Where the Wolf Ends and the Boy Begins

Chp.4

AN: sorry its taken so long to update, if there are any of you still reading im extremely grateful for your patience, I have a story plan for about 27 chapters, so wish me luck, I promise updates will be more frequent. Enjoy!

Remus had not slept well that night, in his dreams he was hunting. Ever since the incident at the whomping willow last year, that had driven his parents over the edge, he had always hunted the same prey. Every night after he slipped into oblivion, he had hunted one person: himself.

Remus woke with a start, sweat glistening on his pale skin.

The intercom buzzed to life, and the metal-barred door to Remus' cell slid open slowly. For the first time since his arrival, he got a good look at the compound. The walls were a dull cement, as was the floor, and barred cell doors lined the walls in neat rows down the narrow corridor. Florescent light shown down sporadically from fixtures placed every 10 or so feet. They hurt his eyes, although he imagined that was taken into consideration when the place was built, half blinded and underfed, the inmates were easier to control, he mused.

Remus jumped when someone slapped him on the back from behind, sending him off balance. Remus caught himself just before he stumbled to the ground, turning behind him he saw Leon smiling mischievously, rusty hair gold under the dim lights.

"Whadda ya know, we share a wall"

Remus cocked an eyebrow at the statement.

"My 'room', its next to yours, I should introduce you to Felix, he's my room mate, and about your age I think"

Remus nodded his head and returned Leon's lopsided smile, expressing his interest in moving out of the hall before the guards removed them personally.

Breakfast went without incident, although he had met so many new people his head was swimming with names and faces. Leon had been right about Felix, at 14 he was the same age as Remus. He was on the shorter side with dark, wide eyes, tan skin, wavy dark brown hair, and an appetite that rivaled Remus' own.

The others that he had been introduced to were harder to recall, Remus seemed to remember a 16 year old named Rico, standing an inch or so smaller than Remus at 5'6 with brown skin and a bull cut.

Petra had been pointed out rather than introduced to Remus. Leon warned him to stay away, and nothing else was said.

The other names and faces faded quickly as he sat in what could be called a common room, sitting against a wall as he stared blankly at a blank piece of parchment that sat on his lap.

Remus glared at the offending paper, everything he played out in his head sounded rehearsed, and worst of all, final. He did not want to tell his friends he wasn't coming back in September because frankly, he still didn't believe it. Sighing Remus touched his quill to the page and resigned to letting the letters flow from his fingertips.

Remus fleetingly saw the girl that he had seen on the platform the day he came to Blackbird, her auburn ponytail swaying on her back as she turned a corner down an unfamiliar hall, presumably towards her room. Remus had managed to get lost on his way back from the common room. He sprinted to catch up and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hi, im Remus, listen, I kind of got lost, do you know where I turn to get to cell block C? She stared at him for a moment, face blank, as if sizing him up and then briskly replied:

" Take a right at the next corner and then another right after that."

She turned to leave and then whipped around sharply on her heel

"My names Tara"

Her voice was high and crisp, her face was still cold and apathetic but as the intercom flicked to life again and warned inmates to return to their cells he saw fear flicker across her features, and smelled it on the air.

"Thanks" Remus threw at her retreating back.

Remus lay awake until the sun had dipped and the world was dark, the lights having been turned out hours ago. He felt the vibration of the compound noise, the steady rhythm it pulsed with; the breathing of the other kids, the hum of some unseen electrical power, and as the moon drew steadily closer to full, even the blood rushing in their veins

Remus sighed and rolled over, hoping to catch some sleep before dawn, when he heard a noise that seemed out of place.

A whimper and a hushed sob.

He sat up staining to hold onto the sounds. There was a soft murmuring coming from across the hall, and another choked sob. Letting his eyes adjust he could barely make out the form of a girl a little older than himself in the cell across the hall, cradling a small, quivering, mass from which the whimpers originated from.

"shhh Raquel, its ok, don't be afraid."

Remus heard a girl's smooth voice across the hall, obviously talking to the little girl.

"Seeing in the dark, it's not so bad, it's just, different,"

The girls voice seemed less certain than before, as if she was trying to convince herself as well.

"I want mama, why isn't she here? Mama wouldn't let me go, she told the men to leave…she told the robed men to leave….why wont she bring me home?"

The girls voice cracked as she fumbled to calm the child.

"I, I don't know Raquel"

The girls sobbing picked up where it had left off.

Whoever the child was she didn't understand the changes she was going through as the moon neared its peak. Only one thing accounted for that – she had never transformed.

Remus cringed.

Remus padded softly across his cell and looked through the bars down the halls, checking for guards. Once he was sure they were no where near his voice broke the distance across the hall.

"Is everything ok" he called out

He felt more than saw the older girls head snap up. Remus swallowed hard as he found himself being studied by a weary pair of glowing green eyes. They stared right through him.

Raquel whimpered again and they softened as the older girl gave out an exasperated sigh.

"How do you tell someone not to fear the wolf?'

She said softly.

Remus was taken back by the question, and search as he might, he could not find an answer.

"Im veronica" she said as she gathered Raquel onto her lap.

"Remus" Remus responded quickly" I take it she hasn't had her first moon"

"No- and I don't know what to say, I've only had two myself, im afraid im not much help, im just as frustrated as she is"

Remus was surprised; most witches bitten over the age of 13 didn't survive the virus.

As if sensing his surprise she spoke again:

"I don't know whether I'm lucky or cursed these days.." then, as if responding to his unasked question she said "I am 16"

"Raquel is a muggle, most wizards don't know but muggles who are bitten have no choice but to come here, the ministry doesn't think they can handle themselves I guess…"

Remus nodded, he had never heard of a muggle lycanthrope, but he realized how silly he was to think there were none. Raquel looked to be about eight, a litte older than he had been when he was bitten. He fought back the memory, he had been so young he barely could remember anything before the bite. He shuddered.

Remus couldn't remember being human.

For that he would always envy Veronica, to her the wolf would always be a separate being, where as he couldn't tell where the wolf ended and the boy began.

Remus and Veronica spoke in hushed whispers until Raquel's sobs subsided and she drifted into an exhaustion-educed sleep.