A/N: Weeeeeeee

A/N: Weeeeeeee. Part 2. Like always, not my characters. They all belong to J. K. Rowling, not me. Blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda. On to the story. Oh! By the way, Loup-Garou is Latin for werewolf. At least I think it is… I got that from the book Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause *shruggles* If it's not, I'm making it. ^_^

If you know what's good for you, you'll get out, filthy beast! Remus glanced at the letter, and then chucked it into the fire. So far, there had been countless letters, none pleasant, from various people. Some were from halfway across the country, and some were from the surrounding areas. A few carried hexes. The only consolation had been the letters from Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid. Dumbledore and Sirius were probably too busy, and Harry had no access to the wizarding world during the summer. Even though the few friendly letters had helped some, they were brief and pulled Remus away from harsh reality only for a few moments. Unfortunately, that harsh reality was quickly getting worse.

The surrounding wizards had put anti-apparation charms around Remus' house. Someone was constantly watching the house, waiting for Remus to leave so that they could capture and kill the "dark creature." Remus' food supply was steadily diminishing, as well as his potion supply. The moon's shape grew rounder each night. If he couldn't get out to buy ingredients for the wolfsbane potion soon, Remus would be vulnerable to any wizard bearing a wand and silver. Sighing, Remus toyed with his wand. If he could only find some way to deactivate the charms, then he would be free to come and go as he pleased. Maybe a letter to Dumbledore…

No! cried the voice in the corner of his mind (it seemed to come a lot these days). You will not go groveling to Dumbledore for help. Haven't you lost enough pride? How much more do you need to loose before it's enough? Werewolves are just as capable as normal wizards, as you, of all people, should know.

As much as the voice (his own mind? It seemed to contradict every thought Remus had) made a valid point, there seemed to be no way to get around the charms. He could always sneak out. As a Marauder he had done it enough.

But it was never you, Remus. Sirius, James, and even little Peter always snuck out. You were the sick one they were sneaking out to visit. At times, even weaker then Peter.

I was not!

Of course you were, the voice said, gleefully. The clichés have been said throughout your entire life. "Remus, are you well?" "Remus, you look pale." "Remus, maybe you should sit down." "Remus, what's wrong? Are you ill?" Are you sure that Peter was the weak one in your group? You know they would all still be here if it weren't for you. The only reason you weren't the Secret Keeper was because Sirius thought you were the spy. Even your closest friend couldn't help but suspect the werewolf.

Stop it! It's not true…

Then why is it hurting you? If it's not true, then why won't you leave? Why do you keep yourself prisoner in your own house?

Because…

Yes?

Because…

I'm waiting.

Remus Lupin made up his mind. Tonight he would end the siege and get supplies.

Around one in the morning, Remus snatched his wand. Once he got out of the house, he would be able to apparate to Diagon Alley. However, he would need to escape without attracting the attention of his prejudiced, yet dangerous, neighbors. Remus sighed. Stealth had never been his strong point. Figuring out the correct spell, providing the knowledge, research, and excuses had always been his job among the Marauders, but never stealth. He cracked the door open and peered out. No one in direct sight. The moon glowed in the darkness. It seemed to shine right on him. Remus crept out the door, trying desperately to stay in the shadows. Just a little bit further, and he could apparate to safety…

A swift movement to the right. "Stupefy!" Remus dodged the curse and pointed his wand at his attacker. "Expelliarmus!" The curse missed by an inch. Damn, thought Remus, James was always the best at duels. Remus tried apparating, but was still in the parameters of the anti-apparation charms. He would have run for it, except for one slight problem: other wizards had arrived. Quite suddenly, Remus was surrounded. "Petrificus Totalus!" Remus' legs and arms snapped together, and he fell backward onto the hard ground.

The wizards leaning over him smiled cruelly. "That's better. Stupefy!" All went black as Remus fell into unconsciousness.

Remus awoke. He tested his limbs to find that the wizards had removed the full body-bind curse. The room was dark, but there was still enough light for Remus to be able to see outlines and movements. From the gloomy feel of the room, it was somebody's cellar. A small, high window showed the night sky and three quarter moon. In seven days Remus would transform into a wolf that acted by instinct alone without the wolfsbane potion. That is, if his captors allowed Remus to live that long. Why do they hate me, so? Remus asked the sky.

Humans hate what they don't understand. You know that.

But I am human.

You're something more.

Then why do I feel like something less?

Your own fault.

Me?

Of course, you.

But why?

Because humans hate what they don't understand.

I thought I'm not human.

I never said that.

Why do you torment me? Why do you hate me?

I don't hate you. I am you.

Remus curled up in the corner and attempted to fall sleep, not sure if he would live to see dawn.

Not more than ten minutes later, the door burst open only to slam shut again. Remus stirred in reflex, then went limp, feigning sleep. Voices yelled outside the door.

"If you destroy him, we could get tried as murderers! They could search this house and you know what they would find! Do you want to go to Azkaban or become rich?" A man's voice, cruel and uncaring. Just the sound of it gave Remus chills.

"No one would know or care. He's a nobody. And who in their right mind would care about a werewolf?" A woman's, this time. The same creepy kind of voice; though, while the man's was calm and uncaring, hers came close to hysterical.

"Who would care? Are you insane? This man taught at Hogwarts. Obviously, Dumbledore knows him. Perhaps he would care. In the old days we could take care of unfaithful werewolves, but the Master is gone. There is no one to protect us, now."

"But how can we be sure he won't escape in the dead of night and report us to the Ministry? Or kill us?"

"He won't. I'll put him under the Imperius curse. Even if he fights, he'll be weak after the full moon. It will be a while before he can defend himself. Besides, I have his wand. He won't do anything. Don't worry."

The woman's voice turned wistful. "I wish Master had succeeded. The old days would be back and we could kill anyone or anything without fear."

"Yes, but they're not. And I do not wish to go through all that with the Ministry, again. Though, it wasn't hard fooling that idiotic excuse for a minister."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. At least we'll be rich. Werewolf fur and the like is rare, nowadays. We can charge plenty and restock each full moon."

"Yes." The door opened and the man stuck his head through. Remus quickly shut his eyes and kept his breathing shallow. "We should go back upstairs." The man snorted. "Stupid creature's still asleep. He has no chance resisting us."

The door shut for a final time. Remus shuddered. These people were obviously dark wizards. Master had to be Voldemort. "Great," Remus muttered to himself. "Just bloody wonderful. Starve and die in my own house or be a prisoner to dark wizards. The choices life gives you." Remus looked up at the window again. Seven days, a week until the full moon. No wand, no means of escape. If only werewolves could become animagi, mused Remus. He sighed. No sense dwelling on what could be, or what if things were different. Besides, everyone knew metamorphic creatures couldn't add on another metamorphosis. It'd be insane, not to mention dangerous, to try. Remus yawned. Maybe he could get his wand back, somehow. But tomorrow, not tonight. Remus yawned once more before giving in to the exhaustion, and then slept.

Two days passed slowly. Remus had yet to meet the witch and wizard holding him captive. He passed the time looking out the small window, thinking of plans (none all too feasible), and reminiscing. One memory kept coming back: a cold January Saturday in the middle of the friends' third year…

Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew burst into the common room, Sirius running in first, followed by a shivering Peter. Remus Lupin and James Potter looked up, grinning, from their chess game.

"Cold, are you?" asked James.

Peter nodded. Sirius merely glared at his two friends for daring to be warm.

"You know, Sirius, if you set off dungbombs in Filch's office in the middle of the day simply because you 'get the urge,' most likely you will get caught."

"Shut up, Remus," muttered Sirius as he collapsed into a chair near the fireplace.

"No, thank you. This is way to much fun after you bragged about being able to pull any prank better than any of us without getting caught."

James laughed. "Yeah. And I did the dungbomb thing…how many years ago, Sirius?"

When Sirius refused to answer, Remus piped up. "I think it was two, James!"

Sirius mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that, Sirius?" asked Remus.

"First off, you're both enjoying this far too much. Secondly, I would have pulled it off, if it weren't for Peter getting so freaked out by a little adventure. 'Sirius, we're going to get caught!' 'We're going to be expelled for this!' 'Sirius, I think I here Mrs. Norris. No, wait, it's only someone talking downstairs.'"

James and Remus laughed hysterically, almost falling out of their chairs. Peter's face turned red with embarrassment, shame, or some combination of the two.

"And what was Filch's exciting punishment?" asked James.

"Shoveling all of the paths outside without magic." Sirius rubbed his hands together and blew into them. "I'm still defrosting."

"Not surprised," said James, "It must be colder than Azkaban out there."

"Azkaban?" asked Remus with interest. Having always been treated as a fragile creature that could break with the slightest touch by his parents, Remus Lupin knew little of the nastier aspects of magic.

"Yeah. Wizard prison. Guarded by these creatures called dementors," answered James.

"What do they do?"

"They suck all happiness out of a person. People who have had contact with them say that they get a feeling of coldness whenever a dementor is in the room. Hence, colder than Azkaban. A statement," James looked out the frost-covered window, "I can easily agree with."

Sirius gave an involuntary shiver. "I'd never want to go there. Just the thought of them freaks me out." Remus nodded, understanding. The fact that dementors frightened Sirius meant that dementors must incredibly evil creatures. Sirius who didn't even flinch when he found out that Remus was a werewolf. Sirius who taunted Snape in defense of his friends. Must ask the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor about them, Remus noted mentally.

"Hey, Moony! Your turn. Though the game is probably already pretty much done, considering my lack in chess skill." James gave a lopsided grin.

The two continued the game with no more mention of dementors or any other sort of dark creature.

Remus blinked rapidly to stop the tears that threatened to fall. Where had the innocence gone? And when? The most likely answer was the night of Jame's and Lily's death, but that wasn't it. That night had merely been the climax; naiveté had been slowly dissipating before then. Remus sighed. Most likely he would never know. Remus picked up a small stick that had probably fallen into the cellar through the window. He toyed with it a bit until the small bit of wood snapped in half. Would they do this to my wand? Simply snap it in half? Remus threw the two halves off to the side, disgusted with his own self-pity. A sudden noise made Remus turn his head to the door. A man stepped out.

"Hello, werewolf." His voice matched the one from before, the man that wanted to sell Remus' fur. The disgust in his voice that suggested that a werewolf was lower than dirt struck Remus as hard as a slap in the face. Anger burned in Remus' chest against this person that served evil. This man was every person who rejected him, every person who had hurt him, every person that had acted as though he were less than human, every person who had automatically assumed him to be untrustworthy because of an accident that occurred in Remus' youth. And now, this vile excuse for a human dared to enslave him, to sell his flesh for profit. Without a word, Remus Lupin stood up, eyes blazing in anger, ready to fight. "My, my. What a temper. We may have our work cut out for us controlling you." Remus merely continued his glare. "Or perhaps not. Imperio!"

Walk forward. Just walk. It's not that hard, said the voice, though different from before.

No, Remus thought, desperately. This won't work on me!

Just step. One foot, then the next.

No!

MOVE!

NO!

"Stop! It won't work on me!"

The man looked slightly disappointed. "Fine, then. We can play for a bit. Cruicio!"

Remus screamed. Pain flared through his body like nothing ever felt before. The pain felt with this curse was worse than any trasformation, any self-inflicted would experienced by Remus Lupin in all his years as a werewolf. So many words for pain, but none did this justice. It was undescribable beyond the simple statement that this was torture.

Then, quickly as it had come, the pain was gone leaving Remus collapsed on the ground aching, shivering, and retching from the memory. "Now, let's try this again," said the man, "Imperio!"

There was a floating sensation, the absence of so much pain. Remus' muscles relaxed and embraced the non-feeling despite his mind screaming for the opposite. The man's lips, if not his eyes, smiled at the subdued Remus Lupin. "There now, much be—" He cut off his words as Remus lifted his head and pulled himself up to his knees. Cold fury showed on the werewolf's face as he fought against the Imperius Curse. As he slowly gained more ground, the man pressed his lips together into a thin line, displaying his annoyance. Remus staggered as the curse was thrown off. He stood up straight in defiance.

The man clenched his jaw. "You tire me. I will get you to submit. It is only a matter of time. Why don't you just make it easy on yourself?

"What? Did you think I would simply submit to the might of the Dark Lord? Pathetic." Remus launched himself at the wizard, all too late.

"Stupefy!" The curse was solid and hit its mark. Remus Lupin crumpled on the hard floor, unconscious.