Soft footsteps echoed through what used to be the throne room in the palace in the capitol city. Remus Lupin was alone, as he always was on nights of the full moon. The change would come soon. There was no stopping it. But at least here he would be safe. The only people who ever resided here were all long dead.

Remus stood in front of the throne where Queen Lily once sat. His dear friend and her husband, King James, had sat in a slightly less impressive chair just next to her. Both seats were no longer in usable condition. Voldemort's assault had devastated the palace and taken his friends from him. Wormtail, Prongs, and Padfoot had all been taken from him that night.

Padfoot. Remus hadn't thought that name in awhile. He tried not to think about Sirius too much. Everyone believed Sirius was evil and that it was he who betrayed the Queen and King. Remus had long refused to believe it. But if he didn't believe that then he would have to accept that Padfoot was dead, and somehow that hurt worse. Maybe he was still alive and Voldemort was controlling him somehow. That's what Remus wanted to believe.

Nevertheless, James and Lily were definitely dead. Their bodies had been found and buried. The prince, still just a baby, was not able to be located but was assumed dead. A finger was found that was identified as belonging Wormtail and he was also suspected dead.

The pain was all too much for Remus. These last sixteen years had left him worn thin. The war had stalled for many years but lately the Death Eater attacks had increased and he was doing what he could to contribute but with his condition he wasn't always wanted he thought he should be.

Remus could feel the change creeping up on him and he tried to hold it back. 'Not yet,' he thought. He wanted control of his own thoughts and actions just a little bit longer.

He walked over to the mural James had added to the western wall of the throne room. It was of a night time field scene. A full moon stood in the sky and on the ground stood a wolf, a rat, a black dog, and a stag. They were symbols the four of them had chosen for themselves while attending Hogwarts Academy. The other three boys had felt inspired by his condition and chose animals they felt represented themselves the best and names to go along with.

James was Prongs, Sirius was Padfoot, Peter was Wormtail, and Remus was Moony. There was a time when Remus only ever heard someone call him Moony and never Remus. Now it had been sixteen years since he had heard anyone call him Moony. He thought of Sirius calling it out when he climaxed during their lovemaking and he felt an inner sting of pain.

Remus felt a prickling sensation all over his skin and decided there was no point in holding the wolf off any longer. He began to remove his robe but a voice echoed in the room saying his name and he stopped.

"Dumbledore," Remus said, not turning around. "You know it's not safe to be here."

"Oh don't worry. I won't linger for long. I just have some information I wanted to pass on. You must understand you are not always an easy man to find these days," Dumbledore said.

Remus stood there for a moment, his back still to him, then he hung his head and said, "I know. I am sorry. The transformation… it's getting harder. And they are coming more often. There was a time when I could control myself on the full moon. But not anymore. It's too much and I can't bear to be around others… I'm afraid of what might happen."

"Oh but you see that's what I'm here to talk about. Word from the edge is that a cure of some sort may exist."

Remus turned around sharply and looked directly at Dumbledore. The master of Hogwarts Academy and former advisor to the crown stood before him looking stern but friendly. His long silver hair and beard hadn't seemed to have changed at all since the first time Remus first met him nearly twenty years ago.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked, trying to hide his desperation.

"No. I am confident in my sources but the edge is far and I've never been able to actually get anyone on the planet," Dumbledore answered. He referred to a planet that for many years was only rumored to exist; a place where there were beings afflicted with the same virus as him. In fact, it was believed the virus may have originated there. But Remus had certainly never been there.

Remus had little memory of the attack. He had been just a boy, barely seven years old playing in the yard at his parents home. He hard a snarl coming from behind him and he couldn't remember anything after that. He next recalled waking up in the hospital, his parents by his side. They described a large wolf like man who bit into Remus's side (where there would forever be a large scar) and was quickly scared off when his parents came outside.

Remus was no longer sure the man had been scared off by his parents. He wondered if he only meant infect him. Well if he did then he had been very successful. Not a month had passed for the last twenty-nine years where he hadn't undergone the transformation.

Remus sighed. "Get back to me when someone has actually been to the blasted place." He knew he was agitated because the transformation was near. Dumbledore needed to leave.

"Listen, Albus," Remus started but Dumbledore walked forward, towards him. He placed a hand on Remus's shoulder.

"I understand you know. Sirius, that is," Dumbledore said.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked.

"I had a lover once. His name was Gellert Grindelwald."

"Grindelwald? Wait do you mean the Grindelwald who lead the enemy in the last great wars sixty years ago?"

"The same," Dumbledore said. "Are you surprised? Well, you see I wasn't always the man I am now. We all have things in our pasts we aren't proud of and mine are darker than most. Oh I was so in love with him. Hmm… obsessed really. We shared a vision for tech you see. We both believed it could be used to achieve immortality. But he took it too far, as you know."

Remus nodded, solemnly.

"I was the one who did it you know. Brought him to his end," Dumbledore added.

"Really? I mean I knew you were integral in ending the war. That's how you landed your royal advisory position. But killing Grindelwald… I don't know. I've never pictured you as the type," Remus said.

"Nor have I. And yet it happened." Dumbledore looked sad and thoughtful but said, "So, I understand what it's like to lose a lover. Not only to death but also to the wrong path."

Remus felt tears welling in his eyes. He couldn't accept that Padfoot was truly gone.

"Thank you for the talk, Albus. I can't keep the wolf at bay any longer. You must go," Remus urged.

Dumbledore nodded, bowed a little, then turned and left swiftly. Remus felt the prickles again and watched as grey hairs appeared all over his skin and he threw off his robe and felt the loss of self that came with the transformation.

When he awoke in the morning he was laying in the grass outside the palace. The sun was bright and nearly blinding and he was completely nude. He looked at his body and was pleased to find no signs of blood or any cuts or marks of any kind. It had been a good night, relatively speaking.

He thought about what Dumbledore had said about the planet on the edge. He wondered what life could be like without the transformations. Maybe he could have a normal life. But it didn't seem likely.

Once he had located his robe back inside the palace, Remus walked back down to the cottage that James had built for him and Sirius. None of the tech worked anymore but it was okay for place to come to after the transformations. He had left himself food which he ate and then he showered.

After the shower he sat on the bed he once shared with Padfoot. He could still remember what it felt like to fall asleep with Sirius in his arms, usually naked. The memory warmed him but it made him sad. He would give anything to have those times before the war back. To have Sirius back. But Sirius was gone. As Remus collapsed back against the bed and wept for the first time he accepted that Sirius was gone and was never coming back.