CB: Much love to all you wonderful reviewers, your hounding has forced me into writing the next chapter much faster than I normally would…that and I got a flash of sudden inspiration whilst I was working with the puppies last week at the dog training centre. There were two in particular… ^_~

Warning: One, final warning: this fic is now officially headed into the SLASH zone. Yes, Houston, we've made 'contact', it's not much, but it's there. So push off if you don't like it, god never made me tolerant.

Dedication: To Paddy and Moony, the two four week old pups, whose cuteness and strange obsession with biting each other, led to the production of this next chapter as 'Aunty Cobalt' looked after them…and let them chew her and her clothes to pieces.

'Long after we are gone ... our voices will linger in these walls for as long as this place remains. But I will admit ... that the part of me that is going ... will very much miss the part of you that is staying.' – Anon

 Remus found himself being prodded into wakefulness by long, slender fingers.

Opening sleepy golden eyes, he found himself face to face with Sirius Black, who was leaning over him, no more than a few, scant inches away, his black hair trailing over his shoulders as he peered down at Remus, an odd, worried expression on his face. The expression vanished, however, the moment he saw that his captive was properly awake, and instead, it was replaced with the usual one of slight, sardonic amusement as he straightened up, still peering down at the werewolf.

"Finally, I thought you'd never wake up." He commented, running a hand through his long, dark hair and walking lightly across the room to the wardrobe. "You're certainly a very heavy sleeper." He added, throwing open the two doors and digging around in the dark, musty depths of the furniture. "Mind you, I'm surprised you even dared to fall asleep, being trapped in a room with such a dangerous individual as I." He turned around, holding a fresh robe and grinned. "Here, put this on." Throwing the robe at Remus, he turned to the wardrobe again, digging out another for himself.

Remus caught the robe, his expression unchanging as he sat up and regarded his captor's back sourly. "What's the point? I'm not exactly going anywhere."

"Wrong." Sirius replied cheerfully, "We've been summoned to the hall."

"How –?" Remus began, puzzled, but Black cut him off again with an impatient wave of his hand.

"Doesn't matter…now…are you hungry?" He grinned and sauntered over to the table that rested in one corner, his new robe still clutched in one hand. Leaning over the two bowls that had been placed there, he inhaled happily, making a contented sound. "Mm, Cilia's always been a good cook, but I think she's surpassed herself here." Picking one of the bowls up, he offered it to Remus. "Here, neither of us have eaten since this morning." Picking up the other bowl and a crusty loaf of bread, he came and sat down next to Remus on the bed, and began spooning up the vegetable broth from the bowl. "It's nice." He offered to Remus, who was poking dubiously at the swimming vegetables. Shrugging, Sirius turned his attention to the loaf. Tearing it in half, he offered part of it to his silent companion.

The cloud of fragrant steam that arose from the warm, freshly cooked loaf reached Remus's nose, and his stomach gave a low grumble of discontent. Hastily, he took the proffered bread, refusing to meet the amused gaze that was burning into his face. "Thank you."

"Hey, no problem," Sirius munched contentedly on the bread for a moment, his eye flitting around the room. "Why don't we go down to the village later?" He added, setting his bowl to one side and getting up again, "It's market day tomorrow, I think."

Remus stared at him for a moment, half wondering if the other man was deliberately being this stupid. "You want to take me…to a market." He managed faintly, and then stared in utter disbelief when Sirius nodded cheerfully. "Aren't you worried that I'll try and escape?" He set his bowl aside as well, and stood up, wincing as the muscles in his back protested loudly about the awkward angle he'd been sleeping in. "I mean, I must admit that you're not at all what I would have expected if I had known I was going to be kidnapped by a deatheater and then imprisoned, but don't you think that going out in broad daylight is a bit stupid, even for you?" He scowled and pulled the crumpled robe off over his head, reaching for the clean one Sirius had tossed him.

Sirius perched on the edge of the table, eyeing him thoughtfully. "You know, you're not bad looking," he said, carefully avoiding answering the question Remus had just asked him.

Flushing, Remus hastily pulled the robe over his head and glared at Sirius. "There's such a thing as modesty you know!" He smoothed the robe, down, still trying his best to ignore the heat in his cheeks that reminded him he was blushing.

His captor shrugged. "I've never had much use for it, myself." He said, standing up and striding across the room to open the door. "Modesty gets you nowhere." Ignoring his companion's snort, he bent close to the keyhole and murmured a string of words, all of which sounded completely foreign to Remus, who raised an eyebrow in surprise when he recognized the pronunciation.

"Gaelic?" He asked, staring at Sirius, "I didn't know you were Irish."

The dark haired man shrugged. "I'm not," he blinked, and then corrected himself, "Well, I am, but only half, my mother was Irish, but my father was English." He sighed, and for a moment his face held a pained expression, although his eyes betrayed a great deal of bitterness as well. "Come on," He said, abruptly turning back to the door and pushing it open with perhaps more force than was entirely necessary, "We're expected."

"Expected where?" Remus hurried to catch up, his shoes making a soft scuffing noise as he followed Sirius down the corridor. "Who wants to talk to me?" Irritated when he received no reply, he put on a final burst of speed and caught up with the other man. Grabbing his arm, he spun him around so they were facing one another. "Look, Black, I don't know who you think you are, but you had the gall to kidnap me and I want some answers." Remus didn't realize until it was too late, that he was all but growling, his eyes flashing fiery gold as his lips drew back to reveal his sharp, white teeth.

His anger drained away as quickly as it had come as he realized he had all but lost control. Belatedly, he released Sirius's arm, turning half away from him to look up the corridor. "I'm sorry, I lost my temper." He said softly, not meeting the other man's gaze.

Hey, we all do from time to time." Sirius shrugged, his face taking on a strangely gentle expression as he reached out to grip Remus's chin between two long fingers, "Don't worry about it." He added, before releasing the surprised werewolf and turning hurriedly away. "Now come on, we really are expected." He stalked quickly off up the corridor, his shoulders slightly hunched, as though he was cold.

********

James was nearly crying in frustration as he glared at Dumbledore. "Tell. Me." He gritted out from between clenched teeth.

Sitting in Dumbledore's office, despite the comfort of the armchair he was perched on, James looked far from comfortable, in fact, he simply looked furious. Behind him, Mcgonagall was standing, her posture rigid and her lips pressed together in a thin, hard line as she frowned at the back of James's head. Her eyes flitted up to glance briefly at Dumbledore, who was sitting calmly behind his desk, surveying the young man over the top of his half moon spectacles.

"There is not much to tell, I'm afraid," The old man said calmly, not meeting Mcgonagall's gaze as he continued to watch James, "Because we do not know a lot."

"Then tell me what you do know." James's mouth tightened as Dumbledore sighed, and he stood up so suddenly that he knocked the armchair over. "TELL ME! Look, Remus may be dying out there! He may already be dead! And I'll be damned if I'm just going to sit around and wait to find out what's happened to him…if we ever find out!" Breathing heavily, he stalked across the room and stared out of the window, his body taught with tension as he glared at the scenic countryside.

Dumbledore carefully took his glasses off and placed them on the desk. "Very well," He said slowly, "I'll tell you as much as we know. For a year now, Voldemort's been collecting Werewolves into his service, we're not entirely sure why. Some of them go voluntarily to him, some do not, but all of them seem to be being used for a spell of some sort. I believe it is because Lord Voldemort is searching for something that will make him immortal." James started and spun around to stare at the wizard, his face now lined with worry as Dumbledore gave a small but anxious smile. "I also believe that he has found a spell that will do that for him, however, it obviously needs something that only a werewolf can give – the final ingredient perhaps." Dumbledore frowned, looking pensive, "It could be blood, but whatever it is, so far he has not found it."

"Blood!" James sputtered, looking horrified, "So he's going to kill Remus!"

"I don't know," Dumbledore replied gravely, "Perhaps, but perhaps not. You must remember, this is all speculation, dear boy."

In the background, Mcgonagall nodded, her own face lined with worry. "However," She interjected, "The question remains as to who actually kidnapped Remus. Find the deatheater, and no doubt we find our companion."

James looked at both of them, determination written across his features.

"Leave it to me."

********

Fear was almost tangible in the large, cold hall as Remus was led towards the center of it. Fear of what, he wasn't certain, but fear nonetheless. The scent of it hung thick and heavy on the air, half choking him with its coppery tang as it crept into the folds of his robes, into his mouth, his nose, his ears, suffocating him. Walking beside him, Sirius' lips were pressed together into a thin line as he stared straight ahead, not making eye contact with Remus or the half a dozen death eaters that were scattered around the room.

A chair had been placed in the center of the room. It was high backed and well polished, so the light reflected off its surface, gleaming darkly. It was turned away from the two men, towards the fire and appeared, to the untrained eye, to be empty.

Sirius stopped a few feet from the chair, indicating Remus should do the same and waited; a closed expression on his face.

"Come." Apparently the chair wasn't empty after all, and the cold, high and above all cruel voice that emanated from it sent shivers racing down the werewolf's spine. He knew that voice, most people did, even though they'd never heard it with their own ear. Rumor traveled, and the rumors about this man were many.

Lord Voldemort.

Remus' knees locked and his mouth went dry, even as Sirius began to walk towards the chair. After a few steps, the sable haired man seemed to realize he wasn't being followed and turned back. Taking Remus's hand in a surprisingly gentle gesture, he towed him towards the chair. Pulling him around in front of it, he paused, giving Remus's hand one final, almost imperceptible, squeeze before taking a couple of paces backwards. "Remus Lupin, my lord."

 Heart pounding so hard he thought everyone in the room could hear it, Remus raised his eyes to look at the dark lord.

His first impression was that of a snake. A pale, narrow face was turned towards him, its blood red eyes drilling into his own, the body of Voldemort was lean and coiled with energy, looking nothing so much as a serpent who is intent of striking its prey. He had long, slender fingers that would probably have no difficulty in wielding a wand, and from the way he studied Remus, the werewolf knew that an incredibly sharp mind lay behind the icy appearance.

"Ah, Lupin," Voldemort smiled, and Remus was startled to see that a hint of this evil man's original handsomeness still remained.  (1) "So my faithful friend found you, did he?" He shot Sirius, who was standing quite still, an approving look. "I don't suppose you have any idea why you're here?" One slender finger rose, almost as though in admonishment before Remus could open his mouth, "But of course not, and I have no intention of explaining. Ask any of my followers and they will tell you the same…it is fruitless to question your presence here." He made a swift, caressing gesture, and Remus realized he was stroking a snake, which was curled around the arm of the chair. "Now," and the voice was suddenly commanding, "Look at me."

Startled, Remus felt his eyes rising of their own volition to stare into the blood red eyes. Struggling, he tried to tear his gaze away, and found to his horror that he couldn't. Voldemort's stare was hypnotic, pulling him into a swirling maelstrom as he felt the wizard rummaging around in his head – an icy, unwelcome, frightening presence. He was trembling and he didn't even realize until Voldemort smiled, and turned his head to look across the room, freeing him at last.

"Yes, Lupin, you will do…you will do nicely."

It was a dismissal as well as a statement, and Remus felt hands pulling him backwards out of the room, half carrying him when they realized he wasn't capable of standing on his own when that much power had just touched him. It wasn't until he was outside that he realized Sirius had remained behind. He shivered, wrapping his robe tighter around his body as one of the deatheaters – a short, plump little man with a pointed nose – told him to stay where he was until he was either called back into the hall, or someone came out to escort him to his chamber.

Inside the hall, Sirius was still standing in the same place, although his mask of indifference had dropped slightly.

"Well?"

Voldemort smiled cruelly and stood up, placing one slender hand on the deatheater's shoulder. "You have done exceptionally well my friend, you have fulfilled your mission perfectly." He released his grip and turned away for a moment, staring into the fire with unseeing eyes. "This one is perfect, he is exactly what I need, but he has to give his…help…willingly." Red eyes turned to regard Sirius, who raised one eyebrow.

"And you want me to convince him?"

Voldemort shrugged, "It matters not who convinces him, but I want you to be his keeper. Guard him, make sure he doesn't escape, earn his trust." He turned back, his eyes cold and calculating, "I've placed a binding spell on him, it is subtle enough that he will not realize it is there, but he will be unable to go far without you." At Sirius's nod, he continued, "You know what I want, my friend, you must not fail…do whatever it takes."

The other ebony eyebrow rose, "I am allowed to use whatever means…necessary?"

"Your thoughts betray you, but yes, you have my permission."

Sirius bowed, smiling. "Thank you, my lord."

********

"It's huge," Remus breathed the next day, awe lighting his face as he stared up at one of the massive chunks of rock that stood on the heath, "How on earth did they ever get it this far?"

Sirius, who was lounging on the grass, gave a careless shrug. "No idea, although the druids could well have used magic…that's always been the wizarding theory at any rate." He smiled and stretched, before laying back, his arms folded behind his head. "Looks like it's going to rain," he commented to no one in particular.

"Mm," Remus wasn't paying attention to the other man, as he continued to stare at the huge ring of stones, "I wonder who worshipped here?"

Sirius, who had closed his eyes, cracked one open to look up at him. "Oh, lots of people; originally it was built in the stone age, but people right up into the end of the Celtic era sacrificed people here." He smiled in a not sot comforting manner, "The druids used to perform the sacrifice in the center. The blood of the victim would appease the gods and help to bring in a bountiful harvest."

"Druids?" Remus turned away from the henge (2) to stare at Sirius, "What exactly were they?"

Sirius sat up and tossed his leather jacket to one side. They'd come on the bike, at his insistence that Remus should see Stonehenge, and they'd both had to wear muggle clothes in case they were spotted. "The druids were a select bunch of religious leaders who were around even in Celtic times. The ordinary people believed they could converse with the gods, and so, in effect, they were like messengers. The druids were very similar to priests; they conducted the ceremonies dedicated to the gods, acted as oracles and occasionally performed ritual sacrifice." Sirius smiled, combing his long hair back from his face with his fingers, "They wore plain white tunics and were allowed to practice magic."

Remus stared at him, fascinated. "How do you know all this?" He asked curiously.

"My…mother." Sirius turned his head, staring out over the flat land.

Remus bit back the sharp retort that could have shouted down Sirius's grief ridden sentence – that he was the one who'd killed his parents in the first place, and it was a bit late to regret it now. Instead, he turned back to stare at the massive structure again. "It really is quite amazing," He said reverentially, "It must have been awe inspiring when it was first built."

A low rumble of thunder on the horizon spoke of the fast approaching storm, but Sirius didn't seem too concerned as he turned his head back to face Remus, expression void of emotion once more. "There's an interesting legend about when this was first built," He said, patting one of the huge stones affectionately, "Pretty interesting, all things considered." When Remus stared at him, he continued. "Apparently, to dedicate this to the gods, a worthy sacrifice had to be found, but every person the druids picked would be deemed unworthy in some way or another, whether through accidental shedding of their own blood, loss of virginity etcetera. Well, the druids had begun to panic, because the henge was nearly complete, and they had not found a proper sacrifice to honor the gods.

"Then, one of their number, a young man, began to vanish at odd times in the night. Well, the other druids began to become suspicious, wondering whether he was the cause of the bad luck. So, one night they followed him. What they discovered was that he had a lover, a young man from a neighboring tribe. Such a union was forbidden for a druid, particularly if the chosen lover was from an enemy clan, and so the young druid and his lover were the pair chosen to be sacrificed.

"But the gods were angry, and struck at the land and the druids for their abomination, making the soil infertile for ten generations of the race of men." (3)

Remus didn't realize he'd been hanging onto every word the black haired man said, until he stopped. Sighing, he – surprisingly – sat down next to Sirius, his expression at once bittersweet and somber. "That was beautiful," He said softly, "I never knew that legend." He gave a small half smile, idly plucking at several strands of grass that fluttered in the increasing wind.

"Mm." Sirius replied, tilting his head back as the first drops of rain began to fall, splashing around both of them in increasing numbers.

Glancing sideways at him, Remus was suddenly transfixed with the sudden vision of Sirius clad in only a white tunic that was belted at the waist with an embroidered leather cord. His dark hair was free and flying in the wind that whipped up the side of the hill, and his face was raised to the pouring heavens, as if in supplication for his previous acts.

Druid, he thought dizzily, rubbing a hand across his eyes, trying to dispel the image, which vanished as suddenly as it had occurred, he looked like a druid.

Sirius, oblivious to all this, stood up, his t-shirt sticking to his body as the rain continued to soak both of them. "Come on," He said, extending his hand to the surprised werewolf, "We'd better get back."

********

He sat up with a start, the bedclothes sticking to his body as his hair clung to the back of his neck, damp with sweat. The candle had burnt low, which was odd, but even by its half light, he could see what had woken him.

Sirius was crouched at the end of his bed, his long, dark hair trailing over his shoulders, reflecting the light from the dying fire. The white shirt he was wearing was long, covering bare thighs, and the collar was open.  His skin gleamed, and his eyes shone in the darkness, glittering with a dark intent as he tilted his head to one side, silently regarding the confused werewolf. Inside, the wolf howled as it witnessed that strange, almost canine gesture.

'Pounce', it whispered, 'take, pleasure, ours…' Shuddering, Remus sat up, one hand clutching the bedclothes to him holding on to some form of control as he struggled not to give in to the dark urges that flowed so close to the surface. 'No,' he replied silently, feeling dizzy as he watched feverishly bright eyes caress his skin with their gaze, 'no, this one is not ours, leave him, we do not need him. He is our enemy.'

The wolf struggled harder, howling in frustration. 'No! Ours! Must be! Posses!' it scrabbled within the depths of his soul and Remus swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving the man crouched before him.

'No…'

'Yes!'

'Not ours…"

'Will be, make him!'

'He's an enemy…'

'No, ours, no enemy, wants us…'

As if reading his thoughts, Sirius shifted slightly, his eyes never leaving Remus's face as he slowly crawled nearer until he was kneeling on hands and knees right in front of him, his face scant inches from the other's. His full lips parted slightly in a silent sigh as he carefully brought one hand up to caress the pale cheek of the shocked werewolf.

"What are you doing, Black?" He spat, shifting backwards slightly, but the other man only smiled, making no sound as he crawled even nearer, until he was straddling Remus's lap. Closing his eyes, he bent his head, nuzzling the juncture of bare, pale skin between neck and shoulder. Inhaling, he smiled softly, his lips barely grazing the tender flesh as he let out a sound halfway between a whimper and a moan.

"Bla– S…Sirius?" Remus shivered as warm breath washed over the skin of his shoulder, and the other man shifted even closer, lifting his head slightly so hot –strangely hot, Remus realized dizzily– lips touched the skin of one ear.

"Come to me."

Sirius's voice was strange, husky, slightly breathless as though he'd been jogging, but gentle at the same time, wanting, no…needing Remus realized with a strange sense of something that bordered on satisfaction. "Come to me, we need you, I need you…fall with me into darkness, worship the powerful one, join with us, we'll protect you." Drawing back slightly, Sirius stared deep into his eyes, as though he was reading his soul. "I know you want to…the wolf, he yearns for it." He tilted his head back, exposing the slim column of his throat, offering, a silent supplication, a strange, almost worshipful expression on his face.

He looked debauched, fallen, a strangely sinful angel reflected by nothing more than shadows and firelight, yet at the same time, Remus knew he was real, tangible, if he reached out, he would be able to touch him. But to touch that bronzed skin would be to mar it, it would taint the perfection of the moment, take away the sanctity of the man kneeling before him, looking for all the world like he was offering himself to the pagan gods he had told the other about only a few, short hours ago.

'He should have been a priest,' Remus thought dreamily, unreality crashing over him in waves, 'he would have preached hell and damnation and people would have listened, they would have believed, because the brightness of his soul would have scorched theirs, touched their minds and hearts.' But even as he thought the words, he felt the surreal sense that they were not at all like him, and in one, shining moment, he felt free of himself and realized that he, too, must be burning with that holy-and-yet-not light that caused him to think like this, to understand what was truly happening.

And then the moment was over, and quite suddenly, the gray eyes were turned towards him once more, burning into his face with their heated gaze as their owner parted his lips, framing one, soft word.

"Please."

And that was all it took. The restraints Remus had been building up snapped and he felt his defensive walls crumble. Even as he reached out to touch a strand of the black, shimmering hair, he heard himself growl, a primitive, animal sound that came from low in his throat.

When he heard this, Sirius whimpered, throwing his head back once more, so his face was illuminated in sharp relief by the flickering firelight. His eyes were shut, the lashes caressing the skin of his high cheekbones, his lips were slightly parted and Remus could see the pulse hammering in the hollow of his throat as he allowed his hair to be touched. His neck and one shoulder was bare, the simple, white shirt having slipped sideways, and his chest was rising and falling rapidly as one of Remus's hands crept up to tangle in the hair at the base of his neck, forcing him to open his eyes and look at the werewolf.

'Ours,' the wolf howled inside, sounding almost joyful as it regarded Sirius through Remus's eyes, 'ours, whether he knows it or not.'

 The slender fingers twined restlessly through the silky skeins of hair, and Sirius regarded him, his eyes wide in his face as he watched the werewolf scrutinize him, searching for a sign that only he knew of. Suddenly, as if that sign had been found, the golden head tilted upwards and soft lips were pressed against his own, not gently, however, but with a fierce, almost startling passion and more than a hint of dominance as the wolf showed through for the first time in the smaller man's actions.

For Remus it was everything and nothing at once, a blaze of contradictions and the feeling that the sun had burst behind his eyelids. Icy fire raced through his veins as the other man parted his lips, allowing his tongue to sweep in, drinking in his flavor. The wolf savored it, rewarding the man above them with gentle, open mouthed kissed that insistently nudged his lips further and further apart, until it felt as though he was devouring Sirius, drinking his essence into himself, and still it wasn't enough.

Sirius's fingers were gripping tightly onto his arms, long, slender fingers leaving bruises as his nails dug into the tender skin on the inside of elbows, but whether he was restraining Remus or encouraging him, neither could say. The soft, half formed pleas that fell from his lips in between insistent kisses, spoke of the latter.

And then, suddenly, Sirius was muttering in Gaelic again, the flowing words tumbling from his mouth as he rained kisses down on Remus's upturned face, his eyes vague with pleasure as he gripped the slender arms tighter. His hair tumbled like a black waterfall down his back as he stared down at the golden eyes that were watching him hungrily, reflecting the thoughts and feelings of the man below him as they whirled in a confused maelstrom of emotions, each darting briefly across the pale, expressive face.

Hunger, fear, want, panic, desire, need, anger, calm, peace, lust… it went on and on, a never ending cycle of feelings and Sirius watched it all through eyes that were blazing silver as he felt the different emotions that were emanating off of this fascinating creature. Drinking them in, he felt them almost as strongly as their owner, as though they were his own, and the strength of each one sank into his skin, as though they were water, and he was the thirsty flower.

Remus buried his face in the smooth, cotton covered shoulder, feeling the rapid thundering of the heart that lay so close to his cheek. Making a small, contented sound, he nuzzled the tender skin, feeling Sirius shifting above him, the cool hands suddenly pressing against his forehead as the rich voice chanted a word and then the world span once, twice, and he collapsed backwards into darkness, his last conscious memory was of soft laughter that followed him into the well of his subconscious…

********

…Remus awoke with a start, his heart pounding as his eyes flitted wildly around the darkened room.  The candle was burning brightly, and by its light he saw that the fire was still well banked, throwing its light all around the room. 'Just a dream,' he thought, lying back against the pillows with a small sigh of relief as he felt his heart rate beginning to slow and the sweat on his body cool rapidly in the cold room.

He was on the verge of sleep when his half closed eyes wandered across the room to land on the bed Sirius usually occupied. It was empty, the covers thrown back and crumpled, as though its occupant had left the room in a hurry. Sitting up, Remus regarded the empty bed for a long moment, frowning as he wondered just where Sirius had gone at this time of night. When no answer emerged in his mind, he reached out to pour a glass of water from the pitcher by his bed, hoping that it would help him sleep.

The sight of the scratches on his inner arm made him drop the glass of water with a crash.

********

He sat in the window seat of the old library, his knees drawn up to his chest, his chin resting on them. His long black hair fell like a curtain around his face as he stared blankly out of the window, pale in the moonlight. The silence in the room was all encompassing, it was practically visible, and he, sitting there, seemed to be a part of that silence. It radiated off him in waves as his eyes stared at something that was not visible to the ordinary eye. The grass outside was rippling gently in the breeze, looking for all the world like the sea, its waves crashing against the side of the castle.

But for all the silver, the only thing he could see was gold.

Gold eyes reflecting their emotions, clouded with desire.

Gold hair glittering in the firelight as though it was made from the finest silk threads.

A golden soul, that seemed to call out to his own.

But no, he shook himself mentally; he should not think of such things, he should plan his next move, now that he knew the werewolf was susceptible. He had been instructed to use any means necessary, and that was what he would do, whether it was with mind or body. He would not fail his master simply because he was becoming more attached to this one than some of the other prisoners.

Clenching his fists, he pressed them to his forehead, eyes squeezed shut, as though trying to block out whatever image he was currently seeing.

"You must not fail…do whatever it takes…"

"Damn it." He hissed into the silence of the room.

To Be Continued… 

(1) I know dear old Voldie isn't really handsome in the books, but I felt like making him look at least a little nice. It makes a change from all bad guys being ugly, anyway.

(2) The 'henge' I'm referring to is Stonehenge, probably one of England's most famous landmarks and a massive tourist attraction in summer. It was built in the Stone Age, and was used, archaeologists believe, as a temple or religious ground where sacrifices took place. The most famous religious cult to use it was the druids. If you ever go to England, see it, it's honestly worth it, because it's an absolutely amazing sight, and the surrounding countryside is beautiful too. (Hey, I live in England, and even the countryside in Kent isn't as wild and untamable with such a lawless beauty.)

(3) No, this is only a legend that is partly true, not all of it is real. Yes there was a young druid, yes he took a male lover, but no, they weren't sacrificed…and the legend isn't one that's usually associated with Stonehenge.

Many thanks to…

Jasini – LOL! ^_^ Say his to Sirius and Remus for me! Many thanks my dear! *Hugs* zdarkz – Thanks, I'm continuing now, sadly, there's more suspense…sorry! . Akurei Hikari – Thank you. Ilith – Never fear my dear, everyone I've spoken to thinks he's not really dead, I have to agree with them, there's hope yet. Thanks for the lovely review! Dlyope - *Hugs* Thanks, I'll start sending you the stuff from the next chapter! Glad someone else who supports slash is a Christian, I was starting to feel like the only one! ^_^ Thanks for the recommendation, I'll look into it immediately! Falcon Zanbandia of Nightmares – I'm continuing now, thanks for the encouragement! Cruel Angel5  - *Blushes* Aw, thanks! Your review really touched me (and severely boosted my ego! ^.^) And I'm updating now! Silver Shadows2 – Thanks, I'm updating now! Along Came the Spider – Thank you, I'm glad you approve, o0o – Sirius – o0o – (Love the name!) Thank you! Katherine5 – Thank you! And yep, there is going to be a snog and snuggle, I promise, I'm too much of a fluff queen to do without it. ^-^ chimerical - *Hugs* Aww, thanks! Lady Geuna – Don't worry, dear Sirius will be making Remus feel very awkward in later chapters! ^_~ Thanks for the review! Julie – I've updated, I hope you're not too disappointed! Ladriel  - My thanks, your review was wonderful. I'm honoured that you chose to read my fic if you don't bother to read slash fiction that often, and I only hope that you continue to do so! *Hugs* SxL – always - *Bows* Thanks for putting me on your favorite's list! Glad you're enjoying this. Yukirei – Thanks! Cinnamin911 – Yep, there's going to be a lemon *Cackles wickedly* just because you asked for one! ^_^ Thanks for your support and encouragement! BlueIce – I won't abandon it, I promise! And I haven't really abandoned Making Waves, I will go back to it at some point! *Hugs* Don't cry! The Demonic Duo – Thanks, glad I've got you interested! BluX  - Thank you, glad you love it! ^_^

Thanks to everyone, so many reviews… you're all so wonderful!
Cobalt