Author's Note: I do not any of the Harry Potter and Ninja Turtle characters. All original characters belong to me.
Chapter Eleven
Tension could be cut through with a knife, as Remus stood ready to pounce at any attempt from Greyback to step over the mark that was between them.
"She's on her way," Remus's voice was without warning.
This amused Greyback a little. "Interesting how much it must torment you to know that it was you who talked my daughter into meeting with me. The sheer irony of being both made by the same wolf standing before you."
Remus did his best to ignore this.
Greyback studied the young werewolf before him. Remus avoiding his steely blue gaze.
"You have it wrong," the older werewolf said to the younger.
"Have what wrong?" Remus unwittingly asked.
"I wasn't the one who murdered her," said Greyback.
Remus looked right at him, disbelieving the words spoken. "But you're the one who is responsible!"
"My only crime, Lupin, was falling in love again. How was I to know that it be within your sister?"
"You forced her!"
Greyback shook his head. "You know as well as I do, that if a male forces the she-wolf to be his mate, it can have dire consequences! Little was I to know that the one girl I did turn into a werewolf, out of my lesson to teach your father, along with you, her brother, would be the same one who became my mate."
"You lie!" Remus spat. "Rosemarie would never allow you to …"
"Oh, but she did! You were only still a young boy of eight, back then. I do not know what you may have been told, Lupin, but this whole thing of my forcing Rosemarie to being mine, only to then kill her when I knew she was carrying? That's a whole load of bullshit!
"I would never, ever, ever harm my mate! Even more when I knew she was carrying my child! Not Celestia! Who birthed my daughter, your mate! Not Rosemarie! Who was carrying my unborn son! The one they sliced out of her so crudely and cruelly and …" Greyback clenched his fists in rage. "You saw what was done to them!"
Remus remembered the vision as clear as day. His sister's brutally attacked body and lying upon her chest, with his limbs and body …
A hot tear rolls down, clenched fists, wand still at his side.
"Give me one good reason why I should believe you saying the truth?"
Greyback allowed that. "Because I was the one who directed you to her body. You didn't see me, but …"
"I knew you were there," Remus finished.
"I know I am a savage, Lupin," said Greyback. "But I know where I belong. I know the laws of our kind. The only people who would dare to do that would be the very people I am pretty sure would be trying to down Freya." Greyback caught what he was after from the younger wolf. "You know I am right, Lupin. Who attacked her?"
Remus was taken aback.
"I didn't go inside your head. But I saw it in your demeanour just now."
"Justin Southall and Louis Mulciber," Kiara spoke, before Remus could reply.
She and Severus had arrived up behind Remus. Severus with his wand out, Kiara bearing no such arms … but Greyback knew.
The two joined Remus at the barrier.
"Freya," said Greyback, uncharacteristically relaxing upon the sight of her.
"Hello, father," Kiara replied a little stiff.
"At least I now know where the heart-shape outline came from," Severus voiced.
Kiara looks at Severus with a perplexed look.
"Mum changed herself to look something like an older version of you over the years," Severus explained. "Don't ask me why."
"That would be because of Eileen's desire to have the natural design of beauty, since taking Freya into your home!" Greyback said, shifting to a more comfortable position on his feet.
"How did I end up with her? Believing she was my mother? And Severus to be my brother?" Kiara asked.
Greyback began to explain; "Eileen took you in as part of an oath her family had to help protect the Demetrius Pack. The Prince Family come from the few families, who placed their allegiance to ensure safety upon their assigned Pack. Something like personal bodyguards, if one can put it simply. After the death of your mother, I had to keep you as well protected as I could from Hunters … and you would now know of their capabilities, even if it's the tip of the iceberg.
"When the Ministry made the statement that there were no public records of existing she-wolves, it spelled out danger to all packs and nomads. For it was a blanketed way of telling all Werewolf Hunters that they can have a field day, just like it before, only, according to the records, no she-wolves are proven to be of being. When that is farthest from the truth. Every birth and death of a wolf was still being recorded!
"Including yours, Freya.
"You were born to Celesta of the Demetrius Pack. The most powerful and ancient line. Descended the very ones who made the laws and how we choose to exist today. Even with the ever going prejudice upon us. Unfortunately, because of the carrying ons of the Hunters of the old, the Pack was dwindled down, until there was only Celesta left. A young wolf of seventeen and unclaimed for, for she was the Queen!"
"Wizards don't have Royalty," Severus pointed out.
"But wolves do!"Greyback countered. "We're in many ways, wizards and witches, yes. But we're also like the wolf of which we're connected and in ways descended from. We have a sort of pecking order, one can say. Different to wolves, different to the Muggles and Wizards, but near the same. Celesta was the Alpha, another way of saying Queen."
"How does a murderous beast like you get to the Alpha female?" Remus demanded. 'Sorry, Okami … I just … want to make sense of this too,' he slipped to Kiara.
'I know, Moony,' Kiara understood, and softly slipped her hand into his to assure it.
"We were arranged," Greyback answered. "If you have been able to secure those certain records, and learn from whatever you have been able to get. You may have come to know that arranged marriages were part of the wolf way. It wasn't uncommon for the female heir to the being the Top of the Packs, to have a suitor in the waiting from the moment she is practically born."
Remus remembered. Even saying as much to Kiara at one time or another.
"But why you?"
Greyback would have seen these sorts of questions coming.
"Does it really matter as to why I was chosen? The fact of the matter is, I was!" he spoke clearly. "Freya would not have been. As the rules of the Wolf state that when a pair has been arranged, no female can submit to another, while the male cannot claim another.
"Similar to the old ways of way back whenever ago. Even some cultures of today, who still practice arranged marriage. The moment a female is born, not made, born, for the first six years, her parents must choose whom would be a suitable match to her, so when she becomes of breeding age, she is with a mate. Regardless of her status, or even that of the male she would be paired with. For it comes down to what's going to ensure healthy offspring. You know, that whole animal instinct thing and all."
"There must have been a loophole," Severus frowned.
"Pardon?"
"A loophole to that Arranged thing," Severus elaborated a little more.
"Why would you say that?"
Severus looks at Kiara and Remus who were standing at his right. "Them! Last I checked, I don't think anyone arranged for them to become a pair. They just became one. For as far as we're aware, my own mother was the one who raised her until she was six, then Kiara was with Yoshi in Japan! I don't even know what Remus's parents had decided, but, pretty sure arranged pairings wasn't one of them."
"See, that is where you are wrong, Snape," Greyback came out with. "My daughter, being born had to have an arrangement of sorts made!" He showed none of the amusement he might of on any other occasion. No, he was very serious. "Any male would have loved to have become paired with Freya. And believe me, I have been made some pretty good offers to give Freya over to whoever thought they could charm me."
Remus felt his lip curl, Kiara just lowered her gaze, while Severus still frowned.
"You chose Remus," Kiara quietly summed it up, but loud enough to be heard.
"Why?" Remus dared to ask.
"Quite simple really," said Greyback. "Your father insulted me, that is true. But my teaching your old man a lesson wasn't the only reason why you were targeted. I didn't have the intention of attacking your sister, Lupin. Yet, you ought to know when werewolves start to attack humans …"
"Yeah, I get the picture," Remus said.
"But, Kiara would have been living with us by the time of your attacking Remus," Severus pointed out, with a small frown.
Kiara dropped to her knees, the memory coming back to her.
"But … I wasn't home with you that night, Severus," she said. "It was me!"
Remus and Severus looked at her with surprise.
Greyback, however, was not as surprised. "You're remembering, aren't you?"
A tear started, followed by another, down Kiara's cheek, as she slowly looked up at Remus, a face full of fear, shame and apology, as she said it telepathically;
'It wasn't my father who attacked you that night! It was me! I did it!'
Shock was an understatement to the expression Remus had upon his face at this. Remus stared at Kiara, unable to find the words to form to reply.
"You were not far off from turning four, Freya, so convincing her that it was simply a game wasn't as hard. I told you that Remus Lupin really wanted to play, that he thought it would be fun to be a wolf, just like you ... and you would also have your Prince Charming, just like those Muggle Fairy Tales you used to beg for." The older wolf had no near ounce of regret within his voice. "As for the night you ended up in hospital. You were meant to be handed straight over to me, as was the laws and rules of the Guardians. Your sixth birthday was when you were meant to be handed to me, Freya, so you would be raised among your own."
"What happened to change that?" Severus asked carefully, keeping a close eye on his adopted sister and brother-in-law, who were both going in powerful mixes of shock, anger and pain right now.
"Your mother, Eileen Prince …" Greyback sneered, to which Severus widened his eyes a little. "She broke her family vow! When her father, your grandfather, Severus Snape, found out that Eileen was going to hand you, Freya, over to Southalls and the Gerhardts, instead of me, he came to me, at great risk to his own safety, as he knew I was about to turn when the moon was coming in.
"I remember that Asian man, he came near at the end of what had happened. Has he at all, said of the small group of other people that were also there? Knocked out? And of the woman, Eileen, using her wand?"
Kiara nodded slowly. "He has."
Greyback exhaled. "She was the one who kept tampering with your memory, Freya. She was the one who wanted you to forget who I was! Who you were! She was going to just do that and hand you over to people who would have taken great pleasure in torturing you! And not knowing as to why!"
"It would explain why there were moments when you could not remember who I was," Severus said to Kiara.
Kiara's hands were in fists, the tears still streaming. Remus was almost dead calm on the surface. Severus was now slowly turning the news of his own family's involvement in his mind, and the cover up.
Greyback continued, "I allowed the Asian to take you, Freya. I had to. When I learned of his trying to help you, and as a result wishing to adopt you for no-one was claiming you, I had to allow it. Giving him the information he needed to assure it and seal it.
"After nearly nine years of not knowing whether you were okay, or not, I knew the decision was the correct one, when I learned that you were back in the United Kingdom. I had to send word to Dumbledore, he and I may despise each other, which is fair, but he is known to be a fair man and one who can ensure well-being to those who truly deserved it. Plus uphold certain … arrangements that had been made.
"Just as much as knowing that, while it skipped a generation, the Prince line still upheld their guardianship. Even if it was unknowingly!"
Severus saw a glimmer of appreciation in Greyback's eyes, and knew it wasn't false.
"So now you all know," the werewolf finished, looking at each of the three one at a time, and stopping last upon Kiara. "Níl mé ag iarraidh maithiúnas, cailín mac tíre álainn. Bhí mé díreach leat a fhios ag an fhírinne. Tá tú fós níos mó a fhoghlaim ar do bloodline, Freya. Ach, creidim, do anois, is é seo go léir is féidir liom a rá." (translation; I am not asking for forgiveness, beautiful wolf girl. I just wanted you to know the truth. You still have more to learn of your bloodline, Freya. But, I believe, for now, this is all I can tell.)
Kiara raised her hazel eyes to meet her father's steely blue;
"Gabhaim buíochas leat as do macántacht, Athair. Glacaim do focal na fírinne!" she began to say, while also telepathically translating to Remus in kind. 'I thank you for your honesty, Father. I accept your word of truth!'
Remus listened intently, Severus wishing he understood, but had a feeling he did. Greyback knew that it was wise to hear Kiara, now;
"Níl a fhios agam más féidir liom logh duit, do ghníomhartha bhfuil tú a chur ar mo maité, Remus Lúipín agus mé"
'I do not know if I can forgive you, for your actions you have placed upon my mate, Remus Lupin and I'
"Tá súil agam go díreach forgives sé liom!"
'I just hope that he forgives me!'
"Bhí muid leanaí neamhchiontach, Athair! Conas is féidir leat a dhéanamh? Chun liom, do leanbh féin? Agus go ceann eile óga?"
'We were innocent children, Father! How could you do that? To me, your own child? And to another as young?'
"Tá sé cloiste agam de do chuid coireanna go leor, a Athair. Tá mé náire go mbeadh a fhios agam ceangail chugat"
'I have heard of your many crimes, Father. I am ashamed to know I have ties to you.'
"Mar do Alfa ... yes, Athair, DO Alfa! chóir dom a bheith daoradh agat chun báis!"
'As your Alpha ... yes, Father, YOUR Alpha! I should have you sentenced to death!'
"Ach! Mar do iníon, tá mé ag rá leat a fhágáil! Know go raibh sé do chuid focal macánta, ar ár n-iarraidh an fhírinne, a shábháil ar do bhfolach, anocht!"
'But! As your daughter, I am telling you to leave! Know that it was your honest words, on our seeking the truth, that saved your hide, tonight!'
"Anois ... fhágáil linn!"
"Now ... leave us!" she said verbally for Severus to hear it, too.
Kiara did not lower her gaze upon Greyback. Her eyes fierce as can be, even in kneeling her position.
Greyback thought of challenging this. But knew ...
He stood straight and bowed, with the words;
"Sea, d'SOILSE!"
Before turning and leaving the way he came.
Disclaimer;
I deliberately broke it down, as when I first wrote it out on translate, it kept stuffing up on me, and also it was just way too long to translate in one hit. So I figured the best way to get around this was have it so that Kiara was speaking her Irish tongue to Greyback, while also speaking telepathy to Remus.
As for the idea of the Prince name being with some sort of alliance, guardian, protector of sorts to the Demetrius Pack, came from Vampire Academy, if any are familiar with this book, it's about a Dhampir named Rose Hathaway who is sworn to protect the pure-blooded Vampires, Lissa especially. I thought it was a nice way to not only spin the twist, but also give Severus a bit of a saving grace of sorts.