Disclaimer - You know the drill. You don't seriously think I created Harry Potter, do you? Give me a break, I'm not that smart. No, these characters are the sole property of J. Rowling and a number of publishing companies.
A/N - Sorry, guys! As a number of you pointed out, I did in fact post the same chapter twice. My bad. Well, it's fixed now. I guess you already know that, if you're reading this chapter.
meheeners - I don't think I've mentioned it since my first story ("The Morning After") but they're in fifth year here.
Lillei - Yeah, that part about him thinking it's normal behavior is the teaser for the sequel. That's right, there will be a sequel!
Mandie Yuy - haha, sorry, the slashyness here is entirely subjective. I'm working on another story where it's a bit more explicit, but it's between Harry and Draco.
Ryua Malfoy - This chapter took me much longer than usual, so I hope you like it.
-Leaf
ANOTHER WORD FOR YOU
Raymond was knocking. "Remus?"
Remus did not reply. He was sitting on his bed, trembling. After posting the letters to James and Sirius, he'd listed as Raymond tried to kick in his door. The man had spent hours savagely attacking the door, but it had held. Remus had been terrified, knowing what awaited him if his father got inside.
"Remus," Raymond pleaded. "Let me come in, I'm sorry about before."
Remus didn't know what to think. On one hand, he knew James loved to complain about his parents. How mean they were, how they never let him have any fun, how they hollered at him every time he did the slightest thing wrong.
But on the other hand, Remus didn't think James' parents had ever hit him. He couldn't be sure, of course. And what about Sirius' parents? What did they do that was so much worse? What was acceptable among family, Remus wondered. How much of this do I have to put up with?
He didn't hit me, Remus reasoned to himself. He only yelled. I know it's normal for parents to yell; James said his parents do it all the time and he still goes home over the holidays. Hell, he keeps a picture of his mum by his bed. And he's sorry for the time he did hit me.
Remus sighed. I'm just being sensitive. I'm not used to a family. I need to get it together.
He moved the chair away from his door and opened it. "I…I'm sorry…"
"Hey, don't worry," Raymond hugged his son. Remus warily let him. "It's just going to take some time, Remus. This is new for all of us. I'm sorry too."
Remus allowed himself to be steered into the kitchen. It was empty. "Where's Mum?"
"Out." Raymond sat down at the table, extending an arm for his son to join him. "I thought you and I could get to know each other a bit."
"I guess that'd be okay," Remus sat across the table. "What'd you have in mind?"
"Well," Raymond had an air of forced calm, "your mother and I have been discussing options for the future."
"For the future?" Remus was confused.
Raymond paused awkwardly. "The thing is, Remus, that we're not sure returning to Hogwarts is the best course of action for you. I've a friend in the States experimenting with cures for lycanthropy…we'd discussed taking you to him."
Remus stared, his mind struggling to catch up. "What…no, I have to finish school…"
"Remus, listen," Raymond said urgently. "Wouldn't it be worth it, if we could…if we could make this go away? If you didn't have to live with it anymore?"
"What are you talking about?" Remus cried, panicky. "Those treatments don't work, you know they don't, it's even been in the Daily Prophet how they're thinking up phony cures over in the States and in France! I'm not going, I have to finish school!"
"We could start all over!" Raymond had risen from his chair and was pacing. "It…it would be like it never happened…no one would ever know, Remus, don't you understand?"
Remus stared at his father. "No one would know? Loads of people know already! You and Mum and Dumbledore and loads of professors and my friends…"
"Pack your bag," Raymond said sharply, suddenly, and Remus felt a thrill of fear.
"I'm not going!"
"You're bloody going if I say you're going!" Raymond advanced on his son, backing him up to the wall. But Remus stood firm. He wasn't running off to his room, not this time.
"Where's Mum?" he demanded.
Raymond slapped him hard across the face. The blow knocked Remus to the floor, and he looked up at the man towering over him. What was happening?
"Go pack!"
"No!" Remus struggled to his feet. Raymond grabbed him by his hair and dragged him down the hall to his room, Remus struggling all the way. "I'm going to make this go away…like it never happened…"
He's mad, Remus thought fearfully. He's mad, and he's not going to stop.
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Sirius was pissed off.
No one was listening to him. He'd demanded to see the headmaster, but Madam Pomfrey had brushed his request to the side. "He'll be back later, Black. Drink this."
Then Dumbledore had returned, but he'd refused to understand what Sirius was saying. Assuming, no doubt, that the boy was delusional with grief, he'd simply patted him on the shoulder and left the hospital wing.
So tonight, Sirius was planning his first-ever jailbreak.
Under cover of darkness, he slipped out of bed and transformed. Padfoot could move about the castle unnoticed, and he took the passage into the cellar of Honeydukes sweetshop. It was dark, musty, dusty, and the dog sneezed.
Upstairs, he searched for the fireplace, but there was none. Sirius despaired. He needed a fire to get to Remus - if, in fact, he was alive - and he couldn't bring himself to just light one in the middle of the store and abandon it. A portkey, he thought blindly, before realizing that no portkey was available, and he didn't know where the Lupins' house was anyway.
Fine. Plan B.
Sirius Black slipped out of the sweetshop to a broom shop around the corner. He'd have to be quick here…
SMASH! Sirius punched through the window. An enchanted voice began to howl. Sirius snatched the broom in the display and kicked off…soaring ever higher…he was away.
The air up here was cold, and Sirius shivered. He was probably under arrest when he came back, but he'd deal with that later. How the hell was he supposed to get to Remus? He didn't know where he was going. He realized lamely that he hadn't quite thought this through.
An eagle owl soared through the air and fell in line with Sirius. A letter was clenched in its beak, and the boy automatically reached out to take it.
It was from Dumbledore, who, it transpired was very disappointed. He insisted that Sirius was in a world of trouble, and ought to get back to school right away before he got himself in too deep. Dumbledore's signature followed, and a postscript - directions to the Lupins' home.
Sirius grinned. Dumbledore was no fool. Well, who ever said predictability was a bad thing?
He sped off into the night.
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Remus' entire body hurt. This could not possibly be normal, he decided. If James was getting this kind of treatment at home, it would show.
For Remus was going to have scars. Something - he wasn't sure what - had cut his arm and leg. He suspected at least one of his eyes was blackened, and it hurt to breathe, so maybe his ribs were damaged.
What the hell was so great about families? They were supposed to love you, right? Remus thought Raymond loved him - he certainly acted like it much of the time - but then why this abuse?
He crawled up onto his bed, aching. And Raymond wanted him to leave Hogwarts…why? He couldn't honestly believe in these "miracle cures" for lycanthropy, everyone knew those were a joke. How could Raymond imagine no one would know? So many people already knew. Did he plan to deport all of them?
Remus was too exhausted, too beaten, to wonder anymore. At the moment he felt he would go anywhere and do anything if it meant the pain would stop. A tear slid down his cheek.
I'm so sorry, Sirius…
"Oh my god."
Sirius? Remus didn't dare look, but he felt himself tense. It's not real…Not really Sirius…can't be…
"Remy…" Now Remus did look. Sirius' head, framed by moonlight, had appeared in his window. "Remy, what happened?"
"Sirius?" Remus asked weakly, unsure. "You really there, mate?"
"I'm here, buddy, I'm here." Sirius clambered in the window and took Remus hand. "Who hurt you, Rem?"
"You gotta leave…he's coming back…"
"I'm not leaving." Remus had never heard Sirius sound like this, harsh and frightening. "Let him fucking come."
Remus trembled. Raymond was approaching, he could hear the heavy footsteps. The lock on the door slid back and the handle turned…
Sirius was already there. He pointed his wand at the man and said icily, "Sit. Down."
Raymond stared.
Sirius was shaking with anger. Remus shrank back into his covers and felt his injured limbs protest. Sirius met Raymond's gaze with narrowed eyes. "Sit in that fucking chair, or I'll do to you what you did to Remus."
Raymond stood motionless for another moment, then lunged for his wand. In answer, Sirius made a slashing motion, and a gash appeared on Raymond's cheek. He grabbed the man roughly by the arm and flung him at the chair. Raymond looked too stunned to react as Sirius conjured magical bindings around his wrists and ankles, holding him in place.
When Raymond had been rendered motionless, Sirius turned to Remus. "Remy?"
"Sirius…so sorry…"
"Shhh…" Sirius laid a hand on his friend's cheek. "Everything's okay now."
Then he turned and pointed his wand directly at Raymond's heart. "Start talking."
A/N - Next chapter: Raymond Explains Himself! What shocking secrets will this paragon of selfishness and cruelty reveal, dear readers? Does he love his son? Stay tuned to find out. DUN DUN DUN!!!!
A/N - Sorry, guys! As a number of you pointed out, I did in fact post the same chapter twice. My bad. Well, it's fixed now. I guess you already know that, if you're reading this chapter.
meheeners - I don't think I've mentioned it since my first story ("The Morning After") but they're in fifth year here.
Lillei - Yeah, that part about him thinking it's normal behavior is the teaser for the sequel. That's right, there will be a sequel!
Mandie Yuy - haha, sorry, the slashyness here is entirely subjective. I'm working on another story where it's a bit more explicit, but it's between Harry and Draco.
Ryua Malfoy - This chapter took me much longer than usual, so I hope you like it.
-Leaf
ANOTHER WORD FOR YOU
Raymond was knocking. "Remus?"
Remus did not reply. He was sitting on his bed, trembling. After posting the letters to James and Sirius, he'd listed as Raymond tried to kick in his door. The man had spent hours savagely attacking the door, but it had held. Remus had been terrified, knowing what awaited him if his father got inside.
"Remus," Raymond pleaded. "Let me come in, I'm sorry about before."
Remus didn't know what to think. On one hand, he knew James loved to complain about his parents. How mean they were, how they never let him have any fun, how they hollered at him every time he did the slightest thing wrong.
But on the other hand, Remus didn't think James' parents had ever hit him. He couldn't be sure, of course. And what about Sirius' parents? What did they do that was so much worse? What was acceptable among family, Remus wondered. How much of this do I have to put up with?
He didn't hit me, Remus reasoned to himself. He only yelled. I know it's normal for parents to yell; James said his parents do it all the time and he still goes home over the holidays. Hell, he keeps a picture of his mum by his bed. And he's sorry for the time he did hit me.
Remus sighed. I'm just being sensitive. I'm not used to a family. I need to get it together.
He moved the chair away from his door and opened it. "I…I'm sorry…"
"Hey, don't worry," Raymond hugged his son. Remus warily let him. "It's just going to take some time, Remus. This is new for all of us. I'm sorry too."
Remus allowed himself to be steered into the kitchen. It was empty. "Where's Mum?"
"Out." Raymond sat down at the table, extending an arm for his son to join him. "I thought you and I could get to know each other a bit."
"I guess that'd be okay," Remus sat across the table. "What'd you have in mind?"
"Well," Raymond had an air of forced calm, "your mother and I have been discussing options for the future."
"For the future?" Remus was confused.
Raymond paused awkwardly. "The thing is, Remus, that we're not sure returning to Hogwarts is the best course of action for you. I've a friend in the States experimenting with cures for lycanthropy…we'd discussed taking you to him."
Remus stared, his mind struggling to catch up. "What…no, I have to finish school…"
"Remus, listen," Raymond said urgently. "Wouldn't it be worth it, if we could…if we could make this go away? If you didn't have to live with it anymore?"
"What are you talking about?" Remus cried, panicky. "Those treatments don't work, you know they don't, it's even been in the Daily Prophet how they're thinking up phony cures over in the States and in France! I'm not going, I have to finish school!"
"We could start all over!" Raymond had risen from his chair and was pacing. "It…it would be like it never happened…no one would ever know, Remus, don't you understand?"
Remus stared at his father. "No one would know? Loads of people know already! You and Mum and Dumbledore and loads of professors and my friends…"
"Pack your bag," Raymond said sharply, suddenly, and Remus felt a thrill of fear.
"I'm not going!"
"You're bloody going if I say you're going!" Raymond advanced on his son, backing him up to the wall. But Remus stood firm. He wasn't running off to his room, not this time.
"Where's Mum?" he demanded.
Raymond slapped him hard across the face. The blow knocked Remus to the floor, and he looked up at the man towering over him. What was happening?
"Go pack!"
"No!" Remus struggled to his feet. Raymond grabbed him by his hair and dragged him down the hall to his room, Remus struggling all the way. "I'm going to make this go away…like it never happened…"
He's mad, Remus thought fearfully. He's mad, and he's not going to stop.
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Sirius was pissed off.
No one was listening to him. He'd demanded to see the headmaster, but Madam Pomfrey had brushed his request to the side. "He'll be back later, Black. Drink this."
Then Dumbledore had returned, but he'd refused to understand what Sirius was saying. Assuming, no doubt, that the boy was delusional with grief, he'd simply patted him on the shoulder and left the hospital wing.
So tonight, Sirius was planning his first-ever jailbreak.
Under cover of darkness, he slipped out of bed and transformed. Padfoot could move about the castle unnoticed, and he took the passage into the cellar of Honeydukes sweetshop. It was dark, musty, dusty, and the dog sneezed.
Upstairs, he searched for the fireplace, but there was none. Sirius despaired. He needed a fire to get to Remus - if, in fact, he was alive - and he couldn't bring himself to just light one in the middle of the store and abandon it. A portkey, he thought blindly, before realizing that no portkey was available, and he didn't know where the Lupins' house was anyway.
Fine. Plan B.
Sirius Black slipped out of the sweetshop to a broom shop around the corner. He'd have to be quick here…
SMASH! Sirius punched through the window. An enchanted voice began to howl. Sirius snatched the broom in the display and kicked off…soaring ever higher…he was away.
The air up here was cold, and Sirius shivered. He was probably under arrest when he came back, but he'd deal with that later. How the hell was he supposed to get to Remus? He didn't know where he was going. He realized lamely that he hadn't quite thought this through.
An eagle owl soared through the air and fell in line with Sirius. A letter was clenched in its beak, and the boy automatically reached out to take it.
It was from Dumbledore, who, it transpired was very disappointed. He insisted that Sirius was in a world of trouble, and ought to get back to school right away before he got himself in too deep. Dumbledore's signature followed, and a postscript - directions to the Lupins' home.
Sirius grinned. Dumbledore was no fool. Well, who ever said predictability was a bad thing?
He sped off into the night.
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Remus' entire body hurt. This could not possibly be normal, he decided. If James was getting this kind of treatment at home, it would show.
For Remus was going to have scars. Something - he wasn't sure what - had cut his arm and leg. He suspected at least one of his eyes was blackened, and it hurt to breathe, so maybe his ribs were damaged.
What the hell was so great about families? They were supposed to love you, right? Remus thought Raymond loved him - he certainly acted like it much of the time - but then why this abuse?
He crawled up onto his bed, aching. And Raymond wanted him to leave Hogwarts…why? He couldn't honestly believe in these "miracle cures" for lycanthropy, everyone knew those were a joke. How could Raymond imagine no one would know? So many people already knew. Did he plan to deport all of them?
Remus was too exhausted, too beaten, to wonder anymore. At the moment he felt he would go anywhere and do anything if it meant the pain would stop. A tear slid down his cheek.
I'm so sorry, Sirius…
"Oh my god."
Sirius? Remus didn't dare look, but he felt himself tense. It's not real…Not really Sirius…can't be…
"Remy…" Now Remus did look. Sirius' head, framed by moonlight, had appeared in his window. "Remy, what happened?"
"Sirius?" Remus asked weakly, unsure. "You really there, mate?"
"I'm here, buddy, I'm here." Sirius clambered in the window and took Remus hand. "Who hurt you, Rem?"
"You gotta leave…he's coming back…"
"I'm not leaving." Remus had never heard Sirius sound like this, harsh and frightening. "Let him fucking come."
Remus trembled. Raymond was approaching, he could hear the heavy footsteps. The lock on the door slid back and the handle turned…
Sirius was already there. He pointed his wand at the man and said icily, "Sit. Down."
Raymond stared.
Sirius was shaking with anger. Remus shrank back into his covers and felt his injured limbs protest. Sirius met Raymond's gaze with narrowed eyes. "Sit in that fucking chair, or I'll do to you what you did to Remus."
Raymond stood motionless for another moment, then lunged for his wand. In answer, Sirius made a slashing motion, and a gash appeared on Raymond's cheek. He grabbed the man roughly by the arm and flung him at the chair. Raymond looked too stunned to react as Sirius conjured magical bindings around his wrists and ankles, holding him in place.
When Raymond had been rendered motionless, Sirius turned to Remus. "Remy?"
"Sirius…so sorry…"
"Shhh…" Sirius laid a hand on his friend's cheek. "Everything's okay now."
Then he turned and pointed his wand directly at Raymond's heart. "Start talking."
A/N - Next chapter: Raymond Explains Himself! What shocking secrets will this paragon of selfishness and cruelty reveal, dear readers? Does he love his son? Stay tuned to find out. DUN DUN DUN!!!!