It's November! Which means I am planning to write 50,000 words! I will be updating VERY frequently BUT I will most likely have errors as I will not be editing anything other than the basic spelling and grammar! So PLEASE have patience with me because I am presuming most of my loyal readers don't want me going underground so I will do my best to have it making sense! No more snow in June…

Thank you for everyone who 'voted' and told me what they would like! I truly hope I can get at least 30,000 words! Ha!

And thank you Hidez for the word count calender! I LOVE it!

I plan to reply to reviews on here (word count booster :P) But please, if I don't mention you by pen name it doesn't mean I don't appreciate you! I do!

So, starting word count is 51,593 words….

Thank you to everyone sticking with me! And I hope you enjoy!

Remus could hear them laughing as Sirius used charms to conceal his identity as he prepared to make his first real, happy foray into the muggle world. There had been others of course, an hour here or there, sometimes with Harry, but this was different, a day of Sirius doing whatever he wanted. Of, for a moment, forgetting her was a fugitive. Of being alive. Of being the young man with the devil may care attitude that had long ago vanished. Remus swallowed and stared at his reflection in the small mirror that hung on the inside of his cupboard. It was a muggle mirror; Sirius had purchased it for him after they both got sick of the insults that any mirror in the House of Black seemed to heap upon the werewolf.

Remus lightly touched the left side of his neck. The last full moon had increased the spread of silver from his registry mark. It had moved rapidly, creeping dangerously towards the arteries at his neck. His shoulder throbbed; Veins of silver had spread along his muscles, visible under the skin like the map of a London Subway. His lips pressed into a thin line as he twisted his head attempting to see how high the silver was creeping up his neck. It was only a matter of time before it killed him. Today was probably the last time Sirius would be able to leave, to be free, perfectly happy for a very long time.

He sighed and pulled his robes around him. He had to keep it from Sirius as long as possible, the animagus would be frantic, he would risk his own life to save his friend's. Remus couldn't allow that. Harry needed his godfather. Sirius would risk everything to save his friend's life and Remus couldn't, wouldn't allow that. The price was too high. Sirius would be kissed. Harry sent back to people who loathed him. It was better this way. Better that the two people he loved most were left to grieve together. His own last days would be spent in peace, comfort….

Blue eyes flickered to the desk that sat under the window and the letters that lay, concealment charms used to ensure they were not seen… He sighed wearily and made his way slowly towards the door. He needed to pretend for one more week. One week seemed like impossibility.

"Uncle Moony!" Harry launched himself at his uncle and Remus lifted him into his arms, trying desperately not to flinch as pain seared through his back.

"Having fun, Harry?"

"You should see Uncle Sirius." Harry pushed his glasses higher up his nose. "He looks silly!"

Sirius emerged from the bathroom at that moment with a cocky smile plastered over his face.

"Oh my." Remus' eyebrows shot upwards. "Padfoot. You are not leaving the house looking like that."

Harry giggled. "Told you so."

Remus was hard put to hide the smile that would only encourage his friend. Sirius wore a pair of platform shoes, flared jeans and a rainbow dyed t-shirt. He looked like he had stepped from the 70's. He sported a full beard and head full of dreadlocks.

"Aww, come on, Moony!" The teeth were bright behind the black beard.

"I thought you wanted to attract girls?" Remus set Harry onto the floor but pulled him close; the little boy's arms snaking around his waist as he listened to an exchange he knew would only become more interesting.

"Are you saying I am not attractive?"

Remus snorted. "Yes actually, that is exactly what I am saying. GO and put something sensible on."

"You, Remus John Lupin, are a party pooper. A wet blanket. A kill joy. A stick in the mud."

Harry was smothering his laughter against Remus robes as his uncle stood, impassive; arms folded waiting for Sirius to finish.

"You… suck." Sirius nodded once, spun on his heel and stalked into his bedroom.

"Your godfather is a fool, Harry." Remus mused loudly. "What are we going to do with him?"
"Feed him to a hipp-hippa— what's it called?"

"Hippogriff?" Remus hazarded a guess.

"Yes! One of them!"

"I heard that!" Sirius shouted from his bedroom.

Harry giggled again. "Can we wait up here till he is done? Please?"

Remus laughed softly. "Accio chair." The seat from his room flew to him and he settled onto it, opening his arms to the little boy who climbed onto his knee.

"Does your shoulder hurt today, Uncle Remus?" Harry was suddenly very grave.
"No, Cub, why?"

A loud, argumentative huff was heard from the direction of the animagus.

"Uncle Sirius says it always hurts and we have to be careful of it and not hurt it more."

"Does he now?"

"Uh Hu." Green eyes were suddenly accusing. "He says you lie about it! But you told me lying is bad! DO you lie?"

Remus frowned. Sirius was going to pay for this. "I… I think that Uncle Sirius should mind his own business. It does hurt me, Harry. Remember when you had a splinter? And how it hurt when it was there but once we pulled it out it was all better?"

Harry nodded slowly.

"Well, my arm is like that."

"But it hurts when we touch it?"

"My scar does, yes."

Harry frowned and opened his mouth to ask yet another question when Sirius emerged. Apparently he had decided it was time to rescue his friend.

"He still has the silly hair."

Remus rolled his eyes and flicked his wand at his friend. The beard vanished, leaving a fine trace of stubble in its place. Harry watched in delight as the dreadlocks seemed to shrink before his eyes and messy black hair that mimicked his own appeared in the place.

"You did it non-verbally!" Delight lit Sirius' brown turned green eyes.

Remus half shrugged. "A basic charm, Sirius. Even Pe—" He broke off. "Breakfast?" He eyes the blue denim jeans and leather jacket Sirius wore. "Much better." He gently pushed Harry off his knee and rose, keeping his shoulders erect and using the boy as a distraction so that Sirius didn't notice the way he swayed for a split second.

"I want coffee! Lots of it!" Sirius swung Harry onto his shoulders.

"We don't have coffee, Padfoot." Remus sounded amused. "Neither of us drinks it and I think that Harry is a trifle small for coffee. There is tea. And toast."

"But…"

"You can buy coffee. Milk, Harry?"

"Yes!"

"Yes please." Sirius swung his godson into his seat and winked. "Remember. Manners make a man. Ouch!"

Remus slapped the back of the animagus' head and Harry crowned with laughter.

"You clearly never grew up so obviously you could take a lesson from that. Eat your toast and leave us in peace."

"Hey!" Sirius snatched a piece of toast from Remus' plate. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Yes!" Harry piped in quickly before Remus had a chance to speak. "We are going to have fun without you."

Sirius sighed sadly. "I don't feel very loved right now."

Harry grinned and munched on his toast.

Remus watched them with a shuttered expression. They would be fine. They had to be fine.

Harry sighed loudly for the fourth time in ten minutes and Remus allowed the smile that he was struggling to hide to slide onto his face. "Everything all right, Cub?"

"Can we have a day? Please! Uncle Sirius and I have them where we fly and play outside!"

Remus leaned back and considered the eager face for a long time. "I don't think I am quite up to playing outside, laddie."

Harry frowned. "I don't want to. But we can read! And you can tell me stories! Please, Uncle Moony! Please!"

Remus swallowed. How could he say no? Not now… Not when he wouldn't survive the next full moon. "I think that sounds wonderful. Shall we light a fire? We can use that charm to make sure we don't get too hot?"

Harry nodded eagerly. "The one Uncle Padfoot used to make snow?"

"That's the one." Remus stood slowly and hissed as pain seared his side.

"Uncle Remus?" Harry slid from his seat and ran to the werewolf. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Cub. I am fine." A pained smile was forced to the scarred face. "You run up and get your blanket, Cub, I will get us some hot chocolate and some of that cake." He waited till Harry had scampered from the room before he leaned heavily against the desk. Not today. One week. One week was all he was asking.

Remus moved slowly, lighting the fire, setting the temperature before moving slowly towards the kitchen. He paused in the pantry. His eyes flickered towards the shelf where Sirius kept the potions he brewed. His lips thinned and he reached for them. Struggling to ignore the pain racing through his back and shoulder as he moved Remus gripped a bottle and pulled it into the light. A faint sigh of relief broke from his lips and he swiftly poured a measure. He was so very grateful Harry was pre-occupied. So very grateful.

The stabbing agony was eased almost immediately and it dulled to a level he could stand. Breathing in deeply Remus closed his eyes. One week.

Harry was waiting impatiently for Remus in the sitting room. He grinned as he caught sight of the tray Remus was levitating ahead of him.

"Don't look so happy. And don't tell Uncle Padfoot I am feeding you ice cream in the middle of the day."

Harry wiggled over allowed Remus to settle onto the lounge beside him. "I love you." The little boy sighed contentedly as Remus handed him the bowl of ice-cream and fudge sauce.

"Before or after the ice cream?" Remus pulled Harry against him, holding him tightly.

"Both."

Remus ruffled his hair. "I love you too."

"Uncle Moony? Can you tell me about mummy? Uncle Sirius tells me about daddy but I want to hear about mummy!"

Remus swallowed convulsively. A lifetime of stories that only he knew in one week. "Your mum and I became friends in our first year at Hogwarts. She was very pretty, her eyes were always sparkling, and she was always smiling. I was sick after one full moon and she marched up to him and told me that if your dad and Sirius were bullying me then I was to tell her and she would fix them."

Harry snuggled closer and clutched at Remus' robes. "What did you tell her?"

"I made up some lie about my mother being ill. She found out that I was a monster…" The word slipped out reflexively before he could think. Years of conditioning in the commune had taken its toll.

"You aren't a monster!" Harry looked up into Remus face. He looked unhappy.

"Sorry, cub."

"Would she have been sad about your face?" Harry's small fingers reached carefully for the damaged flesh.

"She would have been sad." Remus closed his eyes as small fingers carefully grazed his cheek.

"Would my dad have been sad too?"

A lopsided smile. "He would have been angry like Uncle Padfoot gets."

Harry shifted so he was looking directly at Remus' face. He was frowning. "Why did they hurt you?"

"Because they believe werewolves are bad creatures."

"You aren't bad!" Harry shook his head adamantly.

Remus smoothed Harry's hair away from his face. "Some werewolves are bad, Cub."

"I still don't like them."

Remus pulled Harry against his chest. His heart constricted. "Neither do I." He whispered. It didn't matter that he was out of their clutches; all that mattered was he was dying and that he would never get to see this wonderful boy grow up.

"Do you know that your mum made your dad ask me permission before he married her?"

Harry settled himself more comfortably. Here was a story he wanted to hear.

There werewolf leaned on the bannister. Harry was searching for his child's version of wizarding chess and Remus had accompanied him upstairs when the waves of dizziness crashed, unrelenting, over him. He felt ill. Noise seemed to fade away and reality seemed to tilt. He could feel his legs give way, the sharp edge of the stairs under him. Harry's scream before everything went black and his world, ceased to exist.

Harry was pulling thing from his toy box when he heard the thudding. Frowning, he scurried out of his room to see Remus' limp form tumble down the last of the stairs. His scream of terror filled the air. "Uncle Moony! Uncle Moony!" The little boy ran down the steps and tugged at his uncle's robes. There was blood on the left side of the cheek, blood that tricked rapidly down the distorted, silver marred flesh.

Harry felt panic well in his chest. "Uncle Moony! Wake up!" He begged. Remus had never ignored his calls before. Even in the night he always woke. "Uncle Moony!" Scrambling to his feet Harry dashed into the kitchen and snagged the glass of water that Remus had gotten for him earlier that day. He ran back. Tears trickled down his face as he crouched beside the slumped figure. "Uncle Moony?" He shook the lifeless form. Lips trembling he poured the water over the werewolf's face. "Please wake up. Please, Uncle Moony!"

Remus choked as water trickled onto his face. His head ached with unrelenting pain as if a hammer was bashing at his skull. He couldn't breathe evenly. Pain raced along his entire body and the searing anguish in his neck told him everything he needed to know.

"Uncle Moony! Wake up! Uncle Moony!"

"Ha-Ha-ry?" Remus struggled to fix his swirling vision on the boy who called desperately for him.

"Uncle Moony!" Harry's anxious face hovered into Remus blurred sight.

"Pad… Need…" His chest constricted and his eyes closed against the pain.

"Uncle Sirius?" The little boy guessed.

"Yes… Harry… Quick." Remus gripped his nephews arm with as much strength as he could muster. "Back…"

"Come back?" Harry's lips were still trembling.

Remus managed to nod. He struggled to keep the blackness from over-taking him. Harry… He needed Harry back. He had to protect the child who was his entire world.

Harry returned, clutching in his arms the toy that with one touch would alert Sirius that they needed him. Immediately.

Remus lifted his hand, weakly, and Harry dashed into his arms. "Uncle Moony." His voice was frightened.

"Listen… You… Stay… with… me. Until Padfoot comes. Stay."

Harry nodded and jumped as he felt a warm bubble close over him. His eyes widened with surprise as he watched a blue circle rise above him.

"Promise…" Remus' voice was slurred.

"Uncle Moony! Uncle Moony don't fall asleep again! Please don't!"

"Talk." Remus cupped the rosy cheek before his hand fell away.

"You can't fall asleep! You have to stay awake! Uncle Sirius will be mad if—"

A loud bang cut off his words and the orb of light around them seemed to thicken.

"Remus! Remus! Remus! Where are you?" Sirius' voice rang through the house.

"Here! Uncle Sirius! Quick! He's hurt!" Harry shook the werewolf; he could see the man was asleep again.

Sirius ran into the room and froze. "No. Merlin. No." He started forward, flinched as the barrier around Remus and Harry glowed brighter. "Dammit Remus! It's me! Remus, it's Padfoot! Come on!" He looked helplessly as Harry shook Remus, begging him.

"Hurry up, Uncle Sirius!" The little boy whimpered desperately.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" The words were desperate. The protective orb vanish and Sirius launched towards his friend.
"What happened, Harry?" He lifted Remus into his arms and winced. His friend was skeletal. How had he lost so much weight since the last moon?

"He fell down…" Harry followed Sirius up the stairs. "Why won't he wake up?"

"He's hurt, Kiddo." Sirius laid the frail body onto the bed and pulled the robes back. "No." The word slipped from him. "No. No." He could see the silver that had snaked upwards towards Remus' ear. "No. No. Remus! Wake up! Dammit! Wake up!"

Blue eyes flickered.

"That's it. Come on, you can't leave me, come on Moony. Wake up."

"Pad…"

"I'm here. Can you breathe?"

The werewolf slowly focused his gaze on Sirius. "Harry?"

"Right beside us. Moony…"

"It's ok, Padfoot." Remus lifted his hand. "It's ok."

"No." Sirius gripped the thin hand tightly. "I am not letting you go, Remus Lupin. You are staying here. With us. You are not allowed to go anywhere."

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