Remus Apparated near the house where Wendy was being held and immediately fell to the ground as the transformation began. He had hoped to arrive soon enough to detect some of the protective wards, but time had been against him.
When the transformation completed, a wolf stood on shaky legs where a man had been. After a few minutes, he felt strong enough to explore his surroundings and tested the air to see if anyone was nearby. Sensing no one, he tried to feel out for any of the magical wards. As he had expected, his magical senses were quite dull. He could tell that powerful magic had been used in the area, but nothing more specific.
Deciding to take his chances that his wolf form would prevent his detection, he loped toward the house. After five minutes, he gained confidence that his theory about being able to pass undetected as a wolf was valid. Surely, the Death Eaters would have come to investigate an intruder by now. And it seemed that an animal could not activate any of the destructive wards. His confidence bolstered, he picked up his pace and began running toward the house.
When he arrived at the house, he could see no lights; all the windows were blacked out. Even so, he moved cautiously around the outside of the building looking for a way in. He saw a window that was partially open. Standing on his hind legs, he could just nose the window further open. He hoped it was far enough that he could jump through quietly.
The room beyond was dark and quiet, but his wolf senses were perceptive enough to allow him to see and hear. The house was oddly quiet, so he carefully opened the door with his paw. Once he could get his snout through the crack, he sniffed the air. He caught Wendy's scent, but she wasn't on this floor. Further investigation of the air led him to conclude the ground floor was deserted.
Slipping through the door, he walked back and forth down the hall to determine which direction he should go based on where her scent got stronger. Deciding to go left, he quickly located the stairs. There was another strong scent mingled with hers, one that was almost familiar. He reasoned it must be Malfoy's, and a low growl rumbled in his throat.
Once at the top of the stairs, he tested the air trying to ascertain which room she was in. Before he could locate her by scent, he heard the squeaking of wood coming from a room on the right. He tried to push the door open, but found it closed. This door had a knob, which he could not operate.
Sniffing desperately at the door, he could tell they were both in there. Judging from the sounds and scents, they were having sex. Driven by anger, he lunged at the door.
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Wendy had become detached from her current situation. She knew that she couldn't do anything to Lucius right now, or she risked incurring the Dark Lord's wrath. With her as his captive partner, his sexual urges had begun leaning somewhat toward the deviant side. She was desperate to find a way out. Before, he had been a tender and gentle lover; now, she found her hands tied to the headboard.
When they heard the thump at the door, they both stopped and looked. "Go away, Wormtail," Lucius growled. He was about to resume thrusting when there was another thump at the door. "She's mine!" he shouted at the door. Deciding to hex Wormtail, he rose from bed, picked up his wand and was walking toward the door when it splintered under the attack of a determined wolf.
Wendy cried out in surprised as something large and furry charged into the room. After a few seconds, she realized that it was Remus.
Lucius had dropped his wand and was trying to pry the wolf's jaw off his throat. The deep rumble of the growl filled the room.
"Don't kill him!" she shouted. With one quick yank, she broke the slat on the headboard, scrambled across the room, grabbed Lucius' wand, and freed her hands of the bonds. If Remus got in, perhaps I can get out?
Remus backed away, but did not stop growling. The fact that no one else arrived indicated they were the only ones in the house.
"Get dressed," Wendy ordered. She used his wand to transfigure his cloak into something more suitable for her. Once she was properly attired, she grabbed her necklaces off the table. "Now, we're leaving."
Remus barked in protest.
"I need the Mark to leave. He happens to have one." She shoved Lucius out of the room.
"You're making a serious mistake," Lucius protested. He jumped as the wolf nipped at his heels.
"No, dear Lucius. It is you that has made the serious mistake. You will have to explain to your master how you lost him the ring. But I find I don't want to listen to you anymore." With a twist of her wrist, she silenced him. "Perhaps I can alter you memory to ensure the Dark Lord punishes you severely." Remus nudged against her, clearly displeased with her behavior.
Once they exited the house, Wendy stood very close to Lucius. "Now, guide us out of here. Know that I can use the ring to wreak havoc if you don't do so safely." She subjected him to a small round of Cruciatus to get his attention. Once again, Remus nudged her in disapproval.
After about fifteen minutes, she could tell that they were past the protective wards. Remus bounded about, trying to encourage her to leave.
She held her hand up in front of Lucius and gave him back his voice. "What should I do with you?"
"You're a blood traitor," he snarled.
She smiled proudly. "Of course I am. You were the one naïve enough to believe I was anything else. I will thank you for defending me from Bella. She could have blown my cover." Once again she subjected him to Cruciatus. This time she relished the cries of pain it elicited. She only stopped when Remus barked at her. She grabbed Lucius' chin in a chokehold and forced him to look up at her. "Know this, Lucius, I used you and you never knew it. All you could think of was being with your precious lover." Before releasing him, she altered his memory so that he would not be able to reveal her duplicity and stunned him. The evidence would show that someone broke into the house and abducted her, and his memory would support that conclusion.
Moving closer to Remus, she knelt down and pulled out her locket. "I don't know how Side-Along Apparition with you in this form would work." He put his paw on her hand and she activated the Portkey.
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Once they were back at home, Remus danced around in agitation. He wished he could communicate with her. He knew they had to leave. He ran back and forth between her and the door, hoping she understood.
Wendy sounded tired when she replied to his barking. "Let me shower first. I need to wash his stink off." As she climbed the stairs, Cappa appeared at her side. Before the elf could speak, she said, "Cappa, we won't be staying long. Please, pack a bag for us. I'm not sure when we'll be back."
"Yes, mistress," she replied before hurrying upstairs to carry out her mistress' wishes.
He followed her upstairs and curled up outside the door to the bath. The longer she took, the more likely they would come looking for her.
After a quarter of an hour, she emerged from the bath and quickly dressed in the clothes Cappa had left out for her. She then grabbed the bag and followed Remus downstairs. Once there, he stood on his hind legs and placed his paws on her shoulders. She took hold of his foreleg and Disapparated.
Upon arrival at Grimmauld Place, his weight knocked her backwards. She quickly looked around to make sure the street was deserted. Thankfully, it was. Picking up her bag, she hurried toward headquarters and unlocked the door.
Wendy dropped the bag and collapsed to the floor. Remus nudged her, but she didn't move. He started barking to get someone's attention. He succeeded in getting Mrs. Black's attention. Between the barking and the screaming, it wasn't long before Sirius, Moody and Tonks ran upstairs.
"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked Remus.
Remus bowed down next to Wendy and began whimpering.
Tonks knelt next to Wendy and heard quiet, incoherent mumbling. "She needs a Healer. She's conscious, but she's not here."
"We can't get her to a Healer. She's escaped from the Death Eaters and they will be looking for her. Let's get her upstairs," Moody replied.
Sirius was about to pick her up when Remus whined and pawed at her hand. The ring. It's the ring. Come on, Sirius. I know you have to recognize it.
"Remus, back off," Sirius said as he shoved the wolf away. Sirius fell backwards when Remus growled at him. He saw that both Tonks and Moody had their wands at the ready.
Remus once again nudged at Wendy's hand.
Sirius couldn't understand his friend. "What's up with…?" He picked up Wendy's hand. "The ring! She still has the ring."
Remus barked triumphantly and moved away from Wendy.
Moody looked at the ring. "I'm going to send a message to Albus. He needs to know about this. Get her upstairs. Tonks, take a look at her and make sure she's not injured."
Remus followed them upstairs and refused to leave the room.
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Wendy began thrashing in her sleep and mumbling. "No. Get off. Don't touch me."
Remus, exhausted from his transformation, tried to stop her from hurting herself, but found he didn't have the strength to restrain her.
She screamed, "Get off!"
Remus found himself thrown across the room. She had used the ring against him. He crawled across the room and took hold of her hand. "Wendy, wake up. You're safe. Wendy!" He looked up when he heard the door open.
"I came as soon as I heard. How is she?" Albus asked.
"Bad. We can't get her to wake, or rather, to be coherent."
Albus placed a comforting hand on Remus' cheek. "You should rest. You are in your transformation cycle."
"I can't leave her. I won't leave her. It's the ring, isn't it?" He feared he would lose her, that the ring's hold was too strong.
"It is," Albus replied sadly.
Remus asked desperately, "Can you help her? Supposedly, Severus gave her a potion to help her, but I didn't get any of the details on how it would help."
"I know what potion he gave her. Now, my friend, there is nothing you can do here right now. Go get some rest. I'll let you know when I have finished."
"Albus," he protested.
"It is really best if you don't see what I have to do," Albus replied as he ushered Remus out of the room. Tonks and Sirius were waiting outside to take him across the hall where he could rest.
Remus was about to protest when he caught a whiff of food. He looked between Tonks and Sirius.
Sirius shrugged. "We thought you might be hungry."
"Thanks," Remus replied as he sat at the small table and dug into the food. Transforming always made him hungry.
"She's in good hands, mate. Don't worry about her." Sirius waited for a few seconds. "Did you want me to stay with you or…?"
"I'll be fine, Sirius. Just make sure he comes by when he's finished."
After eating, Remus felt utterly exhausted and crawled into bed. As he drifted off to sleep, he had the suspicion his food had been drugged. There was nothing he could do, and he was asleep almost immediately.
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Remus woke when the moon exerted its power over him. He was extremely disoriented, having forgotten where he was. Never before had he been asleep when the transformation began. Once he regained enough to strength to stand, he began exploring his surroundings. His ears perked up when he caught Wendy's scent, but there was something wrong with it. She smelled ill.
After a couple of minutes, he managed to open his door and trotted across the hall. He couldn't hear anything, a Silencing Charm must have been cast, but he didn't like the smell coming from the room. He started whimpering and pawing at the door. When that didn't get any response, he started barking.
"Bloody hell, Remus!" shouted Sirius as he descended the stairs. "Would you quit it? Dumbledore is still in there." Sirius tried to shove Remus back across the hall, but the wolf wouldn't budge and gave a low warning growl. "Fine, have it your way, but wait quietly." Sirius stomped back upstairs.
Remus lay down in front of the door determined to see Wendy as soon as Albus was finished.
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Albus opened the door and was not at all surprised to see a wolf waiting for him. "Remus, come in."
Remus moved into the room and glanced at the bed.
Knowing what Remus was thinking, Albus replied, "She will recover. It will not be an easy recovery, but she will survive. The ring was taking control of her, changing her personality. I have done the best that I can." He regained his seat, feeling quite exhausted from removing the ring.
Remus put his head on Albus' lap, thanking the old man for what he had done to help Wendy.
"I will take the ring and find a way to destroy it." He absentmindedly petted Remus. "I cannot say when she will wake. She was wearing the ring for nearly a week, and there is evidence she was using it. The more it is used, the more it changes the wearer."
Remus whimpered and crawled into bed with Wendy, curling up next to her. He gently licked her face, hoping for any sort of reaction, but he was disappointed.
"It will take time, my friend," Albus replied sadly before leaving the room.
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When Wendy woke, she wasn't sure where she was. She was in a musty old house and started to panic, thinking she was back at the Dark Lord's hideout, and that she would soon have to face Lucius again. When she tried to get up, she discovered that someone's arm was wrapped around her and started to panic.
"Wendy? Wendy, you're safe. It's Remus," he said as he realized she was awake. With a wave of his hand, he lit the lamps so she could see him.
"Remus?" She reached out to touch him to make sure he was real. "You look horrible."
He leaned into her touch and covered her hand with his. "I've been worried about you and have hardly left your side."
From his appearance, she thought she must have been unconscious for some time. His hair was quite a bit longer than what she remembered and he had a beard. She carefully felt his beard. "How long?"
"It's been two weeks since I rescued you." He could feel her playing with his beard. "I'll shave it off." He had not taken much time for himself while she was unconscious.
She smiled at him. "I kind of like it." She began to process what he had said. "You came for me?"
He lay next to her and wrapped her protectively in his arms. "I will always come for you. How do you feel?"
"Weak, sore, I don't know. What happened?"
"Are you sure you want to hear that?" he asked cautiously.
"Why?"
"Well, you did a lot of mumbling while you were unconscious. I think you were remembering things that happened then. You…did some things you might regret." He gently stroked her hair, not really wanting to upset her. "Would you like to walk around a bit?"
"Maybe a little and then it would be heavenly if I could take a soak."
He kissed her softly and replied, "I could arrange that for you. Why don't we go get something to eat?" After helping her to her feet, he found that she had to lean heavily on him for support.
She was exhausted by the time they made it to the kitchen. "Nothing fancy, if you please."
"Of course." He quickly made a couple of sandwiches for the two of them.
"What's been happening while I've been out?" she asked.
"Not much. Cappa reported that Malfoy did come by your house, but she couldn't tell him anything." He couldn't really tell her too much more since he had been with her most of the time. "Are you ready for that bath?" he asked when he saw that she was finished eating.
"Looking forward to it," she replied.
She was so exhausted when they reached the first floor, that he picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. "Where's Sirius?" she asked.
"He's been spending a lot of time with Buckbeak." Once her bath was drawn, he helped her into the tub. "Did you need me to stay with you?"
"Afraid I'll fall asleep?" she asked playfully.
He stroked her hair and looked into her eyes. "Actually, yes, I am." He took a seat on the toilet lid. He didn't want to risk losing her to a silly accident after all they had been through.
"If it will make you feel better, you can stay." She noticed he was watching her with a pained expression. "What?"
He knelt beside the tub and took her hand in his. "I was afraid I had lost you. We had no idea how we were going to get you back." He then launched into what had prompted his rescue.
As he recapped her rescue, the memories started flooding to the surface. She started crying.
"Wendy?" Remus asked cautiously.
"Oh, Remus, it was horrible. I've been horrible." She disintegrated into tears.
He helped her out of the tub, dried her with a wave of his wand, and wrapped her in her bathrobe. "It wasn't your fault, darling," he reassured as he led her to the bed. All he could do was hold her while she cried. He knew Albus had said it would be a difficult recovery and it might take a long time before she was once again herself, but he was willing to wait.
"How can you forgive me?" she whispered after several minutes.
He kissed the top of her head and continued to hold her tight. "Because I love you."
She clung to him desperately, gaining strength from his presence.
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A/N: Almost there folks. I should have the last part up in the next couple of days. I hope you have been enjoying this story.