Disclaimer: J K Rowling owns all except for the characters I created. I just borrowed then for a spell.
A/N: THANKS go to Amy, w&m_law for doing the beta and helping me put a lot of feeling into this chapter. Her stories are located at…
Love ya babe!!!
When Evil Returns
Chapter Fourteen: Hunter's Anguish
When morning came, Anna, Narcissa, Ginny, and Charlie made their way back to the dungeon. As they descended the stairs, they were hit with the 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, running 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."
Anna ran to Hunter as Narcissa tried to bring Sirius around. On the other side of the room, Ginny worked diligently on Remus trying to find any sign of life.
Hunter sobbed into Anna's shoulder over what he had done as Charlie magicked him a set of robes to cover his nakedness.
Anna rocked him like a baby, trying to soothe his anguish. After a few moments, Narcissa and Sirius came over to their son. Upon seeing his mother, Hunter let go of Anna and clung to Narcissa.
"I killed Remus," he cried painfully into his mother's shoulder.
"Sshhhh," she cooed as tears of her own coursed down her cheeks mixing with those of her son. Looking over Hunter's shoulder, she saw Sirius and the pain in his face as he silently cried.
"Why did he have to die?" sobbed Hunter.
"Hunter, you didn't kill him," replied Narcissa, not really knowing if Remus was alive or not, but saying anything to try to calm Hunter down.
Becoming angry, Hunter yelled, "Yes I did! You didn't see; you weren't there! Look what I did to my own Dad!"
"Hunter," whispered Sirius calmly as he was also trying to squelch Hunter's fears.
"I'm a monster, I should be dead! You saw Dad; you saw what I am capable of. I can't do this again… Please… just kill me… please!"
"Hunter, NO!" cried Narcissa as her tears flowed freely. "You aren't a monster," she pled, voice breaking.
"Yes I am," he insisted, pulling out of his mother's arms and running for the cell door. Anna, who was standing close by, reached out instinctively to grab him. In his attempt to get away, Hunter struck out catching Anna in the face. Anna hit the floor from the strong blow. Seeing what he had done, Hunter fell to his knees sobbing once more.
"You see, I am a monster," he cried out in agony, "Oh gods Anna, I'm so sorry."
Anna crawled to him as the side of her face felt like it was on fire. She gathered him in her arms and held him.
"Please Anna, help me," he sobbed desperately, "I don't want to kill anyone else. Please…."
"Hunter," came a deep raspy voice that wasn't Anna's.
Hunter's head snapped up in disbelief. It couldn't be he thought. As his heart started to pound in this chest, he turned his head to the voice and let out a sob, "Oh gods…."
Suddenly Hunter was across the room and into Remus' waiting arms.
"I thought I killed you," Hunter whispered desperately as he clung to Remus.
"It takes more than a pup like you to kill me," Remus responded with a small laugh, ruffling Hunter's hair as he held him tight.
After a few moments, Charlie noticed Remus becoming rather pale, "Hunter," he whispered tenderly as he took the boy's arm, "let's let Ginny take care of Remus. Anna and I can take you up to the hospital to wait for them, okay?"
"Are you sure he is going to be alright?" he asked with trepidation not wanting to let Remus out of his sight.
"Yes dear," replied Ginny, "Remus has just lost a lot of blood."
Hunter looked at her skeptically.
Ginny gave a small smile and explained gently, "See the cut on his forehead? Head wounds always bleed a lot, he will be fine."
"Well, okay then if you say so," Hunter responded knowing that Ginny would never lie to him. He walked over to his Dad, who pulled Hunter's small frame to him, hugging him. "I'm so sorry Dad for all of this," he groaned apologetically into his father's robes as the tears started again.
"Hunter, it isn't your fault. Now go on up with Anna and Charlie; we will be there in a few minutes," ordered Sirius gently as he saw for the first time the numerous scratches and bruises his son had.
Following Sirius' gaze, Anna whispered to him, "We will clean him up and take care of his needs. Don't worry."
"Thanks," replied Sirius as he noticed the sigh that came from his son as he fell into an exhausted sleep in his father's embrace.
Smiling, Charlie said, "Here, I'll take him." As Charlie scooped Hunter's slight form into his arms, Hunter snuggled closer in sleep.
Once in the hospital wing, Anna cleaned all of Hunter's wounds leaving Charlie to heal them magically. Other than a few, rather deep scratches to his legs, Hunter had come out of the incident physically unscathed. Hunter was quiet for the most part while this was being done, except when he burst into tears and apologized profusely to Anna and Charlie for striking Anna.
"Sweetheart," murmured Anna quietly as she tenderly brushed his hair back from his face, "There is no need to be sorry. You didn't mean to hit me."
"But I hurt you," he argued with remorse, "your face has a big bruise on it."
"It does?" asked Anna surprised, knowing full well it did because it hurt like hell, "I didn't even notice."
Hunter smiled and gave her a hug, knowing that she was not telling the truth about the bruise. "I love you Anna, Thaddeus is so lucky you are his Mum."
Blushing, Anna replied with tears glistening in her eyes, "And I love you, Hunter; your Mum is pretty lucky too, to have such a loving and caring son." Anna then reached down and kissed Hunter on the cheek, causing him to blush.
"Hunter, do I need to worry about you stealing my wife?" Charlie asked sounding serious, trying to hide the smile on his face.
Hunter smiled sadly and teased, "Oh no Sir, I think Lady Anna prefers dragons to wolves."
"Hunter," vowed Anna suddenly serious, "I am going to find something to help you, I promise."
"I know you will," he whispered as silent tears started to slide down his cheeks. Clearing his throat he said, "I think I want to take a nap now. Is that all right?"
"Yes dear, a wonderful idea. We will let you know when they bring Remus and your Dad up. Okay?" offered Anna.
"Thanks," he answered sleepily, pulling the covers up to his chin.
Anna smoothed his hair, tucked the covers around him, and kissed his cheek, turning as Charlie took her hand in his before leading her over to the other side of the room.
Charlie pulled Anna into his arms, hugging her tightly. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly, gently touching the dark purple and black bruise that covered her right cheekbone.
"Hell no, it really hurts," she responded flippantly, smiling as she looked up into his warm brown eyes.
Charlie smoothed the hair away from her face that had fallen from her braid, placing his wand to the side of her face. As he mumbled a healing charm, a warm tingling sensation spread over the side of her face as the bruise was healed.
"There, all better," he murmured as he gently kissed her cheek. When he pulled away, he looked into her stormy green eyes, seeing nothing but her love for him.
"I love you, Charlie Weasley," she whispered as her hand gently touched his face.
"And I you, Anna Wealsey," he replied quietly in return as his lips touched hers with a tenderness that made her knees buckle. He put his arm around her waist to support her as they continued their kiss.
The sound of a throat being cleared could be heard from the doorway.
"Sorry to interrupt, but we really need to get these two cleaned up," said Ginny as she tried not to laugh at her red faced brother.
When they entered the hospital, Remus and Sirius were placed on beds to either side of Hunter. Most of Sirius' injuries were deep gouges about his chest, accompanied by a few scratches on his face and neck. After Narcissa cleaned them, Ginny healed them. The ones on his chest would scar but not severely. While Narcissa and Ginny tended to Sirius, Anna started an I.V. for fluids on Remus. Since he had lost a lot of blood, Anna felt an I.V. was necessary. As Anna cleaned the cut on his forehead, Remus asked anxiously, "How's Hunter?"
"He is still upset over what happened. Although he knows he didn't kill you, he feels sickened that he was capable of such carnage. It's a lot for a little boy to handle," Anna explained sadly as she moved on to some of the other cuts and scratches.
"Anna, we have to be able to help him. You see all of those old scars?" Anna nodded gravely, "Those didn't come from another wolf," Remus explained with a haunted look, "I did that myself to keep from doing it to someone else. Hunter is a strong child, but he doesn't deserve a life like this."
With tears in her eyes Anna whispered to Remus, "Neither do you."
They were silent for a while as Anna removed the dressing that covered his left hip. This was the worst of his injuries. There was a hole there where Hunter had bitten him and taken a two-inch chunk from his hip. As Anna cleaned the wound, Remus closed his eyes and groaned.
"I am so sorry," she said regrettfully as she gently cleaned it. "I don't mean to hurt you."
"I know. That is a bad one. Even with our wizard medicine, that one is going to take a while to heal. I will have a limp, maybe for the rest of my life," he said calmly.
It was then that Ginny came over and healed all that she could. When she was done, she asked, "Remus, where can we contact Luna? Is she still at Beauxbaton's?"
"Yes, you can contact her by fire," he answered wincing when he tried to get comfortable.
"Will you let me give you a pain draught so you aren't so uncomfortable?" asked Ginny.
"Yes," he growled as the pain in his hip increased.
While Ginny was gone fixing the draught, Hunter woke with a start, screaming. Rushing to his side, Narcissa soothed him, telling him he was only dreaming, pulling him into her arms.
"Where's Remus and Dad," he asked in a panicked voice as he clung to his mother.
"Right next to you," moaned Remus quietly.
It was then that Ginny came back with Remus' pain killing draught along with a dreamless sleeping draught for Hunter.
Remus drank his down, making a face. "Sorry, I never said it would taste good," said Ginny with a grin.
"Mine doesn't taste bad," laughed Hunter teasingly.
"Okay Pup," said Remus laughing, glad that Hunter was feeling better, but Hunter didn't hear him for he was all ready fast asleep. "That's what he needs, sleep."
"So do you Remus," scolded Ginny tenderly as she took the goblet from his hand.
"Yes Ma'am," replied Remus.
Suddenly the door opened and Draco rushed inside causing everyone to look at him. With an excited voice he announced, "Kyleigh knows where he is."