The Bite- 1966
"Robert!" Helena screamed into the nighttime forest, terrified for her son and husband. The slim, long-faced woman was ducking her head out of the window of the muggle camper, her long blonde hair waving in the light breeze, eyes wide and searching the darkness for signs of movement, one hand on the window shutter, the other clutching the sill.
"ROBERT-" she screamed again, cutting herself off at the end of the name, straining her ears for what she thought might be the sound of something crashing towards the camper through the underbrush. She struggled to hear the sounds, most of them drowned out by the howls that seemed to be getting closer. Two legs, just two. Then four, close behind and getting closer. Helena flew at the door, preparing to open it quickly to admit her husband or son, whichever was currently running for safety, for their life.
Helena stuck her head out the door just in time to see the dark, somewhat indiscernible form of her husband, dark brown hair blown back, carrying their son in his arms, rushing at the camper. For a moment Helena breathed a sigh of relief; they were safe. But she screamed seconds later when it appeared: the monster, in hot pursuit of her men.
"Helen, open the door!" Robert's deep voice somehow penetrated the insane rage of the werewolf's howls. Helena threw the door wide as Robert closed the distance to the camper, little Remus screaming in his arms. Helena assumed that Robert was not using magic only because he could not get to his wand in his pocket. Helena herself was a muggle, and could do no magic whatsoever.
Robert was nearly inside the door when he tripped on the threshold, banging Remus' head on the first of the two stairs leading inside. Robert scrambled inside, turned, grabbed his son by the arm and neck of his sweater, and tried to pull him inside and close the door before the werewolf got to them. He tried, but he failed. Remus had almost scrabbled his way through the door, which was closing on his foot painfully as his father yanked him inside, when the werewolf reached them, opened his jaws, and clamped them down on Remus' dangling right leg.
Remus screamed louder than ever, eyes wide in terror, as the combined pain of the wolf's bite, the heavy door, his buggered head, and his father's fingernails digging into the skin of his arm did its work on him. It was a terrible tug-of-war between Robert and the werewolf.
Finally, Helena stepped over her husband and son, opened the door, threw her shoe at the werewolf's head and screamed, "Let him GO!" The hard rubber sole hit the monster squarely on the nose, causing its jaws to pop open as it released both Remus and a high-pitched yelp at the same time. In the werewolf's pain and shock, the door banged shut, Helena slammed her hand down on the latch, and Robert pulled his son up the rest of the way up to the floor of the camper. As soon as they were certain that the door was secure, the Lupin parents scrambled across the camper, shutting and barricading windows, then returning to Remus, for his leg was now bleeding quite profusely.
Helena sat behind her son and held him upright as her husband searched the camper for a towel, a spare piece of clothing, anything to help stop the bleeding. The camper frequently jolted and shook as the werewolf slammed its body against it; an action that would give the metal walls and door large dents, but not make them yield to its will. Finding nothing suitable and clean, Robert pulled his own shirt over his head and knelt beside Remus' leg, lifting it slowly and tenderly wrapping the cotton shirt around his calf. He had just finished dressing the wound and was proceeding to apply firm pressure to it when a deep, long howl came from outside the camper. Helena started, then closed her eyes, squeezing tears from their corners.
Remus eventually fell asleep, and the werewolf followed suit soon after. There was a long silence while the werewolf and the boy slept, Remus' mother never releasing him and his father only taking his hands from the wound to go to the window, make sure that the werewolf was not an immediate threat to his family. The Lupins watched their son's shallow breathing for nearly an hour before the silence was finally broken by Helena.
"What are we going to do?" she whispered. "He's only six, Rob!" She seemed to be pleading to her husband for more than he had to give.
"I know, I know. If only I could get to the truck!" Robert grimaced and clutched his free hand into a fist. Helena looked away for a moment, then her eyes came to rest on her son's leg for the hundredth time that night.
"What if he bleeds to death before we get him out of here?" Really, this was nothing more than a distraught mother's hysterics, as the bleeding of Remus' leg had slowed quite considerably in the last hour and had nearly stopped.
"I don't think that's going to happen. The best we can do is get him to St. Mungo's as soon as the sun rises. Maybe... maybe they can help him there," he finished. Helena opened her mouth to say something else, but couldn't and shut it. They both knew that there was no known cure for the werewolf's bite, but neither of them could be brought to say it aloud, almost as if not wording it would keep it from being true. Robert was right; the best they could do was hold Remus and wait for the sun. Wait... the best they could do. All they could do.
A/N: Special thanks to WhiteRose101, who gave me my first review! I'm not quite sure when I'll post the next chapter. I have about four other chapters started already, but if I want to go in order, then I'll have to get one of the unfinished ones up next. Unfortunately, the next one in the order is the one that's giving me the most trouble. So if anyone has any ideas on how I could maybe make an eventful chapter out of Remus in his hospital room in St. Mungo's the morning after the bite, tell me in a review!
But once that's over with, the next chapters should come easily :)
Once again, thanks! And remember: constructive criticism is in many ways more helpful to recieve, even if not as fun.
Whoo... first fic jitters seem to be leaving. I also have a copy of this fic on COS forums (whenever the new server goes up), but the one on here is slightly modified, and (I think) better.
Thanks and enjoy! Oh, and review and I'll love you forever!
I'm stupid, almost forgot the disclaimer: I don't own Remus Lupin (oh, how I wish!) and am only using him because I love him so and because I wanted to write a story. I would not dream of trying to make money off of that lucky and brilliant woman who does own him, JK Rowling, whom I also love. Anything that is hers is not mine, obviously, and anything not hers IS mine! W00t! I think that should pretty much cover it...
"Robert!" Helena screamed into the nighttime forest, terrified for her son and husband. The slim, long-faced woman was ducking her head out of the window of the muggle camper, her long blonde hair waving in the light breeze, eyes wide and searching the darkness for signs of movement, one hand on the window shutter, the other clutching the sill.
"ROBERT-" she screamed again, cutting herself off at the end of the name, straining her ears for what she thought might be the sound of something crashing towards the camper through the underbrush. She struggled to hear the sounds, most of them drowned out by the howls that seemed to be getting closer. Two legs, just two. Then four, close behind and getting closer. Helena flew at the door, preparing to open it quickly to admit her husband or son, whichever was currently running for safety, for their life.
Helena stuck her head out the door just in time to see the dark, somewhat indiscernible form of her husband, dark brown hair blown back, carrying their son in his arms, rushing at the camper. For a moment Helena breathed a sigh of relief; they were safe. But she screamed seconds later when it appeared: the monster, in hot pursuit of her men.
"Helen, open the door!" Robert's deep voice somehow penetrated the insane rage of the werewolf's howls. Helena threw the door wide as Robert closed the distance to the camper, little Remus screaming in his arms. Helena assumed that Robert was not using magic only because he could not get to his wand in his pocket. Helena herself was a muggle, and could do no magic whatsoever.
Robert was nearly inside the door when he tripped on the threshold, banging Remus' head on the first of the two stairs leading inside. Robert scrambled inside, turned, grabbed his son by the arm and neck of his sweater, and tried to pull him inside and close the door before the werewolf got to them. He tried, but he failed. Remus had almost scrabbled his way through the door, which was closing on his foot painfully as his father yanked him inside, when the werewolf reached them, opened his jaws, and clamped them down on Remus' dangling right leg.
Remus screamed louder than ever, eyes wide in terror, as the combined pain of the wolf's bite, the heavy door, his buggered head, and his father's fingernails digging into the skin of his arm did its work on him. It was a terrible tug-of-war between Robert and the werewolf.
Finally, Helena stepped over her husband and son, opened the door, threw her shoe at the werewolf's head and screamed, "Let him GO!" The hard rubber sole hit the monster squarely on the nose, causing its jaws to pop open as it released both Remus and a high-pitched yelp at the same time. In the werewolf's pain and shock, the door banged shut, Helena slammed her hand down on the latch, and Robert pulled his son up the rest of the way up to the floor of the camper. As soon as they were certain that the door was secure, the Lupin parents scrambled across the camper, shutting and barricading windows, then returning to Remus, for his leg was now bleeding quite profusely.
Helena sat behind her son and held him upright as her husband searched the camper for a towel, a spare piece of clothing, anything to help stop the bleeding. The camper frequently jolted and shook as the werewolf slammed its body against it; an action that would give the metal walls and door large dents, but not make them yield to its will. Finding nothing suitable and clean, Robert pulled his own shirt over his head and knelt beside Remus' leg, lifting it slowly and tenderly wrapping the cotton shirt around his calf. He had just finished dressing the wound and was proceeding to apply firm pressure to it when a deep, long howl came from outside the camper. Helena started, then closed her eyes, squeezing tears from their corners.
Remus eventually fell asleep, and the werewolf followed suit soon after. There was a long silence while the werewolf and the boy slept, Remus' mother never releasing him and his father only taking his hands from the wound to go to the window, make sure that the werewolf was not an immediate threat to his family. The Lupins watched their son's shallow breathing for nearly an hour before the silence was finally broken by Helena.
"What are we going to do?" she whispered. "He's only six, Rob!" She seemed to be pleading to her husband for more than he had to give.
"I know, I know. If only I could get to the truck!" Robert grimaced and clutched his free hand into a fist. Helena looked away for a moment, then her eyes came to rest on her son's leg for the hundredth time that night.
"What if he bleeds to death before we get him out of here?" Really, this was nothing more than a distraught mother's hysterics, as the bleeding of Remus' leg had slowed quite considerably in the last hour and had nearly stopped.
"I don't think that's going to happen. The best we can do is get him to St. Mungo's as soon as the sun rises. Maybe... maybe they can help him there," he finished. Helena opened her mouth to say something else, but couldn't and shut it. They both knew that there was no known cure for the werewolf's bite, but neither of them could be brought to say it aloud, almost as if not wording it would keep it from being true. Robert was right; the best they could do was hold Remus and wait for the sun. Wait... the best they could do. All they could do.
A/N: Special thanks to WhiteRose101, who gave me my first review! I'm not quite sure when I'll post the next chapter. I have about four other chapters started already, but if I want to go in order, then I'll have to get one of the unfinished ones up next. Unfortunately, the next one in the order is the one that's giving me the most trouble. So if anyone has any ideas on how I could maybe make an eventful chapter out of Remus in his hospital room in St. Mungo's the morning after the bite, tell me in a review!
But once that's over with, the next chapters should come easily :)
Once again, thanks! And remember: constructive criticism is in many ways more helpful to recieve, even if not as fun.
Whoo... first fic jitters seem to be leaving. I also have a copy of this fic on COS forums (whenever the new server goes up), but the one on here is slightly modified, and (I think) better.
Thanks and enjoy! Oh, and review and I'll love you forever!
I'm stupid, almost forgot the disclaimer: I don't own Remus Lupin (oh, how I wish!) and am only using him because I love him so and because I wanted to write a story. I would not dream of trying to make money off of that lucky and brilliant woman who does own him, JK Rowling, whom I also love. Anything that is hers is not mine, obviously, and anything not hers IS mine! W00t! I think that should pretty much cover it...