Then, one day, a couple of weeks after their arrival, a stranger comes to the door, wanting to speak to Remus. In fact, he speaks in glowing terms of Remus's intelligence and loyalty, and how helpful he would be to the war effort.
"You could do so much for your people," he says in a plate-glass-smooth tone. "Your assistance could be invaluable. I urge you to join us."
And he stretches out a soft, perfectly manicured hand.
Remus is getting gooseflesh on his arms. And not just because the guy himself, although his creepiness factor is higher than normal.
It's the way that his parents are smiling and nodding, as if his dropping out of school and going off to fight a war that he's not in the least trained to fight is an inspired idea. They don't act like this. They've never acted like this.
And who the hell are "his people," anyway?
"I'm sorry, sir," he says politely. "But I don't think I'm ready to fight a war, and I don't honestly see what I can do that someone else can't.
"I urge you to consider what you are doing," says the stranger in a sterner but still smooth tone.
"I've already made up my mind..."
"Really?" replies the stranger easily. "I would have thought that your parents' minds and lives would be incentive enough." The voice rises to an unnaturally high pitch for a man. "Join us now, werewolf, or I shall shatter your parents' minds and hearts from within. You are nothing to me...but your presence is requested by one Fenrir Greyback. He has asked for you as a gift." The voice becomes a shriek. "Join us, or your father dies, and your mother will be insane forever!"
The semblance of the reasonable stranger dissolves. Remus finds himself staring at the hideous visage of Voldemort.
Faith knocks his arm backward, sending the curse into the ceiling, and then pulls the knife out of his throat and takes his wand hand off at the wrist.
"You stay away from Remus," she growls, darkly. "You keep your war far, far away from my family."
Voldemort opens his mouth in a silent scream. He reaches out for her arm with his remaining hand, but he's losing too much blood, and is far too weak. A convulsive shudder runs through him.
He's kicking, or at least trying to kick her.
Remus is just staaaaaaaaaaaring. This isn't anything that he expected.
Remus then remembers the words of Tonks and Harry.
"Faith," he says gently, speaking so that only she can hear, "Do you know what you just did? You saved Lily's life. Because in another world, Lily got killed by Voldemort. And her husband, James Potter, was too. And Sirius was thrown in prison for a crime he didn't commit. A dozen or so Muggles died as well.
"You stopped all that from happening. All the people that Voldemort and his Death Eaters would have killed and tortured and maimed will live, free, whole and happy, because of you. You saved hundreds, maybe thousands of lives."
He hugs her again. Both the Lupins hug her this time.
It's really the only thing Faith can think to say.
She's never been a hero before. She's not Buffy, she's not a Slayer...just a dumb kid from Southie who dropped out of high school. And now Remus is telling her that....what? She saved Lily's life? Lily's, their friend James', more lives than she can even imagine?
"You could do so much for your people," he says in a plate-glass-smooth tone. "Your assistance could be invaluable. I urge you to join us."
And he stretches out a soft, perfectly manicured hand.
Reply
She doesn't trust this guy, and she doesn't think Remus should either.
She pokes her head into the room, catching Remus' eye, and shakes her head, hoping he'll catch her meaning.
Reply
It's the way that his parents are smiling and nodding, as if his dropping out of school and going off to fight a war that he's not in the least trained to fight is an inspired idea. They don't act like this. They've never acted like this.
And who the hell are "his people," anyway?
"I'm sorry, sir," he says politely. "But I don't think I'm ready to fight a war, and I don't honestly see what I can do that someone else can't.
"I have to say no."
Reply
Literally.
She has the feeling this man doesn't react well to being turned down.
Reply
"I've already made up my mind..."
"Really?" replies the stranger easily. "I would have thought that your parents' minds and lives would be incentive enough." The voice rises to an unnaturally high pitch for a man. "Join us now, werewolf, or I shall shatter your parents' minds and hearts from within. You are nothing to me...but your presence is requested by one Fenrir Greyback. He has asked for you as a gift." The voice becomes a shriek. "Join us, or your father dies, and your mother will be insane forever!"
The semblance of the reasonable stranger dissolves. Remus finds himself staring at the hideous visage of Voldemort.
Reply
She jumps on him from the ceiling over his head, tangling her fingers in his hair, and pulls his head back, putting a butcher's knife into his throat.
It's hard to cast a spell when your carotid artery has been cut open.
Reply
Of course, Voldemort wouldn't be Voldemort if he didn't at least try casting a silent Killing Curse at Faith.
Now, if he could just do something about the fact that he's bleeding to death from the neck up...
Reply
"You stay away from Remus," she growls, darkly. "You keep your war far, far away from my family."
Reply
He's kicking, or at least trying to kick her.
Remus is just staaaaaaaaaaaring. This isn't anything that he expected.
Reply
She's not inclined to feel guilty about that.
She's whaling on him, punching and kicking, even after he's far past the point of being able to fight back.
Reply
At last he stops breathing. He takes a breath, exhales, and doesn't take another one.
The Lupins blink as if waking from a deep sleep.
Remus goes over to them. "Mum? Da? I...I think we need to call the Aurors right away..."
Reply
Then she comes back to herself, and realizes that the blood on her hands - Voldemort's blood - is red.
Human.
Cue panic attack.
".....oh god I killed him."
Reply
"Faith...you...oh, thank God you were here!" And Mrs Lupin hugs Faith and her son with equal fervor.
Mr Lupin touches his son's face and then his wife's as if to reassure himself that they're real. Then he leans over and kisses Faith on the forehead.
"Thank you for our lives, Faith Lupin," he says tenderly.
Reply
"....you....you're welcome...I couldn't let him hurt you, you've been so nice to me...."
Reply
"Faith," he says gently, speaking so that only she can hear, "Do you know what you just did? You saved Lily's life. Because in another world, Lily got killed by Voldemort. And her husband, James Potter, was too. And Sirius was thrown in prison for a crime he didn't commit. A dozen or so Muggles died as well.
"You stopped all that from happening. All the people that Voldemort and his Death Eaters would have killed and tortured and maimed will live, free, whole and happy, because of you. You saved hundreds, maybe thousands of lives."
He hugs her again. Both the Lupins hug her this time.
Reply
It's really the only thing Faith can think to say.
She's never been a hero before. She's not Buffy, she's not a Slayer...just a dumb kid from Southie who dropped out of high school. And now Remus is telling her that....what? She saved Lily's life? Lily's, their friend James', more lives than she can even imagine?
It's too much to wrap her brain around.
Clinging to Remus ensues.
"I need a shower."
Reply
Leave a comment