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Saving Remus Lupin	By : AngelUpSideDownCake Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Remus/Sirius Views: 1502 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series and all characters within that series are owned by JK Rowling. I make no money in any way from this work.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
AN: Please note that I have taken some personal liberties with the storyline and certain characters. For example, Tonks is born in 1962 instead of 1973. This applies to all future chapters as well.

Chapter 1
The Basement

Remus Lupin had no idea what he was in for. Really, none at all. Sure, he looked like he knew what he was doing with his wand held at the defensive and the deep scowl on his face, but in reality he had no clue. He'd only been an auror for a few months now and had certainly never been alone on a mission - that kind of work was left to the older, more experienced aurors. Now, however, faced with six or so Death Eaters rather all of a sudden, Remus found he was leading the solo mission of keeping his arse alive. His breath hung frozen in the December air, even as his heart raced and his eyes darted from hooded face to hooded face. Remus gripped his wand.
"Expelliarmus!" A Death Eater's wand flung into the air, even as several more shouts rang out.
"Stupefy!"
"STUPEFY!"
"Petrificus totallus!"
"Alarte ascendare!" Remus dove to the side narrowly dodging the first spell, only to be hit by the second stunner, then his body went rigid and he was flung into the air. He landed sickeningly on his side, searing pain shooting down and up his right arm.
"Re-mus Lu-pin," a sing-song voice came from beneath a dark hood, growing closer with a click-clack of heels. "Oh, dear, look what we've done." Remus desperately tried to turn his head to the speaker, but it was no use. He was completely helpless. Dark curls fell into his line of vision, then the angular face of a woman who would have been very beautiful if she hadn't looked so deranged. "Cat got your tongue deary?" She laughed at her own joke, an eery, high-pitched laugh, something akin to a cackle. "Well, now, don't you worry. I mean, you must be after all. You probably think we're going to kill you, now don't'cha? We're not going to kill you, you're much to valuable. No, no, no. How-e-verr," Remus felt his wand pulled from his grasp, "Yes, you won't be needing this. Come now, we can't stay here. Sirius!" She lifted her head up a bit, granting Remus a view of her large busom, practically spilling from an overly-tight corset, a blood-red amulet nestled contently between her breasts. "Could you be a dear and grab this one for us? Boss is waiting." With that there was a pop! and the witch disapparated, followed by a chorus of pops leaving Remus with only one cloaked figure, who would have to be none other than Sirius, a member of the infamous Death Eater family - the Blacks.
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"Fucking Bellatrix," Sirius sighed, his low voice creating a billow of frosty air that clung around his unshaven chin. He stared down at his charge, recognizing him immediately: Remus Lupin, best friend of James Potter and a Gryffindor. They'd been in the same year at Hogwarts until he'd left early to joing the family business - that is to say, he was forced to become a Death Eater. Sort of, anyway. He remembered the Summer following fifth year when his mother told him he'd be accepting the Dark Mark. He wasn't asked, he was told. That's the way it was in the House of Black. Sirius knew then that it was wrong, but had felt powerless against his family's wishes - as he had been raised - and felt even more so that it was wrong as he stared down at the stiff, defenseless man he knew he had to bring in.
"Sorry, mate. Really, I hate to do this to you." Sirius waved his wand with a barely whispered spell and Remus floated toward him. "Never had anything against you in school, but, orders are orders unless I feel like getting kicked around a bit - mind you I do not." Sirius grasped Remus' arm as he neared. "I'm going to undo the jinx so we can go. Please, for both of our sakes', don't make this hard by doing something stupid." Sirius knew better - this was stupid - but disapparating while petrified was awful. He knew from personal experience. The moment the incantation was whispered, Remus' face went from completely still to enraged. The man lifted his arm as if to punch, only to immediately collapse in a howl of pain.
"Holy shit, what in the fuck of fucks, MERLIN that hurts!" Sirius grinned down at the crumpled man.
"Really if you can't put up to that, I don't know how you're going to fare from here." Suddenly a kick to the leg caught him off guard and Sirius fell right onto the still-fighting heap beneath him. "ARGH, what are you doing, man!?"
"I'm getting the HELL away from you!" Remus made to get up from under Sirius, but the Death Eater grabbed his bad shoulder and the young Auror yelled in pain. The struggle was all too brief. Sirius was clearly large than Remus and overpowered him easily, straddling his hips he jabbed his wand into the smaller man's chest.
"STOP!" His breathing came out ragged and he shook his had to get his dark hair out of his face. Sirius stared down at his charge, looked him right in the eyes, and paused. He knew of Remus, sure, but they'd never talked, never been friends. Slytherins and Gryffindors were never friends. So, it wasn't too surprising that Sirius had never noticed the mans eyes before. They were honey brown. There was a wildness to them, like a caged animal. You felt safe because they were behind bars and you were on the other side, but you knew, just knew that if that animal got out, they wouldn't hesitate to tear you limb from limb. Sirius fought the shiver that went down his spine.
"Well," Remus began, "you've got me. Now what in the hell do you want?"
"You can't be serious." A grin broke out over Remus' face.
"Of course I'm not Sirius, I'm Remus. You should know that, you were in my year. Honestly how they trusted you with me when you can't remember your own name is absurd." Sirius felt his eyes water, then the corners of his mouth twitch, and then he just couldn't contain it he let out a guffaw of a laugh.
"You are ridiculous, man! Here you are, injured, wandless, and trapped beneath me - I could kill you! - and yet you make a joke about my name." Remus shrugged is good arm.
"It was too good to pass up, I suppose." Sirius stared down at Remus and decided, right then and there, that he liked the man. Those eyes were staring up at him still. "If it's all good with you, Sirius, I'd like to go home. Really, I don't see what you need me for." Sirius sighed.
"We know you're the Secret Keeper, man." Remus paled slightly.
"No idea what you're talking about."
"Don't be stupid. We know." Remus glared. "Now, I have to take you back. Again, please know, I don't want to. Never had a problem with you before, and you've got some spirit - I like that - but, if I don't, then that can cause me a whole lot of problems. And, friend, I just don't want to deal with that."
"Don't call me your friend."
"Oh, come on, really. Don't have hard feelings about this. Really, I've no choice. Besides, we were classmates. That makes us kind of friends."
"Don't give me that bullshit, everyone's got a choice. And I'd never be friends with someone who chose to be a Death Eater."
"Yeah, maybe most people do, but I don't." Sirius looked down at his captive. "When you're a Black, choices aren't really a thing, you know."
"You seem a little unhappy with your career choice, why not make a change?" Sirius snorted.
"Career choice, yeah. Man, I was raised this way. There's no fighting this."
"Really, have you tried?"
"Look, I don't know why I bothered trying to make you more comfortable, you've been nothing but a headache and, frankly, we are late. So, if you don't mind, we will be leaving now."
҉
Sirius wrapped his fingers around the wrist on Remus' good arm, stood and disapparated so fast that Remus was surprised he wasn't splinched in the motion. Within seconds the cold air around them became uncomfortably warm and Remus found himself in a large room with an enormous fire on one wall and more Death Eaters than he could count.
"Ah, Sirius, darling," the same singsong voice from earlier. Remus scowled at the woman he now realized was Bellatrix Lestrange. He should have known. "We'd thought you'd run into some trouble." She eyed Sirius warily, judgingly.
"No, cousin, nothing I couldn't handle."
"Mmhmm I see. Well, the Dark Lord will be here soon. He has... other matters to which he is attending. Take him to the basement." The crazed-looking woman turned toward the fire, almost wistfully, perhaps in thought. "He'll be very pleased with us, Sirius. You've done well."
"Thanks." It was spoken stiffly, without sincerity. Bellatrix paid no mind.
Remus felt a tug on his arm and followed Sirius into a hallway to left. He felt hopeless. He was wandless, injured, and trapped with a whole-fucking-lot of Death Eaters Worse still, they knew. How, he had no idea, but they somehow knew that he was James and Lily's Secret Keeper. And now they were going to torture him, he was pretty sure.
"Quit draggin' your feet." Another sharp tug. Remus looked up at his captor, not having realized that he'd slowed down.
"You would be too in my shoes."
"Believe me, you don't want to do this the hard way. It's... unpleasant." Sirius turned his face from Remus and the firelight illuminated him just before they'd turned the corner into darkness. The man had high cheek bones, noble-looking almost. Most would say he was handsome - hell, really handsome. He also looked unkempt. His black hair hung thick around him, seeming more like he forgot to cut it rather than it having been a fashion choice, and the thick shadow of what could become a beard, if he let it, clung to his chin and cheeks. If Remus weren't so angry and hopeless, he'd have liked to look longer at Sirius Black. As it was, he scowled and tried to shake his wrist from the man's grasp.
"I can walk fine on my own."
"Not a chance, friend." Sirius grip held firm. "Unless," he looked back conspiratorially, "you'd like to hold my hand instead?" Remus balked.
"I told you not to call me that. And I'd never want to hold your hand."
"A shame. I rather like you. We could be friends."
"You're going to torture me! Why would I be friends with you?" Sirius gave a humorless laugh.
"Yeah, I guess that does ruin a friendship. Lumos!" A bright light erupted from the tip of Sirus' wand and he held it high as they neared some stairs. Remus let himself be pulled to them. He had no feasible options. If he could just last three days... in three days he'd turn. It would be a full moon and he would turn and he knew that if he was angry, the wolf in him would only be angrier. Few people knew of his condition. As long as the Death Eaters weren't aware, he could stand a chance. He'd catch them by surprise.
"Hey!" Remus found himself face first in Sirius' dark robes, the taller wizard barely catching himself from falling. His surprisingly nice smelling robes; something akin to patchouli and sandalwood. "Seriously, man, you have got to pay attention, here. I mean, here we are, dark lair, Death Eaters, the Dark Lord, torture, and you don't have the decency to pay attention to where you're going?"
"Well you're a boring bunch, what can I say?" That earned Remus a very sharp tug as he was first pulled and then pushed into an open door, where he then fell down a couple of steps and onto his bad arm. "ARGH! SON OF A BITCH!"
"Yep, that sounds about right, mmhmm. Didn't pay attention and then you fell down, didn't you there, Remus."
"You arse, you pushed me down!"
"Yeah, mmhmm, sure." Sirius stepped down the steps, a small grin on his face. He pointed is wand at Remus. Remus stared right back. He glared as hard as he could into the steel gray eyes that belonged to Sirius. He was hurt, humiliated, angry, and, yeah, a little scared. He wasn't a pansy, though. He was tougher than he looked. Sirius would realize it soon enough.
"Go on then," Remus spat. "You want to hurt me, just do it. I'm not this Secret Keeper you're going on about, you'll get nothing useful from me." Sirius' eyes softened, almost imperceptibly.
"Remus, we already know. You don't have to lie." Another glare. The dark haired man sighed. "Look, I mean it. I don't want to hurt you. Maybe... maybe if things weren't this way we could have been friends."
"You look like you've got plenty of friends upstairs, go be with them." Sirius shook his head, his eyes never leaving Remus'.
"Episkey." Remus' shoulder grew hot and then cold and the pain subsided. Leaving only a dull ache where the sharp pain once was. "I'm not very good at those, so you may still be a bit sore. I imagine it's quite a bit better, though." Sirius tuned to leave.
"Wait," it was hoarse whisper, like Remus wasn't really sure if he wanted Sirius to stay. The man stopped anyway and turned to look back at Remus. "Why did you do that?" Sirius shrugged.
"Just felt like it, I guess." With that he walked out, the door clicking shut behind him, the sliding of a bolt shortly after. Remus now lay, on a stone floor, completely alone and in the dark, with nothing but his thoughts.
Warily, Remus stood, still careful to not put weight on his right arm, and walked gingerly toward where he thought the wall would be. He counted the paces - twenty-three of them - before his foot kicked what must have been the wall. Remus placed his hands upon the cool stone surface - the heat from the fire certainly didn't reach down here - and turned his back to the wall before sliding down and placing his face in his hands. How had things gotten so completely and royally fucked?
Just hours ago, he had been with Nymphadora, his girlfriend. Things were, well they weren't the greatest. Remus' best friend James and his high school sweetheart Lily had gotten married shortly out of school and had announced only a couple of weeks prior that they were expecting a child. It was good news in world that seemed darker everyday with Voldemort wreaking as much havoc as he could. At least, it would seem so. That was until Dumbledore and first confided in the Potter's - who had then confided in Remus - that a prophecy had been made. A prophecy that spoke of Voldemort's downfall. However, Voldemort also knew of the prophecy and would do anything to prevent it. That was how Remus became the Potters' Secret Keeper. He had to keep James and Lily safe, because their child was possibly the one spoken of in the prophesy. And that made them a target. And me, too, apparently, Remus thought ruefully to himself.
Dora drifted to the front of his mind again. She was so jealous. James and Lily were married and having a baby and she wanted that too. Remus just, well, he couldn't. How could a werewolf be a good father, a good husband? It might have been easier if Dora wasn't so demanding, and if she wasn't so jealous, and if, Remus couldn't yet admit aloud, if he wanted to marry her to begin with. She was nice, really, but Remus just couldn't see himself with her long-term. They didn't have that forever kind of love he saw between James and Lily. Dora questioned Remus if he so much as went to the bar for a drink with his best friend. She was so insecure.
That was what they had been fighting about earlier. Remus had left to go to James' to cheer his friend up. Only a couple of weeks and his friend already had a severe bout of cabin fever. He could only leave on Order business, and that was being avoided as much as possible. The Potter family had to be kept hidden. Voldemort had to be taken down. Remus had stayed the night and Dora had become upset. Remus supposed he understood why, but she should also understand that he couldn't take her with him. He was the Secret Keeper. Only he could know where they were.
Remus grew impatient and annoyed with Dora, as he now often was, and had left to go into muggle London alone. He'd wanted to go to the pub. What a stupid fucking decision. There must've been Death Eaters patrolling the streets looking for him. He should have been more careful. Instead, he'd gone to the pub, had a couple of brews, then been ambushed as soon as he'd gone into the alley to disapparate. They had been waiting for him.
I only need to hold out for three days, Remus tried to comfort himself. Only three days of torture. Surely he could stay alive - and sane - for that long?
҉
Sirius leaned heavily against the wooden door. What had come over him? I mean, sure, he liked the guy, and yeah he would have liked to have been his friend, but there was no reason for him to have helped the poor bastard. It had been the look in his eyes, Sirius decided. He'd looked so pathetic he felt bad for him. No, his mind corrected. He hadn't. He'd wanted to help him, but why? An image of Remus' face came unbidden to the forefront of his thoughts. Light brown hair, honey blond eyes, such a defiant look about him. Sirius couldn't help but think the guy was, well, kind of hot. Sirius shook his head. Yeah, that would work out real well.
Slowly, Sirius trudged up the stairs, down the hall, and into the light of the fire in great expanse of the large formal dining room in Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix was still staring into the fire, dazed. Sirius imagined she may have been thinking of Lord Voldemort. Though recently married, it was no secret where her true desires lay. A number of Death Eaters sat around the dark wood table, murmuring amongst themselves and drinking. Sirius' eyes flitted over the tops of their heads, taking special notice of Narcissa and her husband Lucius, whose home they were in. Sirius noted several more Death Eaters standing against the walls. A heavy waiting feeling hung over the room like a thick blanket. Everyone was just waiting, waiting for Voldemort to show, waiting for their orders. Voldemort liked to keep people waiting, but he hated to wait himself. He would show when he felt like it.
"Sirius," the lilting voice of Bellatrix called from the fire. "Come here." Not a question, a command. Sirius' feet were already obeying. "Sirius, dear," his cousin turned to him, her dark eyes looked like bits of burning coals with the fire shining in them. "Is everything... alright?" Sirius snorted.
"Why would you bother to ask?"
"Well, it's just... you seem off. Is it that Remus fellow? Do you know him somehow?"
"Yeah, I suppose. I mean, not well. He went to Hogwarts, but he was in Gryffindor." Bellatrix sneered.
"Yes, he would have been wouldn't he. Does that..." her eyes pierced Sirius' own. He felt that she was reading into his very soul. "Does that bother you?"
"Why should it?" Sirius features were schooled. He was very careful. Bellatrix may sound sweet, but she was cruel, much crueler than his own mother and father had been. If he so much as hinted at weakness, at anything less than absolute loyalty to the Dark Lord, he would be punished severely. Bellatrix leaned into him, looking down the length of her nose despite his being significantly taller.
"Just making sure." Her eyes searched his. Whatever she was looking for, she didn't find it. Bellatrix looked off to her left. "Alecto, come here." A square-jawed blond girl of maybe sixteen stepped forward. She should have been in school. Sirius supposed it was the Winter holiday. Maybe she was just on vacation. Some vacation, his mind supplied. "Sirius, dear, you know Alecto, don't you?" Bellatrix reached a long-nailed hand out to the hesitant girl and pulled her forward. The girl's eyes - blue-gray and icy - looked up toward Bellatrix, almost reverently. Clearly she wanted to be here. Bellatrix smiled down at her and pulled her close, pressing her cheek to Alecto's and looking at Sirius, smugly almost. "Well, don't you?" Sirius thought she looked vaguely familiar. Alecto held out her hand, expectantly. Sirius bent forward, grasped it, and grazed his lips across it, as he had long ago been taught.
"I apologize, I must. However, I can't seem to place where from."
"I was there," Alecto said, nearly gushed, "When they gave you your Mark." She had a face similar to Bellatrix's, not in features, but in the way she cast her eyes down her nose. As if, somehow, she was better than all those around her.
"Yes, well, it was a happy day." Nobody could know Sirius' sarcasm, he spoke the words as if he meant them. How could anybody be happy on a day when they were dragged into a room and branded in front of everyone? Really, not a pleasant experience.
"Yes, it was, wasn't it? Sirius," Bellatrix's burning coal eyes were on him again, "Auntie and I have been talking."
"That could be dangerous." Bellatrix smiled toothily.
"Yes, well, we are dangerous women." There was an edge to her words. "We've decided you are of age now and there are simply far too few pure bloods." Sirius stomach plummeted. It was as if ice water and been dumped on his head. He knew what she was going to say. He didn't want to hear it. "You and Alecto shall marry. And produce a child." Sirius smiled thinly.
"Alecto is so beautiful," - she was average at best - "and so young. I should only be so lucky. However, she's still in school isn't she? Shouldn't we wait?" Bellatrix grinned again. She was all smiles tonight. Everything was going her way.
"Ah, yes, well, Alecto here has agreed to devote herself to the Dark Lord and our cause. She won't be returning to school. She's learned all they can teach her. You'll marry in..." Bellatrix's eyes drifted towards the fire, "I believe the end of January will do nicely. Yes," she looked back at Sirius, "that should be plenty of time to make the arrangements."
"I'm so excited Sirius, aren't you?" Sirius looked at Alecto and tamped down his disgust as deep as he could.
"Yes, this is happy news. Mother shall be ever so pleased." He smiled thinly at the girl. There was no way in hell this was happening. Sirius Black decided one thing right then and there: he was not going to marry that girl.
"And the happy news gets even better!" Bellatrix pulled Sirius' attention again.
"Tonight is the night that little dear Alecto," she practically nuzzled the side of Alecto's face, "will receive her very own Dark Mark." Alecto positively glowed.
"This is such an honor!" She really was gushing now as she gazed reverently at Bellatrix, like she was her long-lost sister.
"Sirius, won't you hold dear Alecto during the ceremony. The Dark Lord will be here very, very soon." Sirius steeled himself.
"I'd be delighted." Bellatrix looked down her nose even more, if that were possible, as though she suspected he wasn't sincere.
"Yes, you should."
At that moment, an unnatural wind filled the room and Bellatrix's face split into an open-mouthed smile that could rival a child's on Christmas morning.
"The Dark Lord," she gushed, "he's here." The fire strained against the sudden wind and Sirius hair whipped his face as dark smoke filled the room and solidified to form the figure of a tall, exceptionally pale man with deep set dark eyes. "My Lord!" Bellatrix's whispered exclamation filled the room in the dead silence that followed Voldemort's appearance.
"Bellatrix," his high, strained voice stretched the expanse as he stepped toward the witch. She dropped Alecto and stepped toward Voldemort and he caressed her face. "I trust all has gone well." It was not a question.
"Of course My Lord. Your plans always do."
"Very good. I should like to see the Keeper... later. For now," his deep, dark eyes settled on Alecto, "I believe you have been waiting patiently for me."
"My Lord," Alecto breathed. Bellatrix turned and downed the girl in a mere second with a harsh slap.
"Do not speak to the Lord unless asked a direct question," she seethed. Alecto held her reddened cheek teary eyes staring up at Bellatrix.
"My Lady Bellatrix..." The words fell from the girl's lips in a whisper. There was a bit of blood in the corner, staining them red. Sirius felt bad for Alecto. How could she have known that Bellatrix craved the Dark Lord's attention above all else? How could she have known that merely addressing the Lord without first being asked for an answer was worthy of punishment in her eyes.
"Bellatrix," Voldemort's hand came to rest on her shoulder. "This is a happy occasion. The girl didn't know better. Know," and here his eyes pierced hers, "she does. Let's set this right." Bellatrix nodded stiffly and waived her wand. The redness faded from Alecto's cheek and she again stared reverently at Bellatrix.
"I apologize, Lady Bellatrix. You are so kind to me." Bellatrix smiled. She loved a quick learner.
"Yes my dear, well, we all make mistakes. Some more than others." Her eyes were on Sirius and he remembered every time she'd crucio'd him to 'teach him a lesson'. 'We can't have bad manners from a Black, now can we,' she'd say to him. Yes, he'd learned his manners alright. Bellatrix extended a hand to Alecto who accepted it gratefully.
"Sirius," she beckoned. Sirius' legs, again, complied of their own accord. Already, Alecto was extending her arm; an offering. Sirius remembered the pain well. How anybody could walk into this willingly he would never know. He tried to touch her gently, knowing this would be the last gently touch she felt for some time. He wrapped his right arm around her waist and held her left arm back. "Are you ready, dear?" Alecto nodded eagerly.
"Alecto," Voldemort was now addressing only Alecto. "Do you pledge yourself to me, to my cause?"
"I do, My Lord." Voldemort grinned.
"Will you do for me anything that I ask, no matter what I ask?"
"I will, My Lord."
"Will you kill for me?"
"I will, My Lord."
"Will you die for me?"
"I will, My Lord."
"My child, I could ask for no better." Voldemort brandished his wand and placed the tip against the flesh of her arm. He said nothing, but looked down his nose with the same haughty air they all did. A moment later Alecto began to twitch, her face - what little of it Sirius could see - was screwed up in pain. She made a small noise in the back of her throat. There was smoke coming from the girls' arm, it was reddening. It would blacken soon. The acrid smell of burning flesh began to fill the air. Alecto was positively shaking now, tears down her face. She could hold it back no longer. Her lips parted and a shriek - loud, piercing, and full of pain - filled the room.
"Yes! Scream! Scream for your Master!" Voldemort's eyes shone, the fire behind Sirius dancing in them. Alecto wailed and wailed. The whole process took about fifteen minutes. Sirius remembered that it felt like years when he'd had his. Finally, Voldemort pulled his wand away and Alecto's shrieks subsided. Her arm - immensely red and hot - now held the Dark Mark. She was branded for life as was Sirius. The girl sagged against Sirius, her brow sweaty and her face tear strained.
"Thank you, My Lord." The words were quiet, weak, and pained.
"My child, you are welcome." Sirius felt sick to his stomach. He just knew, this was the last straw. To hold a girl as she was branded, to be forced to marry the said girl, to be forced to capture - and potentially torture - an old classmate. Why was he even still here?
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Saving Remus Lupin