CHAPTER ONE

Remus was sure he was dreaming.

Strangely, his body didn't feel the same way. Every limb ached as it had for the last few weeks, his eyelids dragging down as though pulled by a weight. This was a problem as he could only see fuzzy outlines of three red heads and a shock of bubble gum pink hair that must have belonged to Nymphadora if it really was the waking world. There were voices too, whispering, anxious voices. Then urgent shouting. He tried to say something to her, but it seemed too much an effort, and he swallowed and cringed at the pain in his throat before losing all thought.

He was back in the camp, in his cell. The pit's walls rose dark above him, leaving only a strip of stars to look at in his despair. He could hear the cries of the other werewolves; they sounded close. He felt so cold… they had taken his clothes, everything, leaving him bare to transform without the wolfsbane and run like a maniac… his worst fear… he would never be able to leave, they were going to keep him prisoner forever... As he looked up at the sky a shadow appeared at the side of his prison. Greyback, flanked by two of his cronies, picking his teeth with a long yellowed fingernail, his eyes alight with the flame of madness…

"Shh… It's all right. You're safe now." The voice was reminiscent of safety and comfort. He remembered it and thought of bright colors and warmth… He took a deep breath before dropping again into sleep.

"Dumbledore said the other werewolves were angry. It's hard to tell if Greyback has given up or if he's just planning for his next attack."

"Lets only hope they don't come after Remus again."

A sigh. "Lets only hope."

Silence.

There was a creak of furniture, and a sound like someone walking across a floor. Heavier footsteps, and then a voice that he recognized, "I'm going downstairs."

"Wotcher, Sirius."

A door clicked softly closed.

Remus could hear the goings on in the room with surprising clarity. The normalcy of it all was almost enough to throw him off.

He wondered how in the world they had gotten him away from Greyback. His entire pack must have been there... Despite Remus' curiosity, he didn't feel up for the story yet, or for the guilt that would come with it if anyone had been injured in the process of his rescue. From the "wotcher" he supposed that Tonks was in the room with him, and wasn't sure if he wanted to open his eyes. It would mean talking to people, and he didn't want to talk just yet. Even to Tonks.

He felt like he had been ill. All his bones ached, and he had a throbbing headache that pulsed with every heartbeat. He licked his lips and opened his eyes to the welcoming sight of Nymphadora gazing at him with relief in her eyes and a grin on her lips.

"Wotcher, Remus! It's certainly nice to see you back. "

He thought her grin seemed to be shining out of her voice. The ghost of a smile lit his mouth, but she saw that his eyes were tired. However, there was something in them besides that. They looked almost… haunted, lost.

"How are you feeling?"

"It depends, I suppose. How should I be feeling?" he asked, his voice rusty from disuse. Tonks handed him a glass of water that he cradled carefully before taking a small sip, not wanting his strangely weak body to drop anything.

"Well, you had a fever that broke yesterday, and Poppy reckons that your body has just been sleeping since to make up for all the stress and exhaustion from when Greyback had you." Tonks looked at him concernedly while she said this, perturbed by his waking reaction.

Remus closed his eyes, feeling a throb begin in his head at the mention of captivity. "Ah yes, that."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Remus lost in thought and Tonks studying him carefully under lowered lids. She was sure he was troubled, she could see it—in his eyes, voice, everything. There was nothing of the usual Remus there either. After transformations and sticky situations he was always a good sport and pulled through whatever the problem was. This time seemed… different. She didn't know what had happened to him, but she assumed having been kidnapped alone would put someone in a right state.

But Remus had been going through it all for years. She remembered he fought during the first war, and then now with all the dangerous things he had been asked to do… it was part of the job for members of the Order to take risks—capture being one of them. Why then was this so affecting him?

We'll work through it together, she resolved. Remus is my friend and I owe it to him to help somehow. It was a couple of seconds before she decided that maybe the little things should come first, like food and rest. It was important that his body recuperate as well as his mind. Tonks smiled at her forgetfulness.

"Remus?" the question was put gently. He opened his eyes. "Would you like anything to eat?" She was still looking at him concernedly.

"No, Nymphadora, I'm afraid I'm not quite up for food just yet. Thank you." He closed his eyes again. Tonks sighed.

"All right then, I'm just going out for a bit and I'll be back a little later. Molly or Sirius will be back up in a jiffy." Remus nodded weakly, and Tonks walked to the door and closed it softly, not wanting to disturb his rest any more than she already had.

As she was on her way downstairs she ran into Sirius (literally) and sent him sprawling against the wall, hitting his head against a frame before righting himself with Tonk's help, amid profuse apologies and mild oaths. Tonks thought it was best to change the subject. "He's awake." She told her cousin, grinning.

Sirius looked overjoyed, a huge grin splitting his face."He is? What a relief. How is he?"

"Tired. A bit weak. He seems… preoccupied by what happened." Tonks described, "I hope there's no lasting damage."

"He's been through worse, I reckon." Sirius replied, his face clouded, remembering the first war. His eyes grew dark as he recalled the black walls of Azkaban and his own imprisonment. "He's always one to look on the bright side, Moony. Unless you give him too much Firewhisky." He grinned, his eyes suddenly lighting up, giving a glimpse of the man he had once been, "The stories I could tell you about that…"

Tonks winked at him mischievously, "Yours for mine." She said. "Kingsley's got a reputation for getting a bit tipsy at the Auror Christmas parties…" Sirius barked a laugh. Tonks turned to go. "Look, I need to head out, guard duty and all… Look after Remus, will you? He seems a bit peached about something."

Sirius nodded his acquiescence. "I'm sure he'll be all right in no time."

Tonks turned down the stairs, thinking to herself. I hope so.