The February moon was soon approaching and Remus was planning on spending the moon under the influence of the Wolfsbane Potion. Each night, without fail, he'd entered his heavily warded hut and taken a goblet full of the revolting potion in order to keep his human mind intact during the following full moon. He had taken to going to his hut for a 'rest' each evening since the previous moon, in order to establish a pattern that would not be seen as suspicious to the other wolves. Thus far, none of the wolves, Fenrir included, had noticed any discernible difference in his behavior, or his taking of the Wolfsbane Potion.
After his 'rest,' Remus exited and re-warded his hut to prevent the others from entering. Though he was beta, and entering his hut uninvited would have been a sign of deep disrespect from the other wolves, Remus felt it necessary to take the precautions in case any of them suspected his true alliances.
As he approached the bonfire for the evening feast before the moonrise, Remus felt a small, calloused hand on his arm.
"Mating season is upon us," Petra announced to Remus.
"And?" Remus growled. "I already knew that."
"You should have a mate, Remus," Fenrir rasped from behind Petra.
"I thought I was waiting for my—" Remus shuddered as he said the next word. "—plaything."
"The Ministry brat?" Fenrir croaked. "She can be your prize, toy, or second mate. You should have a mate from among our pack."
"Hmm," Remus mumbled noncommittally.
"Petra will help you choose," Fenrir decided, as he put his grimy, sharp claws on Remus' shoulder. "I have business to attend to tonight." Fenrir smiled wickedly at Remus and Petra; Remus felt a tightening in his midsection, thinking of the horrors Fenrir would be inflicting on others during the full moon. He looked up to the night sky, hoping the horrors would not be as terrible as he expected.
"Aurelia!" Fenrir barked. The petite, haggard werewolf woman appeared from beyond the bonfire.
"Yes, Fenrir?" Aurelia breathed.
"I need you now," Fenrir barked, as Aurelia hung her head and followed Fenrir to the cabin that housed the alpha and his mates. Remus shuddered as he thought of what Fenrir would be doing (or regularly did) to his mates.
"He has many needs during mating season," Petra said nonchalantly. "I expect he'll take a seventh mate soon."
"I see," Remus said, biting the bile back from the back of his throat. He shivered at the thought that Fenrir repeatedly took pleasure from his mates, if only to strengthen the mate bond. Only Petra appeared infatuated with the savage werewolf. What Remus had misinterpreted as adoration in the other mates' eyes the first night he arrived to the pack had actually been fear. What had been their 'defense' of Fenrir at Remus' dueling had merely been instinct upon seeing their mate in danger. Remus felt sick to his stomach as he thought of what the mate bond forced the werewolf women to do with Fenrir, and how powerless they were to resist it.
"Has anyone caught your eye, Remus?" Petra suggested. "Calliope is a recent addition to our pack," she added.
"No," Remus said firmly.
"Octavia, then? She is a little older, but may suit your needs," Petra suggested.
"No," Remus repeated, staring ahead into the fire.
"Choosy, aren't we?" Petra said suggestively. She looked out over the bonfire, seeking out the faces of the unmated female wolves.
"Salome is young, but she is ready to mate," Petra said, looking over at a young female werewolf. Remus recognized the girl; she had to be barely fourteen years old. The thought of touching the young girl was revolting.
"Absolutely not," Remus said harshly. "Absolutely no children," he spat.
"Salome is hardly a child, Remus," Petra insisted.
"Don't make me say it again," Remus spat. "No children."
"Very choosy, aren't we?" Petra looked gleeful at Remus' pickiness, as if it were a challenge for her to solve.
"Perhaps Fenrir will bring someone new," Remus suggested, hating the idea.
"You know he prefers to bring children," Petra murmured. "We cannot have our own, and he brings them to us to raise."
Remus bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from saying anything rash. It was truly abhorrent that Fenrir used the children to raise up his own werewolf 'army,' but provided them to his mates under the guise of kindness in lieu of the children they could never have.
"Maybe we'll get lucky then," Remus finally said. He forced out, "There are no others besides Calliope or Octavia?"
"Matilda," Petra mentioned. "She is plain, but available."
"I will wait," Remus declared. "I need not choose a mate tonight."
"Not tonight," Petra said, "but soon." Remus exhaled heavily and decided to find the children of the pack, who were nearly always terrified before the full moon. He found a gaggle of children far away from the fire, shivering in the cold.
"Remus?" David chattered in the cold, looking warily up at the older werewolf. "What do you need us to do?"
"Nothing, David," Remus replied. He took his wand and cast several Warming Charms on the children, who immediately felt the effects. They visibly relaxed under the heat.
"Thank you, Remus," Annie said gratefully. "You're always kind to us."
"Why shouldn't I be?" Remus asked gently. "How are you all feeling tonight?"
"It hurts," Hugh whimpered. The little boy was no older than six, Remus guessed.
"I know," Remus said. "I hurt, too. I was bitten when I was a little boy."
"Is Fenrir your father?" David asked with wide eyes. "He said he's our father now, and his mates are our mothers."
"No, I had a different father, but Fenrir did bite me when I was a boy," Remus replied, wincing at the idea that Fenrir considered his 'sires' his children. "I suppose Fenrir can be a sort-of father while you are here."
"Our mummies and daddies abandoned us," Annie said sadly. "When I was bitten, my mummy told Fenrir to take me away and never come back."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Annie," Remus said quietly. "You have each other now, don't you?"
"I hate it here," David said crossly. "I hate this place!"
"Shh, David, don't say that," a new voice cut in. It was Salome, the teenage werewolf. "Don't let them hear you say that."
"Why not?" David whined. "I hate it here! I want to go home!" David began crying, and Remus felt his heart tear at seeing the child weeping into his rags.
"Remus has made it better, David," Annie consoled. "We sleep inside now." Remus' heart broke when he realized what Annie had said – before he'd arrived, it was likely the children slept unsheltered and exposed to the elements, treated as no more than animals.
"Remus is a good beta," Salome chimed in. "He takes care of us."
"I wish Remus was our dad," Hugh moaned. "He's better than Fenrir!"
"Hugh!" Salome shouted. "You cannot say that!"
"Salome is correct," Remus added ruefully. "Fenrir is our alpha, but you have me now too." Remus placed his hand on Hugh's shoulder as the child shuddered with tears. The wretchedness of the children was heavier on Remus' soul than nearly everything else about the werewolf encampment. He vowed that should he succeed in his mission, he would find better housing for the forlorn children.
"The moon is coming," another hoarse voice said. The voice belonged to an older boy called Ezra, who acted as the sort-of leader of the child werewolves. "Should we undress?" Ezra added, looking up at Remus.
"Yes, it is nearly time," Remus said, looking up at the night sky and feeling his joints throbbing. "Undress here. We will see you in the morning," he ordered. The children, now shaking and trembling with the cold, began to undress as Remus walked away to his own hut to undress and leave his wand behind.
Moments later, Remus was naked and cold, hunched against himself behind a large tree in the woods behind the encampment. Several others were already naked and waiting for the moonrise. He hated this part of the full moon, when naked bodies would be curled up against the biting wind as they awaited the curse to twist their bodies and bones apart. The first cries of agony came from where the children were hunched together; the moon was rising.
In the next several minutes, howls and cries of anguish were heard all over the woods as one werewolf as another transformed from their human state to one of the wolf. Remus felt the Wolfsbane Potion take effect; the pain was excruciating, but he had not lost himself. He felt the tearing, the pulls, the bones shape-shifting and fur sprouting out from his skin, as well as the fangs that were protruding from his mouth. In several agonizing minutes, he was finally on all fours, a fully transformed werewolf.
Wolves began howling all around him and running through the forest. Remus had never taken Wolfsbane Potion and transformed with other werewolves. It was fascinating, his human brain thought, as he saw the werewolves acting on instinct with one another. He heard cries from one end of the forest and let his paws take him to the sound of the distressing noise.
The child werewolves were fighting amongst each other; Remus supposed the largest of the adolescent werewolves was Ezra, the de facto leader of the children. He was snapping and growling at the smallest wolf cubs, who were whining with fear.
Remus roared and snarled at the adolescent werewolf, growling loudly until it backed away from the other cubs. The werewolves all cowered before Remus, exposing their necks to him in signs of submission. Remus gently nipped at their necks, attempting to establish his dominance as beta once more. The child werewolves quieted down and began playing with one another, much to Remus' relief.
He then turned to the rest of the werewolf pack. There were some wolves fighting or roughhousing with one another in shows of dominance, but Remus merely had to snarl, growl, or roar at them to have them to submit to him. He hated himself for giving into the wolf instincts to establish dominance, but it was crucial he maintain his position of authority over the wolves, especially as he'd taken the Wolfsbane Potion.
A tantalizing scent reached Remus' snout. It was intoxicating and sensual. His human brain fought against the urge, but it was drawing him in and he felt himself trotting towards the source of the scent. Remus' paws took him to two female werewolves. Remus couldn't help himself. His snout took him directly to the base of their tails, and he sniffed deeply to find the source of the intoxicating scent. Remus began involuntarily whining at the scent until his human brain realized why it was so intoxicating: the two female werewolves were in heat. It was indeed mating season, and these two wolves were giving off pheromones in order to attract him to mate with them.
Remus willed his human brain to recall the female werewolves in their human state, and he howled loudly into the night sky to express his pain. The wolves weren't Dora. They would never be Dora. His human brain only wanted Dora. The scents that had been intoxicating to the wolf were now repulsive, as they did not smell like Dora.
The female werewolves, for their part, had become excited upon seeing Remus, their beta, upon them. They were playfully nipping at him and rubbing themselves on Remus' fur. Horrified, Remus turned on the spot and howled again. He ran as fast as his legs could take him away from the scent, determined not to be anywhere near the female wolves for the rest of the night. He ran for what felt like hours, exhausting himself in the process. Finally, exhausted and alone, he fell asleep at the base of a large tree.
…
The February morning arrived, and Remus found himself frozen to the icy ground. He was naked and shivering, and unsure where he was. He remembered falling asleep at the base of a tree, as far from the other wolves as he could go, due to the other wolves being in heat. He looked around him and realized he must have run several miles from the rest of the pack.
As was habit, he did a scan on his body to determine where he had injured himself. Thanks in part to the Wolfsbane Potion and the company of other werewolves, Remus was merely sore and bruised, likely from the transformation to and from the wolf state itself. He wriggled himself off the ground, rubbing his shoulders from the soreness within them. He looked up to the dawning morning sky and sat still, listening carefully for the sounds from the pack. In the distance – he guessed five or so miles – he heard the stirring and groaning of other werewolves. Remus scowled at himself for running so far from the pack.
Given his bare feet and the freezing temperatures, it was unsafe for him to walk or run back to the encampment. He would have to Apparate without his wand, which was already a risk, given his weakened post-transformation state. Remus sat for a few minutes as his naked body grew colder with the wind whipping against it. He had no other choice; he needed to wandlessly Apparate or die in the forest from hypothermia. He stood up gingerly from the base of the tree and thought "determination, destination, deliberation" with all his might, and turned on the spot.
Remus landed, breathless, in front of his hut at the werewolf encampment. He'd Splinched himself in the effort of returning to the hut, and a gaping wound in his thigh was the result. It was bleeding profusely, and Remus could see the exposed, torn muscles convulsing from the damage. He dragged himself, bleeding and gasping, through the wards of his hut. Blood was spilling all through the hut and Remus' legs as he became dizzy from the blood loss. He finally reached the hiding place for his wand, and held a bloody hand to it as he cast "Accio Dittany!"
The Dittany came flying out from his enchanted satchel, and he opened the jar of Dittany to begin applying it to his wound. Within minutes, the skin was stitching itself back together, but the blood loss had been severe, and he continued to feel nauseous and dizzy from it. He dragged himself to the rudimentary nightstand he'd had built, and opened it to find several bottles of Blood Replenishing Potion. He un-stoppered two vials and drank them immediately. It took a few minutes to feel the effects, but he was finally beginning to feel less dizzy. He needed food to improve the efficacy of the potion, so he dressed, hastily and weakly, to see if any food remained from the feast the night before.
Just as he was re-warding his hut and leaving it, haphazardly dressed, piercing screams broke the otherwise silent morning. Fenrir had returned from the night, and he carried two children by the scruffs of their necks. The children were screaming a bloodcurdling cry into the morning, clearly terrified by the man who held them and the sights before them.
The children had been bitten and both were bleeding profusely. Before Remus could think twice on it, he reentered the hut and found the Dittany and two more bottles of Blood Replenishing Potion. He cursed his luck; he needed powdered silver if he were to save the children from death.
"Fenrir!" he called, rushing to the werewolf's side. Remus' face fell when he saw the children. They were both pale from blood loss, although they had managed to remain slightly wriggling and whimpering under Fenrir's clutches.
"Are they alright?" Remus thundered.
"They're fine," Fenrir rasped, smiling broadly. "Little treats, aren't they?"
"We have to save them," Remus ordered. "Is there powdered silver here?"
"Why do you care to save them?" Fenrir demanded. "What are they, to you?"
"You want our army to grow stronger, no?" Remus asked quickly. "These two will serve us well. We must save them if they are to join us."
Fenrir released the children as they fell to the ground. "Petra!" he roared. Petra appeared, hastily dressed, at Fenrir's side.
"Get the silver," he ordered, as Petra turned around to the cabin to fetch the material. Remus was already on his knees, applying Dittany to the two children's wounds and tipping vials of Blood Replenishing Potion down their throats. The children's color was returning, but without the powdered silver, it was unlikely they would survive much longer. They were convulsing from the curse that was now spreading through their veins.
"Now!" Remus ordered, seeing Petra coming back with the powdered silver.
"That's my mate, Lupin!" roared Fenrir, slapping Remus across the face.
"You'll appreciate it when these two are part of your army," Remus spat, as Fenrir growled and turned away, making to tear off a hunk of a deer carcass to feed upon in the light of day.
Remus didn't care; his mind was set on healing the two children. He snatched the powdered silver from Petra and mixed some of it with the Dittany. He applied the mixture to the bite marks on both children, and their bodies slowly stopped convulsing. The wounds were being sealed with the silver, and if Remus was successful, both would live as werewolves for the rest of their days.
"Get Salome," Remus ordered, eyeing Petra. "She will help us." Petra glared at Remus, but did as she was ordered.
A barely-dressed Salome appeared at Remus' side, eyes wide and concerned upon seeing the two frail figures on the ground.
"I believe I've been able to heal them," Remus said. "Please keep an eye on them for me. I need to talk with Fenrir. I will return to check on them in some time." Salome nodded, and turned the children, both boys, by the looks of their clothing, to more comfortable positions on the ground.
"Fenrir," Remus began, facing the savage wolf. Fenrir's facial hair was matted with blood and fur; whether it was from biting the children or chomping inelegantly into the deer carcass, Remus didn't want to know. "I apologize for being short with you. I was pleased you brought us children and I did not want to lose them," he said slowly. "I was speaking to the children last night and they referred to you as their father. I had been hoping I might have children of my own, as well," he lied.
"You want them?" Fenrir asked, a surprised look in his face.
"I have no mate yet, and when I do mate, she will not be able to bear my children," Remus said, through gritted teeth. "I was hoping to present children to her as a gift."
Fenrir appeared to be thinking over the proposition. "Fine," he grumbled. "They can be yours. I'll get new treats at the next moon." He smiled wickedly, blood dripping from his mouth and onto his matted facial hair.
"Are their parents alive?" Remus asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.
"What's it to you?" Fenrir grumbled.
"I was unsure if we should expect them to come after them," Remus replied.
"They won't," Fenrir said, with finality to his voice; Remus was uncertain if it meant the parents chose to abandon their children or if Fenrir had killed them. There was a pause before the alpha spoke again.
"Did you mate last night?" Fenrir asked.
"No idea," Remus lied. "I suppose we'll know soon enough, won't we?"
"You'd have felt it if you were successful," Fenrir rasped. "No better feeling." Fenrir took another hunk of carcass and ripped it off savagely with his canines.
"I look forward to experiencing it, myself," Remus lied. "Allow me to tend to my children, then." Fenrir grunted in agreement as he swallowed a large bite of flesh.
Remus returned to where Salome was tending to the young boys who had been bitten. They were still crying and whimpering, but seemed calmer with Salome at their side.
"How are they?" Remus asked concernedly; the boys cowered upon seeing Remus approaching them.
"Alive," Salome whispered. "I think they'll live, but they were badly hurt."
"I'll take them to my hut," Remus told Salome. "Bring us all food, please." Salome nodded and followed the order, standing up to fetch food from where it was being prepared.
"Hello, boys," Remus said kindly. "I am Remus, and I will take care of you." The boys were terrified and backed away. "I will not hurt you, I promise. I healed you this morning." He smiled warmly at them and offered his arms to the boys. He guessed they were both between four and six years old, based on their size and stature. The boys looked at one another in fear.
"I'll tell you what," Remus said gently. "I have some chocolate. Would you like some?" The slightly older boy nodded and looked back to the other; Remus supposed they must be brothers. Remus held his hands out to the boys, and they each took one as Remus led them to his hut, un-warding it so that Salome could come in to bring food. He placed the boys on his bed and produced two small bars of chocolate, one for each boy, and began cleaning and redressing their wounds as they rested and ate in silence.
"Remus?" Salome's voice could be heard from the other side of the door to the hut. "I brought food."
Remus stepped out from the hut and smiled when he saw what Salome had brought; she'd managed to bring cleaner cuts of cooked venison and two loaves of bread.
"Thank you, Salome," he said, as the young werewolf smiled back at him and turned to return to the bonfire.
"Are you going to eat us?" the younger boy asked Remus. Both boys looked apprehensively at him.
"No, I'm not," Remus said. "I am here to help you now."
"Where are we?" the older boy asked.
"Before I tell you more, what are your names?" Remus asked gently. "I am called Remus, and you may call me that. I'd like to call you by your names, too."
"Denys," said the older boy.
"Wally," said the younger.
"Denys and Wally, it is very nice to meet you both," Remus said softly, while holding out his hand to them. "How old are you?"
"Seven," said Denys, while Wally said, "Six."
"How old are you?" Wally asked, wide-eyed. Remus chuckled. "I'm almost thirty seven years old." He thought for a moment, and then cast a Silencing Charm and a few privacy charms on the doorway to the hut, in order to prevent being overheard.
"Are you a wizard?" Denys asked, eyes wide with shock.
"I am," Remus confirmed. "I am also a werewolf." Both boys backed away immediately, looking terrified.
"You are going to eat us!" Wally screeched.
"No, I'm not," Remus soothed. "I promise, I do not want to eat you. I had food brought for us. Are you hungry?" The boys looked at one another before looking back at Remus.
"Here, have some bread," Remus said, while giving large pieces of bread to each of the boys.
"Now, tell me, Denys and Wally," Remus asked. "What do you know about magic and werewolves?"
"Our dad is a wizard," Wally said. "He said werewolves are big, scary monsters."
"Some of them are, yes," Remus said thoughtfully.
"Like the one that brought us here!" Denys shouted. "He was going to kill us and eat us!"
"The one that brought you here is called Fenrir," Remus said. "He is the alpha or leader of this camp. You will be staying with us know, I'm afraid."
"Why? I want to go home!" Denys whined. "Take us home, please!"
"I'm afraid I can't right now, Denys," Remus said softly. "But I will try as soon as I'm able, alright?" The boys nodded and ate more bread.
"You said your dad is a wizard," Remus reminded. "What was his name and your mummy's name?"
"Dad's name is Lawrence," Wally said. "Mummy's name is Lottie."
"Your last name?"
"Wakefield," the boys replied in unison.
"Your parents are Lawrence and Lottie Wakefield," Remus repeated. The boys nodded.
"I'll try to find them for you, okay?" Remus said. "I'm afraid it might take some time but you will be okay here, I think."
"Now, I've got to get something done, but I want you two to come with me first," Remus said. "There are a few other children here who will keep you company."
Denys and Wally stood up, looking apprehensive, but followed Remus out of the hut as he warded it once more against intruders. He led them by hand to where the children's hut was, finding poorly dressed children there. He winced and hoped he could improve the children's clothing situation as soon as possible.
"Hello," Remus greeted the children. "These boys are staying with us now. They are called Denys and Wally," he added. "Please make them feel welcome. I'll come back to check on you lot later." Denys and Wally shyly introduced themselves to the other children, while Remus walked into the woods, ready to Apparate to send a message to Dora and Dumbledore to let them know of his survival.
He walked into the forest and turned on the spot, now healed from blood loss and having his wand in hand, making it easier to Apparate safely to the woods near his home. To his surprise, someone was waiting for him there.
"Andromeda!" Remus croaked. "What are you doing here?"
"The pendant was warm this morning," Andromeda explained. "But you're alive."
"I Splinched myself this morning," Remus rasped. "A great deal of blood loss." He furrowed his brow. "You didn't try to come see me, did you?" he asked in a panic.
"No," Andromeda replied. "I knew you had gone to Fenrir, and I wouldn't have come unless it was burning hot, as you suggested. I came here anyway, in the case you needed help."
"That's very kind of you, Andromeda," Remus said gratefully. "I come here to send my Patronus messages to Dora and Dumbledore, so the other wolves are unable to see me cast the charm."
"Don't let me stop you, then," Andromeda gestured.
Remus cast the Patronus Charm twice and sent his wolf bearing messages to both Dumbledore and Dora to let them know he was still alive.
"That's all you tell them?" Andromeda asked, with her brow raised in disappointment.
"I can't say more, really," Remus said. "I am glad to see you here though, as I could use your help with another matter." Remus cringed, knowing what he would be asking would be difficult.
"What will be difficult, Remus?" Andromeda asked shrewdly, as Remus remembered Dora's mother was a natural Legilimens.
"Fenrir bit two children last night," Remus said softly, as Andromeda gasped and covered her mouth.
"Are they—"? Andromeda's voice trailed off.
"They are alive, and they will be werewolves now," Remus replied quietly. "If that's what you're asking. I saved them myself just this morning. Fenrir had other plans for them." Andromeda's face blanched with the realization.
"The Wakefields," Andromeda whispered. "The attack was in The Prophet this morning."
"Their parents are called Lawrence and Lottie," Remus explained quickly. "What did The Prophet say?"
"Their father died, Remus," Andromeda sadly informed. "Their mother was badly injured, but as she is a Muggle, they are calling it a wild animal attack. They assumed the children died in the attack. St. Mungo's is working on her case, but The Prophet said she's been critically injured."
"It was Fenrir," Remus said angrily. "He killed their father and took the children with him. I don't know how I'm going to tell them. They're just children!"
"They're children who will need kindness," Andromeda said. "I will return here at the next moon to let you know if I know any more."
"Thank you, Andromeda," Remus said. "I must be going now, or they will grow suspicious at my absence."
"Good luck, Remus," Andromeda said softly.
"Thank you, Andromeda," Remus replied. "If you see Dora before I do, give her my best." Andromeda nodded before Apparating away, leaving Remus to Apparate back to the encampment holding him prisoner.
…..
It was Remus' 37th birthday. He didn't tell any of the wolves at the encampment, as he considered it a waste of his time and effort. The wolves had little to celebrate with, and he decided it would be best to ignore the matter altogether. That is, it was easy to ignore, until a comically large package bearing Honeydukes chocolate arrived at Remus' hut's door in the middle of the bonfire dinner.
"What is that?" Fenrir roared, standing suddenly and lumbering to Remus' hut.
"It looks as though our beta has a secret admirer," Fenrir jeered. "Look at all the chocolate!"
The wolves looked around at Fenrir; most were sporting expressions of envy and intrigue. The child werewolves were especially interested in the commotion. Remus stood and met Fenrir at the entrance of the hut to see the pile of chocolate there.
"Who sent this to you?" Fenrir demanded. Remus looked through the package, but it did not contain a note.
"There's no note," Remus explained.
"But who would send a pitiful, poor werewolf such a gift?" Fenrir jeered. "The Ministry brat, perhaps? Looking to make up for her errors?"
"I've no idea who sent it to me," Remus lied. He supposed it had likely been Dora, as she had included multicolored chocolates and several bars of his and her favorite chocolate in the package. Not to mention it had arrived on his birthday, and few outside the Order knew his birthday.
"Get rid of it," Fenrir rasped. "We are your family now. You don't need any of this."
Remus stared in disbelief at Fenrir. Get rid of the chocolate? Remus had thought to share it with the other wolves, especially the children, who very likely wanted some of it for their own.
"I'd be happy to share this with the others," Remus began, before Fenrir slapped him across the face, leaving trails of blood across Remus' scarred cheek.
"There is no need for this," Fenrir said wickedly. "This is your pack now. You will want for nothing with us."
"Fenrir, really—" Remus protested
"Get rid of it and show your loyalty!" he roared. "The brat will be your plaything soon enough!" he hissed.
Remus stood frozen in place, staring at the pile of chocolate. He wanted it so badly, especially knowing it had almost certainly come from Dora. The gesture was so thoughtful and sweet; he truly didn't deserve to know here.
"GET RID OF IT!" bellowed Fenrir, as the werewolves around the bonfire all looked on attentively.
Remus pulled his wand out of his threadbare cloak and pointed it at the pile of chocolate. With a single tear rolling down his cheek, he whispered "Incendio" and the pile went up into flames. He stared at the ashes were the chocolate had been, as Fenrir clapped him loudly on the back. He had never had a worse birthday.
…..
It was just a few days before the March full moon, and a new member had joined the pack that night. This wolf, like many others, as Remus had learned, had come from Caspian's settlement because they had been rejected. This wolf was apparently rejected after three moons, and was rather unhappy about the new arrangement. He was called Morris, and had taken the news that he'd been shuttled to Fenrir's encampment rather poorly.
"What do you mean, I'm Fenrir's now?" Morris demanded loudly upon entering the encampment. "Like hell I'm going to join him!" Several werewolves sat up straighter around the bonfire, looking at the unfolding scene before them.
"It's the way it is," Cassius explained in his gravelly voice. "You're his and Lupin's now."
"Who the fuck is Lupin?" Morris shouted at Cassius. Upon hearing his name, Remus turned around to see Cassius leading the newcomer to the encampment and making their way to Fenrir's cabin.
"Cassius, allow me," Remus interjected. "I'll take it from here."
"Who are you?" Morris asked grumpily.
"I am Remus Lupin, the beta," he explained calmly. "You are?"
"Morris," the man replied. "I came from Caspian's settlement and the wanker sent me here!"
"Ah," Remus understood. "I understand your frustration, but this is where you belong now."
"Like hell I don't! I'm not joining you!" Morris protested.
"Morris," Remus said gently. "It's not so bad as you think it is. There is food, shelter, and a strong pack here. You will be cared for."
"Have you seen what you look like?" Morris demanded angrily. "You and all the other miscreants look bloody terrible! This is a prison!"
"Believe me when I say it could be worse," Remus said quietly. "We are working to make it better."
"Bugger it all. I'm not staying here," Morris vowed. "You're the beta?"
"I am," Remus said solemnly. "I highly suggest you heed my advice before you do something rash. Do you have a wand?"
"Snapped by the Ministry toad," Morris grumbled. Remus' heart sank; without a wand, Morris didn't stand a chance against Fenrir.
"I really think you should reconsider," Remus suggested.
"Fuck you," Morris said, shoving Remus back. "Where is that bloody Fenrir?" Morris demanded.
Remus sighed. "Follow me," he told Morris. Remus went to the cabin and announced himself to Fenrir.
"Fenrir," Remus said tiredly. "New wolf from Caspian. He's a handful."
"Nothing I can't handle," Fenrir said, sharpening his claws.
Remus exited the cabin and turned to face Morris. "He'll see you now," Remus said, with a sad sigh. He suspected the meeting between Fenrir and the enraged newcomer would not go well.
Remus stood outside the cabin and heard shouting, snarling, growling, and inhuman cries of pain. Several werewolves were standing around the cabin overhearing the violence of what was happening within. After several minutes of bloodcurdling screams of agony, Morris was thrust out of the cabin. He was mangled, bloodied, and broken beyond recognition.
"Take him to St. Mungo's," Fenrir ordered Remus. "So everyone knows I am the lord of the werewolves!"
Remus nodded and approached Morris's bloody, battered frame. He looked at the large gashes, bite marks, and other injuries Morris had sustained at Fenrir's wrath. He was very nearly dead, as his throat had been torn open and Remus could see the poor man gasping for breath. It would be a miracle if he even survived Apparition to the hospital.
Remus took the man by the slumped shoulder, and turned on the spot, Apparating directly to St. Mungo's in the middle of the night. As soon as he released Morris to fall to the floor of the waiting room, Healers came rushing in. Remus, knowing he couldn't be caught as himself in the place, regretfully Apparated back to the encampment.
"You got him there?" Fenrir sneered.
"Yes," Remus said shortly. "The Healers have found him. I suspect he won't live much longer. You were thorough."
"Let this be a lesson to you all!" Fenrir thundered loudly. "No one, not a single one among you, dare speak to me with that tone of disrespect unless you prove yourselves to me!"
The werewolves all cowered under Fenrir's speech. The only wolf who had "proved" himself to Fenrir had been Remus, and all that was due to Remus' magical prowess and strong dueling skills. Fenrir had found a worthy match in Remus, allowing Remus to take a leadership role. The insolent, brash Morris had nothing to give Fenrir, and so was eliminated from the pack.
Fenrir returned, victorious, to his cabin, where his mates all followed. Looking up at the night sky, Remus saw the moon getting fuller. His body shuddered at the sight, and he looked back to the fire, wondering when the ordeal would be over.