The Truth About Remus

Chapter Twenty-Two

I walked into the Great Hall with Remus for dinner a couple of weeks later.

"You two had best eat quickly," James warned as we sat down, "The moon is going to rise in an hour."

"We know perfectly well when the moon is set to rise, Prongs," Remus informed him, "but as long as Thumper is here, we have nothing to really worry about."

"Headmaster Dumbledore still wants you in the Shrieking Shack as a precaution," Lily said, "Just for safety."

"We know what we are doing, Lils," I told her as I shoveled food onto my plate, "We have everything absolutely under control."

"May I come with you tonight," Bill asked.

"Not tonight," I said, "Its not safe if we don't have Prongs and Padfoot with us – unfortunately, they have detention…again."

"Don't say 'again' like that," Sirius pleaded, "It is not our fault that Regulus dared us to dung bomb his room – he literally asked for it."

"Thump, you promised," Bill whined, "You just said that you had everything under control."

"Stryker, its just not safe! If you were able to morph, it would be different – safer," I explained, "I can't allow myself to endanger your life for a bit of fun – you are like a son to me."

"Will you teach me how to morph," he asked, "Please, Ani?"

I grinned at the desperate look on Bill's face and nodded, "Your magic skills need to become a bit stronger, but when the time comes, I will teach you, this I promise."

We ate quickly and were on our way to the shack in no time. Holding my hand and pulling me behind him, Remus was escorting me to the bedroom in nearly a run.

"Remmie," I called to him, "We don't have to be quick about it."

"You know how I am during a full moon – feisty!"

I laughed and allowed him to pull me into the nicest bedroom in the house. I shut the door behind us and Remus pushed me up against it. The way his hands roamed my fully clothed body…the way his warm breath felt against my skin…the way his grunts sounded in my ears and the way his lips caressed my skin told me that he needed me. The way that I responded to his touch, sight, smell, taste and sounds made me believe that Remus couldn't go down on me a moment too soon.

"How do you want me," I asked him mysteriously as he ripped my robes from my body.

"Anyway I can have you."

"Give me wings," I began as his robes fell to the floor with mine, "and I'll show you the way to heaven."

"You are so sexy when you talk bad."

"You made me bad."

Remus grinned, "That I certainly did, m'lady."

He pressed his lips against my neck and kissed, sucked and nibbled on the base of it, which sent me diving into a warm pool of lust. I gasped and whined at the sensation, which was taking me to the edge of erotica – I was being taken to heaven.

I walked into Potions as bit too perky the next morning, but it didn't take long for my mood to be spoiled.

"Good morning, Severus," I exclaimed as I took a seat next to him.

"Well if it isn't Mrs. Thumper," he replied sarcastically, "and how are we this morning?"

"Just fine and dandy."

"Aren't I surprised?"

"What is that supposed to mean, exactly," I asked with a confused look on my face.

"Don't try to play innocent with me. I saw you and Lupin sneaking off after dinner last night. Say, why were you two heading to the Whomping Willow?"

"We weren't heading for anything. Remus and I were merely taking a stroll."

"Yeah – a stroll at a rather quick pace," he said, "Still, I think that there's something going on between the two of you – or even all of the Marauders – and that willow."

My heart dropped. Surely, Snape knew more than he was letting me to believe. Did he know that my Remus was a werewolf? Would he tell anyone? I mean, who was there to tell, right? My worried thoughts were interrupted as Professor Victor began class.

During the lesson, my head was not in the right place, which caused me to screw up the potion – horribly.

"Mrs. Lupin," Professor Victor exclaimed as he examined my so-called 'poison', "I would have expected better work from you! This could not poison a daffibell, and that is sure saying something!"

"I am sorry, professor, may I please have another chance," I begged.

"Yes, you will – tonight in detention."

My jaw dropped, "De-detention? Tonight? That is not possible – I mean – please, any night but tonight!"

"There is no use in trying to negotiate, Mrs. Lupin, its either you come tonight or you receive a 'D' for this project," he informed me.

I nodded and gathered my stuff. I knew that I couldn't risk a "D" in this class. My mind was fogged all the way through N.E.W.T. DADA. Lunch couldn't come a moment too soon.

"Prongs! Padfoot," I exclaimed as I rushed to the Gryffindor table where my friends say, "I have a huge problem – you two don't have detentions, right?"

"As long as the Slytherin dunderheads don't ask for another 'favor', no," Sirius replied, "Why? What's wrong?"

"I have a detention with Professor Victor in N.E.W.T. Potions – I absolutely fucked up a potion and I have to do it all over again," I explained as quickly as possible, "I need you two to be with Moony until I can get there. He hasn't transformed in a long time, so it might hurt him more than usual, seeing as he has been out of the swing of things for a while – you have to be up to your greatest strength ---"

"Thumper, Thumper," James said, "be calm, chicka! You don't have to worry about that thing. Paddy and I will be there."

"Thank you so much," I said, "I love you guys."

I grabbed a bagel, waved good-bye to then and headed off to my next class.

I arrived to Professor Victor's classroom at eight sharp and looked out the window. It was a cloudless night – the full moon was shining bold and yellow. If I listened carefully, I could almost hear Remus' cries – it tore me apart.

"Mrs. Lupin, are you ready for a second attempt to brew the Idafleab poison," Professor Victor asked and I turned my attention from the outside to him.

"Yes, sir," I replied.

He motioned towards my seat and to the cauldron that was waiting patiently for me, "You may begin."

I walked over, propped my book against a stand and opened it to the correct page. Concentrating on and making the potion was slow and tedious work. There were times within the potion making process where I had to wait a certain number of minutes before adding another ingredient or stirring the cauldron's contents.

The minutes went by like hours – the hours like days – until I was finally ready to have my potion tested. Professor Victor took a small spoon and poured some of my concoction down the throat of a large bullfrog. After a moment of watching the frog hop around as though it had just had a drink of spring water rather than poison, I heard the potion sizzling inside of it and, finally, eating its way through the frog's body, devouring it whole.

"See, that wasn't so hard," the professor exclaimed, "Really now, Ani, I am sure you were just a bit out of the game this morning."

I nodded, "May I go now?"

"Yes," he replied and I high tailed it out of there, towards the Whomping Willow.

I neared the willow – I could hear Remus' faint cries, and I didn't think – just morphed. Dodging the swinging tree branches, I made my way through the tunnel to the shack.

I morphed back into myself and climbed up through the already open trap door. I heard Remus thrashing above me, roaring in pain and angst. I climbed the stairs, two by two, and met James and Sirius at the landing. They had been laughing about something, but stopped immediately when they saw me.

"What is going on," I asked, "Why aren't you in the room with Moony?"

They looked at each other, but didn't speak a word of explanation. I knew immediately that something was up. I ran to the bedroom door and threw it open. Looking around, I saw Severus pressed against the wall beside me, and Remus, in werewolf form, looking upon him with hungry yellow eyes. In a matter of seconds, he pounced.

"No Remus!"

I stepped between Severus and the airborne Remus. It was a huge mistake. Remus had not seen me before it was too late. His long, sharp claws tore into my robes and through thin layers of skin. I took a sharp intake of breath as I covered my lower abdomen with my hands. Remus' claws hadn't even finished tearing through me when he morphed back into himself. I watched as he held his hand up to his face; my warm, deep red blood covered it. Then, I realized the warm feeling of my own blood pouring from my wounds. I looked up at Remus as I sunk to the hardwood floor. Dizzy spells overcame me and my breathing became a fighting task. Remus caught me in his arms before I hit the ground and placed his hand on my cheek.

"I love you…" I whispered to him.

Remus shook his head, "No, don't start, Ani. You are going to be fine. You are not going to…I am going to get you to Madam Pomfrey."

As he lifted me into his strong arms, I grew limp and fainted.

Splash…I felt as warm tear land on my cheek. When I went to wipe it away, I found that someone holding it was weighing down the hand I was trying to move. I opened my eyes. Remus was holding my hand – he was the one who was crying.

"What is the verdict," I asked with a small smile.

Remus stroked my cheek with one of his large hands, but didn't answer me, "What verdict?"

"Madam Pomfrey's."

He sniffed, kissed me on the forehead, and began to sing lightly, "All I can taste is this moment and all I can breathe is your life and sooner or later its over, I just don't want to miss you tonight."

I nodded knowingly and whispered, "When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."

"No," Remus cried, shaking his head, "You have to stay with me. Become a ---"

"A ghost," I asked hoarsely, "No, Remus, that is not a path I want to take. It would make you unhappy, I know it would."

"You would be here with me, and that's all that matters."

"I wouldn't. I would be almost a figure of your imagination. I don't want that. I want to be an angel, taken into God's hands. That is how I want us to live our afterlife…in His great kingdom. I will wait for you."

"You wont have to wait long, because I am coming with you," he informed me.

I shook my head and a tear ran down my cheek, "No, Remus, you can't. You have to promise me that you will not pass on by forcing death on yourself. Promise me…"

"I promise," he choked, "but I shouldn't because you are not about ---"

I placed my hand over his mouth and then tucked some of his long hair behind his ear, "I am not afraid to die." Another tear fell down my cheek, and I hoped that Remus couldn't see it.

"I am so sorry, my love," he said, "You shouldn't have been involved with me at all ---"

I river of tears streaked down his cheeks as tears streaked mine. I tightened my grip on his hand.

"I love you, Remus," I told him, my voice quivering, "I am blessed to have you. I – I need you to do something for me…"

"Anything. Name it, just name it."

"Fight Voldemort. Kill that murdering bastard. Allow his blood to stain your hands – rip his throat out. Grind his bones to dust! Cut out his ---"

Through my overexcitement, I began to cough. I tasted the bittersweet blood in my mouth and I looked up to Remus in horror. He was, again, on the verge of tears.

"No," I said before another tear wet his face, "the last thing that I want to see is your smile."

Remus stood and brought his mouth to my ear.

"I love you, Anistasia Lupin."

I breathed in those words as though they were oxygen and I felt his wet lips touch mine. I was tingling all over as I felt Remus' passion run through me. He pulled away slowly – reluctantly – and, as I requested, he was smiling down at me. My hand reached up and touched his cheek.

"I love you, Remus Lupin."

My hand fell limply from his cheek but I continued to stare straight into Remus' big, bold eyes. As my eyes closed, I was warm and fuzzy all over…