Disclaimer: Not mine

His Calling

Chapter 34

Dogs and Candy Shops

The wolf prowled up the dark steps, leaving the cellar with the earthen floor behind it, seeking, always seeking the smells. Padding down long narrow passages it stopped at each opening, sat on its haunches, lifted its snout and smelled the odour of each space, knowing nothing had been there. Finding no other scent but its own urine marking its route it lifted its head, let out a long howl heralding its arrival and claimed this space as its own.

Waiting for an answering howl, it lowered its head, snarling as its hair bristled across its back as the sense of danger became overwhelming. Danger. The wolf could feel it in the air, could hear it in the shifting of dirt in the tunnel. Danger, it heard it in the movement coming from the bowels of the shack. With a quick turn, the wolf ran down the steps, returning to its place of birth, and then shoved its muzzle into the damp earth, smelling the new intruder.

A low rumble began in the wolf's chest as its lips pulled back, saliva dripped from its mouth as its eyes searched the darkness. A small movement in the far corner caught its attention. Falling to its stomach in a low crouch, it inched forward, the smell of fresh game only inches away. It shifted, putting its weight back on its hind legs, ready to spring… when a large black dog leapt on its back, taking the wolfs attention from the small rat in the corner and effectively drawing the wolfs attention.

The dog sprang up, and ran into the tunnel, turning just once, barking, and further drawing the wolf's attention from the tiny creature, then turned and fled… the wolf in chase.

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Remus rolled over on his back, biting back a hiss of pain. He arched his back off the damp earth, gritting his teeth as a wave of nauseous pain gripped him. He heard the last of his bones grind back in alignment. Moving to his side, he curled into a ball and moaned, holding his stomach and biting through his bottom lip to keep from screaming.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and the warmth of a blanket. He squeezed his eyes shut, turning his head away, not wanting Madam Pomfrey to see him like this. Not wanting anyone to see that the wolf could make him cry.

He sobbed as the pains lessened, finally able to draw enough air into his changing lungs to support a human's greater need, he gasped, drawing in the air in ragged gulps, strangled noises filled the cellar under the shrieking shack as his vocal cords returned to normal.

He lay still, unmoving, not wanting to open his eyes and assess the damage he had done to himself this time.

"Hey man, you okay?"

He snapped his eyes open, and pushed the hand from his shoulder, sitting up and spinning to look at Black in one movement. "What the fuck? You shouldn't be here. You know you shouldn't…I could have hurt you…damn it Sirius, you know better!"

"Hey, take it easy." Black held up his hands, palms out, a sign of surrender and peace. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Your hands." Remus licked his lips and looked around the cellar nervously. "Did I… did I do that? Did I … did I do anything to you?"

Looking at his hands Sirius grinned. "Nah, the pads on my paws must have caught some thorns. You chased me right through that thicket down by Hagrid's hut. Thought for sure he was going to hear us. Hold on."

Sirius dug his wand out and let a thin stream of light trace across Remus' outer lip. "Open up," he frowned, then healed the inside as well.

"Was there… Sirius?" He looked up at Black's face in wonder. "Were we chasing something…a rabbit… a white hare…"

"Yeah." Sirius laughed. "I tried to dig up its hole but…I haven't got the hang of this dog thing yet."

"No, I don't care about that," he whispered, then held his arms up, inspecting his arms for bites. "Not so bad this time."

"Oh, yeah, well… like I said, I didn't know about the thorns or I wouldn't have taken you down there."

"You should go," Remus said quietly. "Before Pomfrey gets here. She'll have a fit."

"Yeah, see you at breakfast?" Sirius turned back at the tunnel entrance, watching Remus' back shake with his silent sobs. "It's going to be better now. You'll see. And Remus, you still have three brothers who need you to stay here. We didn't go through all this to have you turn tail and run. It's time to stand up with us." He turned and crawled through the tunnel, then ran back to the tower, careful not to be caught.

Remus rolled onto his back waiting for the last of the tremors to pass before he sat up, drawing up his knees in hopes of lessening the cramps that still racked his abdomen. He remembered, he thought in awe. He remembered running and feeling sweet grass under his feet. He remembered the wolf lowering its muzzle to the cool moving water in the stream and the wetness on his tongue. He chuckled, thinking of Peter, and knew why he had chosen to be a rat. Only a rat would be small enough to sneak up and press its nose to the knothole, stopping the Whomping Willow and allowing the others to enter. He wrapped his arms around his knees and waited for the last of the pain to pass before dressing and finding Madam Pomfrey.

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Remus spent most of his free time in the library the week following his change. Using the impending O.W.L.s as his excuse, he hid from the others, not knowing how to react and not sure that after seeing what he really was they would still think it was a good idea to join him. He knew now Peter had not kept the secret about his time in the barn, not understanding that the wolf he had played with was only a cub. Still slow and playful.

He felt their footfalls before he saw them, grinning and smirking as they joined him at the back table of the library's study section.

"Quiet!" Remus hissed, craning his neck to see if the front desk was manned. "You're lucky it's Saturday or old lady Pince would put you out on your arse."

"Come on, we are going into Hogsmeade. Lily just left with a bunch of girls," James grinned.

"I'm busy," Remus frowned.

"Ah, come on. I want to meet that Ravenclaw and you know her better than me, I thought you could… you know… start talking about cherries and whipped cream."

Remus couldn't help but grin and looked into Sirius' eyes, knowing it was Black's way of saying there were girls afoot and he had grieved long enough. "I'll help you meet her, but then I am out of it. Got it?"

"Sure, come on before Snape and his group follow them."

Remus levitated his book back to the shelf shaking his head, "You make it sound like we are going hunting."

"We are," Peter smirked. "I told Melinda I would buy her a butterbeer."

"And she said what?" Remus paused and looked at him in surprise, seeing colour begin to climb up under his collar.

"She said…. Okay." Peter swallowed hard. "Now what do I do?"

"You cough up that moth eaten wallet and spring for the price of two butter beers, and don't be cheap about it. Girls don't like cheap," James said knowingly.

Remus frowned as he threw his robes over his shoulders, remembering how Tiffany and he would often share a soft drink or a cup of hot chocolate when it was all he could afford.

"Don't listen to him. Ask him who his last girlfriend was," Remus said softly.

As they walked to town, Remus hung back until he and Sirius were a few steps behind the other two. "Who is it you want me to talk to?"

"Hestia Jones," Sirius grinned.

Remus stopped in the middle of the path staring at him. "Fuck no! She's a second year! Holy Merlin Sirius, you can't be after her…it's…its …wrong."

"I know," Sirius grinned, "but her sister is awesome."

"Fuck," Remus muttered. "I don't believe I'm doing this."

"Fuck…an interesting word, don't you think?" Sirius laughed and slapped him on the back.

"Fine," Remus shrugged off his hand and strode towards Hogsmeade. "I'll get her to meet you, but one wrong word, I mean it Sirius, just one and I'll hex you."

"Hey, she's twelve, what do you think I am?" Sirius' face darkened. "I mean it. She meets her sister in town, at the Broomsticks."

"I don't even remember that she has one."

"Yeah, well, listen, Lupin. Her sister is a squib, but that doesn't really matter to me. She just… I want to meet her."

They arrived in town just in time to see the girls disappear into the sweet shop. "Quick, give me some money," Remus turned to Sirius and held out his hand.

"You nuts?"

"I have one galleon. One, and I am not spending it to pimp your arse to a twelve year old."

Sirius looked at Remus' palm and the door where the girls had just disappeared. "When you put it that way… it sounds… wrong." He dug in his pocket and pressed two galleons into Remus' hand. "Okay, so it sounds wrong, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it."

James came sauntering over, nodding towards Peter, who headed down to the Broomsticks. "I thought he was joking."

"Great," Remus sighed. "Potter, could you meet us someplace in a few minutes. No offence, but you bugger it up whenever Lily is around."

"Do not, she likes me."

"Dead maybe," Sirius snorted.

"Want to have lunch at the Hogs Head?" James asked, ignoring Sirius.

"No, I want to breathe tomorrow and if Rosmerta finds me there I can forget about that," Remus grinned. "You better stay out as well for a while."

"Okay, I'll grab a table at the Broomsticks then, I can spy on Wormtail while I wait."

"Wormtail?" Sirius grinned.

"Okay, come on. You didn't do so well your first time out either."

"What? A little cut on my foot… I told you my foot pads are tender."

"Right, Padfoot, that's you. It's a paw you arse," Remus laughed. "Now, come on and remember… twelve…good gods I don't believe I am doing this…one wrong word and I am out of here, and watch your language… twelve."

Sirius pulled open the door and let Remus walk into Honeydukes first, then followed him in quietly. He saw them at once and nudged Remus with his elbow, nodding toward his intended victim.

Remus was stunned. Hestia had her hand in that of an older girl. A beautiful auburn haired image of her older self. He raised his eyebrow and turned to see Sirius' smirk.

"Told you. Something, right?"

"Shut up," Remus hissed.

Remus began looking at the shelves, as if making a selection, carefully flipping over the small packages, reading the labels, always staying close to the two sisters. As they paid for their purchases he headed for the door, and knocking into Hestia sent her sweets skidding across the floor.

"I'm sorry," Remus muttered, trying to look mortified. "Hestia? Right? From Ravenclaw? Here, let me replace that. I'm sorry."

He guided her back to the shelves and had her put what she wanted into her sack, then followed her up the till and paid for the sweets. Sirius was leaning on the counter, chatting to her sister, and grinned as Remus walked over to them with a very happy little girl.

"Thank you," her sister sighed. "I didn't bring enough to buy it all again, but I will pay you back."

"No, it was my fault entirely." Remus smiled, extending his hand."Lupin, Remus Lupin, and it appears you have already met Sirius, Sirius Black."

"Black?" She reached for Hestia and yanked her by the arm before pushing the child behind her back. "I should have known."

Sirius pushed up from the counter, standing rigidly, the vein in his neck quickening with his heartbeat. "Known what?" he sneered out.

"You and your kind are nothing but arrogant arseholes! You leave my sister alone." She turned to glare at Remus. "Both of you! If I catch you talking to her I will find a way to make sure you never do again."

"Hey," Remus held up his hands, looking at Sirius in confusion, lowering his eyes quickly as the door opened and a flash of light hit his face. He looked up only a second later to see Sirius had taken his wand from his pocket and stood silently glaring back at the squib.

"I may be a Black, of which I am proud, but I am not a worthless piece of…"

He stopped when a gob of spittle landed on his cheek. "Black! The very sound of it sickens me." She pushed past him, dragging Hestia with her, breaking into a run once they were outside.

"It's over," the shopkeeper called above the building chatter. "A little misunderstanding…Mr. Black? Take it outside please."

Sirius pushed the door open so hard it slammed into the side of the building.

"What was that all about?" Remus hurried to his side, matching his stride to keep up. "You said you didn't know her."

"Black. That's all she heard," he spat angrily. "That's all anyone is going to hear. I have to get out of that fucker's shadow. I have to."

"Sirius." Remus grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around. "She doesn't understand. It's not you… it's who she thinks you are."

"Right, and your brother was beaten to death by her kind. It is that kind of thinking that is making this war possible and getting people like Tiffany killed."

Remus released his arm, running his hands through his hair. "Yeah, well … it's not like getting to know me would make things better is it?"

"And it's not like anyone that hears Black…"

"Shut up, Sirius," Remus said evenly. "You wanted to meet her and you met her. What else can I do?"

"Nothing," Sirius said flatly. "Come on, let's head into London. I need to get away from here, I need to go somewhere no one knows me."

"How about going to the cinema?"

"Sounds like a plan. Let's get the others."

"Leave Peter, just get Potter," Remus tried to grin. "It has taken him a year to get up enough courage to ask her out, just leave him be."