Remus felt like he'd died and gone to hell. Rolling over on the freezing ground, he pulled his knees closer to his chest, pain tearing it's way through every bone in his body as he suppressed a shudder. It was too close to the full moon. In eighteen hours his body would be wracked with spasms as the bones reformed, his teeth would sharpen, and his lust for blood would grown to become uncontrollable. He could see it happening, he knew precisely what he was going to become, and it made him long for the wolfsbane that would've allowed him to keep his sanity.
Back pressed to the foliage littered floor, the haggard remains of his clothes hung limply from his emaciated body as he winced in pain. The last fortnight had been far from easy. His attempts to live as a 'human' had been met with scorn and violence. The bite marks and gashes now adorning his body serving as a testament to his betrayal to his kin. It was penance for his naivety, a rite of passage into the pack to prove that he belonged. Tonight he would cement his loyalty in blood, to make the vow with an innocent life, and to pledge his allegiance to Greyback.
Eyes clamped tightly shut, his thought drifted to the bubblegum nymph he had so callously left behind. The thought of her safe and well, (depressed though she may undoubtedly be) was the only thing getting him through each painful day. He thought of Sirius too, and the joy he would have when they finally reunited in the near future. His mind was allowing him to envision heaven, a place in which Padfoot and Prongs had already scoped out the hotspots for drinking, and could take him on a rollercoaster of a ride when he finally joined their ranks in the afterlife. Perhaps that was presuming too much. He wasn't innocent in all of this. He was a wolf, a plague. If anything, he deserved damnation to the deepest depths of hell for the act of violence he would have to partake in that day.
Grimacing as the sun crept steadily higher into the sky, Lupin flicked open and eye and groaned lightly as he pulled himself to a respectable sitting position. One hand dug into the ground at his feet as the other rubbed his unwashed hair. Finally his gaze shifted to rest on the battered wrist watch encasing his radius, eyes widening slightly at the realisation of the time. Today was the full moon, which meant it was what…the 16th? He was supposed to be meeting someone from the Order in just under half an hour, Kingsley as far as he'd been aware, was the poor bastard lumbered with facing his unkempt form.
He was making no effort to look respectable. What was the point? Tattered and broken, his injured form stood, moving past his 'comrades' ,into the forest towards the secluded meeting place. Dried blood stuck his shirt to his back, the obvious slashes across his torso showing glimpses of bruised flesh to the world in an explosion of misery and agony. The stench of death was overpowering, lingering over his person with a vice like grip. Remus had long since gone past caring, and was now even beginning to enjoy the familiarity of such a wild aroma.
Speaking of wild, there was a particularly appetising rabbit hopping around mere feet away. Mouth watering at the idea of something so fresh and delectable in stomach, he barely noticed the audible pop of apparition nearby. He did however notice the smell. Even amidst that derelict remnants of his own stench, he could always tell, and it made his heart sink. Turning on the spot, his jaw dropped slightly at the sight of his darling nymph, her own look of quizzical distaste for his appearance sending his pulse thundering into his ears.
"You shouldn't be here." He hissed, bridging the gap between them just enough to shove her away. "Where's Kingsley?"
"St Mungo's. Carrow got him pretty bad with the Cruciatus curse" She responded solemnly, eyes trailing over every cut, bruise and scrape now covering his body. Her mouth opened wider still, eyes blazing with a shock so profound it looked like she was going to scream. "What -happened- to you?"
"Initiation" He responded calmly, a hint of a laugh issuing from his lips as he held her at arms length. She was creeping closer, trying to get near to him, even in this vile state. Remus wouldn't allow it, she deserved better. "What's the news from the Order?"
"Hagrid made some progress with the giants, apparently Olympe had quite a bit of leeway with some of the French ones up in the Alps. We've upped protection on Harry, I'm at Hogsmede more or less 24/7 now, just to be within easy reach of any emergencies. We're still trying to rally support, it's just difficult. The attacks are getting more frequent, it's like deja vu. We've been here before; it doesn't end well."
"I see." He nodded in response, pushing her back towards the trees in which she had just apparated from. "I'm grateful you kept me informed, but it's not safe for you here Dora. In future, I ask that you stay away, alright?"
Tonks shot him a contemptuous glance; smacking his hands away and grabbing hold of his filthy shirt for long enough to pull him close enough to kiss. Her lips meshed with his, the familiar warmth in her mouth serving as closure enough to her senses until she could have him back at her side. He didn't argue. In fact, once she'd instigated the action, he'd met it with a passion all of his own, arms enveloping her petite body as he pressed her body to his.
The euphoria was short lived, as common sense had resurfaced, kicking the wolf into submission as he tugged her away sharply, forehead pressing to hers as he breathed throatily to the auror. "I love you, but you need to leave." Opening her mouth to protest, Dora was met with a stern finger to her lips before he shook his head. "Now"
He was speaking to her as if she was a petulant child, but deep down she knew he was right. With a great deal of effort, she complied with the request and disappeared off through the scattered trees towards a 'safe' apparition site. Both lost in thought, neither noticed the pair of menacing yellow eyes that had just witnessed the entire exchange.
And both, remained oblivious to the sinister plan now forming in the back of Greyback's mind.