Author's Note: Hello, I am still alive. I am so, so sorry I haven't updated in a month. If any of you are high school seniors, I think you will empathize with me with how much work is assigned during senior year - especially in AP English. I know I should update What If? - The Afterlife, but I feel like doing this one at the moment. I am working on it though - I promise!
Thank you so much to: Cad2u, The Fiffth Marauder and ElizabethGMontgomery and everyone who added me to their alerts (and any other reviewer who I forgot)!
Cad2u: I'll come back to Candice within a few chapters and your question shall be answered. Just hang tight!
Okay, in case anyone hasn't noticed, I'm very bad at writing children. Please bear with me, better chapters are to come!
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Chapter Four:
The Bite
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Remus knelt by the water's edge, his bright amber eyes fixed on a toad which was sitting on a rock in the river. The toad croaked as though it sensed the boy there. Slowly, the small boy shifted the long stick in his hand, trying to make it longer so it would reach the toad. He bit down on his tongue, which stuck out slightly in his concentration. If only the stick were a bit longer, then maybe -
"Rem? Remmy, what are you doing?"
Remus jumped in surprise; his grip on the stick slacked and half of it splashed into the water. Startled, the toad jumped as well... right into the water.
"No!" Remus cried, scrambling to his feet, throwing the stick to the ground angrily. "Rommy, why?" he demanded of the older boy, who had reached his side.
His older brother, Romulus, picked up the stick and examined it in silence. "What were you going to do," Romulus asked, quizzically glancing at his furious brother, "kill it?"
Remus shook his head, frustrated that his brother had scared away his toad. "No, I was gonna catch it for Mummy!"
"You could have fallen in," Romulus pointed out.
"I can swim."
Romulus snorted and threw it into the river. "Come on." Romulus grinned at his brother, ruffling his hair. "It's getting dark. Mum will be getting worried about us."
The smaller boy puffed out his chest importantly. "You can't tell me what to do," he said hotly. "I'm four and a half."
Romulus rolled his eyes, which were a chocolate brown like their father's. "I'm seven, Rem. I can tell you to do whatever I want, now move!" He pushed his brother slightly, which made Remus nearly lose his footing.
"Don't push me!" The younger boy whined, regaining his footing and trying to push his brother back.
"You'll have to catch me, Rem," Romulus teased, turning and running out of the woods.
Remus stared after his brother for a moment, then huffed angrily and started after him.
"Rom! Rommy, wait!" the small boy yelled, pumping his small legs as fast as he could.
Whether his brother could hear him or not, he didn't know. All he knew was Romulus seemed to speed up his pace, making Remus slow down, breathing hard.
"Rommy!" The boy whined loudly.
Romulus seemed to have definitely heard that one for he slowed and came to a stop, turning on the spot with his arms crossed. "Remus, come on!" He called impatiently.
"Romulus? Remus?"
Romulus glanced over his shoulder as his brother half-ran, half-walked towards him. "Coming mum!" he yelled. Once Remus caught up with him, he grabbed the boy's hand and led him out of the trees.
Their mother, Samantha Apollo, stood at the edge of the forest, looking very stern. Her arms were crossed and her wand stuck threateningly out of her pocket. "There you boys are." Her unwavering gaze was fixed on her young sons, Romulus in particular. "Romulus Apollo, how could you possibly have let your brother go into the forest when you were supposed to be watching him?"
Romulus shifted his feet anxiously. "It isn't my fault, mum," he mumbled, gazing up at her with innocent eyes.
Samantha's stern lips twitched slightly. Romulus tried hard not to smile. His mother tried to be strict, but the innocent act won her over each and every time. Sighing, Samantha shook her head and knelt down so she was eye-level with her boys.
"You," she told her eldest son seriously, "are a trouble-maker, young man."
Romulus grinned and Samantha finally smiled, ruffling her son's medium-brown hair.
"You're so much like your father was," she murmured, frowning.
"Mummy!"
Samantha looked around at her youngest son, who seemed to have been trying to get his mother's attention.
"Mummy, I tried to catch a frog!"
Samantha stared at him. Remus puffed his chest out happily. With a quick glance in Romulus' direction, she smiled nervously.
"Oh, really?"
"Uh-huh." The boy bobbed his head excitedly, his light brown hair falling into his eyes. "But, but it hopped away. It falled into the water."
"Fell," Romulus muttered.
"I'm just glad you didn't," Samantha affirmed, standing and taking each of her sons by the hand.
"Mum, can you teach me chess, tonight?" Romulus asked excitedly as the trio walked towards the small cottage.
"We'll see," Samantha said, winking at him.
"Me too!" Remus said loudly.
"You won't understand it," Romulus snapped at him. "You're too young."
"No I'm not!"
"Boys," Samantha began sharply, but a booming voice cut her off.
"Samantha, I thought you had a handle on them."
Samantha stopped and released her sons' hands. "I do, Socrates," she replied calmly.
"Daddy!" Remus began to run towards his father, but Socrates pointed his wand at the boy.
"Halt."
Remus stopped dead, staring up at his father's wand with wonder and fear.
"Goodness, Socrates, he's just a boy!" Samantha snapped, cradling her young son in her arms.
Socrates snorted. "With your coddling, he may as well be a girl."
Samantha's face grew hot with anger and shame.
"Look at him, Samantha. He's filthy with mud," Socrates continued, eyeing his son with disgust. "That is the improper sort of play for a pure-blood, no less an Apollo."
Remus cringed under his cold, hard stare. Samantha, however, looked furious.
"Take your brother inside, Romulus," she told her eldest son gently.
Romulus nodded and took his brother's hand. The boy made no sound as his brother led him closer to the house.
Samantha turned back to her husband. "He is almost five, Socrates." She said angrily. "Remus is a child. You cannot treat him like an adult when he barely knows how to read! Not to mention, both of our children are half-bloods."
"Yes, tainted with Mudblood filth," Socrates sneered.
Samantha's eyes flashed. "You didn't have to marry me, you pure-blood folly."
Smack.
Samantha stumbled as her face snapped to the side, her light brown locks falling into her face. Socrates said nothing, but quietly turned and walked towards the house, leaving his wife in the cool evening.
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"Are you certain, dear?" Claire Lupin, her mother's best friend, fastened the last button on the back of Samantha's wedding dress. "I mean, you are only eighteen and fresh out of Hogwarts... why would you get married so soon and throw your life away?"
Samantha laughed, turning around and smiling broadly. "Claire, it's not the end of my life, but the beginning; I love Socrates and we're going to build a life together."
Claire shook her head. "I still say, Sam," she said disapprovingly. "Ravenclaws pride themselves on excellent insight. Do you really think that this Slytherin chap is right for you?"
Samantha sighed, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Claire," she said softly, "I can't live without him. Ever since my parents died, he is all I have left. I love him."
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"Mum?"
Samantha jumped and looked across the table. Romulus sat across from her, staring expectantly at her.
She smiled coyly. "I'm sorry Romulus. Was it my turn?"
Romulus nodded; looking back at the board as his mother frowned, scanning it for possible moves.
Remus had eventually gotten bored of the game and had settled himself next to his father, listening in interest as his father read the paper aloud.
"Wazzat mean?" could be heard frequently, making Socrates stop and explain what he had just read in four-year old terms.
Samantha grinned to herself, imagining Socrates' annoyed face as she moved her Queen to D4. "Check," Samantha stated, then began to explain to her son what it meant and what he could do to get out of check.
At last, Socrates huffed loudly and threw his paper to the floor with a flourish. "Remus. Romulus. Bed." Romulus jumped down from his chair, but Remus opened his mouth to protest. At a stern look from his father, the boy gulped and scrambled off of the couch, hurrying towards his brother.
"I'll go tuck them in," Samantha told her husband and followed her children out of the room.
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"What a day," Samantha sighed, flopping down on the couch next to her husband. She leaned back comfortably for a moment before going on. She smiled dreamily. "Just think: In four years, Romulus will be going to school, and in seven, so will Remus." She laughed. "Goodness, these years are going to go by so quickly, aren't they?"
A grunt came from behind the paper that her husband had retrieved. Samantha exhaled shortly through her nose, feeling frustrated.
"As it's close," said Socrates' voice from behind the paper, "we should begin to discuss the boys' education."
Samantha frowned. "Why? They're going to Hogwarts, aren't they?"
"I'd rather the boys go to Durmstrang, Sam." Socrates set the paper down and glanced at his wife.
Her mouth fell open in disbelief. "Durmstrang? The school for the Dark Arts?"
"The very same."
"But - why?"
"It is a much finer institute than Hogwarts. I am friends with the Headmaster, Imus Karkaroff. His son, Igor, started this year. Imus informed me that the students there are taught the Dark Arts so they will be able to defend themselves against it. Besides, I have been told that Dumbledore, that Muggle-loving ninny, is set to serve as Headmaster in a few years. Dippit seems to have gone off his rocker, having hand-picked Dumbledore himself."
"That's wonderful." Samantha smiled. "I always liked Professor Dumbledore. He's a good man."
Socrates shook his head. "No. We're sending the boys to Durmstrang."
"What if we sent them each to a different school?" Samantha suggested. "For example: We could send Romulus to Durmstrang and Remus to Hogwarts. This way we would both be happy."
"Absolutely not. We are sending the boys to Durmstrang, and that's final!" Socrates barked, causing Samantha to shrink away slightly as he raised the newspaper.
"Mum? Dad?"
Socrates lowered the paper as he and Samantha looked around. Two small boys stood at the foot of the stairs, clad in their nighties. Remus was gripping Romulus' hand very tightly, looking scared.
"Boys, go to bed," Socrates said sternly.
Remus bit his lip and glanced at the window. Romulus, however, kept his father's gaze.
"We can't," Romulus said, uncertainly. "There was a dog barking under our window."
"A dog." Socrates repeated flatly.
"What kind of dog?" Samantha asked, standing.
"Well, I didn't see it," Romulus said slowly, glancing down at his brother. "Remus did though. He said it was big and hairy. Like a wolf."
"A wolf?" Socrates was suddenly on his feet, his wand out.
He towered above Remus menacingly. His son shrank behind his older brother. "Are you sure, boy?" he asked, his eyes boring into his youngest son. Remus nodded quickly and Socrates quickly strode to the window.
"A full moon," he murmured, turning to his wife, who looked very anxious.
"Samantha, if I am correct, what Remus saw was a werewolf under their window."
Samantha froze. "A werewolf?"
Socrates nodded and turned to the boys just as a crash sounded in the kitchen.
"Boys, get behind me!" Samantha ordered, pulling out her wand and stepping up beside her husband just as she heard soft snarling.
As the children ran behind their parents, the kitchen door was knocked off of its hinges by a beast. It was a wolf, just as Romulus had described. It was large and hairy with spittle dripping from its jaws as it turned its gaze to the two adults in the room. Samantha heard Socrates curse softly as the wolf began to advance, snarling viciously.
"Stun it, on three," Socrates muttered to Samantha, his eyes never leaving the beast.
"It'll bounce off!" she hissed back.
The wolf, sensing hesitation and weakness, snapped its teeth and leaped at Samantha.
"THREE!" Socrates bellowed and two jets of red light collided with the beast's stomach.
It fell to the ground as the spells bounced off of it in either direction. Socrates turned to his wife, looking grim.
"Samantha, grab the boys and get out of here. Apparate if you can."
He turned back to the beast, leaving no room for argument. Samantha hesitated, then hurried to the couch, where her boys were huddling together. Two pairs of eyes gazed back into her amber ones and she grabbed their hands. Diagon Alley, she thought desperately, trying to block out the sound of her husband fighting the wolf. Diagon Alley. She couldn't concentrate on any part of the alley, not even the pub that one had to enter through to get to Diagon Alley. She looked up just in time to see Socrates pinned under the wolf, his hands on the beast's snout to keep any bites at bay. Samantha released her boys' hands and pointed her wand to the left of the wolf.
"Reducto." she whispered and part of the wall blew up, pieces of it hitting the wolf at various spots on its body.
The wolf looked up, its yellow eyes fixed on Samantha and then on a point just behind her. It leaped off of Socrates and knocked Samantha aside.
"No!" Samantha gasped, fumbling for her wand as the wolf stopped short of the two boys.
Its yellow eyes met each of theirs in turn. First Romulus' dark brown eyes, then Remus' amber ones and back again. The wolf growled as flames erupted on its backside, its eyes fixing on Samantha. With a loud snarl, the wolf jumped up on the couch, one paw pinning each of them down and its jaws found its target.
Remus screamed.
"Remus!" Socrates bellowed, scrambling to his feet at last, his clothes bloody from the wolf's nails digging into him.
Samantha turned the fire blue and the wolf released the boys, almost screaming in a human-like way in pain. It leaped at her with murder in its eyes as both Samantha and Socrates shot a flash of bright light at the wolf. It froze and slowly began to morph back into a human.
Socrates gasped. "Ferinir?"
Ferinir Greyback grinned, blood dribbling from his mouth as he patted the out fire on his back.
"A filthy half-breed, eh, Socrates?" the werewolf cackled. "I would have loved to turn you into someone like me, but I think your boy deserves it so much more, don't you think?"
"You bastard," Socrates whispered, his fists shaking with rage.
Greybeck roared with laughter, morphing back into a wolf and leaping through the sitting room window.
Romulus grabbed his brother's hand as the smaller boy fainted from pain and blood loss. Socrates and Samantha stared at one another in horror and rushed to their sons, one of whom had blood oozing from is left shoulder.
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"I am very sorry," Healer Jemson said, gazing at the Apollos sympathetically. "Werewolf bites can be treated, but cannot be cured. I am afraid your son is a werewolf for life."
Samantha closed her eyes, feeling a wave of emotions wash over her.
"What can we do?" Socrates asked, his hand gripping his wife's quite gently.
"You have two options," Jemson said, gazing between them sadly. "You could register him as a werewolf, or you could put him down. The choice is yours."
"We'll put him down," Socrates said firmly.
"No, we won't." Samantha looked up at her husband.
"Sam, he'll be a menace if kept alive," Socrates said harshly, pulling his hand out of hers. "He'll never have a normal life. He's better off dead."
"I won't let you harm my baby!" Samantha said angrily, standing up out of the chair she had just been in. Socrates' eyes darkened on his wife. "Fine," He replied coldly. "We won't put him down." The Healer nodded and left the room. Socrates stepped closer to Samantha, rage in his eyes. "You take him then. I'll take our normal son. If I ever see Remus again, I'll kill him." With that, he turned and stormed from the room, leaving Samantha staring after him in disbelief.
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A/N: Wow, this was my longest chapter so far! To me, it was important because it is what made the Marauders, the Marauders. I had a lot of fun writing this too. (and yes, I love the though of Remus having a brother named Romulus)
The next chapter won't be as long, but it's about Sirius.
Please review!