A Song for Severus ~ (Not Update, but Edit)

Chapter 46 ~ Facing the Reality


It didn’t take Fenrir long to pick up Remus’ and Eloise’s scents, and the werewolf tracked them, growling at the convoluted path they took. It was easy to tell they had been playing together, Eloise obviously taken by the lesser werewolf. Damn it…if Remus had mated with her, Fenrir would kill them both. He wouldn’t take a chance that another werewolf fathered offspring for the muggle.

Shit. Eloise just…just ran off with him. The werewolf snarled, though inwardly he knew Eloise had not subjected herself to him or recognized herself as his mate. Fenrir had taken her, yes, but it had been violent and forced, the werewolf locking down on the scruff of her neck and holding her in place painfully as he mated with her. She ran from him the moment she was released and he had to catch her and bully her back to the cave with him. Eloise had no recollection of this, but that didn’t matter. Fenrir had hoped to cement her bond to him by feeding her human flesh. As a provider of such delicious fare, Eloise might have latched on to him then.

Now Remus was trying to fuck up his plans. He should have killed the wizard when he was a child, rather than turned him. He would have if he had known what a bleeding heart the whelp would have turned out to be. Remus believed werewolves should live in harmony with humans…but the humans mistreated them at every turn. Such as banning them from entering certain institutions, and if they were allowed to enter, they had to do so following signs such as “Werewolves Enter Here,” regulated to back rooms away from the public. Even the Ministry had a “back door’ for werewolves to enter and Aurors with clubs abounded, ready to beat them viciously if so much as a snarl came out of them, transformed or not.

It was the sterilization that Fenrir hated the most. There was no proof that werewolf children turned, simply because no werewolf had been allowed to breed in centuries. Pregnant bitches were killed in the old days, now their offspring were magically removed and their wombs sealed to prevent further impregnation. It was as if the Ministry was trying to kill them off systematically. But still at least they were no longer hunted. The “good” werewolves. Still, there were those that believed that the only good werewolf was a skinned werewolf.

Fenrir hated all humans and believe the werewolves should rule. Humans were prey. Soft, weak prey without their wands.

Lupin was a turncoat…a lap dog. Willing to take the guff the wizarding world dished out to him in order to be “accepted” when he was the top of the food chain. The fool. And now he found the balls to steal a bitch that Fenrir had claimed? Remus had to smell him on her, and it didn’t matter? He felt no fear? Fenrir growled deep in his throat as he approached the farm. Well, it would matter when he found them.

The werewolf tracked them straight to the barn. He stood on his hind legs and looked at the wooden door. It didn’t offer much protection. Fenrir ran back a distance, then charged the door. It would splinter like it was made of matchsticks once he hit it.

Both Remus and Eloise leapt up startled when the entire barn shuddered as Fenrir hit the door. It should have shattered just as Fenrir thought, except it was charmed and warded against entry by werewolves. Rubin could have opened the door and walked right in…but not Fenrir. He was cursed.

Fenrir stood in front of the door, stunned that it didn’t fly open. He snarled, backed up and charged it again to no avail. Both Remus and Eloise could smell him now, the ruff on both wolves’ necks raised in reaction, Remus snarling viciously as Fenrir continued to batter the door. Eloise looked at him for several moments.

Presently the battering stopped, and Remus’ ear flicked as he heard a noise on the roof, then frantic scratching. Fenrir was on top of the barn, trying to tear through the charmed roofing, to no avail. The werewolf let out a howl of frustration as he scrabbled at the wood, not even putting a scratch in it. He leapt down and tried digging under the barn, but the earth wouldn’t budge. He couldn’t make a simple gouge in the earth.

Fenrir sat on his haunches and snarled impotently at the charmed barn, then his great shaggy head swung toward the farmer’s house. The wizard inside would be able to get into the barn. Fenrir padded over and attempted to batter down Rubin’s door only to find himself in great pain as the silver threading did its work, burning the transformed wizard. Fenrir circled the house several times, but the threading was everywhere. Snarling again, he made for the barn where the animals were housed, intending on slaughtering every one in retribution. Again he was thwarted by the silver threading.

Whoever this farmer was, he knew how to protect himself from werewolves. Fenrir padded back over to the barn that held Eloise, sat down in front of it and howled for his bitch longingly, scratching at the door on occasion so she would know he was out there.

Eloise cocked her head, listening, but didn’t answer Fenrir although she could smell Fenrir’s dominance. He was bigger and stronger than the wolf she was with, but there was something foggy in her brain that disliked him despite his worthiness.

Instead Remus howled back insolently, mockingly, which made Fenrir almost insane with anger and again he charged the door. Rubin pulled back the curtain and saw the large werewolf attacking the barn, recognizing him instantly. The farmer let the curtain fall back and returned to his armchair, laying his wand across his lap. Why was Fenrir trying to get to Remus? No doubt the bigger werewolf wanted to kill him. Well, Remus was safe and Fenrir would be gone by sunrise. He was a hunted wizard after all. Rubin could summon the Aurors but Fenrir would escape them and be bent on revenge because they had been summoned to capture him. Rubin didn’t need that.

He would find out was what going on in the morning. If it were something too terrible, Remus would have to find someplace else to stay during his transformation.

Fenrir eventually tired himself out and flopped panting in front of the barn. He couldn’t get in and would have to leave by morning. Damn it. He hoped he hadn’t lost the bitch. Eloise would be good breeding stock if she wasn’t ruined by Remus. Fenrir didn’t believe she would accept the lesser wolf…at least…not in one night. Some Alpha females would mate with a lesser wolf on occasion although not pair off with him. Remus would have to work on Eloise to be acceptable. He had to have time to do this. If the idiot convinced her to register with the Ministry however, she would lose her value to Fenrir because she would no longer be allowed to conceive. At least, that is what he believed would happen.

Fenrir flopped on his side, exhausted and closed his eyes. He would stay there as long as possible. Tomorrow was the day the Death Eaters were to draw the names of their initial opponents for the competition. Eloise would have to wait. So would Remus.

He’d pay for this insult.

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The next morning, a groggy Eloise woke up, spitting straw out of her mouth. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. She was fully dressed and looked around. Where was she? In a…a cage? Splinters of a large bone lay scattered next to her. She looked down at it, remembering chewing on it. She also remembered another werewolf…not Fenrir.

“You’re up,” a soft male voice said.

Eloise quickly rose to her feet and looked on the other side of the cage. Remus Lupin was sitting in the corner, looking at her with his gentle eyes. Eloise prepared herself for a fight, but the man didn’t move.

“Who are you and where am I?” she demanded, her hands crooking into claws.

“My name is Remus Lupin. You are in a special holding cell for werewolves. I come here to transform every month during the full moon,” Remus said, still not rising. It appeared the muggle was just as volatile as a woman as she was a werewolf.

Eloise looked at the door of the cell. It was wide open.

“Doesn’t seem a very effective holding cell,” she said, relaxing a bit.

Remus Lupin didn’t seem threatening at all. He was a werewolf? He didn’t smell as strong as Fenrir but she could detect the wolf scent on him. Nor did he seem aggressive.

Wait? Remus Lupin? This was the wizard Fenrir had told her about. The one he considered weak and foolish because he wouldn’t embrace his werewolf side. Eloise studied him.

“How did I end up here?” she asked him, vaguely remembering running through the field with the werewolf.

“You followed me. We were playing in the moonlight. I didn’t force you here,” Remus said, slowly rising now and straightening his robes, “I brought you here to get you away from Fenrir.”

“And he let you?” she asked Remus.

“Not exactly. By the time he realized you were gone, it was too late. Oh, he came after you…but couldn’t get to you. This place is protected by magic. No werewolves can enter or leave once this cage shuts. It opens when our transformation is past,” Remus said, approaching the muggle.

“Are you hungry?” he asked Eloise.

Eloise’s brown eyes ran over him. Yes, she was very hungry.

“What do you have to eat?” she asked him.

“The farmer who lets this barn out to me often makes me breakfast after the night has passed. I am quite weak afterwards,” Remus said.

Eloise looked at him closely. He was rather pale and looked a bit sick. She didn’t think he could do much if he did try to attack her. Yet he didn’t seem the type. She looked at the open barn door.

“How do we know Fenrir isn’t out there lying in wait,” Eloise asked him.

“Fenrir isn’t patient. If he were here, he would already have attacked us…but I could have handled him,” Remus said, showing her his wand, “I am his match magically if not physically.”

Suddenly Remus stumbled at bit. Not thinking, Eloise rushed forward to help him, catching his arm and helping him straighten.

“I need to eat,” he said softly, “The wolfsbane potion I drink before I transform takes a lot out of me when it stifles my wolf instincts.”

Eloise began to help the wizard out of the cage. Wolfsbane?

”What is wolfsbane potion?” she asked him as they walked out of the barn.

Rubin, who had been sitting on the porch with two rare steaks waiting for Remus to appear, did a double take. There was a woman with him. Now he understood why Fenrir had been after the wizard. No doubt she was a werewolf too and somehow, Remus had taken her.

Shit.

Rubin hurried over to the picnic table resting under a tree in the yard, Eloise taking in the stout, red-faced wizard. He was dressed in a plaid shirt, coverall and boots. He had a healthy look about him. He set the steaks down and waited for them to walk over, his eyes curious as they rested on Eloise.

Remus sat down and slid over for Eloise, who looked first at the steaks, then at Rubin who returned her gaze. Then he stuck out his hand.

“I’m Rubin Fezwig. I own this farm and that barn you just walked out of. What is your name?” he asked her directly.

Eloise hesitated, then realized the farmer knew her nature. She shook his hand.

“My name is Eloise Hedgeberry,” she said shortly.

Rubin gestured at the steaks.

“Sit down and have a steak. It’s important to eat after a transformation, particularly if you haven’t fed,” he said knowledgably, “Though I have to say you look much better than Remus here.”

Remus had already picked up a steak in his bare hands and was tearing into it unabashedly, blood running down his chin. He was starved and didn’t care how he looked to anyone at this moment. He needed to eat to regain his strength. Rubin pulled out a pocketful of napkins and placed them on the table. Eloise looked at Remus tearing through the steak then sat down and reached for the plate. Remus growled a little, but let her take it, the brunette looking at him with a small scowl. Shit, she was hungry too.

Rubin watched as Eloise lit into the steak. She was a bit neater than Remus, grabbing a napkin to wipe her chin as she ate, but just as ravenous. Even more so. She finished her steak the same time as Remus did.

“Thank you, Rubin,” he said to the farmer, who had also sat down, looking at the both of them.

“You’re welcome, son,” the farmer said, then looked at Eloise.

“So how long have you been a werewolf?” he asked Eloise, who looked at him a bit shocked. She had never discussed her situation with anyone, and this man was approaching it so…so normally.

“This is the second time I’ve changed,” she said, “I haven’t been one long.”

Rubin and Remus exchanged looks, then Rubin continued.

“You’re a muggle aren’t you? Non-magic,” he said to her.

“No, I can’t do magic. I didn’t even believe in it until this happened to me,” Eloise admitted. “That bastard Fenrir turned me into one.”

Remus nodded.

“He did this to me as well. I was only five when he bit me to get back at my father,” the wizard said, his eyes hardening.

“Only five? You’ve lived with this all your life? How?” Eloise said.

“The best way I could,” Remus replied, “It hasn’t been easy, and there were times I thought about taking the coward’s way out…but I kept going.”

Eloise studied him. Suicide? She hadn’t thought about that. The only thing she thought about was getting revenge on Fenrir for doing this to her.

“I want to kill the bastard,” Eloise hissed, black veins appearing in her eyes for a moment, startling both Rubin and Remus with her hatred.

“Calm down,” Rubin said nervously as Eloise’s eyes returned to their normal brown color. “I’m sure you’re not alone in wanting to kill Fenrir. He’s made a lot of werewolves and a lot of enemies.”

”So why don’t they get together and kill him?” Eloise asked, frowning at the thought there were others who wanted the monster dead.

“Too frightened of failure,” Remus said, “Fenrir is very powerful, very vicious. He kills humans even when he’s not transformed. He likes it. He killed yesterday, intending on feeding the remains to you to hook you on human blood. It’s hard to fight your urges once you’ve tasted it.”

Eloise’s eyes shifted guiltily. She had already tasted human blood and found it delicious. She didn’t say anything, which made Rubin and Remus look at each other again. Had she already killed? If she had…more than likely she was a lost cause.

Remus cleared his throat and looked at the woman.

“Er…Eloise, I have to ask you this…have you killed a human being yet?” he asked the muggle.

Eloise shook her head.

“No, but I beat one almost to the point of death,” she admitted, “He had raped me years ago and I recognized him on the tube. He came back to finish the job because he didn’t want me to identify him. He had a new life and decided it would be best to end mine. He didn’t succeed.”

Eloise looked decidedly dark as she said this.

“Did you taste his blood?” Remus asked her, watching her face carefully.

Eloise hesitated. Should she tell them? She decided to do it. Remus was also a werewolf. He knew the urge for blood.

“Yes. There was blood left in my flat after they took him out. I couldn’t help myself,” she admitted, looking ashamed.

“You must never, ever, ever tell anyone you’ve tasted human blood! Do you understand me?” Remus suddenly snarled at her. Rubin’s eyes were sober but he didn’t say anything. “A werewolf who has tasted human blood is locked away until the day he or she dies, and they don’t do anything to make you last if you know what I mean.”

In the bowels of Azkaban prison was an area for werewolves. They were half-fed and mistreated, allowed to live in their own filth for much of the time until the smell became unbearable and they were hosed down along with their cells, left shivering, cold and much of the time ill. They never saw the sun. Since the moonlight never hit them, they remained in human form but eventually became more animalistic because of their harsh treatment. It was a horrible way to live and many took their own lives.

Eloise nodded, her eyes wide.

“Now, you have a decision to make,” Remus said to her, “Fenrir is going to be angry that I took you and may want revenge or at least to punish you for going with me. Most likely he is afraid you’ve mated with me and are pregnant. You are in danger. If you return to the muggle world, most likely he will go for you.”

Eloise looked at him.

“So what am I supposed to do?” she asked the werewolf.

Remus took a deep breath.

“Since a wizard turned you into a werewolf, the Ministry of Magic has some responsibility toward you. If you register with them, you can have some protection. However, werewolves are not treated well. There are…prejudices and laws that prohibit us from interacting fully in society. Most will not hire us for work and we aren’t allowed in certain places. We have to show we have someplace to go far from the population when the full moon approaches. Most stay in the werewolf village. Me, I come here,” Remus said.

Eloise frowned at this. Prejudice? She’d be nothing more than a second class citizen.

“And,” Remus said haltingly, “If you do register, you will be sterilized so you can’t bear children.”

”What?” Eloise said, rising from the table, “Sterilized? Without my consent?”

Remus nodded slowly, then looked thoughtful.

“However, you are not a citizen of the magical world but a citizen of muggle Britain. They might not arbitrarily be allowed to treat you as they would a witch. Not if it broke the laws of your people,” the werewolf said, “I would have to ask Albus about that.”

”Albus? Who’s Albus?” she asked.

“A very influential and powerful wizard. Also a friend of mine,” Remus said, “It could be the Ministry cannot force you to be sterilized since you belong to another system of government. Although a wizard bit you, it does not necessarily put you under wizarding law. Do you want children?”

Eloise looked at Remus and sat back down.

“I want the right to make a decision later,” she said evenly, “In Britain and most every civilized society it’s illegal to sterilize a woman against her will.”

Well, she was almost sure this was the case. Eloise hadn’t really thought about having a husband or children, but having the ability to conceive taken away arbitrarily didn’t sit well with her. She wanted a choice in the matter. Suddenly, her ovaries felt very precious.

“I will have to contact Albus then,” Remus said, “Now the next question is, do you want to return to the muggle world and face the possibility of being taken by Fenrir, or do you wish to stay in the wizarding world until you can be set right?”

The truth was, Eloise was hanging on to her job by a thread. There had been numerous complaints about her attitude lately. She was short and nasty to customers a lot of the time, forcing them to pay for candy they’d eaten…she could smell it on them, growling at cat owners and at times, giving off an unpleasant animal-like odor. The owner wanted to let her go. If she lost her job, she’d lose her flat…and the idea of moving in with her sister and “perfect husband” made her shudder.

“If I decided to remain here, where would I stay?” she asked the werewolf.

Remus looked at her. Gods, if only she could stay with him. But he had a studio flat with one bed in the middle of Knockturn Alley…a quite unsavory location even for a werewolf. Plus he was gone early each day, looking for odd jobs to do.

Rubin stared at the young woman.

“You could stay here. For a while. Help me with the farm work if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty. That would cover your room and board,” he said, “But it’s not easy work.”

Eloise studied the farmer. He looked like a respectable old man…but still…

Rubin seemed to sense what she was thinking.

“You’d be safe here. I like my women older and magical,” the farmer said to her with a smirk. “You’re a child compared to me. I’m no pedophile.”

Eloise relaxed and gave him a smile. Besides, if he tried anything, she could simply kick his ass all over the farm.

“It sounds like a plan,” she said, “but it will just be temporary, right Remus?”

Remus started, having been swept away by a little daydream of he and Eloise sequestered in close quarters together. She was a werewolf. She’d be able to deal with his nature. He blinked at her, registering what she said.

“Yes. I need to talk to Albus and let him advise me what would be best to do,” Remus said, “Usually he responds quickly.”

Eloise nodded and looked at Rubin.

“What would be the sleeping arrangements?” she asked him.

Rubin’s forehead wrinkled.

“You would have to stay in the barn Remus uses. My house is protected by silver. You can’t stay there. Even if you don’t touch it, it will affect you because of your proximity. Every wall has silver thread running through it. But I can fix it up to be homier. Put in a bed, lamps, things of that nature. You’re going to have to go to the bathroom outside though,” the farmer said.

That wouldn’t be so bad, unless it was raining. It rained a lot too. Ah well, it was better than nothing.

“That will be fine, Rubin,” she said, feeling Remus’ gentle eyes on her.

She looked at him and he quickly looked away. The wizard certainly seemed shy. But he looked better now. Eating had helped and he had more color. The wizard stood up.

“Well, I had better go. I will come back and let you know what Albus suggested as the best course of action,” Remus said, stepping back from the table.

“When will you be back?” Eloise asked him, feeling a bit concerned he was leaving. Remus was another werewolf. She felt…well…she didn’t know how she felt he was going. But his presence was comforting, unlike Fenrir’s, who made her feel on edge all the time.

“Within the week. Goodbye Rubin, Eloise,” he said, disapparating with a crack of thunder. Eloise blinked at the empty spot. Magic was something else.

She and Rubin sat there a moment, before the farmer rose, collecting the plate and dirty napkins.

“You can start straightening up the cell,” he said to the muggle. “I’ll be out shortly and then we can get about setting it up to be more livable.”

Eloise nodded as the wizard walked into the house. She sat at the table with her chin resting on her hand. Damn, what a situation she was in. It was a whole new world now.

Eloise wasn’t sure she was ready for it, but would do what she had to do.

Fenrir wasn’t in the clear at all. Maybe with Remus’ help she could get revenge. He had bitten the wizard after all. Maybe he was courageous enough to be willing to try to kill the werewolf.

She’d have to find out.

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A/N: Another chapter done. Am so tired. Thanks for reading. ***