Meltdown

By: Teenlaunch

A/N: Sorry for the long wait on my last story guys. I'll try to get it up soon. But anyway, this is one of my favorites that I've written. Kind of a sequel to Dark Side of the Moon. Enjoy. (And please REVIEW!)

Disclaimer: Would I really be sitting here writing this if I owned Harry Potter? No! Get a life people!

Nathan Skayler sighed and ran a rough hand over his face. He was still waiting for his owl to return with a response from a man he hadn't seen for two years. The only reason the two had met was because Nathan had been in the same ward as his friend during Christmas time. He often thought of the man. His wife had pointed it out to him that every time he mentioned something about his own condition, something about Remus Lupin would come up.

Remus Lupin. He hadn't seen hide nor hair of the man since Christmas Day in St. Mungo's two years ago. He often read about Harry Potter, who had a certain affinity for the man. But never was Remus Lupin mentioned at any social gatherings or even in the paper, just Harry Potter. Nathan often wondered if Potter had abandoned Lupin. He had no doubt that Lupin had been tossed aside when Potter once again became the wizarding world's hero. Potter had no need for the lowly werewolf now that he was even more highly revered. Poor Lupin was probably torn apart by it. Famous Harry Potter didn't need him, and Sirius Black was dead. He had to admit he felt sorry for the poor man. He'd lost everything according to what he read in the papers about Potter.

The only reason Nathan had finally broken down and contacted the man after so long was because he had run into various problems after his accident and he needed advice. Who else to turn to, but a fellow werewolf? There was a knock on the door, but Nathan ignored it. He didn't need to waste his time with salesmen when everything else was hanging in the balance. He let his wife answer it instead. Hse could deal with it. But he still couldn't help but overhear his wife's soft inquiry when she greeted their guest. That was one drawback of his overly developed senses. "May I help you, Sir?"

A soft voice answered. "Yes. I'm looking for Nathan Skayler. Is he available or should I come back at a better time?"

Nathan jumped up, startled, and rushed to the door. He took the man's hand and shook it enthusiastically. "Lupin! I expected you to answer my owl. I suppose you had some free time."

Lupin smiled wryly. "More than you can imagine."

Nathan ushered him into the den. His wife supplied them both with tea and sat down to her knitting, just beside Nathan. Lupin sat his tea aside and smiled. "How can I help you, Nathan?"

Nathan sighed and ran his hands over his face. "You were right. This life is very hard, my friend. But I was lucky on one count. I've got Melissa here." He nodded to his wife who looked up from her work and gave Lupin a shy smile. Lupin nodded, his eyes darting to her abdomen. Nathan could see understanding in his eyes, but he decided to leave it until the end. "You obviously understand one of my dilemmas now, our unborn baby. But I'm more worried with other things at the moment." He paused and frowned, massaging his temples now.

Lupin waited patiently for him to continue. He sipped quietly on his tea as though he was accustomed to this kind of conversation and was simply waiting for Nathan to start talking about the weather. Nathan took the time while he was thinking to really examine Lupin. He immediately noticed how much thinner Lupin looked. There was no grace or regality to his posture now. He slumped slightly in his chair and Nathan noticed that something in his pocket clinked whenever he moved. Lupin looked much sicker than normal. His face was pale and his eyes were very dim. His brown hair seemed to be even grayer than the last time he'd seem him. It seemed Nathan had been right when he assumed that Lupin would be taking Black's death hard, even if it had been almost two years.

Nathan shook his head and started again. "Someone came to see me the other day at work. I've only been there for about a month."

"What do you do?" Lupin asked.

"Anything they ask me to, but mainly I'm the record keeper. It's not bad, and it's decent income. I just hope I can keep this one. But, I don't understand how this man found me. I was just sitting there doing my job and the next thing I know there's this guy standing in front of me."

Lupin frowned. "What did he look like?"

"Well, he was average height, gray hair, yellow eyes, nice robes, pointed yellowish teeth, looked really well off, skinny though, and his cloak clasp was a wolf. And if you ask me, he smelled like rotting meat. You can imagine how my coworkers reacted."

Lupin nodded absently, obviously deep in thought, and ran a hand through his hair. "Did he ask you to join something called the Brethren?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

Lupin sighed. "That man's name was Fenrir Greyback. He is the most well-known werewolf in Britain, and Voldemort's head assassin. On the full moon, Greyback places himself close to the one he wants to bite. So, when he transforms, he automatically goes after that target. That's how he got me." Lupin paused. "The beast is so twisted, that he will even bite people when he isn't transformed. He bit Bill Weasley last year, luckily he wasn't transformed at the time, so Bill did not contract the lycanthrope gene."

Nathan was shocked. "But what did he want from me?"

Lupin sighed again. "If you accepted his offer, then you would have become one of Voldemort's lackeys in his werewolf army. I've been inside the camps myself."

Nathan jumped up. "You're with You-Know-Who?"

Lupin looked up at him calmly. "No. I was put there as a spy. I was to report any werewolf movement, and the number of werewolves he'd gathered. I went under an alias, and I was lucky there were so many of us there. Otherwise, Greyback would have slaughtered me on the spot. I just got out of it actually. Did you already tell him no?"

Nathan nodded. "Yes, and he wasn't too happy about it."

"I imagine so. You'll have to move. If Greyback knows where you work he'll be able to trace you here. Just contact Minerva McGonagall. She'll set you up."

Nathan grinned. "Really? Wonderful!"

Lupin smiled. "And your other dilemma?"

"Oh, right. Well, Melissa and I aren't very well versed in all werewolf laws. And, well, ever since Melissa told me she was pregnant, I've been worried about it. I'm still adjusting to the transformations, even after two years, and now I'll have to make another change. From what I understand, you haven't been in this situation before, but I didn't know who else to go to."

Lupin settled back in his chair. "The only thing I can tell you to do is go to a healer at St. Mungo's. They should be able to sort through all the laws for you. Besides that, they'll know what you should do to prepare yourself for the baby. Your wife will be fine. The baby won't have a trace of the lycanthrope gene in it since lycanthropy is acquired after birth. The only one you need to worry about is you, Nathan."

Nathan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." He paused. "I, um, I noticed that Sirius Black was killed a little while ago."

Lupin nodded, his eyes growing dimmer. "Yes. He refused to stay home when he found out Harry was in danger. You can imagine how hard Harry took it. I think Sirius knew that he might not make it back. The last thing he said to me was, 'I love you like a brother, Moony. You know that. Take care of yourself for me, alright?' Well, what else could I say but yes? It was awf-omph!" Lupin doubled over as though in pain and clutched his stomach with both arms for a moment then relaxed and looked up.

"Are you alright?" Melissa asked, going to stand up.

Lupin waved her away. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." His face was even paler than before and he was sweating now. Nathan watched in horror as his limbs started to shake but he gripped the chair to hide it. Nathan could tell something was extremely wrong. Lupin's smell had changed immensely and his eyes were sliding in and out of focus. Nathan suddenly remembered the dream Harry Potter had depicted to Lupin when Nathan was in the hospital. He shook the thought from his mind as Lupin stood quickly, almost collapsing again. "I'm sorry. I need to go. I hope I helped."

"Yes, of course." Nathan got up and helped Lupin to the door. "You look a bit ill. Do you need any help getting home?"

"No, no. I'll be fine. Just-"

There was suddenly a loud scratching and whining at the front door. Melissa moved past the two men and opened it. A large black dog with a white stripe on its muzzle stood in the doorway. Melissa bent down to pet it. "Well, what are you doing here? You must be hungry. Come on, I'll get you some food." But the dog didn't seem to take notice of her. Its startling green eyes were locked on something behind her. Nathan and Melissa looked around to find Lupin collapsed on their stairs, staring at the dog in something akin to horror.

Lupin's eyes were wide and fearful. Nathan could smell it pouring from him. The dog padded into the house and slowly approached Lupin, growling softly. Lupin tried to scoot up to the next stair but didn't seem to have the strength to do so. His face was slowly being drained of its remaining color, and he was panting heavily now. He seemed to be hyperventilating, but when Lupin clutched his chest, Nathan knew that wasn't the case.

The dog barked loudly at Lupin as he tried to get up. Nathan started and grabbed Melissa's hand as the dog began changing. It took the form of a man. Nathan stared at the animagus, confused as to why he hadn't realized it wasn't a real dog in the first place. The man had a hood pulled high over his head, but he was slight of build and Nathan could tell he was a fast runner. He took a few steps forward and Lupin seemed to shrink into the stairs. Nathan rushed in front of the man as he reached for Lupin. The man paused when Nathan stepped into his path. The animagus stopped. "Move," he ordered.

"No," Nathan answered.

The animagus pulled out his wand and held it lazily at his side. "Move," he repeated.

"No," Nathan growled. "I won't let you harm him."

Melissa gasped at her husband's audacity. The man stared at him from the recesses of his hood. "I do not intend to hurt him. But, I will not hesitate to jinx you if you do not move, Mr. Skayler."

"How do you know my name?"

"Is that really important when you have a man dying on your stairs?" He went to move around Nathan but was blocked again by the slightly taller man. Nathan was suddenly lifted off his feet by a spell and dropped unceremoniously into a nearby chair. When he tried to get up to defend Lupin, he found he was bound to the chair.

"Let me up! I won't let you hurt him!"

The man whirled around and his hood fell down. "I have no wish to harm him!"

Nathan and Melissa gasped when they saw the infamous lightning bolt scar on the man's forehead and his unruly mop of raven hair. "Harry Potter!"

Harry turned back to Lupin who was still gasping for breath. Lupin stared up at Harry. Nathan couldn't place the emotion in his eyes. Was it fear, or shame? "Harry…I…"

Harry reached down and pulled open Lupin's robes. He ran his hands over its seams until he found what he wanted. He opened a hidden pocket and pulled out two vials, both empty. Nathan remembered the clinking he'd heard when Lupin moved. Harry stared down at the vials and Nathan thought he could almost see the fire raging behind Harry's eyes. Harry looked up at Lupin, and narrowed his eyes. "Where is it?" he whispered, almost so quietly that Nathan couldn't hear it.

"He's sick! Stop it, Mr. Potter!" Melissa shrieked, shaking with the effort to calm herself.

Harry winced but ignored her. "Where – is – it?"

Lupin averted his eyes and hung his head. "You know where it is," he murmured.

Harry seemed to puff up in indignation. "Remus Lupin, how could you be so stupid! You promised! You promised you wouldn't leave me! Why did you even consider something like this?" Nathan looked back and forth between them. Lupin closed his eyes. He was obviously in excruciating pain. Harry shook his head. "And here I even told you I had a dream about you dying. I never thought I would actually have to live it. Once was enough for me!" Harry took a deep breath. "I twisted my dream so that you could get the message without knowing what I had actually seen. I saw you, sitting right here, on these steps. And at the time I didn't even know why you were like that, why you died. I've figured it out. But I won't let this dream come true!"

Harry lunged at Lupin who tried to move but was tackled to the ground with Harry straddling his waist. Lupin stared up at Harry with pleading eyes. Nathan yelled in fury at seeing his friend on the ground and in such a vulnerable state. "You're hurting him!"

Harry paid him no mind. He reached inside his robes, pulled out another vial, and emptied the contents (which were completely black) into Lupin's open mouth. Lupin gagged but Harry massaged the muscles in Lupin's neck, forcing him to swallow it as his muscles relaxed. Lupin shot up, knocking Harry to the ground. "What did you give me?" he gasped.

Harry conjured a large basin in response. "Three…Two…One…"

Lupin bent over and retched into the basin, coughing wildly. Harry knelt beside him, rubbing his back to soothe him. He murmured softly in his ear while Nathan and Melissa watched in confusion. It was almost ten minutes later when Lupin finally sat back against the stairs, sucking in great lungfuls of air. Harry passed him a glass of water and banished the basin and its contents.

"H-Harry, I didn't mean-" Lupin began quietly, his voice even more raspy than before.

Harry glared at him. "Yes, you did. I don't even want to hear it right now. Just rest." Lupin nodded wearily and laid his head on the stairs.

Nathan shook himself out of his stupor. "Can't you see he's not only hurting physically but emotionally? And now you shove purging potion down his throat when he's already feeling sick enough! You've only made it worse! You're supposed to be his friend, but you dropped him like an old robe, all because of your fame! Could you not handle him being there, bringing on criticism? You abandoned him!"

Harry looked up and locked eyes with Nathan. "Quite the opposite, Mr. Skayler. Remus tried to abandon me. Lately I'd noticed how secluded he'd become, more than usual I mean. He started saying how dangerous he was to be around, how I shouldn't associate with him. It finally hit me yesterday that my nightmare from three summers ago, was about to come true. I realized it too late, as usual for me. I've been so busy, I didn't notice how odd Remus was acting." Harry paused and pulled out a small bottle which he uncorked and gently coaxed Lupin to drink. "I don't think Remus is in condition to travel right now. Would you mind if we imposed on your hospitality for a night, Mrs. Skayler? I can arrange something if you object."

"Don't bother, Mr. Potter. We'd be delighted to help." Melissa answered quickly.

"Would you mind showing him where your guest bedroom is, please?"

Melissa shook her head and helped Lupin to his feet, directing him up the stairs and down the hall. Harry turned back to Nathan. "You see, I told Remus and yourself that the werewolf, Remus, died suddenly. That isn't true, and I think Remus has just realized it too. I saw myself standing in this very spot, staring down at Remus who was sprawled across your stairs. I was holding the vials I had taken from him in my hand. It took me a while to figure out what had been in them as I had only seen them in my dream, but when Remus died moments later, I knew what it was. Have you figured it out yet, Mr. Skayler?"

Nathan frowned. Harry had manipulated the story so he and Lupin wouldn't get the entire picture, just enough of it. But what could have been in the vials? "I don't understand."

Harry sighed. "Before you owled Remus today, he already had other plans. However, that didn't stop him from coming to see you. He was able to buy molten silver, Mr. Skayler. He purchased two vials because silver is sold in small but completely concentrated quantities. Have you any idea what silver does to werewolves?"

"It burns them. It could kill them if there's enough."

"Precisely. The man now up in your guest bedroom attempted suicide by drinking both vials of molten silver. Even as he was sitting in your den, he was being eaten alive from the inside out. The first potion I gave him was indeed a purging potion. It was the only way short of slicing his stomach open to remove it. The last potion was a pain reliever and healing draught in one. I will have to give him many of those before he can even breathe properly again, let alone eat. I have lost too many people to take death lightly, Mr. Skayler. Remus is all I have left. I thought maybe since he promised me that he wouldn't leave me, I would never have to do this, but I was wrong. I'm just glad I got to stop it."

Nathan was astounded. The man who had encouraged him to keep striving to live had tried to take his own life? And for what? Because he thought he was endangering the only thing close to a family he had left? "I can't believe…I never would have guessed."

Harry smiled sadly. "I know. I think he knew I would try to stop him, so he wanted to get as far away from me as possible. Unfortunately, traveling halfway across Britain was not enough. I doubt that the moon would have been far enough to deter me. I would do anything for that man, and he knows it. I believe he thought that by removing himself from my life, I would finally be happy. He sees himself as the last tie to my parents, a subject that I am very touchy about even now. He wanted to remove that link so that I could have a clean slate, so to speak. I think he's realized his mistake now and will never attempt such a thing again. Now, if you will excuse me." Harry nodded to him and released him from the chair.

Nathan got up and caught Harry's arm as he went up the stairs. Harry paused. "He trusts you so utterly, even after you…attacked him. Have you two grown very close since I last saw you?"

"You could say that. I even became an animagus to make sure he has company on the full moon, just like my father and Sirius did. Remus is my confidant…my rock…my hope…my mentor….my teacher…my brother…my family…my…my everything." Harry looked around at Nathan. "When you have someone like that to live for, you would do anything for them, even kill yourself to ensure their happiness. This was an err in his judgment. We all have days like that. Luckily this one was able to be fixed." Harry breathed out another sigh, this one more heartfelt than the others. "I live every day wondering if he'll make it because he is so close to me. But lately, I've been thinking. He's strong, and so am I. I've learned a lot since Dumbledore died. I'll be able to protect Remus now. I won't lose anyone else, Mr. Skayler. You have my word on that." Harry pulled his arm from Nathan's loose grip and headed up the stairs.

Nathan headed back toward the den and sat there thinking over everything Lupin had ever told him, and everything Harry had said and implied. Harry knew Lupin inside and out. He knew the reason Lupin had tried to poison himself, and he knew the reason he had for saving the werewolf. That a normal person would go so far for a lowly werewolf baffled Nathan. Their relationship was a strange thing to Nathan. He had Melissa, and she was his everything. He knew that. But when Harry said it there was something else behind it, driving him. But he couldn't figure out what it was.

Nathan sighed and looked out the window. He had been sitting in the den for a long time. It was well into the early hours of the morning. That wasn't hard to believe as Harry hadn't arrived until seven at least. His first meeting with the two had confused him, but this second one had turned his world on end. Groaning as he finally moved from his chair, he made his way up the stairs quietly. Lupin hadn't been strong enough after the foolish stunt he had pulled to be moved to the house where he and Harry lived, just as Harry had predicted, so Melissa had invited them to stay until Lupin was well. Harry had reluctantly agreed, not willing to risk moving his friend so soon. Nathan wasn't sure how long it would be until Lupin was well, but he at least would have more time to understand them, to understand whatever it was that he was missing so sorely.

Nathan crept down the hall. His wife and guests were already asleep and he couldn't afford to wake them up. As he passed the guest bedroom, he couldn't help but to peek inside. What he saw made him stop in his tracks. The moonlight streaming through the window was enough to illuminate the scene before him. Lupin was lying peacefully on his back, breathing heavily as the silver had damaged his lungs, but he looked completely at peace. His head was turned toward Harry who was kneeling, practically sitting on his feet, beside the bed with his head resting on the sheets, fast asleep. One of Lupin's hands was resting on his chest, and clasped in it was one of Harry's hands. Even after the stressful events of the day they had forgiven each other. Nathan smiled and closed the door slowly. He may not have figured them out, but seeing how close they were reminded him that there was happiness in the world. You just had to find the courage to search for it.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from your heart.

1 Peter 1:22