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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
Care of Magical Creatures: Top Five Dragons: Task 2 - Write about someone with a clam anger.
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Cliche Away: Character A is in love with their best friend.
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Bex's Basement: Jungle Escape - Write about escaping from something
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TV Spree: Write about light doing something dark.
The Forecast Say: 9th Rain Running
Entitled: The One With the Ride Along - Write about saving someone's life.
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Tarot Reading: Death reversed - Write about someone resisting change in their life.
Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
Flying: Task 3 - Write about saving someone. Prompts (word) smile
Warning for hinted at non-con, mentions of capture, torture, eating people, character death, Little Red Riding Hood!AU, and a slight bit out of character due to the AU used.
Sirius looked into the darkness of the forest, his family had told him that the only way that he could become a man was by making it through this forest in one piece. He was going to certainly try his best. He for one had known he was different from the other lads in his village from a young age.
When all the other boys were out playing sports, Sirius would prefer to sit inside learning to play the piano or stitching with his cousins. While other boys his age were trying to get a kiss from the girl of their dreams, Sirius was lying about who he liked. Because the other lads were sure to beat the tar out of him he told them he took a striking fancy to James Potter over Marlene McKinnon.
"Are you scared, Sirius?" his younger brother asked from behind him. Regulus's voice shook with fear because in all the ways that Sirius was different so was he.
"Of course not," Sirius said, looking into the woods. "I can face anything in that wood without a hint of fear. Mother says that a man isn't afraid of anything."
"But what if mother's wrong?" Regulus asked, watching his brother his eyes brimming with tears of fear. "What if mother is wrong and you get hurt trying to prove her right?"
"Then she'll be quite rid of me and probably happy about it too," Sirius said, a hint of laughter in his voice.
"I'm being serious, Sirius."
"No. I'm Sirius and you're Regulus. I thought we'd reached an end of this need for nametags things, Reg."
"Sirius…"
"You worry too much, little brother," Sirius said, pulling his brother into a hug. "I'll go in there and I'll face this big bad wolf that people talk about and I'll be right back. No harm. No foul. Alright?"
Regulus sighed but nodded nonetheless.
Sirius put on his brightest smile. He straightened his shoulders, and upon seeing his mother standing at the door to their house, he skipped into the woods his red cloak trailing behind.
One might be asking themselves, why wear a red cloak into the woods. This particular color of choice was given to people who weren't of the straight persuasion. It was to mark who the wolf should attack and who the wolf should not attack. Those who didn't get attacked wore the purest color of white.
"Oh, big bad wolf!" Sirius called, looking from left to right. All he wanted to do was get this over with. To slay the wolf or whatever it was he was supposed to do to prove himself a man and get home.
"You don't want to meet him," a voice said, from overhead. It was a perfectly swoon-worthy male voice that made Sirius's knees go weak. "He'll eat you all up and not in the satisfying sort of way either."
"I don't' know what you're talking about, disembodied voice," Sirius said, looking towards the tree that the voice had come from.
"Don't you mean, sexy disembodied voice," the voice asked, from the next tree over. "I would say that I certainly sound sexy, wouldn't you?"
"I'm here to do whatever to the Big Bad Wolf that makes one a man," Sirius said, feeling like he was chasing his tail in this conversation. "Now, if you can just point me in this big bad wolf's direction, I will be out of your hair."
"You don't even know who I am," the voice said, now at ground level and a few meters away from him. "How do you know that I'm not the Big Bad Wolf?"
"Because the Big Bad Wolf is supposed to attack anyone wearing a red cloak in the woods," Sirius said, being helpful. "The only people who don't get attacked are the ones that wear cloaks of purest white. But as you can see my cloak is the reddest of reds."
"I can see that," the voice pointed out. "Do you know why they sent you into the woods in that cloak?"
"To either become a man or die trying," Sirius pointed out.
"But they didn't tell you what you needed to do to become a man? Just that it involved a Big Bad Wolf?"
Sirius nodded and then realizing he didn't know if the owner of the voice could see him still or not said it out loud. "Yes. Just that it involved a Big Bad Wolf. I'm sort of hoping that it's a nickname for some handsome fellow and becoming a man will involve something rather more pleasurable than a fight."
"You weren't meant to survive this adventure," the voice said, sounding closer than before. "I know I certainly wasn't."
"Who are you?" Sirius asked, realizing that the voice sounded awfully familiar to him. That voice sounded like the voice of one of his friends. In truth, it sounded like the voice of the boy that he'd shared his first kiss with. Remus Lupin. But it couldn't be, could it?
"We don't have time for questions now," the voice that sounded like Remus's said. "For now, you can call me the Big Gay Wolf."
"Wait, there's a Big Bad Wolf and Big Gay Wolf in these woods?" Sirius asked, really wanting to take a look at this Big Gay Wolf as he called himself.
"Yes. I was meant to die the day that I came into these woods. But the Big Bad Wolf meant to torment me. He changed me so that I was like him. So that I would be forced to attack whoever was sent into these woods. But I don't want to attack someone like me."
"Remus?" Sirius asked, catching a glimpse of his friend and longtime crush through the foliage of the trees.
"Don't say that name," Remus said, looking over his shoulder as a howl went through the woods. "We don't have time. He knows that there's someone in the woods beside me and him. We have to move before he finds you and…"
Sirius didn't need Remus to continue. He had an inkling what would happen if the Big Bad Wolf got a hold of him and it didn't sound like it would be fun.
"It would help me know where I was going if I could see you," Sirius called out to the figure that was far enough ahead that he could barely make him out. "Don't you think s…."
Sirius flew through the air, having been caught by the ankle by something with rather sharp fingernails. He looked at his ankle to find that the long marks were the marks of fingernails. They were the marks of claws.
"Hey there, Little Red Riding Hood," a hulking humanoid wolf being purred, bearing down on Sirius. "You sure are looking good. It's a shame I'm going have to eat you all up, sweetie. You would make a lovely pet."
"I can assure you that I would make a very good pet and won't cause any trouble if you don't kill me," Sirius said, looking for any means of escape that he could take. "I'll do anything you tell me to. Just please don't kill me."
"Anything?"
"Anything."
"You aren't the first person to make me an offer like this, Little Red Riding Hood. I'm going to enjoy breaking you like I did the last one." A feral smile tugged at the rugged face that under other circumstances would have looked handsome. A face that would have had Sirius begging for whatever torments this wolf wanted to unleash on him.
Sirius didn't like the sounds of what was being promised. He was certain that if he didn't do something and do something fast he was in for a world of pain. He didn't quite feature on that happening. At least not before his first date.
"Goodnight, Little Red Riding Hood," said smirking wolf as something hard hit Sirius's head and he was pitched into blackness.
Remus watched in horror from a little ways off as Sirius was knocked unconscious by Fenrir Greyback aka The Big Bad Wolf. He wouldn't admit this out loud to anyone else but he was still afraid of Fenrir. Now his cowardice was going to cost his friend and longtime crush the most important thing a person had.
He watched as Fenrir's hands roamed Sirius's body. A pang of jealousy going through him. He wanted to...Merlin, he didn't know what he wanted to do. But he certainly knew what he didn't want to happen.
After feeling Sirus up for a few seconds, Greyback slung his unconscious victim over his shoulder. Much like he'd done to Remus the day that he was changed. Remus waited until the lumbering figure started to stalk through the forest. Back to his lair and whatever torment he could dole out on Sirius.
"What am I going to do?" Remus asked himself, weighing his options. If he stayed here and did nothing Sirius would more than likely be changed like Remus was or worse. If he went after them, he could end up earning himself Greyback's ire. He perfectly well to never earn Greyback's ire. Bad things happened to you when you earned Greyback's ire. Lasting things that changed one.
The words his father spoke to him before the town had sent him out into the woods rang clear in his mind. You'll know the right thing to do, son. You'll know the right thing and you'll come back to me. Better than before.
His father was wrong. He couldn't help but think that if he knew the right thing to do, this wouldn't be the first time he was thinking about trying to save one of Greyback's victims. He'd done so before. He'd have gone after each and everyone and tried to stop them. Not just spout a couple of warnings before giving up.
Catching a glint of something shining through the undergrowth of the bushes, Remus moved towards it. He'd something that gleamed like that before. He just couldn't put his finger on where he'd seen it.
Once he got close enough he realized that the thing he'd spotted was an ax. The sort that a woodcutter would use. But who did he know that was a woodcutter? He wasn't sure that he knew anyone of those. But the words his father said kept playing in his mind.
You'll know what to do.
He reached forward and picked up the ax. It felt sort of right in his hands. Like this was something he'd been trained to use before. He weighed the object in his hand and perfect his hand grip. He wasn't sure what was giving him the courage but he knew what he had to do. Finally. He knew that he had to go and save Sirius before something horrible could happen.
As if cued by the thought of something horrible happening, a terrifying pained scream of stop came from the direction that Sirius had been carried. Taking a deep breath and steeling his nerves, Remus crashed through the forest. He was going to rescue Sirius if it was the last thing he did. There was a lot that he hadn't told the dark-haired beauty before he was forced into this life he was living. He'd damned if he wasn't going to tell him before they both died. Which hopefully wouldn't be today.
Sirius tried to block out what was happening to him. If he'd have known that this was what the town was sending all its children who were different out to, he'd have pretended to be what they wanted him to be.
"Please, stop," Sirius whimpered, trying to move away from what was happening. "My parents are rich. They'll pay anything if you just stop."
"Your parents sent you out here for this," the Big Bad Wolf crooned in his ear. "To make you see how wrong your perversions are."
"Does that mean…"
"No."
Sirius could feel his hope diminishing. He knew for sure that he was either going to die in this place or worse. Become the thing that his parents were sure to disown. He shuddered at the thought, as well as the feel of the Big Bad Wolf's hands on him. If he was going to die, Sirius wished that he'd just get it over with.
Just then there was a loud thud against the door, making the wolf growl in frustration. His rancid sweat making Sirius want to get sick. But it didn't stop what was happening. Sirius prayed that it was someone coming to save him and not some tree that had been blown over by an approaching storm or something.
The thud sounded on the door again. Sirius could have sworn that it was the sound of a body being thrown against the door. Then again that could have just been wishful thinking on his part. He wanted out of here that badly that he'd wished to hear someone coming to his rescue.
The last thud sounded along with the splintering of wood. Sirius wanted to cheer in happiness that someone had come to his rescue. But the only person that he'd seen in the woods beside himself was Remus. The way that Remus had talked he was very afraid of confronting the Big Bad Wolf. He'd even tried to get Sirius to run to safety with him. Sirius wishes that he'd have listened to Remus. Instead of being subjected to the harsh attentions that the wolf was lavishing upon his sore body.
"Get away from him," Remus said, steeling his voice and holding his ax at the ready. His heart swelled with pity for the dark-haired boy that was trembling on the bed.
"You know I'm not nearly finished with this one yet," Greyback purred, grazing his teeth along Sirius's neck. Remus knew that one slip of those teeth and Sirius would be like him. "You can play with him afterward."
"Get away from him," Remus said, enunciating each letter of each word as though it was its word. "Get away from him now!"
"Or what?" Greyback said, pulling away from Sirius who collapsed on the bed sobbing. "Is the ickle baby going to try and hurt me?"
Remus raced forward swinging his ax but Greyback was quicker. He looked over at the frightened look in Sirius's eyes. The shame and upset that had settled over him. The want to be anywhere but here. Remus had felt all those things as well.
Anger took over at seeing his charm, adventurous, lovable Sirius like this. This broken shell of what he'd once been. He turned towards Greyback and felt a wave of anger he didn't know he was capable of he, he dashed forward and swung again. Going quickly on the attack each time that Greyback ducked his blow. Until finally, the ax stuck swiftly in his middle.
Greyback releases a howl of pain and rage and made one final move as though to attack. Remus jerked the ax in an upward direction and the wolf was no more.
"Help us," cried a muffled voice coming from within the wolf's stomach. "Get us out of here."
Sirius and Remus shared a look before Remus carefully cut open the wolf's stomach. He was surprised to find that inside the wolf's stomach were all the boys that he had been able to help because of his fear. They were covered in slimy digestive juices but perfectly unharmed.
After helping the eaten lads out of the wolf's stomach and sending them on their way home or to wherever the world would take them next, Remus turned his attention to Sirius. He gently covered him up and carried him through the woods to the safety of his own home. He could properly take care of Sirius there.
"I should have listened to you," Sirius murmured against Remus's shoulder before Remus lay him on a bed in a nicely furnished room. "I should have listened."
"I should have made you listen or explained in more detail why you should have listened," Remus said. "I should have taken care of Greyback years ago. But we can't go back now. All we can do is move forward and live with what has happened. I can help you if you'd like that?"
Sirius looked confused. "You want to help me?"
"Of course, I do," Remus said, placing a gentle kiss on Sirius's dark-haired head. "I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember. I was just too scared to say anything about it until now."
"I've been in love with you for as long as I could remember too," Sirius mumbled feeling his fear and adrenaline diminish making him sleepy. "I just didn't know how to tell you and then you were gone."
"We can talk about this more later," Remus said, looking at the injuries that Greyback had inflicted upon the tender tanned skin. "Why don't I patch you up and you can get a good night's rest, huh? We'll talk more in the morning."
4 years later
Remus watched as Sirius and Alice played in the year. It was hard to believe that the little girl that he considered his own was going to be turning four years old today. They still hadn't told her about what happened to her real father. Sirius had insisted upon keeping the truth of Greyback from the girl. Remus, however, knew that the truth would come out at some point or other and would more than likely cause more hurt coming from someone else than from Sirius himself.
But clever little Alice seemed to be taking things into her own hands. He drew nearer to his family as they sat down at the table laden with birthday treats and presents and the biggest cake that Remus had ever made.
"Daddy," Alice said, looking up at Sirius with her big grey eyes that were so common in the Black family, "can you tell me the story of how you and Daddy met?"
Sirius looked over at Remus unsure of what to do. He seemed to want to keep that part of their story quiet for as long as he could. "I don't know, baby," Sirius said, taking her hand. "There are some parts of that story that aren't right to talk about with children."
"Sirius," Remus said, looking at his husband of two years.
"Alright," Sirius said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "The story of your father and I has many layered parts. Some painfully sad, and some very happy. But like any other story, it begins with this." He turned to Alice and smiled. "Once Upon a Time…"
I hope you all enjoyed Sirus and the Not so Big Bad Wolf.