Disclaimer: Same, same.
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Many thanks to Anna for beta-ing for me!
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Blue Flowers of Celestial Years
Chapter 19: "A Life Sacrificed"
The weeks passed by so slowly for Ginny that it seemed to take a year to just get half way through a week.
During Remus' absence, Professor Snape taught both his potions class and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ginny did not care who taught class just as long as she got her Remus back safely. Why did it take so long?
Then Ginny remembered what Remus said about the werewolf village...
"These witches and wizards are werewolves that colonized that area. They bewitched the land so that no one can apparate to that place; the closest point one can Apparate to is here, at Hogwarts. From here it is at least a hundred mile journey on foot because if you fly on broomstick, you will miss it..."
No wonder it was taking Remus so long; at least a hundred mile journey on foot. Ginny wrote that down in her muggle diary, making sure she wrote everything that transpired between her and Remus.
After she wrote down everything she could remember, Ginny used a spell to secure the book so only she, or her offspring, could open it.
After Ginny placed the diary under her pillow, a thought occurred to her: What if something happened to her? Who could she trust to give the diaries to her offspring?
Shaking her head, Ginny lay down on her bed and turned out the lights; the room was in complete darkness.
Still waiting for that werewolf?
Ginny's breath caught in her throat, almost causing her to choke. Her first thought was to cry out for Remus; however, she was quickly reminded that he was not there, and she was back in her dorm, not with him. That reality hit her like someone dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over her. Rapidly breathing, she answered.
Tom? What are you doing here?
I am you, Guinevere.
That name again...
Are you still waiting for him?
I will always wait for him, Tom.
Why would you waist your time waiting for that lykoi?
Don't you dare call him that!
Ginny remembered that particular conversation with Remus, and what "lykoi" meant. She learned to hate that word as much as she hated "mudblood." As soon as she remembered that conversation, she remembered what Remus said about forgiving Tom.
Lykoi.... lykoi.... Tom sang, his laughter ringing in her ears.
Ginny could not feel any more anger towards him; she could only pity him.
It's okay, Tom; I forgive you.
What?!
I forgive you for everything you did to me, including destroying my childhood. I forgive you, Tom.
He did not answer Ginny; the only thing that greeted her was silence.
Tom?
Silence again.
Ginny turned on the lamp light beside her, looking around. Her heart felt much lighter than it had ever felt; she was free from Tom. Strangely, Ginny only sighed in relief, turned out her light, and fell back asleep into peaceful dreams.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
As February passed, Ginny tried not to worry about Remus, but she could not help it. Questions kept racing through her mind: How was he? Why is he not writing to her?
Ginny knew that the mission was secret, since Remus was the only one who knew the location of the werewolf village. Still, she longed for a message saying, "I'm alive." or "I am well; don't worry about me."
The only thing that began to keep Ginny's mind off Remus was the threat of fast-approaching N.E.W.T.s
One thought that invaded Ginny's mind frequently, was her constant nausea. It was particularly awful first thing in the morning and last thing at night when she lay in bed thinking about Remus, exhausted from the day. She figured she'd worried herself sick with stress over Remus and N.E.W.T.S. and tried to make herself relax.
"Um, Ginny?"
"Hm?" Ginny said as she snapped her head up, looking at her only companion sitting across from her while they were in the Great Hall, eating their midday meal.
"You alright, Ginny?" Colin asked, looking worriedly at her. "You seem a bit... preoccupied."
"Oh, I'm just worried about N.E.W.T.s, and I'm tired." Ginny said in half truth.
Colin nodded, also looking worriedly at Ginny's supper, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
"Ginny," Colin began. "you don't like Lima Beans, correct?"
"Correct." Ginny answered, not really paying attention to her plate, and taking another bite of the lima beans on her plate.
"Then... why are you eating them?"
"Hm?" Ginny blinked, looking down at her plate that was once piled up with the disgusting, light green vegetables, but they seemed to have been eaten within a matter of five minutes. "Oh, um, I had a craving for them since this morning."
Ginny smiled, giving a nervous laugh. Okay, something definitely was wrong with her!
Colin shrugged his shoulders, thankfully ending the conversation. Ginny closed her eyes, thinking over her strange behavior; she just hoped Remus would come back soon.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
March was at its end, and still, Ginny found herself leaning over the loo in the early mornings.
She rinsed her mouth out with the sink water, gagged, and retched once again.
Ginny's head was pounding, and she was in a horrible mood for no reason that she could think of, other than the fact that she was worrying herself sick because of her lover's absence.
Still in a bad mood after practically eating everything on the Gryffindor table, Ginny headed for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She was already five minutes late, and she knew Snape was going to chew her out, embarrass her, and take off a load of points from her House; all things Ginny was not looking forward to.
When Ginny opened the door, she saw her classmates turn and look at her, and expecting to see a black-haired, hooked nose man start criticizing her tardiness, she looked up at the front.
However, instead of that insufferable man, Ginny saw a kind faced, crystal-blue eyed man with light brown hair flecked with a few gray strands. He was pale, despite the distance of the full moon, and he was limping on his left leg. He turned around from his desk slowly, like every part of his body was crying out for mercy.
There eyes met from the rows of desks, and over the heads of the students. Ginny felt her eyes widen and her legs wobble; she had to refrain herself from running down the long classroom, and throwing herself in his arms.
Ginny had to remind herself that class was in session, and as a student, she could not do that with a teacher. Remus gave her an exhausted smile, and motioned to her empty desk in front of him.
"Please sit down, Miss Weasley." Remus commanded gently. "I will not take points off your House since I was tardy as well."
Ginny forced herself calmly, but quickly, to her desk; as soon as she sat down, Remus began to speak.
"I apologize for my long absence, but I had other business to attend to elsewhere."
The students nodded, accepting the apology, as a pretty girl on the left of Ginny, second row, sighed dreamingly at Remus.
"Welcome back, Professor Lupin." she greeted, sighing dreamily.
Remus did not seem to notice the girl's extra attention, and he said his thanks as Ginny pursed her lips, her right eye twitching.
Ginny tried with all her willpower to not jump up, wrap her arms around her Remus, and shout, "HE'S MINE; BACK OFF!!!" at the girl and the rest of the class who dared to cross into her territory.
Ginny mentally blinked at herself; where the bloody hell did all this possessiveness come from!?
She sighed, and pulled out her notes. As she listened intently to Remus, relief flowed throughout her body. He was back, even if he did come back injured. Often times, during the lecture, Remus had to rest, leaning or half sitting on his desk.
It seemed to take forever for the class to end, but it finally did, and when all the students left, closing the door behind them, Ginny turned to Remus, her love that she had not seen in two, almost three months; it may not seem like a long time, but when one is away from their loved one, those months drag along very slowly.
A comfortable silence settled between them as they gazed at each other. Ginny could only think of one intelligent thing to say.
"You're such a git!"
Remus jumped, blinking at the woman rising from her desk, all of hell's fury surrounding her. Still, he remained calm, even if she was about to throw flames at him.
"I'm not sure I deserve that." he said, calmly limping around his desk and sitting down in his chair.
"Yes, you do!" Ginny challenged, pointing a finger at him.
"Then what did I do?"
"You go away on a quest to some werewolf village for three months, a village that no one can find except for those who know how to get there, you come back hurt, and you're immediately swooned over by some girl in the class, and you pass it off as nothing!"
Ginny huffed, breathing hard. Remus blinked at Ginny, who had just come within arm's length of him, and a smirk grew on his features.
"What're you smirking at!?" Ginny demanded, placing her fists on her hips.
Remus continued to smirk knowingly, almost to the point of laughing. He offered her a wink, which made Ginny's scowl slacken and her arms drop from their position. Remus gently grabbed Ginny's wrist, and pulled her forward into his lap.
Ginny snuggled against Remus as he wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing in her sent. He closed his eyes. It was his Ginny, blue flowers, but laced with something new. He knew that smell, but was not expecting it so soon. Remus wondered if Ginny knew.
The mere thought of being a father both thrilled and terrified him. Was he going to be a good father? Did he even have the ability to be one?
"I missed you, too." Remus whispered soothingly.
Ginny sighed, closed her eyes, and felt for his necklace, but did not find any trace of it. She snapped up, feeling for the Spirit Guider, and again, she did not find it.
Ginny looked tearfully at Remus, wondering why he did not have it on him. Wincing, he reached into his pocket and pulled it out, the gold chain snapped in half.
"Miss Healer," Remus began, "would you be kind enough to rewrap these blasted wounds? They keep reopening."
Ginny worriedly nodded, and helped him to his bedroom, which was under the staircase that lead to his office, next to the backroom.
Remus sat on his bed, too sore to get his shirt off, while Ginny closed the door, making sure it was securely locked. She helped Remus out of his shirt and gasped at the state of him. His body and arms were covered in ugly bruises and scratches. But two wounds were particularly noticeable. One was on his left arm, which did not seem that terrible, but the one on his right side, under his ribs, was the worst. Ginny silently began to unwrap the one on his arm, and was relieved to see it was completely healed, save for a small scratch; it did not need any rewrapping.
She hissed in a breath between her clinched teeth as she uncovered the one on his waist. She made Remus carefully lay on his side as she gently spread a soothing aloe on the wound; the same aloe he used when he got the Medusa Goblin bite.
Ginny got out her wand, healed the wound back up as much as she could, and rewrapped it. After making Remus lay down on his back to rest, Ginny gave him a deep kiss on the lips; Remus kissed her back, tiredly.
"I'm not that badly wounded, Gin-Gin." Remus tried to reassure his mate. "We got back in the early hours of the morning, two days ago, and spent time in the Hospital Wing."
"Remus, honestly tell me, what happened?" Ginny pleaded.
Stupid bloke almost got us killed, that's what happened.
Two words, Romulus: Shut up.
"Where do you want me to begin?" Remus asked.
Don't tell me to shut up!
"Where the danger began."
"Oh, okay." Remus cleared his throat. "When we got to the village..."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Remus was the first one to come to the clearing of the trees. The village was built on sturdy soil, on a meadow, surrounded by the trees of the Forbidden Forest. The main entrance had two statues on either side. The statue on the left was the famous Roman statue of twin boys suckling from a she-wolf; Romulus and Remus. The statue on the right was a man, said to be the first werewolf, standing proudly in his werewolf form, fierce eyes glaring at any person or animal who dared to challenge him.
Remus allowed to follow him into the village; the houses were like Victorian cottages, same structure, just different colors, all of them built on various places.
A small child was the first to spot them, and he immediately went into one of the cottages, yelling for his mother. A man strode out defensively from the cottage.
He looked at Remus with blossoming recognition, but with malice at the other men. The man reached out for a bell next to his door, and rang it frantically, causing other men to run out of their cottages, while women pulled their children inside.
The men were armed with weapons; some with wands, and others with sharp spears, and arrows, no doubt used for hunting and defending.
"Lupin?" one man said disbelievingly. "What the blazes are you doing bringing outsiders here!?"
"We only wish to speak to the wise Okamiotoko and Zurui." Remus answered calmly.
"On what grounds?" another man demanded, pointing his wand at Remus, while men behind Remus pointed their wands at the other Order members.
It did not take a Hermione Granger to see who was outnumbered; Remus and his group numbered only six men, while the assembled villagers were at least twenty in number.
"We are only here to talk." Remus answered calmly again.
"Then why did you bring non-werewolf men here!?" one man demanded in the back row.
"We can smell from here they are not werewolves!" another declared.
"How dare you bring them here!"
The villagers moved to attack the Order members, but a loud, powerful voice boomed from the back of the mob.
"DO NOT HARM THEM!"
The villagers immediately stopped, looking back to see a powerful old man, and a second man next to him who seemed about fifty in human years.
"Do not harm our guests." the old man commanded sternly.
"Guests!?" a man scoffed. "They barge into our village unwanted and uninvite, led by one who knows how important it is that this location remain secret!"
Many faces turned and glared at Remus, especially the fifty year old man standing next to the wise one.
"They are our guests because young Remus does not know our rules of protocol: to never show nonwerewolf people to our village, and to never show up without an invitation." the old man explained with calm
The villagers slowly agreed and lowered there wands and weapons, and others did not agree, but they still lowered their weapons.
The old man, obviously the leader of this village, walked up to Remus, smiling at him though his world weary brown eyes.
"Young Remus, it has been a while since I last saw you." he said, placing a hand on Remus' shoulder. "You are still young, but I sense you have matured more quickly than you should have; life has not been fair, has it?"
"Okamiotoko," Remus greeted with a respectful nod. "It has been a while, and life has not been fair to me, nor to others; but the men here need to discuss urgent business with you and the rest of your kin or we would have waited respectfully for an invitation."
"Our kin, Remus." Okamiotoko corrected. "What business do you have with the werewolves?"
"We come on behalf of the Order of the Phoenix. The wizarding world, of which you are a part, needs the help of the village." Remus answered, earning a scowl from the fifty year old next to the other old man
"Zurui," Remus greeted with a nod. "I'm sorry I did not greet you earlier."
Zurui scowled at Remus over Okamiotoko's head, since the man was standing behind his leader.
"Lupin." Zurui reluctantly greeted.
"Come, young Remus," Okamiotoko commanded gently. "Let us talk in my cottage over some tea... or do you prefer Firewhiskey?"
"Tea would do."
Okamiotoko nodded, motioning to his cottage, Zurui in tow while Remus motioned for Moody and the rest of the men to wait.
When they got to Okamiotoko's cottage, at the very end of the village, the old man turned to Zurui.
"Zurui, thank you for your presence, but I need to talk to young Remus alone." he said, going inside. Zurui glared menacingly at Remus as he left, leaving Remus to sigh in relief. Ever since Remus was brought here to the village by Okamiotoko, Zurui always seemed to glare at him with extreme hate.
When Remus entered the cottage, there was a cup of tea already steaming on the table at which he was invited to sit. The cottage was small, like all the others, with only a simple living room, several bedrooms, a loo, a dinning room, and a kitchen. Okamiotoko sat, across from Remus with a cup of tea in front of him as well. The village elder calmly took a sip, taking in the silence, and Remus did the same.
"Did you know I was coming, Okamiotoko?" Remus asked after he swallowed the tea.
"Yes, but like all Seers, we do not know precisely when it will happen."
Okamiotoko was once a great, famous Seer, until fate turned on him, like it turned on Remus. After he was bitten by a werewolf when he was middle aged, he changed his name and refused to disclose his original name to anyone, not even Remus. As he came to terms with the new being inside him, he faced cruelty and neglect, like all who are bitten. Unfortunately, he passed his curse on to some one dear to him.
"Grandfather," a woman called from the bedrooms, and she came into the kitchen. When she saw Remus, she promptly blushed as her feet twisted nervously. "Remus, you're back."
"Hello, Moon Child." Remus greeted with a kind smile, causing her to blush deeper.
"I'm sorry, Grandfather, I did not know you had a guest." Moon Child said, turning to leave.
"Wait, Moon Child." Okamiotoko said, and he turned to Remus. "Is it alright for her to hear what you have to say as well?" Remus nodded, so the old man motioned for his granddaughter to sit beside Remus, and conjured a cup of tea for her.
Moon Child was still as beautiful and exotic as her name. Her chestnut hair, brilliant, violet eyes, and dewy complexion attracted the attention of every eligible man in the village. Her gentle temper and respectful demeanor made her the favorite of almost every mother in the village; who considered her an excellent example of womanhood for their daughters. She was eighteen when she first met Remus, and instantly fell in love with him. Remus had just begun to allow himself to love her before he had to leave to take his place in the first wizarding war with his Marauder friends and the original Order of the Phoenix. The war and its subsequent years had changed him tremendously and his heart was no longer drawn to her. As kind as she was to the men in the village, her heart was completely given over to Remus and she did not form an attachment to any other man during Remus long absence. Not a few men were immediately jealous of Remus when the found that the idyllic woman, at eighteen, had given away her heart irrevocably.
"So, young Remus, how have you been?" Okamiotoko asked, taking a sip of his tea.
"I've been teaching at Hogwarts." Remus answered simply.
"Has the redheaded girl bought the Symbol Guider?"
Remus nodded, taking out the Symbol Guider.
"Ah, I see." Okamiotoko exclaimed, taking another sip of the warm liquid.
"What redheaded girl, Remus?" Moon Child asked worriedly, looking at the man on her right with a look that betrayed what her heart was feeling; hurt.
Remus kept his eyes on the red liquid in the tea cup, not knowing how to answer his first love.
"Moon Child, please." Okamiotoko said, raising a hand to silence her.
Moon Child did not say anything else, but Remus dreaded the explanation he knew he must later provide.
"So, pray tell, the news you bring, young Remus." Okamiotoko asked, finally starting down to business.
Remus explained how the Wizarding World was in peril danger, and that the threat of Voldemort will soon spread everywhere. Okamiotoko nodded solemnly, agreeing to hold a meeting with everyone in the village.
That evening, the people of the village gathered around to hear what the outsiders wanted to say. There was a long silence that came over the people after Remus, Moody, and other Aurors explained the situation and threat.
The people of the village were in deep thought, trying to think about the situation, and then a man spoke up.
"Why should we worry about it? It is not our problem!"
Other people started to agree with the outburst.
"I agree! Why should we worry about it?"
Moody scowled, mumbling "fools" under his breath before he spoke out to the men again.
"Do you honestly think that this guy will leave you all alone!? He will stop at nothing until all of the Wizarding World is his!"
"Some of us were not lucky enough to be born a wizard!" another man said, obviously a muggle or a squib.
"All the more reason to help us!" an Auror said. "This Dark Lord will destroy anyone who is not a pureblood wizard or witch. He will destroy and murder any muggle, squib, muggle-born, and werewolf."
There was a mummer among the crowd, the people talking among themselves, and that was when Zurui spoke up.
"What business is it of ours that the people of the outside are kill? It is not our business!"
"Zurui," Remus said, taking a stand. "it is everyone's business because Voldemort can easily take over a village like this. I am not saying that you are all weak, I am saying that he has armies that can crush all of you."
Zurui scowled hatefully at Remus, and Remus looked back calmly, waiting to be challenged by Zurui again. Never failing, the man spoke out again.
"See here?" Zurui chuckled cruelly. "Lupin has sided with those of the outside who think they are superior to everyone, especially werewolves. He seems to care for them, treat them with kindness, even... love them."
As the crowd murmured in agreement, Remus stared at Zurui. The man stood behind Remus, muttering to him so only he could hear.
"I know you have someone else on the outside; I can smell her all over you. She smells like blue flowers; and I hoped you buggered her well because I will kill you for it. The best woman in the village hands her heart to you, and you drop it on the ground! I will kill you for that!"
"It is not for you to take vengeance on the actions of others, Zurui." Remus muttered back.
"Then perhaps, instead of killing you, I'll just track your bitch. After all, I know her scent now, and can track her. After I find her, I'll kill her."
Remus flinched; a flame of rage flowed through him. No one touches his Ginny; no one! Romulus started to snarl in Remus' mind, pacing in his prison; no one touches his mate!
"I see a struck a nerve." Zurui chuckled cruelly.
"If you want to live, Zurui, then I suggest you move away from me." Remus growled under his breath.
Remus' voice was so low and dangerous that Zurui lost his courage, and he calmly, but quickly, moved away the man who was radiating rage.
Remus force himself to stop growling and focus on the meeting, which went on without the presence of him and Zurui.
"We have done what we could here." Moody said, drawing the meeting to a close. "We will be leaving in a few days, so if you want to join us in this cause, thank you; if you don't, your loss."
Moody left the center of the gathering obviously fed up with the fools that turn a deaf ear to their warnings. After the old warrior left, the crowd began to dispense, leaving Remus alone to ponder his thoughts.
"Remus, may I please talk to you?" Moon Child asked, placing a kind hand on his arm.
Remus sighed, knowing that this was the talk he dreaded, but it had to take place. He followed Moon Child to a secluded spot behind her grandfather's house so they could look up at what stars the overcast clouds would let them see.
"I must say that I missed you terribly, Remus." Moon Child began.
"I did miss you, too." Remus admitted, looking at the night sky.
"I know you never promised to return to me, but here you are. My heart is so happy to see you. I have never stopped loving you."
Remus looked piteously at Moon Child; the woman is a true beauty as the stars danced in her eyes, making the violet seem like velvet. Yet Remus' heart and soul craved the young woman at Hogwarts; the chocolate-eyed girl with fiery-red hair, and the fiery temper that one never knows when it would snap.
"Moon Child, I'm sorry; I began to love you before I had to leave, but it wasn't strong enough to last. I wish I could say I love you, but I can't do it. I'm sorry; I truly am."
Moon Child was brokenhearted, and the light in her eyes faded. It was the same look he saw in the young woman whom he was head over heals for when he rejected her because he could not allow anyone to get close to him.
"Is... she pretty?" Moon Child asked, her voice thick as her eyes filled with tears.
Remus swallowed, despite his dry throat, and nodded.
"What is she like?" she asked, wiping her tears off of her face.
"She is..." Remus wondered how to describe Ginny; in truth, there are just not words worthy enough to be placed on her. "She is highly intelligent, and working to become an excellent Healer."
"Is she like me?" Moon Child asked, her head downcast.
"No; just the opposite. She has a passionate personality. Unafraid to say what is on her mind, she will not hesitate to tell you where to get off." Remus closed his eyes, laughing softly. "She has quite a temper, too."
"I envy her." Moon Child sobbed, trying to stop herself from crying. "She is exactly who I hide inside of me. Not only is she who I want to be, but she also has my Remus."
Remus placed a comforting hand on Moon Child's shoulder, knowing that apologizing over and over would not ease the pain she felt.
"Does she know that you're a werewolf!?" Moon Child demanded angrily. "Does she know about your lycanthropy!? Has she ever held you close to her!? Has she ever said that she loves you!?"
"She knows about my lycanthropy, she knows I am a werewolf, and could care less about that."
"Why did she have to be such a great person?" Moon Child asked dejectedly.
"Because this world needs all the great people it can produce."
Moon Child let out a choked laugh, wiping her eyes to leave herself of the tears.
"Does she make you happy?" she asked, finally looking up at Remus with a smile.
"She makes me the happiest I've ever been in my life."
Moon Child gave a small smile, her eyes twinkling with fresh tears that it wasn't her who made Remus his happiest.
"Then I think she is the best match for you; but if she ever hurts you, I will be there to comfort you, okay?"
Remus doubted that Ginny would ever hurt him, but he nodded in agreement. Moon Child sniffed, trying to keep the fresh tears from falling.
"I have to go make tea for grandfather, okay?" Moon Child said, kissing Remus' cheek before she walked off quickly.
Remus sighed; he chose Ginny, a tomboyish, feisty girl that is twenty years younger than him, over Moon Child, a sweet tempered, proper woman who was only two years his junior.
Yet Remus felt certain of his choice.
The next evening, Remus camped out with Moody and the other Aurors just as they did last night, because no one would house the new comers, and Okamiotoko did not have enough room in his cottage.
"So how many do you think will come with us?" one Auror asked, looking at the fire's flames.
"I think at least half." another said.
"I say none of them do." Moody said, glaring at the village, the red hues of the setting sun bounced off the walls of the cottages. "They think they are nice and safe; so protected and isolated from the horrors of the outside world they don't even think that evil bastard would find them."
"It's because they don't want to face the reality," Remus started. "of other people being able to find them. They're like ostriches; they bury their heads in the dirt, because if they don't see the danger, then it doesn't exist, and that is how they mainly get killed by the lions of the hunt."
As the other men continued with the conversation, Romulus began to stir in Remus' mind. How can he push pass the barriers in his mind?
Boy, you better tell those humans to run.
What?
Have you forgotten? It's the full moon tonight; and Artemis is starting to climb the sky.
Why did the others not tell me!?
They enjoy the thrill of the hunt, young boy; warn them, for these werewolves don't use that cursed Wolfsbane.
Remus jumped up, startling Moody and the other Aurors.
"Run!" Remus warned desperately. "Run; climb high into a tree!"
"What're you talking about?" Moody asked.
"It's the full moon tonight and no one makes the Wolfsbane Potion here!"
Moody and the Aurors got the message, and they ran for the forest, just as Moon Child approached from behind him.
"Moonrise is not due for another hour now, Remus." she explained.
"Well, instinct is telling me something." Remus asked, looking over his shoulder at her.
Suddenly, Moon Child gasped a name that Remus hated.
"Zurui!"
Remus spun around, facing his new found enemy who was aiming an arrow with hot silver that dripped off of the sharp tip.
"Zurui, we're not allowed to have silver! Where did you get that!?" Moon Child demanded, looking fearfully at the deadly liquid.
"I'm aware of the rules, Moon Child; now move, I must kill the bastard behind you."
"What!?" she yelled, blocking Remus with her body. "Zurui, stop this madness!"
"I love you, Moon Child," Zurui ranted. "And I've done everything I could to woo you, but every time, you rejected me! You were still in love with this filth!"
"You were too old for me! I've told you that so many times! Now, stop this!"
"He's not going to listen, Moon Child; move away." Remus whispered urgently; trying to get her away from the danger.
"He hurt you, Moon Child!" Zurui said with a crazed look in his eyes. "I will have my revenge; and I will avenge you!"
Zurui drew the silvered arrow, ready to kill, and Remus threw Moon Child to the side; but her quick, wolfish reflexes kept her on her feet.
The crazed man held the arrow tightly in his hand, his arm moving in for the kill; and what happened next seemed to happen in slow motion.
Zurui was about to deliver the killing blow, but Moon Child, still on her feet, jumped in front of it; and took the blow for herself, silver poison included. Zurui did not know what was happening, so he was driving the arrow further into her body, and soon it broke out from behind her.
The arrow continued to make its way through Moon Child's body, and soon, it hit Remus in the side, the last micro drop of silver on it going into his blood.
It was not serious, and he would survive from it, but the silver still stung and burned its way though his blood. Worse yet, was Moon Child.
Zurui finally realized what he was doing, and he fearfully let go of the arrow, turned, and ran off, leaving Moon Child to her fate.
Remus, holding a hand over his bleeding side and aching from the silver, walked slowly to Moon Child, the arrow still through her.
"Moon Child... wake up." Remus gasped through pain, his forehead starting to perspire.
Moon Child stiffly stirred, opening her violet eyes to see Remus. With great effort, she managed the weakest of smiles for her love.
"Remus..." she whispered, placing a blood-covered hand over his arm.
Once again, Moon Child closed her eyes, and her breathing slowed to nothing. The scent of death grew stronger. Moon Child died for him.
Remus could not process her death in his pain-ridden mind. His soul cried out for Ginny to comfort him and give him strength. His eyes focused on the ground on the blue flower that Ginny gave him. The arrow must have cut his pocket, and dropped the flower. Now it was saturated with blood. Remus' vision blurred, and he fell over on his side, his free hand trying to reach the flower.
He can not die now!
The sun set completely, and the silver orb climbed into the sky, her full face showing.
Remus looked at it, and it was like two souls that share the same body switching; the man going into the back of the wolf's mind, encaged like the wolf when the moon did not show her full face.
Remus tried to hold back the wolf, but the moon's light called upon the animal, causing his skin to feel like it was on fire.
Why are you hold me back, boy?
I don't trust you with my body.
I know I've always attacked my own body in the past, but that is because I was encaged; now I'm able to roam free.
Remus felt like his head was splitting, and Romulus was feeling the effects as well.
Let me out, boy!
No!
I promise I won't harm you in any way; nor will I roam far! Let me out! Let me hunt!
Remus felt the fur sprouting on his body, and the bones painfully rearranging in his body as he fought the transformation.
It's my turn to roam the night!
Remus let out a yell in pain that ended up sounding like a wolf's painful yelp; through his still human eyes, he saw the other werewolves in a pack, heading towards the forest, the thrill of the hunt running through their veins.
Ginny trusts me with your body, boy! Why do you resist!?
Remus panted in pain, slowly, hesitantly, letting go, and letting the sweet darkness envelop him into caressing sleep.
In his pain, he'd forgotten to remove his precious charm. The necklace's chain snapped in half as the wolf's thick neck and other limbs began to change.
Now Romulus was in control of his wolf body, his eyes calculatingly searching for his prey. He was not hunting for food; he was hunting for blood; Zurui's blood.
While he did not choose Moon Child as his mate, she was still Romulus' companion when he first came here.
Their first full moon together, they hunted with each other, played together, and rested together. Romulus was looking forward to that again, but Zurui had killed her.
He was alone for this hunt.
Romulus growled, picking up the sent of the evil one, a sour smell; the one who killed his companion... the one who dared to threaten his mate, Ginny.
Romulus threw back his great head and howled the thrill of the hunt into the air. He began to run towards the direction of the scent, deep into the forest. The sound of screaming men caused the wolf to stop for a moment.
Remus told those fools to stay in a tree!
Not bothering to help the fools who did not heed to his brother's warning, Romulus set out towards the scent, running at incredible speed, trying to find the one he wanted to kill.
Knowing he was being tracked, Zurui crossed the icy river to cover his scent. Romulus had to admit, the guy was intelligent as a wolf, but when Romulus is hell-bent on tearing someone apart, the wolf being tracked does not stand a chance. Romulus charged into the icy water, and despite his thick, winter coat, the water stung like fire. The icy water in the open wound on his side caused it to feel like a knife was stabbing it. He quickly swam across the river, shook the water off, and sniffed around. Zurui's foul scent was still in the air, heightened by his disgusting scent of wet fur. Romulus followed with amazing pace, and soon saw the other wolf coming out of the bushes.
Zurui, in wolf form, was huge; bigger than Romulus, and he stood challengingly on all four legs, his jet-black fur gleaming in the moon's light. Romulus did not let the wolf's huge size and weight keep him from his vengeance. Snarling, and fur bristling, Zurui tried to force Romulus back out of the brush and fruitlessly tried to conquer his fear of the rage illuminating off of the wolf. Romulus snarled back, seeing rage and blood at Zurui, and he charged forward, his gleaming white, razor teeth ready to strike.
Zurui jumped aside, grazing Romulus' left hind leg with his razor teeth. Romulus yelped, and quickly jumped away from the other wolf. Romulus glared down at his foe, a strategy forming in his mind. Then, he charged at the other wolf, clamping his jaws down on Zurui's shoulder.
Zurui tried to strike back, but Romulus was quicker with smaller weight, he was able to jump away, unharmed. Romulus, his teeth gleaming with blood, charged again, clamping his jaws down on Zurui's muzzle, tearing off the flesh. Zurui yelped and snarled, as if trying again to scare the other wolf. Romulus laughed the wolfish way at the foolish one, and charged again, clamping his jaws on Zurui's neck.
Unable to do anything else, Zurui scored Romulus' right foreleg with his claws, but Romulus did not heed to the simple pain; instead, he tore the black wolf's throat apart, causing the jugular to burst. Zurui tried weakly to retaliate, but soon fell on the snow, turning it red with his blood; the great wolf was now dead.
Wounded, but not severely, Romulus did not hold any pity as he lifted his huge head, and howled his victory to the forest.
I killed him. Remus mournfully admitted in the back of Romulus' mind.
Don't be a fool, boy! You were not controlling me; I was in complete control. This person's blood is on my soul, not yours!
Remus did not reply, and Romulus headed back to the village because he promised the boy he would not wander too far...
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Ginny was silent as she watched Remus sleep. He was so exhausted, and he just told a horrible story. She felt guilty for begging him to tell the story in his condition, but she just had to hear it.
Not one of the werewolves agreed to help them fight, so they came back without any werewolves, and two bitten Aurors. No doubt their careers are now destroyed. Remus even said that one of the Aurors had a wife that left him, took the children with her, and denied him visiting rights. Even the courts agreed with the woman.
The village still did not know how poor Moon Child was killed. They did suspect Remus, but they could not prove it. Now he was forever outcast from the village. He has no one but Ginny now.
Ginny could not help but envy Moon Child; she gave her life so Remus could live, and Ginny did not know how she would ever live up to that. Sighing, she reached over, turned out the light, and snuggled up to Remus' sleeping form, wondering why she was suddenly starting to crave lima beans again.
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Japanese note:
Okamiotoko: (pronounced: oh-kah-mee-oh-toh-koh) werewolf
Zurui: (pronounced: zoo-rloo-ee) dishonest; sly
note: the "rl" means to say the r and l together to make the accent. Ex: like saying the "lea" part of "leak," only with "rloo" say the "loo" part of "loon."
And I would have used different names for these characters, and I thought of naming Okamiotoko after the first werewolf, except I couldn't remember his name, so I decided to go with a Japanese name since that is my main language (which is why my English grammar is so horrible).
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LupinFan227: Christmas moments with the Weasleys are fun! I know I have problems with those words that sound the same, but are spelled differently; it gets on my nerves, believe it or not. Anna has been kind enough to beta for me! Yay! Oh, happy holidays! I just got Cs. Blech. Thank you for your review!
Tante: Well, Ron is her last son, so she might have reacted that way; but she might not have. Rowling has not given us that sort of reaction (as of right now, if you are a Ron/Hermione shipper). Hopefully, she will give us some kind of reaction. Thank you for your review!
Beth: … You know, you're right! (hits her head several times on her desk) How could I forget about that? Maybe because we, the readers, focus more on the magic world then the muggle world, which we live in. I will honestly ponder that, and thank you for the suggestion! Thank you for your review!
Fox of the Nova: You're taking on three fics at once? You must be a goddess… or a god… which ever one you prefer. I haven't had the time to get online to read them, but I promise I will try, okay? Yes, you are always nice in your reviews; but I like that! Thank you for your review!
Dangerous Soul: It was the Harry Potter Lexicon; the web site filled with very useful info about the whole series so far. Beth also suggested they get married the muggle way, so I will be thinking deeply about that. Thank you for that suggestion, and thank you for your review!
Lozzie: Well, here is a new chapter for you! I hope you enjoy! Thank you for your review!
Bonbons: Ginny doesn't know… yet. Oops; I think I said too much. Thank you for your review!
no one: I'm writing! Thank you for your review!
SarkLover: You read the whole thing? Was it in one sitting? If so, you must be a goddess… or a god… take your pick. I hope you liked this chapter! Thank you for your review!
Kit: Thank you for your complements! I did try not to be too depressed during Christmas since we had everyone there for the holidays; my family, plus my fiancée's family… talk about a load full.
Branmuffinpower: It's okay if you're late; must focus on homework! Holiday homework?! Are those people insane?! I'm on your side with that situation! That should be outlawed! How could they do such a thing?! Well… something will happen next chapter… heehee. Yup, Ron and Hermione are getting married! Now if only Rowling would have them married in the candid… then we can really have something to cheer about! Sometimes people just know when someone is there soul mate. There was this one couple that have been together (as in boyfriend and girlfriend together) since they were in the second grade. Everyone kept on saying "They're too young," or "It's just puppy love," and "It'll never last." To this day, they are still married, with children, since they were eighteen; twenty years together. So, you never know when you can meet your soul mate. It could even be the worst person you have ever met in your life, or even the most obnoxious person in your classroom! Merry (Happy) Christmas, and Happy New Year! Thank you for your review!
YvettE Sorrow: Poor you, with all that to deal with. Thank you for taking the time in your busy life to read and review!