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 - Oh no! The last chapter. By Friday, as promised! I haven't decided if I'm going to start the sequel right away or take a break to work on my Harry/Draco story, but either way there'll be some kind of new post by me tomorrow night. (Hey, if you review let me know which one you'd rather see!) I hope you'll all read it!
-Leaf
ANOTHER WORD FOR YOU
Sirius pointed his wand directly at Raymond's heart. "Start talking."
Remus shivered. "Sirius…"
"No!" Sirius yelled, startling Remus. "He sent me a letter saying you were dead, Remus! He hurt you, and he told me you were dead, and now he's going to fucking tell us why!"
"He…what?" Remus was overwhelmed. The past few hours had been too much for him, and he was having trouble taking it all in. "You thought I was dead?"
"Yeah, I did!" Sirius turned, and Remus saw that he was crying. "I thought you'd died, he told me you died at the full moon, and I only realized it wasn't true when I got your letter!"
Remus stared at his father, feeling utterly betrayed. "Is that true?"
Raymond did not speak.
"Answer him!" Sirius yelled, kicking the dresser so hard a vase crashed to the floor and broke. "Tell him what you did!"
Raymond looked terrified. "Remus…I was just trying to make everything all right…we could be a family, Remus…"
"What are you talking about?" Sirius cried. "You beat him half to death and cut him off from everyone he knows! How is that going to make you a fucking family?"
"I made a mistake!" Raymond burst out. "I didn't mean to hurt him! I just lost control!" He turned to his son. "Remus, I'm sorry! Please, I didn't mean it, I won't do it again! It'll be different, please…"
Remus spoke softly. "You said that…you said last time that it wouldn't happen again…"
"Last time?" Sirius bellowed. "Remus, has he done this to you before?"
Remus nodded, terrified.
Sirius let out an outraged cry and started towards Raymond as if to hit him, but Remus grabbed the back of his shirt. "Don't, Sirius!"
"Remus…"
"Don't!"
Sirius breathed heavily and turned back to Raymond. "You are out of chances."
A tear rolled down Raymond's cheek.
Remus choked back a sob.
Sirius was pacing. "Why," he demanded, "did you tell me he was dead?"
"I had to take him out of school…" Raymond whispered, his head down.
"But why?" Sirius' voice was laced with venom.
"I'd go to Azkaban," said Raymond softly. "If anyone found out…what I did…that I'd…"
"…hit your son?"
"And we…we'd never be a family! I'd be in prison, and when I got out they'd take him away! I thought we'd move to the states, leave it all behind…"
Understanding dawned. "That's what you meant," Remus said slowly. "When you said no one would ever know…I thought you were talking about my lycanthropy."
"Remus, we could go away…we could be a family, and we'd be safe and together, and we could leave behind everything that's happened. We could start over." Raymond looked at his son, pleading.
"Are you mad?" Sirius interrupted. "He's mad, Remus! Nobody's going to the States! Remus is going back to school, and you" he indicated Raymond with his wand "are going to Azkaban."
"Remus," Raymond pleaded. "I didn't mean to…"
Sirius laughed bitterly. "Oh! He didn't mean to! Oh, well that's bloody brilliant! Say, you know what I do when I don't mean to hurt someone? I DON'T BLOODY HURT THEM!"
"Sirius," Remus interrupted. He had wrapped a blanket around himself and stood carefully, limping to where his father sat. Sirius stared in disbelief. "Sirius, he's not going to Azkaban. I forgave him."
"You what!?"
"I forgave him," Remus said simply, placing a hand on Raymond's shoulder.
"Why the fuck would you do that!" Sirius's face was white. "Remus…he beat you up! That's not okay!"
"He lost control, Sirius. People do."
Sirius wanted to throw something. He settled for kicking the dresser again. It rattled vigorously. "Remus, if he lost control twice already, he will again. He's dangerous."
Remus met his best friend's eyes. "So am I, Sirius."
"Wh…you?" Sirius didn't understand. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm a werewolf, Sirius. Every time the moon is full, I lose control. Once a month, I'm far more dangerous than my father ever is. I have that in me, Sirius, and he has it in him, and we're family, do you understand?"
"No!" Sirius cried. "My family's a bunch of pure blood elitists, but that doesn't mean I'm the same way!"
"Sirius," Remus pleaded. "All I'm saying is that I understand. I know what it's like to lose control of yourself, to do the unthinkable because you can't…"
"It's completely different! You're a werewolf, it's a physical condition! You can't help it!"
"Maybe my father can't help it either."
Sirius stared at him, silent, at a loss for words.
"And like me, he comes back to himself and sees what he's done, and he's shocked and horrified and he wants to make it better." Raymond had started to cry softly.
Sirius sat down heavily on the bed. "Remy…"
"I have a right to make this decision," Remus said firmly to Sirius, "and I've made it. I forgive him, and maybe I can learn to love him, like you learned to love me."
Sirius looked up, met his friend's eyes, and Remus saw that his eyes were wet with tears. "I didn't learn to love you, Remus. I just…loved you. I couldn't help it."
Remus slowly limped over and wrapped an arm around his friend.
"When are you leaving, then?" Sirius asked softly, surrendering. Remus was right, it was his decision to make.
Remus looked surprised. "Leaving?"
"You know, for the States."
Remus shook his head. "I'm not going to the States."
"You're not?" Sirius looked up. "But what about all that stuff you just said…about how he was just like you, how when he gets out of control it's like your lycanthropy…?"
"Well," Remus said, grinning a little, "You wouldn't live with a werewolf who didn't lock himself up at the full moon, would you?"
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James sat at the foot of Remus' bed in the hospital wing. "I can't believe you didn't tell me he was hitting you!"
Remus shrugged slightly. Most of his injuries had been healed, but his ribs were still tender. "I didn't want to worry you."
James shook his head. "Rem? Next time, worry me. Okay?"
"I don't know about any next time," Remus said, grinning. "I don't think this guy's ever letting me out of his sight again." He looked fondly at Sirius, who'd fallen asleep curled up beside Remus on the bed. "He took it pretty hard."
"I'm just glad you're okay," said James. "And that you're not going back to your family."
"Not anytime soon, anyway," Remus shifted against the pillows. "Dad's in rehab and they're both in counseling, so maybe in a few years we'll try again.
"Besides," he added, smiling down at Sirius, "I've already got all the family I need."
A/N - To my reviewers:
Riserugu - Wow, that's so nice! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Imbri of the Moon - Don't let go, don't let go! I'll go get the big trampoline.
AffectedMangoO - You have an author alert for me? I'm flattered!
Versipellis - Yeah, Dumbledore rules. So helpful, so insightful.
meheeners - Sorry about the lack of Avada Kedavra. I'll be needing Raymond in the sequel, so I couldn't kill him. Maybe next time though!
Mandie Yuy - I love you're reviews, they're so…emphatic!
Henordra - It's about damn time he showed up, isn't it.
Miss Bagles - I'm glad you like it. As my regular readers know, I update every night between midnight and 4 a.m., so that's when to look for updates.
Chrisoriented - I like reading your theories…were you surprised?
SP-in-Sirius-Denial - Yes, yes it is. grin see you at the sequel, yes?
Lillei - It's a popular opinion today. Hurting Remus = Bad. Sirius' Rescue = Good.
Sirius Padfoot -Thanks, let me know what you think!
A/N - Oh no! The last chapter. By Friday, as promised! I haven't decided if I'm going to start the sequel right away or take a break to work on my Harry/Draco story, but either way there'll be some kind of new post by me tomorrow night. (Hey, if you review let me know which one you'd rather see!) I hope you'll all read it!
-Leaf
ANOTHER WORD FOR YOU
Sirius pointed his wand directly at Raymond's heart. "Start talking."
Remus shivered. "Sirius…"
"No!" Sirius yelled, startling Remus. "He sent me a letter saying you were dead, Remus! He hurt you, and he told me you were dead, and now he's going to fucking tell us why!"
"He…what?" Remus was overwhelmed. The past few hours had been too much for him, and he was having trouble taking it all in. "You thought I was dead?"
"Yeah, I did!" Sirius turned, and Remus saw that he was crying. "I thought you'd died, he told me you died at the full moon, and I only realized it wasn't true when I got your letter!"
Remus stared at his father, feeling utterly betrayed. "Is that true?"
Raymond did not speak.
"Answer him!" Sirius yelled, kicking the dresser so hard a vase crashed to the floor and broke. "Tell him what you did!"
Raymond looked terrified. "Remus…I was just trying to make everything all right…we could be a family, Remus…"
"What are you talking about?" Sirius cried. "You beat him half to death and cut him off from everyone he knows! How is that going to make you a fucking family?"
"I made a mistake!" Raymond burst out. "I didn't mean to hurt him! I just lost control!" He turned to his son. "Remus, I'm sorry! Please, I didn't mean it, I won't do it again! It'll be different, please…"
Remus spoke softly. "You said that…you said last time that it wouldn't happen again…"
"Last time?" Sirius bellowed. "Remus, has he done this to you before?"
Remus nodded, terrified.
Sirius let out an outraged cry and started towards Raymond as if to hit him, but Remus grabbed the back of his shirt. "Don't, Sirius!"
"Remus…"
"Don't!"
Sirius breathed heavily and turned back to Raymond. "You are out of chances."
A tear rolled down Raymond's cheek.
Remus choked back a sob.
Sirius was pacing. "Why," he demanded, "did you tell me he was dead?"
"I had to take him out of school…" Raymond whispered, his head down.
"But why?" Sirius' voice was laced with venom.
"I'd go to Azkaban," said Raymond softly. "If anyone found out…what I did…that I'd…"
"…hit your son?"
"And we…we'd never be a family! I'd be in prison, and when I got out they'd take him away! I thought we'd move to the states, leave it all behind…"
Understanding dawned. "That's what you meant," Remus said slowly. "When you said no one would ever know…I thought you were talking about my lycanthropy."
"Remus, we could go away…we could be a family, and we'd be safe and together, and we could leave behind everything that's happened. We could start over." Raymond looked at his son, pleading.
"Are you mad?" Sirius interrupted. "He's mad, Remus! Nobody's going to the States! Remus is going back to school, and you" he indicated Raymond with his wand "are going to Azkaban."
"Remus," Raymond pleaded. "I didn't mean to…"
Sirius laughed bitterly. "Oh! He didn't mean to! Oh, well that's bloody brilliant! Say, you know what I do when I don't mean to hurt someone? I DON'T BLOODY HURT THEM!"
"Sirius," Remus interrupted. He had wrapped a blanket around himself and stood carefully, limping to where his father sat. Sirius stared in disbelief. "Sirius, he's not going to Azkaban. I forgave him."
"You what!?"
"I forgave him," Remus said simply, placing a hand on Raymond's shoulder.
"Why the fuck would you do that!" Sirius's face was white. "Remus…he beat you up! That's not okay!"
"He lost control, Sirius. People do."
Sirius wanted to throw something. He settled for kicking the dresser again. It rattled vigorously. "Remus, if he lost control twice already, he will again. He's dangerous."
Remus met his best friend's eyes. "So am I, Sirius."
"Wh…you?" Sirius didn't understand. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm a werewolf, Sirius. Every time the moon is full, I lose control. Once a month, I'm far more dangerous than my father ever is. I have that in me, Sirius, and he has it in him, and we're family, do you understand?"
"No!" Sirius cried. "My family's a bunch of pure blood elitists, but that doesn't mean I'm the same way!"
"Sirius," Remus pleaded. "All I'm saying is that I understand. I know what it's like to lose control of yourself, to do the unthinkable because you can't…"
"It's completely different! You're a werewolf, it's a physical condition! You can't help it!"
"Maybe my father can't help it either."
Sirius stared at him, silent, at a loss for words.
"And like me, he comes back to himself and sees what he's done, and he's shocked and horrified and he wants to make it better." Raymond had started to cry softly.
Sirius sat down heavily on the bed. "Remy…"
"I have a right to make this decision," Remus said firmly to Sirius, "and I've made it. I forgive him, and maybe I can learn to love him, like you learned to love me."
Sirius looked up, met his friend's eyes, and Remus saw that his eyes were wet with tears. "I didn't learn to love you, Remus. I just…loved you. I couldn't help it."
Remus slowly limped over and wrapped an arm around his friend.
"When are you leaving, then?" Sirius asked softly, surrendering. Remus was right, it was his decision to make.
Remus looked surprised. "Leaving?"
"You know, for the States."
Remus shook his head. "I'm not going to the States."
"You're not?" Sirius looked up. "But what about all that stuff you just said…about how he was just like you, how when he gets out of control it's like your lycanthropy…?"
"Well," Remus said, grinning a little, "You wouldn't live with a werewolf who didn't lock himself up at the full moon, would you?"
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James sat at the foot of Remus' bed in the hospital wing. "I can't believe you didn't tell me he was hitting you!"
Remus shrugged slightly. Most of his injuries had been healed, but his ribs were still tender. "I didn't want to worry you."
James shook his head. "Rem? Next time, worry me. Okay?"
"I don't know about any next time," Remus said, grinning. "I don't think this guy's ever letting me out of his sight again." He looked fondly at Sirius, who'd fallen asleep curled up beside Remus on the bed. "He took it pretty hard."
"I'm just glad you're okay," said James. "And that you're not going back to your family."
"Not anytime soon, anyway," Remus shifted against the pillows. "Dad's in rehab and they're both in counseling, so maybe in a few years we'll try again.
"Besides," he added, smiling down at Sirius, "I've already got all the family I need."
A/N - To my reviewers:
Riserugu - Wow, that's so nice! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Imbri of the Moon - Don't let go, don't let go! I'll go get the big trampoline.
AffectedMangoO - You have an author alert for me? I'm flattered!
Versipellis - Yeah, Dumbledore rules. So helpful, so insightful.
meheeners - Sorry about the lack of Avada Kedavra. I'll be needing Raymond in the sequel, so I couldn't kill him. Maybe next time though!
Mandie Yuy - I love you're reviews, they're so…emphatic!
Henordra - It's about damn time he showed up, isn't it.
Miss Bagles - I'm glad you like it. As my regular readers know, I update every night between midnight and 4 a.m., so that's when to look for updates.
Chrisoriented - I like reading your theories…were you surprised?
SP-in-Sirius-Denial - Yes, yes it is. grin see you at the sequel, yes?
Lillei - It's a popular opinion today. Hurting Remus = Bad. Sirius' Rescue = Good.
Sirius Padfoot -Thanks, let me know what you think!