"You know, I like hang out with you because you're really nice. Most adults won't give me the time of day or, if they do, they are so patronizing that I would rather just read alone."

"What about your parents?"

"My dad's always busy with his Ministry job and only pays attention if I get in trouble or do something wrong…Then, he will act all cold and short with me. Sometimes, he acts really mean and scares me, especially when Mum and him argue," he said shivering. "Mum pays more attention to me, but is always worrying about me. She is worried that she exposes me to too much Muggle stuff; she is really insecure about being a Muggle-born and what it might mean to me. She is terrified I'll be a Squib or bad at magic. It would be nicer to be around them if they didn't put so much pressure on me or watch me like a pair of hawks," he said and then gasped, "I wasn't trying to be ungrateful or whiny or disrespectful. I know they love me and just want what is best for me, but…it's just…"

"No, it is fine, Remus. I understand what it is like to love and…dislike your parents at the same time. I had…well, technically have, controlling parents. They were the typical pure-blood parents with the regular pure-blood wishes for me- go to Hogwarts, get in Slytherin, do perfect, make allies with other pure-bloods, avoid and bully Mudbloods, blood-traitors, and Gryffindors, pass NEWTs with perfect scores, get a Ministry job and marry a pure-blood girl that can give me a male heir."

"Sounds boring and not very much fun," Remus said looking sympathetic.

"Yeah, well, they disowned me about five years back, so I don't need to worry about them and their plans anymore. Now, I can be myself and do what I want with my life. That sounds better, doesn't it," he said as he grinned at Remus, "More fun, not so boring?"

"Yeah, but don't you miss your parents?" Remus asked.

"No, not really, I have people that care about me because they know me for who I am and that is more valuable than what I had with my parents."

"How do you know if your parents…care about you for who you are?" he said his face curious and worried.

Greyback flinched at the look in Remus' eyes. "Just because there are similarities between our parents doesn't mean that yours are like mine." He didn't know why but he desperately wanted to convince Remus of what he said. He wanted it to be true himself. When he looked at Remus to see how his words were received, he was met with a sunny, embarrassed smile.

"You're right I'm being silly and paranoid. Mum is always saying I'll get grey hairs early with all the worrying I do." He laughed at himself. "Do you need a refill of your drinks? I thought my parents would be back by now," he said, standing and putting his hand out for Greyback's iced tea glass.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Greyback said, handing him the glass. As Remus went back into the kitchen he leaned forward with his head in his hands.

What am I doing? I came here to convince a WCU member to support my pack, not become his son's friend! Why am I even becoming attached? I've been around children before, bitten children before, but until they become a proper pup, it is all business. I don't care about human children!…even strange ones that are kind to me. If he knew what I was he would hate me and be disgusted despite his arguments that, that isn't the case.

Suddenly Greyback's thoughts were interrupted as the front door, opened admitting a tall, well-built man with dark brown hair.

"What…what the bloody…" the man said, digging out his wand and aiming at Greyback.

"Mr. Lupin, I have come here in peace. I just wish to speak with you, nothing more," Greyback said holding his hands above his head, palms facing John Lupin.

At that moment Remus ran into the room, his expression showing confusion and fear as he saw his father pointing his wand at his guest. "Daddy? What's going on? Mr. Greyback?"

"Remus…did you let him in here?" Lupin said, his voice hard and angry.

"I-I…he said he was a friend of yours…I-"

"Never open the door while I'm not here! YOU STUPID DAFT BOY!" Remus flinched, shrinking before his father's anger. "You're lucky he didn't kill you!"

"K-Kill me? Why would Mr. Grey-"

"STOP CALLING HIM THAT!" he yelled, a vein showing in his forehead. He took a deep breath. "He is nothing but a filthy beast that steals and kills people; a disgusting werewolf that likes biting children like you, Remus. Don't you ever listen when I talk to you about these peop-creatures… sickening creatures…Fenrir Greyback, he's on the Most Wanted list for Merlin's sake, Remus." His eyes whipped back to glare at Greyback. "Came in peace, did you…came in peace to steal my kid and turn him into filth like you? Well, looks like you guys really are of lower intelligence after all, because you aren't getting my son and you aren't leaving here alive," he said preparing to cast a spell.

Before a single word could be said, Greyback sprang at Lupin, whacking his wand out of his hand before he drew his own. Thinking a spell, he sent Lupin into the nearest wall, knocking him out. He then turned to leave, knowing that trying to use peaceful means would get him nowhere, and that it would be better for him to return on the full moon.

"M-Mr. Greyback?"

He turned and looked at the boy who looked cautious, but strangely unafraid.

"You only knocked him unconscious, right?"

"Yes," he hissed hating that people always assumed he was a killer…that he truly was the animal he pretended to be.

"I just was making sure…he would've killed you…you…just wanted his help, didn't you? You…I know you weren't going to hurt me…you wouldn't…I'm sorry…" Remus said as Greyback turned away from him and ran out the door.

As the land around him blurred he pushed away the happiness he had felt at Remus' confidence that Greyback wouldn't hurt him and that he was sorry. Sorry for what? Sorry that he was a werewolf? Sorry that his father had rejected him with harsh words and an attempt to kill him?

He was angry, angry at these feelings, angry at this rejection, angry that at full moon he would be standing near the Lupin's house because the only way the he could see John Lupin supporting werewolves was if he was one. And John Lupin would be one.