Stolen: Greyback's Revenge
Chapter 6 - Keep Calm and Carry On

Several hours later, Harry stepped out of the fireplace and into the kitchen of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, closely followed by his godparents. Just the sight of it, what he now considered his home, made tears well up in his eyes, and he took a deep breath in an attempt to quell them. There had been many times over the last twenty-four hours when he had convinced himself he'd never see this place again, and it still almost didn't seem real to him. He quickly crossed the room to the table, pressing a hand to the surface. Harry had just wanted to touch something, to feel it firm and hard underneath his fingertips, to make sure that he was really home and that this wasn't all a dream.

As soon as Sirius was out of the fire, he rushed over to Harry. Sirius was carrying the Invisibility Cloak in his arms which he promptly set down on the table before gripping his godson's shoulders firmly. "What is it?" Sirius asked. "Are you feeling faint?! Should you lay down?!"

"What?" Harry asked, his face crinkling up in confusion. "No, I'm fine."

"'Cause you rushed over here so quickly," Sirius explained, pressing a hand to Harry's forehead. "I thought you might be feeling sick."

"Sirius," Harry said, grabbing his godfather's wrist and pulling it away. "What are you checking for? I'm not sick, I don't have a fever."

"I know, I just-"

"He said he's fine, Padfoot," Remus said, appearing out of the fire next. "Madam Pomfrey said we're both fine."

They had already been to the hospital wing at Hogwarts, and Sirius had insisted that both Remus and Harry be checked over. Harry had been a bit dehydrated, and he'd received a Replenishing Potion while Madam Pomfrey healed his injuries. Remus had been adamant that there wasn't anything wrong with him, but he'd submitted to an exam just to shut his best friend up. Indeed, Madam Pomfrey hadn't been able to find anything that was cause for concern, but she did give him a Painkilling Potion for his throat. Although he wouldn't admit it, Remus was grateful for it in the end, because Greyback had really done a number on it when he'd tried to strangle him.

Even though she said there most likely weren't going to be any further problems for either of them, Madam Pomfrey had suggested keeping both Remus and Harry in the hospital wing overnight for observation. Neither Harry nor Remus, however, was very happy with this idea, insisting they'd be much more comfortable to rest at home. Eventually, Sirius had agreed with them, but Remus really wasn't sure why, because he'd been freaking out the entire way home.

Remus knew Sirius just liked to have his family home, and with Hogwarts proving to be even more dangerous by the day, he didn't want any one of them there for very long. As long as they were under his own roof, Sirius could keep an eye on them, but Remus wondered if it would have been better for Sirius's own mental health if they had stayed in the hospital wing.

Sirius looked doubtful at these reassurances, so Harry insisted, "I am. I just…" He felt slightly embarrassed, like it was such a childish thing to do. "I wanted to make sure I was really here," he whispered. "That I wasn't imagining it."

Sirius blinked. "Oh."

"I…" Harry began, but then he paused again. He didn't know why everything he wanted to say suddenly felt silly to him, but he knew he didn't have to be afraid to voice his feelings to his godfathers. "When I was in the shack, I think I fell asleep a couple times. It was difficult, because I was so scared, and I had a hard time relaxing. Plus you really don't want to fall asleep around Greyback of all people. You could wake up with all sorts of things missing." Sirius's face began to pale, so Harry hurried on, "But I did doze off here and there when I got so exhausted, I couldn't stay awake anymore." He looked back and forth between Remus and Sirius, his expression helpless. "Every time I did, I kept dreaming that I was home, but then I'd wake up and…Greyback would be there. I really thought he was going to kill me…that I'd never see this place again." His voice cracked on the last words.

Sirius gripped the back of Harry's neck and gently pulled him closer, pressing his mouth against the top of Harry's head in a kiss. "Bastard's on his way to Azkaban," Sirius mumbled, his voice muffled. "He's never going to hurt you again. Either one of you," he added to Remus. "Not if I have anything to say about it, because if he does, his luck is going to run out. I will kill him."

Even though the point was moot, at least for the time being, the thought of Sirius killing Greyback made Remus distinctly uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because it reminded him of the fact that he had come so close to crossing that line himself tonight. In an effort to change the subject, Remus said, "Oh," before reaching into his pocket. He withdrew Harry's wand, which he had found in the Hogwarts' grounds…he supposed that had been yesterday now. Everything since they had learned of Harry's disappearance was all blending into one very long and horrible day. It was getting hard keeping track of when what had happened. Shaking his head, Remus took a few steps towards Harry, holding his wand out for him. "We found it when we were looking for you.

Harry smiled before grabbing it. "Thanks," he mumbled. "I always seem to lose it when Greyback's around."

"Do you have the Marauder's Map?" Remus asked next. "It wasn't in your room after you were taken, so we assumed you had it with you, but we weren't able to find it."

"Oh." Harry fumbled around in his pockets for a moment before producing a battered piece of parchment. He laid it down on the table next to the cloak. "At least Greyback didn't know it was magical, otherwise I think he would have tried to destroy it, too. Like the cloak." Harry laid his hand over the Invisibility Cloak, lifting parts of it up to reveal the large claw marks Greyback had inflicted on it. "Can it be fixed?" Harry's voice was sad at the thought of the last belonging of his father's being ruined.

"I think so," Remus said. "Perhaps Dumbledore can have a look at it. He's…much more skilled at Reparo charms than either of us. Than anyone I know, really."

"Now," Sirius asked, "what would you like to do? Anything you want. We can sleep, or we can eat - on second thought, you must be starving! Actually, that's a good idea. I better make something before you starve to death, and I don't want to hear any arguments." Sirius turned to the icebox in an attempt to look for food.

"I am hungry," Harry agreed, "but I think I'd like a bath first and foremost. And a change of clothes. I feel gross."

Whirling around to face his godson, Sirius said, "I don't know, Harry. Perhaps you should have some nourishment first. You might not have the energy for a bath."

Harry rolled his eyes and glanced at Remus desperately.

"For Morgan's sake, Padfoot," Remus said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Harry's shoulder in an attempt to offer him some support. "Believe me when I say that a bath will do Harry a world of good right now. Any amount of time spent around Greyback makes you feel absolutely filthy. It's that stink cloud that follows him around everywhere."

Sirius couldn't exactly argue with that. "Should I come with you? I don't want you passing out and drowning-"

"I'll keep an eye on him," Remus interrupted gently. He then tilted his head towards Harry and gave Sirius a look that implied they should be alone for a while. Sirius seemed to understand; if there was anyone who could understand Harry's run-in with Greyback, it was Remus.

Sirius nodded a bit helplessly. "Okay. I'll make you anything you want to eat then. Just name it."

"Er…" Harry thought for a moment. "Well, it's almost morning, so breakfast, I guess. French toast. With lots of syrup."

"And sausage," Remus added.

Sirius narrowed his eyes playfully. "Just don't think this is going to become a regular occurrence. I hate cooking. This is just a special occasion."

"Reserved for when we have run-ins with deranged werewolves," Remus said knowledgeably, "and we wouldn't dream of it, Padfoot." He pressed against Harry's shoulder gently, directing him towards the stairs.

Harry had a rough time climbing the steps at first. After all, he had just spent the last twenty-four hours or so in the same exact position, and his muscles were still quite a bit sore. Remus had grabbed Harry's arm and pulled it over his shoulders, using his other arm to support Harry's waist as they went.

"Don't let him fall down the stairs!" Sirius cried after them.

"He's fine, Padfoot," Remus called back tiredly. "Do give me some credit."

"Thanks," Harry said.

Remus wasn't exactly sure what Harry was thanking him for - for saving him from Sirius or helping him up the stairs. Either way, his response was the same. "Any time."

Harry was watching him closely out of the corner of his eye. "You really know how I feel." Remus looked at him quickly, and Harry recanted a bit, "I know it's nothing compared to what you went through. A day could hardly be compared to two months, but-"

"Our experiences weren't entirely different," Remus cut him off, "no."

"I just…he's so gross," Harry complained. "And you're right. I feel like just being around him, even for a day, has made me absolutely filthy, but…" He stopped, partially out of fear, but also because he wasn't sure how to vocalize what he was feeling.

But Remus knew. "Not just outside, but inside too."

"Yeah," Harry replied, sounding surprised that Remus was able to put words to it so easily. "It's like he had such a large impact on me emotionally, that he's changed me forever." When Harry realized what he said, his face turned red. "That sounds silly. It was twenty-four hours."

"It isn't silly. Not at all. Because I felt the same way almost as soon as joined his pack." Remus considered this. "I think it's because he's such a strong presence. You can't help but feel affected…disturbed by him no matter how long you're around him."

"I…won't be able to wash that feeling off, will I?" Harry asked tentatively.

Remus didn't reply right away, just continued to help Harry climb the stairs. Eventually, however, he admitted, "It fades. You might get the urge to take a lot of showers between now and then. You might even feel like tearing your own skin off to try and fix it, but it does get better."

They were quiet the rest of the way to the bathroom, and by the time they reached it, Harry was moving quite a little more smoothly. It was the most he'd moved in the last day, so it probably helped to loosen up his muscles.

"Why don't you start your bath?" Remus suggested. "I'll bring you a pair of pajamas to change into."

Harry grinned. "Can you get my favorite ones? I always keep them here so they remind me of home."

"The red fleece ones with the Snitches on them?"

"Yeah."

"Consider it done."

Once Harry closed the door to the bathroom, Remus remained out in the hall for a while. He ran a hand through this hair and heaved a heavy sigh. As much as he didn't want to admit it, this was going to have a lasting impact on Harry. Remus had hoped that by finding him quickly, such effects would be minimized, but this was Greyback they were dealing with. Nothing with him was ever easy or simple.

As he went to retrieve the pajamas from Harry's room, Remus became resolved to the fact they would get Harry through this - both he and Sirius. Both Harry and Sirius had been there constantly for Remus when he was struggling with his time with the werewolves, and Remus was determined to be the same rock that Harry had been for him. Remus would sit up with Harry at night if he had to, he'd listen to every single thing Harry needed to talk about and more, or he'd just be there if that was all Harry wanted. Every second until Harry felt like he could stand on his own again.

When he returned to the bathroom, Remus tapped lightly on the door. Once Harry called for him to come in, Remus pushed the door open, careful to avoid facing the tub. He laid Harry's pajamas on the edge of the sink and then bent over, opening the cupboard door underneath. He fished out a big, fuzzy blue towel, placing that on top of Harry's clothes.

"I'm decent," Harry said from behind him, sounding slightly amused. "As decent as I can be in the tub anyway. You don't have to keep hiding your eyes."

When he looked, he saw that Harry had decided to take a bubble bath. The suds were quite high, obscuring the view of anything that would have been uncomfortable.

"Right," Remus said, still not wanting to intrude on Harry's privacy. "If you don't need anything else, I'll go and make sure Padfoot isn't burning the house down." Remus nearly got to the door before Harry's voice stopped him.

"Remus." The call sounded small and almost frantic. As Remus turned back into the room, Harry looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn't quite know how. Harry glanced away then, staring across the room at the far wall. "This isn't exactly the most comfortable place in the world to hang out, I know, but…" He stopped again, sounding too afraid to voice his feelings, but he didn't need to.

"You don't want to be alone." Remus very clearly remembered his first bath after coming back from the pack. He'd completely broken down, sitting in the empty room with no one else there. He hadn't known it at the time, but having someone around oftentimes kept him from going over the edge.

Harry gave him a pleading stare, his eyes large and frightened. He still had his glasses on, and they were dripping with condensation, beginning to fog up around the edges from the warmth of the water. "Please?"

Remus smiled as much as he could. "Anything you need, Harry. Just say the word." Hesitating for a moment, Remus crossed the room and took a seat on the closed toilet. He rested his elbows on his knees, clasped his hands, and stared down at the floor, still not wanting to intrude on Harry.

"Can I ask you something?" Harry asked over the splash of bath water.

"Of course."

"Do you think…" Harry began, but he broke off again. He bit his bottom lip in indecision before going on, "Do you think we'll ever see him again?"

Remus sighed, watching his hands clench together as if they might contain some answers. "I don't know. I'd like to say no. That Azkaban could hold him forever, but…"

"You'd be lying if you said it could," Harry interjected.

Remus momentarily raised his eyebrows in a defeated response. "If there's one thing Greyback doesn't like to be, it's caged. On the up side, only two people have been known to have escaped from Azkaban, one of them being your godfather."

"I think they've learned their lesson after Barty Crouch, Jr.," Harry said thoughtfully. He sounded like his bath was beginning to help him relax. "I doubt they'll let anything like that happen again."

"Something like that wouldn't help Greyback anyway." Remus snorted. "I doubt there's anyone who would want to try and get him out, certainly not at the expense of trading places with him. He's not even worth that much to Voldemort. As it stands, Sirius is the only one to escape Azkaban unaided, but…I think if there's anyone else who can find a way out on his own, it's Greyback." Remus made a face at his words. "As much as it pains me to say that."

"I think so, too. That he'll get out and he'll come after me again." A tiny note of panic had crept back into Harry's voice again.

Remus shook his head firmly. "If he comes after anyone, it'll be me. He only went after you in the first place to get to me. You were the means to an end for him."

"The way you all are with me and Voldemort."

That caused Remus to finally look up, and if he wasn't much mistaken, he thought he caught the faintest shimmer of tears in Harry's eyes. Then again, he wasn't sure if it was simply a reflection of the bathwater or not. "Oh, Harry." Remus took a shaky breath, the corners of his mouth curling up into a small smile. "That's our downfall, isn't it? We love each other too much."

Harry stayed focused on his washcloth for a moment, which he held just above water level, squeezing it repeatedly and watching the suds drip out. Slowly, a smile formed on his face, eclipsing the frown that had just been there. "When you put it that way, it doesn't seem like such a downfall after all."

Remus hummed in agreement. "You know, when I was with Greyback tonight-" He stopped abruptly, grimacing. "Or last night, I guess it was. I don't even know what day it is anymore." Remus shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. He took a deep breath and let it out gradually before continuing on. "When I was with him, I felt this overwhelming sense of pity for him. Even more than my sense of fear." At the surprised look on Harry's face, Remus clarified, "Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm still afraid of him. Very much so. But more than anything, I do feel sorry for him. We got to talking." Remus let out a soft breath of laughter. "Which sounds insane, but we were actually carrying on a very civil conversation there for a while. More than ever, I saw that there was a very human soul in him at one time." Harry raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and Remus responded, "I know. The very idea sounds ludicrous. I almost can't even imagine it."

"It's like trying to imagine a young Dumbledore," Harry pointed out. "Even though I know he was young at one time, my mind kind of goes blank when I try. It's the same thing with Greyback. I know he can't have been born that way."

"No, he wasn't," Remus sighed. "He was a victim of circumstance, I think, and of the abuse he suffered in a werewolf colony. He always says that he had to become the way he is to survive, and…based on what I do know about colonies, I can see why. How he let that place warp him into the creature he is today. It would be hard for anyone to survive a colony for that long without being affected by it just as much." Remus bowed his eyes, focusing on his hands again. "It would take an exceptionally strong person to get through it whole."

Harry frowned deeply before looking down into the now dirty bathwater. It seemed like he was on the verge of inquiring further into Remus's words, but he had changed his mind and instead was looking for the answers in the water itself. When he spoke again, he switched topics entirely. "What do you think is going to happen with the rest of his pack?"

Remus paused in thought, glancing across the room at the single tiny window. It was just beginning to grow light outside, the very first beams of sun dying the sky a lighter shade of blue than the navy it was chasing away. "I don't know," Remus finally said. "Without Greyback…they've all been told what to do for so long, I imagine they're going to have a hard time even deciding what they should do without him. They've all been there for years. He's all they've known. I suspect they're all going to feel pretty lost right about now. Some of them might want to disband without him, because what is Greyback's pack without Greyback? They probably feel it's wrong to stay together without him. Some of them would probably want to stay together, like it would be a disservice to him to not carry on what he started. I'm sure there are some that would want to elect a new leader, because that's something they do need - some kind of guidance. Some of them would probably even be willing to fight to the death for it, but how do you replace Greyback?"

"I don't think you can."

"Indeed."

"Would-?" Harry began, but then he cut himself off. He turned his head away, his cheeks burning red as if he was embarrassed by what he had been about to say.

Remus tilted his head and leaned to the side, trying to get back into Harry's field of vision. "Harry, what? You can ask me, whatever it is."

Harry heaved a heavy breath, turning back to Remus. His eyes appeared slightly apologetic, like he was silently saying he was sorry for his thoughts. "I just…Would it be better…you know where they are. You could - I don't know - turn them in." Suddenly, it was like a damn had burst. Once Harry had gotten out his initial thoughts, he rushed on, trying to explain himself before Remus could get mad. "You said they've all bitten someone. It's how they gain access to his pack. Shouldn't they be reported for that?"

"No, Harry." Remus's answer was firm, but devoid of any anger whatsoever. Harry was relieved that he hadn't upset Remus, and he visibly relaxed back into the bathwater. "Perhaps it might seem that way," Remus explained, "but as it is, they were only following Greyback's orders. I doubt many - if any of them at all - would have willingly chosen bringing this on someone else if they could help it. Greyback's a special exception to that. And they only joined up with him because they felt like they were out of options, because society has made it nearly impossible to lead any kind of normal lives on their own. Do you honestly think anyone would willingly join up with him if they felt like they had something better?"

Harry pressed his lips together, shaking his head.

"I'm sure many of them wish they could take it back," Remus sighed. "I know for a fact that Althea does. But it was either resort to Greyback's pack or continue to try and survive on their own, which they had already tried and failed at. So in effect, it was either bite someone or die. They thought that was their best choice at the time. Oh, I'm sure there are some that enjoyed it and continue to do so because they enjoy the hunt, but I know not all of them are like that. If I reported them, they'd all be sent to a colony against their will or outright executed for it. Even if some of them did deserve that, all of them don't, and I'm not about to lump them all into the same category. The Ministry doesn't care about intentions, just about actions, and they punish accordingly. I'm very lucky I never got into a position myself where I would have been on the receiving end of that."

"I'm sorry," Harry blurted out. He seemed to shrink down, sinking further into the water. "I know you feel strongly about that sort of thing, and I figured that's what you would say. I just…I guess I imagine them to all be like Greyback, even though I know that's not true." Harry raised a hand out of the water, momentarily shading his eyes from Remus. "That would be like assuming you were like Greyback, too, just because you're a werewolf. Morgan, I'm sorry."

"Harry," Remus said warmly, "you don't need to apologize. You didn't mean anything by it, I know that. You weren't there with me. You didn't see what they were like. Greyback's the only one of them you do know, so of course you're going to assume the rest are all the same if they're living with him. But I can tell you that that couldn't be further from the truth."

Harry dropped his hand back down into the water with a plop, and then he scrunched up his face. "Now I know why Greyback hates that word so much - assume."

"Greyback hates a lot of things."

"Yeah." Harry then glanced at the towel that Remus had placed on top of the sink. "Erm…"

"Done?" When Harry nodded, Remus stood up. "Okay, I'll give you a minute." Remus grabbed the towel and held it out for Harry, but he didn't reach for it. He simply looked up at Remus, eyes wide and pleading. "I'll just be out in the hall," Remus reassured, giving Harry an encouraging smile. Harry smiled in return before finally taking the towel from Remus, cautiously holding it above the water. Remus headed for the door, hearing the final splashes of water as Harry stood from the tub.

Remus let himself out into the hall, closing the bathroom door and leaning against the wall. He pressed the back of his head against the hard surface, staring up at the ceiling as he waited. In some very small way, Remus was almost glad for the experience of having had to live with Greyback for a while. If he could help Harry even a little bit by giving him something to relate to, then perhaps it was worth it. Anything for Harry. Always anything for Harry.

A moment later, the door reopened and Harry emerged out into the hall, dressed in his red pajamas, his hair still damp from his bath. He fidgeted around for a moment, playing with his hands. He first glanced at the wall, then at the floor, then to Remus again. He opened and closed his mouth several times, desperately trying to say something, but it seemed as if he didn't know how.

It was almost painful to watch, and while Remus hated to interrupt him, he felt like he had to. Remus firmly believed in giving people all the time in the world to say the things they needed to, as he was one of those people that sometimes didn't say certain things until he was good and ready. At the same time, there would be plenty of time for that, because for the foreseeable future, Remus was going to be there for Harry as much as he wanted. And perhaps even more so. Remus suspected he might even become annoyingly coddling like Sirius could be, but Remus wasn't going to take no for an answer. At least not for a while.

Remus closed the distance between them, wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulder. He pulled Harry against him, and the two of them headed for the stairs, descending them in silence. Remus led Harry into the lounge, the same room the three of them had spent the night after Remus had come back from living with the werewolves.

Harry settled himself onto one of the couches, and Remus quickly withdrew his wand from his robes. He aimed it at the fireplace, conjuring a fire, which quickly engulfed the room in warmth. Then he grabbed the thick and fuzzy blanket that had been thrown across the other sofa. It had a scene on it of two wolves howling at a full moon, and had been a birthday gift from Sirius the year after he'd escaped from Azkaban. Even though both animals on the blanket were clearly wolves, Sirius insisted that one of them was Padfoot; it was supposed to remind Remus that Padfoot was always with him, even when Sirius himself couldn't be.

Remus laid the blanket over Harry, then sat down next to him, pulling the blanket over his legs as well. Almost immediately, Harry leaned heavily into Remus's shoulder. Remus felt a little caught off guard. Sure, he and Harry hugged, but they'd never really sat and cuddled before. That was always more Sirius's territory, and in many ways, Remus still felt like Harry's teacher sometimes. Even though he hadn't been for well over two years, it seemed like they were still constantly trying to break down that formal wall that had gone up between them the moment Harry had stepped into his classroom.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Remus lifted his arm, curling it around Harry's shoulders once again. Harry pulled the blanket more tightly around himself, pressing himself into Remus's chest and curling in on himself. Remus smoothed some of Harry's hair back from his forehead, nuzzling his nose into Harry's hair. He gently kissed the top of Harry's head then rested his cheek on it, listening as Harry's breathing slowed.

To be concluded…