349Arthur's note: Hiya! This is an idea that's been rolling around in my head for a while now, so I figured I might as well post it. Reviews would be appreciated. I apologize if I misspelled anything.
~10 years ago~
At the tender age of six I was sure of two things:
Life sucked. It was full of nothing but pain.
It didn't really matter how bad life was because I wouldn't be around to suffer through it much longer.
My name was Julie. Or Sarah. Or whatever I felt like mentally calling myself that day. My father had never bothered to name me. If I had a mother I'd yet to be acquainted with her.
My father is Greyback, the leader of our pack. My hesitancy towards bloodshed frequently disappoints him and leaves me as I am now—beaten, battered, and broken.
At times like this, I sit under my favorite tree and contemplate life. How much it sucks and how much longer I shall be forced to endure it. As I get closer I notice someone is already under the tree. A man with shaggy dirty blond hair and sad amber eyes. He's new to our pack, not yet trusted.
But I really don't give a damn. So I plop down next to him. He seems surprised but offers a tentative smile. I frown in return. Smiles are not to be trusted.
"Hi" he said softly, "I'm Remus. Remus Lupin."
Remus…I like that name.
"What's your name?" he prompts.
"….Remusina."
He blinks then chuckles. His laugh is rusty like he hasn't used it for a while, but's it's laced with a warmth that surprises me. I scoot closer to him; while my instincts warn me to always be cautious and on guard, I rarely listen to them. The rest of the day was spent in a comfortable silence.
Remus spent a lot of time at my tree. By the end of the week, we were on a talking basis.
"Remus?"
"Yes Nami?"
I shook my head. "It's Chole today. Why did you join the pack?"
He frowned. "…It's..complicated.."
"Surely where you came from is better than this? I mean…If this is as good as it gets what's the point of living?"
He closed his eyes for a long time. "…There is a better way to live than this. A much better way…You can always find happiness if you look hard enough..That's the point of living through the bad; so you can find the good. And after the journey the good will be even sweeter."
Finding the good aye?... But how to look for it…?
Remus smiled sadly at the child next to him. Unlike him she wasn't made a werewolf—she was born one. Her very existence was a crime. There would be no happy ending for her regardless of if she stayed with the pack or searched for better things, but he couldn't tell her that. False hope may be deadly but surely at such a young age it was better than no hope at all…..
Two days later when Remus had fulfilled his spying duties to the Order and was allowed to leave the pack, he couldn't stop a twinge of regret from dampening his relief. He'd miss that girl. He doubted she'd survive till puberty…but maybe it was better that way. She could never be beast enough for Greyback nor human enough for everyone else.
Current day.
A lot has changed in the last ten years. When Remus left, I took him up on his advice and decided to look for a better life which I had up until now…
I sighed, looking at the Ministry official boredly. He jumped at the sudden noise as if he expected me to slit his throat at any second. Not that I wouldn't like to…but…. Well I'm not sure why I shouldn't, but I guess it has something to do with it being morally reprehensible.
He spoke in a shaky voice. "Th-The punishment for being a naturally born w-werewolf is slavery."
I wasn't stupid, I knew the laws. Heck, I'd even been captured and put in a training school before. But there was no need to let him off nicely.
"And what exactly am I being punished for?"
"F…For…being born."
"Technically that fault lies with my parents. After all, I didn't conceive or birth myself."
He gaped as if he couldn't believe I was mentally capable of a sensible argument.
"W-well then it's for existing!"
"Oh if it's my existence that's the problem then why don't you just off me now?"
"….."
"You know you look like a fish when your mouth's swinging open and closed, gaping like that."
"Th-That's enough out of you! …Mutt!"
Pff like I hadn't heard that one before.
The door opened. A man with long white-blond hair and a cane walked in. He smiled darkly at me.
"So you're my new pet?"
"…That's kinda rude you know. No 'hi, how are you?' or 'what's your name?'"
He turned to the man behind me.
"I take it she hasn't been trained?"
"No Mr. Malfoy sir."
"No matter. She shall learn soon."
Lucius glanced at the creature before him. She was nice to look at at least. Pale skin, long wavy black hair, slight frame. He could barely distinguish a few thin scars on her face, near her neck. Her eyes were an eerie gold. Moderately full lips were drawn into a sulky pout as if being captured and sold into slavery were a simple annoyance rather than a horrific, life-shattering event. He'd have to beat some fear into her.
Aside from the joy of having a new punching bag, and the ostentatious display of his wealth, he purchased her as a way to anger his….'colleagues.' An attack on the ministry had destroyed several offices causing he Lucius, despite all his greatness, to be demoted to a mere cubical station and to share the floor with both the filthy blood-traitor Arthur Weasley, and the mutt Lupin (how the werewolf had landed a job much less a job in the ministry, he'd never know).
Having the she-mutt publically made his slave would irk the two men to no end. He couldn't wait to see their faces at work tomorrow.
I might be rebellious, but I'm not suicidal. I spent the night as a good girl, following the Malfoy's every instruction without complaint and escaping with only a few shoves.
Mrs. Malfoy was too disgusted to touch me but demanded that I be freshly bathed and clothed in a dark green silky dress, with a matching ribbon in my hair. Apparently no lapdog of hers would be seen looking less than perfect. The dress was fine but a little shorter than I'd like and sleeveless. Which wouldn't have bothered me if my room (dingy stone closet) had heat.
Lucius came for me in the morning, attaching a collar to my neck and leading me after him like a dog. Sigh. This was gonna be a looooong day.
Arthur laughed at a joke Remus had just made. The soft-spoken werewolf could be quite funny when he wanted to be. The doors to the elevator opened and in waltzed Lucius with..
Arthur blinked, then turned to Remus, seeing if he was seeing the same thing.
Remus gasped in shock, amber eyes quickly narrowing. He'd heard rumors that the ministry had captured a rouge natural born werewolf, but he'd thought they'd just been rumors…
"What the hell.." Arthur mummered quietly.
"She's a wolf" Remus sighed just as quietly.
Arthur nodded grimly. He too had heard the rumors…
Remus's fist clenched. The world wasn't fair. It would never be fair. And there was nothing he could do about it.
I couldn't help but laugh quietly to myself at the looks on the employee's faces. Looks of fear. Fear that I would lash out or devour them. Humor fights the hurt.
A familiar scent hit my nose. Wolf. The scent of the wild. So there was another wolf near me… though this seemed even deeper than just recognizing one of my own.. Glancing around curiously, I met a pair of sad amber eyes.
Déjà vu jolted through me. I shook my head. No. It couldn't be…
Lucius stopped in front of him.
"Good morning Lupin. Weasley."
Oh. My…
Both men were ignoring him, focusing on me. Remus's brows were pulled together in concentration, his nostrils flaring slightly. Probably trying to decipher where he'd smelled me before… While ten years had left him shaggier and greyer, I must look very different.
I smiled at both men, mouthing 'hi.' Weasley's face softened and Remus gave me a sad smile. Malfoy tugged on my leash, pulling into his cubicle and pointing to the floor.
"Sit."
I stared at him for a moment. Really? He could of at least used a complete sentence…
Sighing,I did as told. Work was boring. Very boring. I stayed curled on the floor on my side in an admitably dog-like position till Malfoy left for lunch, leaving me behind.
My ears perked up, hearing two sets of footsteps approaching, and I opened my eyes. Arthur and Remus.
Arthur held out a sandwich to me. "I thought you could use some lunch."
I smiled, taking it gratefully. "Thanks."
Remus knelt in front of me, looking very serious.
"Are you okay? Do you have any injuries?"
I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess aside from being majorly pissed at the world, I'm okay. No injuries so far; I know better than to try and spark Malfoy's temper."
He nodded. "What's your name?"
I paused. "….Remusina."
He sucked in a sharp breath, eyes running over my features, lighting up with recognition. I smiled. "But I normally go by Rika now."
He shook his head. "I can't believe…"
Arthur frowned. "…You two know each other?"
I nodded. "Kinda..lts been about ten years though…"
"If you need anything," Remus began, but I cut him off.
"There's nothing you can do. But don't worry. Trust me, I'll find a way outta this…"
Two months. Two very dull, very repetitive months had passed since I had been made Malfoy's captive. I hadn't given up hope of escape yet, but I was close. That is until the event I mentally refer to as 'The Vomit Inducing Aw Hell No, Not Happening Sicko, Bad Thing That Almost Killed Me But Turned Out Pretty Good So In Your Face Malfoy' happened.
It all started when Malfoy came home drunk. Isn't that where all good stories start? The drunken villan attacking the small, innocent damsel? Lucius tried to take out every ounce of anger he'd built up throughout his entire life on me. He wanted to break me, make me cry and beg for mercy.
But I refused.
He was getting desperate. His intoxication rendered him to dense to use his wand on me, and his arms were getting tired. Victory-if you could even call it that-was about to be mine.
But a great prick like Malfoy couldn't have that. If he didn't assert his authority over me in some way, his ego would be damaged beyond repair. So he did the only thing his drunken mind could come up with.
He kissed me.
Insert mental vomiting.
And several years of therapy.
Which I have no money for, so back to mental vomiting.
It wasn't a kiss of desire. There was no sickening lust. It was all about power. Dominance. He wanted to spike my fear, stir a reaction from my silent frame. He got a reaction all right.
Survival instincts forgotten, I slashed him with my awesome werewolf claws(well technically they were just fingernails, but they were equally awesome and pretty darn pointy), and he stumbled away to go terrorize the house elves.
Now Mr. Icky had four long red nail marks on his face and a hangover. I thought he'd just take his anger out by beating me more(which he did), but apparently blemishing his perfectly pale complexion was worthy of capital punishment.
The bloody prick is trying to convince the ministry to put me down. What am I an animal?
…..Well not technically….
Regardless, I am Doomed. Doomed. With a capital D. Actually, with all capital letters. DOOMED. DOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEDDD.
I'm in ministry custody, awaiting my trial. My open to the public, televised trial. Apparently everyone wants a glimpse of the rabid werewolf.
: (
Today is not a good day.
Palms sweaty. Heart racing. Hyperventilating.
The judges are seated before me. In the very center is Fudge himself, seated next to a toad of a woman. She's smiling, but not in a nice way.
I am going to die.
There's no way around it.
I want to break.
Cry. Scream. Shout.
Beg.
Raw Fear claws at my stomach, working its way up my throat. I swallow several times to keep a hysterical whimper from escaping.
I've already decided that if I'm going out, I'm going to do so with a bang. No time to be weak. I refuse to break.
My resolution is wavering. I'm almost relieved when it's my turn to speak for myself because being still and silent is driving me crazy.
I start my defense by explaining every human law I know that focuses on self-defense. I speak under a truth serum to prove I'm not lying about my accusation. Several people around me are shooting me sympathetic glances, as are several of my judges. My heart lifts: they are on my side.
Till toad woman opens her mouth.
"But my dear," she says in an overly sugar-laced voice, "by law, you aren't a human."
Bitch. Too bad for her though, this is the moment I've been waiting for.
I raise my chin, meeting her squinty eyes.
"Animal abuse is also against wizarding laws. Animal victims of abuse are taken from their owners and relocated."
Her smile distorts, stretching thinly, then returns with an acid edge.
"It's too bad no one would be willing to take in a violent werewolf."
It's true. She's got me there.
Fudge smiles, obviously relieved with this chance to make a 'just' decision.
"Unless someone is willing to step up and take ownership of the werewolf, I'm afraid we'll be forced to put her down."
I stare into his eyes. I came here knowing I was going down, but it's still not fair.
He squirms under my gaze.
"Free of charge of course! Anyone?...Anyone?" He smiles. "No? Well then—"
"I'll take her!"
Every head in the room whips around. Remus J. Lupin is standing up, chin raised defiantly.
"I'd be happy to take charge of her."
Fudge gaps. I gap. The crowd gaps. Quite possibly the whole world gaps.
The chain encircling my neck is handed off to Remus. He guides me out as if he didn't just shock the entire wizard world. He appaparates to a house. His house I assume. He unchains my neck and smiles at me.
"Well now…Shall I show you to your room?"
It's several gapping filled minutes before I can nod yes.