Chapter Two: Isolation.
There was darkness all around him. Shadows darted in and out of sight, almost birds screaming a warning that wasn't in time. Remus ran through the trees, breathless and petrified. It was right behind him, he could feel it, and he couldn't outrun it. A thunderous howl echoed in his ears, mingled with cries of pain.
Crashing through another bush, Remus lurched and tumbled down a steep slope. With a shout, he pitched forward into a shallow stream. For a brief moment, his head slipped under the surface. He came up gasping, splashing in a panic. He spat out a mouthful of water, only to realise a second later that it was blood. Eyes widening in comprehension, he slowly looked down. Swirling around him was his own blood, flowing where the stream had been not a moment before. A pair of glowing yellow eyes suddenly blinked up at him from the dark crimson swirls. With a yelp of fright, Remus struggled to stand, but something invisible seemed to be holding him down. He couldn't rise. Growing ever more panicked by the second with tears rolling down his cheeks, Remus managed to lift his head.
A full moon hung in the night sky above him, glowing through the gnarled branches of the trees. The silvery white orb appeared almost beautiful to his eyes … then a red glow swam over its surface, and Remus heard a vicious snarl behind him.
The werewolf was suddenly there, exactly as before. It was poised high on the opposite bank, half concealed in the shadows and the trees. The glowing yellow eyes swept over the area, the pupils dilated and black nose was snuffling and sniffing, trying to seek out its prey.
Curling himself up small and making desperate attempts to stifle his whimpering, Remus couldn't tear his eyes away from the monster, to close them, to pretend he couldn't see, to stop it seeing him …
Gleaming like jewels, the yellow eyes locked onto his own.
Frozen were he lay, all Remus could feel was the painful drumming of his heart beating in his chest. All he could hear was his ragged breath coming in short pants.
The werewolf leapt from its hiding place and Remus screamed, but his voice refused to be heard. Like a whisper in the night, no one could hear it.
Pain exploded in his chest, a monstrous paw was pinning him down … blood and tears blinding him, the only thing Remus saw was the razor sharp fangs as they went for his throat –
'NO!'
With a tremendous jerk, Remus Lupin sprang upright with a petrified scream. His chest heaving and his head spinning, he fell backwards and kicked out instinctively. Thin sheets gave way and Remus flung them off him in alarm. Just as suddenly, Remus froze. Trembling, he lifted his head and stared about him, his blue-grey eyes wide and confused.
He was in a long room with oak panelled walls and several beds. A small window to his right offered a limited view of an overcast sky and a little cabinet beside the bed he was lying in held an oil lamp. Slowly, his eyes travelling from one empty bed to the next, Remus noticed the parchment charts attached to the bedposts and potion bottles neatly arranged on one table at his end of the room. The only door was down the other end. It struck him straight away that he was alone. The other beds in the room were neatly made up and had clearly been unoccupied.
Where was he? Remus' chest tightened at the thought. How did he get here? Where was this place? Why was he alone? Where were his parents?
A growing sense of unease in his stomach, Remus kicked off the sheets. He was wearing a white night shirt that certainly didn't belong to him. It felt stiff and scratchy. Sitting up, Remus swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Then a wave of nausea washed over him. Remus clutched his stomach uncertainly, and as he did so, an abrupt recollection of sharp teeth came to him. His heart started to pound rapidly. He couldn't breathe. What was wrong with him?
Afraid to move, Remus stayed perfectly still, struggling to take a few deep breaths. When the dizzy spell finally passed and he felt a little steadier, Remus carefully got down from the bed. Padding across the floor on his bare feet, Remus hurried over to the window. It was too high for him to see clearly out of. Standing on tiptoes he caught a glimpse of some tall buildings, but none that he recognised.
His uncertainty mounting, Remus looked around the room again. Detecting a strong, very clean sort of smell on the air, Remus started to piece together the few clues in the strange room. Then it dawned on him. He was in a hospital. He'd heard his father say something about St. Mungo's Hospital to his mother some time ago, but Remus had never seen it before. Now it seemed he was inside it. But why, and how did he get here?
The charts. There was one hanging on the end of the bed he'd woken up in. Peering at the messy writing on the square parchment Remus found his name and date of birth at the top, followed by his father's name and another name he didn't know. The next line was harder to read, not only for the poor handwriting but there were some long words Remus had never seen before and after a few unsuccessful attempts to pronounce them under his breath, he gave up and scanned the rest of the chart. But he couldn't understand any of the medical terms scrawled across it. None of it made any sense, and it didn't tell him how or why he was in this place.
Giving up, Remus turned his attention to his next, and more pressing problem.
'Mum?' he tentatively said out loud. No answer. Raising his voice a little, he tried again. 'Mum? Dad?'
Still nothing.
Remus' breathing sped up again. Panic swept over him and without knowing why, he started to shout.
'MUM! DAD! Where are you?'
Head pounding, Remus sat down heavily on the floor, his legs shaking. Suddenly, a chill washed over him and the image of a shadowy monster appeared in his mind's eye; a monster with horrible, glowing yellow eyes.
'MUM!'
The scream echoed round the room, followed by hollow, choking sobs. Unable to grasp anything other than that something wanted to hurt him, had hurt him, Remus wanted his mother so badly he couldn't get up off the floor. He curled up in a protective ball and trembled. His voice wavering, he cried out again and dissolved into tears.
Then, he felt a series of vibrations through the floor. Heavy, rapid footsteps were coming this way. A flicker of hope and relief swelled in Remus' heart. His mother was coming. She'd heard him and was coming for him. He wasn't alone.
Lifting his head and turning his tear-stained face to the door, Remus' heart gave a leap as it was flung open.
But at the sight of the stranger that loomed in the doorway, Remus' heart fell back down into his chest in disappointment, and a little fear.
The tall, dark woman resembled a rather large pig in tight-fitting lime-green robes that was fighting to stay upright. Her black hair was tied back so severely that her forehead appeared stretched. Her double chin wobbled as she turned her head sharply, her eyes narrowing as they spotted Remus lying on the floor.
'What's all this racket?' she snapped, in a thick accent. 'Get up off the floor.'
Remus stared up at her and blinked. Her frown deepened and the witch stomped across the threshold, pulling her wand from her pocket.
'Get back into bed at once! You shouldn't be wandering around.'
Shaking, Remus hastily scrambled to his feet. The witch flapped her arms trying to drive Remus back to his bed. But Remus, unsure of himself, didn't move. The witch drew up short. A peculiar sort of sneer settled on her face as she renewed her efforts.
'Do you not understand English?' she said cruelly. 'Move!'
'Please,' said Remus softly, 'where am I?'
The witch scoffed, like anyone with an ounce of intelligence would know, but Remus was desperate for confirmation.
'St. Mungo's, now get yourself back into bed,' she said shortly.
'Where's my mum and dad?'
'Can't you do as you're told?' The witch stood with her hands on her hips. 'Get into that bed before I Bind you to it!'
Remus turned and dashed back down the room, climbed back onto his bed and pulled the sheets up over his legs, watching the witch apprehensively.
'Where's my mum and dad?' he asked again as the witch stomped past the bed to the potion table at the far end.
'Visiting hours are from four to seven,' was the curt reply. The witch kept her back to Remus as she started to mix potions together.
Remus glanced around the room for a clock but saw none. He hesitated, then asked, 'When will that be?'
A potion bottle slammed down on the table making him jump. The witch threw him a contemptuous look as she spun round to face him. Remus fell silent. Taking slow, heavy steps, the witch advanced on him. Pausing a few feet from the bed, she used her wand to send a child-sized goblet and a dark blue potion bottle flying over to the bedside cabinet. They hit the surface with a sharp clunk, nearly toppling over.
'Drink it,' said the witch.
Remus looked at it.
'What is it?' he asked.
The witch crossed her fat arms over her chest, looking down her bulbous nose at him.
'It'll make you sleep.'
Considering that he'd just woken from a nightmare, Remus was less than keen on taking it.
'No, thank you,' he mumbled.
The witch's eyebrows shot up. Swelling like a bullfrog, the witch made to move closer. Remus flinched. The witch suddenly stopped, her beady eyes flicking over the child, and then drew back. Instead, she raised her wand again and jabbed it at the potion bottle. It shot up into the air and tilted, pouring a dark green liquid into the goblet, some of it slopping over the rim and all over the cabinet. The potion bottle stayed up in the air as the witch made the goblet rise and hover directly in front of Remus' face. The boy's wide eyes darted from the goblet to the witch's scowling face. Why she was so angry, Remus didn't know. He hadn't done anything wrong.
'Drink it,' said the witch, her wand aimed at the goblet.
'But I don't want to sleep,' Remus protested, trying to hold the goblet away with his hand. 'I just want to know where my mum and dad are!'
As he started to get off the bed again, the witch practically leapt backwards, making a peculiar sound, half disgust and half … what? Fear? Remus caught the tone and stopped. Breathing heavily, the witch seemed furious.
'Stay right there or I'll call the head Healer!' she barked. A malicious light sparkled in her eyes. 'You either drink that potion now, or you'll be forced to drink it. Understand?'
No, he didn't. Completely mystified by the stranger's attitude and behaviour, Remus had no idea what to make of it all. But he didn't like the sound of being forced to do anything. Remus slowly retreated, and when the witch visibly relaxed, he tentatively reached for the goblet, still hovering in the air.
He sniffed it. The potion didn't smell too bad. Taking a tiny sip, Remus winced. It was very sour. He looked over the rim at the witch. She stood there, watching him like a hawk. Pinching his nose, Remus tilted his head back and obediently swallowed as much as he could without tasting it. Taking a gasp of air, he set it back on the cabinet beside him.
But the witch didn't appear satisfied. Her snout-like nose wrinkled and her lip curling, she used her wand to conjure a black bag and, with a forceful sweep, sent both the goblet and the potion bottle flying inside. The black bag sealed itself and the witch muttered a spell under her breath, jabbing her wand once more at the bag.
There was a muffled bang and the bag suddenly inflated like a balloon. Puffs of grey smoke seeped out of two tiny holes at the edges, and the bag deflated until it was completely flat. It was empty.
Remus opened his mouth to question as to what had happened to the goblet when an irresistible wave of tiredness washed over him. A yawn came out instead and his eyelids felt so heavy he could barely keep them open. The potion was working fast. The room was blurring. In the few seconds Remus managed to hold on to consciousness, he saw the witch summon the chart from the end of his bed with a quill, before he slumped back on the pillows and knew no more.
-o-
How long Remus stayed asleep, he didn't know; all he knew was that he was suddenly awake again and that he hadn't had another nightmare, for which he was glad. He lay there in peaceful darkness for a little while. The thought that everything that had happened to him was all just a bad dream and that he was back home was so enticing that he almost didn't want to open his eyes, in case he was wrong.
Then a new sound reached his ears. Voices, whispering, but close by. He knew those voices.
He opened his eyes. He was on his back and all he could see was the blurry ceiling. Blinking hard, Remus lifted a hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes.
'Remus?' came a startled voice.
'Mum?' Remus struggled to focus his eyes on the blur of long brown hair framing a pasty white face as it leaned over him.
'Remus! Oh, thank goodness!'
His mother's arms encircled his chest as Remus scrabbled to sit up and flung his arms around her neck. Diane hugged him fiercely, nearly crushing the air out of his lungs. Remus, however, felt like a great weight had been lifted off his chest. Finally able to see clearly, he tried to look for his father, but was saved the trouble as another pair of arms wrapped themselves tightly around him and his mother with a joyous cry.
But it was surprisingly short-lived. Diane drew back from her son and held him at arms length, her eyes red and swollen. Remus felt an unsettling sensation in the pit of his stomach. His father didn't look much better. Julian's usually neatly combed brown hair was stuck up in all directions and his clothes were as rumpled as though he'd slept in them. His eyes too, looked like he'd been crying.
It wasn't difficult for Remus to figure out that something was wrong. But even if his mother and father had looked perfectly normal and smiling, somehow Remus could tell there was something amiss. It felt wrong.
'Oh, sweetheart,' Diane whispered hoarsely as she ran a hand over his head to get his hair out of his eyes. 'How are you?'
'I'm okay,' said Remus, but as his parents exchanged fleeting glances, he wondered if it were true.
Turning back to her son, Diane sniffed and gave him a watery smile. Unable to speak, she wrapped her arms around him again and held him close. Remus slumped against her warm body and closed his eyes. He could feel her quaking beneath his touch. Then he stiffened. Her gentle hands had slid slowly down his back, feeling carefully. Remus squirmed and pulled back a little.
'Mum, that tickles,' he protested with a small laugh.
'Sorry,' Diane whispered. Seeing the haunted look in her eyes, Remus stopped smiling. She slowly raised her hand again and reached for him. He stayed perfectly still in silent acquiescence as she gently touched his chest. As her hand traced a light path down his chest to his stomach, Remus closed his eyes. His head was starting to throb. Diane's hand hesitated for a brief moment.
'Remus, will you lift your shirt up, please?' she whispered, her voice quivering.
'Diane,' hissed Julian. He sounded angry, yet pleading. 'Please, don't. You know what they said-'
'I need to see,' said Diane softly.
Puzzled, Remus did as she asked and slowly lifted his shirt up, exposing a strip of bare flesh.
His mother stared blankly for a moment. Then, her eyes tearing up, she shook her head and covered her mouth with a hand, failing to stifle a sob. Julian said nothing, but his eyes betrayed his emotions.
Confused, Remus looked down.
A huge dark mark, puckered by half-healed jagged scar tissue, marred his skin. Remus almost ripped the shirt as he pulled if off. The ugly mark spread across his chest and down his stomach. It looked awful. Diane closed her eyes, opened them again and then half turned like she couldn't bear to look, yet couldn't tear her eyes away. Gazing at his discoloured skin, Remus touched it carefully. It didn't hurt. He certainly hadn't even realised it was there. Running his fingertips over the mark, Remus felt it as it curved round his middle and halfway across his back.
His head was pounding and his breathing quickened. As Remus closed his eyes, the image of long, sharp teeth coming towards him flashed in front of him.
'It – it bit me,' he whispered. 'The wolf … it bit me …'
'We know, darling,' Diane whispered back. She was shaking almost as much as Remus.
'It was going to k-kill me …'
'It's all right,' said Julian. He got up from his seat and sat down on the bed beside his son and draped a comforting arm around his shoulders. Remus leaned onto him, letting the tears fall. 'I scared it off … it's not coming back.'
Remus just nodded. He remembered nothing of his parents finding him half-dead in the water. But his father's words were of some comfort. The wolf wasn't coming back to hurt him again. The nightmare was over.
A small smile tugged at Remus' lips at the thought and gradually he calmed down, his father holding and reassuring him.
Rubbing his eyes dry, beginning to feel like a baby for crying so much, Remus sat up properly and said, 'I want to go home.'
Diane smiled, but it seemed forced.
'We'll be going home soon. We just need to talk to the Healers first.'
Remus frowned. The Healer who had seen him earlier hadn't been very nice at all and the Sleep Potion had been nasty.
As if on cue, a knock came on the door of the ward, and an elderly wizard in the same uniform of lime-green robes with a crossed wand and bone emblem on the chest entered the room. He had a shiny bald head and horn-rimmed glasses, with a white quill tucked behind his ear. As he walked towards them, he gave the Lupins a gravely sympathetic look, like he'd just entered a funeral reception.
'Mr and Mrs Lupin?' he inquired, quite unnecessary for they were the only couple in the room. 'I'm Healer Dilwert, we spoke the other day regarding …' He made a limp gesture with his hand and carried on. 'I'm afraid we have done all we can for him now.'
Diane and Julian nodded. Remus looked from one to the other, then to the Healer.
'Can I go home now?' he piped up, hopefully.
The Healer threw Remus an appraising glance, like he hadn't expected the child to address him. Dilwert shook his head and spoke to Julian.
'Mr Lupin, there are a few forms you are required to fill in before your son may be discharged from hospital … and there is a Mr. Cuttlesworth waiting to see you.'
Julian frowned.
'And who is he?'
'He's from the Ministry,' said Dilwert. 'He's waiting for you in my office.'
An hour later, Remus was dressed and seated between his mother and father in a large office with oak furniture. Several Healing degrees adorned the walls alongside a few framed photographs of people who Remus assumed were Healer Dilwert's family, and a large portrait of a spindly witch with very short blond hair examining an eyeball in a bottle of greenish fluid. The caption underneath read: Dorcas Featherston, creator of the Prolapsed Eyeball Curse and its counter-jinx.
Healer Dilwert had shown the Lupins inside and left them with Mr Cuttlesworth. Mr Cuttlesworth was a well-built wizard of about thirty years with neat black hair, a straight nose and what Remus felt was a rather smarmy smile. The Ministry wizard had invited the Lupins to sit before taking Healer Dilwert's chair and folding his small hands together on the desk in front of him.
'Now then,' he began, putting on a pair of reading glasses and riffling through the large pile of parchment he'd pulled out of his briefcase, 'I can assure you both that this is a very simple procedure, just a few forms to fill in and you'll be on your way.'
'Um, excuse me,' said Diane, raising her hand tentatively, though her face was stern. 'What are these forms for? And why do you need to talk to us?'
'Well, you must understand there are procedures to follow,' said Mr Cuttlesworth, sanctimoniously. 'After incidents such as this we must ensure that every precaution is taken … given the implications of the, ahem,' he cleared his throat noisily, 'condition,' he finished in a half-cough.
Julian and Diane frowned. Remus just sat in silence and listened.
'Ah, here we are.' With a flourish, Mr Cuttlesworth laid a sheet of yellowish parchment before Julian and handed him a quill. 'It's all very simple, just fill in your name in full, your wife's name, name of the afflicted, dates of birth for all, date of the incident, time and location and so and so forth.'
'Name of the afflicted?' Diane repeated, incredulously.
Mr Cuttlesworth flashed her an indulgent smile.
'The boy,' he clarified. 'And we'll need to take a photograph for our records, which will have to be updated every five years.'
Julian was speed-reading the form, his brow furrowed.
'What department are you from?' he asked, lifting his head.
'I represent the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures,' said the wizard grandly, puffing up his chest like it was the most important announcement he could make.
'Which division?'
Mr Cuttlesworth cast Julian a look, before answering curtly, 'The Beast Division.'
Diane drew back and folded her arms.
'And what, exactly, makes this any of your business? We've already discussed everything with the Healers - '
'Who dutifully informed the Ministry straight away,' interrupted the wizard. He fixed Diane with a stern look, leaning towards her. 'Madam, your son was attacked by a werewolf … now I'm sure that the Healers have explained all the minor details to you regarding after-affects, but I am a Ministry representative whose duty is to ensure that all relevant information regarding such incidents are kept on file for the purpose of public safety. Your son's name shall be included on the register with his current address and occupation, if applicable. We must be informed of any changes to that information immediately. There can be no exceptions. Failure to comply will result in a hefty fine, or even a term of imprisonment.
'Now, then …' The wizard pushed his glasses up his nose and looked down it at Remus, who had stayed silent throughout the conversation so far, and gave what he apparently believed was a kindly smile. 'Do you remember what happened to you the night you were attacked?'
Mutely, Remus nodded. His mother put an arm protectively around his shoulders, glaring suspiciously at the Ministry wizard. He ignored her. He leaned forward, closer to Remus. Remus subtly drew back.
'Where were you that night?'
Remus swallowed hard.
'I was at Mr Ottoman's house,' he began, nervously. The wizard was staring at him intently and he found it very unsettling. 'I was in the garden with the other kids, we were playing with a Quaffle by the fence.'
Mr Cuttlesworth nodded and gestured for him to continue. Diane and Julian were listening carefully too, for they had not had the opportunity to ask Remus about it beforehand.
Brow furrowed, Remus struggled to remember. It was all rather hazy.
'Tyler stole it from us,' he said, thinking hard. 'He wouldn't give it back … I told him to give it back … and he threw it over the fence.'
'Into the woods?' said Mr Cuttlesworth.
'Yes,' said Remus.
'And you went after it?'
Remus nodded.
Diane put a hand over her mouth.
'Remus! Why in Merlin's Name did you go into the woods? You know never to go off like that!'
'But, Mum, I had to get the Quaffle back!' Remus cried. His mother sounded angry with him, but he had a good reason. 'You said I wasn't to lose it!'
Diane abruptly fell silent. Her large brown eyes stared down at her son. Remus, scared she was going to be angry with him anyway, carried on, trying to explain.
'It was only on the other side, in the water at the bottom, I was only going to be a minute …'
He trailed off. Tears were welling in his mother's eyes and she was struggling to hold them back. Dropping his gaze, Remus fell silent and put his hands in his lap. He'd been naughty, and it always upset his mother when he was. He tried hard not to upset her, but he'd only done what he'd thought was right.
After a few seconds, Mr Cuttlesworth cleared his throat again.
'So you went to get the Quaffle,' he stated. 'Then what happened?'
'I … I saw …'
Again, Remus fell silent.
'What?' said Cuttlesworth impatiently. 'The werewolf?'
Remus closed his eyes. He could still see it. The glowing yellow eyes staring deep into his own … the monstrous shape in the shadows … the horrible cry it made … the teeth rushing towards him … and the pain –
Shaking, Remus buried his face into his mother's side and clung to her. Diane gently rocked him back and forth, desperate to calm him. Anxiously, Julian moved over and put a hand on Remus' shoulder.
Cuttlesworth heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
'Come along now, I haven't got all day - can you describe the creature that bit you?'
Only several loud sniffs came by way of reply.
'What colour was it? Black? Grey? Brown?'
'I – I don't know,' Remus mumbled through the tears.
'Was it large for a werewolf? Full-grown would you say? Any distinctive markings?'
'Have you no heart?' snapped Julian fiercely. Turning an enraged face to the contemptuous wizard, Julian fixed Cuttlesworth with a glare a Basilisk would have been proud of. 'Can't you see you're frightening him? He's only a child!'
'He's a witness,' stated Cuttlesworth coldly. 'We require a description of the offending lycanthrope in order to trace him, or her.'
'My son has just woken up after four days unconscious! He's upset, and disorientated with a bloody great scar all over his chest and hasn't any idea what's happened to him! How dare you interrogate him like this!'
'It's a necessary procedure,' repeated Cuttlesworth, with no emotion in his voice whatsoever. 'And as for the scar it will fade soon enough. Bite marks from a werewolf heal very quickly, leaving little or no trace within a matter of weeks.'
Remus, hardly able to hear over the sound of his own croaky sobs, caught the last part and felt a tiny flare of hope. That ugly mark would fade in a few weeks. His mother and father wouldn't get upset by having to look at it any more.
'That doesn't give you the right to interrogate him like he has no feelings!' said Julian, getting to his feet. The sheer indifference in Cuttlesworth's face was enough to make Julian want to hex the obnoxious wizard's head up his own arse.
Leaning back in the chair, the Ministry wizard regarded Julian thoughtfully, carefully ignoring the sobbing child and increasingly distressed mother sitting across the table from him.
'Tell me, Mr Lupin, has anyone explained to you exactly what that bite means for the boy?'
Curtly, Julian nodded.
'Yes, the Healers told us,' he managed to say through gritted teeth.
'Then you understand what will happen in a few weeks … what he will become … or to be more precise, what he is. I shall be requesting a description of the boy's form by the end of the month, his colour and any distinguishing markings that will enable us to identify him should he cause any trouble.'
Trouble; there was that word again. Remus had only caught the gist of the conversation and barely understood what the wizard was talking about, but judging by the expressions on his parents' faces he knew they weren't happy with what they were being told. Indeed, his father looked furious.
'How dare you,' he growled. 'Do you honestly expect us to deal with this like it's all a simple matter of taking a few notes? This is our son's life we're talking about!' Julian's voice was breaking as he ploughed on. 'The Healers have told us there's nothing they can do, that's it's incurable – we need help, not vilification! You can't ignore what has happened.'
'I can assure you, Mr Lupin, that the Ministry is taking this matter very seriously indeed. The spread of this disease is difficult to monitor and control without some sort of system in place to keep track of those infected. You must assume the responsibility of keeping this under control … although if you don't feel that you'll be able to cope with the demands of having such a child in your care, then there are other options available to you.'
Julian and Diane exchanged a suspicious look.
'Such as?' asked Julian, his voice cold, but steady.
'Turn the child over to the custody of the Ministry and we shall reinstate him within a secure compound with others of his kind. He will be well cared for and protected, I can assure you.'
But Diane was not convinced by the smarmy smile.
'You mean to send him to some kind of institution, or an orphanage?' she cried.
Cuttlesworth looked offended and laughed her statement aside.
'Oh, no, nothing like an orphanage … most of the residents there are more mature yet have difficulty in accepting their situation and thus require constant care and attention to prevent self-harm.'
'Sounds like a prison to me,' Diane hissed to Julian, who nodded his agreement. She turned back to Cuttlesworth. 'I'm sorry, sir, but what you are proposing is out of the question; I will never send my child to some mental institution. He is seven years old and needs the support of his family.'
Mr Cuttlesworth merely nodded.
'Perhaps … though with all due respect I should warn you of the dangers associated with rearing such a child. There have been a few cases such as this in the past, whereby the relations have tried to carry on as if nothing has happened and the results … well … they were disastrous. It was foolish and downright dangerous but they refused the Ministry's aid. In the end, after several close calls, they opted for euthanasia on the advice of the Ministry.' He twisted his thin lips into a mockery of a smile. 'It would be the kindest thing.'
A stunned, horrified silence greeted this pronouncement.
Diane was breathing heavily through her nose. Julian was glaring murderously at Cuttlesworth but Diane beat him to it.
'Get out,' she said, her tone very dangerous. 'Get out … now.'
Cuttlesworth gave a huff of distaste.
'Well, I never -'
'You are a bigoted, snide, cruel, twisted excuse for a man who has no idea as to the meaning of kindness.' Diane's voice was getting louder very quickly. Remus stayed silent, to scared to say a word, looking from each of his parents to the Ministry wizard in dismay. 'How dare you suggest such a thing? It's inhumane – I'm reporting you to your superiors about this!'
'By all means, call them,' said Cuttlesworth, bustling about and repacking his briefcase with calm indifference. 'But I sincerely doubt they'll tell you any different. Your options are limited, and I suggest you chose wisely, for if he is ever responsible for the death of a human being, then euthanasia is the only option. There is an office for Support Services in the Being Division, though its aid is limited,' he added with a distasteful sneer and so hurriedly it seemed he didn't feel the information to be of particular importance. 'I shall expect those forms to be sent to the Ministry as soon as they are complete.'
Julian had had enough. He stood up, his hands balled into fists.
'You've said what you came here to say – now get out!' he roared.
Jumping about a foot in the air, Cuttlesworth scurried out of the room, looking scandalised.
Breathing heavily, Julian sank back onto his chair and covered his face with his hands. Ashen faced, Diane held Remus close and gently rocked back and forth, staring into space.
Remus remained silent. His mind was buzzing with questions but refrained from voicing them.
Why are they so upset, he wondered. I don't understand … why would that wizard want to send me away?
'Mum?'
Diane lifted her head and looked at him through teary eyes.
'I'm sorry.'
Diane's brow knitted in concern and puzzlement.
'What for?' she asked softly.
'For going in the woods …' Remus kept his eyes on his lap. His mother's disappointment was sure to be worse than her anger. 'I – I only wanted to get Mr. Ottoman's Quaffle back … I didn't know that the w-were … the wolf … I didn't … I didn't mean to be bad.'
His pronouncement was met with stunned silence. He kept his head down and spoke to his lap, or at least he tried to. But all that came out were a few mumbled syllables and a stifled sob. His mother pulled him closer and hushed him, her voice breaking.
'Oh, sweetheart … you didn't do anything wrong …'
Remus closed his eyes, a leaden sensation in his stomach. Sniffing, he asked, 'Why did that wizard want to send me away?'
'It doesn't matter,' said Julian firmly. He knelt down beside Remus to make sure his son could see him. Eyes full of tears, Remus reluctantly looked at his father. 'No one is sending you anywhere. You're coming home with us, okay?'
Remus blinked, and nodded. But he had another question.
'What's eu – eutha – that big word the wizard used?'
'Euthanasia?' his father repeated the word anxiously.
Remus nodded.
Julian exchanged a look with Diane. She looked horrified. Both were at a loss for what to say. When no answer came, Remus didn't know what to do. He was growing frustrated at his lack of understanding, but judging by his mother and father's reaction, he knew it wasn't good.
'It's a bad word,' said Julian, struggling to phrase it so the full meaning wouldn't frighten his son anymore than he already was. 'But I don't want you to ask about it again, all right?'
It wasn't a full answer, but Remus nodded acceptance of the instruction regardless. It didn't make him feel any better though. He drew himself out of his mother's embrace and looked up at her.
'Mum, I'm okay,' he said, wanting to stop her crying. Tears were rolling silently down her cheeks and her lip was trembling. 'I'm better now; I'm okay.'
'I know,' whispered Diane, stroking his soft, honey-brown hair tenderly. She forced a watery smile and wrapped her arms around him. 'I know.'
But it was a terrible lie.
Julian and Diane Lupin knew the truth; that their beloved child was anything but fine.
And he never would be.
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To Be Continued …
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Please leave a review. All comments and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.
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Author's Notes.
Aerlalaith – Yay, my first reviewer! I'm glad you liked the opening chapter.
Whisperinthenight – I had so much fun writing that scene. Wish I could do it over and over again.
NightSpear – I'm pleased you liked all the characters. Tyler is based on someone who used to pick on me when I was at school. Different name, same attitude. I was very tempted to let the werewolf kill him purely for my own sadistic revenge, but he's needed later. Aw, that's so nice of you to say so! I'm blushing. I've read quite a few variations myself so I had to come up with something a bit different.
As for posting – I hope to post once a week, although there may come a time when I catch up with myself and have to post as and when the chapters get written. I have chapter three ready to go, so I'm good for next week. That should give me enough time to get chapter four finished and on to chapter five. I've got the first twenty chapters or so plotted out; the rest needs fine-tuning. If I am unable to post for any reason, I will put a notice on my bio page.
Pallas – Thank you very much! I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic.
Lil Lupin – Yes, I'm very pleased at the response so far. It's going to be an awfully long fic so I hope people will like it enough to stay with it. By the way, I double-checked in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them', for where the Support Office was – it is in the Being Division. The Registry and Capture Unit are both in the Beast Division.
Christy – Hi! Glad to have you back again! Sorry it's taken ages to get a fic posted. I was working on the sequel to 'Take It Back' for quite a while but it's not going very well, so I'll be concentrating on this one instead. I promise not to discontinue this fic – I'm enjoying writing it far too much to do that.