Sweating, Remus collapsed onto the nearest chair, his wand slipping out of his trembling hand. "I can't do anymore, I need a break."
"I recall ordering you to take a break an hour ago," Severus said, rolling his eyes at the bullheaded werewolf. "I don't know what it is with you stupid Gryffindors and wanting to drain your cores, but you all are a bunch of idiots."
"I'm just trying to be helpful," Remus said tiredly, his eyes starting to droop.
"I can repair the rest of the damage," Severus offered. "I'm not stupid enough to allow myself to slip into a magical coma because I drained my magical core."
"I can pay someone to fix the rest of the damage," Carlisle said. "Money isn't an issue for us."
Severus looked around, noticing that there really wasn't that much left to repair. "I got it. The less people here not in the know the better."
"Magic is awesome!" Emmett gushed. "I wish I could do that wand wavy thingie."
Severus raised a single eyebrow. "Wand wavy thingie?" He repeated. "Muggles!"
"I don't know what a muggle is, but it kinda sounded like an insult," Emmett pouted.
"It's not." Remus chuckled sleepily. "Muggle is what we call a person with no magic."
Emmett's lips turned down in a pout. "Sucks, but at least I'm a vampire. I bet wizards can't live forever!"
"True," Remus conceded.
"But we can eat food." Severus smirked.
"Rude!" Emmett cried sadly. "Man, what I wouldn't give for a juicy cheeseburger and fries. I miss real food."
"Speaking of food," Carlisle interrupted. "You said there is a potion that will help Harry with his control and bloodlust?"
"There is. Each potion has to be taken weekly, but he will have no issues walking amongst humans."
"That's a relief," Sam said from where he was sitting at the dining room table. "We love Harry and are prepared to help him adjust however we can, but it's our natural instinct to hate vampires. Being here isn't easy for us."
Severus narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "What is your trigger? What's the first thing about vampires that turns you off when you first meet them."
"Their scent." Jacob answered having just returned from driving his father home. His dad had wanted to stay, he had wanted to be here for Harry, but he had needed his sleep and Harry wouldn't be waking anytime soon.
Sam nodded his head. "They reek of death and decay, of rotting bodies."
"The wolves smell like dirty, wet dogs to us," Alice giggled.
Severus hummed, his brain racing. "I can make a potion for both of you that will block out each other's scents."
"What about other vampires though?" Sam asked. "We get a lot of dangerous nomads passing through, we need to be able to scent them."
"I can make it so the potions are linked to each other. Meaning, it will only work on those who have taken the other potion."
"I would very much like to not always be smelling rotting flesh when around the Cullens," Jared snickered. "Their stench actually gives me a migraine."
"You don't smell too fresh yourself, dog," Rosalie hissed. "I'm sure your stench would give us all migraines too. That is, if we could get them."
"Rose," Esme scolded. "Sam and his pack are our guests."
"I didn't invite them!" Rose snapped.
"Harry is my responsibility," Sam said between clenched teeth, trying not to lose it on the bloodsucker. "I am Harry's alpha, and seeing as he is underage and in a vulnerable position, we're not leaving."
"We can take him home," Jacob said, glaring at the blonde vampire.
"No!" Jasper growled from where he was still sitting at his mate's bedside in the other room. "Rose, if you don't like them being here, then you can leave."
Rosalie opened her mouth to snap back, but her mate shaking his head no stopped her. "Rose, put yourself in Jasper's shoes. Do you remember how you felt waiting for me to wake after my bite? Jaz has been denied his mate for too long, let him have this. Besides, the dogs really aren't that bad."
Seth took his hand off the Xbox remote to give his gaming partner a high five. "Back at you, brother."
Edward shook his head at the pair, Emmett and Seth have been playing video games for hours. Other than the smell, the wolves really weren't that bad. He honestly couldn't fault them for hating them and wanting nothing to do with them, they were human blood drinking vampires after all. His family weren't like others though, they only drank animal blood, but they were the minority in the vampire world. Most vampires would happily rip your throat out and drain you of every last drop of blood. If he was Sam, he would feel the same way about them.
Carlisle cleared his throat. "I was wondering, Professor Snape, if there is somewhere here in America where we could purchase the bloodlust potion. Our lifestyle isn't easy, but Jasper struggles with it more than the rest of us."
"There are wizarding districts here that I can take you to," Severus offered. "If Potter wasn't so abysmal at potions I could teach him how to brew it, but I'm afraid he'd more than likely poison you...or blow your house up."
"Again," Emmett snorted, not taking his eyes off of the game he was playing.
"He really is hopeless at potions," Severus sighed.
"He may be, but he has the highest Defense OWLS that Hogwarts has ever seen." Remus said proudly. "He even beat Dumbledore's score."
"And you wonder why the old fool sealed his magic," Severus sneered. "The old man isn't as light as everyone thinks."
Remus was starting to see that, but he wasn't ready to admit it. Dumbledore was the first person ever to stand up for him. If it hadn't been for him, he never would have been permitted to attend Hogwarts in the first place. He often wondered why Dumbledore stuck his neck out for him. As far as he knew, there hasn't been a werewolf in Hogwarts since he graduated...and there were plenty of young werewolf's with magic. Then again, most wolves had a pack that schooled their pups. He had lived alone with his father, who had been one of the best werewolf hunters until his six year old son got bit. No pack would take him in because of who his father was.
Standing up, Severus stretched his back out. He was exhausted, the time difference was killing him. "I don't want to leave incase of an emergency. If it's alright with you, I would like to magic myself a small cabin outside to sleep in."
"You can do that?" Emmett asked excitedly.
"Obviously!" Severus said with a smirk.
"That's fine," Carlisle agreed. "If you need anything, especially food, feel free to help yourself to whatever you want. We appreciate you being here to help Harry."
"Yes, thank you," Sam added.
***HP
Sam was tired, but he couldn't sleep, not while one of his pack, his most vulnerable pack member at that, was laying sick and possibly dying in the room next to him. Frowning, he looked over to the scraggly looking man, who was sleeping peacefully on the sofa, that was supposed to be a true werewolf. Were true werewolves different than shapeshifters? Did the man and his wolf not feel the same burning need to protect their pack? He was an alpha too, why was he not more concerned for the pup that he professed was part of his pack?
Looking around, Sam eyes scanned each of his pack mates that were still here. Jacob and Jared were sleeping on the floor, Seth was conked out sitting up with the Xbox controller still in his hand, and Embry was asleep sitting at the table, drooling all over the crazy expensive wood top. Even though his betas were sleeping, none of them were sleeping peacefully. All four were facing the door to the bedroom Harry was behind, and all four were tense and twitching in their sleep.
Closing his eyes, Sam followed the bond that he had with each of his wolves that were back on the reservation. Like his betas here, none of them were sleeping peacefully, he could sense the worry and fear that each of them were feeling for their human pack mate. Paul was the only one awake, running the border, the volatile wolf out of his mind with worry. He thought about ordering him home to sleep, but if running was what Paul needed to do in order to cope than he wasn't going to force him to stop. Paul needed an outlet for his anger and his worry, running was better than losing his temper on someone and beating the shit out of them.
Sam continued to stare at the peacefully sleeping werewolf, the man's back to Harry's door. Not only was the wolf sleeping soundly while his pup was possibly dying, but he was also sleeping soundly while his mate, who has spent the past few months in a coma, was upstairs sleeping in a strange home surrounded by unknown vampires. The wolf's lack of concern for his pack confused, and irritated him. He understood that the man used a lot of magic repairing the damage to the house, but him sleeping so heavily was unnatural for a wolf.
Sam was snapped out of his thoughts when a cup of steaming hot coffee was waved in front of his face. "You look like you could use this." Carlisle said softly.
Grunting, Sam gladly accepted the coffee. "Thank you." He said, forcing back his yawn. Straightening up, he took a sip of the hot beverage, closing his eyes in bliss as it burned its way down his throat. This was exactly what he needed.
"You should sleep, Sam," Carlisle whispered, not wanting to disturb the sleeping shifters. "We will watch over Harry."
Sam pursed his lips. "Even if I wanted to sleep, I wouldn't be able to. Harry is my most vulnerable pup, my wolf wont settle until he knows he's safe."
"You're a good Alpha, Sam."
Sam didn't know what to say to that. He often questioned his decisions, doubting that he was good enough to lead the pack. He knew that Jacob was supposed to be the true alpha, but Jacob had no desire to lead. He often wondered if Billy was upset that his son refused to take his rightful place as alpha, but the chief never mentioned it and he seemed content and confident in his ability to lead the pack. Despite his doubts, he loved his pack and he loved being their alpha. His pack and his mate were everything to him, he'd die for them to keep them safe and happy.
Edward pointed his head towards Remus. "There's something not right with him. Him and his wolf aren't one, they're in constant battle with each other. From what I have been able to read from him, he takes poison every month to keep his wolf submissive."
"That explains his scars and why he looks a good fifteen years older than his mate despite being the same age," Sam said in disgust. "You and your wolf aren't two separate beings, to fight each other is just stupid."
"Maybe you can help him," Esme suggested, her voice barely above a whisper. "My husband is right, you're a good alpha, Sam, and your pack respects you."
Sam felt heat color his cheeks as he blushed. "I'll see what I can do. Anything to help Harry."
***HP
"I don't think he looks as red," Jasper said, not taking his eyes off of his mate. "I think he's accepting the bite."
Carlisle really couldn't notice a difference in Harry, but he wasn't going to tell his son that. "Things have been pretty crazy around here, huh? How are you holding up?"
Jasper snorted. "My mate is a horse!"
"True," Carlisle chuckled. "And don't forget wizard. Jasper, if the bite takes, there's a good chance that Harry won't be ready to mate right away. You heard his godfather and the professor discuss his life, Harry hasn't had it easy. I know we had our suspicions, but to hear all he has suffered through is truly heartbreaking. If you like, I can talk to Professor Snape and see if there is a potion you can take to help easy your desire to claim Harry. I just don't want you to hurt him."
Jasper finally took his eyes off of his mate to glare at his father. "Carlisle, I don't need a damn potion to keep me from hurting my mate. I know I have been struggling and there were a few close calls, but I haven't hurt Harry."
"I'm sorry, you're right, I was just trying to make things easier for you. I know how hard it is to deny yourself your mate."
Jasper shoulders slumped forward. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. You're right, this is so damn hard, but Harry is worth it. I'm already expecting him to not be ready to mate, and I'm okay with that. Harry just turned sixteen and he has a lot of issues to work through. I'm not going to pressure him, but I am going to stand by him and support him."
"I'm proud of you, son," Carlisle said, placing a hand on Jasper's shoulder. "Is it alright with you if I check his leg?" He hadn't checked it since before the bite, things had been too hectic and then the mess with Harry's magical explosion happened and then he decided to let the boy rest since there was nothing he could do to help him anyway now.
With his mate so vulnerable, it was hard to allow anyone near him, but Jasper knew that Harry's leg needed to be looked at. Instead of answering, he pulled back Harry's blanket, exposing the heavily bandaged injured leg. Carefully, as if the leg was made of fragile glass, he removed the bandages.
"I think, Jasper, that your mate is going to be just fine," Carlisle said with a huge grin when the rapidly healing wound was revealed. The leg, which had been severely infected hours ago, now looked like it was a couple weeks old and healing beautifully.
Jasper collapsed in the chair, all the energy leaving his body. He wanted to break down and cry in relief, but he was physically incapable of tears. "Does this mean he's turning?"
Carlisle cocked his head to the side in thought. "If he were a normal human I would say yes, but Harry is also a wizard so I'm not sure. I think Harry is out of the woods, I think he's going to pull through just fine, but I'm not exactly sure what he's going to be when he wakes."
"All that matters is that he does wake," Jasper said taking his mate's hand.
***HP
Sirius was feeling a thousand times better after his twelve hours of dreamless sleep, a big healthy breakfast provided my Esme, a hot shower, and a potion to help restore his core. He actually couldn't remember the last time he felt this good, but he knew it was before Azkaban. With a little spring in his step, he made his way into the room his godson was staying in.
"Kid, have you left my pup's side at all?" Sirius asked when he spotted his godson's mate sitting in the same spot he left him in wearing the same exact clothes.
"Kid?" Jasper repeated. "You do realize that I'm older than you, right?"
Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "You look all of eighteen."
"I was born in 1842."
Sirius whistled impressively. "You're an old man. Too old my my innocent pup." Sirius rolled his eyes when the vampire just glared at him. "Sheesh, you'd think with as long as you have been around you would have learned how to take a joke."
"It's not smart to joke about a vampire's mate," Jacob spoke up from the foot of Harry's bed. "You especially don't want to joke around about an unclaimed mate."
"Touchy!" Sirius grumbled. "How's my pup doing today? I think he looks better."
"His leg is almost completely healed," Jasper said proudly. "He's still in pain, but now it's normal pain for a turning. Not that it isn't excruciating, but it's nothing compared to what it was before the block broke."
"Thank Merlin," Sirius sighed. "Has Snape been in to see him yet?"
"He has," Jasper confirmed. "He thinks Harry will pull through just fine. He has returned to the wizarding school to brew some potions but he will back this evening."
"Can I ask a personal question?" Jacob asked warily. "Last night, what did you and the professor mean by, the Black madness?" Being a Black himself, hearing mention a Black madness was a bit concerning.
Sirius grimaced. "You heard that, huh? Well, the Blacks aren't known for being the most mentally stable."
"Big surprise there," Jasper chuckled as he smirked at Jacob.
Sirius laughed too. "Nah, the wolf is probably fine, the madness has more than likely been bred out of him. He comes from a long ago squib line that was banished from the family."
"Squib?"
"A squib is a person born into a wizarding family but posses no magic. As you can imagine, for a pureblood family like mine, it's the ultimate disgrace to give birth to a squib, most are dumped in the muggle world as soon as it's discovered that they have no magic, normally around five years of age."
"That's horrible!" Jacob cried. "That happened to a relative of mine?"
"My great grandfather's younger brother, Orion Black, father of Ephraim Black, where your Native American line starts." "Orion was dumped in a muggle orphanage when he was six after it was discovered he was a squib. Like with most squibs, his memory had been erased so he'd have no memory of his family or the Wizarding World. From what I understand, he was adopted when he was seven then moved to America where he grew up and met and married a Native American girl." Sirius confirmed. "But obviously he had some magic seeing as he was a shifter."
"So he's the reason why we can shift? But how is it that Sam and the rest of the pack can shift if they're not a Black?"
"Got me, kid," Sirius shrugged, "magic has a mind of her own. There could have been a great threat to the tribe and Ephraim was able to gift his shifting ability on to his best warriors."
Jacob's eyes flicked over to Jasper. "The shifting gene only triggers in us when there are vampires in our territory."
"Then that's probably what the great threat was. A tribe of regular humans wouldn't have been able to take out a coven, but a pack of wolf shifters..."
"Can kick ass!" Jacob smirked.
"Exactly!" Sirius grinned.
"And the Black madness?" Jasper reminded.
"Nothing more than inbreeding. Most purebloods believe that marrying half bloods or muggleborns will taint their magic, but there's not a lot of different families to marry into that your line hasn't already mixed blood with. The Blacks were the worst, they married first cousins, and in some cases brothers and sisters. They believed that the only way to keep our blood and magic pure was to keep it within the family."
Jacob's face scrunched up in disgust. "That's gross!"
"It's one of the main reasons why there are only a couple of Blacks left, and those of us that are left aren't all there upstairs, if you know what I mean? My cousin Bellatrix is completely batty, she checked out of reality years ago. As for myself, I'm better off than her, but I have my moments. Of course, spending twelve years in the world's worst prison in the middle of the North Sea didn't do me any favors. I try, but I can admit that at times I can be mentally unstable."
"Shit!" Jacob gasped, his face pale. "Why were you in prison for twelve year?"
"Believe it or not, I was innocent. I escaped when Harry was thirteen to protect him, but I ended up doing a shitty job at it."
"I think I'm glad Ephraim got kicked out of your world. No offense, but it seems pretty fucked up there."
"You have no idea," Sirius chuckled.
"Do you plan on returning?" Jasper asked curiously.
"I plan on staying wherever Harry is, but I do plan on returning to kill the bastard that blocked Harry's magic. If Harry hadn't been so strong and stubborn, he probably would have killed himself. Death is preferable than having your magic sealed. I can't even imagine the hell Harry has been suffering these past few months."
"When he first arrived he was so depressed and scared," Jacob said sadly. "He was also scared to get close to any of us."
"Harry just lost his two best friends back in June, it's understandable that he wouldn't want to open his heart to anyone else. Knowing my pup, he blames himself for their death."
Jasper looked sadly down at his mate. "There's so much I need to learn about him if I want to be able to help him."
"Isn't it like that in any new relationship?" Sirius grinned. "I'm sure Harry is going to feel the same way once he finds out that you're eight hundred years old."
Jasper ignored Jacob's cackling. "I'm not that old." He cried indignity.
"Dude, you were in the civil war," Jacob teased. "You're ancient."
Jasper turned his head back towards his mate in a huff, but there was a smile on his face. Maybe the wolves weren't so bad after all.
***HP
Sam had been watching the werewolf all morning. He was watching him so much that the other wolf should have easily picked up on his creeping, but the werewolf was oblivious to his watching. It was as though the man had no wolf instincts whatsoever. If it wasn't for the man's scent, he'd wouldn't be able to tell that the man was part wolf. Having had enough creeping, he decided to just confront the wolf.
"Tell me about being a true werewolf."
Startled, Remus looked up from the muggle magazine he had been leafing through. "Well, there's really not much to tell. Your muggle movies pretty much got us right. We turn into mindless beasts on the full moon, hunting and killing anything we can sink our teeth into. Our bite is also infectious, and in some cases just our saliva alone can turn someone."
"And the rest of the month?"
"I don't understand what you're asking."
"You only turn into a wolf on the full moon, but can you feel your wolf in you the rest of the month?"
Remus' top lip twitched in irritation. "I don't allow myself to feel the wolf."
"Your wolf," Sam corrected. "It's not the wolf, but your wolf. The wolf is part of you and you're part of your wolf."
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Remus snapped.
"I don't?" Sam questioned, his eyebrows raised curiously. "You're not the only wolf in this room."
"Your wolf isn't like the wolf in me, my wolf is a monster. If my wolf had its way it would slaughter every human it could find on the full moon."
Sam was a bit taken aback at how much hate the man had for his wolf. "Okay, let me ask you this. Are you the only werewolf in the world?"
"Of course not!" Remus cried. "There's thousands of werewolves in packs all over the world."
Sam nodded his head, his eyes intense. "Then tell me, if there are so many werewolves, why then aren't there mass killings every full moon? If there are as many werewolves as you claim, then thousands of innocent people should be getting killed each month."
"Well, the packs try and stay away from humans, especially on the full moons."
"There would still be a lot of killings reported every month if werewolves are as bad as you describe, enough that the humans would grow suspicious. Are you in a pack...a real pack, not your mate snd Harry?"
Remus' eyes darkened. "Sirius and Harry are a real Pack!"
"No, they're not," Sam stressed. "A real pack is a pack with other wolves. Wolves need other wolves in order to be healthy and happy. Wolves need other wolves to help keep them grounded and in control. Do you have other wolves in your pack?"
"No!" Remus bit out angrily. "I don't need other wolves, I'm fine on my own."
Sam looked the man up and down. "No you're not. You're underweight, sickly looking, full of scars, aging faster than what you should be, and you have buried your wolf so far down that you have no natural instincts. You didn't even hear me approach you. I shouldn't have been able startle you that easily. You are not healthy and neither is your wolf."
"You're not a werewolf, you don't know what it's like to lose complete control over yourself. You're not a real wolf!"
Sam angrily pulled out his phone then shoved it in the werewolf's face. "Tell my mate that I don't know what it's like to lose control! I'm just as much a wolf as you, I just don't deny my wolf."
Remus looked at the picture, his heart going out to the beautiful woman with the heavily scarred face. He recognized those scars. Those scars were made by wolf claws. "You did that?" He asked, not unkindly.
"I lost control of my wolf for just a second." Sam admitted, his voice heavy with regret. "I was a new wolf, the first in the tribe to shift, and I got angry and Emily was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know what it's like to be scared of your wolf and to hate it, we're not that different. We struggle with control too, some of us more than others. I have one beta who is extremely volatile and who I have to keep close in order to keep him under control, but that's what a pack does. A pack helps and supports each other. A pack is a family. Why have you never joined a pack?"
Sighing, Remus closed his eyes. "I was six when I was bitten as a way to get back at my father. The wizarding world isn't like the muggle world. Witches and wizards know of the existence of werewolves and they fear and hate them. My father was a great werewolf hunter...the best. My father wiped out entire packs, men, women, children, and even human pack members. I was six at the time so I didn't know that my father was a killer, he was just my dad. My dad would spend weeks away from home on a hunt, but when he was home he was a caring and loving man who would spend hours a day playing with me. One full moon night, one of the rare ones my dad was home for, a werewolf snuck into my room and bit me. My dad was never the same after that. He moved my mom and I out to the middle of nowhere and gave up hunting. He wasn't abusive towards me, but there was never love in his eyes when he looked at me. He turned cold and indifferent and every full moon he'd lock me up in a shed behind our house then he'd go to a bar to get drunk. As you can imagine, my father being who and what he was, no pack was willing to take me in. Even now, as an adult, no pack will take me in even though my father has been dead for over twenty years."
"Shit, I'm sorry," Sam said sincerely. "It's not right to punish a child for their parents crimes." He felt a bit mixed over it. On the one hand he was furious that a wolf would bite a child to punish its father, but at the same time he could understand the wolf's reasons behind doing what he did. The man was a prejudiced murderer, killing innocent people for just being different. It had actually been a smart move to bite the son, by doing so it forced the hunter to stop hunting.
"So you were raised hating your wolf and you have never been in a true pack?"
"Sirius can turn into a massive dog, and when Harry's father was alive he could turn into a stag. That's the closest to a pack I have ever had."
Sam ran his hand through his short cropped hair. "Spend some time with my pack," he offered. "You're not healthy and neither is your wolf. Let us help you and teach you how to connect with your wolf."
"I-I don't know." Remus said anxiously. "I'm not a shifter, I don't think you can help me."
"You're still a wolf," Sam pointed out. "Tell me, why did you turn your back on Harry?"
Remus dropped his head in shame. "I blamed him for Sirius almost dying and then being in a coma."
"Did your wolf feel the same way?"
"No," Remus answered softly, a tear slipping down his cheek.
"You're ripping yourself in half trying to separate yourself from your wolf and in the process it's messing with your head and instincts. You're a mess. Let us at least try and help you."
"Why? Why do you want to help me?"
"You're a wolf and you need help and I'm an alpha who cares. That, and if you ever hurt Harry again I'll rip your throat out without thinking twice. That boy means a lot to me, and from what I understand you have hurt him on more than one occasion."
Remus looked sadly at the door Harry was behind with his mate at his side, along with Billy and Jacob Black. "Please, I don't want to hurt him again. Sirius is right, I am selfish, but I don't want to be. I love Harry, I have since the first time I heard his little heart beating while still inside his mother. I want to be a better person and a better wolf for my mate and pup."
"Alright, then. After Harry wakes and everything is settled, I'll introduce you to the rest of the pack."
***HP
Sirius waited until Remus stepped outside before descending the stairs and approaching the wolf shifter alpha. "I heard your conversation with my mate. Thank you. Remus really struggles with his wolf, I have tried to help him in the past, but he can be a stubborn man."
"You're hard on him?" Sam said, not really accusing, just stating an observation.
Sirius snorted. "Just recently, and I think that's half the problem. James and I had a tendency to baby Remus. We knew he had a loveless childhood and I guess we were trying to make up for it. Remus was extremely depressed and timid when we first met him at the age of eleven. His father, out of shame, kept him locked away like a dirty secret so he really didn't know how to act around other kids, or even adults. James and I were very protective of him. Every time he did something that would normally upset other kids, we brushed it off and forgave him for it. Remus isn't a bad person, but he does need help and guidance. Fighting his wolf for so long has really messed him up."
"I don't know if I can help him, but I'm willing to let him into my pack so he can see what a real pack is. I'm doing this for Harry, he needs all the love and support he can get, and I know how much the two of you mean to him."
"I'm really glad Harry found you all. Thank you for taking my pup in and caring for him."
"You don't have to thank me for that, I love that boy too."
