Thank you everyone for letting me know the link wasn't working. There has been a problem with the website for the past week, we haven't been able to upload new chapters.

Everything seems fine now! Thanks again, enjoy your weekend.

Remus Lupin had been extinguishing the candles and cleaning up the kitchen when he heard the sound. He knew that they had a houself for those kind of tasks but he never liked to go straight to sleep after a night of drinking and had a ritual of making coffee, cleaning the big table, and snuffing out the candles one by one.

He had only just started smothering the flickers of golden light when the soft sound brought his werewolf ears to attention. One of the advantages of having a beast hidden away inside was the acute senses.

He frowned. Could it be Fred or George, had they sneaked down to do more experiments now that they thought everyone was in bed? Or was Serena or Samuel so drunk that they were throwing up in the toilets? Probably the latter, he thought, but he gripped his wand and headed up the stairs all the same.

He moved his wand light purposefully around the hallway as a tingling, coppery smell filled his nose: blood.

"Remus."

It was barely a whisper, but it was enough for Remus to spot the man, flat on the floor, a mess of robes and blood, his face deathly white.

"Merlin!" He raced over and fell to his knees at his side, casting diagnostic charms as quickly as possible, whilst his trembling left hand pulled robes this way and that until he found the main injury.

"Merlin," he repeated softly. "Ok, tell me what you need, Serena's just gone to bed, I'll call her now and-"

"No!" Severus hissed, and a pale hand reached around and gripped Remus' knee with surprising strength. "No! Only you! Please."

Remus took a deep breath, his mind racing. Could he save this man alone? Should he wake Serena anyway? The smell of blood was overwhelming, he could almost taste it on his tongue.

"Ok, fine, let me get you to the kitchen, tell me what potions I need."

"Blood replen… muscle regen… skele gro, dittany… pain…"

"Ok, ok, I've got it, come on, let's move."

Remus half-lifted, half-levitated him and pulled his arm under his shoulder. Severus didn't let out a single sound, but his breathing betrayed him, and in the twenty seconds it took them to get Severus sitting in a chair in the kitchen, Remus was drenched in his blood and Severus was barely conscious.

As Remus lowered him into a chair, he slumped forward onto the kitchen table, the side of his face hitting the wood, and passed out. Remus summoned the potions from upstairs and began uncorking the first bottle with shaking, red hands. He lifted Severus' head awkwardly, turning him to the side and using his thumb to open his mouth. He was smearing blood everywhere but he would think about that later. He hoped that a full bottle would be enough, as he poured the first blood replenishing potion into his mouth, trying not to notice how pale his lips had become. He encouraged him to swallow with a spell.

He used his wand to cut Severus' robes away until he found the deep hole in his shoulder. It was impressive. Remus could see fragments of bone and torn muscle and hot, pulsating blood beating out of it. It looked as though he had been badly splinched.

He shuddered and pulled out the second bottle as Severus stirred, his eyes fluttering, before fully opening. Remus watched as his hands clenched the table and he tried to sit up slowly.

"Here, this is the muscle regenerating potion."

It took several seconds for Severus to sit up fully and reach out a shaking hand to take the bottle from Remus. He was swaying slightly. Remus watched as it took him two attempts to lift it to his mouth before pouring the liquid inside and swallowing.

The first two seemed to be working and Severus was regaining a little colour, although the gash in his shoulder was still open.

"Dittany," Severus hissed from between gritted teeth and as Remus pulled forward the tiny bottle, he watched as Severus wandlessly summoned a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard. He waited as Severus uncorked it with his teeth and took three long, heavy swigs. This was going to hurt.

The injured man gave a nod and Remus hovered his pipet over the gaping wound, before letting the drops fall onto the open flesh.

Severus didn't make a sound.

Remus watched in horror as his whole body shook in the effort to control himself. Remus was no stranger to pain or injury, but he knew he would be screaming if it had been him.

When the wound had closed, Remus handed the skele grow to Severus who unstopped it himself and took two, small sips, and finally the pain potion, which he only took a small sip of.

"Why didn't you take the pain potion first?" Remus asked, his throat feeling incredibly dry suddenly.

"Had to know everything was healing correctly," Severus said hoarsely, and he took a few more swigs of whiskey, before straightening up and leaning against the back of the chair, his eyes closed.

Remus took several deep breaths and looked down at his hands that were covered in Severus' blood. "Scourgify." When his eyes focussed a little more he realised that Severus' blood was everywhere, and he wondered how close to death he had actually come. Quite close, he thought, if he had chosen to apparate here rather than sort himself out as usual.

He quietly siphoned some of the blood from Severus' face and hair, too, but didn't dare do anymore than that.

"What happened?" he asked, wondering whether he would get an answer.

Severus took another swig. "Greyback," he said in a hoarse voice, and Remus watched as his eyes narrowed and a small, deadly smiled appeared on his white lips. "Cursed me while my back was turned…"

"Will he be punished by Voldemort?"

Severus actually smirked. "No… he has had punishment enough. He will be out of service for a few weeks at least… if he's still alive, of course…"

Remus found he didn't want to know anymore, but his mind filled with horrific images even still. Serena had always told him how Severus kept the Death Eater firmly separate from his other persona. He wondered if he was seeing a bit of both tonight.

Severus shifted and turned his head to look at the shoulder that had a dark, curved line scarring it now. There was no emotion in his eyes.

"A good opportunity to test our scar paste," Remus sad quietly. Severus didn't answer at first, but he tilted his head to one side suddenly and briefly closed his eyes.

"Remus… I believe I will need a clean shirt… and… Serena is awake. She has sensed my presence. Would you please tell her that I am fine and that I said… Ellis Bell and will see her on Monday."

Remus frowned. He didn't understand the message. Why wouldn't Severus want to see Serena? And how did he think Remus would be able to keep her away? He stood up and nodded. "I'll be right back."

"And Remus…"

Remus paused in the doorway and looked back at the man who was still the image of death, caked in dried blood and torn robes.

"Thank you… I owe you for this…"

Remus tried to smile and then headed upstairs, taking a moment to clean the blood stains and drops from the floor along the way. How on earth was that man still alive? He could feel the adrenaline still pumping through his blood. He'd had the man's life in his hands that evening…

"Remus!" she flew down the stairs barefoot and met him on the first landing. Her large brown eyes took in his appearance and Remus looked down at himself too, cursing as he realised that his own shirt was covered in blood too. She didn't say anything, but made to fly past him, somehow sensing that Severus was there. Remus grabbed her arm.

"Wait," he whispered, not wanting to wake up the other sleeping members of the house. "Severus is fine, I have healed him. He said for me to tell you Ellis Bell or something like that and that he would see you on Monday."

It happened so quickly he would have missed it if he hadn't been watching her face carefully. Something slid over her eyes, the emotion drained from her face and a muscle in her neck twitched. Serena had locked his occlumency shields into place in a heartbeat.

"Oh," she whispered tonelessly. "Ok… I'll go back to bed then…"

Remus felt his mouth drop open slightly. What on earth did the message mean for Serena to be so compliant? He followed her up to the next landing.

"He needs a shirt," he said in a low voice.

Serena nodded and brought him one from the wardrobe in her bedroom. "Anything else I should know?"

Remus shook his head but squeezed her arm tightly. "He really is fine, okay? It was just a curse, and he's fine now, he's sitting up and talking and totally normal."

She gave a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Thanks. Good night then." And she shut the door in his face.

Remus hurried back down the stairs as quietly as possible. When he got back to the kitchen, Severus was naked from the waist upwards and Remus found himself averting his eyes as he passed Severus a clean white shirt. He couldn't help but watch as Severus dressed. His body was lean and toned and his skin was incredibly pale. Tiny scars and burns littered his back and two larger ones cut through the fine black hair that covered his chest.

"I must go to Albus," Severus said quietly. "Look after Serena this weekend, please."

"You can't apparate anywhere, Severus-"

"I am perfectly capable," Severus said quietly. "Now don't molly-coddle Remus, we both know it's pointless."

Remus grimaced. "Serena has gone back to bed."

Severus didn't say anything but finished fastening the buttons up to his chin.

He had siphoned the blood from his hair and skin and other than looking a tad pale, he seemed perfectly normal.

"Do you even know where Albus is?" Remus asked.

"No," Severus said casually, pulling on his black cloak that he must have repaired. "But I'm sure I'll find him."

Remus watched as Severus slipped the half-empty bottle of whiskey into his enlarged cloak pocket and straightened up.

"Thanks again," he said in a most business-like fashion, and Remus could only watch as he swept out of the room and stepped into the night once more.

Serena rolled out of bed the next morning and headed straight for the bathroom across the hall. Her head was banging and she hadn't slept enough to filter the alcohol from her body. She took a hangover potion and a pepper-up from the bathroom cabinet where everyone on the second floor kept their various potions and toothbrushes, and then stepped into the shower. It was a very quick shower because after three minutes of hot water, Max banged on the door and said he needed to 'wee-wee'.

She could hear Lavinia crying from the floor below, Molly Weasley shouted up the stairs that breakfast was ready and Samuel was arguing with Sirius about the seeker for the Chudley Canons somewhere above her.

She couldn't help but smile.

She pulled on a pair of black jeans and a black t shirt and headed down to greet everyone.

"Morning," she called as she entered the kitchen.

"Morning," everyone called back.

"Channelling your inner Snape this morning?" Sirius smirked, jerking his chin at her black clothes.

She supressed a laugh. "Channelling my inner hangover, more like," she smiled, sitting down and pouring herself a glass of orange juice, whilst looking at the array of bacon, eggs, toast, beans, mushrooms and even hash browns on the table in front of her. Molly knew that Saturday nights were often heavy at Grimmauld Place and made a good old English breakfast on Sundays to compensate.

"Thank you, Molly," Serena said warmly as she pulled some toast and some eggs onto her plate.

She could feel Remus watching her, but she was well-versed in putting on a brave face and ignoring funny looks by now. Perhaps she was channelling her inner Snape, after all.

Samuel came down carrying Lavinia in his arms, with Max at his heels.

"Hello Aunty 'Reena," he smiled, giving her a hug.

"Hello, you handsome boy, sorry about the toilet this morning. Here, what do you want to eat? Molly has done a delicious breakfast."

She piled up Max's plate, listened to the various conversations about Quidditch, Lavinia's venture to the park yesterday and Arthur's discovery of a muggle antique shop down the road and smiled a genuine smile.

Something shit had happened to Severus last night, and by extension, it hurt her too. Somehow, though, being surrounded by all these wonderful beings made it all so much easier. Severus would distance himself from her until Monday, giving himself time to process what had happened, Serena would not ask questions, and honestly, she wasn't sure she wanted to know, but she was grateful with his honestly all the same. When they had agreed on some sort of code word, if ever Severus would be forced to do anything of a sexual nature against his will, Serena had wondered if he would actually use it. She had been the one to chose Ellis Bell, the masculine name Emily Bronte had used when she had written Wuthering Heights, her favourite book. She found it quite fitting. A woman who had changed her name like a double agent, and a main character who was a fucked-up anti-hero, forever punished and forever punishing himself.

"Aw, look she's sticking her tongue out," Molly laughed, and everyone's regard turned to baby Lavinia. Serena took the opportunity to sneak a glance at Remus. He looked slightly pale and he had barely touched his breakfast. She wondered what he had stumbled upon the previous night.

That afternoon, he asked Serena to go with him and Lavinia to the park.

"What's going on then?" Remus asked as they did a loop around the path with Lavinia in her buggy. "Why did a bleeding Severus arrive on my doorstep last night and why have you not asked me any questions yet?"

Serena shrugged and breathed in the crisp air, smiling at the tiny white flowers that had started popping up here and there along the path. "Haven't had an opportunity… and… I imagine Severus came here because he wouldn't have made it all the way up the castle driveway and was too injured to have been able to sort himself out alone… So… I guess he trusts you after last time. You should be pleased."

Remus gave her an incredulous look and she shrugged once more, feeling strangely detached from the situation.

"What was wrong with him, anyway?"

"Half of his shoulder was missing, I had to heal his muscle and he had to regrow part of his bone overnight, he can't have had a very pleasant evening once he'd left. He insisted on finding Albus."

Serena gave half a smile. "I knew he knew where Albus was, sneaky bastard."

"Serena love," Remus stopped and turned to her, his hand on her elbow. "You're worrying me, you're not acting how I expected you to react."

"What do you want me to do, Remus?" she said in exasperation, "cry and shout and scream like last time? Like all the other times? This is our life now, and if I can't deal with it properly then how is Severus supposed to?"

"Last night you didn't even go and see him-"

"He warned me not to," she said quietly, her eyes dark.

"What- when?"

She sighed heavily and rubbed her face, trying to scrape the tiredness away. "Your message, it was code… a code we used so that he can tell me whenever a revel has turned bad… whenever he's had to do… something he didn't want to do…"

Remus' lips parted in shock. "You mean, like that time when your ring burned-"

"Yes," she cut across him quickly, avoiding his gaze. "So there, now you know, I respected his wishes, we shall get over it separately and when I see him on Monday everything will be all happy and shiny again… Except that Severus will have fallen a little deeper into the darkness and his yin and yang will be all out again, and I'll have to put the pieces back together but without him realising, because god forbid I should taint my innocent little hands, and if he sees the reaction of what he did on my face it will only make him hate himself more and thus begins this wonderful vicious circle of shit. But hey, at least Albus has his spy, right?" She took a deep breath and cast an apologetic look at Remus for her outburst. She had been doing so well at controlling her emotions. "Did he say anything else?"

Remus looked unhappy but he answered her question anyway. "He just said that he'd been hit by Greyback, when his back was turned."

Serena felt anger rile up inside her at that. "When his back was turned?" she hissed, glaring at Remus. "What the fuck was he doing turning his- what a fucking idiot, god! All this practise and then he turns his back, god that's elementary!"

Remus looked slightly alarmed and she made an effort to smooth her face over, and she turned back to the path and kept walking. He pushed Lavinia next to her and the little girl's face calmed her down a tad.

"Sorry," she said quietly, "I know this all seems totally messed up and it really is… but Severus can't do his job unless I let him get on with it, don't ask too many questions, and patch him up when he lets me. It's all becoming strangely… normal… but I know he hates himself even more if ever it turns… sexual… he would have fought it… and he would have lost… I just hope he didn't lose too much of himself along the way…"