Marauders - Always - Part One

How Were Our Accommodations?

Remus Lupin groaned as he shifted his weight, the cold of the cement floor he had been thrown down on to wait for the full moon night. There was a small window high overhead which he couldn't see out of proper, aside from a small patch of sky, and the grit of the floor was embedded in his cheek.

Panic filled him suddenly as his eyes fell on the woman standing at the door of the room. She held up her hand to her mouth. "Shhh, shhh!" she commanded, "Quiet. Don't need him hearing."

Remus struggled to quiet himself, staring at her with wary eyes.

The woman crossed the room, dropped a bag at Remus's feet. "Food," she said. "You need your strength. For tonight." She was quiet, looking him over, then added, "Keep it secret."

He unrolled the top of the bag and looked inside. A sandwich, a small bag of crisps, a few digestives...

When he looked up to say thank you, the woman was already gone.

Remus coughed, his chest heavy from the weight of the murky air. It reminded him of the bomb shelter in his parent's backyard, reminded him of lonely full moon nights.

He reached into the bag and pulled the sandwich out. It turned his stomach to smell it, but he could feel the weakness in his body from not eating and he forced himself to take in the food. The woman was right, whoever she was - he would need his strength when the sun went down and the moon rose, if he had any hope of challenging Greyback successfully.

He tried not to think about the unsuccessful option. Greyback would fight to kill tonight, Remus knew, and he would either win this fight or die.

What would Sirius be feeling by now? Three days on. Sirius was likely out of his mind with worry. He hadn't known they'd be going right away when he forwent leaving his husband a note. He'd planned to send one, then, but he'd been caught up in a series of moments, coming here too soon in a flight of passion and worry, and now without his wand he had no way to tell Sirius he was alright.

Well. Relatively speaking alright, that is.

Alive, at least.

For now.

He could only pray that Sirius would remember their talk from the other night, put two and two together, and just... not do anything stupid.

Of course, Remus wouldn't know even if Sirius had done something stupid. Remus wouldn't know even if the world outside was on fire as Sirius stood a top a pile of rubble and flame and screamed punk rock anthems at the top of his lungs - something he wouldn't put past his husband by any means. He pictured Sirius in his torn jeans and leather jacket astride the motorbike, laughing manically and flying right into the side of the building over Greyback's lair.

Remus closed his eyes, chewing that sandwich with all his will power focused on just getting it down.

He'd managed through the sandwich and two digestives before he heard footsteps in the corridor approaching. He looked about for a place to hide the bag of leftover food and, seeing none, he crumbled the bag and pushed it into the shadows in the corner and hoped it wouldn't be noticed... He would've put it in the pocket of his jumper, but a glance at the window told him he was about to be taken up to see Greyback again.

The moon was rising.

The door opened and Ed came into the light cast by the dimming sun through the high window. His eyes were shadowed and his gait a pained shuffle. Beside him was Carl, his expression glazed, motions pained and somewhat mechanical as he stepped around Carl and reached for Remus's elbow to pull him to his feet. Even weakened by the moon, Carl's considerable sized muscles had no trouble dragging Remus up onto his feet and steadying him. Carl's motions were harsh but his eyes were apologetic. With Greyback as his Alpha, in such close proximity, there was little Carl could do but follow the commands given to him.