Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

White Flag	By : bittsweetmis Category: Harry Potter Crossovers > Slash - Male/Male Views: 23910 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Twilight or any of their respective characters, they belong to JK Rowling, Stephanie Meyer and the appropriate publishing houses and film studios e.t.c. This is purely a work of fiction and no profit is made from

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
AN: Christ, I'm so sorry that this took so long! I mean to
have this done a fortnight after exams ended, not any longer. The main delay
(apart from exams which finished mid-June) was that we've had some family
problems and I've also had some other commitments. However, I hope this
super-long chapter will make up for it! n_n

On a different note, I need a
beta to proof-read my chapters, he or she needs to be very good with
spelling and grammar, quick and preferably someone who can help me with
cultural issues. If you're interested, let me know via review, private
messaging or a comment in my live journal (see footnote).

)(0)( = scene change

--.--.-- = short time skip/POV
change within the same scene

Close Your Ears

Please close your ears and try to look away,

So you'll never hear a single word I say,

- Cave - Muse

__________

Neville sighed as he began to spray fertiliser onto the
plant beds. Remus had gone to work that morning, and Bill had realised when he
woke up that the full moon would arrive the Wednesday coming. He�d left awhile
ago through the newly connected floo, but Neville hadn�t been able to catch the
name of the place where he was going. Both he and Harry had decided to relax in
lieu of the absence of their guardians. So whilst Harry had decided to figure
out how to connect to the internet, Neville had decided that he would tend to
the abundance of plants in their massive garden.

Normally, both he and Harry would take care of the plants
together, but today, Neville was grateful for the alone-time. Since they had
left, the small not-close-enough-to-be-a-family had been rushed off their feet.
Harry and Neville had been forcing themselves into learning the entire muggle
curriculum that they�d never had a chance to learn, whilst both Bill and Remus
were trying so hard to set up a routine and make a home out of their house in
Forks. He did have to admit, that it seemed like it was beginning to work�even
if Remus was incredibly over-caring. Although he was grateful for all of this, Neville
just needed time to think. It was becoming evident only now just exactly how
big a move was for him. He was in a completely foreign country with absolutely
no idea what half of the stuff in the kitchen was actually meant to do. Harry and
Remus were teaching him (along with Bill who had nearly blown up the cooker)
about muggle life and all of the weird things that were everyday items, but he
couldn�t help but feel incredibly out of depth. For one thing, he couldn�t
grasp physics, something which he was somewhat reassured that Harry didn�t get
either. Maths was doable - barely - and he wasn�t too concerned about learning
American History; he figured that if he�d been going to a muggle school in
England, he�d be learning about the World Wars instead (Hermione�s notes said
as much).

Neville had left his grandmother on her deathbed�the woman
who had given up a lot by taking him in when he was a baby. His uncles and
aunts couldn�t have cared less; for them the only thing that mattered was the
fact that he could attend Hogwarts and let the world know that the Longbottom
family still existed. His grandma was brilliant in that way, she hadn�t believed
in all that elitist stuff unlike her long deceased husband who had influenced
their progeny into the same manner of thinking. It wasn�t quite in the same
manner as the Malfoys or other pure blood supremacists but all the thoughts of
nobility and blood lines were up there. When Neville thought of his mum and
dad, he always wondered whether they would be somewhat kinder versions of his
grandmother, or more along the lines of the rest of his family. Either way, it
didn�t make a difference anymore�the Lestrange family had seen to it that he
would never be able to know his parents. Neville sighed to himself with that
thought. �The Lestranges seem like they
are obsessed with Voldemort, and he went mental after he saw that fake
prophecy. What was he like before that? Is anything that has happened not
Dumbledore�s fault in the end?�

Neville shook his head and went back to his plants. All of
this contemplation wasn�t helpful for him right now�he just needed to keep his
head down for the moment. He grabbed a trowel, missing Harry�s concerned gaze
from an upstairs window.

)(0)(

�Do not worry Headmaster. I will see that it is done.�
Severus Snape said as he watched Albus Dumbledore�s frantic head disappear back
into the flames which soon turned back to the orange colour that one would have
expected. Severus sneered after his employer, annoyed to no ends at the lack of
sheer common sense that the old man was in dire need of. Didn�t he realise that
there was nothing that he could do to get Potter back? It was all legal in the
eyes of the Ministry and even though the not-so-good headmaster wanted to keep
it all under the rug for the meantime, somehow word would get out that the
Boy-Who-Lived had left the country. After that would undoubtedly happen, all
sorts of speculation would start to arise and nothing that the headmaster could
say would sate the hunger of the ruthless reporters. However there was more
trouble to be had other than that of crazed reporters; now that Dumbledore had
lost his figurehead for the �light� side of the war, what would he do? Yes,
Severus could read minds; however, the brain of Dumbledore was one that nobody
had a chance of looking into. A more plausible event would be James Potter
rising from the dead and snogging the Dark Lord silly. He touched wood on that
one. Severus� only saving grace to date had been that he was able to allow his
mind to spin tales for the power-hungry wizard to buy into, shielding him from
the truth and keeping Lily�s son and his own position safe.

Severus turned back to his brewing Veritaserum, about to
take off the status freezing spell before he heard the fireplace flare up
again. �What is it this time?� He
snarled turning around and expecting to find Dumbledore. He was, however, met
with the sight of a harried looking Bill Weasley and forced himself to school
his expression. At least the eldest of the Weasley spawn had the nerve to look
apologetic at his intrusion.

�Sorry Severus, I wasn�t interrupting anything was I?� Bill
winced at the Potions Master�s disgruntled expression.

�Not yet.� He grumbled. �You just missed the dear
headmaster.� Bill�s expression darkened at the news.

�What did he have to say for himself?�

�He wanted me to find out where Potter went; he believes
that the boy should be kept firmly under control.�

�Does he realise that he�s been found out?�

�No, Albus just thinks that this is a bit of rebellion due
to the Mutt�s unfortunate demise.�
Severus explained with a sneer. �He does not realise that Potter and Longbottom
are with yourself and the Wolf thanks to the letter you sent last week.�

�Speaking of Remus, you wouldn�t happen to have some
Wolfsbane potion on you? The full moon�s on Wednesday.� Bill pointedly chose to
ignore the jab against Sirius.

��I�m well aware of
that. The blue bottle on the third shelf, Lupin knows what to do.�

Bill carefully placed the aforementioned potion in his bag.
�Also, are you still okay to come teach me and the boys occlumency? There�s
only so much we can get from books.�

�I shall make arrangements with Lupin on Thursday. And do not
expect me to teach either of those hopeless dimwits Potions.� Severus hissed
when Bill opened his mouth again.

�Um, okay then, I�ll just be off.� Bill announced awkwardly
before moving back to the fireplace.

�Wait.� Severus sighed. �Tell Lupin to consider a date for
lessons when all of you are available, there�s something I need to tell you�
all of you.� His tone was reluctant at best.

�Severus?�

�Just tell him, Weasley.� He massaged his temples, feeling a
headache coming on.

�

As soon as Bill left through the fireplace, Severus slouched
over in exhaustion. He had decided then that he would do everything he could to
make this entire situation come out as best as it possibly could.

�I hope that I have
made the right choice for both of you�if only for your memories.�

Severus straightened his posture in determination. �I need to
speak with Lucius.� He announced to himself before he too left through the
fireplace, abandoning an incomplete cauldron of truth serum.

)(0)(

As soon as Remus entered the staff canteen, he decided that
working in this hospital was very much like being back in Hogwarts. Everyone sat in their groups; nurses
with nurses, doctors with doctors and the same applied very much to surgeons,
administration staff and whatever other positions there were in Forks General.
This little revelation gave the newbie a small amount of dread. During his
rounds with Dr Cullen (who was insistent on eating his lunch in his office
whilst going over papers), he hadn�t actually interacted with the many busy
(and very female) nurses. Call him silly, but the idea of sitting in an all
female crowd, whom he didn�t even catch the names of, was rather intimidating.
On the other hand, Remus had spent a lot of time with the administrators,
chatting whilst waiting for patients� files and a few test results. They were
generally friendlier and less standoffish than the other staff members he had
encountered so far which was the main reason that Remus found his feet making
their way to table where Martha sat with her colleagues.

�Umm, excuse me?� He announced himself, suddenly feeling
very self-conscious as all eyes turned to him. �Maybe I should have just gone to the car�� �Is it okay if I sit
here?� �I swear my voice is not that high pitched!� �If that�s okay, I
mean.�

�Honestly! We aren�t gonna bite!� Martha beamed. She gesture
for someone to pull up a chair and Remus sank into the seat gratefully. �Everyone,
this is Remus Mondstrahl, he�s the new nurse. He�s British.� The woman
introduced him.

�Aha! I win! Fork it over Smith!� A spiky haired lad who
looked like he was in his twenties grinned triumphantly, he held out his hand
expectantly towards a blonde male with brown eyes. �Smith� reluctantly fished a
twenty dollar bill from his back pocket and handed it to his colleague opposite
him.

�Zack and Elliot had a bet going to see whereabouts you came
from.� Martha explained at Remus� raised eyebrow. �Elliot�s the blonde one and
Zack�s the one with black hair.�

�And they both haven�t heard of subtlety at all.� The thin
looking woman next to Remus sneered. She was reading a women�s magazine whilst
eating a chicken salad. �Hey, I�m Sarah, excuse those dolts�some of us have
manners.�

�I live with two teens and a bloke who doesn�t realise that
you can wear things that aren�t made of leather. I�m used to it.� He laughed at
the wounded expressions on the two friends.

The rest of the table introduced themselves and Remus
happily answered their questions about England and his new family (being
as vague as possible when needed) whilst eating his lunch.

��And Dr Cullen�s been very polite and helpful�although he
decided to stay in his office today.� Remus smiled when asked about his day so
far. �I�m not sure it�ll help if I say
that he smells a bit odd.� It was true�there was something just plain wrong about Dr Cullen�s scent, but Remus
couldn�t identify it. He would have said that the man was a vampire if he
considered the colder hands earlier, but he was an ex-Defence professor and had
(unfortunately) spent some time among the undead. Carlisle
definitely did not have the stench of death lurking about him and he would have
been dust from the meagre light that Forks had to offer its inhabitants if he
was indeed allergic to sunlight.

�No surprise there.� Sarah frowned at what looked to be a
page of shoes.

�Eh? Is this normal then?�

�Yeah.�� Elliot said nicking
a chip from Zack�s tray; he dipped it in ketchup before popping it in his mouth
and grinning cheekily at his friend. �Since I started working here I�ve seen
him come in here only like two or three times�and even then it was to talk with
the other docs or surgeons.

�Okay, now that sounds
suspicious.�

�We�re not worthy of his awesome, hunky, man-god presence.�
Zack joked with an easy-going grin before he and Elliot pretended to be cooing
women with overly exaggerated voices. �Oh! Dr Cullen! I�ve conveniently dropped
my files at your feet, taking advantage of your incredibly gentlemanly nature!�

�Oh Carlisle,� Elliot mock
sighed. �This oral thermometer just won�t work! You�ll have to take my
temperature another way!�

�Okay, guys. That�s just plain wrong.� A man named Sebastian
laughed. �And disgusting, El.�

�Oh! Oh! I so know what I�m getting you two for Christmas.�
A perky brunette who apparently went by the name of Andy exclaimed.

�A rectal thermometer? Kinky!� Elliot grimaced as he received
a cuff round the back of his head.

�Boys.� Sarah scowled.

�We�re not all that bad. Harry � my nephew, I guess I should
call him that � would rather spend an afternoon knitting than watching an
action film.� Remus chuckled. �He�s quite crafty really. And Neville�s really
shy too � he loves working in the garden.�

�They�re the kid�s you took in?� The nurse nodded in
confirmation.

�He�s a busy man,� Martha reminded the others about Dr
Cullen. �And besides, he might just like his space � it does get busy here sometimes. Is there anything good on the problem
page, Sarah?�

�Not really � a load of sex questions�some veggie is
debating the whether she could possibly purchase a pair of leather shoes there�s
this woman trying to justify cheating on her husband with another woman � she�s
got a crap argument and her husband seems like a right doll. She�s coming off
as a right bitch.� The Asian woman�s tone became annoyed.

�Poor bloke, it hurts to be cheated on, especially if it�s
for a fling.� Remus sighed sadly.

�If I was with someone, and they cheated on me, I�d rather
that they did it because they were in love with the other person�you know?�
Andy mused. Sebastian patted her head gently.

�Well, I hope that the bitch get�s everything that�s coming
to her. Serves her right for being a filthy lesbian whore.� A man named Phil
grunted angrily, his fierce words silenced the chatter on the table. �I�m
getting back to work.� Remus couldn�t help but keep his eyes on the other man
as he dumped his tray. The negative emotion behind those words had struck Remus
with dread.

�Bastard.� Sarah spat as soon as he left.

�That man worries me.� Martha shook her head sadly. �We�re
not living in the Deep South.� She said, trying to be reassuring.

�I-I should go.� Remus pretty much whispered. The others
looked worried as his sad expression and then the several dawning looks of
surprise clued the werewolf that his new friends had figured out his sexuality.
He guessed that his expression pretty much said it all. He got up and binned his
trash before bidding goodbye to the �admin table�.

Several of them � Martha included � smile at him
encouragingly. �Sit with us again, yeah?� Zack waved.

�Sure.�

Sarah got up and gathered her belongings, passing her
magazine to Brenda, Martha�s friend. �I�ll walk with you to the nurses� station,
Okay?� They made their way out of the canteen and through the quiet hospital
corridors.

�That poor man,� Remus could hear Martha sigh. �Imagine
hearing something like that on your first day. I hope you all keep quiet about
Remus � he�s such a sweet man and doesn�t need any trouble.�

�Mum�s the word.� Elliot chirped. The other agreed.

�Ignore Phil, Remus. He�s the biggest asshole about these
things I know, but he can�t do anything if you keep your head down. Not exactly
the sharpest crayon, that man.� Sarah advised when they were out of earshot.
�The other guys won�t say anything, we�re not like that.� She declared with a
confident twitch of her lips.

�Thank you.� Remus impulsively pressed a swift kiss to the
woman�s cheek. Even though she came off a bit cold, it was obvious that she had
her reasons and had been hurt in the past if her reaction to the problem page
and the cheating woman was anything to go by. Her disdain at Phil�s attitude
had given Remus confidence that she wouldn�t be prejudiced against the fact he
was gay.

Sarah grinned happily. �C�mon, let�s get you to Dr Cullen; a
chocolate bar says that there�s some bimbo trying to give him an eyeful.�

�Double it if it�s a nurse.� Remus winked playfully.

--.--.--

Later that day, as Remus was getting into his car ready to
go home, he decided that Phil and accidently coming out of the closet aside, it
hadn�t been that bad for a first day. Zack, Elliot, Andy and Sarah waved at him
from across the car park and Sarah pointedly bit a massive chunk out of a
chocolate bar he had gotten her from the vending machines.

Carlisle Cullen was certainly quite the charmer, so much so
that he could have easily been mistaken as a veela, but the scent was all
wrong. Remus started the engine and pulled out of his parking space. His eyes
narrowed as he spotted Carlisle leaving
through the front entrance �I will find out exactly what you are, Cullen.�
�The werewolf thought before going home
to join his cub and the rest of their family.�

)(0)(

Carlisle Cullen opened his arms to accommodate his wife as
soon as he entered his home and smiled indulgingly as he pressed a gentle kiss
against her lips. �How was your day?� He asked, still wrapped around Esme.

�So-so. The usual. I started a new project today.�

�Oh?�

�A dealer in New
York asked for a landscape piece. How was work?�

�Good�odd.� Carlisle
frowned in thought � his day had been different to say the least.

�Odd? How so?� Esme asked, she rested her arm in the crook
of her husband�s and lead him into the front room where their children were.
Jasper and Emmet were playing videogames, Rosalie and Alice went through
fashion magazines together and Edward sat frowning by himself in a corner
reading a book � Wuthering
Heights.

�There was a new nurse assisting me today.� Carlisle answered.

Rosalie looked up with a frown. �Did something happen?� She
asked cautiously, she was the most protective of their way of life.

�I didn�t see anything.� Alice informed them.

�She didn�t do anything, did she?� Esme questioned, looking
into her husband�s eyes.

Edward chuckled at Esme�s question causing the rest of his
siblings to glower at him in disapproval at his amusement at what they assumed
to be Esme�s expense. �He.� �Edward stressed with a smirk. �You stuck your
foot in it there, didn�t you Father?�

�I admit that I may have made an unjust assumption.� Carlisle replied diplomatically.

�But that�s not the problem at hand, is it?� Jasper asked,
his father was deeply troubled, he could sense it.

�No. That man�s scent, it troubles me greatly. I have not
encountered anything like it.�

�He�s not your Singer is he?� Emmett asked, an arm slung
casually around Rosalie�s tense shoulders. Esme stiffened at this suggestion.

�He�s not.� Carlisle felt
Esme relax slightly. �He smelt of dog � not of the La Push shifters, nowhere
near as awful as that and not quite the same. It�s the only way I can think of
describing it.�

�Can�t you be more specific?� Edward asked.

�Hmm, I�m afraid not. He�s definitely not a werewolf�but
whatever he is, I have never come across anything like it.�

�You can�t see anything Alice?�

�Nothing, I�m afraid.� Came the reply with a sad shake of
the brunette�s head.

�I have no idea whether he�s a threat, however, you might be
able to find out from his children.�

�The man-thing has kids?� asked Emmett incredulously,
earning a slap from a narked off Rosalie.

�Remus looks as human as the people in the streets. He has
adopted the children with the man he is living with currently. If I am correct,
one of the boys is his orphaned godson.�

�They will be going to school with us?� Jasper asked.

�I think they will be Juniors so you should have some
classes together.�

�Okay.� And with that, Edward Cullen turned back to Cathy and
Heathcliff, signalling to the others that the matter of the mysterious Remus
Mondstrahl was resolved for the moment.

Carlisle left the living
room in favour of his office after gifting Esme with another kiss. As he sat
going through several malpractice files and medical journals, his mind just
could help but wander back to the (rather matronly) amber-eyed man whom he had
foolishly assumed to be female that morning.

�Remus Mondstrahl�Just
exactly what are you?�

)(0)(

Remus shifted anxiously in his seat in the lounge, it was
only one and a half hours until sunset and his nerves were on edge. The day
before, Tuesday, had seen himself and Bill getting ready for tonight. Mainly setting
noise blockers on the house and containment fields on the basement so that the
damage would be minimal if something was to go wrong. Then they had set
barriers around the garden and the woods. The main idea was that Remus would
change in the basement and, if his wolf�s temperament was low, then he would be
led into the garden. It had been Bill�s idea when Remus had told him that he
always felt calmer in the outdoors, even when under the influence of Wolfsbane potion.

Whilst the Wolfsbane potion did allow Remus to influence his
more feral side, there had been times in the past where the potion had not been
in full effect and Moony had become more violent than normal. This was the main
reason why Remus had kept himself isolated all this time. He refused to even
allow the possibility of allowing anyone to get hurt, especially if it was
someone that he loved or cared for that was endangered.

Neville quite effectively distracted Remus by flopping down
next to him on the sofa. Remus� eyes flickered from the telly which was
broadcasting the local news.

�Is something wrong, Neville?� He asked, reaching forward
for his tea. He had elected not to eat dinner, the Wolfsbane potion that
Severus had sent with Bill would no doubt cause him to vomit whatever was in
his stomach. Instead, the werewolf had been content to what Harry potter about
the kitchen whilst feeding Mr Darcy some dandelion leaves. Harry, it seemed,
was a sucker for Austen and had decided to name the rabbits after his favourite
characters; the black rabbit was now Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy and the caramel one
was Captain Frederick Wentworth. (When Bill had raised a questioning eyebrow,
Harry had indignantly huffed: �Well what else do you thing I should call them?
Fluffy and Bun-Bun?�)

Neville sank further into the cushions and furiously rubbed
at his eyes. �I�m sick of all this studying. I can honestly say that whoever
thought up of Physics deserves to be thoroughly cursed�then shot�several times
for good measure.�

�Well then,� Remus began, pausing to drain the last of his
mug. �I suppose that it�s a good thing that you can do one or two sciences at
Forks.�

�Excuse me?�
Neville rasped. �You mean to tell me that I don�t have to actually know the forces behind turning door handles?�

�Did I not mention that?� Remus asked. He thought for a
moment. �Don�t bother learning American History then. You and Harry will be
having free periods then instead.�

�Now he tells me!� Neville huffed, his eye twitching. �I�m
gonna go water the plants.� The teen sighed in defeat. �I suppose I should tell
Harry the good news then.�

�He�s on the phone with his aunt.�

�Is Bill done washing up yet?�

�Yes, he�ll be in the shower now. He got more water on
himself than anything else.� Remus chuckled, sharing a smile with Neville.
Their red-headed compatriot was hopeless with every kitchen chore which he had
been ordered to do by Remus (who did the vacuuming and dusting). Apart from
garden work set by Neville, Bill�s only niche appeared to be ironing and
dusting the areas which Remus was unable to reach.

�Remus?� Neville asked hesitantly. �What�s it like? When you
change�does it hurt?� His voice was quiet.

�It kills me, every time. The pain is unbearable. It feels
like I�m being flayed and like my nerves are on fire.�

�I-Is it meant to hurt so much?!?� Neville asked, startled
at Remus� dark tone.

�I don�t think it is.� The man said slowly. �I shifted with
a pack once and there were only a few of us in pain. Afterwards the Alpha told
me that he had once felt that pain, but he had accepted the gift the moon had
given him and the pain stopped. I never did understand what he meant, I�d
accepted a long time ago that I was a werewolf.�

�So�it�s the potion that�s hurting you?� Neville questioned,
thinking that it was the only likely explanation.

�No, it isn�t�there were only a few times�when I was your
age that I didn�t feel the pain�I remember, it used to be me, Sirius, James
and� Peter in the Shrieking Shack�though
Prongs and Padfoot forgot about Pettigrew, his form was too small for Moony to
care about.�

�Hmm�what�s it like�after you�ve transformed? Does it still
hurt?� Neville�s brow was furrowed, and Remus could tell that he was thinking
hard.

�It�s like I�m sinking in a darkness and I�m unable to keep
control�or sometimes I feel detached from everything. I always have to wait a
few minutes to remember in the morning though�what�I did during the night. That�s the worst feeling ever, that sinking
feeling when you realise that you�ve done something bad�or something�s not
quite right.�

Neville leaned forward and rested his chin on the palm
propped up by his knee. �Maybe�it hurts because of you.�

It was Remus� turn to gape at Neville. �I�m sorry?�

�Think about it. I think that it�s possible that you didn�t
feel the pain when you were in school because you had accepted yourself as a
person. You felt secure with your friends, but that security was broken when Mr
Black used you to hurt Professor Snape.� Neville suggested slowly

�That can�t be it.� Remus said weakly.

�It�s just my thought on it�it probably won�t be of any
help.� Neville waved a hand dismissively. �Don�t get stressed about it or
anything, you worry too much.�

�Can you blame me? With all that�s happened?�

�I guess not.� The brunette sighed. �Well hopefully things
will quieten down.� He smiled, trying to be reassuring.

Harry appeared in the doorway, worry all over his features
and looking out of breath from running down the stairs. �Remus! Bill says it�s
time for you to take your potion now. He�s just setting things up for the
morning.� His tone was anxious. �I put Basil and Sorrel away.� He said to
Neville who smiled gratefully in return.

�Time to get this over and done with,� Remus sighed. He
turned the television of and got to his feet. In the hallway, Harry handed
Remus the Wolfsbane potion which Remus gulped down, grimacing at the slimy
texture and overly earthy taste of the liquid.

�Do you want some water?� Neville asked when he was done.

Remus tried to get as much saliva in his mouth as he could
to get rid of the taste and gritty after-texture. �No thank you, Neville.� He
smiled weakly, �It�ll just weaken the effects.�

�If you�re sure.� Neville said with uncertainty.

�Have you taken the potion yet?� Bill asked as he came down
the stairs. He was shirtless, barefoot and only wearing a pair of faded black
jeans and his wand holster on his arm. As he walked, he scrubbed at his
dripping wet, long hair with a small towel.

�Every last drop.� The Marauder replied.

�Alright then, how do you want to do this?�

�I want Harry and Neville to be upstairs, then lock me in
the basement and you can let me out if I�m not feral.� Remus ordered Bill, he
let his eyes meet the other wizard�s, trying to convey the importance of his words.

�I thought that the Wolfsbane potion stopped that from
happening.� Harry pointed out.

�It does�normally. However, this is a completely new
environment especially for the wolf, so there�s no telling how strong it will
be against my influence. That�s all the potion does, give me influence.� Remus
explained softly.

�Right then, you two. The sun�s setting soon, so it�s
upstairs with you.� Bill tilted his head toward the teens.

Neville lightly squeezed Remus� arm. �Good luck, Remus.�

Harry, however saw it fit to wrap his arms around the nurse
and bury his face in his woollen jumper.

�Hey, c�mon now.� Remus said soothingly. �It�ll all be
alright, nothing�s going to happen.� He returned the hug.

�I�m going to become an animagus so that you don�t have to
be alone.� The teen declared, worry still leaking into his voice.

�That�s very selfless of you, Harry. Now, go upstairs, okay?
I love you.� Remus smiled. He pulled away from the hug with a squeeze and
rubbed Harry�s shoulder.

�I love you too, Moony.� Harry managed to reply before
Neville dragged him up the stairs after receiving a pointed look from Bill.

When the sounds of movement coming from upstairs settled
down, Bill turned to the werewolf with raised eyebrows.

�What?� Remus asked as he began unlocking the basement door.

�Clothes�unless they survive the change.�

Oh�umm�right then�� Remus blushed. He wriggled out of his
jumper and tossed it vaguely in Bill�s direction before he entered the
basement.

�I�ll hand you the rest in a second, he said flicking on the
light and closing the door after himself. In the hallway, Bill frowned at the
jumper in his hands, listening to the rustling of clothes as Remus stripped
himself. Moments later a bare arm reached out and threw a ball of clothes at
Bill (who quite frankly couldn�t believe that the other adult was so
self-conscious of his body).

�Remus?�

�Yes?� Asked the muffled voice.

�Just exactly how will I know if you go feral?� Bill took
the wand handed to him.

�Trust me, you�ll know.� came the dead-panned answer.

The arm withdrew and the door closed. �Lock it, Bill.� Remus
ordered. �And for fuck�s sake, don�t let go of your wand.�

�Got it.� Bill cast aside Remus� clothes and slipped his
wand into his hand from its position on his arm. He then slid the bolt into
place on the door feeling the flow of the magic as the spells and wards
reformed around the underground space.

--.--.--

Upstairs, Harry sat on his bed with Captain Wentworth and Mr
Darcy wriggling on his lap. Hedwig had already been out hunting and was perched
on the desk, drinking water. Neville came in the room and smiled reassuringly
at his classmate. �I got us some reading material.� He said, holding up a heavy
and old tome.

�What�s that?�

�Old transfiguration text from the library downstairs. It
has notes written in it so I think that we can use it with that book you got
when we went shopping.�

Harry took the book and began leafing through it. �Neville,�
his lips twitched, �I bought load of books in White Avenue. Which one are you on abou �
oh.� The teen realised what the volume was based on; the transfiguration of
living organisms with a rather hefty chunk on animagi.

�If your dad and his mate could do this, then so can we.�
The brunette�s eyes shone with determination as he took the book back.

Harry got up and put the rabbits in their hutch (he wasn�t a
big fan of cages and had enough space for the hutch), giving Captain Wentworth
a final scratch behind the ears before locking the door. Hedwig fluttered to
his shoulders and nipped his ear affectionately. �Ta, girl.� He then joined
Neville and grabbed the book on animagi he had bought from under the bed.

The green-eyed wizard visibly blanched when he heard a loud
cry of pain from downstairs. �Oh God!� he whimpered with wide eyes. The screaming
continued.

�H-He�ll be okay.� Neville wrapped an arm around Harry�s
shoulders and squeezed. �Bill�s there. He�ll look after Remus.�

Harry could only clutch Neville�s free arm tightly, almost
drawing blood as his ears were assaulted by Remus� distorted shouts.

�Merlin.�

--.--.--��

A ball of dread welled up in the pit of Remus� stomach as he
heard the bolt slide into place on the other side of the wooden door. He made
his way slowly down the stairs and flicked the second light switch in the room,
bathing himself in the darkness. He let his eyes adjust before he made his way
to the small cot in the corner. The threadbare blanket felt rough against his
skin and Remus could barely suppress a shudder. He lay back on the mattress and
focused on slowing his breathing rate. From experience, he knew the transition
between man and wolf was easiest when the body was relaxed, but his mind was
raging with worries and concerns. What if he lost control of the wolf and the
potion wasn�t strong enough? What if the spells on the door weren�t enough to
contain him should he turn feral? He couldn�t bare the thought of hurting his
new family.

What if he bit them? What if he bit them and damned to share
his curse? Damned them to a life of lycanthropy? Or worse�what would happen if
the wolf raged far beyond his control? Remus choked back the bile which burned
the back of the throat. At that last thought, his mind was filled with gruesome
images of Bill, Neville and Harry, their bodies coated in blood and mangled
almost beyond recognition. His breath hitched. How could he even imagine this
happening? It was true what his mother had said to him all those years ago�he
was nothing more than a monster. �

Remus� thoughts were cut off as pain lanced up his spine,
his back arching with it. The pain throbbed briefly at the base of his neck
before it spread across his entire body, his nerves alighting as they were
destroyed, rebuilt and rearranged. He could feel his bones start to dissolve
and reform. Remus released a terrified shriek as his organs shifted and changed
shape, some parts dying and others being synthesised. Some old bones moved to
support this new arrangement whereas others broke under the pressure. The half
human�half wolf howled in agony as his brain changed shape, supported by the
shifting structure of his skull. He shrieked as the newly formed vertebrae
snapped into place, his body forced off the weak mattress by the wild
convulsions.

At some point, Remus felt his heart stop, the rapid
thud-thud being suddenly absent let him know that this would soon all be over.
The beating re-started, this time under a different yet familiar rhythm that the
hybrid loathed. Remus eye�s burned as cells inside rearranged and new neural
pathways were formed. As Remus� vision was taken from him, his skin itched and
burned as fur began to sprout from the follicles. The werewolf was finally
gifted with his new vision, eyes sharper then ever as he took in the final
stages of his limbs shifting and forming paws. A tail was already twitching at
the base of his backbone as Remus� shouts became twisted and strangled when his
vocal chords morphed into something completely different.

Finally, he sank into unconsciousness.

--.--.--

Upon awakening, Moony looked at his bleak surroundings in
confusion. Where was he? This was not his home�he did not recognise any of the
human furnishings, nor could he smell the scents of his other pack mates�not
the stag nor the dog who had kept him company on many occasions. The wolf
snarled briefly in remembrance of the filthy rat. If they were not here, where
were they? Where was he? Then, Moony belatedly realised that he had not seen his
stag for many moons.

�Dead.� His human
told him, �Prongs is dead and Wormtail
killed him.�

The wolf got to his paws, whining and whimpering as he did.
That was right�the traitorous rat had taken away his Prongs and blamed his
Padfoot. He remembered how much he had snarled at his Padfoot after he had
returned from his exile, angry for letting himself believe the lies of a
traitor. Eventually, the wolf got to his paws, his claws clicking against the
cold, hard cement. Where was his Padfoot? The wolf wanted to know. His dog had
returned to him several moons ago, but here he was in a strange new place and
his Padfoot was once again missing.

�He�s gone. He was taken
away from us.� His human murmured to him. His human sounded sad, very sad.

Dead? His Padfoot was not dead! He could not be forever
asleep!

�I do not know where
he is. He could be dead. He was taken from us.� His human mourned.

Moony remembered now, his Padfoot had not been there at the
last moon, and he had whimpered, whined and howled at his loss for the whole
time until he once again receded back into his human�s mind. That meant his
human must still be taking that poisonous filth for the wolf to feel so
disorientated. He bared his teeth at the covering which was saturated with his
human�s scent.

�I don�t want to hurt
our cub.� His human�s voice resonated within his head, effectively
distracting the canine.

Cub? He had�a cub?

�Prongs� cub.�

Prongs had a cub with his mate. Prongs and his mate were
dead. Prongs� cub was his cub, his and his Padfoot�s, but his Padfoot was gone.

He wanted to see his cub, take care of him, protect him.

Moony surveyed the space with distaste, however his sharp
eyes easily found the only light source lying at the top the stairs. He
ascended them slowly, his pricked ears only taking in the creak of the wood
under his form. He pressed his weight against the door and whined when it would
not budge.

�Remus?� A human was behind the door. �Moony?� It was the
same voice.

�Pack-mate.� His
human insisted.

He had a new pack-mate?

Moony whined and scratched at the door; he wanted to see his
cub and his new pack-mate.

--.--.--

When the screaming had started, Bill had been so shocked
that he had stumbled backwards into the wall and slid to the flooring whilst
his hands automatically went to cover his ears. Recovering from his shock, he
realised that even though there was no way for the neighbours to hear this,
Harry and Neville definitely would, but he wasn�t able to cast silencing spells
on their rooms without moving from his spot, and Remus had clearly stated that
that was not an option.

�Neville! Harry! Don�t come into the hallway until you hear
the backdoor close!� He hollered up the stairs. He could hear one of the boys
frantically move and felt a tiny bit of relief when he heard Neville shout his
acknowledgement down. The two teens didn�t know silencing spells yet, so this
seemed like the best thing to do in Bill�s view, he had been in worst
situations when he worked in Egypt.
Determined not to seem like a coward, Bill forced himself to lower his arms
from their position and get up. The only sign of his anxiousness was his tense
frame and the wand clenched tightly in his right fist. Remus� cries of pain
continued for some time and his voice was becoming worn and hoarse before it
became completely distorted and then cut off. A few moments later Bill heard a
door open upstairs.

�What did I say, Harry?�

�B-but��

�In your room. Now.� Bill was satisfied when he heard the
same door close. He knew Harry was worried, but sometimes the boy had to just
sit back and let things run their course.

The red-head turned his attention to the basement door and
much to his credit, did not flinch when he heard the faint whining and snarling
of Remus� wolf form, Moony. He could hear movement; the stairs creaking as the
wolf moved closer to the basement door blocking him from the rest of the house.
Bill shifted back uneasily when the wolf could be heard pressing himself
against the other side of the thin layer of wood (he noted that without all of
the magic, the door would have stood no chance against Moony�s strength). There
weren�t any further assaults on the door so Bill called out: �Remus?�

There was nothing so he tried again, �Moony?�

A brief pause before he heard whining and the sound of claws
against wood. Bill knew that Moony wanted out. With Stupefy on the tip of his lips, just in case, Bill reached out
towards the bolt on the door.

--.--.--

Moony shrank back as bright light cascaded into his eyes.
The sudden change from dark to light caused him to whimper softly as he blinked
furiously.

�Moony?� The human voice was much clearer.

�This is Bill, he is
our pack-mate.� His human reminded him. Moony studied the man in front of
him intently. He was confused. His long upper fur did not match his lower fur
and his torso and upper paws were completely absent of fur altogether. Moony
slunk forwards, his gaze trained on the human pack-mate. He butted the human
back with his nose and watched as he fell backwards. The wolf was not fazed by the
sudden movement and continued forward until he was positioned above the still
human. He dipped his head to his pack-mates head fur and sniffed at it.

The wolf rumbled approvingly at the scent, it pleased him
greatly. The fire-furred human smelt of strength and of dominance. The human
was perfect. The human was his.

Moony once again dipped his head into his human�s head fur
and breathed in deeply, committing the odour of the man to memory. Then, Moony
sniffed the air, remembering his initial reason for wanting to escape the
black, underground space. The wolf could smell only four scents in the air; his
human-self�s scent, his new pack-mate�s scent alongside two other scents
belonging to two young humans.

�Our cub and our other
pack-mate.�

Cub? Moony moved away from his fiery human and moved towards
the set of stairs where the scents became fresher and stronger.

�No.� The stern voice behind him caused the wolf to stop in
his tracks.

Moony turned to find the human ascending to his back paws.
The werewolf tilted his head in confusion. No? He wanted to see his cub. Why
was he not allowed to see his cub?

�You are not allowed to see Harry or Neville.�

What was a Harry? What was a Neville?

�Harry is our cub and
Neville is our pack-mate.�

Moony�s ears flattened and his thick fur bristled. He wanted
to see his cub! He had to protect him!

�No.� His human commanded, �You are not allowed to see Harry
or Neville tonight, Moony.� The human raised a paw threateningly and Moony saw
the anger on his human�s face.

Shame and guilt swept through Moony; his human was angry at
him for defying his orders. The wolf�s ears flattened further as he whimpered.
Slowly the human approached him and lowered on his hind legs so that he was
eye-level with the canine.

�I�m sorry, Moony.� His human said gently. �I can�t let you
see Harry; it�s too dangerous right now.� His pack-mate�s front paws came to
rest on his back and Moony�s vision was surrounded by red as his human leaned
forward. �I�m so sorry, I know that you need to see your cub, Moony, but not
tonight, Remus would never allow it.�

The wolf wanted to growl when he heard his own human�s name,
but suppressed the urge, wanting to stay close to his pack-mate.

He was confused and sad when his human pulled away from him
and wanted to reinitiate the contact with him; however his human straightened
and began walking away. Thinking that his human was angry at him for testing
his commands, Moony followed submissively behind.

--.--.--

When Bill had first been knocked back by Remus - no, Moony -
he had cursed himself for being so careless, however when the werewolf loomed
over him, all curses and hexes flew out of his head. To put it simply, the
werewolf standing above him looked majestic and Bill couldn�t help but be a bit
shell-shocked as Moony leaned in so close that all the wizard could feel was
the warm air against his ears and the soft fur on the brown-furred wolf�s
underbelly brush against his naked chest as his breathing became shallow.
However, when Moony broke away from the disturbingly intimate position (at
least in Bill�s opinion), he knew exactly where his lupine friend was going.

Bill had figured that the wolf was much more like Remus than
the older bloke would like to admit, this thought was reaffirmed when Moony became
upset at him for denying him rights to see Harry and Neville. When Moony�s fur
thickened, Bill thought that he was in trouble, but Remus� wolf sank back,
cowed when Bill repeated himself and raised his wand, ready to cast at any
given moment if things got ugly. It seemed that not only was Remus� love of
Harry shining through the wolf�s personality, but so was his somewhat
submissive nature.

Bill had knelt in front of Moony, trying to convey the
importance of staying away from the teenagers upstairs. He still wasn�t certain
about how volatile the wolf could be, and Remus would have his hide if anything
happened to either Harry or Neville. Besides, they had only just moved here and
Bill hadn�t even started his job yet, so it was in everyone�s best interest if
nothing disastrous happened to top their already large pile of problems. So,
Bill had tried to soothe Moony and then led him to the kitchen, picking up a
thermos of coffee that he had prepared for himself earlier. Unlocking and
opening the back door, he made sure that Moony was out fully before he locked
it behind them. He turned to find the wolf�s yellow gaze trained on him
expectantly.

�Go, do whatever you want. Just don�t mess around with
Neville�s flower beds, and if you�ve got to piss or have a crap, go in the
woods.� He said running a hand through his hair. He sighed when Moony slumped
of towards the woods despondently - Bill thought that he was scenting his
territory. �Geez, I had no idea he�d be
so bloody sensitive, maybe I should be more careful with Remus.�

Bill opened the flask and poured some coffee into the mug. �Maybe, I should have put a shirt on.�
He mused, the weather was mild for the night; it was the middle of the summer
after all, but the temperature was causing the hair on his arms to prickle
uncomfortably. Bill remained leaning against the railing of the porch, sipping
absentmindedly of the constantly steaming and refilling beverage in his hand
whilst he peered into the darkness, looking for any signs of Moony who had
completely disappeared into the woodland that their garden extended into.
Eventually, Bill tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans and moved to
the lawn before lowering himself to the grass and laying back. He rested his
head on his palms and looked at the clear sky, frowning at the constellations
mapped above him which were complete strangers to him. After sometime, the last
light from the house flickered off and Bill was glad that Harry had finally gone
to sleep. Soon, Bill closed his eyes and let his mind wander, making sure he
kept his ears peeled - sure enough after quite some time had passed, he could
soon hear Moony padding back to him. ��

Bill tilted his head to find Moony lowered to the ground and
staring at him forlornly, head resting on paws and small keening noises coming
from the back of his throat.

�Merlin�s balls!� Bill scowled.� He extended an arm to the wolf. �C�mere, you
great sod.� Moony graced him with a happy yip before moving so that he was half
lying on top of Bill with his head resting on the wizard�s chest. Bill closed
his eyes again and absentmindedly began scratching and playing with the fur
behind the wolf�s perked ears. �Y�know, the boys and me are learning how to
become animagi so you don�t have to be so alone, Moony. I�ve been doing
research for a while - on the whole process - but I still dunno what I am yet.
But I bet Har and Neville will catch up in no time. They�re smart kids.� He
yawned and smiled sleepily. �Their parents would be so proud, much better
behaved than my brothers and nowhere near as spoilt as Ginny.� Moony�s body
rumbled happily and Bill sighed into the warm that it gave off.

The wizard couldn�t help but feel incredibly lethargic where
he was laying. The hand sweeping through his friend�s fur in lazy and repetitive
motions soon stilled as the red-head finally slid into a deep slumber.

--.--.--

Bill slowly woke up to the sound of birdsong which filled
the air. He scrubbed at his still closed eyes with his one free arm. He quickly
realised that the other was trapped underneath Remus� very human body�Remus� very
naked human body. Bill�s eyes snapped
open with this realisation. He was met by the barely light sky and could tell
it was about five-ish in the morning, Remus must have transformed back as soon
as the moon went down. Judging by the fact that he himself had not awoken
during this process and the werewolf�s current relaxed expression, Bill figured
that it was somewhat less painful to change from wolf to human than from human
to wolf. He made a note in his head to ask about it later.

Bill sighed and scratched his head, thinking about how to get
Remus back into the house without embarrassing the man. In their current
position, Bill was still lying flat on his back and Remus was half laying on
top of him on his side. The older man�s head was nestled on his chest and
tilted into the crook of his neck, as if to nuzzle it, with one arm slung
across his abdomen. Luckily, the werewolf kept his legs to himself, or Bill
would have been in trouble.

The way he saw it, he had two options; number one was to
somehow stealthily free himself from the other man and carry him into the house
and let him sleep in his bed. Number two was to feign sleep himself so that
when Remus woke up, he wouldn�t realise that Bill had in fact seen him naked
and let him sort himself out. However, the main problem with number two was
that it would be obvious to Remus that Bill had �slept on the job� and the red
head would be in a heap of trouble. �I
guess that means option number two is already null and void.� He thought
before he shifted his weight towards Remus and lowered the man�s top half onto
the dewy grass. He gave Remus a once over, just out of curiosity, and couldn�t
stop himself from cocking an eyebrow. �I
guess I was right when I thought that he was too self-conscious. Way too
self-conscious�Although, with those scars, I guess I can imagine why�� And
it was true; Remus was a rather handsome man in a quiet and homely �I wear
jumpers that I made myself� kind of way. His body wasn�t overly muscular, nor
was it skeletal or flabby. It was apparent that despite his outward appearance,
the werewolf made sure that he took care of himself - even if he was slightly
on the thin side. Bill frowned as amongst all the silvery self-inflicted scars,
a large bite mark stood out on the sleeping man�s shoulder. �That must have been where he was bitten as
a kid.� Bill mused.

With a small grunt of exertion, Bill crouched and pulled
Remus into his arms, holding the smaller male across his arms in a bridal
style. Straightening up, he was relieved when Remus remained deep asleep and
proceeded to make his way into the house. After laying Remus in his bed and
pulling the covers on top of him, the red head decided to check on the boys and
found Neville sleeping peacefully amongst the many plants in his bedroom whilst
in his room, Harry was curled into a tight ball with a frown marring his
features even as he slept. Hedwig was perched on the headboard also watching
vigilantly as her human slept. As Bill closed the door, he could hear the faint
moan of distress emitted from the teen who was labelled as their saviour�s
lip�s.

�Remus��

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Bill entered his own
room, sighing as the dark red created a warmth that encompassed him. He
stripped himself, intent on relaxing in bed for a few hours however his gaze
was drawn to a pile of letters lying innocently on the bedside table. �They must have just arrived.� Bill
judged from the open window and the haphazard way that the envelopes were
strewn across the dark wooden surface. The eldest Weasley son picked up the
topmost and felt his stomach sink as he took in the familiar elegant script. He
turned it over, his hands beginning to shake, and broke the wax seal. He gently
tipped the envelope towards his free hand, and even though the thick parchment
remained inside, it did not stop the rest of the contents from spilling into
his hand.

Bill threw the thin and delicate silver chain across his
room angrily, choking back a sob as the matching ring embedded with sapphires
followed and hit the door before falling to the floor with a barely audible
�thunk�.�

(1) - I really don't mean to offend anyone reading this. I
can't ever claim to understand American culture, being 100% British, so I will
probably get things wrong in the future. In Britain's general viewpoint, we see
Americans from southern states as being incredibly Christian and quite
homophobic. I'm sorry to say that this is the depiction in our media and I hope
that nobody is upset by this.

(2) - I seriously couldn't resist. Mr Darcy and Captain
Wentworth are both from classic romances by Jane Austen. Mr Darcy is of course
from Pride and Prejudice whist Captain Wentworth is from Persuasion. Personally
I prefer Persuasion, however, if you don't think you can hack going through a
classic (it can be painful) there's a BBC screen adaption of Persuasion starring
the gorgeous Rupert Penry Jones and of course there's the film of Pride and
Prejudice with Kiera Knightley and Matthew McFadyen.

AN2: A major thanks go to several people for their continued
support and especially those who continue reading. The next chapter will mainly
consist of wrapping up loose-ends before the boys start school. It should be
shorter than this chapter, so I hope to have it posted quicker (in theory).

As per usual, any feedback is greatly appreciated and I'll
try to reply as much as possible through email - if you want to be added to a
mailing list for future updates, you have to put your email in a review and
clearly tell me that you want to be put on the list. I haven�t been adding
people who haven�t asked, and sometimes email addresses do not show on the site.
You all can catch me on Live Journal under the username bittersweet_mis. I do
actually post spoilers or quotes from the chapter towards the end of the
writing period, and it's the only place where I state if there's going to be a
delay.

I proof-read this chapter myself, but there still may be
mistakes, if you spot any, please let me know :)
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