Chapter 1: Out of the Shadows

Sara's gaunt face was set, and yet, somehow, fragile in the predawn light filtering down through the pine branches. Moments before, Remus' entire outlook on life had shifted, and he felt more pity for the solemn, seventeen-year-old girl than he had for anyone else he had met among Voldemort's werewolves, more, in fact, than for anyone else he had ever met in his entire life. She was Fenrir Greyback's daughter. His entire life had been drastically changed for the worse since Greyback had bitten him as a child. At least he may have had a chance at a normal life, had he not been bitten. This girl's entire life had been cursed, and there had been no avoiding it. Sara gave him a quick smile then spoke, breaking the silence that had stretched across the long minutes since she had last spoken, "Listen, Remus, I'm not like the others. In fact, I hate them. The only reasons I'm still alive are that I'm a good liar and that I can disappear.

"I've been watching you since the day you got here. You weren't like the rest of them—us. You'd tried to live among 'normal' wizards. Tried and succeeded, I was sure. The others didn't trust you at first. I heard them talking after you went to bed on your first night here. Surprisingly, it was my Father who defended you. He said he'd waited over thirty years for you to join us and that you had just taken more time than most to come to your senses.

"I was the only one he didn't convince. Oh, I let him believe that he had convinced me, but every night, I watched you, determined that, one day, I'd dare to step out of the shadows and speak with you."

"I'm glad you did," Remus said pensively. "It's rather difficult to keep a secret all to yourself."

Sara gave him another brief smile. "Very," she agreed.

""What made you decide to talk to me after all this time?" Remus asked.

"The picture. After your argument with father, I was even more curious as to who she was. What happened between you and her?"

Remus looked at her incredulously. "She—well…She and I—I don't really want to talk about it."

Sara nodded. "I understand. You left her, didn't you? Probably for this secret mission you're on."

"What?" Remus asked. "How did you…?" he trailed off.

Sara grinned mischievously. "I didn't think you told Father the truth. I didn't think you'd still be so attached to her if you came here for kicks."

"I left her because I don't want to endanger her. I came here because I was sent by Albus Dumbledore."

Sara snorted. "Well, how noble of you," she stated sarcastically. "I'm sure she's happy you're her risking your own life."

"She—Tonks—didn't want me to go. In all honesty, I didn't want to go, but then, I realized that, by remaining, I would only put Tonks in danger. She wanted us to get married. How could I have married her, Sara? I would be a danger to her on the full moon if I forgot my potion!"

"But do you love her?" asked Sara. "Truly love her?"

"Yes, I do," Remus said. "Of course I do, but how can I?"

"Men!" Sara exclaimed vehemently. "Remus Lupin, you stupid, noble prat! If you love her, none of this matters, as long as she loves you, too!"

"What do you know about it?" snapped Remus. "You're only seventeen."

"Remus, listen to me," Sara said gently. "Love is all that matters. As for how I know this…well, I don't want to talk about it just yet." She bowed her head, hiding her face behind her hair.

Remus let that point go. He knew all too well how annoying it was when someone kept pushing for a discussion on a painful point.

"What would you give for her happiness?" Sara asked, bringing up the subject of Tonks yet again.

"I would do anything," he stated simply.

Sara smiled. "Then why don't you go back to her?"

"I can't! I need to keep her safe."

"Sometimes," Sara replied gently, "the ones we want to protect the most are the ones that need protection the least. Think about it."

"I left her to protect her. She needs this."

"That's not really why you left her," Sara protested. "Don't lie to yourself, Remus."

"Then why did I, then?"

"You're afraid," Sara stated simply.

Remus was taken aback. He had known this girl for only fifteen minutes and she was already more knowledgeable about his deepest feelings than he himself was. He inhaled the cool morning air sharply and the spicy odor of pine enveloped his keen senses.

"I'm not mocking you," Sara said. "I'm just trying to help. I'm your friend, Remus."

A jolt ran through Remus as Sara spoke. Tonks had said almost the exact same thing to him not too long ago. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he looked into Sara's emerald eyes and found in them the same sympathy he saw in Tonks'. A sudden desire to tell her everything overcame him and he struggled to hold his tongue.

Sara, on the other hand, was very talkative, now that she had come out of hiding. "What's life like on the outside, Remus?"

Her eyes sparkled eagerly and Remus decided that she deserved an answer. She was, after all, the only person here he trusted. "It's cruel, unforgiving, prejudiced and harsh."

"So not that different from here, really?" Sara asked wryly.

"I suppose not," Remus agreed with a smile. "Except, people sleep in houses and don't expect anybody else to become a full-fledged monster monthly."

"Was that supposed to be a joke?" Sara demanded. "Honestly, Remus, you need a better sense of humor!"

Remus chuckled, laughing for the first time since his heart had broken. "Sometimes, Sara, I think you're really just Tonks, morphed into a seventeen-year-old."

"Don't you think that, if she had morphed into someone else to come here and find you, that she would have chosen to be much older and more attractive?"

Remus laughed again. "You do have a point there."

"I'm picturing a slender blond with big, grey eyes and a small nose. Oh, and big, red lips, perfect for snogging," Sara chirped.

"Please be serious, Sara. What will your father think if he finds us here?"

"He'll think I've finally come to my senses. You know, by opening up to the others."

"He won't be angry with you for talking to a strange werewolf who dared risk life among normal wizards?"

"He trusts you, Remus," Sara said, her voice oddly hollow. "He trusts you more than anyone here, except for me, of course. Odd, isn't it? The two people he trusts most are the two traitors in his midst."

Remus felt a sudden thrill of foreboding. Perhaps he had gone in over his head on this one. Stomach churning unpleasantly, he looked down at his unfinished breakfast. He knew that he couldn't eat it. "You want this?" he asked Sara, holding out the plate of food.

"Sure," Sara said, taking it from Remus. The two sat in relative silence as Sara consumed Remus' meal.

The crunch of dead pine needles and pinecones caused Remus and Sara to look around. The source of the noise was Fenrir Greyback. He smiled savagely and Remus was impressed by Sara's ability to keep her emotions hidden. "Hello, Sara; hello, Lupin," Greyback rasped.

"Hello, Greyback," Remus replied.

"Hello, Father," Sara stated coolly.

"I see you have met my daughter, Lupin. This is wonderful. In fact, there's something important I need to tell both of you, but we must move farther from the camp so that none of the others hear us." Greyback disappeared among the shadowy trees.

Remus and Sara exchanged a nervous glance before plunging into the unknown.