Chapter 35

A/N: Just a quick note: I changed the rating of the entire story from T to M based off of this chapter because I was paranoid about the violence being too graphic.

*Current Time: Shortly after Becky's Mum's engagement*

It felt strange to Remus to have someone new in Nancy's life. She was like a second mother to him growing up and it was difficult to imagine her being with someone else. Of course, his mother and Nancy dated over the years, but never had anyone every gotten close to either of the women to propose. He felt like he was losing his own mother.

Remus was so wrapped up in his own thoughts about the matter that he didn't hear anyone approach him from behind.

"Let's go," Becky's harsh voice was accompanied by a not so gentle tug on Remus' arm in the direction of the back door.

She led the two of them outside where a gust of frigid wind nearly pushed them back into the house. The weather had changed drastically from only a couple of hours previous when Remus had brought Becky to his house.

Becky let go of Remus as soon as the door was closed. She stood facing the back yard with her arms firmly crossed against her chest. The snowflakes seemed to melt before they even touched her skin.

"Becky," Remus cautiously approached. He could tell that there was unintentional magic radiating off of her person.

"Tell me about when you turned into a werewolf," Becky heaved with angry tears threatening to spill over.

Remus was shocked by his friend's sudden request. Whatever he had been expecting Becky to say, it was not this. "What? Becky I don't think this is a story for Christmas Day."

Remus was pinned against the side of the house with such vehemence; he never had a chance brace himself for the impact.

"I don't care. I want to know," Becky seethed, tears were now streaming down her cheeks as her hands were fisted into Remus' clothing holding him against the wall.

"Becky, I don't want to upset you."

"Well, I don't think anything can anger me more than I am now. I need the distraction."

"Please. I want...I need to..." Becky whimpered angrily as she slid down to the ground bringing Remus with her.

"Alright. Before I start, I just ask you to bear in mind that this might not be the story you were hoping to hear."

Becky didn't say a word. She merely nodded unintentionally allowing her eyes to soften as she gazed at Remus.

Remus took the opportunity to softly encase Becky's hand with his own. He led her out of her out of his back property taking caution as to not be seen by the three adults through the windows of the house.

Once they had arrived at Becky's house, Remus pulled out his wand and unlocked the door with a quick wave. He guided the two of them to Becky's room and closed the door after they had entered.

"Why did you bring me here," Becky wondered out loud. She could still feel the negative emotions bubbling throughout her body, but she tried her best to keep her calm in order to hear the story she so desperately wanted to distract her.

"It's something that is difficult for me to explain as it is," Remus sighed. "I don't want the feeling that someone is listening in."

Becky merely nodded as she sat down on her bed and looked up at Remus expectantly, waiting for him to sit. After a few moments, Becky realized her friend was not going to sit.

Remus began to pace the floor in front of Becky's bed. "It all began one summer's evening when I was about four..."

"Mummy," Remus called while looking out the front window of his childhood home. "When is daddy coming home?"

"Soon, little one," Jane answered placing a kiss in her son's hair. "He said something came up and he has to stay a little longer at work."

Remus let out a whimper. "He said that he would be home early."

"He shouldn't be much longer," Jane smiled. She hated to see her son disappointed when his father was late for one of their outings, let alone their first all night adventure.

After another half an hour of waiting Jane left her waiting child and went into the kitchen to continue preparing the food her boys would need during the night and the next morning. She was humming to herself and barely registered that Remus was telling her that we was going outside to set up.

Right before she heard the door close, Jane yelled for the small boy to stay in the yard and keep the gate closed. She smiled at the impatience of the four year old and continued her preparations in the kitchen.

Tired of waiting for his father, Remus decided to take matters into his own hands. He decided that he would begin setting up for their miniature camping trip by himself; the camping trip in the back yard that he and his father had been talking about since the beginning of the summer.

Remus heard his mother's warning shouts from the kitchen, but in his impatience and excitement he chose to ignore what she said. He rushed out of the gate in order to gather large enough branches from the forest behind the house in order to create supports for the tent he was about to build.

Wandering through the forest, making sure the fence to his house was always in view, Remus came across the perfect pair of branches lying on the ground. He grabbed one of the branches and attempted to pull towards home. However, his four year old body could not handle the strength required to move either of the branches. So, young Remus, ran to the shed where his mother kept all of her gardening supplies.

He pulled out the large piece of canvas he had seen his mum use during early spring to cover the roses during the frosty mornings.

Remus quickly located his two prized limbs and rolled them onto the canvas. In the process of rolling the second of the tree limbs onto the canvas, Remus slipped causing him to stumble to the ground.

Immediately, he felt the sting in his knee from the impact and let out a small whimper of pain. Looking down at his knee, he saw the blood dripping into the ground.

Suddenly a growl had erupted from somewhere behind him.

"H-hello," Remus hesitantly called as he stood.

There was no answer to his greeting.

Remus had not realized how late it had gotten while he was out in the woods collecting the branches he desired to create his tent and surprise his father. The growl had put the late hour into perspective.

Another growl sounded followed by a piercing howl. The sounds were closer than the first time Remus had heard the growl.

He could feel his heart pounding as he struggled to his feet and began to slowly back up away from the direction of the sound. However, noises of snapping twigs circled around Remus as if whatever was out there was taunting him.

Two large yellow eyes appeared from behind a tree immediately to the left of the young boy. Remus gave out a shout and ran as fast as he small legs could carry him back to the safety of his home. Remus had just made it to the gate when he heard his father calling to him from the house.

John Lupin was standing on the porch with a bag of treats prepared by his loving wife. He stood there calling out to Remus with a large smile on his face, hoping that his boy would return the smile with a youthful grin. However, John caught sight of Remus' face and it was not one of joy at seeing his father, but one of utter terror. John began to walk towards his son with curiosity as he looked on while Remus tried to pull the gate close with all of his four year old might.

Within seconds of Remus getting the gate closed, it burst open, sending the small boy flying through the air. A ravenous looking wolf sprang from the outskirts of the fence making a line straight for Remus. Patches of grey fir coated the skin of the snarling wolf and the yellow eyes appeared to be crazed as it zone in on the small bloodied boy sprawled out on the ground.

"Remus," John yelled as his paced picked up trying to make it to his son before the beast.

Jane came running out of the house once she had heard the distressed shouting. "John! Remus!"

"No," John screamed upon hearing his wife's arrival. "Stay back!"

John tore the wand out of his robes and began to throw curse after curse at the werewolf. "No! Remus!"

The werewolf, who was hunched over Remus' small body, was momentarily distracted by magic slicing across its body. It lunged forward, capturing the full grown wizard off guard.

Both John and the werewolf went tumbling to the ground.

"Jane, get in the house and floo the head of the magical creatures unit at St. Mungo's and tell him there has been a creature attack," John yelled as he temporarily kicked the werewolf off of him.

Jane immediately did as she was told and ran into the house to make contact with man her husband had requested.

John continued to keep the werewolf away from Remus to the best of his abilities.

"Get away from my son," John yelled when the werewolf got away and lunged at Remus once again. John caught the werewolf by the back leg and attempted to swing the snarling monster in the opposite direction.

The werewolf's front claws swiped back, catching John's stomach. The sharp blades of the claws cut through the soft flesh, shredding everything in their path.

Suddenly, the noise level seemed to diminish and only shadows were visible as John Lupin collapsed to the ground. He held onto his stomach trying to keep everything contained. However, his blood was rushing out of his body so fast as it darkened the ground and soaked into the grass, that John knew his attempts of survival were futile.

A flash of light squarely hit the werewolf's chest, immobilizing it temporarily.

John was able to follow the origin of the light with his eyes, the only movement he seemed to have the strength to accomplish. The string of light led his eyes to the shape of a man, with his arm out stretched. Even without complete vision, John knew the man was Healer Laurent Fourneir. A man he, John, had worked very closely with at St. Mungo's over the past few months.

He could tell that Laurent was kneeling right above him, but John could not feel his colleague's touch.

"Tell...Jae...an...Re...I...I...lo...ve..." And with that John couldn't speak anymore. His body had spilt too much of its life force to continue.

A scream shot through the air as Jane had crumbled next to her husband. He begged the lifeless body to return, but nothing happened. No amount of begging or pleading or praying would bring the man she loved so dearly back.

"You must leave him. You still have your son," Laurent hurriedly explained. He hated that he had to talk in such a way to a grieving wife. "We don't have much time. The spell won't hold the monster for long."

Numbly, Jane pulled herself away from what used to be her husband.

"I've got him," Laurent said taking Remus in his arms. "The faster we can make it back to the house the better."

"No matter what happens, I want you to get to that house and lock yourself inside with magic," Laurent said as they ran. "I assume you're a witch."

"Yes," Jane sobbed, trying to keep up with the Healer.

Halfway to the house, Remus began to stir in Laurent's tight grasp. Remus let out a shriek of pain as his body jostled in the strange man's arms.

There was a tremendous roar that ripped through the night. The werewolf had broken free of his magic bindings.

Jane and Laurent sprinted even faster for the open door as their adrenaline pushed them faster.

Almost to the door, Laurent felt the strong claws that had destroyed his friend and colleague, rip across his back. Laurent's legs immediately gave away in paralysis as the dagger like claws had severed his spine.

Even with the loss of his legs, Laurent still had pretty good control over his upper extremities. As best as he could, he threw Remus into the house after his mother.

"Take care of that boy," Laurent called out to Jane before the beast savagely struck him again.

All Jane could do was nod. She gathered her crying son into her arms, shut the door, and locked it with the strongest magic she could handle at the moment. She took Remus upstairs and laid him down on her bed to tend to his wounds.

The two of them stayed in that room until morning when she contacted the Ministry of Magic to report what had happened.

When Remus had finished, all Becky could do was stare at her friend. Suddenly, the fact that this was kept a secret from her no longer mattered. Even after all of these years she could see the pain Remus was experiencing. The pain that was now evident on his face as he looked everywhere, but at her.

"That's it. A few weeks later we moved into the house next to yours," Remus stated with such clarity it even surprised him considering he had tears running down both cheeks. "It was my fault your father died. I am the one that took him away from you. I was just so scared..."

Becky did the only thing she could think of doing. She pulled Remus to her and embraced her best friend with all of the sorrow and empathy she could manage.

Together they sobbed into each other's shoulders for the remainder of the day. Neither one caring that the Christmas festivities next door were still going on. All they cared about was being together and finally having everything out in the open.

OoOoOoO

The next morning, Becky woke up feeling a little groggy. She felt something warm steadily blowing across the back of her neck and tried to turn around. However, something seemed to be holding her in place. Looking down she recognized two arms, wrapped around her frame, which she had come to know very well.

She grazed her finger's back and forth along Remus' exposed arm and sighed. The day before had not been what she had expected. It was the most intense Christmas she had ever experienced, but she didn't regret it. Becky needed to hear what happened the night Remus was bitten.

A groan from behind broke Becky out of her thoughts. The arms tightened and then quickly released as if realizing what was happening was bad.

The release allowed Becky to turn completely around and face Remus.

"You should have told me sooner," Becky whispered with a scratchy voice from a night filled with tears.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry," Remus began to ramble, but Becky placed her palm on Remus jaw as her fingers gently tapped on his temple.

"Don't," Becky whispered again without removing her hand. "It wasn't your fault. You were so young. How were you to know?"

"But I killed your father," Remus repeated.

Becky caught the tear leaking from Remus' eye with her thumb. "You didn't. Something else did."

"Something I am," Remus seethed trying to pull away from Becky.

"No," Becky said. "That wasn't you. You aren't it."

"You don't know what I am capable of during the time of the full moon," Remus rebutted. "I have no control over the monster once the full moon rises. I become consumed. I become a beastly creature out for blood. I am the creature that you are most afraid of when darkness falls."

"Remus," Becky soothed. "I may be frightened of whatever it is that takes over your body for a few hours a month, but I am not afraid of you. Remus, I love you."

Remus stopped trying to fight against Becky's grip on his arm preventing him from leaving.

"What?"

"I've spent too much time being angry at you for not telling me. What I should have been focusing on is the very real possibility that I could lose you. Life is too fragile; it can be taken away too easily if we blink. I already lost my father. Please don't let me lose you too. I do love you, Remus. "

Remus lunged forward, capturing Becky's lips with his own.

Becky squealed at the sudden movement, but responded quickly. It had been too long since she felt Remus' touch and she relinquished in the feeling.

After a few minutes, Remus lifted his head slightly.

Becky could tell there was something mischievous going on in his head based upon the glint now in his eyes.

"Now that we have that settled. What are we going to do about Jason?"

A/N: So this was probably the most difficult chapter for me to write to date. I hate writing death scenes, but it seemed necessary for some of the pieces of the story to come together. I hope that wasn't too graphic for anyone. I tried to keep it realistic without going into too much graphic detail.

Let me know if you think the M rating was warranted due to the violence. Like I said, I changed the rating because I was being paranoid.

Only 5 chapters left! Thanks for sticking with me!

Always,
orangezauber