Running in the dark

Chapter 13

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Hey moony,

I know it's only been two days but I miss you. Must have been a bloody long drive to Wales. James and I fought about whether there are or aren't whales in Wales, there are aren't there?

Write soon
From your amazing lover Sirius

...

'Crack'

"Lyall stop it, please, please stop!"

...

Remmy my boy,

Sirius hasn't shut up about you, well except when we're plotting but you don't need to worry your small mind about that. I hope it's fun in Wales, WHERE THERE ARE NO WHALES!

See ya,
Prongs.

...

"You disgust me you little shit, all my problems started with you,"

Blood, so much blood.

...

Hey Remus,

Mary staying with me so she wants me to send her love, your Christmas gift is going to arrive a few days late, bloody owls, I didn't want you to think if forgotten. James wrote to me four times asking if you were writing to them, they're kind of anxious.

Love you,
Lily and Mary.

...

"FUCK YOU!"

'Smash!'

...

Remus,

I'm worried. Did I do something, did we do something, you haven't said anything. Remus please is everything alright?

Sirius

...

Remus,

are you alright, please let us know.

Peter

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Remus,

Give us a sign, your bloody scaring us now.

James

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Remus,

I wouldn't write if it wasn't important, are you ok, James and Sirius have been frantically writing, please let us know

Regulus.

...

He shook, he'd been shaking for hours. All the way to the pub where he'd nicked the bottle all the way back to the wall only 10 yards from his house.

His face was stained with a bloody red, that trickled down his face. He had shards of glass in his hair and he had a broken hand and a few broken ribs.

Nothing had happened to his mother, she had screamed at Lyall to stop again and again, but every time he stopped his furious prowl on Remus and headed towards her Remus would pull himself back up and stop him again.

This has been going on for nearly two weeks, tomorrow night was Christmas Eve.

He knew that at noon that was when Lyall had smashed his fourth bottle of the week, this one only seeming to hit his head a little unlike the last one. The blood on his face was old dried blood layered with new blood.

He drank down the bottle, he was numb, he had been for days. Lyall was an abusive drunk, and Remus was a numb boy.

His hand had been broken three nights earlier and Remus could see a thin bone pointing out of it, he did nothing, there was nothing to do.

He stayed close to the house, in case he heard yelling, his mother wasn't getting hurt on his watch. It seemed Lyall only wanted him back to cause as much pain as possible to his son.

It was dark, rather dark nearing midnight, Lyall was usually passed out drunk at this point or screaming at them. The quietness told him it was the first option.

The pile of letters from his friends was left unopened, each falling on the other as the owls dropped them off. Remus had bearly slept, the only times he could say he had slept was when he'd been knocked unconscious, which has happened five times now.

A flicker of light shone from the house as the door opened and closed and out came Remus's mother. She was tired, and so was he.

"He passed out?" Remus asked taking the last swig of the bottle before draining it.

"Yes, Remus I'm so sorry, if I knew how to help you leave I would, I would help you go somewhere, but I don't so I need you to let him hurt me, I can't bare him hurting you anymore," his mother spoke.

He was about to argue back, his mind swimming, he still was shaking, but then two pairs of feet seemed to softly make a sound. He didn't care, he didn't turn but Hope did, she was at an angle that the two people who had arrived couldn't see Remus, he was taller but skinny so all that could be seen in the dark was a bit of his hair that blended into his mother's beside him.

"Your Hope, Hope Lupin, Remus' mum, I'm James, this is Sirius, sorry for showing up at this hour, flew from England, and we wanted to see if Remus was alright, he hadn't been responding," James spoke.

Remus didn't move, he became rigid, stuck in place. He seemed to realize all the blood that was on him, he'd had half the mind to sneak around unnoticed when he got the drink but now he'd be seen.

"I've heard lots about you, Remus stays with you some Christmas, he says your mother is rather kind," Hope said a small smile on her face.

"Yeah that's right," James replied there was a sense of urgency in his tone.

"Would Remus, would Remus be able to stay there? I know witches are very good healers and he'd be better with you," she asked.

"Mum," Remus said his voice sharp but shaky, it made Sirius and James jump, realizing he was there.

Hope turned to her son, a small smile still on her face. "Remus John Lupin, you're going to go with your friends, you're going to be safe, I'll send your stuff, I'll be alright," she said and before Remus could even let out a word he kissed the top of his head not caring about the small glass shards that dug into her lips before walking towards the house.

"Remus, what the hell is she," James was cut off as Remus turned revealing his bloody and bruised face.

"Holy fuck," James breathed.

A loud sound banged from inside the house and Remus jumped. Sirius and James turned to one another and knew they should leave now

Sirius came over to Remus and helped the boy onto his broom, making sure Remus' arms were tightly around him but not tight enough that the sickly-looking hand now would become more injured and the three took off, in silence, zooming as fast as possible, hoping to get back to England and the Potters as soon as possible.