Chapter 9 - In Order to Fight
Remus took off running.
He felt Sirius reach for him as he fled the room, but he was already sprinting down another unfamiliar hallway within seconds.
"Remus!" He heard Sirius' urgent call behind him. "Come back. It's not safe!"
But Remus did not turn back.
He kept on running until his lungs tightened, and he was gasping for air.
How could this have happened?
He didn't realize until he saw his reflection in one of the windows that tears had welled up in his eyes. Remus leaned his head back against the nearest wall and slid down into a sitting position.
No one had explained to him exactly what would happen after a claiming, but he knew enough from Asher's many insinuations.
Tears started to stream down his face and he felt the uncontrollable urge to start running again.
Maybe there was still a chance to escape.
As he lifted himself into a standing position, he noticed a small group of people at the far end of the hall. Not wanting to chance another encounter, Remus took off quickly in the opposite direction.
As he moved farther down the hall, he nearly cried out in pain at the feeling that gripped him as he passed by a portrait of a tall man. He felt an undeniable pull toward it and moved closer to get a better view of the portrait's subject.
It was an imposing man with dark eyes. It looked like one of the men from the night before. The sinister subject looked just as loathsome and his stony expression was uncanny.
Remus thought the man staring down at him would continue to remain still until he left. But as he started to turn away, the portrait swung open to reveal a familiar sitting room.
This must be the place he had left earlier…
Asher's room.
Remus stepped forward hesitantly.
It sounded like the group of students wasn't far behind. He knew Sirius was right—it wasn't safe to roam the school alone.
But as Remus stepped into the room, he wondered if, in comparison to Asher, the others were really that dangerous. After all, unlike Asher, the others had not been permitted to touch him.
Inside the room, the details he had overlooked in his escape earlier became apparent to him—particularly how lavish everything was.
There was a fireplace on one side of the room and luxurious furniture was littered throughout—the majority of it black (with the exception of two expensive-looking chairs that were a dark shade of red).
Remus knew he did not belong there.
However, the dark magic that permeated the room caused him to shudder, and he was drawn towards a door across the room. Opening it, he found a large bed that dominated the space.
The sight of it made him wish desperately that he hadn't ventured in.
"Like it?" A voice whispered in his ear.
Remus jumped and spun around quickly.
"Asher," he said, taking a step back.
"Remus," the other mocked his surprised tone.
"I assumed I would return to an onslaught of questions…but I see you may have figured things out for yourself."
Remus did not answer.
"It will make things simpler, no doubt about that," Asher continued. He made as if to move around Remus, but grabbed the boy in one quick movement, and tossed him easily onto the bed.
"Feel like playing, pet?"
Remus scooted back on the bed, eyes scanning the room for an escape.
Asher looked as if he was ready to pounce. "Well, I do."
Remus darted off the bed and into a different door than the one he had come through.
The bathroom.
He locked the door. Remus looked around for an escape but was disappointed to find that there was not a single window.
He could hear Asher's footsteps, a few light knocks on the door, then silence. After a moment, a chilling whisper barely reached his ears.
"You belong to me, Remus. I'll take you every night I please. Pray for Black to come rescue you all you want, but it's futile. I won't let you go. You will submit."
The only sound that came after that was the rapid beating of Remus' heart. He stayed locked inside the bathroom for hours—sensing that Asher could have easily gotten in, had he felt like it, and unsure why he hadn't demonstrated that to Remus.
Even so, Remus unlocked the door only when he was sure he heard Asher's steady breathing in the other room—indicating (Remus hoped) that the other boy had fallen asleep.
Opening the door slowly, he peered over at what looked to be Asher's sleeping form on the bed.
He hesitated.
Everyone, especially Nevar, would be expecting him to try and escape as soon as possible.
He clenched his jaw and moved back, closing the bathroom door again.
There, on top of the cold tile, he fell into a fitful sleep—dreading more than ever, what the next day would bring.
When Remus next awoke, his neck was stiff, his head ached, and his whole body was trembling from the cold.
Sometime in the middle of the night he had woken up and pulled one of the towels on top of himself in an attempt to keep warm—but his effort had been wasted.
He sat up slowly, massaging his neck as he did so.
He needed to get to the library.
After listening for any sign that Asher might be awake, Remus poked his head out of the bathroom again.
Looking around, he saw the bed was made and it appeared Asher had left for his morning classes.
As Remus left the bedroom, he noticed a small creature cleaning up what Remus assumed had been Asher's breakfast…more of that odd-looking food.
His footsteps must have scared the poor creature because the moment he entered the room, it dropped all the bowls it had been holding.
Remus immediately bent down to help it gather them up again.
It looked at him with its huge eyes…and appeared to be in awe that Remus was helping him.
"Hello," Remus said softly, trying not to scare it off. "I'm sorry if I startled you."
The other looked him up and down and disappeared in a flash. When it returned a short moment later, it was holding a clean set of robes and a silver tray—smiling up at Remus.
Half an hour later, Remus' stomach was full and, as he pulled his new robes tightly around himself, he remained hopeful that he would find answers in the library.
The creature, a servant of Asher's, had given him breakfast and quietly told him the way to the library. It was clear the other had not been shown much kindness and was taken with the idea of helping Remus.
Making note of the time, Remus knew the students would be in their morning classes for another thirty minutes.
He entered the darkened library, noting that no students were currently there. He found only an older-looking man eyeing him up in that unnerving way.
The librarian?
The man said nothing to him.
Remus set about searching for books that might be helpful to him. He found several on the history of Hogwarts and, he sighed, a book of protection spells.
Walking back to the room with his stack of books would have been fine—had he not passed a room where the students were all sitting obediently in their seats. Every one of them saw and sat up as Remus walked by. Asher's expression stood out the most.
He was smiling at Remus.
Asher stood up, leaving his books and supplies at the table, and moved towards Remus.
Remus sped up, slid in past the portrait, and went straight to the bedroom with the book. He locked the door.
He heard the portrait open and shut, but Asher did not attempt to coax Remus out. For some reason, Asher seemed to be enjoying Remus' attempt to resist the inevitable.
Taking a seat on the floor, Remus began skimming through the books.
A short while later, he heard a sharp tap on the window and jumped up. He ran to it, catching the small piece of folded parchment as an owl dropped it near him and flew back out again.
There was only one line written on it.
North Tower- 1 o'clock
It was not signed, but below the short note was a map that indicated the simplest way to get to the tower from where he was.
Had Sirius figured out a way to get him out of the claiming? …Or was he going to try to help him escape again?
He had not heard Asher leave, so he returned to his reading—all the while waiting anxiously for the next few hours to pass.
After about forty-five minutes of reading, Remus felt his eyes getting heavy but he didn't realize he nodded off until a sound in the distant outdoors startled him awake. He opened his eyes and realized, with a glance at the clock, that it was 20 minutes after 1 pm. He jumped up and slipped quietly from the room.
The portrait to leave Asher's room was within reach.
"And where might you be going?"
Remus paused mid-step.
"I didn't say you could leave, Remus."
He heard Asher walk towards him and felt the strong arms encircle him from behind.
"I slept one night without you. I won't be turned down like that again."
He leaned forward and buried his nose in Remus' hair.
"Asher?" A voice called from the other side of the room. "Asher!"
The boy in question turned, visibly irritated by the interruption.
There in the fireplace was the pale, gaunt face of a man who looked more than a little distressed.
Asher did not look pleased to see him.
"What is it?" He snapped.
"It's your father. You must return home. There's been a problem…Dumbledore and his men showed up at the meeting."
Remus felt his heart leap at the name.
Asher's eyes narrowed and he immediately reached for his cloak by Remus' elbow.
"Stay. Here." He said with a painful squeeze to Remus' upper arm.
Remus only waited a few seconds after seeing Asher depart by way of the fire, before taking off towards the tower at remarkable speed.
So Dumbledore does exist here.
He could feel his adrenaline pumping and he quickened his pace as he ran up the staircase. He wanted to talk to Sirius.
Arriving at the tower he looked around quickly—hoping Sirius had not shown up and left when Remus didn't arrive on time.
He waited a few minutes, hoping it was just Sirius being cautious. But when no tender arms wrapped around him, he realized he must have been too late.
With one last look around the room, he sighed dejectedly and turned to go.
But, just as his foot touched the first step, a voice sounded.
"Huh. So, I guess I'm not the only one who ended up here, eh?"
Remus turned, eyes widening when he realized who it was that had spoken.