Chapter 2: Useless Comfort

Greyback landed another punch relentlessly. "FENRIR, STOP!" Katrina nearly walked out in front of him to shield Lupin, but she only walked forward.

"DO I HAVE TO ENSURE YOU HE WILL LIVE!" Her expression was blank when he didn't look up.

"MAYBE YOU DO!" She was still uptight as he straightened up and fixed his shirt normally.

He continued the conversation in a cool tone after a short pause, "Well then, he will; now, c'mon moon's already . . ."

The moon's glared reached them through an opening in the camp's ceiling. The light made them bend over in agony. Both werewolves ended up on their knees. Another wolf, presumably Lupin, was standing behind them watching as he saw the moon rise higher and higher. He spoke as the shirts of the two ripped open at the back, "You idiot, Greyback, . . . Never heard of Wolfsbane, eh?"

Both stood at the same time, the male, Greyback, spoke, "Idiot, who're you calling an idiot!" He turned to face the moon, howling moments after.

"Umm . . . Yeah, I'm guessing I'm in trouble, huh? RUNNING AWAY!"

"AFTER HIM!" At least twenty wolves were growling at the wolf's wake. They all shouted and howled at the night's moon. A few saying at the same moment, "GIVE CHASE!" And they did, Greyback and Katrina at the lead.

. . . In the Burrow . . . Molly Weasley tries to comfort Tonks . . .

"Oh, Tonks, so glad to see you? Are you hungry?" Molly's delighted face looked past the door out at the darkness.

Tonks walked inside, responding to the question, her face tear-stained, "No, not really."

Molly, noticing the tears, asked almost immediately, thinking at the same time. "Remus again? He's beginning to get on my nerves. He knows what she going through, and why, and won't even write and I'm sorry, or something of then sort!"

"Well, what's wrong? Why are you crying dear?"

"Why am I asking her this! I know why!" Her mind raced as she thought and spoke at the same moment.

She answered slowly. "Someone's been attack by Greyback. They reported a middle-aged, 35-36 year man."

"And you think it's Remus?" She walked over to her, gripping her shoulder, her eyes closed as she tried to comfort Nymphadora. Thinking quickly, she didn't open her eyes.

"He really is starting to get on my nerves!"

. . . Back in the silent camp . . . Something lurked in the woods . . . Searching for shelter away from the raging werewolves . . .

"Now, all I have to do is wait for sunrise!" a wolf in a cave declared. Remus Lupin looked out from the opening of the cave. He ceiling was low, but he was used to it. After going under the Whomping Willow with his friends and by himself for seven years, he certainly didn't mind this. Thinking about his past, he nearly laid down and decided to anyway. With his head on his paws, he thought of something else. "Maybe she really doesn't care." He breathed in deeply, sighing many times before he slowly fell asleep, losing himself in a sea of thoughts.

. . . The sun rose quietly over the trees outside the den Remus Lupin slept in . . .

Silence crept over and into the den. Remus Lupin stepped out of the den, more likely crawled. The space was far to narrow for him to climb in as a human, but he had remembered the night before, unlike so many before the potion had been created.

He looked out over the bushes, expecting to see tents, but he knew better. "Ah . . . Now, I need to ask Dumbledore if I'm allowed to come home for Christmas . . . Some Merry Christmas." He thought about what would happen when he got to the Burrow. Harry would probably be there. Along with his red-headed friend. Ron. He would then be left alone. Yes, some merry Christmas. He wouldn't be able to stay at the Burrow long. Molly would almost kill him if he didn't go home to spend Christmas at with a certain someone. He sighed gently. He was worried of course. With the weird feelings he had around her, he was certain to screw something up.

Quietly, he walked into the camp, nearly walking into a few fallen down canvases because of inattentiveness. He looked up, away from the wrecked camp. They would certainly have some repairing jobs going out. He looked around the main ring of tents near the center of the camp. Greyback's, Katrina's, his own, and Montague's, who had unceremoniously taken a trip home because of some sort of illness. But Remus didn't mind that as he walked forward toward the ashen, smoking fire. He didn't bother with it because he muttered quietly, "Good, just as I left . . . It."

He stopped the sentence slowly as he walked into his tent. Everything was ruined. He noticed the puddle of blood on the packed down floor before the bloodied bird feathers, obviously from his bed, and the thrown over chair with the bitten off desk leg. The broken ink bottle was the last thing he bothered with.

Walking out of the tent slowly and backwards, he raised his wand. "That's it." But he didn't say it exasperatedly. He waved his wand out, speaking loud and clearly, his voice ringing in the distance, "Dumbledore?"

. . . At Hogwarts . . . In the office of the Headmaster . . . Dumbledore shot up with the sound of someone's voice he recognized in immediately and answered the wand call . . .

"Yes?" He recognized the voice immediately, but slower. He had expected the call earlier. He wore a tired expression but a smile had manage to slink across his face. Everything had been living hell with the reports and calls from the Daily Prophet, as well as Death Eater danger. Keeping a school together was bad enough. But he enjoyed the excitement.

He waited for the answer, "May I be relieved for a few days?" Remus's mind answered to the sentence quickly, but he had no control over what it was saying inside his mind. What he did put together was that he would have rather stayed there after he heard his own thoughts. "Please? PLEASE!" It sounded like a dog, whining, begging, imploring to apparate away from the camp. But then he put in the picture of what it meant. He saw her in his mind.

Dumbledore's smiled widened, but not enough to show his teeth. He didn't expect anything of the sort. Just a few reports on what was happening and a short, breath-releasing, reassurance lecture that would have let Tonks know he was alright.

He then replied slowly, "For a while, yes; oh and I received another visit. Would you think about reconsidering what you said the last time?" Dumbledore's face, even though he knew Remus couldn't see it, restricted to a serious expression. He waited for the answer from him.

A sigh sounded from the tip of wand. He barely laughed. And then waited another few moments. "I guess I could, but I'm still not sure."

Remus paused as Dumbledore cut in, "Great, she'll be delighted!"

"GREAT!"

. . . In the Weasley home . . .

Remus stood at the door, almost muttering to himself. But he restrained himself. He just thought silently before knocking on the door, "Maybe it won't matter . . . At all. I mean I know she likes me being there. Hmm . . ." He hesitated, "No, I'm too old, I don't have any money, and there's no cure at all."

His mind slowed as he listened in on what was happening in the kitchen of the home.

. . . In the Burrow's kitchen . . .

Tonks kept her eyes closed as Molly continued trying to comfort her. "He's alright. You've never seen him take on a werewolf as a human. And to use a huge difference he was human. That's not your every day-" Molly would have continued the sentence, but she heard a thunk behind her. Turning to see what it had been, she saw Tonks with her head in her arms, obviously crying. "He's alright, dear," she said slowly. There was a long silence after.

A knock at the door sounded like a bomb dropping because of the silence. "Who's there," Molly's voice sounded harsh as she immediately came up with who it was.

Tonks raised her head up off the table before she spoke. "Remus?" Her expression immediately changed.

Molly's expression was mixed as she spoke as well as her voice. "Password?" She sighed quietly, but not loud enough for the two to hear her.

"Acidpops-- " Remus was stopped before he had the chance to continued on.

"Remus!"