Author's Notes: I've gotted a few more reviews, so I've updated. Hope you enjoy. Also, I've figured out the dividers! but it still won't accept stars for some reason. oh well.

Disclaimer: JKR owns all.

Chapter 7: Moonlit danger

The moonlight is waning, but danger's no stranger here. – Disney's Tarzan

"Remus, guess what?" said James, clearly excited. He and Remus were sitting under a large oak tree near his house in the moonlight. The biting wind blew the boy's hair and they shivered.

"What, James?" Remus asked, digging a small hole in the dirt with his finger.

"I've got a surprise for you." James answered with a wicked grin. A disembodied snort rang out from behind them. Remus jumped. He stared hard at a place a little to James' left from where the snort had come. There wasn't anything there.

But then, the invisibility cloak was whirled about, revealing a grinning Sirius.

"Sirius!" cried Remus, delighted. He dove and play wrestled with his friend.

"Dog pile!" James shouted, throwing himself into the heap.

They wrestled for a while before James and Sirius had to return home, promising they would return in two nights.

Still smiling, his cheeks pink from the fun and from the cold, Remus crept inside his house, unaware of the Waxing Gibbous moon hanging overhead.

(a pub in Nockturn Alley)

A large, black velvet bag of gold fell loudly on the grimy table.

"Will this be enough?"

A man leaned back in his chair, falling into shadow. His golden eyes glittered under his hood.

"It might."

Regulus Black narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. The less words exchanged between him and the disgusting werewolf, the better.

"But then again," the beast continued, "It depends on how much trouble I meet."

"You only have to kill one small child. Perhaps two."

"Perhaps two?"

"I understand that he's been sneaking out to play with the Potter brat." Regulus glanced around the dim pub to make sure no one was listening. He need not have bothered. It was noisy, and half the occupants were drunk.

"Potter?" asked the werewolf, mildly interested. "That's a right powerful family. I'll be damned if I get any one of them on my trail."

"If you have any problems, I'll boost my payment. Now if you'll excuse me, I have...other business to attend to." That was a lie; he just wanted to get away from the hideous creature. Black got up to leave, but the werewolf stopped him.

"What do you want me to do with the bodies?"

"Whatever you want."

He hurried away, pulling his hood farther over his face. The last thing he needed was to be seen in the company of a werewolf.

Remus quickly buttoned up his coat. Then, he quietly went down stairs and out the door to the tree where he would meet James and Sirius. As he walked out the door, he didn't even notice the full moon hanging, seemingly innocuous over head.

The night was crisp and the full moon illuminated everything with a silvery glow. It was getting on to November, but Remus didn't feel the cold as he walked briskly.

He reached the tree and sat down to wait. It wasn't long until the air shimmered and his two best friends appeared, grinning like maniacs. Remus smiled.

"So," said Sirius, clapping his small hands together. "Where shall we explore tonight?"

Remus shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. What do you think, James?"

James thought for a moment. "Let's go...to the Meadow! Yeah! We haven't been there in forever!"

The Meadow was a small pasture that had been used for farming in the Middle Ages. But since the Lupin family had come to live in those parts, it had gone wild. The boys loved playing hide and seek in the tall grass that was almost as tall as they were. They set off, racing happily, laughing as they ran.

With a howl and snarl, the hireclaw, as people like him were called, charged into the forest with only one thought on his wolfish mind. Kill the two brats. His muscles rippled under the sleek reddish fur. An evil, intelligent light shone in the monster's eyes as he contemplated his task.

The wolf didn't know why the man part of him wanted to do kill the cubs, but it was to the wolf's liking, so he did not question the plan. Easily, he loped through the trees, a silent, but efficient killing machine.

Almost invisible in the darkness, the werewolf caught a scent. There were three of them, he decided. This puzzled him slightly, but he decided that it didn't really matter. Heading west, the werewolf sped up. The scent was only a few hours old.

Author's Notes: A hireclaw, is a werewolf hired like an assassin. Did you like Chap. 7? If you did, REVIEW! (But review anyway, even if it's not your favorite.) Thanks!

–Moony