Book one

The bond.

The world stopped.

"What do you mean "She died"? I don't, I don't remember…" Remus said, overwhelmed by his pain and the wolf's own panic. His memories were playing with him. Out of nowhere the picture of a shadow appeared. In the infirmary of Hogwarts, surrounded by blood, and he could remember his friends all over it. Sirius was crying, and James was simply frozen, Peter was not there, and… himself, crying over the shadow, with the wolf hurting inside him.

"I'm sorry, Remus. My head just, I just… can't remember." Sirius had tears in his eyes because of the pain. "I thought, when I saw you, that losing your mate caused you more damage in the physical department than what was expected" He saw him rub his chest. "But now, I really cannot tell what is real and what isn't. Probably an after effect of Azkaban"

Remus did have to fight the wolf this time in order to not punch his packmate.

"What did you see, with Hermione?" He asked instead.

Sirius gave him a tiny smile. "I just felt that I needed to protect her. I couldn't help it. It was pretty similar to my feelings towards Harry." He did smile then, a smile so big that made his face look crazier. "I mean, I thought you saw her as part of your pack, someone to take care of, so I just needed to follow your lead."

Remus felt back onto the couch, his arm over his eyes. "I do not know, Sirius. I remember seeing her for the first time and thinking "She smells good". And Moony was all over her." He heard, more than saw, Sirius getting up. He felt a hand in his chest.

"Did Moony create a bond with her?" He asked softly like if talking louder would make everything harder. "Do you remember that "Lesson"? About how bonds work and its different types?"

He sighed. "I do and don't" He whispered. "I know that information but do not remember the moment itself."

"Our bond is unique, love. You'll find out about it before me."

Sirius stayed quiet for a few seconds and then said "I can't remember that any longer"

"I did tho," He continued saying, "I remember that I did remember that memory, back in that cell. It repeated over and over again, I thought I had it memorized. Apparently not."

They stayed like that, Remus lay over the couch with Sirius sitting on the floor next to him. Sirius's hand on his chest, comfortably.

"I don't remember having a mate," He said. "I truly don't."

Sirius just looked at him, confused. "I'm pretty sure you had one. Perhaps it's just your mind protecting yourself and the wolf from the pain."

"I don't think so. It's not that. If I had a mate, and she died, then I wouldn't be here." Remus explained.

"What?, like the "I can't live without her" thing?" Sirius interrupted, looking curious.

"No," he replied, "The "here" is not a place or time, I was talking about a situation."

Sirius kept looking at him with a "Like bloody hell I get it" look on his face. Remus smiled to himself, he had to admit that he missed that look.

"The only thing I can remember clearly about yesterday's transformation is Hermione calling me," he whispered. "I felt something similar the first time I saw her. The wolf wanted to get out and..."

"Wait a second. Are you telling me that you think Hermione is your mate? That your mate is a bloody fourteen years old!?" Sirius said, a bit of incredulity in his voice. "You, Remus Lupin, the perfect boy, created a bond with a child?"

"It is not like that, at all," he defended himself. "I mean, a little bit." he pulled his hair with his free hand. "Moony wants to be mated already. But not like you are thinking."

"Then explain it to me. The wolf in you wants his mate. My godson's best friend."

Remus sighed, pulling his hair again. "But not… I mean he just… I think his instincts are telling him that she is in danger. If we fulfill the bond she will be safer… and claimed."

Sirius grinned. "Oh, little Moony is making you crazy, isn't it?"

"You have no idea."

"But, Sirius-ly" Sirius grinned, "Is she? That would explain the need I had to protect her."

"I… I truly don't know!"

"She felt like pack" Sirius informed him. "Even more than Harry."

"Well, Harry is part of the pack, remember? Just not… officially."

His best friend did not talk after that, humming while playing with his thoughts. Both of them were feeling even more tired now, out of energy.

"Remus"

"Yes, Sirius?"

"If she is your mate," he questioned, even though his voice was blurry with sleep. "and you "claim her" like Moony wants to… Will she be the beta of the pack?"

"What? Why?"

"Well, back in Hogwarts, she and Harry gave me some orders, and…" he hesitated.

"Padfoot?" Remus asked, feeling how the hand in his chest was shaking.

"Well, I think she ordered me."

"Yeah, you were explaining that"

Sirius sighed. "No, no, I mean that I think she gave me an order. Like, using the same kind of weird alfa power that you have."

Remus felt his body stiffen.

"I don't do that, and you know it."

"You did, once, remember?"

He did not. Remember, that is.

"I'm sorry" he whispered. He tried not to abuse the authority he had over his best friends, it always made him feel more like the wolf. "Both of you are a team. You need to learn how to work together."

"She and Harry gave me the same order, and before that, she asked me to do something else." Sirius told him, "and I did it, without thinking."

Remus's body was ready to fall asleep, but his mind was not.

"Are you saying that she overpowered you?"

"I'm saying that if she is your mate, she would have that power."

"Which she does." the wolf said, out loud.

"Which she does," Padfoot confirmed.

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