Chapter 16 - Reawakening

Greyback hadn't seemed surprised when Remus had turned up at the house he shared with the other werewolves.

"Ah." He said, smiling in a way that showed all his yellow teeth. "Yes, Dolohov said we might expect you…"

Dolohov! The name sparked something in Remus. "Will you take me to him?"

"I'll do you one better." The werewolf said with the same satisfied smile. "I'll take you to Malfoy."

Malfoy Manor, it turned out, was the site of a number of death eater meetings. Remus could have kicked himself for not thinking of going there sooner, but of course he wouldn't have known which day to go on before. Nor would he have been welcome.

"We'll go tomorrow. Six o' clock."

We'll go tomorrow. Six o' clock. Malfoy Manor.

The words echoed in his head and he felt that same headache that had been plaguing him for the last few days as he clapped a hand to his forehead.

"You alright?" Greyback said casually.

Remus nodded. "Fine." He said, resolutely pulling his hand away. It was at last all happening.

He wondered vaguely why he wasn't already a member of the death eaters as he and Greyback prepared to leave for Malfoy Manor. The rush of excitement was exhilarating as they made their way to the large house as was the idea of meeting others who supported the cause.

He remembered all the time he'd spent fighting in the Order with Sirius as though they were fragments from someone else's life. What on earth had they been fighting for? Why would they fight against power, strength and eternal glory? It all seemed like madness to him now.

They arrived at the large Manor House and Greyback, revealing himself to a sneering Lucius, led Remus inside.

Remus had been here once before, but he'd been on the other side back then. Why had he wasted so much energy fighting these people?

"Firewhisky, Lupin?" Malfoy drawled and raised a crystal carafe from an expensive looking mahogany table.

Remus nodded, and took the glass from the man. It was very good stuff.

He was invited to sit. It was a gathering of about half a dozen men and Bellatrix Lestrange. The Dark Lord wasn't there.

"He will come when he is ready to come!" Bellatrix hissed angrily at him as he enquired where the leader was.

Remus felt disappointed. He'd come here to declare his allegiance. He wanted to share in some of the power the man possessed. How could he do this without meeting him directly? He wanted to see the look of recognition and gratitude in his eyes. To know he had done the right thing.

"Welcome, Lupin." Dolohov said, a slight smirk playing about his lips as he spoke. "How delighted we are to have you. But I expect no one will be as delighted as… WORMTAIL!" He shouted the last word and waved his wand at the door.

There was a bang, a squeal, and Wormtail hurried into the room. The death eaters jeered and laughed as the man arrived.

"I thought you wanted me to prepare snacks, Dolohov." He said crossly in his squeaky little voice. "I cannot be in two places at once."

"I thought you'd like to see your old school chum." Dolohov said with the same smirk. "Avery here tells us you were inseparable at Hogwarts. Well it's your lucky day. He's finally seen sense too."

Pettigrew stared at Remus. His blue eyes were round and his mouth gaping slightly. "R-Remus…"

But Remus didn't have much time for the man. He'd always been a poor wizard and it seemed he wasn't held in high regard by the death eaters either. He wouldn't be of much use to him. He ignored him.

The death eaters laughed some more. "Oh Wormtail." One of them said derisively. "Even werewolves are too good for you now."

Remus looked up sharply at the man who had spoken. "Excuse me?"

The man had dark hair and a rather pointed face. Remus recognised him as Rabastan Lestrange, brother of Rodolphus and one of the death eaters who had broken out of Azkaban.

"Well…" The man said, looking round the group, eyebrows slightly raised. "This wolf can bite…"

"I'm not interested in being re-acquainted with cowards." Remus told him and the group at large. "I want to know what the plan is, and I want to be part of it."

"We know, Lupin." Rodolphus said, a delighted looking expression on his face. "And we will tell you, but we need to know where your loyalties really lie first."

Remus blinked at the man. "What do you mean?"

"You see… Sirius Black was an old pal of yours, wasn't he? Now he's someone none of us like very much here… what would happen if you were to come up against him now?"

"I'd kill him." Remus said, not entirely sure where the words were coming from.

Rodolphus considered him. "I'd like to say I believe you, Lupin. But sadly Black's not here for us to test the theory on. However…" He turned his cruel eyes on Wormtail. "You can practice on him. You were friends once in the past before, weren't you?"

Remus felt his heart beat quickly in his chest as Peter turned his terrified eyes on him.

Hang on, why had he called him Peter? Argh!

He clapped a hand to his forehead as unbidden memories of the man as a child suddenly filled his mind. No. Stop it. There was no room for emotion when working for the Dark Lord. He had to do what he had to do.

There was a deathly silence in the room. All the death eaters were watching to see what would happen.

Pettigrew was standing there looking terrified.

Remus stood up slowly. He raised his wand and pointed it directly at the man. Wormtail stiffened but didn't move. He opened his mouth to say the words he knew he must say…

"NO!"

He heard the word yelled both in his mind but also from someone in the room. It was a familiar voice. It was a friend, or someone he'd long since forgotten.

He spun around but there was no one there.

He turned back to the petrified looking man before him and it was as if a light had suddenly been switched on in a dark room. He could finally see things clearly again. It was all he could do not to fall to his knees. "Oh my God. Oh my God!" He cried. And then he did the only thing left for him to do. He turned his wand in towards himself.

There was something very very wrong with him. He could see that now. What on earth could have possessed him to have almost killed another man? And for what? To prove his loyalties to a group of men who wanted him to kill more?

He felt hot tears begin to pour down his cheeks as he fought hard to do what he knew he must do. He kept his wand still pointing towards his chest and closed his eyes. "Avada…"

"Expelliarmus!"

It was Sirius. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, but it hadn't been his voice Remus had heard earlier…

"Moony! Get out of here!" He yelled and Remus didn't need telling twice.

Finally able to see the absurdity of the situation, he made towards the door.

"Not so fast!" Came Lucius Malfoy's voice.

"Shit. We need back up." He heard Sirius say.

Remus ducked as a stunning spell went flying over his head. He needed his wand back.

He turned to Sirius who was looking at him carefully. "Moony… who are you?"

He looked back at Sirius. And it was as though he was seeing him for the first time. His eyes drank in the man's familiar face, his grey eyes, his too long (to Remus' mind) dark hair. His eyes fell on the scars he'd been left with from the fights he'd been in and his time in Azkaban. But this man wasn't just his appearance. He was so much more than that. He was…

"I'm your best friend." Remus whispered, and he moved forwards to embrace him.

"Oh yuck!" Came a cruel female voice from behind them.

Both men spun around. Bellatrix Lestrange had her wand out and was pointing it directly at them.

Sirius quickly handed Remus back his wand. "Dung! Where are you!" He yelled as he levelled his own at his cousin. "We need help!"

"Er… Sirius…"

Remus did a double take. It was Ron Weasley.

"Ron!" He yelled, staring in shock at the boy.

Moments later Hermione appeared. "Hermione!" He gasped.

Sirius blinked. "Where did you come from?!" And then, as he looked at them, it seemed he was putting something together in his mind. "Oh you didn't…" he said, the colour draining from his face as some kind of realisation dawned on him. "Where is he?" He said now, his voice a low growl.

"What is this nonsense?" Malfoy said, interrupting Sirius and looking at Ron and Hermione appraisingly. "Good Lord, Black, I knew the Order was struggling, but I didn't think you'd resorted to using fifth years to do your dirty work yet."

"Polyjuice potion." Sirius said, still staring at Ron and Hermione. "I want you to leave with Remus right now." He told them. He looked up at Lucius. "You can do what you want with me, but let the kids go, Malfoy."

"Fine." Malfoy said, and he waved his wand so that ropes bound themselves around Sirius and his wand clattered to the ground.

Remus wanted to defend his friend, to fight back, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. His best bet would be to take the kids and send for backup as soon as he could.

He looked at Sirius. "I'll be back." He promised. "Come on, Ron, Hermione and…" he remembered what Sirius had said 'where is he?' Surely Harry must be here too. Under his invisibility cloak. Fortunately he hadn't been stupid enough to reveal himself yet, but Remus hoped beyond hope he would be sensible enough to follow them outside too.

Once out in the grounds, he sent a patronus to Dumbledore and Moody requesting urgent backup.

"Ron. Hermione." He said, turning to them. "I want you to go back to Hogwarts whichever way you came here. Harry?" He said, scanning the surrounding grounds as though expecting to see him appear. "Are you here?"

There was no answer. "Damnit." Remus swore. "I'd better go back inside."

"We can't leave!" Hermione protested.

"Please let us stay until the others get here!"

Remus shook his head. "You can wait outside. But keep hidden."

He turned and entered the house again.

Tonks was there now too. She was bound alongside Sirius and there was a nasty gash along her face. He ran over to her. "Dora! Are you alright?!"

Her dark eyes met his. They were full of pain. Furious, he rounded on the death eaters.

They were quite still now. They were watching him as though they'd just been denied an excellent treat.

He looked back at them. These men and this woman he had actually considered joining. Whose ideals he had genuinely believed.

"How disappointing, Lupin." Dolohov said slowly. "Greyback was so convinced you were on our side."

Remus turned to Greyback now, his pockmarked skin, sharp yellow teeth and dark matted hair and felt nothing but revulsion and hatred for the man.

"It was you." He said, eyes meeting the werewolf's directly. "It was you who bit me when I was a kid."

Greyback smirked. "You're welcome."

"You bastard."

He raised his wand and pointed it directly at the man. He was so angry he could have murdered him on the spot. He could finally see the injustice that had been done to him. He could at last see it wasn't his fault. "I ought to kill you." He said, his voice trembling slightly from rage. "You took my life away."

How many times had he longed for a 'normal' life growing up? How much pain might he have avoided without this man who had bitten him for nothing more than to get revenge on his father for something he'd said?

"But you won't." Greyback told him. "Because you're a good man. You're weak.."

Weak. Wasn't that what Sirius had told him when he went to meet Wormtail? Well, he wouldn't be weak today. He had given men like Greyback too many second chances in the past. Not anymore.

He pointed his wand directly between the man's eyes. He had to do it. Now was his chance. If anyone deserved to die for their crimes surely it was Greyback…

"Stupefy!"

Remus spun around. It was Mad-Eye Moody. He had stunned Greyback and now he turned his wand on the other death eaters, eyes flashing madly. "Who's next?!"

Dolohov and Rabastan Lestrange disapparated. Wormtail squealed and ran from the room.

Remus took advantage of the chaos to quickly sever the bindings of Sirius and Tonks.

"Oh Remus." Tonks said, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

He hugged her back. It felt so good having her safe in his arms. But they couldn't enjoy the moment too long.

"Protego!" He yelled as Bellatrix Lestrange sent a curse in their direction.

"Filthy half-breed!" The witch cried, brandishing her wand again. "And my own niece consorting with the likes of it… oh the shame of it!"

Sirius and Remus both sent a stunner over at her which sent her stumbling backwards. Rodolphus caught her and sent a curse back which caused Sirius to scream in agony. He hoped to Merlin it hadn't been the cruciatus curse but there was no time to check. Malfoy was pointing his wand at him now.

They continued to duel, much more evenly numbered than before now.

Every so often a spell would fly from nowhere in particular and Remus had to wonder if Harry was engaging in the battle as much as the rest of them.

"Protego!" He heard Harry yell as a flash of green light flew in Sirius' direction.

Sirius blinked and looked around. "Harry?!"

Harry pulled off the cloak. Sirius looked like he didn't know whether he wanted to throttle him or hug him. "You bloody idiot." He said, but he was smiling.

Harry's appearance had certainly caused a stir amongst the death eaters. Remus moved instinctively over to the boy. He was in more danger than all of them. What had he been thinking coming here?

They fought a while longer, but it wasn't until Dumbledore arrived that the battle was truly won.

Remus could quite understand why people said Dumbledore was the only one Voldemort had ever feared. The fire in his eyes was quite terrifying as he surveyed the gathered death eaters. All but Malfoy disapparated.

"Nice party?" Dumbledore asked the man conversationally. "Sorry it had to end so abruptly. I hope the firewhisky comes out of the carpet." He gestured to the smashed glass carafe on the floor.

Malfoy said nothing. He looked back at Dumbledore, his expression unreadable.

"We'd best be going. I have no doubts we will see each other again. Especially if you continue to consort with Azkaban escapees, Lucius."

And so Dumbledore left the house with Remus, Tonks, Sirius and Harry. Moody had stayed inside for a 'chat' with Malfoy.

The moment they were outside, Sirius turned to his godson. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I wanted to help Remus!" Harry replied. "And I did, didn't I?"

As he looked at Remus, Remus suddenly remembered. It was Harry's voice he'd heard the moment he'd been about to kill Peter. An odd shudder ran through him at the memory. It was Harry who had saved him…

"Back to normal?" Dumbledore asked him with a smile.

Remus nodded. "What happened to me?"

"I'll explain it all later. But for now let's just count ourselves fortunate no harm was done. Mr Weasley? Miss Granger? You can come out now."

Hermione and Ron revealed themselves sheepishly from behind a nearby flutterby bush.

"I think we had best be getting back to Hogwarts." Dumbledore said, looking at his students. "Remus, Sirius, Nymphadora, I will see you later at headquarters. And if you hear from Mundungus Fletcher, tell him I would like a private word." His expression darkened.

Sirius was also taking the chance to have a private word with Harry, although the conversation could hardly be described as such since anyone in about a mile's radius could probably hear what the man was yelling.

"You're such a hypocrite!" Harry shot back, clearly stung by the man's rebuke but not willing to back down either. "As if you'd have just sat back and done nothing if someone you cared about was in danger!"

"I'm a fully qualified wizard!"

"Yeah and I did a pretty good job back there I think!"

"I'm not going to argue with you. You know you shouldn't have done it."

"Like you've never done anything you weren't supposed to!"

Sirius had just opened his mouth to reply (though how he could defend himself against that Remus had no idea) when Dumbledore interjected.

"I suggest we discuss the matter back at Hogwarts." He said firmly. "I understand you are upset, Sirius, but fortunately there has been no harm done. You can rest assured that I will deal with it from here."

Remus had no doubt in his mind that 'dealing with it' to Dumbledore probably meant dishing out about a hundred house points and thoroughly congratulating his students, but Sirius nodded and let Harry and the others go with Dumbledore anyway.

Remus felt doubly fond of everyone as they made their way back to headquarters. He knew Sirius' anger at Harry was simply affection, and he found it endearing and not at all irritating.

"Oh shut up, Sirius." Tonks, who clearly didn't share his sentiments, told him as they sat around the dining table. "Harry's right. You're a massive hypocrite. My mum said you broke so many rules at Hogwarts they needed to keep buying Filch a new record book. And anyway why don't we focus on what's really important. Remus, how are you feeling?"

Remus smiled at her. "So much better for being back here with you."

He honestly didn't know what had been wrong with him over the past few days. Had he walked past this beautiful, vibrant woman like she was nothing on his first day home from St Mungo's? What had he been thinking?!

Tonks went slightly pink. But quickly distracted them from this fact by growing her nose to twice its usual size.

"Will you stop doing that?!" Remus and Sirius told her together.

"I see enough of Snivellus at the Order meetings, thanks." Sirius said as Remus bit back what he wanted to say. She was far too pretty naturally for him to want her to change a single thing.

"Funny, Hermione and Ron as Snape and Mundungus!" Tonks said with a chuckle as she speared a tomato with her fork, fortunately her appearance back to normal again.

"It won't be funny to Dumbledore." Remus said seriously. "I wouldn't like to be Mundungus right now."

"Or Harry, Ron or Hermione…" Tonks added.

But as Remus had suspected, none of them needed to worry about those three.

"He said I showed tenacity of spirit." Harry grinned as he relayed the conversation they'd had with the headmaster back to Remus and Sirius in the fire. "He didn't even give us detention. Shame the death eaters got away… but I'm glad you're alright, Remus." He smiled.

"He's so like James." Remus told Sirius after Harry had gone.

It was just the two of them now, and they were enjoying the rare evening alone by the fire in the drawing room.

Sirius had been in a very good mood since Remus' return from the dark side and, Remus suspected, having had at least one good fight with the death eaters.

Looking at him now Remus realised more than ever the importance of what they were fighting for. What could possibly be more valuable than the bonds of friendship they shared with each other?

His friend looked back at him and frowned slightly. "You said something about it being Harry who saved you at Malfoy's gaff. What did you mean by that?"

Remus shook his head. He still wasn't sure what it was about Harry's voice that had jolted him back to his senses like that.

"James was always the best of us." Sirius said, firelight reflecting in his grey eyes as he looked into the flickering grate. "He was a good man."

Remus nodded. James had been the very definition of a Gryffindor, and a loyal friend to the end. "I miss him every day."

Sirius looked away. Talk of James was really the only thing that ever sparked an emotional reaction in his friend.

"But Harry's like him." Remus continued. "Of course he'd come to my aid like that, and of course he'd try and stop me killing Wormtail. I think I just needed reminding of the good in the world."

"I'm sure you wouldn't have done it." Sirius said, looking back at last. "You're a better person than you give yourself credit for."

"That's what Greyback said." Remus remembered now. "I wouldn't commit murder because I was weak."

Sirius shook his head. "You're not weak. And I'm sorry I ever said that to you. Dumbledore said something to me as you left his office the other day about fighting darkness with darkness… but it never works like that. You and I both know that."

Remus nodded. "I know." 'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind' had been a favourite saying of his mother growing up, and none of them needed much reminding of the times Sirius had got it wrong in the past.

"But you're back." Sirius grinned. "You're Moony again."

Remus nodded. And then he remembered something else Sirius had once said to him. "Thanks to Greyback."

But Sirius shook his head. "Nah mate. You're Moony in spite of Greyback."

He grinned at him, and Remus couldn't help himself. He grinned back.