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Only Time Will Tell	By : chrmisha Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 3087 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Chapter 12: Full Moon Rising

Voices echoed in the distance, bouncing off the concrete walls surrounding him. They were deep, drawling voices. Slurred almost. Suddenly, he gasped as something very hard hit him in the stomach. Then he felt blows to his chest, his back, his head. They were kicking him. He groaned as he curled into a ball on the cold, damp floor, pressing his hands against his head. He had no idea how long he�d been lying there, but judging from how ill he felt, he guessed they�d tried cursing him. Since he carried a curse with him always, his body didn�t tend to take well to more curses. An odd sort of cascading effect seemed to occur that would knock him out for several days at a time. He presumed that was why they�d resorted to physical violence, a form of warfare usually reserved for Muggles who didn�t have access to powerful curses they could use from a distance.

�Get up!� one of the voices was yelling. As Remus tried to pull himself up on his hands and knees, a tremendous blow to his side bowled him across the floor. He could hear their malicious laughter. He vaguely felt the electrified air of the curse they�d directed at him before he lost consciousness again.

As a sense of his surroundings seeped into his consciousness. The pain resonating through his body reminded him where he was. From the stench in the room and the wetness against his skin, he knew he was lying in a pool of blood and vomit. It was pitch black in the room as he agonizingly pushed himself towards the wall, finally propping himself up in a corner, nodding in and out of sleep until a clicking noise jolted him awake. Someone was unlocking the door. His heart pounded as all of the muscles in his body tensed. The nausea came back with a fury. Not again.

Opening his eyes against the pale predawn light he watched with trepidation as the door creaked open. A very large and round golden eye was peeking curiously at him through the crack in the door about three feet off the floor. He watched as a timid and frightened looking house-elf dressed in rags scampered into the room with a plate of food and a glass of water. Looking around anxiously, the elf set the food and drink before him.

�Hurry,� she whined.

She skittered out of the room and came back moments later with some rags and a large, powdery looking sphere about the size of a bludger. Watching him apprehensively as he struggled to eat the food and drink the water, she set the sphere in the pool of fluids. To his amazement, it spread out absorbing the odorous liquids. Then, it sprang back into a sphere, slightly larger and heavier looking, not a trace of anything left on the floor. She quickly retrieved it with her rags.

�Where am I?� he asked, his voice raspy.

The house-elf looked at him with pity in her eyes, �I can no tell you, sir, I sorry,� she said, retrieving the plate and cup from beside him.

He knew that house-elves were honor bound to their masters and that she could not divulge that information, no matter how much she wanted to, just as Kreecher could not reveal the location of Order Headquarters.

�How, how long have I been here?�

She looked nervously at him, �Four days,� she whispered.

As she headed for the door, Remus asked with great urgency, �Wait, please. Is there anyone else here?�

She looked quizzically at him.

�My friend, my friend was with me. Is he here too?�

She shook her head and left as quickly and quietly as she had come.

He leaned back against the wall, straining to breath. It felt like a large, heavy object was sitting on his chest, pushing all of the air out of his lungs. He struggled against the pain ravaging his body and tried to regain some semblance of mental clarity. At least Sirius had escaped. Or if he didn�t, he wasn�t here. But even if they were looking for Sirius, they wouldn�t have been looking for a dog. He took a minute measure of comfort in the thought that Sirius was safe at home. Much to Sirius�s chagrin, Remus thought to himself.

The shadows falling across the concrete floor were his only indication of the time that passed. No one came for two days, no one, except the house-elf who snuck in during the early morning hours to slip him food and water. He was sure she was doing this without her master�s knowledge. Although she never lingered, her courage and generosity warmed his heart. Hermione would be proud, he thought, smiling sadly at the thought of her. He wondered if she knew. He felt hot tears burning behind his eyelids. The thought of never seeing her again, never being able to wrap his arms around her, to get lost in her warmth was overwhelming. �Hermione,� he whispered. He�d take all the beatings and cursings in the world if he could just see her again.

***

Hermione stared absently out the window as the wind and rain beat against the old glass pane, vibrating as if it might break. The last time she�d seen it rain like this was last summer when Remus had come back to the cottage, sick with fever. She had covered him with her grandmother�s quilt and crawled in next to him, laying her head on his shoulder, her body against his, trying to keep him warm. �Warm as toast,� he had said the next morning. A small smile slipped across her tear-streaked face. What she wouldn�t give to be snuggled up against him right now, safe and sound in his loving arms.

***

By mid afternoon of the seventh day, a foreboding feeling had settled over him. The house-elf had not come. Surely this was a bad sign. Just then, he heard the familiar clicking of the door unlocking. As five wizards cloaked in black hoods streamed into the room, their wands pointing straight at his heart, he knew he had not been mistaken. A chair was brought in and two of the Death Eaters wrenched him up by his arms, flinging him onto the chair. Although fear and anger coursed through his veins, he did his best to keep his face impassive.

As one of the smaller Death Eater�s raised his wand to have a little fun with the prisoner, another one stopped him. �WAIT! Not until I am finished with him. Then you can do whatever you like.� The leader of the group, a wizard much bigger than the others and one Remus didn�t think he�d ever been before, commanded the man next to him to bind �the prisoner.�

Lifting his wand, the wizard uttered a curse that caused leather straps to bind Remus�s wrists, legs, and chest to the chair.

The leader then nodded to two of the other wizards.

To his horror, Remus saw the wizard pull something out of his robes that he�d never seen before. A long silver needle was attached to a plastic vial that was filled with a clear liquid. One of the Death Eaters came up behind him and in one quick movement had caught Remus around the neck with the crook of his arm and was forcing his head back, choking him. This wizard had been here before, Remus recognized his scent as one of the men who had beaten him. And then he felt something very sharp pierce his skin followed by the sensation of ice coursing up his arm and through his veins. He shook uncontrollably as he head rolled, the Death Eaters swimming in and out of focus in front of him.

As he came to he could start to decipher the discombobulated voices.

�How much did you give him?�

�The same amount we give everyone.�

�Are you sure?�

�If you killed him, he�ll be useless to us!�

�Look, he�s coming around.�

Remus tried to pick his head up, but it fell back down, saliva drooling from mouth. He heard the leader direct someone to do something and then he felt someone behind him grab him by the hair and yank his head up. His vision had not quite cleared and he was very disoriented, but the questions began anyway.

�What is your name?�

The voice sounded like a low baritone, long and drawn out, much more so than it probably was in reality, but nothing much was getting through to his foggy brain.

�WHAT IS YOUR NAME?� The voice boomed as his head was unceremoniously yanked upwards again.

�Remus Lupin.�

There was a flurry of whispers.

�Who do you work for?�

What?

�WHO DO YOU WORK FOR?�

�Nobody,� Remus said, confused.

At that one of the wizard�s raised his wand and the wizard behind him pulled even harder on his hair.

Finally, it dawned on him. He�d been injected with truth serum. �I don�t currently have a job. I�m unemployed.�

One the of the wizards laughed and he thought he heard someone say, �Where did you find this idiot?�

But the leader paid no heed. �Are you associated with the Order?�

�Yes,� Remus answered.

�And who is the head of the Order?�

�Albus Dumbledore.�

Again, there were whispers from the crowd.

�Where might we find this Dumbledore?�

�At Hogwarts.�

�What were you doing in the forest that evening?�

Remus hesitated for a moment. �I was watching for Death Eaters.�

�For the Order?�

�Yes.�

�And were you alone?�

�Yes.� I was alone at that point in time.

�And did you see anyone?�

�Yes. But they were too far away and I couldn�t see their faces.�

�Why didn�t you move closer so you could get a better look.�

�I was going to, but ��

�But what?�

�I don�t remember what happened next.�

The leader seemed to ponder this for a moment before continuing.

�Tell me about the Order.�

�The Order is a group of witches and wizards.�

�And what is its purpose?�

�To defeat Lord Voldemort.�

A collective gasp went through the room at the sound of the Dark Lord�s name.

�So you think you can defeat the Dark Lord, do you?� the leader said with a sinister laugh. �Tell me, who do you report to?�

Remus considered this question carefully. He was much relieved that the truth serum didn�t seem to affect him like it did humans. While he felt compelled to tell the truth, he could tell a lie if he felt the need was strong enough. The only information he�d revealed so far were things that they�d already known or could very easily find out. But now he was at a juncture he could play two ways. He could play dumb, like he was a low member of the Order who didn�t know their inner workings and was just sent to do their dirty work. If he went this route, though, they�d probably just kill him outright as he�d be of no use to them. The other route might buy him some more time�

�Master Dumbledore.�

�You report directly to Dumbledore?�

�Yes.�

�Does everyone report directly to Dumbledore?�

�No, only a select few.�

Remus could see the cogs in the leader�s head turning. He�d taken the bait. But what would Remus say if the leader started asking him to name the members of the Order? Making up names would be the best course of action, but he�d have to remember them, and that would be no easy task in his condition. He shivered noticeably at the thought.

�So tell me what the Order is working on.�

�The Order is working on several things,� Remus said, his voice beginning to slur.

�Tell me what its plans our to defeat our Dark Lord.�

Remus�s eyes began to droop. �We are plannnnning tooooo�.� Remus�s head fell sideways even as the wizard behind him tried to yank it up. Remus started shaking violently against his shackles, causing the chair to teeter on its legs.

In anger and frustration, the leader kicked the chair over, Remus�s head bouncing off the cold pavement.

As pain seared through Remus�s temple and his ear rang, he heard the smaller wizard begging the leader, �Can I please? Just one?�

�FINE!� the leader�s voice bellowed.

A flash of violet light filled the room as the hairs on the back of Remus�s neck stood up. The blood in his veins had turned to fire and something had sucked the air out of him. He tried to breath, but it felt as if his airways had collapsed. He writhed in pain against the shackles, until everything faded to black.

***

Sirius sat sullenly at the table as the meeting was called to order. Dumbledore made a few announcements and then turned to Snape for an update on the activities of the Death Eaters, and more importantly, on Remus�s whereabouts. The air of smugness that had accompanied Snape after Remus�s initial disappearance had subsided, due to the several death threats he had received from Order members. Most notably was that of Sirius�s. During a moment of anguish and self-blame, Snape had unknowingly walked in on Sirius. Snape sneered at Sirius, and Sirius flew at him with such speed that even Snape lost his refined exterior. �If you had anything to do with this, I swear I will kill you with my bare hands!� Sirius growled, tightening his hands around Severus�s neck as he held him against the wall, a dangerous look in his eye. �I don�t care if I spend the rest of my life in Azkaban. To rid this world of you would be worth it.� Dumbledore had walked in at that moment, and the look of utter fear that had taken up residence in Snape�s eyes was quickly replaced by contempt.

Perhaps more pressing than the threats of the Order members, was Snape�s attempt to return to the headmaster�s good graces. Dumbledore had cut him a lot of slack, but after his cute little interaction with Miss Granger, Dumbledore had been furious. Dumbledore had well worn out the �there�s no place here for childhood grudges� line, which Snape had crossed when he took his revenge on a student. Whether Snape wanted to admit it or not, Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard in the world, aside from Voldemort, and he had done Snape a great favor by placing his trust in him and letting him teach at Hogwarts. As a denounced Death Eater, Snape knew he�d have great difficulty in the Wizarding world, not to mention that his tenuous hold over the Death Eaters would soon be lost, should he lose Dumbledore as an ally.

Snape�s update was subdued, although his voice still had a cold, indifferent edge to it. He reported that there had been no word about anyone being captured or killed, and that news such as the capture of an Order member would certainly have filtered through the Death Eaters at record speed. Therefore, it was Snape�s impression that a band of rogue Death Eaters had planned and executed Remus�s capture. He speculated that they were hoping to get valuable information out of Remus and then present Remus or that information to the Dark Lord. By way of their covert actions, if they failed, they wouldn�t have to face the fury of the Dark Lord, while if they succeeded, they would quickly move up in the ranks of the Dark Lord�s followers.

Everyone at the table looked dejected at Snape�s words, hoping beyond hope that some small bit of good news had been uncovered. With tears in her eyes, Tonks commented that at least, as far as anyone knew, he hadn�t been killed, so there was still hope. If he had been killed, she reasoned, wouldn�t they have bragged about it? A member of the Order would certainly be worth something to Voldemort. Sirius sank down even further in his chair and Dumbledore gave him a sympathetic look before continuing the meeting.

***

When he finally came to, he realized he was again covered in fresh cuts and bruises. He lip was swollen and he could taste blood in his mouth��his blood. He was lying on the cold floor, no longer strapped to the chair. He tried to move, but the pain was excruciating. He felt a small hand come to rest on his shoulder. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw large, golden orbs looking back at him, a plate of food and a glass of water in front of him. She had a pained look in her eyes. In agony, he pushed himself into a sitting position, leaned back against the wall, and waited for the wave of nausea to dissipate. Too weak to feed himself, the house-elf moved closer to him and tentatively raised the glass to his lips, allowing him to drink the water.

�Don�t you have to leave?�

�Master is out today,� she said, placing a small morsel of food on his tongue.

He looked longingly at the door, knowing that he was in no condition to escape.

�When will he be back?�

�Tomorrow.�

Remus let the house-elf feed him some more food and water, before asking, �How long has it been this time?�

She looked a bit frightened by his question. �Three days, sir,� she said meekly.

After she�d left, he leaned back and shut his eyes. I�m so sorry, Hermione. I�ve failed you.

Sirius voice cut in then, �Don�t you give up, Moony, don�t you dare! If I could live through twelve years of Azkaban, surely you can make it through this!�

Early the next morning, he was hoisted into the chair again and bound. The leader had returned. He didn�t fight them as they injected the serum, there was no point. As he felt the icy fluid filter through his veins, he started to shiver. The shivers turned into shakes, which rapidly turned into seizure-like tremors. His eyes rolled back and his head lolled to the side, drool streaming from his mouth.

�WHAT?� he heard the leader yell. �I thought I told you to DECREASE the dose!�

�I did!� came another wizard�s voice.

�LIAR!� The leader�s voice was filled with rage. �CRUCIO!�

Remus cringed at the anticipated onslaught of pain, still shaking wildly in his chair. But the leader hadn�t cursed him, he�d cursed the other wizard. Exhausted by all the shaking, Remus decided it was time to play unconscious. He slumped over in his bonds, eyes closed, still drooling.

�YOU FOOL!� The leader�s voice bellowed.

Remus could hear the wizard writhing in pain on the floor.

�You increased the dose so you could watch him suffer! What good is he to me like this!� The leader lifted the curse. �I will be not be back here until FRIDAY. You have wasted my precious time! Twice now you have made me wait. TWICE. I am sick and tired of your games!�

Remus could sense the fear emanating off the wizard cowering at his master�s feet.

�You will NOT touch him again! Do you understand me?�

�Yes, sir� came a very shaky voice.

�If so much as a hair is harmed on his body, YOU WILL PAY! Perhaps if he had been stronger, he would have been able to tolerate your misdeeds!�

The other wizards shrunk away from their leader as his voice reverberated through the small room. In a much lower and dangerous voice, the leader said, �I don�t think you�ve been listening to a word I�ve said.�

�CRUCIO!�

The wizard flipped around again wildly on the floor, screaming in pain.

�Remove him from my sight,� came the leader�s voice, not bothering to lift the curse as he left the room.

The other Death Eaters struggled to pull the flailing man from the room, locking the door behind them.

Remus�s heart was racing as he breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe, just maybe, he might get the chance get out alive after all. The leader said he would not return until Friday. Assuming the leader would want to question him again with the truth serum, his only chance would be between now and then. If his calculations were correct, the full moon would fall on Thursday. Looking around the room, he could see the window. Although he wouldn�t be able to get out of it on his own, the wolf certainly could make the jump.

Still, there were several unknowns. Like what kind of wards protected this place? And did they affect animals the same as humans? As he envisioned his escape, a very unsettling thought occurred to him. Without the Wolfsbane potion, the wolf would run free. There was no telling what the wolf would do. Being pent up in this tiny concrete cell for days on end would not bode well. If the wolf bit anyone, Remus would certainly be executed by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, regardless of the circumstances. Remus slumped back in his chair. Did he risk endangering others to gain his own freedom? Of did he sacrifice himself in hopes of saving innocent lives? Somewhere in the back of his mind, Hermione�s voice chimed in. Remus, you promised. He shook her voice from his head, it was too painful to hear. Drifting off to sleep, he dreamed he was the wolf, running freely through the undergrowth of the forest.

Remus awoke, his head slumped over his body, still bound to the chair. Two days had passed. His neck ached terribly from the awkward position he�d been forced to remain in. He heard the now familiar clicking noises of the door being unlocked. He looked up with dread as two Death Eaters approached. In silence, they released his bonds and hauled his body into the corner, propping him against the wall. He recognized their scent, they had been here before. He watched as they dragged the chair out of the room. The taller of the two came back into the room. �Eat this,� he said, shoving a plate of sandwiches at him. �Lest our master think we�ve failed him yet again,� the sarcastic tone of the wizard�s voice was unmistakable. Setting down a large glass of water next to the plate of food, the Death Eater left, locking the door behind him.

Remus picked up the glass of water and smelled it. The full moon was only two days away and his senses were heightened. He cautiously put a drop of the water on his tongue. He could detect no poison in the water or the food. Of course, it wouldn�t make much sense to poison him now, not with their master coming back in three days to question him.

***

As he sat on the floor waiting for the moon to rise and his transformation to begin, he heard the familiar clicking noises of the door being opened. He watched as two dark figures entered the room. Then he noticed they were dragging something behind them. Not something, someone. He felt a huge wave of nausea wash over him as the scent of musky roses and citrus infiltrated his senses. Hermione. He watched in horror as they threw her broken body into the far corner of the room, hearing her groan in pain as she hit the hard concrete floor. He scrambled to his feet, but one of the Death Eaters raised his wand, pointing it straight at her heart. �Sit down or we will make her suffer.� His heart was racing and he could taste the bile rising in his throat. The sound of her muffled cries broke his heart. Oh, god, not Hermione! He could sense the fear radiating off of her. To his surprise, the Death Eaters left. Waiting only moments, he rushed to her side, pulling her into his arms as she sobbed against his chest. But then, she was pushing him away and running for the door trying to get out. Looking over her shoulder at him she screamed. In the shock and confusion of her being thrown into the room, he hadn�t realized what was happening. And then he felt it. He felt his body being pulled and twisted as the realization of what she�d seen hit him. He was transforming, he was becoming the wolf. He knew the wolf would tear her to shreds��and so did she. �NOOOOOOOO!� he screamed, trying to fight the transformation. But the wolf was thirsty for blood and the wolf was eager for such a fresh catch.

Lying in a puddle of cold sweat, thrashing wildly on the floor, he heard a far off scream in the distance. It was deep and menacing and as he returned to consciousness, he realized that scream was coming from somewhere deep within himself. Jerking his body upright he looked frantically around the room while sniffing the air. He fell against the wall and sunk to his knees, his head in his hands. Hermione.

Lost in his misery, he heard the familiar clicking noises of the door being opened. Quickly, he wiped his tears away, thankful for the darkness. The door opened briefly and then shut again. He could sense the stout figure approaching him as she gently placed a glass of water in his hands and a small plate of food next to him.

He drank the water quickly to get the bitter taste out of his mouth.

�You must have heard me screaming,� he said.

�I no hear nothing,� her voice squeaked. �Why you screaming?�

He rested his head back against the wall, shutting his eyes against the vivid images flashing before him. �I had a very bad dream.�

�I no hear nothing,� she repeated. �My master make sure no one hear nothing outside these doors.�

Remus nodded, munching on the fresh fruit she�d managed to steal from the kitchen.

As his heart returned to its regular beat, he asked, �What is your name?�

�Lucy,� came her high-pitched reply.

�Lucy. I don�t think I�ve ever thanked you. You have been very kind to me.�

At that Lucy squealed in delight.

Poor house-elf, he thought, he could only imagine how she was treated. Obviously she didn�t receive compliments very often.

�No one hear nothing in these rooms,� she repeated, leaving as quickly as she had come.

Remus scratched his head. Why had she told him that again? Did she suspect he was planning to escape? Whatever the reason, having silencing charms on the room could only work to his advantage as the wolf attempted to break free. Resigned to his fate, he sank back into a slumber, fearful of the dreams that awaited him.

***

As the morning of the full moon dawned, the wolf was restless. If Remus had any serious thoughts of sacrificing himself so as not to put others at risk from the wolf, they were far from his mind now. The wolf was taking over. The wolf was pacing, endlessly, around the small room, staring up at the window, growling. He wanted out and he wanted out badly. There would be no stopping him.

Remus had struggled with the decision to escape as the wolf when he thought the choice might still be his to make. Clearly, that was not the case. Instead, he tried focusing his thoughts on channeling the wolf�s energy into making a clean break and running as far away from wherever he was as possible. He begged the wolf to stick to the forests and avoid wide open spaces. To stay away from humans. He really didn�t know how much influence he�d have over the wolf, although he guessed it would probably be close to none. Still, he had to do something. His mind raced with all of the things that could go wrong. What if someone was there with him when the transformation began? What if someone came in as he was breaking out? What if someone was outside guarding this place. What if? What if? What if?

His ranting and raving only provoked the wolf, making him more agitated and angry. Resignedly, he submitted to the reality that very shortly, he would have no control over anything at all. Soon, the wolf would take over and he, Remus, would be at its mercy. The only reassuring thought he had was that the wolf survived purely on instinct. He could sense danger and would avoid it at all cost, unless he thought he was up to the task of taking it on. And no one, he reminded himself, would be looking for a wolf; they�d be looking for a man. At least if they discovered he�d escaped that night. If not, then hopefully the wolf would have gotten far enough away that they wouldn�t be looking for the man wherever he ended up the next day. It was a frightening prospect giving himself over to the wolf, but there was no other choice.

***

Sirius sat in his study that night in complete darkness, watching the full moon rise in the sky. Moony, where are you? If he�d had the slightest idea where he might be, he�d go as Padfoot and try to find him. But he could be anywhere; he could be dead.

He remembered all the times that the Marauders spent together at Hogwarts, gallivanting through the Forbidden Forest at night, Padfoot and Prongs keeping Moony in check. That little rat, Peter, just hung on for the ride, as always. He remembered how different it was when he spent the first full moon with Remus after he�d escaped from Azkaban. Under the influence of the Wolfsbane potion, the wolf had been subdued, content to curl up and lie in front of fire. Surprised, Padfoot had curled up next to him, amazed at the difference. What he wouldn�t give to do that tonight��to lie in front of the fire with his pack mate, knowing that he was safe and sound.

***

No one had come so far that day, and if he was lucky, no one would. He could feel the transformation beginning as his skin tingled and his muscles burned. Looking down at his hands to watch the fur sprout, he noticed the gold band on his finger. A feeling of panic shot through him. Normally, he�d take off his ring and leave it in a safe place until morning. Obviously, that wasn�t an option. Clenching his teeth against the pain as the transformation came ever nearer, he did the only thing he could think of; he swallowed it.

The wolf burst out with a vengeance the likes of which he hadn�t known in years. It paced wildly around the room, surveying its cage, studying the window. It clawed at the concrete and growled viciously, a glint of determination it its golden eyes. In a single bound it leapt ferociously at the window, its head down like a buck ramming a tree. The pane shattered easily under the force of the wolf who was now impaled mid-abdomen on the frame. Its front paws dug into the dirt while its back legs clawed fiercely at the concrete wall, trying to get a hold and push its way free. In a matter of seconds, it had cleared the window and was running towards the woods, glass shards embedded in its abdomen. The glow of the full moon illuminated the landscape. The wolf was free.

***

Hermione lay in bed that night, doubled over with cramps like she�d never had before. The pain was piercing and constant. Normally she would have gone to Madam Pomfrey for something, but tonight, somehow, it seemed right. Tonight was the full moon and she could only imagine what Remus was going through. In her own way, she was suffering with him, hoping and praying that they both made it through the night.
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Only Time Will Tell