Prologue
The wind never used to bother Remus. Even the tapping of tree branches on a blusterous night never awoke the boy.
He was four years old and asleep in his dark room. No nightlight was turned on; his parents long ago found their precious son didn't need it to help him fall asleep like most young children. It seemed that Remy knew better than to believe there were monsters under his bed or the closet. Even as a child the boy was smart.
Tonight he was alone with his babysitter, his parents having left to spend an evening together at a show. Remus' muggle mother loved seeing shows and while his father was not a huge fan, he was willing to put up with a few hours of it to please his beloved wife. They had told Remus goodnight and had left not long after it had turned dark. His babysitter had tucked him into bed, carefully walking out after reading Remus his bedtime story, making sure not to step on any of the toys scattered around.
Later in the night, close to midnight, it was the sound of the window being tested that woke Remus that fateful fall evening. His drowsy little mind took awhile to fully recollect why he was currently conscious. With blurry auburn eyes, the young boy surveyed his room, full of shadows that would be menacing to most children. But Remus was not afraid. Nothing seemed to be amiss to his young eyes, though he felt something was different. A simple bump in the night wouldn't have pulled him from his dreams, right?
He clamored from his bed – a new big boy bed his parents had presented to him just a few weeks ago. Yawning widely, the boy sleepily shuffled to his window, vaguely remembering that it had woken him up. The cold night air made him shiver as he slowly remembered his window hadn't been open when he went to bed. There were deep gashes in the frame, and the lock on the window had been broken. It was apparent an intruder had wrenched it open.
Remus, now scared, whimpered and began to back away from his window, kicking his toys as he shuffled backwards. His worst fears came true as he backed up right into a large, solid, furry body that reeked of death, old blood and an acrid scent the boy couldn't place. Little Remus whirled around to set eyes on the living shadow that had intruded. His eyes grew wide and he trembled violently, his voice frozen in his throat as the blood drained from his face. The shadowed creature gave a wicked grin before striking Remus across the face with its long claws.
Blood fell onto the carpet as he fell with a thud as the creature laughed cruelly and approached Remus' fallen form. He gasped and fought as he was picked up by the scruff of his neck to be brought up to the shadow creature's elongated face. Remus stopped his squirming and fighting as he felt sharp claws pierce the skin on his neck, so close to his spine.
As the moonlight parted the shadows, a cruel and grotesque face of a monster appeared, painted eerily for the young Remus by the pale light of the full moon. Matted fur and fearsome eyes smirked at the boy. "Scream for me," Fenrir commanded in a raspy whisper before the tender flesh of Remus' shoulder was torn away.
Screams of pain and fear filled the night as footsteps from his babysitter came to his rescue. "Remus! Remus, are you all right? Remus!"