Love Sees More 3: Greyback's Pack

Chapter 3 - The Task

And so life at the compound continued, which Remus decided was one of the most boring things he'd ever done in his life. Greyback liked routine, so everything was always the same - exactly the same, day in and day out.

Remus would be let out of his cell before each meal, and there was always a meeting in the mess hall first. Most of the time, they didn't have much of anything to talk about; Remus assumed that Greyback held the meetings just to make sure that everyone else was still around and hadn't run off anywhere.

For meals, Remus would follow Greyback into the woods and (pretend to) watch him hunt for something. Remus continued to fill up on as many edible fruits and nuts as he could find, even though Greyback still encouraged him to hunt live things. Greyback said it was good for exercise and reflexes, and he seemed to think it a bit silly when Remus refused, but at least it wasn't something Greyback insisted on enforcing.

After meals, Remus would return to his cell and wait for the next one. Remus lost track of time after a while, his days becoming nothing more than hours upon hours of sitting in his cell, with a few meals scattered along the way.

It gave Remus a lot of time to think, especially about Sirius. He kept wondering what his best friend was doing, but most of the time, Remus thought about the fact that Sirius had spent nearly twelve years in Azkaban. It was almost hard for Remus to imagine, sitting in a cell like his for years on end, and for something he didn't even do. But then again, Remus hadn't ever bothered to contact Sirius during that time, to try and see if maybe things weren't exactly as they had seemed.

Now Remus was spending his own days doing nothing but sitting in a cell, staring at the walls. It almost felt fitting to Remus…like he deserved it, for thinking Sirius guilty all those years ago.

He was still terrified about what Greyback's test for him would be, but at the same time, Remus almost wanted it to come. Once he passed it, Greyback had said that he would be free to go wherever he pleased then. Whatever Remus would be forced to do might even be preferable to going absolutely stir crazy from sitting in the same cell for ages.

Currently, the only break from the routine that had become his life came whenever one of the other werewolves would have to be disciplined. It didn't happen often, because it was quite clear that they were all afraid of Greyback, but it did happen. The rest of the werewolves would be forced to watch, and Remus had come to dread those occurrences - the looks of fear on their faces when Greyback would become violent towards them.

The only consolation to Remus was that Greyback hadn't yet felt the need to turn on him. Remus thought that they were getting along okay for the most part (as well as one could with Greyback), and he felt that Greyback was beginning to trust him, even though he never said so.

To be honest, Remus felt that that had been helped along by Talon's attitude towards him. The second-in-command still made it quite clear that he didn't trust Remus. Greyback, on the other hand, was much too proud to even think about the fact that he might have made a mistake by letting Remus into the pack. When Talon kept questioning Greyback's decision (which had earned Talon several more beatings), it seemed like Greyback became even more determined to accept Remus as one of them.

It had all been too easy, getting on Greyback's good side, and that thought made Remus more and more anxious as the days passed. He knew the full moon was approaching - along with whatever test Greyback had planned for him - but exactly when it was, Remus couldn't say. He had long since lost track of the days, and from his cell, he hadn't been able to see the moon to tell how large it was getting.

This was bad. Remus knew Dumbledore had been expecting him to make contact with him in the days leading up to the full moon. Dumbledore was going to have the Wolfsbane potion waiting for him. They had decided that Remus going through a transformation with the rest of the pack would be much too dangerous without it. Greyback didn't approve of the use of the Wolfsbane, and he would be furious if he knew Remus was still using it, but Remus would much rather keep his mind and accept whatever consequences may come from that. Greyback liked for his pack to run wild during the full moon, and Remus would never forgive himself if he ended up biting or hurting someone as a result.

It had been a little hard, however, to keep in contact with Dumbledore when he was locked in a cell. They hadn't foreseen that. Remus knew how to get out if he must - the key above the door was still there, as if waiting for him - but he preferred not to take the chance until it was absolutely necessary.

The most important thing at the moment was getting through Greyback's test. Without a doubt, Remus would need Dumbledore's help with that, but Greyback hadn't even mentioned it yet. Until he did, Remus didn't want to risk sneaking out to alert Dumbledore. If he got caught, this would all be over. There would be no second chances.

The answer to Remus's questions, however, would come sooner than he thought.

Early one evening, Remus laid on his bed, staring around at the shack like always. He had already taken to counting the boards in the walls, ceiling, and floor, and out of desperation, sometimes he even counted the nails to pass the time. Today, he had moved on to counting the bars that made up the cells.

Small beams of sunlight snuck through the boards over the windows and they moved along the walls, signaling the passing of the day. At the moment, Remus was looking forward to dinner. Even watching Greyback devour innocent prey was preferable to lying here, counting boards and bars until he went insane. Remus wondered how much longer that would take - until he went insane.

Much too soon, Remus heard the door to his shack opening. He immediately sat up, wondering what was happening. It was too early for dinner; he knew from instinct that their next meal was least another hour away.

Greyback stood in the doorway, the dying sun outside outlining his form. He strode in, reached for the key above the door, and then turned back towards Remus. "Up," he ordered.

Remus got off his bed, his heart beginning to pound. He swallowed, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "Sir? It isn't dinner time yet."

Greyback slid the key into the lock of the cell and opened it. "No," he said, pulling the door open and standing aside. "There's something we have to do before dinner tonight."

His breathing growing rapid, Remus stepped out of his cell. Greyback had said that Remus wouldn't know when his test was coming, but that it was coming. This couldn't be it, could it? He wouldn't expect Remus to do something without any warning whatsoever, would he? Remus thought he would have at least a few hours to prepare - hopefully long enough to alert Dumbledore beforehand.

If he didn't have the time beforehand to prepare, Remus knew that depending on what it was, Dumbledore would probably want him to quit. To get out of there somehow, as soon as he could. But then that would make the past several weeks completely pointless, and Remus was determined to not let his time here be in vain.

When Greyback motioned towards the door, Remus exited the shack and descended the steps. The sun was indeed setting, making its way towards the horizon, and filling the forest with pale orangey light. This emphasized the bright orange, red, and yellow hues that were taking over the trees, making the entire forest almost painful to look at.

If this wasn't his test, Remus could only think of one other thing that would cause Greyback to break his routine. However, Remus didn't think that tonight was the full moon. He had lost track of time, yes, but he could usually feel the transformation coming all day beforehand.

"Sir?" Remus asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as he could. "It's not the full moon tonight, is it? I don't think it is, but…"

"You've lost track of time?" Greyback asked, emerging from the shack next.

Remus nodded.

"All my followers do at first," Greyback said, leading Remus towards the back of the colony. It was the same walk they took every day to every single meal. "It's hard for you to keep track of time at the moment, I know. But no. The full moon is tomorrow."

Remus had known the transformation was coming, but to know it was so close made him even more nervous than he already was. He still had to contact Dumbledore to get the Wolfsbane, and his time was quickly running out. The very real possibility that he might have to go through this transformation without it scared him out of his wits.

"If everything goes well," Greyback went on as they continued their walk, "your days in the cell will come to an end very soon. Then again, if things don't go well, they'll come to an end anyway."

So this was his test! Remus's heart began to beat even faster and his legs wobbled slightly as they went. But he couldn't let it show. He couldn't let Greyback see how nervous he was. He wouldn't.

Greyback seemed to know anyway. "As I've told you, Remus," he said, "if you are loyal to me, you have absolutely nothing to fear."

And that was exactly what worried Remus.

Greyback led Remus through the woods, past the small clearing where they usually stopped to eat. They walked past the mouth of the cave and even deeper into the woods. Remus had never been here, had never gone past the cave before, and his mind kept racing with possibilities. At least it wasn't a full moon, because he could only imagine what sorts of chaos he would be headed for then. So what was this all about?

Eventually, the trees started to grow sparse and small cottages began appearing in the distance. It almost reminded Remus of where he had lived as a child, and that made a very uncomfortable feeling settle in his stomach. He tried not to think about what this could mean. There was no sense in worrying until he found out what the test actually was.

Greyback and Remus stayed in the protection of the woods, skirting around the small village they had come across. Remus followed, trying his best to remain calm, to not let Greyback know how absolutely scared he really was.

Finally, Greyback slowed, peering through the trees at the cottage closest to them. It was a particularly small stone cottage, but it looked very friendly and welcoming just the same. A pillar of smoke rose from the chimney and little bursts of bright blue flowers grew out of the flower boxes under each window.

Remus thought he could see a woman through the front window. She looked fairly young, perhaps in her twenties, and Remus imagined that she was cleaning the front room of the cottage. A large smile was present on her face the entire time. She had absolutely no idea that she was being watched by perhaps the most savage werewolf in the world.

"The Farris family," Greyback said, gesturing to the humble dwelling. "A fairly young married couple. They have a boy, Justin, who's just turned seven."

Remus's hand found the tree nearest him and he grabbed it, his fingers tightening around the rough bark. He tried to keep his breathing quiet, but it was impossible now. He thought he could see what Greyback had in mind, and Remus had already decided that he wouldn't do it. Not if it involved a little boy in any way. He wouldn't. For a moment, Remus thought back to his conversation with Sirius, about how he had called this entire thing ludicrous and begged Remus to change his mind. Why on earth hadn't he listened to the mangy mutt?

"I know the father," Greyback explained, breaking Remus from his overwhelming thoughts. "I had…an altercation with him not long ago - not long before you joined us. He called me a monster." Greyback threw back his head and laughed, that cruel, evil, mocking sound that made Remus's skin crawl. "So I had planned on biting the boy this coming full moon. We'll see how his father feels about us monsters when his little boy is one."

Greyback stopped then, almost as if he was waiting for Remus to say something. Remus didn't. His mind was blank, and he didn't think he could say anything without giving away his fear.

"But I thought," Greyback said casually, as if they weren't talking about completely changing the life of an innocent child, "that this would be the perfect opportunity for you to prove yourself to me." Greyback had been eyeing the cottage, but he turned to face Remus now, trying to discern how the younger werewolf was feeling. "This is an honor I'm giving you. I don't normally give my prey to my subordinates, but tomorrow night at this very time, we will position ourselves here. Once we transform, you will bite the boy."

Remus had been expecting that, but once Greyback said it, he could feel the bile rising inside him. Remus's throat burned with it and he thought he was going to be sick. He was suddenly thankful that Greyback had chosen to do this before a meal. If Remus had eaten anything recently, he knew he would have just lost it.

Seeming to sense his reservations, Greyback said, "They deserve it, Remus. They do. For the way they feel about us, for the way they look down on us, for the way they treat us. Like we're some kind of disease. They have absolutely no idea what it's like to be a werewolf. None at all. So it's time they found out."

Remus's eyes went from Greyback's to the cottage behind him. The woman inside had lit a lamp now that the daylight was quickly dying. She had brown hair and was laughing about something, talking to someone inside that Remus couldn't see.

Greyback was still watching him expectantly, waiting for an answer. At the moment, Remus had little choice. If he told Greyback he wouldn't do it, Greyback would kill him at once. There was absolutely no way in hell that Remus would do it, but he couldn't let Greyback know that.

Remus swallowed, glancing at Greyback again. He nodded, and even though he felt worse with every word, he said, "I'll do it."

Greyback looked pleased, that horrible grin twisting itself over his face again. "I knew you would." He took a few steps closer to Remus, looking down his nose at him. "You've been very loyal to me so far. In your time here, you've never once questioned me and you've never once defied me. Not a single one of my followers has ever been this well behaved this soon. Not even Edmund. Most of them, when they first come here, are defiant and disobedient. They like to test me to see how much they can get away with, but not you.

"After tomorrow night, I may make you even higher than an epsilon." Pausing, Greyback looked him up and down, seeming to devour Remus with his eyes. "Your actions aren't that of a zeta," Greyback added, his voice turning into a growl. "I think you've proved that you deserve far more than this. Yes. I think you'd make a fine delta, which is one step up from an epsilon."

Remus looked down at his shoes, which he knew he was supposed to do when Greyback praised him. "Thank you, sir," he whispered.

Greyback nodded, continuing to look very pleased with both himself and Remus as well. "Come. It's dinner time." Without another word, Greyback turned, beginning to walk back through the woods the way they had come.

Remus stayed put for a moment, watching the cottage beyond. He didn't want to follow Greyback. Not now, not ever again. At the moment, Remus's stomach was twisted in so many knots and doing so many somersaults, he couldn't even think about eating. What he almost felt like doing was leaving. Just turning and walking away. Now was his chance, but he knew he couldn't. Not just yet.

That was when Remus realized that he could feel tears prickling at his eyes. He almost wanted to give in to the feeling, to sit down and to let the tears come, but he couldn't do that either. His mission here wasn't over.

Clenching his hands into fists, Remus started back through the woods, hurrying to catch up to Greyback. Remus couldn't even believe that Greyback had let him out of his sight. Ever since he got here, whenever he wasn't in his cell, Greyback always liked for Remus to stay visible. Greyback obviously did trust him now, which made Remus even more certain that he had to keep up this charade for as long as possible.

Dinner that evening seemed to take forever. Remus wasn't the least bit interested in eating; he felt much too ill. He just wanted to get back to his cell. He needed a minute to himself and then he had to get into contact with Dumbledore, to tell him what it was that Greyback wanted him to do.

Finally, Greyback finished with his own meal, the blood of his prey once again visible on his lips. Remus had long since grown used to the sight, but after everything that had happened today, the blood was something he could have done without. It was almost like it was mocking him, reminding him of what Greyback had planned.

When Remus eventually returned to his cell, Greyback stood just outside his door, watching him through the bars. "Get some sleep tonight, Remus," Greyback told him. "You have a very big day ahead of you tomorrow, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. Your test tomorrow night is really just a formality at this point, isn't it? I know you'll made me proud."

Greyback turned and went, leaving Remus in peace, and it was just in time. As soon as the shack door was closed, Remus's eyes welled up and tears began spilling down his cheeks. Remus always prided himself on keeping his emotions in check, but this was too much. Pretending to be one of Greyback's loyal followers when that couldn't be further from the truth was too much. Living a life of nothing but lies for the last three weeks was too much.

Remus had things to do, but at the moment, he just couldn't think of anything else. He dropped down on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, and he let himself cry. Something he hadn't done since he had been a little boy.

After nearly an hour, Remus began to pull himself together. The tears had stopped and he wiped his face dry. Truthfully, he felt much better now. His time with Greyback always got him so tense and nervous. He was always waiting for something to happen, for Greyback to turn on him for some reason. Tonight had been even worse, learning what Greyback expected of him. It felt good to break down for once.

Remus got up from his bed, running his hands through his hair and taking a deep breath. He needed to get out of here and get in touch with Dumbledore. Remus's heart pounded with the possibility of getting caught, but he had little choice in the matter. If Remus didn't go now, he would be forced into a horrible position tomorrow night, and there was no way in hell he was going to stand for that.

Climbing up on his toilet, Remus peeked out the window near the ceiling. It was completely dark out and the compound looked to be pretty deserted from what he could see. In the evenings, the pack usually went out on yet another hunt. If daytime hunts were good for the reflexes, nighttime hunts were even more so. The werewolves couldn't rely as much on their sight, but had to pay more attention to their hearing and sense of smell in the dark.

Remus had never been allowed on a midnight hunt. It was easy to lose track of someone in the dark, and Greyback didn't quite trust him that much just yet. This was perfectly fine with Remus, because it gave him the perfect opportunity to slip away.

Stepping down off the toilet, Remus went to the door of his cell. He eyed the key on the nail above the door, which he could just see through the darkness. He took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Remus reached his right hand, his wand hand, through the bars. He opened his hand and extended his fingers in the direction of the key. It was much too far for him to reach, but he didn't need to.

Gripping the bars of his cell tightly with his left hand, he focused all of his attention on the key. He let everything else fall from his mind, except for the key and the fact that he needed it to get out of there.

"Accio key," Remus whispered harshly. The key ring inched forward on the nail, but then it stopped, the key swinging back and forth lazily. Remus closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against the bars of his cell and taking a few more deep breaths. He could do this. He had to do this, because something else suddenly occurred to him. If Remus didn't bite that boy tomorrow night, then he had no doubt that Greyback would, and Remus wasn't about to let that happen.

"Accio key!" Remus tried again, much more forceful than before. The key ring slid off the nail this time, slowing crawling towards him through the air. Remus reached his fingers for it, stretching his arm as much as he could, while keeping his eyes pinned on the key. The metal ring drew closer until Remus finally closed his fingers around it. The key jingled quietly, flopping around on the ring.

Remus grinned and then a laugh escaped him. That felt good. Perhaps the first positive thing he had felt in his godforsaken place. "Never underestimate a determined werewolf, Fenrir," Remus spoke aloud to the empty shack. "That was your first mistake."

Unlocking his cell door, Remus slid the door open as quietly as he could. Greyback had sensitive hearing, even more so than the other werewolves, and there was no telling where Greyback was at the moment. Sometimes he went out on the midnight hunts, but sometimes he didn't. One could never tell with him.

Replacing the key on the nail above the door, Remus went to the cell across from his. All of the other cells in the room were unused at the moment, so they stood empty and open. Remus stepped up on the toilet of this cell, raising himself up on his tiptoes and peering through the window near the ceiling. It, too, had been boarded up, but one of the boards was missing, providing Remus with the perfect view of Greyback's shack.

The shack itself appeared dark, suggesting that Greyback had indeed gone out on the hunt. He probably wanted to warm up for tomorrow night, Remus thought.

Holding his breath, Remus listened for any sounds at all, anything to indicate that there were other werewolves around. The only thing he heard was the incessant chirping of crickets.

Stepping down off the toilet, Remus grabbed the pillow off of the cot next to him. He went back to his own cell, pulling back the blanket on his bed. He fluffed up the pillow he held, placed it in the center of the bed, and then pulled the cover back over it. Hopefully, it would be enough to fool anyone that decided to look in on him.

Leaving his cell once more, Remus pulled the door closed as carefully as he could. When the lock finally clicked into place, he went to the door of the shack. He opened it just a crack and paused, waiting for any sign of life or any sound at all.

All was silent and still, so Remus emerged out onto the top step, closing the door behind him. He stepped to the ground and pressed himself into the wall of the shack, sneaking around the corner, just like he had done when he'd arrived three weeks ago.

The path into the woods was clear. Pushing himself away from the shack, Remus ran for it, into the safe cover of the trees. When he found a rather large tree, he ducked behind it and then grabbed it, catching his breath. He looked back towards the compound. Not a soul moved.

Confident that he had gotten away undetected, Remus Disapparated.

To be continued…