Awareness returned slowly. Remus felt his whole body so cold, knowing something was wrong.
He raised his head but was so dizzy he had to put an effort to not let it hit back down.
The blurry image began to clear and for a moment he thought he was dreaming.
All three Malfoys, plus Snape were all tied up in the bedroom by silver cords. The Malfoys were all together, back to back and Snape far from them, his head fallen forward as if he passed out.
"What…?" - he mumbles.
"Remus!" Cried Hermione, right beside him, stargling him.
She helped him lean his back against the bed.
"Are you ok?" She asked.
Remus only nodded. "What happened?"
Harry hurried to his side, crouching. "Snape took too much from you, Remus. You passed out."
"Is he ok?" Remus looked at Snape again, alarmed.
"Trust you to worry about others first." Harry snorted. "He is fine, but it took all of our power to take him down. We were afraid he was going to kill you."
"We need to take him out of here, and help him." Remus said, trying to stand by grabbing Hermione's sleeve and almost bringing her down too.
Ron noticed what he was doing and helped him.
"No you're not!"
They turned to Draco who seemed furious.
"He's my godfather. I'll take care of him until he can be on his own. He can even live here if he wants."
"Are you going to keep him like a pet? Will he live in the servant's house, by the pool, perhaps?" Lucius said, now awake.
Remus swallowed, uncertain. Then he looked at Harry.
"Draco wasn't fully on Voldemort's side and did what he could to hinder the bastard." Said Harry.
Remus stared back at Draco, surprised. That's not what he expected from the spoiled boy.
" too. She lied to him and if she hadn't done so, I would be dead. Maybe."
This time Remus was stunned. didn't look at him but he saw her sneer, but her arrogance of old seemed diminished, like she and her son had been put in their place.
"How about him?" Remus asked, gesturing to Lucius Malfoy, someone he hoped he would face and maybe take down during the battle.
"He supported Voldemort till the end. He was too cowardly to do anything else." Harry sighed.
"That's not true." Draco protested angrily. "My parents were doing all they could to get me back."
"You all watched Hermione being tortured and did nothing!" Ron snarled.
Harry put a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. "But he and his mom were forced to do what they did, Ron."
Taking a deep breath, Harry turned to the Malfoys.
"But unfortunately, not you Lucius. You put them in that situation and you led the group that ended up killing Sirius Black. Then you just stole Snape's body and left us in that mess. I know your heart wasn't it in the end, I was inside Voldemort's head, but you crossed the law and it's up to the wizengamot to decide your faith." Then he turned to Draco. "Sorry."
Resentful, Draco looked away but it was clear he knew Harry was right.
"You and your mother can come visit Snape, but I transform every month and I do have a better place to keep him until he adapts." Remus said to Draco.
A sneer was the only answer he got back. "You can't keep him in just a bedroom. The beginning vampire phases are brutal and it's not his fault if he kills you all."
As Hermione helped Remus walk, Harry grabbed Snape's rope and Ron twirled his wand, making the man levitate. Together, they moved out.
"Potter, are you going to just leave us here?" Draco growled.
"No, of course not." Harry answered but continued directing Snape's body out with the others.
Once they moved through the gates, Harry sent a patronus to Kingsley Shacklebolt. "You all go to Remus. I'll wait for Kingsley and explain everything. Then I'll be with you shortly."
They reapparated near Remus' shabby cabin. Reaching the door, a wave of his hand allowed them inside the wards.
"Let's take him to the basement." Remus said.
Ron raised his eyebrows, never having visited that part of Remus' home. When they descended the stairs, Hermione gave a sharp intake of breath.
Remus had created the ideal environment for his inner wolf from where he couldn't escape unless he returned to his human form in the morning. Three padlocks, plus a heavy iron rod would secure the door once he was inside and the full moon was about to come out. There were no windows and he had reinforced all the walls, the floor and the ceiling with magic.
An old mattress stood in the middle of the poorly lit room and with a wave of his wand, Remus cleaned it up then covered it with clean sheets, where Ron gently let Snape land.
They stood, observing the controversial man for a moment. Snape's hair fanned out around him and without his sneer and cutting gaze, he looked younger, less lined.
Then, together, they left the room.
This time, the emphasis was in locking it from the outside with magic.
Ron and Hermione helped Remus to his room. When they removed his boots, Ron chuckled, realizing Remus was immediately asleep when his head hit the pillows.
Next time he awoke, the sun was high in the sky. Startled at how late it was, Remus sat up.
All began rushing back at once, his survival, knowing that Snape was on their side, the visit to the Malfoy's…
As he went to grab his wand at the night stand, it escaped his tired fingers and it fell. He noticed how clumsily and slow he still was from the battle.
He was startled by Harry entering the room, followed by a smiling Hermione and a floating tray between them, with Ron following the procession.
"Morning!" Said a cheerful Harry, as the tray gently landed on Remus' lap. Or should I say good afternoon?
They chuckled at Remus' expression of chagrin.
"You barely escaped death, Remus." Hermione said sitting at the foot of the bed. "You really should be resting."
Remus rested his back onto the headboard, sighing, and then looked down. They had made him two toast sandwiches with jam and peanut butter, and poured him tea.
"Thank you for this."
As he took a bite, realizing how hungry he was, he remembered the events of last night.
"So did you call the Ministry?"
"I called Shacklebolt." Answered Harry, leaning his back on the wall, crossing his arms. "He's the only sensible person in the ministry."
"What did he do with the Malfoy's?"
"I explained things. He took Lucius, and left the others. He'll be in prison for now."
Remus nodded. "He can't escape what he's done."
"Shacklebolt agreed." Harry nodded. "Oh, and did we tell you that Kingsley is now temporary minister for magic?"
Remus almost spit his tea and coughed. "That's amazing news."
Remus continued his late breakfast in silence when they heard a loud bang coming from the foundations of the house.
They ran downstairs with Remus almost letting his tray fall before he safely put it on the ground.
When they reached the basement door, they looked at each other.
"Let me go first." Remus said, raising his wand. "If he reacts badly, remember he needs all of you to blast him at once."
"Let me." Said Harry. "You just came back from the dead."
"I'll go." Said Ron, trying to reach the door.
"Let me and Ron go first, Remus." Harry commanded firmly.
Knowing he was still weak and tired, Remus gave in and stepped back.
Using his wand, Harry made the rod locking the door levitate, while Ron removed the padlocks.
Harry opened the old heavy door a crack, then lit his wand, wordlessly.
Ron was right there with him and Remus could imagine how they've learned to work as one after all they have gone through.
Suddenly, a red eye in a white face appeared and they all gave a step back. Then, Snape grabbed Harry by the collar and pulled him inside.
Instead of running inside the basement to help her friend, Hermione ran back up the stairs.
Remus ran inside, right after Ron and they both blasted Snape into the wall. With a screech that didn't sound human at all, Snape stood right back up and his anger seemed focused on Harry. Underneath his vampiric instincts, he still intensely disliked the boy.
The three of them cursed Snape again and this time - with their power combined - Snape hit the wall again and slid to the ground, crumbling on himself like a wounded animal.
"Here!" Hermione bursted from the doorway, sounding hysterical.
She had many plastic packets in her arms that she threw to the ground in front of Snape. To his horror, Remus realized they were like what muggles used in hospitals to donate and carry blood.
One red eye peered through his black stringy hair to Hermione, then Snape surveyed the packets in front of him. He looked back at them suspiciously, then he grabbed one. As if it was made of paper, he quickly tore the corner and started sucking the contents.
"We can't afford him feeding off of us." Hermione whispered shakily. We stole some from a hospital.
"We left some donations." Ron said indignantly. "It wasn't stealing."
"Well, I don't think he has any options, anyway." Hermione said. "He's new at this. If he gets hungry, he'd kill someone."
Remus smiled at her sadly. It was this understanding that allowed these boys to accept him too, a werewolf. His heart filled with love for them.
He looked back at Snape, who continued going through the packets as sanity slowly returned to his eyes.
He had compassion for what Snape was in for. It was quite different from being a werewolf but right now - Remus knew - new vampires were as unconscious and as savage as werewolves were after transformation. He would get better and maybe - like older vampires - his human characteristics would return but for a while, hunger was all that Snape would feel.
That's why he didn't feel awful about throwing Snape against walls over and over again. Any moment of hesitation and any of them could be dead in a second, and one day, Snape would probably regret that.
Snape went through four packets of blood, then crossed his arms and brought his knees to his chin and looked away from them. He seemed like a boy in a grown body.
"We're really sorry for all this, professor Snape." Hermione said. "But you are not yourself right now. I don't know if you know… What happened to you"
Still looking away from them, Snape only nodded.
This was good, it was the first time they've seen him have any response besides trying to dry them of blood.
"Severus, what were you trying to do with that bang we heard from upstairs?" Remus asked.
Such a long time passed that he thought Snape wasn't going to answer.
"I didn't know where I was." Snape answered, still looking away. "I tried to blast the wall to escape and the curse backfired on me."
"Sorry for that. This it's my cabin." Remus said. "This is the basement where I transform. You are not yet yourself and I really regret doing this to you."
Snape nodded again.
"If you need anything, please just knock and we'll come." Remus said. "You'll be allowed upstairs as soon as you are better."
This time, Snape didn't reply.
Twirling his wand, Remus remembered and the biggest bucket he had came flying down to the basement.
"Sorry, for now, you'll have to use this." Remus put the bucket on a corner but Snape didn't acknowledge him.
Hermione ran upstairs again and brought back a basin with water and some wet, as well as some dry towels. "Here when you want to clean yourself…" She said embarrassed.
Remus thought for a moment and magically also brought two new tissue boxes and a paper towel roll.
They waited for a moment but then decided to leave. It was very clear that Snape wanted them all gone.
Remus locked the room again with a heavy heart. He touched it, wanting to comfort Snape somehow but knowing that whatever the snarky Slytherin was going through, he would probably face it alone as he always did.
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated and keep me going.
Thanks for reading!