Title: Home's the Farthest Way

Chapter: 17

Author: ReeraTheRed

Date: June 21, 2005

Rating: PG13

Our story so far: In the last chapter, Lupin is captured by Baron and taken to the werewolf pack; Snape and company show up just in time to rescue her.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to beta readers Patti, Michelle and Liz.

And, again, thanks so much for all the reviews!


Chapter 17

Lupin felt the black nothingness of Apparating. She was aware only of Snape's arms lifting her, her head against his chest. She could hear the beating of his heart, feel it against her cheek.

Then they were surrounded by the incongruous sounds of Muggle city streets – car motors, people, voices walking around them as if they weren't there. Snape said brusquely to the mannequin in the window display, "Emergency, werewolf attack." Lupin couldn't see, but the mannequin must have given permission, because Snape carried her through the glass window, and into the crowded reception area of St. Mungo's.

The noisy room went silent, and every face turned to stare at them – patients and Healers alike. And we must be quite a sight, thought Lupin; the tall, severe, black-robed schoolmaster, carrying a bleeding woman wearing nothing but a cloak wrapped around her.

Fortunately, the silence only lasted an instant, and several Healers rushed over, all speaking at once – What happened? How long ago? What are the injuries? One of them said, "Professor Lupin!" out loud. So at least one of them recognized her. Snape answered calmly and briefly, holding Lupin close against his chest.

One of the Healers conjured a stretcher with her wand, and Snape laid Lupin down upon it so carefully, sliding his hand under her head as he let her weight rest against the stretcher. Lupin looked up at his even paler than usual face, and managed to smile at him.

"We'll take her from here," a Healer said. "We should have her up in the werewolf ward in an hour or so. You can see her then."

Snape frowned. Lupin managed to smile at him, and said, "I'll be all right. And someone needs to arrange things here for the rest of the werewolves when they arrive."

Snape looked at her and nodded. Lupin thought she saw something more in his eyes, but couldn't make it out. He stood absolutely still as the stretcher moved away, until he passed out of her sight.

She never lost consciousness while they worked on her, though that may not have been intentional – it was very hard to knock out a werewolf or she'd have spent all her pre-Wolfsbane transformations mercifully unconscious. But they were successful at numbing the pain as they cleaned her wounds and joined them together with waving wands. She heard several comments about her werewolf healing abilities already at work, particularly with the full moon coming up in a few days.

It seemed no time at all before they floated her out of the emergency room. An orderly took her on a stretcher up to the werewolf ward, and helped her, first into a hospital gown, and then into a bed. I'm back in the hospital, she thought ruefully, as she adjusted the bed and settled herself back in the pillows.

This time, at least, she wasn't the only occupant. Her wounds must have taken longer to treat, because there were many others there already, faces she recognized from the Forbidden Forest. More were brought in, one by one, floating on stretchers, and helped by orderlies into the beds lining the walls.

To Lupin's surprise, one of them was Umbridge, her shoulder covered by a bandage. But of course, Lupin thought, where else would they take her, but to the werewolf ward? Umbridge wore only a hospital gown. She was so short that it dragged on the floor. Without her robes, and with her hair in a frazzled mess, all her authority was gone. She was merely a sad, fat little woman. She looked more aware now, but only just.

A Healer was with her, talking to her about the severity of the wound. Lupin caught the words, "We're making arrangements for a special dose of the cure to be prepared for all the werewolves here now, so you won't have to face a full moon as a normal werewolf . . ."

Umbridge turned her face to the Healer, not comprehending. "Not face the full moon . . .?"

"Yes," the Healer said, trying to make his face as sympathetic and kind as possible. "You've been bitten by a werewolf, and this is the closest thing to a cure we have."

Umbridge's face went slack and her entire body froze. Then her eyes grew very wide, a look of horror exploded on her face, and she began to scream. Over and over, animal shrieks burst from her gaping mouth.

The Healer shook his head sadly and waved his wand. Several orderlies immediately came over and caught Umbridge as she collapsed, unconscious, into their arms. They levitated her over to a bed on the far side of the room and pulled sheets over her.

Lupin tried to raise some kind of feeling for the woman, but she felt nothing, not triumph, not pity, not vindictiveness. Just keep her out of my life, Lupin thought.

More and more werewolves were placed in beds around the room. Many of them smiled at Lupin as they saw her. The ones she knew from the old days called her name, and she answered, though they were all too weak and exhausted to speak further.

The last of them to come in was the pretty young woman who had been one of the ones who had tried to stop Baron. Her wounds must have been more severe than the others, and she must have been with the Healers longer. She was placed in the bed across from Lupin. She was alert, though, and she smiled at Lupin. We can take so much damage, Lupin thought.

"Thank you," Lupin said to her, "I saw what you tried to do, and I'm grateful."

The young woman shook her head. "No, we're all grateful to you. We're really free of Baron now."

"Be grateful to my friends. I didn't do much," Lupin said.

"But you stood up to him," the girl said.

Lupin started to say, but that was only because he was going to kill me anyway, and I thought I could destroy that collar, but the girl's eyes glazed over, and Lupin kept quiet. The girl needed to rest; she'd been very badly hurt, even if she was a werewolf.

How much time had passed? There was barely any light coming from the windows. Evening then, and it had been late afternoon when the fight happened. The ward was full now, and bustling with activity, as Healers and orderlies ran between the beds checking on each patient, waving wands, dispensing potions.

"Professor Lupin!" It was Charles Willoughby, from the Ministry, coming over to her bedside. "I was so sorry to hear what happened!"

Lupin looked up into Willoughby's earnest face. "I'm all right, thanks to Severus and Moody, and the others. They got there just in time."

"Professor Snape is still at the Ministry with Arthur," Willoughby said. "They're making arrangements for protection, for all the werewolves – warning amulets, wards on their homes." He beamed. "They'll have the same protection under the law as any wizard, and Baron and his kind will be designated as criminals."

Lupin smiled back. "That's wonderful."

Willoughby nodded. "I'm here to get a list of the werewolves at the hospital, make arrangements for their care and all. Arthur will be over soon, too." He looked around the room, his eyes lit up in wonder. "Amazing. An entire pack."

They just look like people to me, Lupin thought. In hospital robes, which was about as unglamorous as things get.

"It's just terrible, what they have all had to endure," Willoughby went on. "I've heard some stories, from the werewolves who've already come to the Ministry, but to see it, like this." He shook his head. "It's not right."

"No, it isn't," Lupin said. A sly thought hit her. "You do know that Delores Umbridge was bitten? That she'll be a werewolf now."

A pained look crossed Willoughby's honest face. He doesn't like her, either, thought Lupin, and he can't help but see the irony of it.

"The Ministry has been made aware of the situation," Willoughby said, very carefully. "It's already being brought up, whether Madame Umbridge can stay employed at the Ministry, given the restrictions on the employment of werewolves." He was clearly trying to keep his face blank, but he wasn't succeeding well. Lupin could almost see it there, without him saying a thing, that Umbridge was responsible for most of those restrictions being there in the first place, and now she would be subject to them herself.

"Perhaps the anti-werewolf laws might be reconsidered?" Lupin said.

"Madame Umbridge will certainly no longer be such a force behind them," Willoughby said. "We might indeed see changes."

And he gave Lupin a smile. She smiled back. Willoughby's smile turned to a rather noble expression as he added, "So many innocent people have been reduced to such desperate straights from the current laws. They need our help."

So young, thought Lupin. We don't want to need your help.

Willoughby swallowed, and looked down at Lupin. "Perhaps, you, too, might be able to work in the Ministry, Professor. You'd be very welcome in the Magical Creatures Department, I can tell you." His eyes had an odd look in them, and his fingers twitched, as if he wanted to take her hand. He's only attracted to me, thought Lupin. It's no more than that. And it is flattering, no question. She looked into his earnest, young face, and she had a sudden idea. "Mr. Willoughby," she said, "I wonder if you could do me a favor."

"Anything, Professor," Willoughby said.

"That young woman," Lupin nodded at the bed across from her, "she is badly wounded, worse than the others because she was trying to speak up for me. I don't know where she's from, but I think she could particularly do with some help. Could you do anything for her?"

Willoughby blinked at Lupin, and she went on. "I would appreciate it very much. She wouldn't be hurt if it weren't for me, you know."

"Oh," Willoughby said. "Oh, yes, of course."

He turned around and looked at the young girl, on the bed across from them. And she looked very pretty, even as hurt as she was. There was something very vulnerable about her. Willoughby froze for a moment. Then he stood up, and made his way cautiously to her bedside. Lupin could hear him speak, his voice very soft, and the girl turned to look at him. And she smiled, shyly.

It was just an introduction, Lupin thought. But they were both nice people, from what she could tell. Maybe something would happen.

She saw Willoughby smile, and look directly into the girl's eyes, in a way he had not looked at Lupin's. And the girl's eyes flicked down, then up again, and she smiled, and blushed. Lupin had seen that exchange of looks before, on many different faces. Male and female.

Maybe the girl already had someone – though, if she had been under Baron's power, that was unlikely. Maybe they wouldn't take at all. But Willoughby stayed by her bed for longer than he would have for an informal contact, and she didn't seem to mind. And he did seem to stop by her bed throughout the night.

Lupin looked away. Whatever happened, would happen.

Snape and Arthur came together, a little while later, while Willoughby was still interviewing werewolves. Snape sat down quietly in the same old chair by Lupin's bed. Arthur stood beside him.

"Remus!" Arthur said, "You gave us a fright!"

Lupin flushed. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I thought I could handle the situation myself. I didn't count on that collar."

Arthur frowned. "Harry brought the two collars in, the one you had, and the one on Delores. Nasty things. We've got people looking at them now. If someone like Baron could get hold of them, so could other unscrupulous people. It's a danger to all Wizards. It's got quite a lot of people's attention, I can tell you. Baron is on the Ministry's Top Most Wanted List right now, they've got people out everywhere looking for him."

"But he hasn't been caught yet?" Lupin asked.

Arthur's face fell. "No, but we're getting reports in, he's been sighted, in a number of places. He's been able to Apparate, unfortunately, and that makes him hard to trace."

"But it won't be long," he said, positively. "We've got a statement out to the Press about it. Baron's face will be on the front page of the Prophet tomorrow. Along with an article on the werewolf situation." He smiled at Lupin. "You're mentioned, as quite the heroine, I might add."

"As quite the idiot," Lupin said. "I let myself get taken. And I put a lot of other people in danger when they had to rescue me."

"Nonsense, Remus," Arthur said. "With that collar, they could have taken you easily, anytime. Or any one of us, just as they captured Delores," he added, with a very serious expression.

"Anyway," he went on, "you'll be pleased to hear that legislation is already being discussed that says any werewolf who tries to use his or her power to intimidate or threaten any other werewolf will be considered a criminal, and will be punished."

"Real protection at last," Lupin said.

"I'm just sorry it took something like this to bring it about," Arthur said. "Unfortunately, it usually does take a disaster to make changes happen."

Lupin smiled. Then it was all worth it, she thought. "I can't begin to thank you enough, Arthur, for all you've done."

Arthur flushed. "It's not just me, this was a group effort. And you were one of the ones most responsible, don't forget that. We're a team." He smiled. "Remember that, whenever you think you have to take things on all alone."

Now it was Lupin's turn to flush. "Point taken," she said.

"Now," said Arthur, standing a little straighter, "I need to check with Charles and get the record of everyone's names. Part of collecting information for the criminal charges against Baron. You get well, Remus." He smiled at her, and at Snape as well, before moving off to find Willoughby.

Lupin looked over at Snape, as he sat quietly in the chair. "I haven't said thank you. For saving my life," she said.

Snape shook his head. "No need."

"I really thought I was going to die," she said. "And then, there you were."

Snape did not answer; he simply looked at her.

"I saw the mirror," she said. "That's how you found me."

Snape nodded. "Miss Granger gave it to me, just this afternoon. She was concerned for your safety."

"Hermione saves the day, yet again," Lupin said. "I still have the one that tracks you, you know. Although I haven't used it since last summer; it's shut away in a drawer at home." And I could sense you in it, she thought. Could you sense me? Did you feel it, when I was in danger?

"Miss Granger has been most helpful," Snape said, in a careful tone of voice, which usually meant he was not saying all he thought.

A Healer came over. "Hello, Professor," she said, waving her wand over Lupin's body, up and down. She nodded. "Yes, you're doing very well. It's amazing, how quickly werewolves can heal."

"It's close to full moon," Lupin said. "That helps."

The Healer nodded. "Well, your wounds have already closed up." She smiled. "With any normal wizard, I'd say you'd be in hospital for at least a week, but at this rate, you'll be home much sooner than that."

A week! Lupin's face fell. I want to go home! But she couldn't even stand right now, much less fend for herself.

"Someone will come by in a few minutes with a sleeping potion," the Healer said. "You should sleep through the night, and then we'll see how you're doing in the morning."

And someone did come by, only moments later. Lupin drank the potion down, settled back in the pillows, and fell asleep within minutes.

She awoke the next morning, feeling a little better. She lay in bed with her eyes shut, hearing the sounds of the ward around her – she had the usual where-am-I thoughts at first, but the hospital had become so familiar. For a moment, she had the wild thought, It was all a dream, I've just had the werewolf cure, I'm back to what I was before. Then she thought, No, I was turned into a woman, but I'm still back in the hospital, I never left, I never went home, Baron was a dream. And then she became aware of all the werewolves in the room, and remembered everything. But Baron is on the run, she thought, and everyone is free. This is much better. And I will be home soon.

She opened her eyes. The room was light – not bright with full daylight, but the first light of dawn – everything was light grey, with soft tones of color.

She turned her head, and saw Snape in the chair beside her. He was asleep, his head leaning against the chair back. He had retrieved his cloak somehow – the one she had been wrapped in – and had pulled it around his shoulders.

He stayed all night, she thought. He hadn't needed to do that. He'd been here so late the night before. She looked at him, in the chair, with his pale face and huge nose, and his black hair all stringy and greasy again. And she found him so beautiful. His eyelashes, thick and black, lay against his cheeks. His hands, with pale, long fingers, holding the edges of his cloak. She wanted to reach out and touch him.

It's full moon, close on, she thought, and I was in a fight for my life yesterday, as a wolf. The wolf is rising in me, and it will only get worse, over the next few days.

He came for me, yesterday. He had a mirror, he was watching out for me.

And he saw me, as an animal. As the monster that I am.

She made herself turn away. It was torture, looking at him.

I want to go home, she thought. At home, she would be safe. It wasn't what she really wanted, but it was the most she could have.

Snape stirred, a little while later. She heard him, but pretended to be asleep. It was easier that way. She was too vulnerable right now. She opened her eyes only when she heard the others in the ward moving as well. She let her eyes flicker open, and was able to turn, and smile at him, with no trouble.

"You stayed," she said. "That chair does not look comfortable."

Snape stretched, moving his shoulders, then shrugged. "I've had worse." A flicker at his mouth. "I seem to remember you spending enough nights sitting on the floor next to me, when I'd been in a bad way."

Lupin sat up in the bed. I could stand now, and walk, she thought. In fact, she needed to. She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Snape stood, arms out to help her, but there was no need, she was able to stand. She still hurt, particularly as she walked over to the bathroom, but she could walk. Stiffly, with small steps, but she could.

When she went back to the bed, she set it so that she could sit up before lying back in the pillows. Severus had vanished for the moment – making a trip to the facilities on his own, presumably. He returned within minutes.

A Healer came by soon after, checking Lupin over with his wand. "Amazing," he said. "Even with the wounds you had yesterday. You'll be out of here in no time."

Lupin pursed her lips. "Could I go home now?" she asked.

The Healer frowned, then looked at Lupin's face. "Well," he said, thinking. "If you have someone to take you – you're in no condition to Apparate on your own. And you'll need to take healing potions regularly."

"I can see to that," Snape said. Lupin looked at him gratefully.

The Healer considered. "You promise you'll rest, for the next few days. Those wounds could still re-open."

"I promise," Lupin said.

"All right then," the Healer said. "You realize, if you didn't have these super healing powers, you'd be flat on your back for a week. You shouldn't even be able to stand now, you know."

The Healer said someone would bring up the healing potions Lupin needed, and after that, they could leave. An orderly came by soon after, with a bag of bottles and a schedule, which Snape took charge of before Lupin could get hold of it. Lupin didn't protest.

She swung her legs off the bed and stood up. Snape immediately wrapped his cloak around her, covering the meager hospital gown. She pulled it close around her. He held out his arm, and she leaned heavily on it as they walked slowly out of the ward, down the hallway, and into the elevators.

They had just stepped out of the elevator and into the reception area when Lupin saw Arthur coming across from the entrance. He saw them, and quickened his pace to meet them. He looked troubled.

"Remus," he said, and stopped.

"What is it?" Lupin asked.

Arthur frowned. "It's Baron."

"You've caught him!" Lupin said. That would be good news indeed.

But one look at Arthur's face told her that wasn't the case. "Moody, Kingsley and Tonks – they caught some of his lackeys," Arthur said. "But Baron, and most of his people have escaped. There's an alert out for him, but he could be anywhere, with that wizard Apparating for him."

Lupin nodded, and shrugged. Well, she hadn't thought it would be that easy.

Arthur still frowned. "They were only able to catch the ones they did because . . ." He stopped again, and looked down, then looked up again, and sighed. "It's about your house, Remus."

"What about my . . ." My wards! They went down, the moment I became a wolf! All my wards are down! Lupin could feel the blood rushing out of her face, and she clutched at Snape's arm.

Then she Apparated, right from the St. Mungo's lobby.

She materialized on her front lawn. She should have been looking at the front of her house, the porch, the windows, the roof.

Instead, there were only piles of debris, and the great, ugly pit of the basement, now open to the sky. Her house had been destroyed.

Lupin stared, still not comprehending, at the piles of wreckage, and the gaping hole where her house had stood. There has to be a mistake, she thought. I came to the wrong place.

She heard banging sounds behind her – Snape and Arthur must have followed her, but she did not turn to look at them.

Pieces of timber, shingles, and plaster were everywhere. She took a step forward. By her foot, she saw a piece of board. For one moment, it was just a fragment of wood, and then, like a jigsaw puzzle piece, she suddenly recognized it from a bit of carving it had. It was from the door. She picked it up and looked at it, then looked at the place where the door had been.

She took another step. She could see into the basement now. It was half full of wreckage – timbers, plaster, shreds of cloth, pieces of broken crockery, shreds of paper with printed letters on them. My books, she thought.

A terrible stench hit her nose – it hadn't been enough to rip everything to shreds, they'd defecated on everything. Baron, marking his territory. A last gesture to her. Not even the most powerful and skilled wizards would be able to restore anything now.

Only one thing remained still standing. The one thing they couldn't destroy. Rising out of the debris, in the gaping hole of the basement, stood the cage, the iron bars still whole and strong, no longer hidden beneath the pleasant cottage above, but out, where everyone could see.

She sank to the ground at the edge of the hole, pulling Snape's cloak around her. It must have been quite a party, she thought. She could picture it, the pack of them, ripping everything to shreds. It wouldn't have taken them long, either, to reduce everything to this.

She felt something with her hand that wasn't the ground. She looked. It was a scrap of rubber. The red ball, or a piece of it. She picked it up and stared at it.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up. Snape was leaning over her. She didn't say anything, but she held the piece of the ball up and looked at it, then at him. She could feel herself start to shake.

"Remus," Snape said, gently, "there's nothing we can do here. We need to go."

"Where?" Lupin said, blinking. "Where do I go?"

"You're coming with me," Snape said. He took hold of her arms and lifted. She stood up. She felt dizzy, and Snape pulled her against him, so that all she could see was the darkness of his robes, feel the cloth against her cheek. Blackness surrounded them as he Apparated them away.

TBC