Author's note: Oh, you will not BELIEVE this. My computer got the virus of the century and was killing everything in my system last night. I spent two frantic hours at the crack of dawn with my awesome roommate who knew how much all my stories meant to me even though she doesn't read them. My computer is screwed beyond belief, and has actually been taken away from me for repair, but my roommate at my frantic and desperate cries saved mostly all of my stories and most of the future chapters for this fanfic. As of now, I'm using a temporary replacement computer. Everybody thank my brilliant roommate if you love this story.
Chapter Twenty one- Friend of Dung
"Lupin," Fenrir rasped. "Come here, we were just discussing the Dark Lord's recent plans."
Excellent. Just where he wanted to be, and yet he'd give anything to be miles away from that leering smile and the terrible smell of rancid flesh.
Since he had returned to the pack, everything had seemed a million times worse. He had come back a few months ago feeling resentful, bitter and had dragged himself back to the pack with great trepidation. It was a nightmare having to return back to the old way of living that he had endured up until that brief reprise at Christmas. Remus forced himself to walk over to Fenrir and a few other 'trusted' allies who were standing in a tight circle. Fenrir's smile widened as he allowed Remus to step into the ring.
"How did you like our most recent escapade?"
Just recently, Fenrir and several others of the pack brandishing various weapons had attacked a muggle convenience store for no reason what so ever except to simply vandalize and terrorize. The place had been smashed and destroyed but fortunately there were no deaths. Two muggles had been injured however and had to have their memories erased because Fenrir who had recently acquired a stolen wand had used it on them. Remus had been unaware of this, for as the other werewolves were smashing the place to bits (or in Michel Jacques's case- using kerosene to start burning the place down) Remus had been helping several other terrified muggles escape out the back of the building.
"Quite an eye opening experience." Remus said truthfully, and Fenrir chuckled.
"Tell me Lupin, have you ever heard of the Montgomery's?"
Remus shook his head. "No." he said mildly.
"Not even up at the school you worked at for a year?"
Remus thought about this, but try as he might, could not remember a Montgomery. He remembered a Slytherin named Montague whom he had told off repeatedly in his class for acting up, but couldn't recall a Montgomery.
"No?" Fenrir asked after watching Remus thinking. "Probably too young for school anyway at that time."
Remus frowned. "Who are they?"
But Fenrir waved his long, yellow-nailed hand dismissively. "Algea Montgomery, she's a mother of three, and her husband's a muggle." He spat derisively on the concrete floor before continuing, "She has a very high ranking position at the Ministry in the Floo Network Authority. Not a very prestigious job you might think, but with the amount of eavesdropping that goes on in there… Well to put it this way, the Dark Lord wants certain information. Information that only she could provide and yet refuses to give."
"The Imperius curse?" It was a question rather than a suggestion.
Fenrir laughed. "No, this time the Dark Lord realizes that a more careful approach must be taken in this particular situation. And he's kindly asked us to take part."
"Us?"
"Well, me." The werewolf said smugly. "The Dark Lord trusts me enough to get the job done properly for him."
Trusts you? Ha. Any fool can recognize your bloodlust Fenrir and your determination to use it in whatever way is possible. It doesn't take the most powerful dark wizard of our time to figure that one out.
But as Remus thought of this he suddenly realized what was actually at stake.
"You mean-?" Remus said hoarsely. "You're going to bite one of the children?"
Several of the other werewolves exchanged excited sniggers. Remus ignored them.
"Now, now Lupin-" Fenrir said as if he were talking to an overly impatient student. "That's not your business to know. I brought you over here to talk about…" he frowned, apparently thinking hard and then turned to the other werewolves, "What were we talking about again?"
"The news from down in Kent, a recently turned werewolf ran amuck and got caught." one said.
"Right." said Fenrir. He saw Remus's stony expression and smiled. "Don't worry Lupin, I'll make sure you get your chance one of these days."
Remus said nothing. Pretending to listen to the other's conversation about the Kent werewolf, he thought quickly…
Fenrir had asked if he had heard of the Montgomery's from school- there were three children. That meant at least one of them at least was young enough to be at home still and not attending school since the attack was obviously planned to take place soon.
The full moon was only a few days away. Would Fenrir strike now, or wait till the next full moon? Was Voldemort really intending to carry out his threat or was it simply a threat and nothing more-? More and more questions piled up in his head, all without answers.
And then suddenly a voice interrupted his thoughts, as well as the other werewolves' conversation. Vidar Clancy was standing there before them, telling them the recent news-
"-and so they back tracked and caught the man. He's being watched right now by Fredrick."
"And he found us here? How?" Fenrir asked.
"We don't know yet."
Fenrir turned to glance back suspiciously at Remus. "He's the third one who's found our hideaway within a few months. Perhaps we ought to find a new place to live, as it's getting too damn risky."
"If you know where to look and spend your time piecing the clues together you eventually figure it out." Remus said quietly. "It takes awhile though, since not too many wizards are keen in helping to find a lair of underground werewolves."
Fenrir raised an eyebrow at this and apparently satisfied with Remus's answer for now, nodded his agreement before turning back to the werewolf who had just addressed them.
"Well, Vidar- where did you say they were?"
"Right down the path here." said the werewolf, backing up respectfully as Fenrir pushed past him.
The other werewolves immediately fell into step behind Fenrir, talking excitedly but Remus lingered back to talk to Vidar.
"A newcomer?" he asked him curiously.
He nodded. "He's more than a little anxious. Probably just bitten somewhat recently from the looks of it."
Remus followed in silence for a moment before asking, "Fenrir said this man is the third person to find our hideaway recently. If this newcomer is one, and I'm one, who was the third?"
Vidar laughed quietly. "That was Michel Jacques."
Remus pondered this information for a moment. "How on earth did he find it?"
Vidar gave him a knowing look. "The kid's a delinquent. He'd figure anything illegal out."
"But he's a muggle. How did he even know where the pack was or even knew it existed?"
"Perhaps he still believed in fairy tales." Vidar said with a cold smile.
They had reached the ring of werewolves at last. Pushing his way forward Remus followed the other werewolves who had joined the large circle as Fenrir stepped into the center.
Fredrick Kemp was standing over a terrified looking man who was half-covered in shadows.
"Who is this?" Fenrir demanded.
"He won't tell me. He says that's he's spent a few months trying to find us and he just wants to join the pack."
"Werewolf?" Fenrir questioned as he walked up to the man, almost sniffing the air as if he could detect the fear.
"I am." The man stammered. He was obviously terrified. Remus moved to the side to get a better look and the movement seemed to attract the man's attention. His nervous eyes fell casually on Remus before immediately doing a double take.
Fenrir who was about to start the interrogation process looked over his shoulder to see what the prisoner was looking at.
The man was staring point blank at Remus, looking stunned. "I've seen you somewhere before, haven't I?"
The pack was absolutely silent now as they stared at them both, the loudest sound in the vaulted tunnel was the water steadily dripping from the cracked walls.
"I don't think so." Remus said honestly.
"No, I'm sure I have."
Remus staring at the man in the shadows wondered if the man was slightly off his rocker. "I don't believe we've met before."
"No, no, no!" the man exclaimed. "Your face and your voice-"
"Perhaps it was just somebody who looked-"
"-the hospital! That's where I saw you-"
Remus frowned. "I think you're just a little confused-"
"You were at St. Mungo's!"
And suddenly the penny dropped as the flash of recognition hit him.
Oh…my…god…
It was the werewolf from St Mungos. The one Remus had met over a year ago when he went with the Weasley family at Christmas to visit an injured Arthur from the snake attack. The man now in front of him had been lying beside the bed next to Mr. Weasely when Remus had gone over to talk to him at the time…
"Hello." he had said with a kind smile.
"Come to stare? Come to gawk at me?" snarled the man.
Remus had raised an eyebrow, not totally unprepared for this sort of reaction. "No." he said calmly. "Just wanted to say Happy Christmas."
The man let out an incredulous snort. "I'm a werewolf now." He said loudly.
"I heard."
He frowned. Obviously he had not expected such a calm reaction from Remus. "Who the hell are you?" he asked angrily.
"It's not particularly important, but my name is Remus Lupin." He said, taking the chair beside the man's bed.
The werewolf's frown deepened. "Lupin?" he repeated. "That sounds awfully familiar…I might've read it somewhere perhaps?"
Remus smiled grimly. "I daresay you might have."
"And you have nothing better to do on Christmas day than sit at the bedside of a werewolf, Remus Lupin?"
"I figured you might appreciate the company."
The man looked highly suspicious. Behind him, Remus could hear the children making hasty excuses as they all but bolted from the wing-
There was a furious explosion from Mr. Weasley's bedside.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT'S THE GENERAL IDEA?!?!" Molly Weasley shrieked.
Remus ignored them for the moment. "Do you have any family?"
"Not really." The man spat. "And not any family that would stay by my side after this."
"A friend?"
"And if I say no are you going to ask if you want to be mine?" the man asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Are you a bloody lunatic or what? I'm a werewolf!"
Remus couldn't help but smile at the word 'lunatic'. "I think you'll find that if you are willing to extend a hand out in friendship to others there will always be someone who reaches for it despite the slaps and shoves from others."
The man stared shrewdly at him for a moment before flopping back onto his pillows.
"I wish I was dead." he moaned. "It'd be better than having to live like this now."
"It's not so bad." Remus said. "I recommend chocolate after full moons and some tea. I found that it works best for me when I'm trying to recover."
The man's mouth dropped as he finally realized what Remus was saying. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's shouting match had reached such a decibel Remus was positive it would be impossible to hear anything.
"Fellow werewolf, Remus John Lupin…" he said as he reached over and firmly shook the man's hand. "Happy Christmas."
And with that farewell he offered the man an encouraging smile and left the wing...
Remus could only stare numbly now at the same man before him now-
THINK! screamed a frantic voice in his head. 'When you're going through hell, keep going!' Think for godsakes!
Fenrir was looking from him to the other werewolf. "What did you say?" he asked the man in a low, threatening voice.
"You were with that family-" the man plowed on, oblivious to Fenrir's growing fury. "Red haired bunch…the Weasleys! That's who you were with."
Remus felt like he was going to be sick-
"The Weasley's?" Fenrir growled. "The blood-traitor Weasley's!?!?!"
"I'm sure it was them." The werewolf said quickly. "And then you talked to me for awhile."
Fenrir rounded on Remus with a snarl. "Is this true?"
There was a pause that seemed to last for eternity. The thing he had dreaded for months had finally started to happen. It was all starting to unravel.
"Yes."
Loud murmuring amongst the pack.
"And I suppose you'll want to share with us some wild excuse now?" Fenrir said loudly. The murmuring instantly stopped.
"I have the truth if you'd like to hear it." His hoarse voice was calmer than he thought it could be under this wretched situation.
There was absolute silence now, Remus took a deep breath and spoke, "I taught some of the Weasley children when I worked at Hogwarts for that short time a few years ago. In Saint Mungo's that day I was pretending to be their family friend and they were gullible enough to swallow it for a short time."
"Why pretend?" rasped Fenrir.
"I was working for somebody at that time who wanted me to befriend them."
"And that was…whom?" Fenrir drawled.
"A friend." Remus said evasively, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a believable story.
"A friend." repeated the werewolf.
"Yes." Remus said wildly. "I did have a friend for a short time, his name...his name was Mundungus Fletcher." Dear god, I don't know if this lie is either sheer brilliance or sheer stupidity.
"Dung?" piped up a voice from the side. The thief, David Crawford had spoken up. "I worked with him once before. Sneaky bastard if there ever was one."
Fenrir's lip curled into a look of contempt but the rest of his face revealed no more emotion than that. "And this…Dung, asked you to befriend the Weasley's? Why?"
"Dung had a grudge against Arthur Weasley who had raided his apartment the year before and discovered the illegal bewitched teapots that he had been selling as muggle-baiting."
It was almost the perfect lie…
…almost.
"So what did Dung want you to do?" Fenrir asked.
There was the shortest of pauses as Remus's mind created yet another plausible lie-
"Dung was hoping that I might be able to plant some incriminating evidence in the Weasley household to convict them of breaking Arthur's own 'Muggle Protection Act'."
"And why did you choose to go along with this?"
"It paid well."
"And did you go through with it?"
"Unfortunately, Dung's plans were abandoned when his import of exploding Japanese table lamps fell through."
From one of the sides of the circle, Randolph Horrell was watching him intently, his grey eyes burning with a cold fire. Fenrir was staring at Remus as if he had never seen him before and the werewolf on the ground looked utterly bewildered at the scene before him.
"We'll deal with this later." decided Fenrir, but the werewolf on the ground suddenly spoke up,
"Is this what you meant than that day when you said 'if you're willing to extend a hand out in friendship to others there will always be someone who reaches for it?'"
Remus nodded furiously, though inside he felt like kicking something.
No! That isn't what I meant you bloody fool!
But it was a hopeless situation. Either he agreed with the man or more suspicion was thrown on his quickly deteriorating reputation.
"Yes." Said Randolph's icy, clipped voice from the side. "Between working with us or Mundungus Fletcher, it's quite a difficult decision." The sarcasm was quite audible in his menacing voice.
"As I said," snapped Fenrir impatiently. "We'll deal with this later."
Randolph said nothing, perhaps not wanting to irritate the leader of the pack even more, or perhaps because he had already gotten his point across.
The new werewolf was dragged away to be interrogated privately- very much unlike how Remus had been treated and questioned when he first arrived. But Remus had more important things on his mind. As the crowd of werewolves left behind started to dissolve he quickly pushed his way through the tight throng to head back to the spot where he lived in the Underground. Fenrir still believed he was trustworthy…for now. He hadn't had the pack tear him to pieces back there, which considering the way things were run among the pack these days, could possibly be considered as a great act of mercy-
Suddenly he stumbled forward as he felt somebody bump into him roughly from behind.
He turned to see Randolph, walking by- a sly smile on his pale face.
"Goodnight Remus Lupin...friend of Dung."
Remus said nothing, but watched as the long-haired man walked away before heading down the dark path he had originally planned on taking.
He had a terrible feeling that Fenrir might go through with the probable attack of this Montgomery family and he needed to act quickly in alerting the Order so they could inform the Ministry just in case. After all, it was better to be safe than sorry. And he also had to send a message to them telling them all to keep a close eye on Mundungus Fletcher. The shady criminal was good at not being caught, but still…just in case.
He sighed. How on earth he had gotten out of that tight spot, he'd never known. At least he had been able to come up with a quick, plausible lie on the spur of the-
He froze. He had just reached for where he always kept his wand-
And it was gone.
Frantically he began searching for it, his pale hands desperately trying to find the wand that was not there.
He couldn't have lost it. He was far too careful for that-
Which meant somebody had to have stolen it. The moon in the night sky these days was nearly full. And a little child was in danger.
It seemed then that the hell he had been going through for the past few months, was merely a prelude to what now lay in store.
Author's note: And thanks to you "Celtic Werewolf", Fenrir Greyback will forever have a southern drawl and gold, Fred Astaire top hat. Thanks a lot.
For everyone else who has no idea what I'm talking about- please excuse my insanity. And sorry this was such a short, crappily written chapter but hell, at least I'm still alive and half of my computer files are.