Title: Of the Beast
Rating: PG
Summary: Three things that never happened to Remus Lupin.
Disclaimer: Not only are they not mine, I strongly suspect they wouldn't want to be. And, sadly, I'm not making any money of this either
A/N: If slash (two males in an adult relationship) bothers you, don't read the third part. If you do read it and then flame me, I'm forced to believe you have neither intelligence nor manners.
This is an answer to FAP's Leap Day Challenge; Three Things That Never Happened To…
Dedicated to Edana Blue. Thank you.
*
He was running. Remus ran faster than ever in
his six-year-old life and still it was reaching him. It. He knew what it was. A werewolf. The beast was hunting him. It was his own fault, really. Hadn't his parents told him to come
home before the darkness would fall?
Remus was panting and his lungs were on fire. A rich, iron taste of blood
filled his mouth and he wondered if he would see his own blood before dying. Or
maybe the beast would kill him quickly. You can always hope, he thought and
ran.
Suddenly, he saw someone running towards him. A wizard,
holding a wand in his hand and yelling, "Duck, boy, duck!" And Remus threw himself on the ground. A green light
filled the air above and behind him, and then there was silence.
"Get up, boy," a harsh voice commanded. "It's dead. You're safe." Remus lifted
carefully his head and, for the first time, saw his saviour's face. He looks
scary, the boy mused. There was a chunk of his nose missing. But his eyes were
friendly, so Remus Lupin stood up and turned to look at the beast that had
almost caught him.
*
"I'm begging you, say yes." Lily's voice was pleading. Such a beautiful woman, such a brilliant mind. No wonder
James had married her. Although what Lily saw in him was anyone's guess. Remus
Lupin sighed and stood up.
"I don't understand. Why me?" How can you trust me when I am what I am? Obviously Lily heard the
part he didn't say aloud, too. She stepped forward and took his hand. Bright
green eyes met his, and Remus couldn't look away. She is inside my head, he
thought. How does she do it?
"But don't you see, Remus," she said softly, and there was warmth in her eyes.
"That's exactly why we need you, not anyone else. It's a full moon soon. He
can't get you then. He can't get us."
"Yes," Remus heard his own voice saying, still drowned into her eyes. It was
like looking through a green glass bottle, shifting colours and a play of
light. Her son had the same eyes. "I will be your Secret
Keeper."
"Thank you." A relieved sigh, and she closed
her eyes. What a loss to the world it'd be, he thought,
if those eyes would ever lose their life.
*
"He should've been here already," Sirius said, meaning his
eleven-year-old godson, and peered out of the window. Than he
blinked and looked more closely. "There are unicorns on our backyard."
"Yes, I know. Beautiful, aren't they?" Remus said without rising
his head from a particularly thick old book. Or from books, it was hard to tell
sometimes. In fact, the amount of books he was surrounded by had increased to
the point that Sirius was afraid they would collapse some day and he'd have to
dig Remus from below them.
"But, but… There are unicorns on our backyard!" The desperate tone of Sirius'
voice was enough to finally get his attention. He sighed and shut the book
carefully. Stretching his back Remus Lupin stood up and walked beside Sirius.
He is a real nuisance sometimes, Remus thought
affectionately and looked outside.
"Yes. Don't you remember?" The blank look was enough of an answer. "It's the
Leap Day. The only day they don't have to flee from the beasts. The only day
they aren't afraid of me," he added sadly.
"Oh, Moony," Sirius said softly and lifted his hand to touch Remus' face.
"You'll never be a beast to me."
***
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