Remus Lupin wasn't sure what to think or feel about the sight before him. A faint whisper from some obscure corner of his brain indicated that he should feel afraid, or at the very least, surprised. However, he could muster nothing more than a vague sense of regret that he would be unable to complete the task his now deceased mentor had set out for him. However, as much as it shamed Remus to admit this to himself, this regret was somewhat overshadowed by his immense sense of relief.

At present, Fenrir Greyback stood in the mouth of the cave where Remus had been residing with several other werewolves for most of the past year. Greyback's amber eyes gleamed with rage. Remus didn't even start when the older werewolf dealt him a harsh blow, and long, clawlike fingernails raked the side of his face, drawing blood. He already knew that he was in trouble.

In all the months that Remus had spent living among the community of werewolves, he had managed to avoid direct contact with Greyback himself. From the beginning, Remus had known full well that if he were to come face to face with his maker, Greyback would immediately see the resemblance to his old rival,John Lupin. He would immediately be recognized as one of the werewolf's wayward "children," a wayward child whose alliance with Albus Dumbledore was known to be longstanding. From the start, Remus Lupin had known that if Greyback tracked him down, he would be able to carry on the ruse no longer.

As Remus Lupin felt his head being slammed into the wall of the cave, as he tasted blood from one of the cuts on his face dripping into his mouth, he knew that his time infliltrating the werewolf community had come to an end. The lecture that followed the beating was wholly unnecessary.

"I've been hearing rumors for months," Greyback growled, his hands still pinning Remus roughly against the wall, "Rumors about a suspiciously tame, humane werewolf joining one of my packs after the Dark Lord's return, a werewolf who has established a reputation for making subtle little comments about how the Dark Lord is not to be trusted. I thought it sounded like something you'd do, but being a fair man, " Greyback's mouth formed a twisted sneer at these words, "I chose to wait for more evidence. And two and a half weeks ago, just two weeks before this last full moon, I found more evidence. I saw you battling Brutus at Hogwarts, using your wand like some uppity wizard. I'd have had you then, had that infernal Potter boy not gotten in the way.I've been trying to track you down ever since, and now here you are." Greyback sneered again. "Your number is up, Lupin. Show your face round these parts again, and you're dead." With those words, Remus was thrust bodily out of the cave.

Bruised and aching, Remus rose slowly and shakily to his feet. Turning his eyes heavenward, he gazed at the deceptively blue, sunny sky. "I'm sorry Albus," he murmured. "I really tried, but it seems that I've failed you once again." Sighing, Remus lowered his head to stare at the dirt at his feet as he began to trudge away.

Remus's progress was soon impeded by a small hand on his lower back. Startled, he turned.

A small, nervous, boy of about seven stood before him. Remus recognized him as one of Greyback's newest recruits, brought back during the last full moon. A long cut graced the left side of the boy's face.

"Yes?" Remus asked, unable to keep the tremor from his voice. The sight of the child standing in front of him reminded him irresistably of the weeks following his bite. The harrowing nightmares, the despondent looks in his parents' eyes every time they looked upon him...

Remus shook his head vigorously, forcing himself to refocus his attention to the situation at hand and the child who was now talking to him.

"...name is Jeramiah," the boy was saying. "I know you're Remus Lupin. I heard Greyback talking about you.".

Unsure of how to respond to that, Remus nodded.

"So Greyback's making you leave?" Jeramiah asked eagerly.

"That's right," Remus replied quietly. "We-- er-- we don't like each other that much." He had little time to marvel at what an enormous understatement he had made, when the boy, seemingly spontaneously, grabbed his hand and squeezed.

"I don't like Greyback either," Jeramiah's words poured out of him with a breathless urgency. "Let me go with you. Please."

Remus stared intently at the boy and was compelled to swallow a lump in his throat. No child deserved to live the life Greyback would inevitably inflict upon him.

Remus knelt down so that he and Jeramiah were at eye level. "I'm going to do my best to get you away from Greyback." Remus said earnestly. Jeramiah's eyes brightened. "But I don't think that I'm the best person to take you in." He was unable to suppress a wince at the sight of Jeramiah's face, which had fallen in disappointment. "Here's what we'll do," Remus continued. "I'll take you with me for now, and I'll do the best I can to locate your parents, so you can go home."

This statement did not reassure Jeramiah, as Remus had hoped. Instead, the child's face lowered further, and Remus could have sworn he saw the boy's gray eyes blink tears away.

"They won't want me back," Jeramiah whispered. His lower lip trembled. "My parents think all werewolves should found and killed. They won't take me back now."

Remus stared at the boy, an indefinable river of emotions coursing through him. What must this boy feel, having been inflicted with his terrible curse, and on top of that, knowing that he might never be able to come home again?

"You don't know that," Remus finally managed to choke out, fighting to keep his voice level. "My parents didn't care for werewolves either, but they loved me, and after I was bitten, their love for me won out. They continued to care for me. Maybe your parents will as well."

Jeramiah still looked doubtful. As much as it pained Remus to think of it, he knew that Jeramiah might be right and thinking that his parents wouldn't want him because of what he now was. Gazing into Jeramiah's eyes, gloomy and full of wisdom beyond their years, Remus knew that he couldn't abandon this child. He had to do everything in his power to provide Jeramiah with the best life possible.
"However," Remus added, striving to make his voice sound as encouraging as possible. "If your parents are misguided enough not to want you back, I'll take care of you."