Chapter 11

Greyback's Allegiance

Remus Lupin

Magical creatures despise wizards and witches. In the old times, when they were not in minority, there used to be a division of lands. Territories were marked and everyone was supposed to stay within their territory. This was before wizards hunted creatures down. Naturally, only those werewolves who were bloodthirsty like Fenrir survived and innocent ones like Remus either perished or hid.

Werewolves are strongest when they are part of a werewolf pack.

Remus is a lone wolf. A lone wolf who has pledged his allegiance to wizards in this war. Werewolves are not supposed to take sides in the war of wizards.

Those who know Fenrir know that he has not taken the Dark Lord's side in this war. He's only biding his time. He's only surviving. He's no one's dog. His loyalties are his own. He despises wizards.

He's lying to the Dark Lord because he knows that otherwise, the Dark Lord would have him killed. He believes that the Dark Lord is more powerful than the headmaster just because the Dark Lord has no moral restrictions about using dark magic.

Werewolves as a rule are not to pledge their true allegiance to a wizard or a witch.

Fenrir doesn't serve the Dark Lord, not really. He kills because he likes killing and he kills only wizards and witches and if he turns them, then it's to show that he's not to be messed with.

That's how he survives - through spreading fear. People stay away from those who terrify them.

Remus has broken the werewolf code by pledging his true allegiance to Albus' cause. It's not his fight - not really. Even if the Dark Lord wins tomorrow, he could always escape with Fenrir's pack. He would never want anything.

But, Remus likes his life here. He'll not betray his best friends.

Fenrir knows that Remus has always known that he'll have to answer to the council one day.

And since Remus is a lone wolf, there's no one to protect him. He will be taken to the by the council wolfs, kicking and screaming if the council is told about him.

Despite popular opinion, Fenrir is not crazy. He's, in fact, very cunning and he wants Remus in his pack.

Remus doesn't want it. But, Fenrir does and he's accustomed to getting whatever he desires.

So, when after the meeting, he disapparates to his home in the woods, he's not surprised to find Fenrir and thirty other werewolves behind him. He's just annoyed because he's tired.

Fenrir strikes an impressive figure.

He's well-liked in the community, even by other packs. He has a big pack but all the members have been hand-picked by him. Legend has it that lucky are those whom he takes in. He's very powerful.

"Remus, we have been doing this dance for years," he says in that intoxicating voice of his - that voice that he uses to lure Remus into a false sense of protection. Of course, Remus knows better.

"I don't need a pack," Remus answers like he always does.

"You only have two options now - take my offer or I'll send the council after you. I would take you myself but I would rather not force your hand," he says, "I want you in my pack."

Remus breathes deeply, trying to be patient, "I have a life - a job and -"

"They have jobs too, thanks to the Malfoy boy. I'm not asking you to leave your job," he says.

"Why me?"

Fenrir replies, smiling at him, "you're a good man, you see. Good men are hard to find. You're also powerful. I don't want you to waste your life on your so-called best friends."

"I have already pledged my allegiance to them and I know that you'll never pledge your allegiance to a wizard," Remus replies, "I didn't want to be a werewolf. You forced it on me. Draco helped us - all of us by fighting the ministry and your pack knows this. Have you asked them about their thoughts on this?"

Fenrir doesn't reply.

"Then, you're not the Alpha you were. You have lost your way. Voldemort has rubbed off on you," Remus says quietly, politely. He can't fight thirty-one werewolves at once.

Fenrir still doesn't reply for a few moments.

Then, he finally says, "all right, he helped. But, he's only one wizard."

"Prejudice is always going to be there," Remus replies, "my friends have always supported me through thick and thin. I'll never leave them. Leave me alone or report me to the council."

Fenrir is about to turn around when sudden inspiration strikes Remus and he speaks gently, "or you could pledge your allegiance to Draco Malfoy."

Fenrir glares at him before snapping furiously, "wizards wiped out my entire family. No wizard shall have my allegiance. I shall stand by and watch them annihilate each other to extinction."

"By that logic, I should annihilate you. You turned me and took my family from me. They think that I'm a monster and they hate me," Remus says, "you're directly responsible, Fenrir. You ruined my life. These wizards are not responsible for your family's death. You killed those responsible. Draco helped us and if you pledge your allegiance to his cause, he'll keep on helping us. He's the future of the magical world. He and his friends - mark my words."

"So, it's true then. They travelled time," Fenrir mutters and breathes deeply before continuing, "never mind that. Go inside your house and no matter what, don't come outside. And for God's sake, be more careful. Ward your house. We can't always protect you, Mr.- employee- of- department- of- mysteries- having- direct- access- to- the- hall- of- prophecies."

"Wait," Remus says, very confused, "if you fight them, you'll be openly defying Voldemort. You wanted to be in his good books and as false as your allegiance is to him, you enjoyed the perquisites. Why are you protecting me?"

Fenrir glowers at him in response, "why do you ask so many questions? Just go inside. You are not my pack. I can't access your mind to communicate with you. Just be careful. All the werewolves have jobs now. They are busy. I can't be calling them at my whim and fancy, can I? Go now! Go!"

Remus does. He goes inside and closes his door. He doesn't open the door, no matter how much he wants to. His instincts tell him to go and help his comrades, for comrades they are. This is not the first time Fenrir has helped him but this is the first time he's defying a dark Lord for him.

There's a lot of shouting, and growling. It seems that a battle is going on outside his front door.

He's a very powerful, very terrifying werewolf with the largest pack there is.

He trained his pack members himself. Legend has it that Fenrir's pack can change willingly and that they have control during the full moon too. They are unbeatable and loyal to each other to a fault.

It won't be bad to have a pack. It will be good but - but he won't turn his back on his friends. He would rather live alone.

When everything becomes silent, he finally turns the torches on and almost suffers a heart attack when he finds Bellatrix sitting on his couch, her legs crossed and her hand resting on the armrest.

"You should be more careful," she says softly. She's one of a kind. He's in love with her and he despairs it.

Why didn't he fall for a simple woman who would marry him and do a job like him, who didn't send his heart racing as she did?

She's also fiercely independent, as all Black women are and his instincts war his good sense. Being a werewolf, he's possessive by nature and he wants to provide for her and pamper her. But, that's not what she needs.

It's difficult to be in her presence. He wants to take her in his arms and kiss her lips until she forgets her name.

"You're looking at me as if you're going to eat me," she chuckles, her smile irresistible. He blinks and tries to calm down and succeeds, if only partially.

He heads towards his kitchen with a sigh, asking her, "will you have tea?"

"Yes," she replies, "I have a solution to one of your problems. You should have Draco talk to Fenrir. He has a way with people."

He's pondering over it while boiling water when he feels her cold fingers touching his knuckles.

Why is she so cold - literally and figuratively?

"I'll think about it," he says, putting sugar, cream and teabags in the cup.

They have their tea quietly. The silence is comforting. Remus wonders why.

"Why do you like me? Is it because I'm pretty?" She asks abruptly, looking curious.

"It's one of the reasons but it's not the driving force and it's not even one of the bigger reasons," he replies nonchalantly, "there are others. I'm a werewolf. I see, hear and feel things others can't. I know things about you others don't."

She looks at him, her face carefully blank. He knows her secrets. He has always been privy to others' secrets.

People tend to gossip and he has very good hearing.

"You're a good woman," he says and leaves it at that. He takes her by surprise and witnesses a very rare thing. Bellatrix is surprised.

Her eyes widen and her lips part as she stares at him.

"It's easy to hate you. It's easy to believe that you're evil but," he says, "being interested in dark magic doesn't make you evil."

She gets up after he stops speaking and sits close to him. It's like an addiction. It's easy to let her cup his cheeks and bring their lips closer but he realises what she's doing.

She's trying to make this about sex. She's trying to fool herself into believing that he wants sex from her.

He pushes her away urgently but I

He does it gently before whispering, "I'm not a teenager. I need stability. If you can't give me that, then, please, leave."

He finds her staring at him in surprise. She's not accustomed to being rejected, he supposes. A beautiful woman like her - why would anyone reject her advances? He's a homely sort of man. He is happy that he has a job and he would like to marry someone so that he has someone who would wait for him and after a long day of work, they would relax together.

"It's not about sex," he says slowly, looking deep into her eyes, "don't try to delude yourself. If I wanted sex from you, you would be on my bed underneath me right now."

It's quite enough for a day, he decides suddenly, knowing that his control was slipping. But, he didn't want to make this about sex. He needed her to live with him and share his dreams and life. He needed to marry her.

"But, I don't need a keep. I need to marry you," he says and again he says it slowly and quietly so that she can grasp the seriousness of this situation, "don't do this again. I don't want to embarrass you."

Her cheeks are slightly red, whether from rage or humiliation, it's hard to tell but she backs off at a respectable distance before replying, "we won't work. You don't know me."

"I know enough," he mutters, taking their cups back to the kitchen and washing them. She's watching his actions carefully with a certain longing that's difficult to understand because it's not sex that she's longing for. She's not excited. He would have smelt it on her.

"I'll wait. I'm a patient man," he says, "and I'll take Draco to meet Fenrir tomorrow. Would it be safe?"

"Yes," she replies, crooning as a smile comes on her face at the mention of Draco, "I love my wittle nephew. I won't put him in danger."

Then, she leaves quietly. It's not dramatic or anything as she did at Grimmauld. She closes his door behind her. He breathes deeply.

His cottage suddenly feels so empty. He changes into his work robes and heads to the ministry. It's sunny today. He'll eat something in the canteen.

The next day

Fenrir's betrayal is on the front page of the Prophet, the next day. Fenrir didn't kill the death eaters. His pack left them in front of the ministry like a wrapped gift along with a warning that he'll protect his own and everyone knows who he means by his own.

It's not a secret that he wants Remus in his pack.

So, the first thing Remus does is to floo to the Malfoy manor.

Lucius has already left for the restaurant and Narcissa is talking with Andromeda. Draco is with Blaise and Pansy. Ron and Neville must be with Harry at Grimmauld, then.

So, he takes the trio with him. He doesn't tell Narcissa who he's taking them to.

She trusts him to take care of them.

"Where are we going, professor Lupin ?" Draco asks. Remus wonders why the boy is so adorable. It's not due to his appearance.

Blaise echoes Draco excitedly, "is it a secret mission?"

Pansy is just looking around. He's in the forest where Fenrir lives. Only his pack knows this location and of course, Remus knows too.

"It's Greyback we are visiting, aren't we professor?" Pansy asks excitedly, "Draco, this is so good. I can ask him all the questions I have and complete my book."

"Pansy, honestly, you're going to end up as a Weasley. Why would you even bother? All they do is cook and pop babies," Draco teases her, chuckling when she smacks his head, "we're only five. Don't start with that now. He doesn't even know me."

"Yes, maybe she'll marry me, Draco," Blaise laughs when she smacks him too, muttering, "shut up," her cheeks very red as she glares at the little blonde, "I hope you won't take another decade to propose Potter, Draco. It was frustrating enough the first time. And it's good that Granger is not here otherwise, Blaise doesn't shut up about her."

The boys turn adorably red at that with Draco snapping, "shut up, Pans. You don't know anything."

Pansy only sticks her tongue out at him.

By now, they have reached

Greyback's house. Remus asks the kids to get behind him as he knocks Fenrir's door.

The man opens after a few moments, eating an apple and looking very surprised as he notices three children peeking out curiously from behind Remus.

"Hello," Draco mutters in that adorable voice of his, "I am Draco Malfoy. These are my friends, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson."

"We can introduce ourselves, git," Pansy pushes Draco before rushing in front of Remus. She sticks her little hand out like a proper purebred and murmurs, "pleased - pleased to make your acquaintance."

Fenrir is staring at them. Draco pushes Pansy before sticking his hand towards Fenrir and of course, Blaise is also there trying to get Fenrir to shake his hand first.

Remus watches them, very amused and Fenrir watches them stunned completely speechless.

Children are usually terrified of Fenrir. It's rumoured that he eats them. Remus doubts it.

But, something is terrifying about how this man carries himself. If Remus didn't know him as he does, he would be scared too.

He walks inside his house, welcoming them in silently. It's not a big house but it's very cosy.

Remus watches as he gets down on his knees and takes Draco's hands in his.

There other two watch him silently but curiously.

"You know what I do with little kids. I cut their little hands and little toes and then I roast them and I eat them with ketchup," he says in that deep voice of his with a sharp glare in his eyes. Even Remus panics but the kids all start laughing and Draco wraps his tiny hands tightly around Fenrir's.

The werewolf is staring, gobsmacked, at the kids.

"You hate ketchup," Draco mutters after his chuckles subside, "you - you said that it's a terrible muggle invention. And you never hurt kids. I remember. You said that- " Draco stops and takes a deep breath before continuing adorably, "you told that someone killed your babies in front of you and so you never hurt kids and there was only one kid you ever hurt and he was already dying and his parents begged you and you were technically his ancestor and you hurt him to save him but you have always regretted it and that the name of the kid is-"

Fenrir puts his hand on Draco's mouth before glowering at the child, "why do you all talk so much, little brat? Why do you know this anyway? I vowed to take it to my grave. Stupid little brats."

He's avoiding Remus' eyes carefully.

Remus realises that he's having trouble breathing. Did his parents ask Fenrir to turn him? As a child, he was very sickly.

His mother never told him why but he remembers being sick most of the time and he remembers going to hospitals and his mother crying and then him getting well after being attacked. He had assumed that it was the medicine he was given by the doctor.

He stares at the werewolf.

"Now, the lot of you. Leave," Fenrir says after giving three chocolates to the kids, "I have to go somewhere."

"I've some questions," Remus brings himself to say, "I need answers."

"I don't have any answers for you," Fenrir says, pushing them out, "leave."

"We need your tears for saving Harry's and Neville's parents," Blaise says urgently, "you are one of the first werewolves and-"

"Be quiet, brats," Fenrir glowers again, "be careful with that mouth of yours."

"There's no one but us here," Pansy mutters.

"Yes, you have compli - complicated wards," Draco pipes in, the lot of them looking very cute and babyish. Of course, they are babies but they know when to look like one.

"I'll think about it. Now, leave," Fenrir says, still deliberately not looking at Remus.

"This is not finished," Remus mutters before ushering the kids away.

"It will never be finished," he hears Fenrir say before the man closes his door with a loud thud.

The rest of the day goes on in a daze. Remus thinks over and over and puts his memories in a pensieve.

He still doesn't have the answers by the time he goes back home.

He sleeps restlessly and is woken up in the middle of the night by a loud pop.

He sits up with a jerk, his wand in his hand before he realises that it's Fenrir.

The man looks crazed.

"What - what's wrong, Fenrir? Was the pack attacked?" Remus asks him.

"No," the man says, his eyes almost manic, "I need to meet those kids again. I don't tell anyone about myself, Lupin. I need to know why I told them. I need to know now."

Remus sighs, "they'll not say anything."

"I need to see them right now. Will you take me there or should I get my pack? Lucius won't take kindly to that. We don't exactly gell together."

Remus sighs again, "your funeral. Come on. I'll floo you there."

They floo over to the foyer. Dobby lets him in. Everyone is asleep. They tiptoe to Draco's room.

Dobby opens the door for them and they walk inside. They light one torch and find three very sleepy kids staring at them.

"Am I dreaming?" Little Draco asks but before Remus can say anything, Fenrir kneels beside the bed, looking directly at Draco.

"I need to know why I told you about that boy I hurt," he says, "tell me otherwise I'll not give my tears to you and you'll never find the other originals."

Draco looks at Blaise and Pansy before looking back at Fenrir.

"You'll give your tears to us if I tell you," Draco says in a small voice and Fenrir nods, his eyes gentle.

"I was a death eater. The Dark Lord gave me a mission and I failed in it. As a punishment, he trapped me in a room with you a week before the full moon, thinking that you'll become a monster and kill me or - or assa- assault me. He didn't know your truth. So, I was scared and hungry and I was crying. You told me everything about yourself so that I won't be afraid and you fed me because I was so terrified of the Dark Lord that I was delirious. And then, there was one time when you saved Blaise and Pansy from Thorfinn and took them to your home. So, we know that you don't hurt kids," the boy mumbles in a small voice, "you hated the Dark Lord. You said - I remember very clearly because I was terrified - you said that you'll never touch any kid inappropriately, that you were many things and that you had done bad things in the past but you were not a - a - you were not like that - you didn't hurt kids. You were not like that. You hated the Dark lord. You wanted to kill him for trying to use you like that. You wanted to tear him apart bit by bit. You were mad at him."

"You were a kid? He punished a kid for failing in a mission by trapping him with a supposedly crazy werewolf seven days before the full moon. Are you sure he did that?" Fenrir is snapping at the kid.

"Fenrir, they are only five. They seem mature but they are children. Be gentle with them," Remus murmurs.

"Yes, I'm sure," Draco snaps back, "how can I forget that? He's cruel and he gave that mission to me, knowing that I would fail. I was a teenager. I was studying at Hogwarts. It was my sixth year. I was supposed to-"

"Draco, that's unnecessary. Don't tell anything unnecessary. You told him what he wanted to know," Blaise interjects seriously.

Fenrir tries to control his temper and stands up.

"You'll get those tears. Lupin will have them by the week's end," Fenrir turns away from Draco who mumbles in a very small voice, "you can't defeat him alone. You saw what he did. He tried to kill Harry's parents and got Neville's tortured to insanity. St. Mungos is full of his victims."

Fenrir follows him quietly and Dobby takes them to the floo and then they are gone. The Malfoys never realise anything.

Fenrir leaves with a forced, "meet me at my place on Sunday. We'll discuss everything. The pack will be there."

"Don't do anything rash. You can't defeat him alone. He has an army of tens of thousands," Remus murmurs, concerned for him for the first time, "you have a pack to think about."

"Okay," Fenrir says through gritted teeth and pops away.

Remus tries to sleep. He has to go to the ministry early tomorrow.