Harry Potter and Sanity's Requiem
And the winner of the poll is:
REMUS! Cheers
Actually, I kind of wanted him to win. You see after going back and reading what I had already written, I started to get some really good ideas for stuff for Alaina and Remus.
Looks kind of sheepish Sorry about that, but thank you to the people who read and reviewed, I really appreciated it. I love you all!
AN: Oh, and I don't own Harry Potter or any of Rowling's original characters, I do own Alaina and this insane little story.
"English."
Thoughts.
:Parsletongue:
+Werewolf/vampire language+
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Chapter 3: Don't Waste Your Heart On Me
Alaina stood staring forward. Harry appeared just in front of her, tears of anguish and fury rolling down his cheeks. "You lied to us! You said you could bring him back!"
"No I-" Alaina reached out for the distraught man.
"Don't touch me, you lying freak!" Harry stepped back away from her clenching his fist in his shirt above his heart.
Alaina was stung, though she tried her best not to show it. "Harry please understand!"
"Oh, I understand just fine! You're a lying, murdering, freak! You're no better than Voldermort!" He shrieked, the pain about him evident.
"Harry-" The word fell from trembling lips, and erupted from a breaking heart.
The man faded and was replaced by none other than Severus Snape. His gaze was furious. "How dare you get his hopes up in such a way!"
"I tried to warn him!" Alaina cried out. "I tried to tell you all. I told you I would try, but I said that I wasn't certain! You all said that that was alright, but you still wanted me to try!" Bloody tears poured from crystalline eyes flecked with crimson, it stained her cheeks.
"We should just send you back to Azkaban, traitorous bitch." Severus snarled in response.
"No." Alaina cried out and shook her head. "I told all of you I was not certain!"
"Then you should not have said anything at all!" Severus turned away and faded into the darkness.
"Sev-" Alaina tried weakly but was cut off by the one person she feared seeing the most.
"How could you?" Alaina turned to face Remus Lupin. His amber eyes were red from the tears that poured down his face. "You said you could bring him back, you told me you wouldn't lie."
"I didn't, Remus. I said that I was uncertain." Seeing Remus like that hurt Alaina the most. Each tear that leaked from his stunning amber eyes was like another chunk of her heart ripped from her chest. She clutched at the cloth over heart, as if trying to save it.
Remus stared at the woman quietly for a moment and then slowly shook his head. "I wish it head been you instead of him."
"Remus-" Alaina whined softly.
"It should have been you!" Remus shouted.
"No!" Alaina shrieked loudly before she had had the chance to squash the noise. She sat bolt up right in bed.
A figure emerged from the shadow and was at her side in an instant. "Alaina."
Recognizing Remus' voice she choked back a sob and flinched away from his hand on her shoulder.
The werewolf looked down at her puzzled. Slowly and carefully he sat down on the edge of the bed as he waved his wand to light the candle on her nightstand.
The new lighting gave Alaina the chance to notice, quite clearly, that Remus only wore a pair of baggy black cotton pajama pants. They hung low on his hips. He was quite muscular and fit for a man nearing his fifties, he looked to be in his late thirties at most.
The woman gulped silently and a blush just barely tinted her pale cheeks.
"Alaina." Remus reached for her again, this time she did not flinch away from the warmth of his hand on her arm.
Remnants of her dream niggled at Alaina's conscious. Suddenly Remus found his arms full of semi-vampire woman.
Her breath whispered over the bare skin of the lycens chest. "Don't hate me." Remus was startled and so was Alaina -she hadn't expected the words to escape.
"Why would I hate you?" His soft tenor seemed to soothe the woman some.
"Because I don't know if I can bring him back." Guilt seemed to fill her then.
Remus sat back, but didn't look surprised, upsetting Alaina a little more. "So far nobody has been able to bring him back."
"I had gathered." The semi-vampire responded dryly. She seemed to be rebuilding the shields that had fallen.
"Alaina." The woman's heart skipped a beat at the way Remus' smooth tenor rolled over her name. "All that I ask, all that we ask, is that you try. If you don't succeed, well that's fine. But if you do that's even better."
Alaina had turned her face away from the man, in whose lap she had planted herself, and seemed to be deep in thought.
Remus watched her during the silence, taking in her appearance, for he had been unable to truly do so before. She had been beautiful body and soul, of that he was almost certain but Azkaban had twisted both. Being free of the hellhole and within a place a safety was allowing her to heal, and he could see the beauty returning to her body, if not her soul. Though he knew there would always be a darkening of both, he knew she was still a stunning creature.
A beauty beyond words. A phoenix rising from the ashes of her past. Remus was startled by his own thoughts. Strange and out of the place, he quickly blamed it on being woken up on the middle of the night.
"You weren't in love with him." Remus was startled to find two icy blue eyes staring at him. "Though you did love him."
"I do love him yes, but not as a lover, more like a friend." Remus' voice was soft and low sending a shiver up Alaina's spine.
"But he was your mate." Alaina seemed almost confused.
"For someone with centuries upon centuries of information floating around up there you sure strike me as one intellectually ignorant." Remus teased the woman.
The slight blush returned to Alaina. "So, I was locked up in a prison for ten years with only the Dementors for conversation for the last eight, so sue me." She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away.
Remus placed his finger under her chin and turned her face towards him again. The blue eyes that stared up at him were slightly pained. "Forgive me my dear, I had not meant to hurt you."
Alaina sighed. "So are you going to explain the whole mating thing to me or not?" Remus took that as the sign that he had been forgiven.
"Well you see, my dear, contrary to popular belief most people have more than one mate. " Remus chuckled at the woman incredulous look. "The average person has about three potential mates. Through a sort of time trial testing, of different levels, a person eliminates the lesser choices and picks the one most suited for him or her."
"Tests?" Alaina had listened intently, and seemed genuinely curious.
"Yes. Most of the tests are subconscious though. Say you and a potential are out to dinner and you discover that he, or she, spits when they speak." Alaina's nose crinkled up in disgust and she shuddered. Remus found the look quite adorable. He shoved the feeling away.
"That's disgusting!" Alaina gave Remus a halfhearted glare.
"Indeed." Remus eyed the woman who seemed to be growing tired again. "Alright cub, off to bed with you."
"Cub?" Remus helped the woman get resettled under the blanket. "Does that mean I'm kind of adopted?"
"In a way I suppose." Remus unconsciously tucked the woman in and brushed the hair from her eyes. "When werewolves ally, it is more like accepting more family. You are part of the pack now. A powerful and leader-like part, but still a part."
Remus put out the candles and turned to leave. With the darkness closing in around her, the dream seemed to claw at Alaina's mental barriers, attempting to burst through. "Remus," the soft almost frightened voice halted him, "stay with me?"
Remus, startled at first, smiled then nodded alright. He sat on the bed and leaned against the headboard. Alaina nuzzled against his leg and inhaled the woodland scent that seemed to cling to him no matter what. She drifted off to sleep as Remus stroked her hair with gentle fingers.
The next day found Alaina serenely headed towards the great hall for breakfast. The night before had been dreamless after she had fallen asleep with Remus by her side. When she had awakened he had not been there, and she had been upset by that fact. She had quickly smothered it, he shouldn't have been there in the first place.
The teachers mainly ignored her when she came in, only some of them giving her acidic glances when she dropped into the headmaster's old chair. She smiled when she noticed Remus sitting in the chair next to her on her right. Harry sat on his other side, with Severus next to Harry.
"Hello cub." Remus addressed her softly with a smile as he placed a plate of fruit in front of the woman.
"Hello Remy." The man quirked a brow at her with an amused glint to his amber eyes. She scowled slightly at the fruit.
Harry, who had heard the entire greeting, was choking on his tea. Severus, who had not, was worriedly patting his lover's back.
"You alright there Harry?" Remus asked softly.
The green-eyed man nodded. :Damn that hurt:
:Perhaps you should be more careful then: All attention immediately swiveled to the woman. Not that she noticed, she was busy staring down a piece of cantaloupe that Remus had nudged closer to her.
:How can you speak parsletongue?: Harry's eyes glittered with suspicion.
:Just because you can speak parsletongue doesn't mean that no one else can. I'm sorry that I did not ask your permission to use my gift, oh glorious Golden Boy.:
Harry blushed deeply and glared at the woman. Severus eyed his lover then turned his obsidian orbs to Alaina. "Don't Snape." Alaina had know he would jump to his lover's defense. She cut him off before he had the chance.
Remus looked at Alaina then returned to sipping his tea. "Eat cub."
"I don't want to." Alaina had returned to staring down the piece of cantaloupe.
"Do I have to force feed you?" Everyone at the table watched the exchange in shocked interest.
Alaina glared at the man. "Listen here wolfie, just because you and I are allies and you consider me pack now does not make you my mother or my caretaker."
Remus seemed unimpressed. "Eat."
Alaina continued to glare, but after a moment picked up the chunk of cantaloupe and popped it into her mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. Suddenly she turned deathly pale and she pressed a hand to her throat.
Remus turned panicked. "Alaina, cub, speak to me." Harry and Severus shifted to rise, incase the werewolf needed any help.
She lowered her head and her hair covered her face. Remus became more alarmed when her shoulders began to shake, he leaned closer to the woman but froze when he heard the snickers of laughter.
"You should have seen your face!" Alaina's soft snickers continued.
Remus' face became calm, and then murderous with fury. "You little brat!" He lunged for Alaina.
The woman yelped and dove under the table, barely missing being caught. She shot out from under the thick wooden surface on the opposite side. She raced for the doors her laughter, a twisted form of when it was once beautiful to hear, trailing after her.
Remus took the more direct route of leaping straight over the table, startling those gathered. He hit the ground in a well-balanced crouch and took off in full flight after the woman.
"I wonder who's faster-" Harry started aloud.
"-a semi-vampire or a werewolf not in his wolf form." Severus finished watching as the great hall doors closed after the two not entirely humans.
A squeal echoed through the castle, bouncing of the walls.
"A werewolf not in wolf form." Harry and Severus stated in unison.
Both rose and left the great hall and meandered in search of their two wayward companions.
Dumbledore watched the whole scene with twinkling blue eyes and a smile. Perhaps Alaina can be the one after all.
Severus and Harry found Remus chasing Alaina dangerously close around the whomping willow.
"Shouldn't we try to stop them?" Harry asked softly.
"And ruin the show?" Severus responded with a smirk.
"Cub, come here!" Remus beckoned to the woman.
"No way." She wasn't falling for it. Taking the chance Alaina raced around the willow and straight for Harry and Severus, she darted behind the two and took cover behind the shorter of the two.
Remus had been hot on her heels the whole time but found it hard to catch her with two living shields in the way. And both just happened to get in the way as he tried to step around them.
"Alaina." Remus called softly. Alaina's heart fluttered but she shook her head.
"Get him to stop!" Alaina clutched at the back of Harry's robes.
"Remus if you kill her now, she'll never get to try and bring Sirius back." Harry intoned logically.
Both the werewolf and the semi-vampire froze. The later being's face darkened considerably.
"I believe, my love, that that may have been the wrong thing to say." Severus stated quietly eyeing the two other beings.
"But it was the truth." Harry stated, he looked confused. Severus merely sighed and shook his head.
Alaina stepped out from behind the two lovers. Her cold and uncaring mask was back in place. "If you wish for me to try to bring him back, you need to get me into the Ministry and to the arch."
Remus flinched at her blank face and dull eyes and even duller tone. He thought he had found a way around that.
Both Severus and Harry noticed but Harry pushed it aside. He wanted his godfather back.
"Lucius is the Minister, we should be able to get you in with no problems." Harry stated.
"Lucius Malfoy?" Alaina raise and incredulous eyebrow.
"The one and only." Harry grinned but it was not returned.
Upon arriving at the Ministry of Magic Alaina found Harry's words all together very true. There had been no problems.
Harry and Severus had taken Alaina and Remus directly to Lucius' office, where they requested to see the Department of Mysteries. Lucius' gaze had lingered longer than necessary on Alaina so Remus had stepped forward blocking her from view.
Lucius had allowed them free reign of the Department with only one request, "Please don't break anything." He looked pointedly at Harry who looked sheepish.
So, in what seemed in to short of time to Alaina, they all stood before the Veil. The ancient creation that had taken Sirius and had not returned him.
"You three might want to stay back." So with that the other three moved back to sit on the stairs leading to the dais that held the abomination of magic.
Muttering the entire time Alaina circled the veil, and examined every possible aspect. After what seemed like hours of endless mutterings and poking and prodding and examining eyes, Alaina stopped in front of the veil and placed her hands on her hips.
Harry, who had drifted of to sleep leaning against Severus, was awakened when his lover nudged him. Remus seemed to easily slide out of the meditative trance he had been sitting in on the floor just before the stairs. The three watched the woman intently.
Alaina stepped within a foot of the veil and began to hiss and growl and mumbled in an ancient language, the words felt like oil against the skin of the three men.
Severus tried to suppress a shudder. "Demon magic. Truly dark arts." He hissed softly. Harry scoot closer to him, nervous now.
Alaina's voice rose to a feverish pitch in the guttural and dark language. Her hands began to shine black, but that wasn't right. For the darkness around her hands forming taloned gloves was as deep and dark and impenetrable as the Void itself.
With an inhuman screech, she reached into the darkness beyond the veil with her taloned hands, all the while continuing the demonic chant that seemed to draw all the darkness and all the shadows towards her. It built and coalesced in a writhing aura of darkness about her, tainting her image.
"Alaina." Remus whispered so softly, Harry and Severus barely heard it.
With another terrible screech, Alaina yanked herself backwards bringing a dark and shadowed figure with her out of the veil.
With a loud thud, Alaina hit the ground and the much larger figure landed on top of her. With a soft syllable, the dark and ancient magic dissipated. The world, which had seemed to be holding its breath, released it.
All three men raced forward. Remus was the first to reach the two figures on the ground. He heaved the man off of Alaina, who seemed so much smaller and more delicate now. Sweat glistened on her forehead. Remus helped the woman to standing.
He froze though upon hearing Harry's hushed voice. "Sirius."
Remus turned to look at the unconscious man who lay on the floor. It was indeed Sirius, who looked the same as the day he had dropped into the veil, if not younger.
Alaina stood shakily, off to the side, watching as Severus comforted a joyfully crying Harry and as Remus lifted Sirius up into his strong arms. Her heart gave a painful squeeze.
With a sigh she stepped forward. "Come and hold onto me." The others looked at her confused and she scowled. "I do not wish to have to walk passed all those Ministry fools and explain where we have the extra person and why he his unconscious. Now come here."
All did as the were told. Remus wrapped one arm around Alaina's waist and the other was around Sirius's shoulders. Harry had come to stand right before Alaina and had one arm looped around her waist and the other was helping Remus to keep Sirius up. Severus had one arm around Alaina's shoulders and the other around Harry. Alaina gave a sigh. They were all too close for comfort.
"Trust me when I say you will want to close your eyes." They once again did as they were told.
Alaina watched as the shadows crept and slithered forward to wrap around them all. She reveled in their familiar comfort as she mentally asked them to return them to the Hogwarts' great hall. They did with pleasure.
The five companions now, were back within the great hall within moments. "You can open your eyes now." They did and gasped. Alaina began to speak again before questions could be asked. "You three take him to the Infirmary. I'm going to go inform the Headmaster of our newest house guest."
Remus hesitated, with a look Alaina could not read, directed at her. "Go on. He'll need you when he wakes up."
The werewolf nodded and soon Alaina was left alone with her thoughts, not something that she wanted at the moment.
Later that same day found Alaina sitting in the Headmaster's comfy chair behind his large desk with her booted feet propped on said desk.
The Headmaster stood staring out the window. Fawkes, the phoenix, was resting on Alaina's knee. The bird seemed to know that she needed him.
"You can't keep this up forever." Alaina directed towards the Headmaster.
"I know." He smiled slightly watching as the giant squid reached out of the lake and snatched at Professor Sprout, who thoroughly reprimanded the creature. At least, that's what it looked like.
"The only reason you're still here is because I asked the castle to allow it, for now." The Headmaster nodded. "Albus." Alaina stated gruffly, but still with a slight gentleness. The Headmaster was secretly pleased to notice it, for it had not been there when the woman had first arrived.
"I know." The Headmaster turned to face the woman, his hands clasped behind his back. "Hogwarts has decided it, and I must accept that."
"The only reason nothing has gone wrong is because I am holding the wards, otherwise everything would have collapsed." The Headmaster nodded again.
"I understand that." The Headmaster turned back to the windows.
"So what are you going to do?" The woman asked softly.
"What I must my dear. For I no longer hold the wards, Hogwarts no longer supports me." He paused and remained quiet.
"Albus?" The woman softly urged him on.
"I must retire from my position as headmaster."
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Dun, dun, dun! ducks and dodges the random objects thrown at her
Alright, alright already! I know it's a cliffhanger! But the faster you review the faster the next chapter goes up, and the more reviews the more incentive. So hop to it people!
(Gee aren't I selfish?)
Alaina: Yes.
Hey! No comments you!
Remus: How about from me?
Drools Okay.
Alaina: growls Back off skank!
That's not nice!
Harry: Please review-
Severus: -it keeps her from completely losing it.
Hey!