Sanctuary

Chapter 29

Wednesday, 26th January 1972

Remus ran through the dense woodland, moving so fast the trees were nothing but a grey blur on either side of him. There was a pleasant feeling of comfort and belonging around him, and he knew his friend was near, though he couldn't see him. He dodged trees and jumped fallen logs with ease, landing on his front legs and leaping forward again as his back legs touched down. The rushing air in his fur felt amazing, and he relished the freedom. He skidded to a halt and scented the air. There was water nearby. Panting, he turned towards it and threw his head back in a howl, a signal to his pack-mate to follow him. The scents of wood smoke, soap and vanilla surrounded him. Together, they padded over to the nearby river. He still couldn't see him, but the feel of his presence and his scent told him he was there. When he reached the water's edge, he bent his head down, and the wolf stared back at him from the surface of the lake—

Remus jerked awake and sat up, breathing hard. He put his hand on his chest. His heart was hammering against his ribcage as if trying to escape his body. What the hell was that? Dreams of the wolf were usually horrifying nightmares, blurry images of blood and gore. Violent and full of rage. That was different. It hadn't seemed nightmarish at all. Despite the hammering of his heart, he felt content. It had been a happy dream. Sirius had been there. Had he been a wolf too? He couldn't remember. The images were getting blurry, slipping from his mind like wisps of smoke.

'Remus? You awake?' Peter asked from the room hidden on the other side of his drawn bed-curtains.

Remus jumped a little and coughed to clear his throat. 'Yeah, just woke up. Are the others back yet?' he asked, pulling back the curtains.

'No. I just checked the common room; I hope they haven't been caught.'

'Unlikely, they took the cloak, and they have a snitch-o-scope. They'd have to be utterly careless to mess up.'

Peter nodded. 'But it is James and Sirius.'

'True,' Remus said, laughing. 'But I think it's still too soon to worry. Knowing them, they're in the pub.'

'I hope they find something good enough for the merpeople. What if we start a war?' Peter's eyes widened, and he gasped. 'What if we insult them so badly they kill us!'

Peter's face had paled, and his breath came in harsh pants, far too fast. Bugger.

'Alright, calm down, Pete. Take a deep breath.' Remus wasn't sure what to do. Normally Sirius or James was there to help Peter calm down when he got too anxious. They'd rub his back and hold his hands, helping him to slow his breathing down, but Remus couldn't do any of that. He was useless. There was only one thing he was able to do that might help. It was worth a shot.

'Pete? Can you sit down?'

Peter nodded and lowered himself to the floor, still gasping. He was breathing far too quickly. Remus needed to get him to calm down before he passed out.

'Alright, I want you to close your eyes,' he said. Peter obeyed. 'Concentrate on my voice and do what I say, okay?'

Peter nodded.

'Picture in your mind somewhere that you feel safe,' Remus said, hoping with his entire being that it would work. 'Make it look as real as you can.'

Peter clenched his eyes tighter and curled his hands into fists. His face took on a slight reddish tint, and his breathing slowed a little. He nodded and Remus took this as his cue to continue.

'Go inside and find a room with a door.' Remus waited for Peter to nod again before continuing. It took a couple of minutes, but Peter's breathing was getting slower with every breath. Thank Merlin, it seemed to be working. 'Picture your worries as an object and put it in the room. Shut the door and lock it.'