Indus: If you are still reading, you will especially enjoy the next two
(possibly three) chapters.
~*~
The Book of Carmen
Chapter X: Two Steps
~*~
Selene ran through the halls of Hogwarts looking for a place to vomit. She spotted a girl's bathroom and barely made it to a sink before the contents of her stomach were released. When nothing was left, she continued to heave for a few moments before falling to the floor. She placed her cheek against the cold tiles and sobbed.
She had never hated herself more than she did at this moment. Sirius' reaction to her words was more than she could bear. In one sentence she had resurrected fourteen years of pain and guilt. She had expected to find anger, maybe even hate, in his eyes after hearing her words. Anger and hate she could deal with, but instead she saw only concern in his eyes. Concern for her, even after what she had said.
She put her hand on her stomach as another wave of nausea struck. She had said what she had out of anger and fear. She was angry because she knew her magic had turned against her, that her control was gone. Even now she could feel her magic changing, becoming more violent and primitive, and she knew that she could not control it.
Selene knew in her heart that the Book of Carmen now controlled her magic, and was on the verge of controlling her very being. Her words today proved that. No, Selene thought, Those were my words, not the Book of Carmen's, and I am responsible for them. Still she knew that the time was coming when the Book would try to attain its freedom, and that she was a crucial piece in achieving that freedom.
The simple solution would be to destroy the Book. Selene knew that doing so would kill her; the link between them was now too strong to be severed. Knowing this she still would have destroyed the Book in order to protect Sirius, Harry, and to end the bloodshed that she had started. However, the situation had now become more complicated, there was someone else she had to protect.
~*~
Harry was in the teacher's lounge for another hour before he was allowed to leave to take a shower. After attending to Sirius, Madame Pomfrey insisted on looking Harry over for any injuries. Afterwards, McGinn questioned him at length about every aspect of the Beithir attack. Harry was getting tired of answering Will's questions with "I don't know." After all, Harry had been running for his life, and had not found the time to measure the stride of the beast, nor had he taken any notes on its fur color or claw size. What made Harry even more impatient was that he was anxious to talk to Sirius. His godfather had lapsed back into silence and his silence was very unnerving.
"She didn't mean what she said," Dumbledore said to Sirius, just out of the reach of Harry's hearing. "She is trying to push you away in an effort to keep you safe."
"Did she honestly think it would work?" Sirius asked. "Did she believe that mere words would keep me away from her?"
"I think there is a lot of uncertainty behind Selene's motives. I fear that she may be hiding something else from us."
"From me, you mean," Sirius said. "She didn't tell me about Geist Legatura, or that she's been haunted by the voice of this Book, this evil. Why not?"
"Fear is a formidable enemy Sirius."
"What has she to fear from me?" Sirius said, his voice angry and loud. Aware that all eyes suddenly turned to him he dropped his voice, "I will always…."
Dumbledore waited for Sirius to finish the sentence, and when it was obvious that he wasn't Dumbledore proceeded, "In the end it is Selene who must face her fears, as we all must face our own."
Sirius lowered his head, his eyes on the floor, "Two steps," he whispered. "Always two steps."
Dumbledore eyed the wizard and lowered his head as well, "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"I'm always two steps behind. I arrived just after Voldemort murdered my best friend and his wife. I figured out Peter's plan two seconds before he blew up the street and killed innocent people. And I was two steps behind the door when Selene used that damn spell to bind herself with evil. I am afraid that Selene is right and that I will fail her and Harry a second time."
"You have never failed anyone Sirius. You cannot blame yourself for the betrayal of a friend or the acts of an evil man. You are only in danger of failing yourself if you allow yourself to succumb to your fears."
Sirius nodded.
"Now, I believe that Poppy and William are going to release Harry so that he may take a much needed bath," Dumbledore said as he watched Harry attempt to find a clean spot on his robes to wipe his hands. "Go with him to Gryffindor Tower. I feel that he will need you now more than ever."
Sirius stood to leave, but Dumbledore placed a hand on his arm, "Remember, she will come back to you, she will always come back to you."
~*~
Remus took a sip of his Wolfsbane potion. He grimaced at the taste, but managed to swallow the liquid. He usually occupied the drink with a bite of a lemon or an orange. Refined sugar rendered the potion useless, but Remus had discovered that a bit of citrus made the liquid somewhat palatable. However, he was all out of fruit, in fact he was all out of everything. The Book of Carmen had dominated his thoughts recently, pushing all physical needs to the back of his mind.
Remus inhaled deeply and downed the rest of the Wolfsbane in one gulp. His stomach tightened and he coughed as the potion triggered his gag reflex. "My kingdom for a grapefruit," he said and smiled. Making light of a situation was a talent that Remus had picked up from James and Sirius, both of whom had been particularly good at it. He stood from the table, knocking his chair over in the process. He let it lay there and walked outside. The brisk air around him forced him to wrap his robes tightly about his thin frame. The wind as picked up, he thought to himself. He paused as he heard a strange cry on the wind, but the next minute it was gone.
Not for the first time that day, Remus' eyes wandered up towards the sky. The sky was laced with ribbons of scarlet and rose colored clouds. This day was ending. The night would soon begin and the cold steel light of the full moon would illuminate the landscape that was now reflecting the warm hues of the sun.
~*~
Selene stood outside the door the Gryffindor boy's dorm for fifteen minutes before she placed a hand on the knob. She had spent the last few hours convincing herself that she should get away from the castle and Sirius. Which directly contrasted with her current plan of action. She knew that the farther she was away from Sirius and Harry the safer they would be. However, she knew something that she needed to tell her husband, the time for secrets was over.
Slowly, she opened the door. Sirius sat on a bed, his back towards her. His robes lay next to him, the white shirt he wore was torn at the sleeve and Selene saw the outline of a bandage underneath the translucent fabric. He made no movements and gave no sign that he had heard her enter. Harry was lying on his own bed; his face was obscured by Sirius' form. Two dinner trays lay on a table, neither of which had been touched. The only light in the room came from the fading rays of daylight as they filtered through the windows and gave the room a warm orange hue.
Selene approached the bed and sat down beside Sirius. "He was exhausted," Sirius whispered, his eyes fixed on Harry, who slept peacefully on the opposite bed. "We talked for a bit after he showered."
"What did you talk about?" Selene asked.
"Things. Things that a boy his age has no business thinking about." Sirius faced Selene, and as he did the premature lines that marked his face became more apparent as the sunset cast deep shadows across his features. "I want to talk to him about Quidditch games and teenage pranks. I want him to confide in me about the girl he likes. I want his biggest concerns to be about Potion finals and whether or not Gryffindor will win the house cup. Instead he talks to me about wars and death. I want to guarantee him that he will never lose anyone he cares about ever again," he turned away again, "But life stopped asking me what I want."
"Sirius, I want you to know the real reason why I did what I did today, why I said what I said."
Sirius shook his head, "I don't want to talk about it."
"This isn't easy for me either."
Sirius stood up, "What you said hurt me. But I think you already know that. What you don't know is what you did to Harry."
"What do you mean?"
"Harry harbors guilt for what happened last November. He believes that he is responsible for you using Geist Legatura and what has happened since."
"That's not true."
"Then he saw, heard, what you said to me today. If the Book of Carmen is truly about to open the proverbial gates of hell, do you think it wise to let Harry see us divided? To see us fall apart when things get difficult?"
"I didn't think…"
"That's right you didn't!" Sirius exclaimed, his voice rising. Harry stirred, but didn't wake. Sirius looked at his sleeping godson and then at the globe upon his bedside table. Sirius' voice returned to a whisper, "Blame me all you want for James and Lily's deaths and your imprisonment, but please don't ever leave us, leave me, like that again. He's lost one family Selene, I'll be damned if I let this one fall apart at his feet."
To his surprise Selene broke into sobs and slid off the bed and onto the floor. "I'm the one who has failed, not you. I used Geist Legatura knowing that it was solely evil. Sirius, the magic inside of me is changing, into something evil. I can feel it consuming my will as it consumes my strength. I thought it would be best to push you and Harry away, so the Book could not harm you. Please forgive me, I am a fool for not realizing how much I need you both."
Sirius' tall form hovered over Selene. For a moment he stood there, hearing her sobs. Then he stooped and picked up her crumpled form and placed her back on the bed. He lay down next to her and put his head on her chest. The two stayed that way until the last ray of day had slipped into night. Sirius listened to Selene's heartbeat and the rise and fall of her chest. By the time they were covered in darkness, he was asleep and so could not hear the next few words that Selene whispered into his ear.
It traveled easily through the darkness of the night. Although silent, its presence was felt by all life as it traveled to Hogwarts. Small plants wilted and trees tore their own roots to get away from it. Creatures of the forests bristled their fur, some in fear, others in anticipation. It had been many years since it had been this strong, but it was still so weak. It needed the heofoncolu, only she could help it achieve its destiny.
Selene felt the undeniable presence of the entity as it entered the darkened room. Although it still lacked physical form, the entity was strong. She heard Sirius and Harry's breathing slow, almost stopping as the being sucked the air from the room. The once stagnant shadows in the room suddenly shifted and took on their own form, no longer mere echoes of other objects. The being whispered to Selene, but its voice was no longer harsh. Instead it caressed her mind with the tenderness of a lover. She felt a part of herself surrender to the tender music of the entity, and allowed it to penetrate her mind. The walls of the room disappeared into shadow, as did Harry. She no longer felt Sirius' head in her lap as he too disappeared. She was alone with it now.
It pulled at her mind and she let it. It was much easier to do so then to resist. Her Magmanos magic, that of the phoenix, was dying, as it was transformed into something foul and fetid. The entity wrapped itself around her senses until she was smothered by it. She knew that it was taking control of her body and her mind.
Something appeared to her then, in her mind's eye. Something that was not a part of the shadow, but cast its own light. However, the shadow was the stronger and threatened to extinguish the precious light.
Knowing now what she must do, Selene pushed against the being that invaded her. It hissed at her refusal and attacked her viciously. With the last of her strength Selene wrapped the remnants of her magic around the light she saw, hoping it would be enough to protect it. However, this left her totally vulnerable to her enemy. As it took control of her Selene knew that she had lost this battle, and prayed that those she loved would be able to win the war.
~*~
Remus tightened his grip on the edge of his bed until the bones of his knuckles threatened to tear through the skin. "Too early," he said through clenched teeth. Usually his transformations did not take place until the sun had completely set, but this transformation had started before the sun finished her cycle. Even now daylight was still visible through the trees that lined the horizon. It appeared that the Wolfsbane had done little to counter the venomous influence of the Book of Carmen. He only hoped that he would be able to hold onto his mind when his body changed into the wolf. His back spasmed hard as muscles began to move and Remus could hear his bones shifting and cracking. With a hollow cry he fell to the floor.
Peter Pettigrew stood outside the Shrieking Shack waiting for the right moment. He had witnessed Remus change into a werewolf on countless occasions, and knew when Remus would be at his weakest. Usually the change from man into beast was quick, but the Book of Carmen was obviously affecting the process, making the process take longer, much longer. This fact pleased Peter because the longer it took for Remus to change the less of a threat he became, and thus much easier to kill. Finally he heard a mangled cry, sharp and shrill, but mostly human. Peter broke the front door's lock with one swift movement of his silver hand.
He immediately made his way over to the cabinet that held the Book of Carmen. He snapped the lock with ease and reached in to remove the precious cargo. He could hear its song clearer now than ever before and his eyelids fluttered in ecstasy. The Book was his and he would use it as he saw fit. People would now obey…no…cower before him. No longer would he be a pawn in anyone else's game. Now, his beady eyes turned towards the bedroom door, he had one more matter to attend to here.
With the Book of Carmen underneath his arm Peter used his foot to kick down Remus' door. His childhood friend lay on the ground, twisting and clawing at the air. Remus was exactly halfway through his transformation and was neither man nor werewolf. "What a pitiful sight you make," Peter taunted. Remus' eyes snapped to him and he made a weak lunge at Peter, who kicked him aside. "James and Sirius always thought I was the weaker of the group, but I always knew that it was you, because your life will forever be governed by the moon."
"And yours by Voldemort!" Remus rasped.
"Not anymore!" Peter said, smiling and holding the Book of Carmen to the light, "Besides, that was my choice to make." Peter flapped a stubby finger at himself, "I sought after my destiny, after the power that I wanted. But you," Peter poked Remus hard in the chest, "You run from your destiny. You drink that potion and hide from the moon, cowering from a scarred orb in the sky."
"And that makes you the mightier of the two of us?" Remus asked, his voice barely human. His eyes involuntarily rolled backwards, his limbs on fire. He had to get away from that book. Slowly Remus began to edge away.
"Look at yourself Remus, you're a mess, a disfigured mess," Peter said, stepping on Remus' arm, preventing him from retreating further.
"That might be true," Remus croaked, "but I'd rather be a monster of this sort, then the kind you've become."
Peter thrust the Book of Carmen at Remus who cried and tried to push himself away, "Get that thing away from me!"
"Do you know why it hurts you?" Peter asked, his voice taking on a new element of malice. "It's because you are still clinging to your humanity. The werewolf inside of you has already surrendered to the Book. You can as well. Step out of Potter and Black's shadows and let me show you what true power is." Peter hissed and offered the Book to Remus.
It was then that Remus realized that the Book had found a willing participant in Peter and he was now in its control, "You're still a pawn Peter, and you don't even know it." Remus snarled, his round pupils elongated, becoming mere slits. Remus swatted the Book from Peter's hand with his claws.
The Book was thrown across the room and Peter lunged for it unaware that Remus' transformation was now complete. He picked up the Book and turned around to see the werewolf that Remus had become. It lunged at Peter, who dodged it quickly. Peter suddenly realized that he had tarried there too long, and it was now time to end it. He pulled his wand from his robes and yelled, "Avada Kedavra!" The spell hit the werewolf head on, but Peter's mispronunciation of the latter word saved Remus' life. However, the spell still packed a punch and sent the wolf sprawling through one of the shack's feeble walls.
The werewolf lay still on the kitchen floor as Peter took two steps closer to his victim. Mispronounced or not, one more spell of that caliber would be enough to kill the wolf. Staring out of his werewolf eyes Remus saw a flash of light and then was vaguely away of being thrown backwards before the light dissolved and he spilled into nothingness.
~*~
Yes I know it's an evil place to leave it, and I almost feel guilty, almost.
I'm on the look out for a really good Remus, Sirius, or MWPP story that does NOT involve slash. Not that I am against the slash genre (to each his own), but I just don't care for it. If anyone has read any please let me know either on this site or through email (good opportunity for anyone to plug their own work). Thanks. (auryn2327@yahoo.com)
I am a review junkie, please feed my addiction.
~*~
The Book of Carmen
Chapter X: Two Steps
~*~
Selene ran through the halls of Hogwarts looking for a place to vomit. She spotted a girl's bathroom and barely made it to a sink before the contents of her stomach were released. When nothing was left, she continued to heave for a few moments before falling to the floor. She placed her cheek against the cold tiles and sobbed.
She had never hated herself more than she did at this moment. Sirius' reaction to her words was more than she could bear. In one sentence she had resurrected fourteen years of pain and guilt. She had expected to find anger, maybe even hate, in his eyes after hearing her words. Anger and hate she could deal with, but instead she saw only concern in his eyes. Concern for her, even after what she had said.
She put her hand on her stomach as another wave of nausea struck. She had said what she had out of anger and fear. She was angry because she knew her magic had turned against her, that her control was gone. Even now she could feel her magic changing, becoming more violent and primitive, and she knew that she could not control it.
Selene knew in her heart that the Book of Carmen now controlled her magic, and was on the verge of controlling her very being. Her words today proved that. No, Selene thought, Those were my words, not the Book of Carmen's, and I am responsible for them. Still she knew that the time was coming when the Book would try to attain its freedom, and that she was a crucial piece in achieving that freedom.
The simple solution would be to destroy the Book. Selene knew that doing so would kill her; the link between them was now too strong to be severed. Knowing this she still would have destroyed the Book in order to protect Sirius, Harry, and to end the bloodshed that she had started. However, the situation had now become more complicated, there was someone else she had to protect.
~*~
Harry was in the teacher's lounge for another hour before he was allowed to leave to take a shower. After attending to Sirius, Madame Pomfrey insisted on looking Harry over for any injuries. Afterwards, McGinn questioned him at length about every aspect of the Beithir attack. Harry was getting tired of answering Will's questions with "I don't know." After all, Harry had been running for his life, and had not found the time to measure the stride of the beast, nor had he taken any notes on its fur color or claw size. What made Harry even more impatient was that he was anxious to talk to Sirius. His godfather had lapsed back into silence and his silence was very unnerving.
"She didn't mean what she said," Dumbledore said to Sirius, just out of the reach of Harry's hearing. "She is trying to push you away in an effort to keep you safe."
"Did she honestly think it would work?" Sirius asked. "Did she believe that mere words would keep me away from her?"
"I think there is a lot of uncertainty behind Selene's motives. I fear that she may be hiding something else from us."
"From me, you mean," Sirius said. "She didn't tell me about Geist Legatura, or that she's been haunted by the voice of this Book, this evil. Why not?"
"Fear is a formidable enemy Sirius."
"What has she to fear from me?" Sirius said, his voice angry and loud. Aware that all eyes suddenly turned to him he dropped his voice, "I will always…."
Dumbledore waited for Sirius to finish the sentence, and when it was obvious that he wasn't Dumbledore proceeded, "In the end it is Selene who must face her fears, as we all must face our own."
Sirius lowered his head, his eyes on the floor, "Two steps," he whispered. "Always two steps."
Dumbledore eyed the wizard and lowered his head as well, "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"I'm always two steps behind. I arrived just after Voldemort murdered my best friend and his wife. I figured out Peter's plan two seconds before he blew up the street and killed innocent people. And I was two steps behind the door when Selene used that damn spell to bind herself with evil. I am afraid that Selene is right and that I will fail her and Harry a second time."
"You have never failed anyone Sirius. You cannot blame yourself for the betrayal of a friend or the acts of an evil man. You are only in danger of failing yourself if you allow yourself to succumb to your fears."
Sirius nodded.
"Now, I believe that Poppy and William are going to release Harry so that he may take a much needed bath," Dumbledore said as he watched Harry attempt to find a clean spot on his robes to wipe his hands. "Go with him to Gryffindor Tower. I feel that he will need you now more than ever."
Sirius stood to leave, but Dumbledore placed a hand on his arm, "Remember, she will come back to you, she will always come back to you."
~*~
Remus took a sip of his Wolfsbane potion. He grimaced at the taste, but managed to swallow the liquid. He usually occupied the drink with a bite of a lemon or an orange. Refined sugar rendered the potion useless, but Remus had discovered that a bit of citrus made the liquid somewhat palatable. However, he was all out of fruit, in fact he was all out of everything. The Book of Carmen had dominated his thoughts recently, pushing all physical needs to the back of his mind.
Remus inhaled deeply and downed the rest of the Wolfsbane in one gulp. His stomach tightened and he coughed as the potion triggered his gag reflex. "My kingdom for a grapefruit," he said and smiled. Making light of a situation was a talent that Remus had picked up from James and Sirius, both of whom had been particularly good at it. He stood from the table, knocking his chair over in the process. He let it lay there and walked outside. The brisk air around him forced him to wrap his robes tightly about his thin frame. The wind as picked up, he thought to himself. He paused as he heard a strange cry on the wind, but the next minute it was gone.
Not for the first time that day, Remus' eyes wandered up towards the sky. The sky was laced with ribbons of scarlet and rose colored clouds. This day was ending. The night would soon begin and the cold steel light of the full moon would illuminate the landscape that was now reflecting the warm hues of the sun.
~*~
Selene stood outside the door the Gryffindor boy's dorm for fifteen minutes before she placed a hand on the knob. She had spent the last few hours convincing herself that she should get away from the castle and Sirius. Which directly contrasted with her current plan of action. She knew that the farther she was away from Sirius and Harry the safer they would be. However, she knew something that she needed to tell her husband, the time for secrets was over.
Slowly, she opened the door. Sirius sat on a bed, his back towards her. His robes lay next to him, the white shirt he wore was torn at the sleeve and Selene saw the outline of a bandage underneath the translucent fabric. He made no movements and gave no sign that he had heard her enter. Harry was lying on his own bed; his face was obscured by Sirius' form. Two dinner trays lay on a table, neither of which had been touched. The only light in the room came from the fading rays of daylight as they filtered through the windows and gave the room a warm orange hue.
Selene approached the bed and sat down beside Sirius. "He was exhausted," Sirius whispered, his eyes fixed on Harry, who slept peacefully on the opposite bed. "We talked for a bit after he showered."
"What did you talk about?" Selene asked.
"Things. Things that a boy his age has no business thinking about." Sirius faced Selene, and as he did the premature lines that marked his face became more apparent as the sunset cast deep shadows across his features. "I want to talk to him about Quidditch games and teenage pranks. I want him to confide in me about the girl he likes. I want his biggest concerns to be about Potion finals and whether or not Gryffindor will win the house cup. Instead he talks to me about wars and death. I want to guarantee him that he will never lose anyone he cares about ever again," he turned away again, "But life stopped asking me what I want."
"Sirius, I want you to know the real reason why I did what I did today, why I said what I said."
Sirius shook his head, "I don't want to talk about it."
"This isn't easy for me either."
Sirius stood up, "What you said hurt me. But I think you already know that. What you don't know is what you did to Harry."
"What do you mean?"
"Harry harbors guilt for what happened last November. He believes that he is responsible for you using Geist Legatura and what has happened since."
"That's not true."
"Then he saw, heard, what you said to me today. If the Book of Carmen is truly about to open the proverbial gates of hell, do you think it wise to let Harry see us divided? To see us fall apart when things get difficult?"
"I didn't think…"
"That's right you didn't!" Sirius exclaimed, his voice rising. Harry stirred, but didn't wake. Sirius looked at his sleeping godson and then at the globe upon his bedside table. Sirius' voice returned to a whisper, "Blame me all you want for James and Lily's deaths and your imprisonment, but please don't ever leave us, leave me, like that again. He's lost one family Selene, I'll be damned if I let this one fall apart at his feet."
To his surprise Selene broke into sobs and slid off the bed and onto the floor. "I'm the one who has failed, not you. I used Geist Legatura knowing that it was solely evil. Sirius, the magic inside of me is changing, into something evil. I can feel it consuming my will as it consumes my strength. I thought it would be best to push you and Harry away, so the Book could not harm you. Please forgive me, I am a fool for not realizing how much I need you both."
Sirius' tall form hovered over Selene. For a moment he stood there, hearing her sobs. Then he stooped and picked up her crumpled form and placed her back on the bed. He lay down next to her and put his head on her chest. The two stayed that way until the last ray of day had slipped into night. Sirius listened to Selene's heartbeat and the rise and fall of her chest. By the time they were covered in darkness, he was asleep and so could not hear the next few words that Selene whispered into his ear.
It traveled easily through the darkness of the night. Although silent, its presence was felt by all life as it traveled to Hogwarts. Small plants wilted and trees tore their own roots to get away from it. Creatures of the forests bristled their fur, some in fear, others in anticipation. It had been many years since it had been this strong, but it was still so weak. It needed the heofoncolu, only she could help it achieve its destiny.
Selene felt the undeniable presence of the entity as it entered the darkened room. Although it still lacked physical form, the entity was strong. She heard Sirius and Harry's breathing slow, almost stopping as the being sucked the air from the room. The once stagnant shadows in the room suddenly shifted and took on their own form, no longer mere echoes of other objects. The being whispered to Selene, but its voice was no longer harsh. Instead it caressed her mind with the tenderness of a lover. She felt a part of herself surrender to the tender music of the entity, and allowed it to penetrate her mind. The walls of the room disappeared into shadow, as did Harry. She no longer felt Sirius' head in her lap as he too disappeared. She was alone with it now.
It pulled at her mind and she let it. It was much easier to do so then to resist. Her Magmanos magic, that of the phoenix, was dying, as it was transformed into something foul and fetid. The entity wrapped itself around her senses until she was smothered by it. She knew that it was taking control of her body and her mind.
Something appeared to her then, in her mind's eye. Something that was not a part of the shadow, but cast its own light. However, the shadow was the stronger and threatened to extinguish the precious light.
Knowing now what she must do, Selene pushed against the being that invaded her. It hissed at her refusal and attacked her viciously. With the last of her strength Selene wrapped the remnants of her magic around the light she saw, hoping it would be enough to protect it. However, this left her totally vulnerable to her enemy. As it took control of her Selene knew that she had lost this battle, and prayed that those she loved would be able to win the war.
~*~
Remus tightened his grip on the edge of his bed until the bones of his knuckles threatened to tear through the skin. "Too early," he said through clenched teeth. Usually his transformations did not take place until the sun had completely set, but this transformation had started before the sun finished her cycle. Even now daylight was still visible through the trees that lined the horizon. It appeared that the Wolfsbane had done little to counter the venomous influence of the Book of Carmen. He only hoped that he would be able to hold onto his mind when his body changed into the wolf. His back spasmed hard as muscles began to move and Remus could hear his bones shifting and cracking. With a hollow cry he fell to the floor.
Peter Pettigrew stood outside the Shrieking Shack waiting for the right moment. He had witnessed Remus change into a werewolf on countless occasions, and knew when Remus would be at his weakest. Usually the change from man into beast was quick, but the Book of Carmen was obviously affecting the process, making the process take longer, much longer. This fact pleased Peter because the longer it took for Remus to change the less of a threat he became, and thus much easier to kill. Finally he heard a mangled cry, sharp and shrill, but mostly human. Peter broke the front door's lock with one swift movement of his silver hand.
He immediately made his way over to the cabinet that held the Book of Carmen. He snapped the lock with ease and reached in to remove the precious cargo. He could hear its song clearer now than ever before and his eyelids fluttered in ecstasy. The Book was his and he would use it as he saw fit. People would now obey…no…cower before him. No longer would he be a pawn in anyone else's game. Now, his beady eyes turned towards the bedroom door, he had one more matter to attend to here.
With the Book of Carmen underneath his arm Peter used his foot to kick down Remus' door. His childhood friend lay on the ground, twisting and clawing at the air. Remus was exactly halfway through his transformation and was neither man nor werewolf. "What a pitiful sight you make," Peter taunted. Remus' eyes snapped to him and he made a weak lunge at Peter, who kicked him aside. "James and Sirius always thought I was the weaker of the group, but I always knew that it was you, because your life will forever be governed by the moon."
"And yours by Voldemort!" Remus rasped.
"Not anymore!" Peter said, smiling and holding the Book of Carmen to the light, "Besides, that was my choice to make." Peter flapped a stubby finger at himself, "I sought after my destiny, after the power that I wanted. But you," Peter poked Remus hard in the chest, "You run from your destiny. You drink that potion and hide from the moon, cowering from a scarred orb in the sky."
"And that makes you the mightier of the two of us?" Remus asked, his voice barely human. His eyes involuntarily rolled backwards, his limbs on fire. He had to get away from that book. Slowly Remus began to edge away.
"Look at yourself Remus, you're a mess, a disfigured mess," Peter said, stepping on Remus' arm, preventing him from retreating further.
"That might be true," Remus croaked, "but I'd rather be a monster of this sort, then the kind you've become."
Peter thrust the Book of Carmen at Remus who cried and tried to push himself away, "Get that thing away from me!"
"Do you know why it hurts you?" Peter asked, his voice taking on a new element of malice. "It's because you are still clinging to your humanity. The werewolf inside of you has already surrendered to the Book. You can as well. Step out of Potter and Black's shadows and let me show you what true power is." Peter hissed and offered the Book to Remus.
It was then that Remus realized that the Book had found a willing participant in Peter and he was now in its control, "You're still a pawn Peter, and you don't even know it." Remus snarled, his round pupils elongated, becoming mere slits. Remus swatted the Book from Peter's hand with his claws.
The Book was thrown across the room and Peter lunged for it unaware that Remus' transformation was now complete. He picked up the Book and turned around to see the werewolf that Remus had become. It lunged at Peter, who dodged it quickly. Peter suddenly realized that he had tarried there too long, and it was now time to end it. He pulled his wand from his robes and yelled, "Avada Kedavra!" The spell hit the werewolf head on, but Peter's mispronunciation of the latter word saved Remus' life. However, the spell still packed a punch and sent the wolf sprawling through one of the shack's feeble walls.
The werewolf lay still on the kitchen floor as Peter took two steps closer to his victim. Mispronounced or not, one more spell of that caliber would be enough to kill the wolf. Staring out of his werewolf eyes Remus saw a flash of light and then was vaguely away of being thrown backwards before the light dissolved and he spilled into nothingness.
~*~
Yes I know it's an evil place to leave it, and I almost feel guilty, almost.
I'm on the look out for a really good Remus, Sirius, or MWPP story that does NOT involve slash. Not that I am against the slash genre (to each his own), but I just don't care for it. If anyone has read any please let me know either on this site or through email (good opportunity for anyone to plug their own work). Thanks. (auryn2327@yahoo.com)
I am a review junkie, please feed my addiction.