A/N: Big THANKS to Amy who did the beta on this. Also thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy. This one was extremely emotional to write.
Disclaimer: J K Rowling owns all that is Harry Potter except for the characters I created and the plot of this story. I hope she doesn't mind that I borrowed them for a little while. I needed someone to torture
When Evil Returns
Chapter Thirteen: Hunter's Moon
"Ok, since we have been unable to locate the other wolf, we decided that we need to start preparing you for the transformation. Today you will get a small amount of wolfsbane potion. If you tolerate it well, you will receive a bigger dose tomorrow," Anna explained to Hunter.
"This will help you to keep your mind during transformation and you won't be dangerous," said Remus.
"Ok I'm ready."
Severus handed him a small cup of the potion. "Drink it all, it's nasty so it's best to do it fast."
"Aagghhhh, that's awful," said Hunter as he finished it.
"Good job," said Anna, "Now we see how you tolerated it."
So Hunter picked up his book and started to read.
Anna, Sirius, Narcissa, and Severus had moved to the other side of the room and were talking to Madam Pomfrey about Hunter's progress.
Within a few minutes, Hunter was having a hard time breathing, seconds after that he was clutching at his throat as no air was making it's way to his lungs. He started to turn blue and he fell back on the bed causing his book to hit the floor with a loud thud. When Anna got to the bed she took one look at him and yelled, "Severus, get my bag quick, Hunter isn't breathing."
Severus grabbed Anna's bag and thrust it at her. Hurriedly, she opened it and pulled out a syringe, quickly giving Hunter an injection. Narcissa and Sirius watched as their son fought for his life. Within seconds, Hunter started to breathe again and in less than a minute his breathing was back to normal.
"What the hell just happened?" asked Sirius who was still quite shaken.
"Anaphylactic shock," said Anna as she checked Hunter's vital signs to make sure he was fine.
"Anaph…..what?" asked Narcissa as she sat down on the foot of Hunter's bed to keep from fainting.
"Anaphylactic shock. Hunter had an acute reaction to the wolfsbane. He is deathly allergic to it. If he takes even the smallest amount, it can kill him," explained Anna.
"What did you just give him?" asked Severus who was still in awe over the power of muggle medicine.
"Epinephrine, it works the fastest. I carry it at all times. You see if a bee stings me, the same thing would happen. I had to instruct Charlie on how to give the injection just in case," Anna said as she looked at Hunter who was looking very tired.
"How are you feeling?" Anna asked with concern as she took his wrist in her hand to check his pulse.
"I still feel sick to my stomach," he said quietly.
"That will soon pass. Why don't you just try and take a nap, you will feel better when you wake up," said Anna.
"Anna?" he said with tears in his eyes.
"Yes dear," she said as brushed away a tear that escaped, then smoothed his hair.
"Am I going to die?" he said with a choked sob.
"No sweetheart," she said reassuringly, "You are going to be fine. I promise."
Wiping the silent tears away, he whispered. "Thanks."
"You are so welcome," she said as she smoothed his hair again, "Now get some sleep."
Hunter closed his eyes and was asleep immediately. Before Anna turned to face the others, she took a deep steadying breath and wiped her own tears away.
Anna turned to the others and motioned them to move out into the hall, leaving Madam Pomfrey to sit with Hunter. Once there, she looked at Sirius and asked, "Since he can not take the wolfsbane, what will happen?"
With a seriously agonized face, Sirius said low, "On the full moon, my son's body, with excruciating pain, will transform into a werewolf. He will be extremely violent and will lash out at anything and everything in his path. He will lose his mind until the moon wanes and he will do this every month for the rest of his life." Sirius then broke down and sobbed. Narcissa pulled him aside, trying to comfort him as best she could. This was killing Sirius. He had seen it too many times with Remus, how he lost his mind and the pain he had to endure, the anger; it tore Sirius apart.
As Narcissa comforted Sirius, Anna asked Remus, "I know that you go into isolation when the moon comes but where is Hunter going to be?"
"We need to get him somewhere that he will be away from other people. When I was growing up, my parents locked me in the gardener's shed. It had been modified to where I couldn't, under any circumstances, get out. Maybe we could use the shrieking shack. I used it while I was here at school," Remus said with that all too familiar haunted look etched into his face.
"No," said Narcissa as she and Sirius came back into the conversation, "I want him home with me, where he knows he's loved and that everything will be alright."
"Narcissa, it's not safe to have him around all of those other children," said Severus, who had remained silent until now.
Giving him a soft smile, Narcissa explained. "Severus, you know I would never put any other child in danger. He will be home with his family. I'll not have it any other way."
"But Narcissa, be reasonable," said Severus.
"I am being reasonable Severus," she said sternly. "Malfoy Manor has dungeons, remember? You were there enough you should."
Seeing the pained look that crossed Severus' face she said, "I sorry Severus, I shouldn't have brought that up. Please forgive me."
"Under the circumstances, I understand," he said as he gently took her hand, trying to give what little comfort he could.
Narcissa continued as she explained to Sirius, Remus, and Anna. "Malfoy Manor has deep underground dungeons that also has a cell."
Anna gasped at this statement. "You can't mean you are going to lock him in a cell like an animal?"
With a firm, steady voice, Sirius said, "Anna, he is an animal."
Anna's tears were heavy now as she stared in horror at the thought of Hunter being locked in a cell, turning into a werewolf.
"Oh my god," she cried as tears streamed down her face, "we have to find Rupert. I have to get that serum made. It has to work."
~~*~~
They moved Hunter that afternoon back to Malfoy Manor. Hunter knew that in just a few days time he would transform. He became withdrawn, as the moon waxed, quiet and sulky. When the day finally arrived, he was almost unbearable.
At dusk, Remus, Sirius, and Hunter made their way down to the dungeon, followed by Narcissa and Anna. Upon entering the cell, Hunter immediately found a corner and curled up, waiting for the inevitable to happen.
"Take care of him and yourself," Narcissa said sadly to Sirius as she tenderly touched his face through the bars. Sirius had been insistent about staying with Hunter as Padfoot, same as he had for Remus.
"I will," he replied as the anguish he felt threatened to surface again.
"I love you Hunter," Narcissa called to her son as the tears welled up in her eyes again.
"I love you too Mum," came the quiet sob from the corner where Hunter lay huddled.
"Remus, be careful please," said Narcissa as the tears were now running unchecked down her ivory cheeks.
"He'll be fine, I promise," Remus said as he squeezes Narcissa hand in reassurance.
She felt his hand go rigid and looked to Remus' eyes seeing the horror about to take place.
"Go, go now," Remus said as his breathing started to labor, "Padfoot, transform now, hurry."
Narcissa ran from the room, unable to watch what was about to happen to her son. Anna on the other hand was rooted to the spot, eyes wide in terror.
Anna stood there outside the locked cell, as the moon rose. Remus had taken his wolfsbane and would be docile after he transformed. Hunter however, would be savage. Anna watched as Hunter's young body started to shake. She was transfixed to the spot, unable to move frozen in fear. She looked to Sirius, who had just transformed into Padfoot. He stood there in horror, knowing that he could do nothing to help his son. Remus lay on the ground as his body changed, trying to control the howl that did finally escape his lips. As Hunter started the transformation, he screamed sending a chill down Anna's back. The sound was deafening as the bones in his body started to break and reform. Hunter screamed more as the flesh on his now broken and changing bones, stretched, and ripped, sprouting fur. Anna became violently ill as she witnessed the carnage. Not able to take any more, Anna ran from the dungeon, up the stairs, slamming the trap door as she exited, running straight into Charlie, where she broke down.
"How can they go through this month after month?" she sobbed into Charlie's shoulder. Picking up his usually strong, but now hysterical wife, he carried her up the stairs to their bedroom. As he placed her on the bed, she bounded off and ran for the bathroom. After nothing was left in her stomach, she brushed her teeth and returned to the bedroom where Charlie was waiting. Upon seeing her exit the bathroom, he held out his arms to her, trying to give comfort.
"God, Charlie, I thought these things only happened in the movies, I never imagined that something like this existed. No wonder the Ministry doesn't want the muggles to know about this sort of thing, there would be mass hysteria," she said as she started to sob.
Charlie knew than when he married a muggle, certain things might upset her. He had no idea that something like this could ever happen. He gently stroked her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder, whispering, "Anna, Hunter will be fine. Remus has been going through this since he was six. He knows what to do to help him. Please love, don't cry."
She looked up into his face, with tears streaming down her cheeks and said, "When I look at Hunter, all I can see is Thaddeus. God Charlie, what if it had been him?"
"Shhh, I know, I have thought the same thing," Charlie said as his own eyes clouded with unshed tears.
"Vincent has to find Rupert. I need that blood so I can start to make something that will help Hunter in his transformation," she said with conviction.
"He will love and you will help Hunter. I have all the faith in the world in your ability to find him relief," he said as he lifted her face to his.
"Have I told you today how very much I love you?" he whispered.
"No, but you can show me," she whispered back, melting as his arms pulled her closer.
When his lips brushed hers, she closed her eyes, marveling in the warmth of his caress. As their tongues met in their lover's dance, all was forgotten. All of the horrors taking place in the dungeon, everything but the love they shared as he slowly lowered her to the bed.
When morning came, Anna, Narcissa, Ginny, and Charlie made their way back to the dungeon. As they descended the stairs, they were hit with a strong odor of the burning torches and sweat mixed with the metallic smell of blood. There was no sound. Ginny waved her wand at the cell door and opened it. The first one they saw was Sirius lying naked face down with his hair covering his face. Narcissa rushed to him covering him with a blanket. As she moved the hair from his face, she gasped. Sirius had long claw marks across his chin, down his neck to his mauled chest. Anna check for his pulse, noting it was strong. As they walked further into the cell, they saw Remus, also naked, lying in a large pool of blood, deathly pale and unmoving. Suddenly there was a sound from the corner as they saw Hunter, huddled, rocking back and forth sobbing repeatedly, "I killed him, I killed Remus."