Remus was not quite sure how to feel at the moment, his inner wolf was not making it easy for him either. With the full moon being less than a day away, he was finding it hard to discern his own feelings from those of the wolf. It was nothing new to him, though the creature inside was acting off. As soon as he and Peter aparated into the forest the wolf stilled, halting its pacing in his mind.
The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, his body shuttered involuntarily. Remus felt the wolf curl in on itself, something he'd never experienced. He caught himself reaching out and mentally patting the wolf. The werewolf was surprised by his own action. They merely tolerated the eachother, especially near the full moon. He felt the creature huff, but it remained tucked away inside of him.
Rumus withdrew his mental hand, deciding the wolf would do whatever it wanted regardless of his input. What had he even been thinking, reaching out to it?
The man's thoughts were halted by the voice of a woman. Both he and Peter drew their wands out instinctively. To say Remus was surprised would be a huge understatement. This particular woodland was private, owned by the Potter family for the last century. Being so, the last thing he had expected was for a woman to be there, let alone one looking for James and Sirius.
It didn't take long for him to see the state of the poor girl. Though her hair was tied back, a few pine twigs were sticking out of it in odd spots. Her jeans were dirty, dark muddy blotches stood out against the dark blue color. She didn't even have proper shoes on, as if she hadn't planned on going out at all. Her hands were shaking slightly, tinged red from the cold much like her cheeks. She stuffed her hands into the leather coat she was wearing, trying to keep them warm no doubt.
Remus' eyes grew wide with recognition. That was Sirius' jacket! The one he swore to never lend anyone. He hadn't even let his own girlfriend wear it, but he'd handed it over to this woman?
The man's mind began humming as he considered the possibilities. Everything about this was unsettling. No one should be able to come here unattended, that meant she had been brought in by someone who was keyed into the wards. There was a very limited number of people who could have done it.
James had to bring them all the first few times, of course, he soon got over the 'power' he had when he realized how many trips back and forth he would need to make every time the full moon came around. Thus Sirius found a solution, one of the worst ideas the man ever came up with. A four-person aparation trip.
Knowing Remus would have protested, the three others opted to simply grab him at the last moment. The experience was one the man would never repeat. Ignoring how dangerous and irresponsible his friends had been, the actual trip had luckily happened without incident. The spell, however, was much louder the more people brought along. It was far too loud for his sensitive ears.
Kindly, James' father made sure he keyed Remus in first. It took a good while to get all the members of the Marauders properly keyed in, the perks of working with century-old wards. Once all was said and done the werewolf couldn't help but feel grateful. It was nice having a safe place to transform after losing access to the Forbidden Forest.
Shaking that line of thought, the man refocused on the forest he was currently standing in.
The young woman before him hadn't even drawn her wand, the surprise on her face hardening into suspicion. Surely she would have her wand drawn if she had it, considering what things were like these days. Perhaps she had lost it. The man shuttered at the thought of losing his own wand.
Though she hadn't drawn a wand to defend herself, her eyes shone brightly easily showing how fast her mind was at work. She stood tall, ignoring her current physical state. The woman just waited and watched, trying to read the situation. Remus gripped his wand tighter but didn't lower it, instead, he tried to talk with the strange woman.
He was again caught off guard when she didn't hesitate to talk back, light dancing in her eyes as she held her cards close. Remus let go of a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, his shoulders relaxing a little. Somehow her spirited nature was reassuring.
"T-that was a Muggle saying wasn't it?" Peter muttered beside him, the man's voice shaking slightly. The relief in the man's voice was obvious, though he was still scared.
"Yes…" Remus paused a moment, still watching the woman as they spoke. "A popular one, but she wasn't confused by it like an Elite Pure Blood might have been."
Even among the 'Normal' Pure Bloods, Muggle sayings weren't used terribly often. There were always exceptions, but many only used wizard sayings. There were a few that grew up with Muggle-born grandparents, they knew the Muggle sayings but didn't use them too often.
Remus knew a good few muggle sayings, all thanks to his mother. He hadn't known any other Muggles. It was safer for the Lupin household to live further outside of both the muggle and wizard societies, for obvious reasons.
"That doesn't mean much…" The dusty blonde muttered knowingly, "T-they're recruiting more than just Pure Bloods these days…"
His friend's words rang true. He knew it, but he doubted this woman was a Death Eater. If she was, this must have been the best scheme they'd come up with yet. He'd hate to see them top it.
"True," He continued, "but look at her." Remus paused, allowing his friend to look closer. "Notice what she's wearing…"
It took a few moments but he heard the recognition go off in his friend's voice.
"Sirius' Jacket…" Peter muttered in amazement. "I thought he was getting it worked on? Finally going to get all those charms set on it."
"Precisely…" The man paused, debating what he was about to suggest for only a moment. "I think we can trust her a little, but stay on guard. If anything happens, apparate to headquarters."
Peter nodded, a mutual understanding met.
Remus threw off the hood of his cloak, watching the woman's reaction. Her reaction was almost to the book, but not quite. Shock, her mouth falling open, that was normal. But the way her eyes twinged with sorrow, wasn't.
He'd seen people feel bad for him, professors usually, as if his life was over and he was on death's door. He hated it, the way they mourned him. He was still very much alive, thank you very much!
This girl didn't look at him that way. He couldn't quite place the feeling behind her gaze, but it felt different. Almost heavy, like she was seeing past him and into his soul.
Remus looked away. Reaching up he rubbed one one the deeper scars on his face, resisting the urge to scratch at it. He could feel the phantom pain ebbing away inside it. He ignored it, sensing a slight shift from the wolf inside him.
The creature was still resting, though now he felt it was doing something akin to sitting upright. It was quite odd, normally it would at least rear itself to inspect a new person. It would appraise them, deciding if they were friend or foe. It was only now that the man realized how heavily he relied on the wolf for his assessment of people. Remus was at a loss for the lack of response from the thing, expecting something more. It was only watching this woman with curiosity.
Remus was flying blind at the moment. He couldn't help but silently plead that Sirius and James would return quickly and sort this out themself, though another part of him severely doubted that would happen quite how he wished it.
The werewolf shook himself mentally. Turning back he caught the small smile tugging at the corners of the young woman's mouth as she watched Peter fumble with his hood. She was standing taller, more relaxed. But she was still shaking slightly, perhaps from the cold. The woman didn't seem to notice, focusing all her attention on them. Clearing his throat, he drew her attention.
The conversation that followed was light, the woman grew more relaxed as they spoke. He felt sorry for her, he'd often waited for his friends in the Library for many hours longer than he should have. That seemed much better to him than what she'd been through today. Remus was already knitting together a list of things to scold his friends about, not that it would do much. He felt it was his duty to remind them of such things. His friends were more likely to take his words than those of another.
Things were going quite well, even if Peter had to remind him that names might be an important thing to bring up. He was a bit distracted today, already feeling a slight ache in his bones. It wasn't as bad with the creature sitting still. The werewolf ignored the pain that was there, trying to stay on task.
He noted the slight shift in color of Cynthia's lips, each taking on a slight blue tinge. He wanted to get her warmed up, seeing as she was obviously struggling with the cold. Before he could open his mouth Peter cut in, calling out Cynthia's full name.
The woman instantly grew defensive. How Peter knew her name was beyond him. He was almost certain she hadn't been at Hogwarts during their school years.
Remus watched as his friend shrunk under her gaze, willing himself to fade away. The man was doing that more and more often as of late. Perhaps the war was really getting to him, it made sense with how Peter wore his heart on his sleeve. The brunette tried to reel back his curiosity, reaching out to his friend. The man felt his wolf do the same for their friend, moving in a comforting motion the creature had done on more than one occasion. It seemed to help, as the dusty blonde man slowly came back to himself, a small look of guilt on his face.
Remus felt a sudden rise of excitement erupted from inside himself, the wolf almost humming excitedly. The burst confused the man. What on earth could have set it off? The creature was sitting, having finished comforting Peter. Even still he could feel the wolf preening.
Before the werewolf could dig further he became aware of the woman's sudden labored breathing. Picking it up involuntarily, quickly turning towards her.
Peter mirrored the action, seeing the girl had sat down. She held her head in her hands as if desperately trying to calm herself. The wolf inside halted, the pause in its excitement allowed the man to think clearly. He rushed forward, ignoring the small chance that she was batting them, Peter not far behind.
Remus sat beside her, reaching out to hold her steady. She nearly took his head off with how she suddenly sat up. The scent of vanilla filled his nostrils. The scent was overwhelming but he ignored it, forcing himself to take in the girl's state. Holding her he noticed how pink her cheeks really were. He naturally held a hand up to her head, as his mother used to do for him.
"S-she's freezing, her hands are like ice." Peter turned to his friend desperately.
"Godric! How long has she been out here?" Remus felt a small twinge of anger rise inside, mirrored by the wolf. The man was slightly confused why the wolf seemed to have taken so kindly to the woman, but he pushed the thought aside. This was no time for that. He waved his wand, silently casting a diagnostic spell.
Hypothermia… but only the beginnings of it…
"I swear, I'm going to kill those two. They couldn't even use a warming charm on her? And then they just left a Muggle Born out here without a wand? What were they thinking?"
"She's…She's not muggle born Remmy…" Peter paused, guilt once again making its way onto his face. "She's a muggle."
Remus froze. A muggle… He looked down at the girl, a mixture of amazement and worry washing over him. He still felt the anger inside him, it wouldn't settle. Apparently, the wolf was not happy about this, only further confusing the man. He tried to shove the wolf down as much as he could.
"Right…Okay then." The man let out a slow breath, trying to run through his options.
Remus hesitated. What should he do… She was a muggle, helping her was tricky. If they were caught then it could be a huge problem. Worst case scenario they would take his wand, that was all he had left of the magical world at this point. He already couldn't work a proper job, was there even a point in being a wizard if he couldn't do magic?
"Remus, we need to help her." Peter pressed his friend to hurry, worry still etched on his face.
Remus watched his friend, a slight bit of awe took hold of him. Peter wasn't worried about what helping her could mean for them. The man seemed to care so little for things like that. Perhaps he was more of a Puff than any of them had realized, always willing to help even to his own detriment.
Remus felt a small amount of guilt, the wolf inside huffing in agreement. And he called himself a Gryffindor. What bravery was this?
"Right… you're right." The werewolf set aside his worries, taking another deep breath.
They needed to help her. He might as well snap his own wand if he was so afraid of losing it, this was more important. She was more important. She was alive, and if he couldn't value that then he was no better than all those Death Eaters.
Making the decision he quickly began thinking of the best way he could handle this. Hypothermia wasn't a small task to fix, if he warmed her up too fast she could die. If he was too slow she could lose control of her limbs.
Remus closed his eyes, thinking of the most comfortable warmth he could. He thought of the fireplace in the common room, how it felt from the worn couch he and his friends claimed. The soft flicker of the light as they worked endlessly into the night. Once the image was clear he opened his eyes again, willing his magic to encompass the woman before him.
"Folcillo…"
He felt the magic well up inside him, flowing down his arm and into his wand. He watched as she physically relaxed into the spell. He widened the cone of the spell, trying to ensure all of her was on the receiving end of the charm. Her breathing leveled out as she relaxed more, color slowly coming back to her lips.
"I-I think it's working…" Peter spoke in relief, still holding tightly to the woman.
"Folicillo…" Remus repeated again, this time picturing a cup of his best tea. He imagined drinking it, the comfort it brought, the peace it gave him. He imagined it lingering, willing the charm to stay beyond its normal confines. Traditionally the heat would stop when he did, but that wouldn't do. The man focused his intent for it to keep working even after he stopped pouring his magic into it. He knew magic was much more than Latin words and wand waving. Magic was alive and it knew what the caster wanted.
He noticed Cynthia was still shivering, but he could easily see how quickly she was improving. She'd already opened her eyes, watching him as he continued moving his wand. She sat up, leaning forward again. It was almost magical how quickly she was recovering, a bit on the nose but true. Remus hadn't expected that, but he was glad she seemed to be improving so fast.
Remus ended the spell, feeling like his magic had done what he wished of it. Though he had no reason to know, he had every confidence that his charm would linger and continue to warm the woman for a good while. He watched as Peter managed to transfigure a small cup from some stray wood he'd found, filling it slowly with water.
The man couldn't help but smile at his friend's improvement, being able to cast in front of others was one thing he had truly struggled with. The fact that the dusty blonde had managed to do magic in front of a stranger was an incredible change from their school years. However, Remus wondered if that shyness might have had something to do with how Sirius and James always seemed to take to things.
Remus' thoughts drifted to his other two friends, the man felt the wolf growl lowly. The creature was apparently not too happy with either men, Remus was in agreement oddly enough. The idea that they had left a Muggle-born witch without her wand in the forest was bad enough, but an actual Muggle? Of all the ridiculous ideas they'd come up with, this had to make the top of the list. Even worse than a four-person apparition.
The fact that they had whisked away a muggle was concerning. This had to break the Statute of Secrecy. Their jobs were not guaranteed, even in the current state of the wizarding world. They could face tremendous consequences, something they both always seemed to forget. The man silently sighed slight annoyance towards the two 'adults' mounting.
Both of them knew how to cast a decent warming charm. Sirius made sure he knew it well to impress his dates, as if they couldn't cast it themselves. James had of course learned it, and could cast it well enough. Yet neither of them saw fit to?
Remus halted his thoughts. He knew he shouldn't expect so little of his friends, there was more to the story and he knew it. There wasn't enough information, and he wasn't thinking clearly. The slight itch in his bones was growing worse, the wolf clearly pushing its own feelings.
The young man set all that aside, knowing he needed to look after this muggle woman. He noticed she had finished drinking the water Peter had provided, giving them both a small smile. He let his hold of her go, quickly deciding what needed to be done.
"We should get you inside." Remus cut in, pulling the attention of both other people. "That charm should last for about an hour, but you need real warmth."
Remus could tell the woman was slightly confused by his words. Before he could elaborate, the dusty blonde man cut in.
"Does that mean?" The man questioned, knowing what was being implied. Peter was practically bouncing in place, his smile fully expressing itself.
Remus couldn't help but smile back, remembering why they had come here in the first place.
Peter wanted to try out his new tent, having reasoned that they really should set it up early and make sure it was working properly. It was second-hand after all. The werewolf knew that was only an excuse, but he didn't mind. A chance to get out of his flat and enjoy some fresh air, what more could he ask for? James and Sirius would be showing up later, meaning he could spend the entire evening in the company of all his brothers. The thought alone made the wolf inside excited again, though not nearly as much as before.
The tall man nodded once to Peter, prompting his friend to clap his hands together in excitement.
"Yes!" The stout man looked ready to dance.
Remus enjoyed watching his friend, though the confused look Cynthia was giving him prompted him to speak.
"This is actually a regular stop for our little crew, believe it or not." He gestured to the clearing. "We're supposed to meet them here to set up camp."
The man could practically see the girl's thoughts. The way her mouth fell open said more than enough.
"In this weather? You lot are mad!"
"I won't deny it," Remus chuckled. "though some of us are more than others."
Both men shared a look, no doubt both thinking of their missing friends. Those two were properly mad and they wouldn't have it any other way. Noting how the woman still looked confused, Remus simply moved on.
"We'll all warm up inside the tent once we get it set up." The man gestured to an empty space in front of them. "And we'll talk a bit more. I'm sure you have a few questions."
Cynthia hummed in agreement, no doubt having a good many things she wanted to know. She was taking everything in stride, better than he'd have expected. Remus knew he probably shouldn't say much, but frankly, that was not his problem anymore. Sirius and James brought her here, they could dang well deal with the aftermath.
Standing up, Remus left the girl to her own thoughts. He walked side by side with his friend, heading for the center of the clearing. Peter was about to burst from the idea of setting up his tent. They reached the clearing, only to hear Cynthia speak up again.
"Wait, what tent?"
Both men allowed mirrored smiles to creep onto their faces, not bothering to hide the mischief behind them. Peter nearly dropped the tent as he pulled it from his cloak, probably struggling to get it out of the satchel he wore close to his person. Remus waved his wand, pulling the package into the air with ease. Though he could have set it up on his own, he didn't. It would be rude to steal that honor from his friend. Peter gave his friends a grateful expression, drawing his wand. They worked together to pull the tent into shape.
Peter truly had been improving his wand work since they left school. It didn't take long, both men dropping their wands to their sides. They felt the wards wash over them, setting up a safe area just around the tent. It should keep out simple things, animals, Muggles, and perhaps a few of the weaker magical creatures. They would need to set up stronger ones for more troubling things, but that could wait for now. The Potter Family wards around the forest would be enough for now.
Peter gazed at his new prized possession with awe, Remus moving to stand at his side.
"It's amazing." The short man muttered.
"I'm glad you like it Pete," Remus spoke genuinely, pulling the man's eyes away from the magical item.
The pure joy on his friend's face was refreshing. For just a single moment, they were kids again. No war, no adult responsibilities, just two mates on a camping trip. The moment didn't last, Peter turned to look back at the woman.
Remus looked over, seeing the amazed expression on the girl's face. He watched as it turned to confusion and apprehension.
"You should set the kettle on," The werewolf stated. "I think we could all use a cup of tea, don't you?" He turned to give his friend a small smile.
Peter's eyebrows furrowed for a moment as he processed what was said, though his face quickly lit up. He understood that Remus was letting him go inside and explore his new tent first.
"Yeah, I'll do that." The dusty blond man nodded appreciatively. With a wide smile, the stout man rushed into the tent.
Remus felt his shoulders relax, the moment of solitude bringing a sense of peace. Taking a deep breath he began walking towards the ward line. He let his mind wander, knowing that Cynthia would no doubt have enough questions to keep them all busy for hours. He normally wouldn't mind, the werewolf loved helping others understand the intricacies of magic. But with the full moon approaching he was becoming more scatterbrained. It took a lot of effort to stay focused, and a lot more to ignore the itch in his bones.
Then again, it would be a nice distraction. He smiled at the idea, looking up to watch Cynthia step right through the wards.
The man reeled from the shock. She was practically toe to toe with him. He watched as her eyes fluttered open, surprise quickly mirrored in her eyes. Remus stepped away from her, holding his breath.
"Sorry…" He bowed again slightly, "I… I wasn't expecting you to come through."
"Oh… I'm sorry." Cynthia paused, looking behind her at something. "Should I have waited outside?"
"Um… Well, no. That's not quite what I meant…" The man fumbled with his words. " You just caught me by surprise. Most others of your kind would need help finding a way in."
It really shouldn't have been possible. Perhaps the wards were faulty. Where she referred to that area as 'outside' perhaps the illusion was not quite strong enough. Or maybe the one that prevented her from entering was having an issue. Either way, Peter would be disappointed.
"My kind?"
Remus was startled by the tone of the woman's voice. He internally berated himself for the slip, this was not the way he wanted to start this conversation. He cleared his throat, nodding slightly to her.
"Yes… We call them Muggles. " He paused, trying to find the best words. "People who can't use magic."
Remus watched as her face shifted to shock, utter disbelief. He stayed silent, letting her work through the emotions.
"You lot coming?" Peter suddenly squeaked, pulling their attention.
Peter stuck his head out the tent flap, a broad smile still etched on his face. He caught the expression on Cynthia's face, instantly turning to Remus.
"You startled her, didn't you?" The young man shook his head lightly, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Where are your manners, Remus?"
Remus couldn't hold back the sigh, a mental flashback of a time when Peter teased him for walking a student back to her common room. Forget the fact she had been nearly 3 years younger than him. At least the dusty blonde hadn't told James' or Sirius, perhaps he knew they would actually make trouble with the information. Remembering his other friends, the man had the perfect response pop into his head.
"I'll have you know, she actually startled me." Remus folded his arms across his chest, "If the others had seen it, they might have mistaken me for you Wormtail."
Peter's cheeks flushed slightly, but the playful look didn't leave his face. He ignored Remus's teasing, instead turning to Cynthia. The short man spoke to her kindly, in a tone Remus had not heard from him before. The man raised an eyebrow at the change but said nothing.
"D-don't mind him, Cynthia. If you were able to get the jump on him then I m-might want some tips. I've never managed to get him once, not in all our years at school."
Remus rolled his eyes, but it was true. It was hard to surprise someone who could hear you coming and smell your scent on his belongings.
"I'm really not sure how I managed it…" Cynthia shrugged slightly, "I just walked into the clearing."
Peter's mouth fell, hanging open in complete shock. He looked from Cynthia to Remus, as if asking if what she said was actually true. Something in the stout man's face shifted.
"I knew it." The dusty blond man stated in a deflated way. Though his cheeks quickly grew red with frustration. "I got jipped! Freshly woven wards my arse!"
Angrily the man ducked back into the tent, the flap closing in a flurry behind him.
Remus shook his head, fully expecting that sort of reaction. He noticed the oddly sad look on Cynthia's face, hidden beneath the furrow of her eyebrows.
"You're probably more confused now." He began, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. Cynthia nodded, shoulders sagging slightly and a small frown making itself at home on her face.
"You see," Remus began walking, leading Cynthia forward while he continued. "Peter found this tent secondhand a few weeks back. Spent a good bit of money on it, but it turns out the wards aren't quite as good as the seller led him to believe."
"Wards?" Cynthia cut in, allowing the man to lead her forward.
"I suppose you could think of it like a magical wall if you'd like."
Remus continued on, trying his best to explain things in a way Cynthia would understand. She seemed to catch on quickly, even cutting in with her own question.
"Can you fix it then?" The girl asked, noting how the tall man was still watching her. "The magic wall?"
Remus looked at her quizzically. The fact that she considered fixing it was surprising to him. Sure he'd already been considering how to fix and improve the wards. He hadn't expected her to think that far ahead.
"Perhaps, depends on how bad it is." Remus paused, reaching the flap to the tent. "I should at least be able to make it so other muggles couldn't find a way in."
The werewolf noticed her dislike for the term, though he found it more amusing for some reason. He felt a small tormentative smile tug at the corner of his mouth in true Marauder form. He restrained it, instead ushering Cynthia into the tent.
He readied himself the best he could, though considering how she'd handled the short discussion outside he doubted how ready he was.
BOOM! Chapter 17 Done and Dusted!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I wasn't expecting to write it actually.
I was going to jump right into the conversation inside the tent, but something just spoke to me.
I hope you guys enjoyed Remus's perspective.
Anyway, Merry Christmas!
I'll catch ya in the next chapter
