Just Around the Riverbend

Okay, kids. I wanted to get this just right. I would have updated sooner, but my sister got on my computer to make a CD and when I got it back she'd shut it off, and my Word Document was already on Autosave, and I had to redo a few pages worth. SO ANYWAY....

Leria
Voracious Reader - Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swiiim. Swiiim.
Margaritama - give me one more chapter and I'll blow your lid off.
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The days seemed to drag on for the unlikely duo. They traveled by day, stopping and resting very often so that Remus wouldn’t overwork himself. He was gaining weight slowly; the protein-rich meals Phelan was able to procure did wonders for him. He’d even had the privilege of watching Phelan hunt once. The poor fox never knew what hit it. But Remus would admit that Phelan killed mercifully and quickly. He was nothing like his father, save the fact he was almost a mirror image.

The first full moon since their escape came upon them quickly. Remus was nervous. The transformations at Azkaban had been so lonely and painful. The transformations took energy he didn’t have to give, and left him exhausted for days.

“You know…the harder you fight it the harder the wolf fights back.” Phelan said conversationally, picking up a chunk of flaky white fish meat from the whole fish he’d cooked. Apparently, claws were good for fishing as well.

“I know, pup, I know. I’ve known this for years. But I always hoped….so many advances in medicine…” Remus said, and set his fish aside.

“First of all, you pick that bloody fish back up and finish it. Second of all, there is no cure. The Wolfsbane Potion is a crutch that werewolves use to attempt to hold on to a thread of humanity. No matter how hard you hope, you’ll never be human again.” Phelan said bluntly. Remus flushed, and retrieved his fish.

“I know. Your father told me the same thing…in much harsher words, of course.” Remus said, and plucked a chunk of fish from the spiny bones.

“My father was never one to spare feelings.” Phelan said softly.

“So…how long do you reckon it’s going to take to make it back to England?” Remus asked, changing the subject. Phelan narrowed his eyes.

“Well, since my brilliant arse landed us on the German side of the North Sea, it’s going to take a few weeks. The going is slow because I’m not tiring myself out for anyone. They’ll be looking for us, though, make no mistake. The guards that knew you were there will stop at nothing to keep your continued existence a secret, even if it means shutting me up permanently.” He said. He noticed the look on Remus’ face, and growled softly. “Don’t you dare blame yourself, Lupin. I chose to get us out of there. I chose my own way. I’ll deal with the consequences of my own actions.” He said, before he tossed the carefully cleaned fish carcass away.

“You are not what I expected from Fenrir Greyback’s son.” Remus finally vocalized what he’d been thinking for the past week. Phelan looked up, before giving Remus a fanged grin.

“So I’ve been told.”

~~

Daisy sat in the library, staring at the photograph in her hands. It was a magical picture of her and Phelan that had been taken by another student. It was near the beginning of school, and Phelan and Daisy were in the Hogwarts library, completing separate homework assignments. Ever so often, Daisy saw her photographic counterpart lean over to see what Phelan was writing. His photo-self would cover his paper as if she were cheating, and she’d in turn smack him with a book.

“They’re meeting with Kingsley today.”

Daisy looked up to see Draco standing in the doorway, dressed in simple black slacks and a blue sweater.

“That’s nice.” She replied tiredly.

“How are you feeling?” Draco asked. She tilted her head slightly.

“Like hell on a stick.” She answered honestly. “I really miss him.” She said, before tearing up unexpectedly. “I’ve heard some of the professors say that Phelan and I are too young to know what love is. But they’re full of crap.” She said, and put down the photo. “I love him so much. When he’s around me, no matter how bad my day was, or how crappy I feel, he always makes me feel better just by being there. When I have nightmares, he just wakes me up and takes me in his arms, and I feel like everything will be okay.

He only attacked in wolf form to defend us. If he weren’t a werewolf he’d be commended for taking on the Dark Lord. But because he’s not human, he’s being persecuted.” Daisy spat, and buried her face in her hands.

“I’m sorry.” Draco said. He wasn’t sure himself if he meant it. He’d seen the way Daisy and Phelan interacted. They were devoted to one another. He’d seen adult couples with less dedication than those two. But still…the old prejudices of Phelan’s condition were stamping at the back of his mind.

Daisy wiped at her eyes angrily, and stood up.

“The Ministry needs a reform like there’s no tomorrow.” She snarled, and stood up swiftly from the sofa. She stomped over to Lucius’ desk, and wrenched open the top drawer.

“What are you doing?” Draco asked curiously.

“Writing a letter. I’m about to light a fire under the Ministry’s asses that they’ll not recover from.” She said, and retrieved a bottle of ink and a quill.

“Do…you need any help?” Draco asked awkwardly. Daisy looked up, and considered him.

“Not right now, but stay frosty.” She said, and dipped the quill in ink.

“What?” Draco asked. Daisy paused.

“Keep your schedule relatively open for a few days.” She said.

“Oh.”

~~

Kingsley looked at the paper, a small smile on his face.

“This brings up an interesting point.” He said, and put the paper down on his desk. Hermione and Lucius were sitting across the desk, staring at him expectantly. “Technically, this law does not apply to Phelan. Born werewolves are extremely rare. In fact, Phelan is the only recorded one. That does not mean there have not been any. He’s just the only one we’ve ever officially encountered.” Kingsley spoke.

“Phelan didn’t deserve to go to prison to begin with, Kingsley.” Hermione said.

“I know. But Hermione, you must understand my position. To be fair, I had to enforce that law. I seriously doubt that Mr. Potter has contracted Lycanthropy. There’s never been a case of it being spread out from under the full moon. Not in its full form, anyway.” He said, thinking of one Bill Weasley. “As long as full Lycanthropy hadn’t been spread, I was sure I could have gotten Mr. Greyback off with a few months in Azkaban. I don’t know why he escaped. I am on his side, Hermione. Truly. But I want to do this the legal way.” He said.

“Is this not enough for you to drop the charges against him?” Lucius asked, motioning to the highlighted piece of paper on Kingsley’s desk. Kingsley leaned back in his chair, and steepled his fingers.

“No. It’s a technicality, yes, but it isn’t quite enough.” He said. Hermione buried her face in her hands.

“Is there nothing you can do? Daisy is distraught over the absence of her husband. Her grades are slipping, and her health is in tatters.” Lucius all but growled.

“I’m sending a representative from the Control of Magical Creatures to Grimmauld Place to test Mr. Potter for Lycanthropy in two weeks. If he has not been Turned, I will proceed with Mr. Greyback’s trial. Look, I cannot legally interfere with this proceeding. Not as things stand now. But…might I suggest taking a look at the Werewolf clause in the Dark Creature Control contract?” Kingsley said. He then opened a drawer, and pulled out a small blue business card. “Here. This is the contact information for Guy Hart, the leading solicitor for werewolves in the country. If it’s possible to get Mr. Greyback free and clear, he’ll find the way. Look into that clause, as well.” He said. Lucius took the business card, and put it in the breast pocket of his robes.

“Thank you for your time, Minister Shacklebolt.” He said.

“I wish I could have helped more, Lucius. I really do.” Kingsley said as Lucius and Hermione stood. Hermione pierced him with an angry brown glare.

“So do we.”

~~

The white wolf lay panting, exhausted from the fresh transformation. He whimpered, and covered his head with his paws. A yip at his side made him lift his head, and he saw the gray wolf staring expectantly at him. He whimpered, and put his head back down.

The gray wolf moved forward, and licked the side of his furred face. He bathed his head in a friendly, comforting manner, his tongue swiping occasionally between his eyes. The gray wolf stepped back to admire his handiwork, and gave a barking wolf laugh at the sight of his companion’s fur sticking up comically. He went down on his front paws and barked.

The white wolf whined. His friend shot forward and nipped at one of the large, pointed ears, and jumped back when the white wolf snapped playfully at him. The gray wolf hopped around in front of the white wolf a few times, before he ran a few feet away. He went down on his front paws, and yipped.

Catch me if you can! he seemed to say, and then turned and fled deeper into the forest.

Moony stood weakly, and began to move forward. After a few steps, the initial weakness and discomfort of the transformation had worn off, and he increased his pace to a lope. Once he began to get his land-legs, so to speak, he began to run in earnest. He leapt like a puppy released from its basket, and then concentrated on finding his large grey companion.

Phelan found him first, and pounced on him from his perch on a rock above him. They both tumbled, and Moony regained his footing first. He nipped Phelan soundly, and with a joyous bark, he took off in the other direction. They played this game for hours, and even enjoyed some fresh fish courtesy of a nearby river.

And Remus remembered it all.

~~

Molly hummed softly to herself as she washed the dishes. It had been a relatively peaceful day. Fred and George were off at the store, Percy was working at the Ministry, and Ron was…well…Ron was of with his latest girlfriend. Though she was disappointed in her youngest son’s behavior, she wouldn’t say anything to him that would make him leave. So long as he didn’t bring any of that mess into the house, he was quite welcome to stay. He was a grown young man, after all.

A knock at the door gave her pause, and she put down the dish she was rinsing. She wiped her soapy hands on her apron, and went to the door. She opened the door without hesitation, and stared at the visitor at her back door. All color drained from her face, and she took a deep shuddering breath.

Then she screamed.

And then she passed out.

Remus stood at the door with a horrified look on his face.

“Way to go, Moony. You have such a way with the ladies!” Phelan laughed. Then he yelped when Remus smacked him in the back of the head.

“Molly?”

Both heads whipped up when Arthur stepped into the kitchen. Arthur spotted the man at the door, and he started to take a step towards him, before his face hardened. He pointed his wand at Remus.

“Who the bloody hell are you?” he asked coldly.

“Arthur, it’s me, Remus.” Remus replied softly.

“Remus Lupin died in the final battle. Now try again, you filthy imposter.” Arthur returned evenly.

“Arthur….we…we fought together against Voldemort. I’m not dead…” Remus pleaded. Arthur’s blue eyes flashed dangerously, and Remus was reminded of exactly why the Weasley patriarch was so dangerous.

“Tell me something only Remus Lupin could know.” Arthur said. Remus thought hard, before a small smile came to his face.

“During the celebration for the first defeat of Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore got tipsy on the punch that Filius Flitwick spiked, and Alastor Moody was wasted on his own special moonshine, and they both got a little amorous. You and Molly found them snogging in a corner.” Remus said. Arthur’s wand lowered.

“Merlin. I only ever told that to you. Even Dumbledore didn’t remember…” he said. “Oh, Remus. You look like shit.”

“It’s good to know I’m appreciated.” Remus said with a smile. He happened to glance at his companion, and saw him dry heaving a bit. “What’s the matter with you?” he asked, causing Arthur to tilt his head to see who else was there.

“Sorry. Just threw up a bit in my mouth at the mental image of Dumbledore and Mad-Eye doing the tongue tango.” He said.

“You!” Arthur snarled. Remus stepped in front of Phelan.

“Arthur, your wife is on the floor.” Remus intervened. Arthur growled softly, before he fell to the ground in front of Molly.

“Ennervate.” he murmured, and her eyes fluttered open. He helped her sit up, and she looked right at Remus.

“Remus?” she asked. He smiled at her, and she gave a soft sob. Though Phelan had seen the vast improvement in Remus’ condition, Molly only saw the difference between the last time she’d seen him and the way she saw him today.

Molly saw the shock-white hair and eyebrows, the gaunt face, and the still frighteningly thin body.

She stood to her feet, and went directly to him. Remus had always been a bit tall, and very lean for his size, but the way his body had seemed to just disappear wasn’t natural. And then Molly surprised Remus by folding him into a famous Molly hug. He gasped when he smelled the familiar scent of her. She’d always smelled of stove-smoke, cinnamon, and some mature feminine scent that had reminded him of his own mother. He tentatively wrapped his arms around her, and they stayed like that for several moments.

Molly opened her eyes, and spotted Phelan standing awkwardly to the side. She pulled back from Remus, and stepped right up to the silver-haired youth. He looked up at her, and was a bit surprised when she locked her eyes with him. He knew she was no legilimens, but that didn’t make it feel any less like she was reading his soul.

“And what are you doing here?” she finally asked. Phelan felt his lip curl up a bit in a sneer.

“Oh, well, I was just in the neighborhood, and Lupin and I thought we’d just stop in for a chat. Catch up on all the gossip, you see.” Phelan said sarcastically. Molly narrowed her eyes at him.

“Molly, please. Let us convene inside and I promise we’ll explain everything.” He said. Molly glared at Phelan a few more moments, before she finally conceded, and ushered the two in the house.

“I’ll just make us some tea, and we’ll get the whole story.”

~~

When the story was told, Molly and Arthur stared at Remus in horror.

“You were in Azkaban this entire time?” Arthur choked. Remus, his eyes firmly on the floor, nodded. Arthur looked at Phelan. “And you broke out to rescue him?”

“Yes sir. He is a pack mate, a moon brother, and I couldn’t stand to see him treated so terribly. They don’t even come and check on the prisoners but every few days. So I broke down the cell door and carried him out the door. The Lycan block has its own entrance in case of emergencies, so I took that door and then took to the Sea. Unfortunately, the wolf got turned around in the water and we ended up on German soil. We hiked down to Belgium, crossed to England, and then came all the way up here to see you. We needed someone in the Order who had known Lupin. We also needed someone who had a bit of pull in the Ministry, and who the Minister trusted. So congratulations, Mr. Weasley, you fit the bill.” Phelan said.

“I’ve got to call Kingsley.” Arthur said.

“Be careful. We know that the guards in the lycan hall at Azkaban knew that I was there. There could have been Aurors that knew. You must speak to Kingsley privately.” Remus said. Arthur set his teacup aside, and stood from his chair.

“Stay here.” He said, and left the kitchen to go into the living room to the floo. Phelan and Remus’ sensitive ears heard the whoosh of the flames as a call was made, and then the steady buzz of a firecall.

“So you two have been traveling a while?” Molly asked conversationally.

“Yes. It’s been almost like an extended camping trip. Young Mr. Greyback has taken very good care to make sure I had food, shelter, and clothing.” Remus said kindly. Molly turned a gaze on Phelan that made him feel awkward. It almost looked like the gaze of a mother who was proud of her child’s accomplishments. His cheeks felt warm.

“I would have done it for any of the pack.” Phelan floundered a bit.

“Would you boys like some fudge? I just made it this morning.” Molly said. Both of the werewolves looked as if she’d offered them a sack full of galleons.

“Yes!” they chorused, and then looked at each other. They both flushed.

“I’ll just take a little, Molly. I’m not sure if I can handle a lot of chocolate.” Remus said. She smiled warmly at them, and then went over to a cabinet and pulled out a container. She placed a pleasantly sized square on one plate, and two of the same on the other. She gave the plate with one square to Remus, and the plate with two squares to Phelan. After the first bite Phelan rumbled contentedly. Molly raised an eyebrow.

“Are you purring?” she asked him. He cleared his throat.

“Uh…no…I’m…er…” he stuttered.

“He’s rumbling, Molly. It’s like a wolf-purr.” Remus supplied. Molly beamed.

“Arthur, I don’t see what’s so important that I-”

Everyone looked up as Kingsley appeared in the doorway. He had frozen with his eyes on Phelan.

“Mr. Greyback. It’s good to see you’ve come out of hiding. You’ll be pleased to know that Mr. Potter tested negatively for Lycanthropy.” He said. Remus did not react to this news, as he had already been told Phelan’s story. He really couldn’t blame the lad for protecting his mate. And besides…Harry wasn’t in charge of that body at the time.

“That’s good, Minister.” Phelan said. “There’s something I need-”

“Of course that does not get you off the hook.” Kingsley interrupted. “You’re very lucky that you’re here. Had you not shown up to your trial, which is tomorrow by the way, you would have forfeited the trial and been sentenced automatically. As it is, Lucius and Hermione are working diligently to put together a defense for you.” He finished, and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“Don’t be so hard on the lad, Kingsley.”

Kingsley turned to comment, and froze when he spotted Remus. He stared at him for a full minute, before he narrowed his eyes.

“The timber wolves will be our friends. We’ll stay up late and howl.” He said.

“At the moon, ‘til nighttime ends, before going on the prowl.” Remus finished. Kingsley’s eyes widened.

“Remus? My god! Where have you been?” he asked. Phelan raised an eyebrow.

“So I take it you didn’t know that he’d been in Azkaban for the past three years?” Phelan asked gingerly. Kingsley looked at Phelan, and then back at Remus. He took in the gaunt, skeletal face of the werewolf, and the clothes that engulfed him.

“WHAT?!”

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Oh SNAP! Shit's about to get nasty in this joint! Somebody's about to cap a ninja!

*Shady eyes*

Anyway! I just wanted to let everyone know that I ordered a new computer tonight! It should be here in about a week! This will in no way affect my updates, because I have all of my files backed up on a nifty little flash drive I hide in a shoe box under my bed. ^_^ I just wanted to let you all know the good news. I finally get to play with Windows 7. I've been running Vista (Blech) for three years, and I needed a change. So yay!!

Now review. Remus will appreciate it, and so will I. Phelan says he'll throw in some kinky werewolf-sex into a later chapter if you'll review. Pwease? Q_Q