Tuesday 20th June

Sirius,

I hope you're okay. Your mother didn't look very happy when she apparated you home. Maybe if you show her this letter it will help, I'm sure you've already told her you only did it to annoy my father, and I hope this helps to prove you're not lying.

It worked though, so thank you.

He was furious, and in his rage my mum finally understood the truth. She sees him now for the coward he is and, you won't believe this—I can hardly believe it myself—she kicked him out! Right there and then. I'm not sure how I feel about it, to be honest. I'm glad he's gone, he never spoke to me much anyway, and I always felt awkward when he was around, so it's nice to not have that anymore. But I heard my mum crying last night after I went to bed, so I feel guilty too. She still loves him, I guess, and it's my fault he's gone.

I'm a little worried about next week, I'm not sure how we'll manage without my father, but mum says she'll deal with it, so I'm just trying not to think about it for now.

Write back soon,

Remus.

-o-o-o-o-

Tuesday 20th June

James,

Our plan worked perfectly. Mum was thrilled to be able to hug me after so long, and it seems she can't stop. She keeps grabbing me and hugging me constantly, it's already getting annoying.

I'm missing you guys already. It's very quiet here, and I've always liked that about my home. But I find myself missing the noise and chaos of you, Peter and Sirius. I must have been driven mad, that's the only explanation.

It was nice to meet your parents; they seem like really lovely people, and I can't wait to get to know them better at the sleepover. Let me know when it's going to be.

Write back soon,

Remus.

-o-o-o-o-

Tuesday 20th June

Peter,

Our plan worked perfectly. Mum was thrilled to be able to hug me after so long, and it seems she can't stop. She keeps grabbing me and hugging me constantly, it's already getting annoying.

I'm missing you guys already. It's very quiet here, and I've always liked that about my home. But I find myself missing the noise and chaos of you, James and Sirius. I must have been driven mad, that's the only explanation.

Can't wait for the sleepover.

write back soon,

Remus.

Remus put down his pen and checked the letters over for mistakes before rolling them up to send when Rieka returned from Hogwarts—or wherever Dumbledore spent the summer. He was pretty sure Sirius would understand what he was saying in the last paragraph without it being obvious to anyone else who might read it. It was hard having to write in code; what they needed was a way to communicate without the risk of other people seeing it. He quickly jotted that down on his list titled Things to Research, underneath 'star related nicknames' and 'ideas for a legacy' before heading downstairs for breakfast.

A couple of hours later, Remus was out in the garden reading under the shade of his favourite tree, when two, familiar-looking, red-headed wizards apparated onto his doorstep with a quiet pop and reached out to ring the bell.

'Gideon? Fabian?' Remus yelled. 'What on earth are you doing here?'

They jumped and turned to face him, both breaking out in identical grins when they saw who it was.

'No way,' Gideon yelled. 'It's not you is it?'

'That would explain his core strength,' Fabian said, as they walked over to him.

Gideon nodded and frowned a little. 'Only if it's been years, though.'

'What are you on about?' Remus asked. 'Is what me?'

'The werewolf we're here to build a… home for,' Gideon said.

Remus went cold. 'Dumbledore sent you?'

They both nodded.

'He thought we'd enjoy the project. Don't worry, though, he's going to check it when we're done,' Gideon said.

Fabian eyed him carefully and must have seen something in his expression because he put his hand on Remus' shoulder and said, 'Hey, don't worry, we've got nothing against werewolves. Especially you, you're a mischief-maker, just like us.'

'Do your friends know?' Gideon asked.

'Only Sirius.'

Gideon nodded. 'Alright, well, we're not going to tell anyone. So you don't need to worry, okay? You know we can keep a secret.'

'I guess I better take you inside so you can talk to my mum,' Remus said, hauling himself to his feet and avoiding their eyes. He hated that Dumbledore had told them, taking his choice away from him.

'Lead the way,' Fabian said.

Remus took the twins into the kitchen through the back door, finding his mum at the sink, washing up the breakfast dishes.

'Mum,' he said to get her attention. 'This is Gideon and Fabian Prewett, Dumbledore sent them to build me a cage.'

Fabian wrinkled his nose. 'We prefer the term "Full Moon Getaway." Calling it a "cage" makes it sound like you're an animal, Remus.'

'I think "Lunar Lodge" has a pleasing ring to it,' Gideon said.

'Ooh, alliteration, nice.' Fabian gave his brother a high five.

Remus' mum smiled. 'It's lovely to meet you, can I offer you both a cup of tea?'

That was her way of saying, "I like you, you can stay." Remus rolled his eyes; she was so easy to win around.

'That would be wonderful, thank you, Mrs Lupin,' Fabian said. 'We need to discuss exactly what you need before we get started.'

'Please, call me Hope,' she said, turning back to the sink to fill the kettle. 'Remus, why don't you show them through to the sitting room. I'll bring the tea in when it's ready.'

Great, he would have to be alone with them for several minutes while she fussed around making sure the tea was perfect. That was the very thing he was trying to avoid. He was sure they'd want to know all the gory details.

'It's this way,' he said, gesturing for the twins to follow him through to the sitting room.

'Oh cool,' Gideon said as they entered the room. 'Is that a television? Can we see it working?'

Fabian rolled his eyes. 'We're not here to drool over muggle technology, Gid.'

'Right, right. But it's a television!'

'Have you never seen one before?' Remus asked.

'We've seen pictures of them in Muggle Studies, but we've never seen a real one,' Fabian said. 'But we'll be here for a few days, at least. I'm sure we'll see it working at some point.'

'You can be such a sensible bore sometimes, Fab.'

Fabian glared at his brother. 'You take that back.'

But Gideon just stuck his tongue out at him before turning to Remus. 'We have some questions for you, is that alright?'

Remus braced himself and nodded, preparing for the intrusive inquisition he was expecting.

'So we're thinking natural materials, right? The wolf should feel more comfortable surrounded by wood than say, brick or cement, would you agree?'

'Er, yeah, I guess,' Remus said. That wasn't the sort of question he'd been expecting. 'But it won't be very strong.'

'And you call yourself a Marauder,' Fabian said with a snort. 'That's what magic is for.'

'And we were also thinking of leaving the floor as dirt. We can alter the spell we used to protect the audience during the arena test to prevent the wolf from digging his way out, but it would make him feel less confined.'

This was getting weird. They seemed more interested in making the wolf comfortable than actually preventing it from escaping.

'It doesn't sound very secure.'

'Oh it will be, don't worry,' Fabian said. 'But we want to make sure it's comfortable too. We did some research, and we know werewolves hurt themselves when they lock themselves up.'

'Which didn't seem very fair to us,' Gideon said. 'You lock yourselves away to keep from hurting anyone and hurt yourselves instead.'

Fabian nodded. 'We thought if the wolf was more comfortable and had things to do, maybe it wouldn't get so angry.'

'How much space do we have to work with?' Gideon asked just as Remus' mum entered with a tray of mismatched mugs filled with steaming hot tea, a small jug of milk and a bowl of sugar.

'You can use the whole garden if you like,' she said, placing the tray down on the coffee table and taking a seat. 'If more space will help Remus, use it all.'

Fabian grinned. 'Excellent, what about some of the woodland too? We can cast muggle repelling charms to keep anyone away.'

'Oh, but he's usually quite injured the next day, I need to be able to get in.'

'That's not a problem, we can make you an exception,' Fabian said.

'This is mad. I just need a small room or something, not some massive compound.'

'Remus, Remus, Remus,' Gideon said, putting his arm around his shoulders. 'Will you please stop trying to spoil our fun? This is the most interesting project we've had for years. Small room indeed,' he finished with a derisive snort.

'But, I'm only here for the holidays. What's the point?'

'Yes, three full moons. I imagine the wolf can do a lot of damage in that amount of time,' Gideon said. 'But if we do our job right, we can make those nights easier on you. Consider it a thank you for being a decent human and doing everything you can to not infect other people, even though it hurts you.'

The lump in Remus' throat prevented him from saying much to that. All he could get out was a quiet, 'Alright. Thanks.'

-o-o-o-o-

Wednesday 21st June

Remus,

I'm so glad the plan worked. I think you should try and enjoy all the cuddles. Your mum has many years to make up for, so I doubt it's going to stop anytime soon.

I miss you all too. The house is so quiet compared with our dorm, but I'm doing my best to make up for it. I could use some help in that department…

On a completely unrelated subject, Mum's agreed to you guys staying here for three nights, it's going to be the best sleepover there's ever been! I have so many plans already. I need to confirm dates with you and Peter first, and then Mum will send the official unrefusable invitation to Sirius' parents. I think we should do it straight after Peter's birthday so we can all celebrate Peter Day together, it's tradition, you know? So how does the 22nd - 25th August sound to you?

Also, have you heard from Sirius at all? I know it's only been four days, but I thought he would have written by now.

Yours in anticipation,

James.

-o-o-o-o-

Thursday 22nd June

Remus,

It's great to hear from you. I know what it's like to have a mum who won't stop hugging, mine has barely let me out of her sight since I got home. I'm sorry that you have to suffer with me.

I wish my home was quiet. I'm pretty sure I told you guys I live in the middle of a big town? There's noise constantly, cars on the road, people talking and laughing too loudly on the street, dogs barking, you get the picture. It's so different to Hogwarts. It took me a while to get used to how quiet the night is at school, but I'm really missing it now. Every little sound wakes me up and I'm exhausted.

I can't wait to see you all at the sleepover, I bet James' house is quiet at night…

One very tired and bored Peter.

-o-o-o-o-

Thursday 22nd June

James,

My complaints about my mum's cuddles may have been exaggerated. I'm enjoying them really. She's definitely making up for lost time.

I have a few ideas about how we can, ahem, liven up your house a little, but I will endeavour to broaden my fledgling plans to include more noise and mayhem, just for you.

Three nights and two full days? Are your parents fully aware of what they're letting themselves in for? I'm willing to bet a month of doing your homework that they end up sending us home early. I agree with having the sleepover in the vicinity of Pete's birthday for the sake of celebrating Peter Day at the proper time, but can it be before rather than after? I have to be home for an uncle's birthday celebration on the 24th. Sorry for being awkward.

I haven't heard from Sirius, although I wrote to him on the 20th. It worries me that you haven't heard from him either. The woman who picked him up from the station looked quite angry. Perhaps he's been banned from writing?

Yours in Marauderly concern,

Remus.


Friday 23rd June

Sirius was lounging on one of the beds in the tent, with Remus cuddled into his side. They were reading a book together, and he could hear James and Peter talking quietly as they worked on the potion on the other side of the canvass. His feet were uncomfortably hot, but he tried to ignore the stinging sensation, concentrating instead on the feel of Remus' tingly warmth pressed into his side.

'Sirius!'

He raised his head from the book and glanced around the tent. The shout had sounded like his mother's screeching voice, but that was impossible; he must have imagined it. Remus hadn't noticed anything, so he shook his head and returned his attention to the story. But his feet felt even hotter now, the stinging had progressed to an intense burning, and it was impossible to ignore. His wrists hurt too, and when he looked down at the hand holding the book, there was blood dripping down his arm. What the fuck?

'Sirius! Open your eyes!'

That was definitely his mother's voice. Sirius stood up and walked over to the entrance of the tent, looking out into the cave. James and Peter continued working on the potion, taking no notice of him at all. He turned back around, wondering why Remus hadn't questioned his actions, and startled when he saw himself still lying on the bed with Remus cuddled up to him. His feet felt like they were on fire now, but then the pain suddenly stopped, like a tap being turned off.

'Sirius!'

Sharp pain burst across his face as if he'd been slapped. But not this cheek, he realised. This wasn't real. Or it was once, but not now. This was a memory; he was inside his head. Hiding, while his physical body took a battering. He remembered now.

Sirius had no idea how long he'd been there when he forced his swollen eyes open. Returning to reality from the confines of his mindscape was brutal, but he was relieved that the burning had stopped, although he was still chained to the wall.

'Mother?' he croaked through his cracked lips. His tongue felt like sandpaper.

'Get cleaned up, you're required to attend an important family dinner this evening.' She waved her wand to vanish the chains holding him to the wall before turning and leaving through the door. Not even pausing long enough to watch him fall to the floor.

Sirius lay in a heap on the cold stone for several minutes, relishing the feeling of the blood returning to his arms, before hauling himself to his feet. His stomach growled at the thought of food, and he didn't even care that he'd have to suffer the company of his extended family if it meant he could eat something more than dry bread and drink something other than the occasional cup of water.

Keeping a tight grip on the banister, he climbed the cellar stairs on shaky legs and shuffled his way through the kitchen. Most of the house-elves avoided looking at him, but Kreacher sneered at him and muttered about disgraces to the name of Black and other bollocks Sirius didn't care enough to listen to.

When he finally reached his bedroom, he slammed the door closed behind him and collapsed onto his dusty bed with relief, wishing he had time for a nap but knowing his mother would have made sure he didn't. The bed made a strange rustling sound as he landed on it. That was odd.

With a groan, he rolled off the bed and pulled back the covers. His mouth stretched into an involuntary smile, cracking his dry lips even more, but he didn't care. Hidden beneath the quilt was a small pile of letters, and the uppermost scroll bore the unmistakable handwriting of Remus. Regulus, the beautiful little bastard, had intercepted his mail and left it for him to find.

He read through the letters quickly, delighted to hear from Remus that their plan had worked, but concerned about how he would manage the full moons with his father gone. There was no mention of how he'd felt about the kiss, but maybe he just wanted to talk about it in person. James letters were cheerful and excited, and Peter's full of complaints of boredom.

Thinking fast, knowing he didn't have much time, he scrawled three quick notes, addressing one to each of his friends and rolling them up ready to post. He then wrote a fourth note to his brilliant baby brother.

Reggie,

You're the best brother a guy could ask for. Thank you so much. I hate to ask you to take more risks for me, but I have no other options. Could you find a way to mail these letters for me? I've asked them not to write again, so you won't have to watch for owls anymore.

Yours in never-ending gratitude,

Siri.

Sirius hid the notes under the covers, assuming that Reg would check to see if he'd found his mail at some point, before rummaging in his trunk for his birthday gift from Remus. The little lockbox was the perfect hiding place for his friends' letters.

Once he was finished making the bed look untouched, Sirius made his way into his bathroom to do as he'd been ordered. He splashed water on his face before cupping his hands under the running tap and drinking greedily; enjoying the way the cold liquid trickled down his parched throat.

With his thirst quenched, he eyed his reflection in the mirror above the sink with a frown. His face held a striking resemblance to Remus' on his first day at Hogwarts. Pale skin, with deep shadows beneath his eyes, gave his appearance a sinister edge, but his cracked lips and the dark bruise across his cheek screamed that he was weak, easy prey.

But that was a lie.

Straightening his spine, Sirius sneered at his reflection. There was nothing weak about standing by your friends in the face of punishment and pain. Weak would have been giving in to his mother's demands out of fear.

The sight of his stringy, greasy, lank hair pained him, though. He looked like Snivellus, he thought with a shudder.

When he returned to his room after showering with his hair freshly washed, he was unsurprised to find an array of healing potions waiting for him on his desk. Ignoring the bottles, he walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a set of formal dress robes in dark green, embroidered with silver thread. He refused to help his mother hide what she did to him; he would wear the wounds of his loyalty with pride.

And he would wear something else with pride too, because the colours of these robes just wouldn't do, he thought, picking up his wand.

Exactly one hour after his mother had released him from the cellar, Sirius entered the dining room with his back straight, his nose in the air, and his trademark grin firmly in place. There would be no mask hiding his emotions during this meal; Walburga could go fuck herself.

'Evening all,' he said, glancing around the table. His eyes paused briefly on Andy and she gave him the tiniest nod of support, making his grin grow impossibly bigger. 'Mother, you look positively delightful, that colour really brings out the spitefulness in your eyes.'

He took his seat to the right of his father, who sat at the head of the table, and opposite his mother. She glared at him, but made no verbal response. Regulus was seated on her right, and he shook his head at Sirius in despair. Sirius winked at him.

He propped his elbows on the table in direct defiance of his ingrained table manners and leant forward. 'It's so wonderful to see you, little brother. Are you well?'

'I am, thank you,' Regulus said, trying hard to suppress a smile. 'Did you have a good year at school?'

'I had a brilliant year, Hogwarts is amazing. I can't wait to show you around in September and introduce you to my friends. Perhaps you'll even get sorted into Gryffindor with me.'

'Let's hope not. I think one disgrace in the family is quite enough,' a gravelly voice commented from down the table. 'And what on earth are you wearing, boy? Walburga, I'm surprised at you, allowing the boy to dress in those colours.'

'I assure you, I did not buy those robes,' Walburga said. 'He must have brought them home from school with him.'

'Grandmother,' Sirius said. 'What a joy it is to gaze upon your wrinkled visage. I thought for sure you would have succumbed to the ravages of age by now. Do you not like my robes? I would have expected a vampire such as yourself to appreciate the colour red, or do you only suck the life out of people, instead of their blood?'

In amongst the cries of outrage around the table at his words, Sirius picked out the sound of a quiet chuckle and met the eyes of his uncle Alphard, who was valiantly attempting to hide his mirth at Sirius' antics. The sight bolstered Sirius' courage, but before he could choose his next target—it was a toss up between Bellatrix and Narcissa—they were interrupted by the house-elves entering to serve the first course.

'Tomato-basil bruschetta, my lady,' Kreacher croaked as the shroud of elves approached the table, each serving two diners with a tiny plate bearing a bite-size crostini topped with some kind of tomato mixture. They smelled strongly of garlic and balsamic vinegar, making Sirius' mouth water.

The fragrant morsel of food was soon followed by a chilled cucumber soup which did nothing more than take the edge off of Sirius' ravenous hunger, and he cursed the tiny portions of each course. What he wouldn't give for a heaping plate of meat and potatoes.

The entrée course was no better, candied carrots with honey, cumin, and paprika. The three delicately stacked baby vegetables barely hit the sides on their way down, and Sirius was getting increasingly annoyed. A feeling that only worsened when the next course was served, a miniscule garden salad.

Conversation around the table had turned to politics by that point, and Sirius tried hard not to lose his temper over the talk of mudblood and muggle inferiority. He desperately wanted to stay calm and cheerful, to show his mother how very far from breaking his spirit she really was.

'… the Dark Lord will put them all back in their proper place,' Bellatrix was saying. 'But he needs support in the form of donations. Father has agreed to make a substantial contribution to the cause, but I was hoping as head of the family you would be willing to help?'

Sirius' father looked interested. 'I will certainly look into it. If his policies are sound, the Black vaults could withstand a little plundering.'

'Oh, thank you, Uncle Orion, I knew we could count on you,' Bellatrix said, smiling in a way that made Sirius stomach squirm. Sickening.

'Personally, I think muggles are amazing,' Sirius said. 'They've invented so many things to manage without magic, you know? So clever. Surely you agree, Grandfather? Wasn't your sister a squib?'

Much to Sirius' delight, everyone at the table gasped almost in unison; most in shock, but a couple in amusement at his audacity.

'I wouldn't know,' Pollux said, a hint of anger in his voice. 'I have not seen Marius since she turned eleven, and it was clear she had no magic within her. Do not speak of her again.'

'Really?' Sirius asked, intrigued. 'Where did she go?'

'I said, do not speak of her again,' Pollux snapped. 'Walburga, control your son.'

Sirius held his hands up in surrender. 'Sorry, didn't realise it was such a touchy topic. Let's change the subject, shall we? Cissy, darling, how goes your engagement?'

Narcissa scowled at him but answered the question, anyway. Politeness had been ingrained in her since birth, after all.

'Lucius and I are blissfully happy. Thank you, Sirius.' She turned away from him to speak to the whole table. 'We've set the date for the August new moon. I won't be returning to Hogwarts for seventh year.' She let out a sharp, tinkling laugh that reminded Sirius of smashing glass. 'There doesn't seem much need for NEWTs when I have such a dashing husband to take care of me.'

'Crispy trout with a parsley-caper vinaigrette, My Lady' Kreacher announced, leading the shroud of elves into the dining hall for the fifth time.

'Finally, some proper food,' Sirius muttered under his breath. But when the plate was set before him, he regarded it with disappointment. Barely three bites of fish were arranged artfully in a fan shape with a dribble of sauce across them. Gods, he hated all this pretentious bollocks.

'Speaking of engagements,' Andromeda said, causing Sirius to look up from his plate. She wasn't going to do it now, was she? Not after he'd spent the past half an hour purposefully pissing everyone off. Was she mad? He frowned at her, shaking his head as hard as he dared, but she ignored him.

'I have an announcement of my own.'

'Andromeda,' Cygnus said. 'I thought we'd put this nonsense to bed?'

'I'm sorry, father, but I love him,' she said with a small smile. Her cheeks were flushed. She lifted her head high and gazed around at the rapt faces of their extended family and spoke in a quiet but confident voice. 'I am engaged, and we plan to marry as soon as possible. As tempted as I was to simply run away, I wanted to give you all, my family, the opportunity to accept my choice of husband, as unlikely as that may be. His name is Edward Tonks.'

'A mudblood?' Bellatrix said, looking at her sister with horror. 'Are you insane?'

'Unacceptable,' Pollux said. 'You will end this arrangement at once.'

'I will not, Grandfather. Either you accept him, or I will leave.'

Sirius rubbed his hand over his face in despair, but he had a promise to keep so he stood from the table. 'Andromeda, as the heir to our House, I wholeheartedly accept your choice of husband and offer my heartfelt congratulations to you both.' He lifted his glass. 'To the happy couple,' he finished, taking a long gulp of the one glass of wine he was permitted to drink with dinner.

'Thank you, cousin,' Andromeda said, picking up her own glass. 'And to your good health and fortune.' She took a long swig of her own.

'As if that means anything,' Sirius' father said. 'Your father has forbidden this union, and as the Head of your House, I also forbid it.'

Andromeda nodded, before standing from the table and taking a deep breath. 'Then you leave me no choice,' she said. 'I hope, one day, this House is cleansed of the ugliness that runs through like a virus. Goodbye, Sirius, and thank you again for your lone support.'

Sirius inclined his head to his favourite cousin. 'Farewell, Andy. Have a good life.'

With that, Andromeda swept from the room and a moment later the sound of the front door slamming closed shattered the silence.

'Good riddance,' Walburga said, a nasty sneer on her face. 'Disgusting little mudblood lover.'

Sirius remained standing as the rest of his relatives picked their cutlery up to continue the meal. The house-elves had finally served a decent-sized dish, roasted duck with an orange and ginger glaze, but Sirius found he no longer had the stomach for it.

'If you don't mind, mother, I'd like to retire to my room. Unless you'd prefer me to return to my imprisonment in the cellar?'

'Kreacher,' Walburga said. The ugly elf appeared immediately. 'Take Master Sirius back to the cellar.'

Kreacher bowed so low his nose touched the ground. 'My pleasure, My Lady.'


Friday 23rd June

Remus,

Mum cuddles are the best cuddles, I'm thrilled you're finally able to enjoy them.

I also find myself intrigued and excited by your promises of additional noise and mayhem. Your fledgling plans should be well on their way towards fully grown by the time you arrive. Let me know if you need any supplies.

Consider this a metaphorical handshake on your proposed bet and prepare to lose. Mr and Mrs Potter are well used to chaos, my friend, and they will not be ruffled by even your most devious of devilish plans. I look forward to watching you do all my homework for a month. Is that one calendar month or one lunar cycle? Do I get to specify which month you will be my homework slave for? We should hash out the details now to avoid arguments later.

No need for apologies, before Peter Day is probably better than after, anyway. We'll be together sooner. Mum says to be here for 4 pm on the 18th, and to tell your parents you'll be home by 10 am on the 21st. Our Floo address is Potter Manor. You are connected to the Floo network, right?

I still haven't heard from Sirius, and Peter says he hasn't either. Mum's going to send the official invitation next week; hopefully, the response will at least let us know he's okay, but I'm worried about him.

Yours in anticipation,

James.

-o-o-o-o-

Monday 26th June

The twins had finished building the enclosure on Saturday afternoon, and Dumbledore came by to inspect it on Sunday, declaring it more than adequate. Despite that, Remus was still apprehensive as he waited for the clock to tick around to nine-fifteen. Nine days of doing no magic had had a positive effect on his pre-moon symptoms. He'd felt fine until ten-thirty that morning when the ache began to make itself known deep in his bones. His anxiety, though, was another story.

Every day that went by without a word from Sirius caused his worries to increase. Was he being punished for the kiss? Did he regret it so much that he wouldn't speak to Remus anymore? On returning to his home, had he decided that being friends with a monster wasn't worth the hassle? Or was it even worse than that? Had anyone ever kissed a werewolf before? How could they be sure his saliva wasn't infectious?

The questions cycled through his mind continuously, and every time he considered the possibility that kissing him may have turned Sirius into a beast like him, he forcibly wrenched his thoughts to something else. There was nothing he could do but wait to hear from him. Wait and hope.

'It's time, sweetheart.'

Remus looked at the clock on the wall and grimaced. It was indeed nine-fifteen, and the moon would be rising in just under half an hour. He pulled himself to a sitting position with a groan he tried hard to suppress. The twins were standing behind his mum, watching him, and he hated having an audience.

Fabian stepped forward. 'Do you want a hand?'

Remus scowled at him. 'I can manage, thank you.' He knew they were there to protect his mum in case something went wrong with the spellwork on the new cage, but he hated the idea of people who were practically strangers listening to his transformation and he was in a crappy mood because of it.

'No one is suggesting you can't,' Gideon said, rolling his eyes. 'But why would you choose to struggle alone when people are offering to help?'

'Pride, I would guess,' Fabian said. 'Typical for a Gryffindor, really.'

Remus hauled himself to his feet and was pleased when he didn't even wobble. 'I've been doing it alone for seven years, I see no reason to change that now,' he told them before walking through to the kitchen and out the back door. They followed him, of course.

The new enclosure looked like a very large, windowless log cabin. And when Remus described it as very large, he meant very; it was huge. Ridiculously so. The thing took up the entire garden and stretched into the woodland behind, and Remus couldn't help but feel guilty about it. His mother had always enjoyed the view from the kitchen, and now all she had to look at while she cooked was a constant reminder of her son's abnormality.

Remus had yet to look inside the structure, and he approached the door with a mixture of trepidation and something like excitement; a kind of anticipation, but not of something good, just something not as bad as usual.

'There's no lock,' he said, noticing the complete lack of locking mechanism on the outside of the door.

'Doesn't need one,' Fabian said. 'The door will magically lock at moonrise and stay locked until moonset, every night. We couldn't figure out how to make it only work on full moons.'

Remus nodded and pushed the door open. As the inside of the cage was revealed, he couldn't hold back his gasp.

'Nice, huh?' Gideon said, grinning at him.

That was an understatement if ever he'd heard one. It looked like a miniature meadow. The ground underfoot was grass, as bright and lush as you'd find on the richest of lawns, but allowed to grow long and beautiful, the way nature intended. Wildflowers grew amongst the greenery, treating Remus' eyes to flashes of red, pink, purple and yellow as the grass swayed in a magical breeze.

He could barely see the walls through the bushes that bordered the meadow and there didn't appear to be any roof; he could see the night sky clearly above him.

'Are you sure the wolf can't climb out?'

'Positive. The ceiling's enchanted like the Great Hall,' Fabian said. 'We thought it'd be nice for the wolf to be able to see the sky.'

'We put your bed right by the door,' Gideon said, nodding his head towards the floor to his left. 'Easier for your mum to get you in the morning. And there's a trunk there to put your things in.'

Remus glanced down and saw a pile of animal furs in the corner. A wooden box with a hinged lid sat beside them.

Gideon must have seen something in his face because he quickly added, 'We got them from the centaurs at school. They only kill to eat, you know? Seems a shame to waste the skins.'

'We would have bought artificial, but we wanted all the scents in here to be natural,' Fabian said.

Remus nodded. 'It's fine. Thank you for doing this. It's much more than I expected.'

'We just hope it helps,' Gideon said.

Fabian nodded. 'Good luck, tonight. We might see you in the morning.'

'Have a good night, sweetheart,' his mum said.

Remus gave her a hug, enjoying the comfort of his mum's arms before a transformation for the first time, but missing Sirius' scent. Then they left, shutting the door behind them.

Alone, Remus removed his dressing gown and put it inside the box to protect it from the wolf, before curling up on the skins to wait. The room was pleasantly warm, even lying there nude, and he felt a wave of gratitude towards Gideon and Fabian. They really had tried to make this place comfortable for him, and for the wolf.

Ten minutes later, the pain set in and the screaming began.


The wolf sniffed the air.

It smelt like Outside. Was he back in the old space?

He opened his eyes and blinked. No. This was something entirely new.

Jumping to his feet, he began to investigate.

It was very similar to Outside. There was the soft springy stuff under his feet, and lots of interesting smells. Big, thick bushy things lined the edges of the space and he stuck his head in them to sniff around. It was a big space—the biggest he'd been in—and it looked and smelled a lot like Outside, which was pleasant, but it wasn't Outside.

It wasn't freedom.

He was still trapped. And worse, Pack-mate wasn't there.

The wolf wondered if his pack-mate would find him there. He had found him once before, after all. It wasn't impossible. While he was waiting, he could test the boundaries of this new space he was in. Perhaps this one would have a way to escape.


Remus rolled onto his side and groaned at the ache in his bones. Lifting his arms above his head, he stretched his muscles, enjoying the delicious sensation that rippled through them; an almost pain that was pleasurable. After giving himself a mental once over, and deciding he seemed to be okay, he opened his eyes. And did a double-take.

His upper-body, from the highest point on his chest he could see down to his waist and the entirety of his arms, hands and fingers, was coated in mud. It was dried on, and the thin layer cracked as he moved, small bits flaking off to land on the animal furs he was lying on.

His body ached from the transformation, but otherwise, he felt alright, so he pulled himself to a sitting position and looked around. The door sat open—his mum must have already been in to check on him—but he couldn't see much of the enclosure from so low down. The long grass was obstructing his view. He crawled over to the box and pulled on his dressing-gown over the crusty layer of mud, causing more of the stuff to flake off. Merlin, he was looking forward to a nice long shower. His thoughts briefly went to the showers at Hogwarts; their water pressure was so much better than his shower at home.

Using the wall for leverage, Remus pulled himself upright and gazed at the sight before him. Where yesterday there had been a small but beautiful meadow, there was now a gaping pit in the ground. It looked as though a small asteroid had landed in the centre of the enclosure. That explained the mud. Well, at least the wolf had a good time, he thought with a shrug, hoping Gideon and Fabian weren't too upset at the ruin he'd made of their efforts.

After wrapping his dressing gown around himself tightly and tying the cord, Remus padded out of the enclosure and in through the back door, finding his mum and the twins drinking tea at the small kitchen table.

'Morning, Archie,' Gideon said with a grin.

'Morning,' Remus said. Then he frowned. 'Archie?'

'Short for archaeologist,' Fabian explained. 'We figure you must have been digging for ancient ruins last night. You find anything?'

Remus felt his face heating. 'Er… No. I'm sorry about the mess, though.'

His mum handed him a cup of tea with a smile, and Remus sat down at the table.

Gideon rolled his eyes. 'Don't be daft. That was the whole point of the dirt floor, to give the wolf something to do. And it looks like it worked perfectly.' Gideon waved his hand to indicate Remus' body. 'Your mum said there were no injuries last night?'

Remus' face warmed even further; he hated talking about his lycanthropy with other people. 'No. I'm fine,' he said. 'Thank you.'

'And it's only ten o'clock,' Fabian said. 'Apparently, that's pretty early for you to wake up?'

'Very,' Remus confirmed.

'Well then, I declare the Lunar Lodge a complete success,' Gideon said. 'So we'll be off. Hope, you have our contact details if anything needs repairing?'

Remus' mum nodded.

'Good luck in second-year, Remus. And have a good holiday.'

'Feel free to write to us,' Fabian said. 'Bye.'

The twins showed themselves out through the back door and apparated away once they were outside.

Remus' mum smirked at him and took another sip of her tea.

'What?'

'You should probably take a look in the mirror.'

Remus groaned. 'Is my face covered in mud too?'

She nodded, eyes twinkling with mirth. 'And your hair.'

'Do I look ridiculous?'

'Utterly.'

'Wonderful.'

It was twenty-six hours later that Remus received the letter that made his stomach drop and turned him into a ball of anxiety for the rest of the summer.

Remus,

I apologise for not writing sooner, but I've been a little busy. I won't be able to write again and please don't write to me anymore either. I will see you at James' in August.

Sirius.


Wednesday 9th August

'Sirius!'

Sirius glanced up at the sound of his name being called. His mother was striding towards him across the grounds of Malfoy Manor. He'd been doing his best to meld into the background, hoping to go unnoticed, but he should have known better. The only reason he was here and not still in the cellar at home was so his mother could show off her heir. Despite the fact that she despised who he was, she was proud of his perfect Black looks and, when he bothered to remember his years of training, she was proud of his bearing and his conversational skills.

'The ceremony is about to begin. You should be standing with your father,' she said, dragging him off to join the bonding circle.

The guests to the Black-Malfoy wedding ceremony were congregated in the middle of the extensive lawn at the back of the mansion, forming a large circle, with spaces left either side of Orion for his mother and himself. Sirius took his place on the right of his father and waited for the show to begin.

It was a clear night and Sirius looked up at the sky, his eyes automatically searching out the constellation of Canis Major and his own star. It was a new moon, Remus would be well at the moment, and there were only three more weeks until he'd be back at Hogwarts with his friends. His mother hadn't mentioned anything about an invitation from the Potters, but it must be happening soon, unless it had been cancelled. Gods, he hated being out of touch; not knowing what was happening.

When the first notes of the traditional wedding music played, Sirius straightened his spine and allowed his mask to cover his feelings of revulsion. Going to the Potters was too important to him to risk pissing his mother off, even if he didn't know for sure if it was still happening. Tonight, he would play his role perfectly, in the hopes of a better tomorrow.

Narcissa floated into the circle wearing silver robes on the arm of Lucius, who wore Slytherin green. Sirius wanted desperately to roll his eyes but, pulling some willpower from the depths of his soul, he managed to refrain. The "happy" couple stood facing Orion Black and Narcissa had a wide smile plastered on her face, but Lucius' grin looked forced; not quite reaching his eyes. Sirius remembered the conversation they'd had in the library the previous summer and felt sorry for the man.

The bonding ritual lasted half an hour, and Sirius tuned most of it out, sickened as he was by the whole thing. And knowing that a similar fate awaited him in the future. He briefly wondered who his parents would force him to marry, but quickly decided he didn't want to think about it.

When the last of the silver threads of light binding the couple's hands together finally dissipated, Sirius breathed out a heavy sigh. Part relief that it was over, part dread of what his next punishment would be when he returned to the cellar.

The circle was breaking up. Guests were approaching the couple to offer their congratulations, and Sirius glanced around for Reggie. Spotting him standing alone, Sirius took his chance and hurried over to him.

'Reggie!' he said by way of greeting when he was close enough.

Regulus looked up and smiled when he saw him. 'Hey Siri, you doing okay?'

'No,' Sirius said bluntly. 'But you know that. Thanks, by the way.'

Regulus nodded. 'I posted them for you.'

'Good. I appreciate it.'

'I know. You better go, though. If mother sees us talking, you'll pay for it.'

'Sirius rolled his eyes, but he knew Reggie was right. 'I'll see you September first. Love you, Reggie.'

'Love you too, Siri,' Regulus said. 'Now go.'

Sirius nodded and wandered away to the other side of the garden. When he looked around, his mother's beady eyes were watching him, but she gave him a small nod of approval. Apparently, he was behaving to her satisfaction.

Two hours passed in sheer boredom. Sirius spoke with many important guests, and he behaved impeccably. It was horrendous. But oh, so worth it when they returned home. After arriving in the drawing-room, Sirius began the short journey to the cellar, but his mother stopped him.

'You have received an invitation from House Potter to spend two days with their heir,' she told him. Sirius tried very hard not to show his happiness on his face. 'You will go. Remember that while you are there, you are representing this family. I expect you to properly cultivate this opportunity. Do you understand?'

'Yes, mother,' Sirius said. 'When is it?'

'Nine days. You will spend that time in your room. I want you to look your best, and you're far too thin,' she said, looking him up and down with an expression of disapproval.

Well, that'll be because you haven't been feeding me. But he kept the thought to himself. He wasn't going to risk her changing her mind over a snide comment.