'Family.'
ooc: This is for fenrirskoll, who requested a fic with the prompt of 'Family' for the Christmas meme. I actually have another version of this prompt that I might do later, but for now this is what I have to offer (especially since Remus has been dreaming about this for the past few nights in the grownhp6words timeline >.>). <3
Warning: Cut for length and disturbing imagery. Because it wouldn't be the holidays without it, right? ;) Happy Christmas!
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February 24, 1967
Remus Lupin knew well enough all the stories about the horrors that the night held within its darkness. Ever since he could remember his parents, mostly his dad, would tell him about those monsters of the night. Those creatures that prowled and hunted without caring about how old or young their victim could be.
The stories never managed to get rid of his curiosity, however. Like most six-year olds he knew, Remus didn't want to be locked in the house as soon as it got dark outside; he wanted to keep playing with his friends for as long as he possibly could. His parents, on the other hand, were adamant about him being inside as soon as the sun went down which would leave Remus to look longingly out of his window.
This night was no exception. His parents were busy entertaining guests - some people his father worked with at the Ministry - and Remus was sitting by his window and looking out at the open fields where he and his neighbors would play. It had finally stopped raining after weeks of bad weather, and he had to be in the house because it was dark; to say that he was not happy was an understatement.
Just as he was starting to get up so he could get ready for bed he saw it. A shadow moving (or limping, it looked like) from the trees and onto his backyard. Turning towards the door he contemplated calling out to his parents to tell them that there seemed to be something outside, and that perhaps they needed to go out to see what it was. As his mouth opened to call out to them, though, he heard the animal make some sort of noise and Remus opened his window to listen to it better. The animal stilled at once, but the noises came back after a moment. Small noises, sounding to him almost like a sort of whine, which peaked his curiosity.
What if the animal was hurt? It looked like a dog - a very big one - and what if it was dying? What if they could save it? What if he could save it?
If he called out to his parents they wouldn't let him go out. In fact, since they had guests over he highly doubted they would leave them so they could check on the animal, which gave him one solution: It was his responsibility to go.
Slipping on his shoes and putting on an extra sweater, Remus started to climb out of his window.
Because, as many times as his father had told him the stories, the last thing on Remus' mind was finding the ways on how to identify a werewolf.
________________________________________________
Fenrir had been waiting. Despite what some people would think, Fenrir Greyback was more patient than he was given credit for.
It had been weeks ago since his run-in with the man at the Ministry named Lupin. He could have attacked him since then, but he hadn't. He had waited. He had found where the man lived. He had taken into account everything he had - a house in the outskirts of a small town, close to the country, and a family.
This was what had aided his patience; the sight of that little brown-haired boy that the man loved so much. The day he had followed him home he had seen the boy run out to greet him, and it was then that the plan formed in his mind.
He was supposed to be the beast. The menace. The nightmare so many people feared, and he didn't mind it. If anything, he gave them reasons to fear him. They wanted him to be a menace? Then he was one. They wanted him to be a nightmare? He would gladly haunt them. But, in reality, he wasn't the monster. What wizards failed to see was that they were the true beasts; them, the ones that so willingly hated and labeled the unknown. The ones that without a second's thought were ready to hurt others if they didn't fit into their standards while the truth was that his kind were better. Faster. Stronger than any wizard could ever dream of being.
Watching as the boy climbed out of his room, Fenrir's lips curled into a slow smirk. He could feel his heartbeats, and how they started speeding up slowly but surely. No fear. Not yet.
But then he let out the growl. A slow growl at the back of his throat, his body getting ready for the chase, because pouncing on him now would lessen the joy of the hunt.
So, before the boy could say a word, he leaped after him.
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Remus didn't yell. He didn't scream. As soon as the animal started to move towards him he did the only thing he could imagine doing: He ran.
It was cold. Freezing, really, and that coldness was seeping deeply into his body and right down to his bones. It seemed to tighten his muscles as he ran, but it didn't stop him. He just ran, panic gripping at him from the inside and making his stomach clench tightly. The growling managed to make a sort of whimper get stuck in his throat, though, because he could feel the werewolf catching up to him. Of course he would catch up to him, he would think later; he was six. He would be seven in a few days, but for now he was six and trying to outrun a werewolf.
'Don't,' he thought desperately. He begged, although not verbally, as hot tears started to slide down his cheeks while he ran. 'Please leave me alone please go away go away LEAVE ME ALONE'
But Fenrir didn't leave him alone. He didn't even attack right away, because he liked to tease him with each growl, and each snarl that made the panic in Remus' body almost paralyze him. He just took in his fear and let it fuel him to hit and bite harder.
And then it happened; just as Remus looked over his shoulder to see where Fenrir was, he felt him so close that he finally screamed. The sound got caught in his throat, though, as Fenrir tackled him onto the ground and pinned him down. Sharp claws dug into his skin, holding him down, and the only thing that stopped Remus from screaming was that he could hear his mother warning him that he should never be out at night. He could also hear, so clearly, those tales his father would tell him.
'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry...'
The feeling of Fenrir's hot breath against his neck, so close to his ear, made Remus flinch at first but as much as he tried to make his body to start wiggling so he could get away he couldn't. He tried when he moved so he could claw at him some more, but the pain was so much that he was torn over whether he should stay still or not. He was so cold that, as he felt the blood gushing out of the wounds, he shuddered from its warmth. He had never felt himself bleed like this. He had never known how blood smelled like, but that was the only thing he could smell.
More growling, so so close to him, finally made his voice start working again. "MUM!! DAD, HEL--"
Once more Fenrir stopped him from talking, but this time by digging his fangs deep into his shoulder. He happily ripped through the skin, savoring the blood the boy was shedding. The fact that the boy was terrified made everything taste so much better, and he just dug in his fangs and claws deeper as the boy screamed.
Before he could continue mangling him, the sound of a gunshot made Fenrir release his hold and move back. Men were coming out of their houses, yelling out threats, aiming at him, but Fenrir didn't give them the pleasure of catching him.
They weren't strong enough. They would never be strong enough to catch him.
Just as he turned to leave, he caught sight of Remus' father rushing out to the boy, shooting a glance at the 'monster' that had attacked his son.
The panicked look on his face as he realized what he had done, and who had been responsible for it, made Fenrir let out a happy howl as he ran back towards the woods.
________________________________________________
Three weeks. Another test of his patience, Fenrir thought, as he hid in the shadows the trees close to the Lupin's house gave. His patience was rewarded, though, as he watched the Ministry's vehicle drive up to the house with the family.
When he caught sight of the familiar little boy and how he seemed to clutch to his father once he picked him up from the back seat, a slow smirk grew on his lips. That was his pup, because that was no longer a child. More importantly than anything else, he wasn't that man's child even if he would be the one that would be there for every transformation. Fenrir liked to pluck each one of his pups away from their previous families, so he could raise them and make them be true werewolves, but for now he would let this particular pup stay with this family.
But he would be his. He was his, because nothing would ever save the pup from being the beast that wizard loathed so much.
"Now you have a little 'monster' of your own," he said under his breath as the family moved into the house and he barked out a laugh.
Warning: Cut for length and disturbing imagery. Because it wouldn't be the holidays without it, right? ;) Happy Christmas!
________________________________________________
February 24, 1967
Remus Lupin knew well enough all the stories about the horrors that the night held within its darkness. Ever since he could remember his parents, mostly his dad, would tell him about those monsters of the night. Those creatures that prowled and hunted without caring about how old or young their victim could be.
The stories never managed to get rid of his curiosity, however. Like most six-year olds he knew, Remus didn't want to be locked in the house as soon as it got dark outside; he wanted to keep playing with his friends for as long as he possibly could. His parents, on the other hand, were adamant about him being inside as soon as the sun went down which would leave Remus to look longingly out of his window.
This night was no exception. His parents were busy entertaining guests - some people his father worked with at the Ministry - and Remus was sitting by his window and looking out at the open fields where he and his neighbors would play. It had finally stopped raining after weeks of bad weather, and he had to be in the house because it was dark; to say that he was not happy was an understatement.
Just as he was starting to get up so he could get ready for bed he saw it. A shadow moving (or limping, it looked like) from the trees and onto his backyard. Turning towards the door he contemplated calling out to his parents to tell them that there seemed to be something outside, and that perhaps they needed to go out to see what it was. As his mouth opened to call out to them, though, he heard the animal make some sort of noise and Remus opened his window to listen to it better. The animal stilled at once, but the noises came back after a moment. Small noises, sounding to him almost like a sort of whine, which peaked his curiosity.
What if the animal was hurt? It looked like a dog - a very big one - and what if it was dying? What if they could save it? What if he could save it?
If he called out to his parents they wouldn't let him go out. In fact, since they had guests over he highly doubted they would leave them so they could check on the animal, which gave him one solution: It was his responsibility to go.
Slipping on his shoes and putting on an extra sweater, Remus started to climb out of his window.
Because, as many times as his father had told him the stories, the last thing on Remus' mind was finding the ways on how to identify a werewolf.
________________________________________________
Fenrir had been waiting. Despite what some people would think, Fenrir Greyback was more patient than he was given credit for.
It had been weeks ago since his run-in with the man at the Ministry named Lupin. He could have attacked him since then, but he hadn't. He had waited. He had found where the man lived. He had taken into account everything he had - a house in the outskirts of a small town, close to the country, and a family.
This was what had aided his patience; the sight of that little brown-haired boy that the man loved so much. The day he had followed him home he had seen the boy run out to greet him, and it was then that the plan formed in his mind.
He was supposed to be the beast. The menace. The nightmare so many people feared, and he didn't mind it. If anything, he gave them reasons to fear him. They wanted him to be a menace? Then he was one. They wanted him to be a nightmare? He would gladly haunt them. But, in reality, he wasn't the monster. What wizards failed to see was that they were the true beasts; them, the ones that so willingly hated and labeled the unknown. The ones that without a second's thought were ready to hurt others if they didn't fit into their standards while the truth was that his kind were better. Faster. Stronger than any wizard could ever dream of being.
Watching as the boy climbed out of his room, Fenrir's lips curled into a slow smirk. He could feel his heartbeats, and how they started speeding up slowly but surely. No fear. Not yet.
But then he let out the growl. A slow growl at the back of his throat, his body getting ready for the chase, because pouncing on him now would lessen the joy of the hunt.
So, before the boy could say a word, he leaped after him.
________________________________________________
Remus didn't yell. He didn't scream. As soon as the animal started to move towards him he did the only thing he could imagine doing: He ran.
It was cold. Freezing, really, and that coldness was seeping deeply into his body and right down to his bones. It seemed to tighten his muscles as he ran, but it didn't stop him. He just ran, panic gripping at him from the inside and making his stomach clench tightly. The growling managed to make a sort of whimper get stuck in his throat, though, because he could feel the werewolf catching up to him. Of course he would catch up to him, he would think later; he was six. He would be seven in a few days, but for now he was six and trying to outrun a werewolf.
'Don't,' he thought desperately. He begged, although not verbally, as hot tears started to slide down his cheeks while he ran. 'Please leave me alone please go away go away LEAVE ME ALONE'
But Fenrir didn't leave him alone. He didn't even attack right away, because he liked to tease him with each growl, and each snarl that made the panic in Remus' body almost paralyze him. He just took in his fear and let it fuel him to hit and bite harder.
And then it happened; just as Remus looked over his shoulder to see where Fenrir was, he felt him so close that he finally screamed. The sound got caught in his throat, though, as Fenrir tackled him onto the ground and pinned him down. Sharp claws dug into his skin, holding him down, and the only thing that stopped Remus from screaming was that he could hear his mother warning him that he should never be out at night. He could also hear, so clearly, those tales his father would tell him.
'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry...'
The feeling of Fenrir's hot breath against his neck, so close to his ear, made Remus flinch at first but as much as he tried to make his body to start wiggling so he could get away he couldn't. He tried when he moved so he could claw at him some more, but the pain was so much that he was torn over whether he should stay still or not. He was so cold that, as he felt the blood gushing out of the wounds, he shuddered from its warmth. He had never felt himself bleed like this. He had never known how blood smelled like, but that was the only thing he could smell.
More growling, so so close to him, finally made his voice start working again. "MUM!! DAD, HEL--"
Once more Fenrir stopped him from talking, but this time by digging his fangs deep into his shoulder. He happily ripped through the skin, savoring the blood the boy was shedding. The fact that the boy was terrified made everything taste so much better, and he just dug in his fangs and claws deeper as the boy screamed.
Before he could continue mangling him, the sound of a gunshot made Fenrir release his hold and move back. Men were coming out of their houses, yelling out threats, aiming at him, but Fenrir didn't give them the pleasure of catching him.
They weren't strong enough. They would never be strong enough to catch him.
Just as he turned to leave, he caught sight of Remus' father rushing out to the boy, shooting a glance at the 'monster' that had attacked his son.
The panicked look on his face as he realized what he had done, and who had been responsible for it, made Fenrir let out a happy howl as he ran back towards the woods.
________________________________________________
Three weeks. Another test of his patience, Fenrir thought, as he hid in the shadows the trees close to the Lupin's house gave. His patience was rewarded, though, as he watched the Ministry's vehicle drive up to the house with the family.
When he caught sight of the familiar little boy and how he seemed to clutch to his father once he picked him up from the back seat, a slow smirk grew on his lips. That was his pup, because that was no longer a child. More importantly than anything else, he wasn't that man's child even if he would be the one that would be there for every transformation. Fenrir liked to pluck each one of his pups away from their previous families, so he could raise them and make them be true werewolves, but for now he would let this particular pup stay with this family.
But he would be his. He was his, because nothing would ever save the pup from being the beast that wizard loathed so much.
"Now you have a little 'monster' of your own," he said under his breath as the family moved into the house and he barked out a laugh.