Warning from this chapter onwards, there will be scenes that certain people might not like. So if you don't like Slash please don't read as this is not for you.
Thanks, Lauraisa
Chapter Three: The decision part 1: Five hours til Dusk
Lucius Malfoy, Theodore Avery and Gordon Crabbe had been chosen to escort Remus from his quarters which he had been assigned to when he had chosen to accompany the Orders greatest enemy to the Avery Castle. As they walked down the hall ways, Remus could not help but admire the tasteful décor that no doubt Avery wife, Rosa had selected."You have a lovely home," Remus said to Avery trying to lifted the dreaded silence that surrounded them.
"Thank you," Avery replied awkwardly. "I hope you found your accommodation comfortable, Rosa would hate to think one of our numerous guests was suffering."
Numerous? Did Voldemort have his entire Death Eater army here? If he could escape, Remus knew he could supply the Order with a great deal of information if Severus had not ready expose this side of the Death Eater organisation. Or was his something Voldemort did not trust him to know?
"I found my quarters to be one of the most comfortable I have ever had the pleasure of staying in." Remus smiled at Avery who was slightly shorter than the werewolf. "In fact the bed was the softest I have ever slept in."
"I shall pass your compliments onto my wife," Avery nodded. "She will be pleased to hear her taste in furnishings rivals that of Hogwarts."
Leaning closer to Remus, Avery added. "It always got up her nose when people said the Hogwarts guest quarters beds were softer than hers. But she been trying hard this year to improve upon that."
Remus had been concentrating on his conversation with Avery and did not notice when Malfoy stopped suddenly to open the tall heavily engraved wooden doors of the Great Hall. He walked straight into Lucius and fell backwards onto the stone floor.
Lucius snarled and spun round armed with his wand. "Have a care, werewolf! Voldemort might be willing to stomach your kind of filth, but I am not!"
Malfoy then stormed into the hall disappearing amongst the cloaked Death Eaters who were yelling and cheering. Something was occurring that was entertaining them. Seated at the tables were ordinary looking Muggles and Wizards. But Remus senses knew what they really were. There were about seven long tables that seated about fifty at each of werewolves.
From the circle of Death Eaters, he could hear snarling, grunts and yelps of pain. Some sort of battle was happening. Gulping, Remus moved forward with Avery and Crabbe flanking him like the guards they were. The Death Eaters moved apart as Remus was thrust to the front of the circle. A small dirt arena had been constructed in the great hall. In it two large man attacked each other. Both were werewolves. Remus watched with horror as the victor beat his opponent down, blood staining the dirt. It had been a battle to the death, then large well muscled man rear up and then roared a terrifying cry of victory.
Remus stared in horror at the werewolf before him. He presented everything Remus tried to suppress. Ending his victory cry the fierce werewolf licked his lips and stared at him snarling. No doubt he senses, Remus was a weaker wolf who did not smell of death and someone who embraced his animal nature. What were these creatures doing with Voldemort?
"Well done!" Cheered Voldemort rising from a throne, leaving Wormtail clutching a snake and shaking as it hissed at him. "Dryden, you have proven yourself against every Werewolf willing to challenge you."
The winning werewolf nodded at the approaching madman. "My Lord, have we proven now that our loyalty his to you? Our we to benefit from your war?"
"Of course," Voldemort hissed as he glanced towards Remus, smiling a cold grin. "Tonight you may have your first reward. There is a village near here of weak and pathetic Muggles, Mudbloods and Muggle-lover wizards. Feast and then return to me in the morning."
Dismissed the werewolf bowed and walked towards the tables. Remus watched him for a moment before returning to watch Voldemort return to his throne. The Death Eaters all bowed to their Master accept Malfoy who stood beside Voldemort whispering in his ear before bowing and disappearing down a flight of stairs located at the side of the hall.
"I apologise for the delay in speaking with you, Moony." Voldemort hissed turning his red glaring eyes at Remus. "But as you can see I have had more pressing business to attend to. But no matter. Wormtail here, had a lot of interesting information to deliver to me when he returned to my faithful service two years ago."
"I'm sure he did." Remus growled as he looked at Wormtail, feeling his anger tweak at the mention of the man responsible for the death of two of his best friends.
"Including about your little visits of Severus, I was disappointed to have to learn about his discoveries from Wormtail, so I think we might have a bargain to make."
At that moment Dryden returned. He stood next to a masked Death Eater watching Remus with yellow eyes, hinting that his transformation would not being long off. Remus looked at narrow windows of the hall and guessed that he had four to five hours before Moony would come to play. Having taken no Wolfsbane, he was going to be in a state tomorrow as Moony ripped himself apart.
"I have just one offer to make you, Lupin." Voldemort hissed obviously displeased that he had been ignored. "I intend to have the Werewolf population help me battle against that old fool Dumbledore. I learnt my lessons from my past mistakes and this time I intend to have the strongest army I can."
Lucius returned at that moment holding a parchment. He handed it to Avery and hissed "Aparecium." Revealing a list of names who had signed a contract of loyalty to Voldemort. Reading it, Remus learnt that each werewolf who had signed had listed beneath his or her name their demands that would be meant after Voldemort conquered the Wizarding world. Somewhere simple demands like the right to marry and work as equals to wizards, others were more sinister.
The contract would make him a soldier in Voldemort's army. Remus stepped back shaking his head. "I could never serve a madman like you!"
"What a pity." Voldemort hissed darkly. "And I thought you of all the Werewolf would have brains. Lucius, escort our guest to our traitor. I promised you Severus, Mr Lupin for coming here and you shall have him, and in the same time serve as an example to all my Death Eaters who betray me. Enjoy your supper tonight, Moony. I hope traitorous Slytherin are not too tough for you to digest."
Remus was dragged away by a pair of thugs who could only been a Crabbe and a Goyle towards the Avery Castle dungeons. Behind him, he could hear the ominous laughter of a madman echoing down after him as he ended the bowels of hell.
He was dragged to the end of a row of cells and thrust inside. Looking back from a corner was a dark figure with black eyes. Severus Snape sat against a wall, his robes torn, looking paler than he had ever in his entire life that Remus had known him showing of nicely the collection of bruise he had and blood staining his clothes, the straw and stone floor.
In a half croaky and amused voice, Snape laughed.
The cell had been locked behind them and a padlock and chain added to secure the door. Lucius had already vanished but Crabbe and Goyle stood there staring at them. Then Gordon Crabbe said, "Good night boys!" Before the pair vanished into the darkness.
For about an hour, Lupin shuffled and paced the cell looking for an escape route. He had asked Severus did he has wand or any other clue how to get out. Tired and dizzy from watching Lupin pace, he had eventually lay down on the straw bed his back facing Lupin ready to accept his fate with his normal cold and collected manner. There was one thing Voldemort could not take away from him, Severus thought to himself and that was his pride.
The shadow against the dungeon wall told Severus the sun had finely set. Four more hours, and the moon would be fully risen. Four hours for him to make his peace with his life and face the regrets he had about his life. Never in his life had Severus thought his last few hours would be spend with one of the banes of his existence. Perhaps he should try to fall asleep? That way, he could be far away when Lupin changed. He would definitely fulfil that Sibyll Trelawney's vision. That daft old fake had predicted the first time he had meet her that Severus Snape would die peacefully in his sleep age a very old wizard.
Defying all the odds, he would be the oldest and longest serving teacher at Hogwarts and the only second Slytherin Headmaster. Sadly, though Trelawney had in formed him he would die surrounded by his loving family but after his true love. Of course, Severus had laughed out aloud at the old fake. He would never have someone to love or a family, he was Severus Snape the Death Eater. No one would love a Death Eater and he would more likely die at the hands of Voldemort like he was doing. But even he had never predicted he would die at the hands of Lupin. Perhaps this was something long over due. Perhaps he should have died nearly thirty years ago when Black had nearly gotten him killed.
Whilst pondering his thoughts, Severus well homed hearing picked up Lupin's muttering. "Oh Merlin!" Lupin said looking up at the rising moon. "I refuse to die like this. There must be away!"
After more pacing Lupin stopped dead. Severus hoped that he had finally given up and was now going to just settle down. After a shift of feet, Severus realised Lupin was standing over him and shaking his shoulder. "Severus?" Lupin whispered. "Severus, come wake up Severus. We don't have much time."
"Lupin!" Severus snarled in pain as the careless werewolf shuck his shoulder jarring painfully the injuries that he had received from his fellow Death Eaters. "Just accept that there is nothing you can do and leave me in peace! All I wish to do is die in peace, Lupin!"
"Enough!" Lupin said pulling Severus flat on his back and dropping to sit on top of him. Lupin grabbed his arms as Severus tried to push him off. Severus for the first time felt afraid of the man sitting upon of him staring down into his black eyes with a determined look on his face. Lupin must have snapped. Maybe he would not need to wait for the wolf to emerge.
"Now Snivellus you listen to me!" Severus froze at the utterance of the Mauraders nickname for him. Lupin definitely did not look calm, in fact he was angry an Severus could feel it. "Neither you or me have to die tonight. The choice is yours. There is a way to live through my transformation, but you have to be willing to do it."
Lupin was being sincere, Severus realised as he looked up at the man who pinned him to the floor. Lupin relax a little levering some of his weigh off him and then lean in closer to Severus. Lupin then began to sniff him. Severus froze again letting Lupin do what he wanted before whispering in a silvery type voice against his ear. "Are you willing, Severus?"
Confused Severus frowned and said, "Willing to do what, Lupin?" Adding a touch of annoyance to his voice to highlight the fact he had no idea what Lupin was up to.
"Are you willing to be my mate?"
to be continuted...
Ok, part two will be up later tonight after I have been to Macy Gray concert. Hope everyone enjoys! Mentions to follow in next chapter.
