Chapter 22

Perched in the hidden safety of the coniferous tree Ron silently watched Remus Lupin putter about below, gathering fallen branches for firewood and humming very lightly to himself. Ron still didn't know quite what to make of the professors odd habit of breaking out in serenade, as it seemed to go against his former image of the normally solemn man. However, over the last week it didn't seem so out of place, and in all honesty it was refreshing, as Ron hadn't heard music since visiting Tomaz's pub. It was that reason that Ron told himself it was okay to perch high in sturdy trees and spy on the man who had come to stay with him unexpectedly. It had nothing to do with him just wanting to be around another human being, especially one that he had considered a friend back at Hogwarts.

Remus moved as silently as a wraith to his accumulating pile of branches and dropped his load to join it, looking at it for a moment as if unsure what to do next. Should he get more wood or head back to the cave? Could he carry what he had or was it already too much? Ron rolled his eyes dramatically at himself; honestly, starting to turn wood gathering into a melodrama was a bit much, even for his entertainment starved mind. Still, he didn't care to stop his silent assessment, well aware that the man knew he was up there and was simply allowing him the illusion of being hidden. He had learned quickly, in their month together, that the werewolf senses didn't disappear with the moon. Oh no, the man had the ears and eyes of an animal, and stealth to match.

Two days after the new moon had begun Ron had been standing in the clearing before his shelter, staring into the woods to see if he could physically notice any changes in the area. Lupin had walked over to join him, not thinking to make his presence heard. Ron had reacted instinctively (who would have known all that training would actually stick?) and had thrown the older man to the ground, halfway to knocking him unconscious with his fists before he realised who it was. Since then Lupin had had to concentrate on making noise when approaching Ron, though opportunities for that didn't happen very often. Ron generally made himself scarce, watching from a safe distance and joining him at night or when the weather was too cold to stay outside for long periods of time.

Hiding from Lupin was defensive for so many reasons. Ron had always liked the professor, even looked up to him when he'd taught them or they met at Grimmauld place, but liking didn't mean he could trust him. The mere fact that Lupin had chosen to stay with Ron rather then see a healer (when he obviously could have used one) was only one strange factor in this entire situation. The mere fact that Ron had run into Lupin at all was suspicious and enough to put him on edge when he chose to dwell on it. Honestly, the likelihood of Ron actually just happening on an unmarked village in Romania while the professor was being attacked by an angry mob was a bit far fetched. Lupin insisted that he'd been there to find a rare crystal, he had even shown it to Ron, but what did he know about crystals? Well, he knew a bit, but not enough to verify that what Lupin held was indeed very rare, and therefore a reasonable alibi.

The truth of the matter was that Ron suspected their encounter had been engineered, but he couldn't figure how anybody would know where he was. He knew he had hidden himself well, he had taken so many precautions. Then he wondered why, if they knew where he was, didn't they just storm him and drag his sorry skinny arse to Azkaban where it belonged? And to top that off, why the hell was Lupin spouting things to him about how it wasn't his fault, that he wasn't evil like he thought, and that his family actually missed him? It was absolute bollocks, and this meant that Ron couldn't trust him. Hell, Ron still couldn't really trust himself, though he had worked hard to gain control over his chanelling capabilities. There were too many what if's surrounding him, and why's, and Ron had never liked it when things didn't add up, when he couldn't get a clear picture of what was really going on.

And just why the hell was Lupin insisting on staying in this god forsaken forest in the middle of winter living in a cave! Either the man was more loony then Luvgood, or he was up to something. Yet, despite all this confusion and fear, Ron was glad he was there. He learned of his family when he dared to ask, and he really did miss being around people. He would have loved to be able to just act like he used to, be friendly and laugh and play stupid jokes. But then he remembered that his best friend wouldn't be able to join in, and it would become a moot point and his mood would sour. It was usually at that point that Ron would run into the forest until his lungs burned and his legs felt wobbly.

Through the heavy pine branches he could see that Lupin had decided he had enough wood and began tying the rope Ron had given him around the stack, swinging it onto his back like a sack of potatoes and heading back to the shelter. Ron gripped at the bark he was sitting on and looked to the next trees best branch, only five feet away. He let go of his perch and leapt to the next one gracefully. Swinging around to the other side of the thick trunk he then leapt to another branch, this one farther away. If he had been a normal boy, like he had been before his energy powers came about, he would never have dared a stunt like this without death being literally on his tail.

He had discovered though, a week ago, that calling upon the excess energy of the forest around him could help him slightly levitate his self, much like when he called objects to him without a wand. It was a neat trick, but he knew that if he were to attempt anything other then the smaller leaps, he would fall. It took enough energy just to gather the strength to carry himself through the trees, he was fairly certain that trying to over tax his power would drain him. Much like it had when he had apparated with Lupin to his home. If Lupin had seriously needed a healer at that time (and Ron knew the man hadn't the energy to apparate himself to one) Ron wasn't sure he would have been able to safely help.

However, that didn't matter now as small leaps of faith carried him soundly through the tree tops like a fire headed monkey and he came to the edge of the forest to look down on Lupin piling away his collection of kindling. What he saw, however, was far from what he expected. Lupin had dropped his heavy stack and brandished both his wand and the small axe Ron had lent him. He was standing firmly, his legs planted and his face a mixture of stoic surprise as he stared up at the fire breathing dragon not five meters away from him. The dragon, for his part, looked just as startled to see Lupin there, his back spurs were standing tall and threatening and the smoke billowing from his orange nostrils was a sure sign of his dangerous agitation. They both looked like neither knew what to do, but it was clear that the dragon was preparing to remedy that situation. Ron panicked, because as much as he couldn't trust Lupin, he still liked him and didn't want him to end up a charbroiled dragon snack. He grabbed at a branch and leaned out of the clearing of the foliage, opening his lungs loudly.

"Forge No! Lupin! No! Ah!" The branch snapped and he sucked in a breath of fear as he toppled out of the tree and began to fall head first to the ground below. Smashing into branches as he fell he completely missed the look of astonishment and then fear that passed over his human companions face, as well as the sudden fire that shot from his dragon snout to burn the ground in his surprise. Ron flicked his wrist and Whip uncoiled rapidly, but it was no use as the ground was coming up too fast. He prepared himself for the painful landing when, abruptly, he stopped falling only two meters from the ground. A moment later he was lowered gently and released as Lupin spun back to point his wand at the Dragon once again.

"Remus! Don't hurt him! He doesn't know yer my friend! Forge!" The dragon looked at him with a cocked head, his wings flared majestically to make himself appear larger and his body rigid with tension, not understanding what was going on. But at least he looked at Ron, and seemed to recognize him, still Ron wasn't sure how to stop him from toasting the werewolf. "Forge! No, back." Ron ran and stepped in front of Lupin, though he was careful to stand a good two feet away. If Lupin noticed the distance he didn't say anything. He never said anything about how Ron refused to let him get close enough to touch him. Ron looked at his dragon carefully a moment when, as though reading his mind, Forge stuck out his right arm. Ron couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips at the action, and carefully flicked his wrist so that Whip curled gently around the offered limb. It took a few minutes, but Forge finally agreed that if Ron said his human companion was a friend and not to be eaten, then he wouldn't eat him. He snorted some smoke in agreement and Ron uncoiled the whip and stepped boldly up to him, placing his hand on the smoking snout.

"It's good to see you Forge. I never thought you would come back." The beautiful creature ducked his head and knocked Ron lightly on the shoulder, which almost had Ron falling to the snow covered ground. It was an odd display of affection, but one that his friend had adapted shortly before he learnt to fly. Ron looked down the animals long bowed neck and was glad to see that his spurs had relaxed and his wings were tucked close to his body. It was then that a Ron saw the oozing red liquid marring his dragon's thick hide, just below his right wing.

"Bloody hell Forge, what happened?" He moved slowly around Forge to the animals side, only to have the head follow and start to lick at the wound that Ron could now see clearly. Or three wounds to be exact. He looked over to Lupin, who was silently watching him, Ron could see the questions in his eyes, but he didn't have time to answer them just yet.

"Lupin, could you get me that shirt we used as a rag and the bucket of water?" Lupin nodded and disappeared into the shelter, emerging moments later to see Ron carefully examining the gashes and softly admonishing the orange and brown dragon. Ron didn't touch the wounds, as Forge seemed protective of them, his head blocking a clear path to them as he tried to tend to them him self. What Ron could see told him that they weren't too serious. They would have killed a human instantly, but on a dragon this size with such thick skin they were merely very painful. They could use a good cleaning though, as one seemed to have dirt encrusted into it. Lupin carefully and very slowly stepped up behind Ron, well aware that the dragon was watching him with a suspicious eye.

"They don't look life threatening."

"No" Ron agreed, staring at them fixedly. There was something so familiar about these cuts, he could sense something there that he hadn't noticed on his friend before he left. He looked into Forge's gleaming eyes and radiated as much calm as he could.

"Hey mate, I'm just gonna take a closer look okay? I'm not gonna hurt ya." He slowly moved his right hand forward, noting how Forge seemed agitated but made no move to stop him. His tail slid back and forth through the snow restlessly behind him but didn't lash out. Ron held his hand only an inch from the deepest wound, and frowned. There was an energy there, and it was dark and evil. "Son of a goblin." He muttered and pulled away.

"What is it?" Lupin asked quietly, trying to discern what it was Ron had figured out but not seeing anything that would warrant a curse. Ron backed away and moved to the bucket of water.

"I found his mother about eight months ago. She'd been attacked, and left to die. Stand back please." Lupin complied, moving further away as Ron moved with him, pointing to the bucket he left on the ground near the dragon. "Forge, fire." He ordered, and, after a moment of debate, flames were roaring around the metal bucket, quickly heating the water within to almost scalding. "Stop. That's perfect mate, thanks." The dragon seemed pleased by the complement and bounced his head a moment before turning back to his cuts. Ron dropped the faded red t-shirt into the water and let it sink, watching it as though it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"There was a…darkness around her, around the entire area. It was heavy and almost suffocating, I'd even call it evil, but it wasn't coming from her." He bent down and pulled the makeshift rag from the steaming water and stepping up to the dragon again. "Keep back and watch out for his tail, he's fast and he doesn't quite realize that it can kill us." Carefully Ron placed the rag over the largest wound and began sopping up the blood, pushing the creatures head away when it went to help with his tongue.

"You sense the same darkness from him?"

"Not from him, on him. Whatever attacked his mum just got him now."

"He's got blood on his talons. I'd say he gave better then he got." Ron grinned ferally at that thought.

"That's right. He's a tough little bugger." Ron's face was full of concentration as he wiped away the crusted blood and then stepped back, cleaning the cloth diligently and moving back to the cuts. He could sense Forge was becoming a bit agitated and worked quickly. He stopped his ministrations and looked at the wounds, each one about a foot long. He raised his hand and probed the outside of one, and wondered if he could help them heal a bit faster, like he helped himself. It was worth a shot. Gently he gathered energy from within himself and sent it to his fingertips as they gently moved about the torn fleshy edges. They tingled where the energy passed through, and he sensed Forge calm a bit, his tail slowing with its twitching. He went over all of them carefully, hoping he was charging the cells to regenerate, feeling that that was what he was doing but not really understanding how.

When he pulled away the gashes were still there, but they were no longer bleeding. He stepped back, his hand still tingling, and dropped the cloth into the bucket. He moved away and sat on a fallen log, pulling his jacket sleeves back down around his wrist and feeling Whip's excitement with Forge's return thrumming through his upper arm and shoulder. It was a moment later that Lupin joined him, his sharp eyes glancing over Ron's profile and then over the dragon. He sat two feet away, for which Ron was grateful, and pulled his winter robe abut him. It was dirty, Ron noted, and would need to be cleaned soon.

"There's more to this darkness that you sense. What is it?" Lupin asked. Ron frowned in thought, watching as Forge was eyeing his wounds carefully but making no attempt to lick them. A moment later he heavily flopped to the ground and curled his head around behind him, tucking it between the wings on his back and closing his eyes. He must have been exhausted to just fall asleep like that. Ron watched him worriedly for a moment before remembering that Lupin had asked him a question, and it would be rude not to answer.

"Charlie," Ron paused, missing his brother terribly but then forced the feelings to the back of his mind. "Charlie told me once that dragon's only attacked each other for territory, mates, or food. She didn't die from a fight over mates, seeing as she already had a pup. I don't think territory was an issue, because I remember him telling me that even those fights end up wounding and chasing away their opponents, but hardly ever result in death. And she was just left there, her body was mangled beyond any repair, her life was draining away…there was no purpose for it. It was an attack meant to kill painfully, but that was it. Dragons don't pointlessly attack, Hagrid taught us all that during the triwizard tournament, but this one was. I don't know what other creature around here would be capable of bringing down such a powerful animal." Ron clenched his fist and smacked his thigh in frustration, all his questions that he had purposely not thought about over all these months rising back up. He felt Lupin's eyes on him and looked over to meet the intelligent grey gaze.

"You raised Forge from a pup then, after you helped his mother to die." Ron looked away, feeling nauseous as the memories of her life passing through him into the earth emerged again. He had thrown himself into raising Forge to forget what he had done. He swallowed thickly and didn't reply. It was none of Lupin's business anyway, but it seemed the werewolf didn't want to let this go.

"It was the most decent thing you could do."

"I killed her." Ron snarled softly.

"You helped her die painlessly. Her child doesn't seem to hold it against you."

"I doubt he knows any better."

"Dragons are much more intelligent then we give them credit for. I thought you would have figured this out by now, seeing as you seem to have made a friend out of one. It's extremely rare, even when raised from captivity, that a dragon would ever allow such close contact with a person as you two have.

"He's bent in the head. Any normal dragon would have tried to eat me a long time ago." Lupin laughed at this and Ron grinned in return, though weakly. He gazed fondly at his dragon, pleased that he seemed to be resting easily in his place by the cliff wall.

"Still," Lupin conceded, "what you've managed here is amazing. Hagrid would be absolutely thrilled, and I have no doubt that Charlie would have been proud, not to mention the rest of your family."

"That's not the issue now." Ron changed the subject, not wanting to dream about how his family might react to such knowledge. "There's something out there that doesn't belong, something in the dragons world is out of place and is beginning to get out of control. I think Forge came back to warn me, maybe even to ask for help. I'll have a proper talk with him when he wakes up."

"With that whip around your arm?" Lupin injected, Ron looked at him and found himself under the professor's patented you will tell me the truth gaze. To his dismay he found it still made him squirm a little, and he decided that he really ought to tell Lupin something about Whip, seeing as he had refrained all this time from asking. Ron knew how hard it was for Lupin to not ask about these things, to be left in the dark.

"Yes. I don't quite understand him, Whip I mean." He explained, coaxing the object down from his shoulder to wrap in its normal place about his hand, the thick red material quickly veining around his fingers and wrist. He held it up for Lupin to look at briefly, hoping he wasn't making a mistake in showing this man his hidden weapon. "I picked him up in an antique shop and he wouldn't let me go. Suffice to say, I'm fair nearly stuck with him." He glared at the object as it suddenly flared hot in a bite of temper at his comments. "Oi, I'm not mad about it ye git." He growled and was glad when the pain receded, leaving only the normal aggravating burn that the bangle around his wrist caused. Actually, looking at his wrist now he saw it was slightly more inflamed then normal, no doubt from trying to heal Forge's wounds. He pulled his sleeve back over and hid his wrist, no longer comfortable with it being exposed. Lupin was looking at him a bit queerly.

"It has a bit of a personality, doesn't like it when I insult him."

"I see." Lupin was still frowning though, and Ron had had enough of this conversation, suddenly feeling too exposed to this man who had been living with him the last month. Ron was beginning to feel too comfortable around him, and he was telling him too much. He stood abruptly.

"I asked Forge not to eat you, but he doesn't understand his own strength, at all. Steer as clear away from him as you can and there won't be a problem. When Howlite and Hronblend get back from wherever they went they can help. He has a soft spot for them, and they adore him."

"They might have been here now if you hadn't told them you were going to turn them into light bulbs."

"They deserved it, bloody little fleas." Lupin merely shrugged his shoulders and Ron turned, walking away. It didn't matter if Lupin was right and he shouldn't have insulted them. He had a temper, and they liked to ignite it. The werewolf had yet to learn that the little pixies enjoyed teasing him up the wall, they enjoyed being pains in the arse, and they certainly knew exactly how Ron would react. It was a balanced relationship, and Ron had absolutely no issues with how it was working out for them. In the end they all knew they cared about each other, and that was what really mattered. Besides, they were hardly ever truly insulted by his threats, and their disappearance was more likely a visit home taken at a moment to make Ron feel guilty. It didn't work

Just before Ron was to enter the forest he called over his shoulder. "I'll be back in a few hours, I'm just going to make sure Forge wasn't followed by whatever attacked 'im." He didn't wait for a reply, not really worried over how Lupin felt about this course of action, and slipped silently into the trees.

TBC

Yes yes. I know I'm a mean and cruel person not letting Ron know about Harry…but I need to have a level of tension and suspense that'll bring you all back to this story!

Harry Lvr. It would be an interesting scene to have the twins waltz into Drasgov (town with angry villagers). I don't think the town would survive an encounter like that! That was a great review! Good luck on your two exams!

Kamonkey, (and everyone else) there's a little more Forge for you ;)

Catc10, I think the total is going to be 32 chapters. It would have been more, but I wanted the last couple to be looong (well, maybe not that long but…). The story its'ef comes out to around 260 pages (I'm very proud of that ;).

Scribhneoir, you and Harry Lvr are both dead on with why I choose Lupin to be the first of Ron's old life to reappear. He's experienced as an 'outsider,' has a calming personality and knows how to approach tense situations. I love Lupin…as much as I love the twins and everyone else…but he's fantastic!

And to everyone! Thanks for the reviews and sorry about not mentioning the full moon in any real detail. You're just going to have to wait for it to pop up again!

Cheers!

Next Update: September, 6, 2005 (because it's a shorter chapter I'll post it sooner :)