"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Ron stared uneasily when Letalis' head bobbed down from the curtain hanger on Harry's bed to examine him.
Harry watched in amusement as Ron eyed the snake, daring her to come any nearer. Unfortunately for him, Letalis was never one to back down from a dare.
She crawled right into his lap.
Ron became stiff as he tried to hide his fear without further embarrassing himself. Letalis' impatient hissing only made him more anxious.
"She just wants you to scratch her head, Ron," said Harry, in a struggle to suppress the laughing fit the threatened to escape.
When leaving the Room of Requirement they'd been aghast to realize that not only was Potions over, Transfiguration was almost half-way through.
"Bloody hell! McGonagall will kill us if we walked in there now!"
In the end they decided it would be best just to go back to the dorm so as not to get caught wandering the hallways. It was then that Harry remembered leaving the snake to sleep in the room. He'd smirked while offering to introduce her to Ron…
Ron shot him a 'you're-pure-evil-and-I'll-never-forgive-you' look. Harry merely grinned, amused at his friend's reactions.
The red-head tentatively touched the top of her scaly skull. He jerked at her hiss of delight, mistaking it for irritation.
"She's promised not to bite you, you know," Harry couldn't keep the grin out of his voice.
"But Harry, what if it-she gets angry and decides to do it anyway? You said she could get big enough to eat me!"
Ron was turning red with embarrassment and nervousness, trying not to fidget and disturb the deadly creature coiled over his legs. Harry found it almost too funny.
He was saved from an inevitable laugh attack by a sharp rapping on the window. Getting up and still grinning, he made his way over the window to let a tawny owl in. In its claws was a battered envelope. Harry took and opened it. A moment later, the smiled plummeted from his face.
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It took one minute to realize something was wrong with Harry, his attention being so wrapped up in the snake on his lap.
It took another second for him to see the incomprehensible emotion on the other's face.
Another moment to push the snake away, unheeding of its protests and pluck the letter from Harry's limp hands.
Ron scanned the letter, his eyes widening as he reached the end.
"Well, uh…guess that works out for you, doesn't it?"
He watched Harry rub his forehead tiredly. "Not really, Ron."
Ron frowned, "Why wouldn't it? Lupin just wrote to tell you that he was joining the Dark. -That's good isn't it? You won't have to worry about him any more." Even Ron could see that.
Harry shook his head, absently stroking Letalis.
"Yes, he said he's going Dark, but…I don't even know if I am! Add that to the fact that he doesn't know about me… he's betrayed me, even if he hasn't really," he paused as if to gather his thoughts, "He chose another side over staying with me, even if it's paining him," Harry grimaced. Ron noted that he was sticking to his policy of not withholding anything from him, for which Ron was glad. Still, that didn't make things any easier to puzzle out.
Harry would need friends outside of Ron to assure him that what he was doing was right. And even though Ron didn't agree with everything that Harry was becoming, he wanted to do his best to ease his friend's way.
Ron would soon get used to being the voice of reason in this turbulent world, strange to him though this unlikely role may be. The first issue that needed to be picked apart was Harry's allegiances.
"How do you not know if you're Dark?"
"What?" the question stunned the vampire.
"Harry, you're a bloody vampire, one of the darkest creatures in the world! You're in a tryst with a Dark Lord! You got Sorted into Slytherin. You've got a second illegal wand. You are a Parselmouth with a snake you can talk to. You admitted to performing several Dark spells. You just convinced a Gryffindor to side with you! I don't think there's a question if you're Dark or not!" finished Ron. His ears burned as he suddenly realized that he'd been yelling. It was very lucky no one was around.
"And Remus…he said he's getting sick of Dumbledore, just like you. I dunno what he meant by Moony tearing at him, but I guess he's been fighting his werewolf just to stay with you. He also said that V-Voldemort was offering werewolves equal rights. That's a hell of a lot better than what he'd get staying with the Light," he surmised. As off-track as he'd gotten, Harry understood the point he was trying to get across.
Harry's eyes started to get a little light back in them and Ron congratulated himself on a job well done.
"I guess…I'll talk to him and see what happens. Thanks again, Ron."
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The scent that lingered on the envelope was strange and powerful, yet in some way familiar. Remus had to look at who the return address was from before it clicked.
Of course! How could he have forgotten!?
Remus had been too immersed in his own problems to remember the changes in Harry's scent and the Dark taint it had taken on. He simply couldn't understand why he'd forgotten such an important seeming detail. It made his head spin to think of the implications.
He'd been too lost, waiting for Harry's angry, disgusted reply before he set out for Fenrir's pack. He dearly hoped that when he was welcomed into the fold all of this uneasiness would be washed away. He knew it was a vain hope. He might one day have to go up against Harry. Oh, how he dreaded it.
Remus tore the letter open.
Moony,
I'm coming to where you are.
Now.
Harry
Remus blinked, trying to figure out what that could possibly mean. At that moment the tracking charm on the letter activated. He gasped, flinging it away in surprise. He hadn't sensed the spell.
Newly embraced instincts coursed through him as a familiar scent reached him. Every one of them told him to run.
He shook himself, trying to be rid of it. He knew that it was the dark power that set off his senses, causing the instinctual fear that any creature would feel when confronted with a being more powerful than them. The only notable exception to the rule were humans.
Before him stood the short, cloaked figure of a smiling Harry Potter.
Remus stared at the young man, willing himself to believe this was real, that Harry had appeared out of thin air…and smiled at him.
After his initial fear of the suffocating smell was gone, Remus became aware of his wolf crying out.
Pack…Powerful pack. Submit. Protect. Love. Moony's impulses reached him, his acceptance of his darker side putting him in connection. Remus didn't realize he was moving until he was already hugging the boy.
He quickly pulled away in surprise. Harry however, didn't stop him from either action. He simply stared, smiling a little. Despite that, Remus could see the spark of accusation in those verdant eyes.
He cringed, his heart sinking as Harry was silent. 'Of course. He hates me now.'
Straight to the point then.
"Harry, I'm sorry…for betraying you," this was what he wanted to say right? He wanted to apologize to Harry's face and wait for the outrage that would follow. He'd been such a coward, thinking that such a simple letter would be the end of it. No more words would come to him, looking at the young boy before him.
Then Harry's eyes softened, taking him completely by surprise. The boy looked down at his feet guiltily.
"It hurts but…I don't really blame you, Remus. I can't when I've done the same."
It took a moment, but Remus reeled back in shock and comprehension when gold eyes met his. He gaped in a bit of awe when the other bared his teeth, exposing gleaming fangs.
"…Explain!"
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Harry took in Remus' appearance with slight awe. The man had changed much since he last saw him, almost more than Harry himself! Though his clothes were still patchy, he no longer looked worn and frayed about the edges. In fact, he looked vibrant and strong. The gray he remembered being in the werewolf's hair had receded, getting back some brown luster. His face had gained a feral curl, as if always an inch away from a howl of delight or snarl of rage.
Remus' letter had talked about his werewolf side as a separate entity, but it seemed to Harry as if they'd started to merge, making the man appear more beastly and muscled. But wolves were quick to anger, and Harry had to keep this in mind.
He'd debated hard with himself about telling Remus of his and Tom's relationship, but decided that, like Ron, it would be best to give him the full truth. He wanted to be close to the man. Remus had even referred to him as Cub in the letter. The fact that he'd even bothered to write showed Harry that he cared what became of him.
Harry made Remus take the same promise as Ron: not to speak until Harry finished. It was a harder story to tell now than the first time when his emotions had been so out of control. He almost wanted to stop on certain parts (being turned, yelling at his friends, Tom, his "death", his meetings with Voldemort), but the werewolf's piercing amber gaze kept him going.
The only time he paused was when Remus drew his wand to silently conjure a tray of steaming tea and biscuits, along with a bottle of brandy. Harry recognized it as a great show of magic from a man who was normally so withdrawn.
The man sat down across from him, swirling the brandy glass in such a way that Harry thought it must have been habit. Remus sighed.
"Harry…let me say that I understand your reasoning behind many of the things you've done. I'm glad you're finally finding happiness after…Sirius," his eyes darkened and he took a sip of brandy, setting the glass down with a clink.
Of course, Harry should have thought of this. Remus was more experienced, older and wiser than he. He must have faced betrayal and conspiracy many times in his harsh life. He was taking this even more calmly than Ron, understanding. Someone could understand.
"I also have something to tell you." Harry stared at him. It had not been five minutes and they were already moving to a new topic… This meeting was going far from expected. Remus was waiting; he nodded to continue.
"You see, at some point in every werewolf's life, after they've hit maturity, they choose a mate," at Harry's curious look he elaborated, "Someone they…love, and want to spend the rest of their life with," he ran a hand through his hair and down his face in frustrated gesture.
"Mine was Sirius. I loved him more than anything and chose him in the end. He chose me back. His imprisonment…and his death tore me up like nothing I'd ever known before," Remus stopped, his eyes shining with sorrow. His white knuckles told Harry that if he hadn't put the wineglass down, brandy and glass pieces might be all over the floor. Still he continued, "Fenrir Greyback has been urging me to join his pack for many years, since I hit maturity. I refused, first to stay with Sirius and the other Marauders, then to stay with you…but he told me something recently, that resulted in my letter."
Harry waited for some explanation, but none came. Remus and Sirius together didn't shock him much. He'd always suspected something, with how affectionate the two were. But he couldn't imagine how Remus had handled his death. He had known Sirius much longer than Harry, and he loved him just as much, if not more than Harry loved his godfather.
"What did he say?" Harry asked, anxious at Remus' continued silence.
"He told me that I was his chosen mate; that it was the reason he bit me as a child," he replied. It startled Harry that his voice he held no inflection. He was trying to purposely hide it from the younger man.
Harry couldn't help but gape. Fenrir's mate? How did that happen? Remus didn't seem too happy about it.
"Do, er…do you feel the same way?"
Remus smirked a little, shocking Harry, as it was an expression he'd never before seen on his face.
"But that's just the thing, I'm not sure."
Ah, there was the confusion, an emotion that Harry was far too familiar with. Remus didn't know how he felt…
"And yet you still went over to the Dark…" Remus' expression lightened slightly at Harry's almost blithe tone.
"But you 'can't blame me,' can you, Harry?" his eyes crinkled with the hint of a smile, the first one Harry had seen from him all night. Harry didn't reply, not being able to think of more to say.
They sat in silence for several minutes, simply staring at each other and contemplating.
Several chimes suddenly rang through the room, making them both jump. It was the chime of a clock, signaling it was currently four in the morning.
"It's very late," Remus stood, "You should probably get back before you're missed."
Harry nodded, also standing up. Just as he was wondering how to say goodbye, Remus walked up to him and gave a second, fierce hug. It told him more than words can ever say.
"Harry, I know I can never replace your parents or Sirius, but I hope that someday…you might at least see me as an honorary godfather?" his voice was a little hesitant as it reached Harry's ears, and Remus pulled away.
Harry felt a rush of gratitude and happiness at those words. He grinned for the first time.
"Of course, Moony."
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Nagini did not like her master's new pet. No, not at all.
The thing positively reeked of power, taking away all of her master's precious attention and nearly guaranteeing it stayed away.
Before, she was always the object of his affections; he barely noticed her presence any longer. Instead, his mind was always on that dratted boy, or he was flipping through that infernal journal.
Not to mention that white snake that dared to invade her territory!
Nagini hissed angrily as Master once again ignored her in favor of reading the oh-so-fascinating journal the boy had brought him.
They would pay, one way or another.
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A/N: No real excuse, writer's block, blah blah blah, school started again, biology and honors English 10, blah blah blah…
Ooh look, a hint at my age:D
Anyway, sorry to those disappointed in this chapter. The action is coming soon. Here's a few hints to think on:
-Coin
-Dementor's Blood
-Veritaserum
Please review!