Disclaimer: I still own nothing, except the evil werewolf-hunters, and who wants them anyway…
Hunted
Chapter 3: Captured
The area that was claimed by Michael Vastatore and his followers as their territory was mostly covered with vast forests. Smaller parts of it consisted of small valleys, where a few little towns were situated, and rocky hills. Most of these towns held only a few inhabitants, mostly Muggles, who were often paid by Vastatore to help him whenever he wanted their support, which could be helping him on his hunts, guarding prisoners or simply accepting him to play his gruesome games in their towns and their word to not go to the authorities.
Today, however, Vastatore wanted something else from the inhabitants of the small village of Wolfswood. He had assembled most of the villagers in the inn The Bleeding Calf, which was situated on the edge of the village and often served as his headquarters. Their instructions were simple: find a cave where a giant can live.
This should do the trick.
Last time the girl passed through this village, we followed her from here on. That giant can't live too far from here and he helped her, so that must mean they know each other.
If she is to travel here and find her werewolf, she has to have a place where she can safely portkey to. A place that isn't likely to be found. No one knows where that giant lives, so his home would be a likely place.
Since there aren't other giants here (they mostly live more to the north), his cave wouldn't be that hard to find, when one knows what they are looking for. If that is her portkey-place, she will probably return there, with the werewolf.
And we will be waiting for them…
Michael Vastatore smiled to himself. This was a good plan, they might still be able to find the werewolf and the girl. At least, if they found the cave soon enough, but that was the exact reason why he had called for the help of the whole village of Wolfswood. With all of them searching together, dividing the area carefully, it wouldn't take them much time to locate it.
000
Remus and Tonks walked through the forest in silence. They had opted for walking instead of apparating, so as not to leave any magical traces. If the Vastatore's were searching for them, they were likely to check for traces of travelling through magical ways, and Tonks had figured they were safer walking back to Grawp's cave, since it was less likely the hunters would search the whole forest, or even find them if they did, the forest was too vast to search completely.
We only have to reach the cave, we will be safe then, they wouldn't dare to come after us when we're home, or at least I hope they won't.
They walked in complete silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable, since both were lost in their own thoughts, and silence lessened the chance of being detected anyway.
Tonks noticed Remus glancing at her several times, and when their eyes coincidently met, he had offered her a nervous smile.
"Are you all right?" She spoke as soft as possible, but he still jumped a little.
"Yeah."
"Nervous?"
"A little." Very. Actually, nervous is an understatement.
"Don't be, everything's going to be fine, you'll see."
Their eyes met for a moment and they both smiled.
"Thanks."
"What for?"
"For Everything. For taking care of me." He hesitated, but continued a moment later. "I know you've tended to me after every full moon these last months."
For the first time since they had started walking, Tonks stumbled and almost fell, Remus easily caught her. "That's the first time today, I was wondering where your clumsiness had gone to." He remarked, really smiling now.
Tonks blushed. "Well, it depends on the situation, but I had to cave in my clumsiness and become a lot better at stealth and tracking to survive the war." He winced a little at the mention of the war and frowned again, he still felt guilty for not being there to fight with them.
She seemed to read his mind. "It's not your fault you couldn't be there, nobody blames you."
But she did blame him a little for not returning afterwards, although she didn't tell him that. She didn't have to, because he knew already and he felt slightly guilty for that too now.
They walked on in silence for a moment, then, "I didn't want you to know I was the one taking care of you."
"I know. And I didn't want you to take care of me."
"I know. But I wanted to."
"And I'm very grateful you did." If only you had any idea how much it meant to me, but I'm not going to tell you that, at least, not yet.
Their eyes met once more, both smiling at the other a little awkwardly, not really sure what exactly this conversation had meant, but knowing all the same there was more to it than what had actually been said.
They walked on in silence once more.
000
At last, they had reached the edge of the forest, Tonks was leading the way now, Remus walking right behind her on the overgrown path she was following. They were close to Grawp's cave now, but there was no trace of the giant, no sound whatsoever that showed of his presence, which was definitely a bit suspicious.
Normally, giants weren't the most subtle and quiet creatures alive, although Grawp had learned to be a bit less noisy in order to remain safely hidden, but what bothered Tonks the most, was the fact that every other time she had appeared near his cave, Grawp had been quick and enthusiastic to greet her.
Something must have happened to him, please let it not be the Vastatore's.
She motioned Remus to be careful and beckoned him closer to inform him of her suspicions, but it was too late. Suddenly, from everywhere around them, people jumped up, some brandishing their wands, Tonks recognised them as members of the Vastatore-gang, others holding crossbows or guns at the ready. Must be Muggles.
They were surrounded.
Someone started making his way through the close circle of capturers, and the next moment, Michael Vastatore was standing before them, sporting a malicious grin.
"Good afternoon, Miss Tonks, I'm very pleased to meet you again, since we didn't have the time for a proper goodbye, last time we met."
Tonks glared at the man standing before her, "I'd have been a lot more pleased if I didn't have to see you again for the rest of my life, Vastatore."
Vastatore tutted, "Now, that's quite rude of you, Miss Tonks, I believe my friends and me have always behaved like gentlemen in front of you, it's this kind of behaviour that has gotten you into trouble last time, you know, you treated us like scum, while all we wanted to do, was protect you from the big bad wolf." His grin turned even more malicious, if possible, as he turned his gaze towards Remus while he said this.
"It's quite an achievement I must say, a werewolf living on my territory without being found out. But that makes the eventual capture even more satisfying for me, and I'm sure the villagers will be very thankful I finally got rid of the beast for them."
Remus had tried his hardest to not show any sign of response, not wanting to give them that pleasure, but he couldn't help stiffen a bit at the final words; he knew deep inside which fate was waiting for him. Tonks seemed to have noticed this, because the next moment, he felt her small hand sliding into his, squeezing it reassuringly. Even under these desperate circumstances, the small gesture warmed his heart and gave him a little bit of hope.
Michael Vastatore had seen this gesture too, he laughed, "Isn't this precious, Little Red Riding Hood is trying to tame the wolf with a squeeze of the hand. Don't you know, girl, there is no way anyone, not even a very gifted witch like you, could tame a monster? Surely they taught you as much at school. It would be very interesting though, to see you trying this under a full moon, don't you think." The crowd around them sniggered.
Anger rose in both Remus and Tonks, Tonks opened her mouth to reply, but Remus beat her to it, after quickly letting go of her hand. "Do with me whatever you want, but leave Tonks out of this!"
This only made the crowd laugh harder. One of the other Vastatore-brothers, Graham, joked, "A werewolf trying to act like a gentleman, priceless," while the third brother, David, answered, "Why should we leave her out, it would spoil all the fun."
Tonks had turned to Remus, wide-eyed. "What are you saying, we're not going to let anything happen to us, we're going to find a way out of this, I escaped them twice before." Remus didn't answer her, he merely kept glaring at Michael Vastatore.
Vastatore apparently had heard Tonks' words over the noise of the crowd, or at least guessed them, "I wouldn't count on your giant friend to save you this time."
Tonks returned to glaring at the well-known werewolf-hunter and asked sharply, "What have you done with him?"
She didn't get an answer.
Michael Vastatore seemed to have decided at that point they'd had enough fun for now, he commanded his followers to tie up their prisoners tightly and go back to wherever they had come from.
000
They were only walking for an hour or so when they reached a village and a big part of the group that was escorting them went their own way down the village, probably returning home or to whatever were their daily activities. Only a few people kept accompanying the Vastatore-gang and their prisoners to their destination.
A little later, Tonks finally recognised where they were taking them. In the distance stood a small inn, a bit away from the actual village, a signboard clattering in the wind. It was the same inn where she had been very badly received last summer, when she had come searching for Remus here for the first time. Fading letters announced she had again arrived at The Bleeding Calf, and from the looks of it, Vastatore considered it as his Headquarters, he was surely acting as if he owned the place.
But then again, he probably believes he owns everything in the vicinity. I can't believe I was so stupid to walk straight into their arms, twice none-the-less.
Michael Vastatore gave a few instructions and the next moment, both Tonks and Remus were deprived of their wands and taken to different rooms in the inn, both with securely closed up windows and doors, and no way to escape whatsoever.
000
And thus the adventure really began…with a nice cliff-hanger, don't you think?
Please review…
Butterbeer to calm the nerves for everyone who reviewed (and everyone who reviews now, gets something even stronger next time, you'll need it then).
A/N to Becca: I don't have a beta and you seem to be good at spotting errors, so I wonder if you would want to be my beta, I'd be very thankful (only if you're interested of course, mail me).Or if anyone else would be interested in beta-ing my stories, let me know.