Chapter twenty-three: dark side of the moon

The silence was deafening. Not a single sound came from inside the little cabin in the snowy landscape. There were two bodies on the floor, lifeless. The one had died slowly from bleeding out. His face was mauled beyond recognition and the rest of his body was covered in claw marks. His throat was still purple…not that that mattered anymore. He couldn't feel pain anymore.

The second dead person had died a lot quicker. All he had seen was a green flash and then the lights went out for him. He had fallen backwards, his round surprised eyes staring up at the ceiling. He hadn't seen it coming. Not that quick. Not that curse.

After a long moment of silence Charles started to whine. He was laying down on the floor, breathing heavily. His fur was soaked in blood. Most of it was around his muzzle, and that blood was not from the dog itself. That was human blood. But he had also been hurt when he was thrown against the wall. There was blood on his flank and belly that was his own. He placed his head down to rest but his eyes went up to look at the witch in the room.

She should be feeling sick. She should have the urge to throw up her dinner and everything else she ate that day. She should be shivering all over and crashing down to weep and ask the heavens what have I done? But Alicia didn't feel like that at all. She also didn't feel thrilled or excited. She felt nothing. And the feeling of nothing was comforting her.

She took a step forward and flinched. Her leg was covered in blood from the stab wound in her thigh. Despite the pain she took another step forward. Then she kneeled down next to the mauled man and checked his pulse. Really dead. Good.

'Come here Charles,' she muttered. She gestured for the dog to come over and so he did. He walked with a limp.

'We are fixing you first,' she spoke to herself most of all. Alicia performed a couple of healing spells. Charles responded by walking around her, showing off his healed body. She petted him on the head and stood back up shakingly.

So…that was the easy part. The room was still completely dark. The moon was hiding behind the clouds tonight. And even though her eyes were adjusted to the light in the living area now, the bedroom was complete darkness to her. It felt like a nightmare; one where you knew you were going to find the monster under your bed when you looked under it. For her the bedroom was the space under the bed, and her monster was whatever they had done to her husband.

'Lumos,' she whispered under her breath. Her wand sprung to life with light. Alicia had to step over the corpse that she had created to enter the bedroom. She didn't look down.

She crept closer to the bed. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, still afraid for the inevitable. Of course she could be overreacting, but then why was it so silent in here…

Her eyes noticed the blood splatters on the floor first. Then the smell hit her. It wasn't a good sign, because it smelled just as bad as the mauled man did. She took a deep breath – regretted it because now she felt sick – and looked up in the bed.

There was so much blood.

The sheets had been white before. Now the drops and splatters decorated them like a Jackson Pollock painting. She reached the head of the bed, where she could see Remus his face. His eyes were closed and his head laid on his pillow like he was sleeping. There was a deep gash on his cheek and more on his neck and torso. The rest she couldn't see because it was under the blankets. The wounds were still bleeding. It didn't look like he was breathing.

'R-Remus?'

There was no response. A shaking hand went to his neck. She needed to check. But it was almost obvious wasn't it? Just like the mauled man was obvious…but she needed to check.

Right as she touched his skin, Remus took a deep breath.

'Remus!' Alicia said with a squeaky voice. Only now she noticed that she had been crying the entire time. Remus started breathing shallowly. His eyes didn't open and he wasn't trying to speak. He was still unconscious.

'Okay… hold on dear,' Alicia muttered to herself as she found the light switch. With the light on the scene looked even worse. Now she could see the sickening thickness of the blood that was soaking the sheets. She pulled the sheets back to see that his entire body was covered in cuts. The attacker had used the Severing Charm on Remus. Death by a thousand cuts.

This was going to be a long night. Alicia sat down on the bed and took a couple of deep breaths.

'Vulnera Sanentur…Vulnera Sanentur…Vulnera Sanentur…'

Alicia sat there, careful to make the healing charm pass over every cut she could see. Slowly the blood seeped back into his body and the cuts started healing. It was a slow process that asked for a lot of concentration and energy; two things she didn't have right now. Still she tried and tried, knowing that it was the most important thing right now.

A part of her mind kept reminding her that it was more efficient to heal herself first, so that she was more powerful in her spell-work on Remus. But her stubborn heroic Gryffindor side pushed the logic down and kept saying I'm not putting anything in front of Remus! Not even myself.

Another – also rational – part of her mind was realising that she didn't have a lot of time. There was a good chance that more were coming. They weren't safe here, and she wasn't sure they would survive another attack. However, neither of them were in a state to apparate. They would need another getaway.

It had been at least thirty minutes before Alicia started to see stars in her vision. Her world closed around her and she started to hear her heartbeat in her ears. Charles barked in alarm.

'Almost,' she said through gritted teeth.

Most of the cuts were sealing up now. Remus started to look better and his breathing slowed to a steady pace. Right before she could faint she stopped, letting herself fall down in the bloody bed. Charles jumped on the bed and kept licking her face, which she really appreciated. The wet tongue helped her to clear her mind.

She took a minute before pushing herself up. She looked down at her body and remembered her broken ribs. However she didn't have the energy for more healing charms. She only needed to make sure she wouldn't bleed out from that wound on her leg, then she would be fine. With a lot of groaning she got up and went into the bathroom. She took her pyjama pants off and cleaned the wound out under the shower. After getting dressed, she ripped up the shower curtain and wrapped it tightly around her thigh. It hurt terribly, but she would live.

Alicia clutched tightly to the edge of the sink and allowed herself a minute to breathe. There was a mirror right in front of her but she refused to look at herself, afraid that she would not recognize the person on the reflection. Her fingers dug into the porcelain until they slightly hurt. More tears were falling down. She tried with all her might not to think about what had just happened, what she had done. She needed to be distracted, and for now that was easy because they were still in danger. The adrenaline and fear kept her sharp.

First crises averted, now they needed to leave and get help. The best thing to do was go back to Grimmauld Place. Apparation seemed impossible. The Floo Network was also scary with her mind as unsteady as this. All of it was too risky. There was only one option left. It would be uncomfortable but they could make it.

'Alicia.'

She went back to the bed as quickly as she could. Remus' eyes were open, looking only at her.

'Hey Moony,' she said back softly. She tried to smile and placed a hand lovingly to his cheek. 'Don't you worry, we are going back home.'

His eyebrows knitted together. 'What do you…' he looked down at his body and noticed all the blood. Then he looked back at Alicia and started to panic.

'Alicia, what-,'

'It's okay. We are going to be okay. But I need you awake, okay? That's all you need to do, stay awake. Can you do that?'

Remus pushed himself up and looked around in terror. 'Yes, I can. But why, what, how…'

'I'll explain later. Now, please get up and get dressed. We need all the layers. Our journey will be cold,' Alicia said as she continued to touch him. She knew he was fine, but it seemed she needed a constant reminder of that. Feeling his quick pulse under his warm skin was helping her to stay calm.

'Are they gone?' Remus asked then. 'The attackers, the Death Eaters. Are they gone?'

Alicia swallowed thickly and got up to turn her back to him. She needed to stop thinking about the bodies or she would get herself in a panic attack. At least this way he couldn't see the pain in her eyes. 'Yes. Get dressed.'

There was no use in trying to hide or bury the bodies. She already felt bad for the host that would find the cabin in a day or two. A scene like this would surely give someone bad dreams. Alicia would probably have bad dreams for a long time.

She stepped out in the cold night with Charles next to her. The dog walked over to a clearing between the trees, ready for her. Alicia waved her wand and in a second there was a mighty dragon standing in front of her. Usually when she transfigured him back Charles would take off immediately and spin in circles or let out a roar. This time however he just stood there, waiting. Like he knew it wasn't time to play games.

The door opened behind her and she saw a very tired Remus struggling to walk. He had all his layers on, down to the hat and gloves. Despite that, he was shivering.

Alicia took him in her arms. 'Remus, this isn't going to be pleasant. I would love to tell you that riding a dragon is epic, but in reality it's painful and cold and terrifying. So whatever you do, stay awake and keep your arms around me. If your grip slips I elbow you in the ribs. Understood?'

Remus just stared. 'Okay.'

She guided him towards Charles, who was laying his head down in the snow. Alicia assisted Remus in climbing on his shoulder. He slit in between two spikes on Charles' spine. Alicia sat in front of him, ordering him to keep a firm grip on her. She took the big spike in front of her and held on tightly.

'Go!' She ordered.

Charles stood up. The two people on the dragon's back, tiny in comparison to the beast, had a hard time holding on already. He walked a couple of steps before folding out his massive white wings and pushing off from the ground. Alicia felt the vertigo kick in when they were airborne. Usually it subsided after a while, but only because she was already used to it. Remus would have a harder time. She heard him groan behind her. There was no use in trying to talk, the sound of the wind was way louder than their voices. All they could do was wait it out and hope they would make it.

Sirius, Arthur and Molly were sitting around the fireplace early in the morning. Arthur had been released from the hospital at an ungodly hour and now they were debating whether to go back to bed for a couple more hours or to stay awake. Sirius didn't mind being awake, as long as he wasn't alone. Lately he had been in a wonderful mood. During the Christmas holiday the house was filled with people again and it made his situation a lot more bearable.

Sirius was about to respond to something Arthur said when he heard a heavy crash coming from upstairs. Everyone looked up at the same time, because it wasn't the kind of sound someone missed. It didn't sound like a person falling out of bed or a book being knocked to the floor. It was more like a wrecking ball had been dropped on the house.

'What was that?' Molly asked nervously.

Without thinking, Sirius ran up the stairs.

When he reached the first landing he saw doors opening. Everyone in the house was awakened by the sound. He looked at Harry for a moment before the boy followed him, Ron and Hermione at his heels.

'Blood traitors! Filthy mudbloods!' roared the portrait of Walburga Black but no one paid her any mind. Everyone stormed after Sirius as they tried to find the cause of the noise. When they reached the top landing Sirius was surprised to see it was still there and not blown apart. He continued into his own room and finally saw something.

'Sirius! Help me with Remus. He is injured,' said the fierce blonde witch. Alicia had just opened the door from his balcony and was dragging Remus inside. He was unconscious and Alicia was struggling to support his weight.

'Bloody hell! What happened?' Ron stammered.

Sirius and Harry took Remus from Alicia and placed him on Sirius' bed. Remus groaned lightly but he didn't wake up. Sirius turned around to look at Alicia, who was walking back outside. Sirius followed her onto the balcony.

On the roof sat a dragon. He was the size of a small airplane and had beautiful iridescent scales. His eyes were more familiar to Sirius; he recognized Charles the dog. The dragon was calm, not aggressive. Alicia stretched her arm out and transfigured him back into a dog. The dog version of Charles slit down the slanted roof and landed in Alicia's arms. The moment his body impacted on her she recoiled. She gritted her teeth and stepped back down into the room.

'Alicia, you are also hurt,' Sirius said quickly. He closed the doors so the cold would no longer seep in the room. Alicia and Remus were both very pale and their fingers looked dangerously close to freezing off.

'Yes I am,' she admitted as she placed Charles down and examined him for injury. Then she went on to Remus and started to strip the gloves, hat and coat off him. 'But he is priority now. I have no idea what his condition is. I don't know how much blood he lost.'

A chill went down Sirius' spine. 'Blood loss? What happened? Were you attacked?'

At that moment Molly Weasley came into the room. She looked from Alicia to Sirius to Remus.

'What is going on in here? Where did you come from?' she asked Alicia irritably.

Alicia rolled her eyes and sat down on the bed. She pushed Remus' sleeve up so she could see his arm. Sirius couldn't see any injury on him.

'We came from the roof. Molly, I need your help. First we need to make sure he is not dying from blood loss. Then we check for hypothermia. If that is checked then I need to know if he has a head trauma,' Alicia said quickly while she continued to inspect Remus his skin.

'What in the name of Merlin happened to you two?' Molly gasped. However she did exactly what Alicia had asked and started diagnostic spells.

'Alicia, your leg,' Harry spoke up for the first time. Sirius looked too, and saw a dark red stain in her pants around her thigh. There was some kind of cloth wrapped around it to stop the bleeding, but it didn't seem to be very effective.

'We were attacked,' Alicia said stony faced. She kept her eyes on Remus. 'Two men came into the night. They might have been Death Eaters, or just anyone that hated werewolves. They heard his howl the night before, I think. I heard it too. I should have realised I wasn't the only one…'

Her eyes looked haunted. One of her hands had clasped around the bedsheets and was gripping them tightly. Her knuckles turned white.

Sirius sat down next to her and waited until she looked at him. Then he placed a hand on her cheek. There was blood on her cheek and under her nose. The nose might have been broken.

'You did good, okay? Remus is alive and we will get him better. Remember, he is a tough one when it comes to physical pain,' Sirius said solemnly.

This didn't really comfort the witch. A muscle moved in her jaw and she looked back at the man that they both loved.

Sirius placed a hand over hers and noticed how cold it was. Even the metal of her ring felt warmer than her skin. 'Fuck Alicia, I'm pretty sure you are the one with hypothermia. Didn't you use a heating charm on your gloves?'

She took her hand back and rubbed them together. 'No heating spell beats riding a dragon in the cold for six hours.'

'Why didn't you apparate?' Hermione asked.

Alicia looked over at her quickly. Sirius could now clearly see her bloodshot eyes. She was in a terrible state, only running on adrenaline. 'Because you look and probably feel like shit. Apparation would be suicide,' Sirius answered for her.

Alicia looked back at him and he could see how bone-deep tired she was. 'Suicide and murder. Remus was even less capable of apparating than me. We would end up splinched.'

'I have cast a replenishing spell over him. His blood is restoring itself quicker now. As long as he keeps laying down he should be healing just fine,' Molly interrupted. She looked up at Alicia. 'He will live.'

Alicia closed her eyes slowly. She looked so relieved when her eyes opened again. She had really been prepared to hear he was beyond healing…she had hardened herself just so she could hear that news and not freak out. Remus must have been in a really bad state for her to worry so much.

'Well that is wonderful news,' Sirius announced as no one else was speaking. 'That means that we get to focus on our next patient.'

Alicia stood up from the bed and wobbled on her legs. 'Fine, but let's do that downstairs. Remus needs rest. Can he stay here, Sirius?'

'Obviously,' Sirius replied as he stood up too.

Everyone left the room so that Remus could have some rest. They had tucked him in and made sure the room was a comfortable temperature. Sirius was right behind Alicia as she descended the stairs. He was prepared to catch her if she decided to topple over. But she didn't. That tough cookie walked all the way down to the dining room where she planted herself in the chair at the head of the table. Charles curled up next to the fireplace.

'I'm going to need some firewhisky though,' Alicia stated as she rubbed at her eyes. 'Otherwise I might pass out before I'm healed.'

Arthur Weasley was sitting in one of the armchairs next to the fireplace. Now they had three wounded people to take care of. I better hope we are not getting attacked right now, Sirius thought. He hated himself for thinking so strategically, but he was already planning how to use the teenagers might that happen. You never know…

'Alicia, are you alright?' Arthur asked.

The girl laughed for the first time since she came back. With all the dried blood on her face and her hair tangled like a bird's nest the smile looked wicked. 'No worse than you, Arthur.'

It was George who had brought Alicia a bottle of firewhisky. She thanked him and poured herself a glass. She downed it at once and poured a second.

Sirius sat down in a chair next to her and placed her leg in front of him. 'Are you an alcoholic now?'

'Maybe, haven't decided yet.'

Sirius looked up at her briefly before he unwrapped the bandage from her leg. He saw now that it was a shower curtain. With a quick charm he made the fabric of her trousers disappear around the wound. The wound wasn't actively pouring with blood anymore but it looked angry and swollen. Harry had fetched a bucket with clean water and a rag so the wound could be cleaned.

'Thanks Harry,' Sirius stated. Then he set to work on cleaning. There were a dozen people in the room and yet it was completely silent for a long moment.

'So, you want to tell us the story?' Sirius asked eventually.

Alicia didn't respond right away. She looked down her glass, her eyes focussing on the dark liquid. She had that same haunted look as before. She licked her lips and cleared her throat.

'I don't really…want to talk about it. But…I'll try,' she said softly. Sirius decided it was easier for her if he wasn't looking at her. She seemed more at ease as long as he focused on her leg. The other people in the room had sat down so it seemed less urgent for her to talk.

She took a deep rasping gulp of air before she started her narrative. 'Yesterday was the full moon. I had bought one bottle of Wolfsbane in town so that it would be a bit easier for him. He had found this cave and everything went quite well. However, I heard some wolves howl and then I heard him. I recognized him. His sound is very different from a regular wolf. I'm afraid that someone else might have realised that too. It was deep in the night when we were attacked. Charles was the first to notice. He tried to stop them but they injured him. His whining woke me up.'

Alicia looked at her pet next to the fireplace. Her eyes softened. 'He saved both of our lives. One of the men attacked me, slammed a broken leg off a chair into my leg. He hit me a couple of times. Gave me a nose job and all that.'

'Is your nose broken? I can fix that,' Arthur said, already taking out his wand. Molly was quick to stop him. 'As can I, dear. No need to worry yourself.'

Alicia chuckled. Once more Sirius didn't like the sight and sound of it. Something was off about her. Something was wrong. 'Well I guess my ribs are more important. Then sure, you can fix my nose.'

Molly looked nonplussed. 'Oh dear, your ribs are broken too? I'll help.'

Molly and Sirius worked on healing Alicia at the same time. Alicia looked a bit uncomfortable but wasn't complaining.

'So, how did you get out of that situation?' Sirius asked calmly.

'Well Charles helped with that. There was some back and forth between us but then Charles rushed in and ripped his face to shreds.'

Sirius could see all the minors in the room wince at the mental picture. Everyone seemed disturbed, except Alicia. She only stared.

'The other guy had gotten to Remus. I couldn't get to him quicker, you see, because that guy was trying to kill me. But when he was on the floor with Charles all over him, the other one came running back in the living room. Then…' Alicia stopped and coughed right as Molly stopped working on her ribs.

'Thanks. Then Charles turned on him and attacked the other one too. Both of them were dead in a minute,' Alicia said stony eyed.

Everyone was silent again.

'Bloody hell,' Ron whispered.

'Yes it was,' Alicia said back. 'That man had knocked Remus out and attacked with a Severing Charm. He had cuts all over. When I found him I started healing him the best I could. It was a close call…'

'You did brilliantly,' Sirius said quickly. She finally looked at him again. 'Alicia you healed him all the way. There was no injury left on him. You did well.'

Then she cast her eyes down again. She downed another glass. 'Yeah well…we were lucky I guess.'

Sirius had finished his work. Her leg looked quite normal. There would be a small mark left for a while, but it would heal. Molly had corrected her nose too and now all that was left was the dried up blood and the mental trauma.

'It sounds like a terrible story that you would rather forget. Also, you are beyond exhausted. You should lie down and not wake up before noon tomorrow. Understood?' Sirius ordered.

This time it was only a small smile on her lips, and it suited her way better. 'Yes sir.'

Sirius slapped her playfully on her thigh and offered a hand to help her get up. He was still very bothered by her story, because he was sure she was lying or holding something back. Yes, seeing Remus in a literal blood bath must be terrifying, but her eyes told a different story. Something deeper. Sirius would find out, but not tonight. The only thing she needed now was rest.

'Yes, let's all go to bed,' Molly said as she helped Arthur out of the chair. Even Charles stretched and walked over to the hallway.

'Hey Alicia,' Hermione said nervously. 'This might not be the best time and all, but I just wanted to say: congratulations.'

Sirius was very confused. He looked over at Alicia who was smiling coyly. 'Thank you.'

Sirius lay on the couch that night, wondering what Hermione could possibly congratulate her with.