Hungry Like The Wolf

Crawling in my skin
These wounds / they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing what is real

There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
Consuming / confusing
This lack of self control I fear is never ending
Controlling / I can't seem
To find myself again
My walls are closing in
[Without a sense of confidence / I'm convinced
there's just too much pressure to take]
I've felt this way before
So insecure

Crawling in my skin
These wounds / they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing what is real...

Linkin Park, "Crawling"

Remus awoke with a start. He sat up quickly, looking over his arms and torso. To his surprise, Remus found himself relatively unscathed. 'Was it all a dream?' All of it? Had he just imagined the drama with Sirius? Maybe it was still February. He slid out of bed, intent on checking the calendar, but before he could look, the door opened. "So...Rip Van Winkle is finally awake."

"Lobo!" The angel. She was standing behind that man. "If you were ever that sick after a change, I bet you'd sleep for a few days too."

"Days?" Had he really allowed himself to get that bad? "God, it hurt so much."

Sophious spoke hesitantly. "You were... in bond shock. We thought, perhaps, you'd lost a mate."

"I came here expecting a murderous rage. Instead, I got a half dead wolf." Lobo smiled and Remus almost expected fangs. His arm had automatically come to rest on Sophious' waist. "You must have loved her very much."

"He."

"What?"

"He. I loved him." Remus waited for their shock. Many thought the wizarding world was a place of great acceptance. That was a fairy tale. And being a gay werewolf? He wasn't liked by many people.

"Oh." Sophious looked at Lobo. "That man you chased out of here! Is your cold that bad you couldn't smell a mated bond?"

"That man was a Death Eater!"

"Man you chased out?" Damn, Sirius was persistent.

"The fellow with greasy hair and a dark mark."

'Severus?' Remus started laughing. It felt good. "You think... Him?" He couldn't help himself. It was just too funny.

"If you were a Muggle, you'd be bursting your stiches." Sophious was glad to see Remus could still laugh. "I was just wondering. Was that furry thing in you fridge alive once?" He blushed. "Maybe I should go shopping?"

"Want me to come with you?" Lobo's attention immediately snapped away from Remus.

"Lobo, I'll be fine. There's a store right around the corner. I'll be right back. Stop worrying about me so much." Her tone left no room for an argument. "Besides, I want you to look after Remus. What if that Death Eater comes back? He's still healing, he can't fight. I'll bring back your favorite."

"Steak?" Lobo's eyes lit up, remembering the taste of it. He'd been born an American, a place where beef was cheaper not to mention safer.

"I'll see if they have any." She smiled, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Be right back."

She left, Lobo watching her the entire time. Remus had noted their interaction and commented on it. "She your mate?"

Lobo looked down and sighed. "Unfortunately, no." He suddenly turned and looked at him, a fake grin pasted onto his face as he changed the subject. "So, you're probably wondering why we're here, am I right?"

"That would be my first question, yes," Remus said.

Lobo grabbed a nearby chair and carried it over. He spun it around backwards then sat down, straddling it. He rested his arms on the back of the chair and his eyes glistened. "Let me ask you something first- how do you feel about the Ministry?"

"It is beyond inefficiency and extremely corrupt, their laws are unfair, prejudiced, and outdated." Remus wondered why he wanted to discuss politics.

Lobo's grin widened, he was obviously pleased by Remus's response. "Excellent. Then you'll be interested in what I have to say." He cleared his throat, then continued. "I am the leader of an organization devoted to gaining us rights. I'm a werewolf too. And like you, I think the Ministry doesn't give a fuck if we live or die. That's what my group would like to change." He paused to let Remus absorb what he said.

"What's this group of yours called?" He asked, interested.

"We don't have an official name yet. Right now, we just refer to ourselves as the Pack," Lobo said. "Our goal is to gain back our rights the Ministry has taken away from us. We want to have respectable jobs and be trusted in wizard society. England is in the dark ages on werewolf rights. Where I grew up, wolfsbane was covered by insurance, and being a werewolf is your own business. We want to be able to get wolfsbane potions and other treatments to help make the transformation less painful and less dangerous. And- most importantly- we want representation in the Ministry." As Lobo spoke, Remus heard and related to the deep passion behind each word. "So... when we heard that a werewolf taught at Hogwarts last year, we thought that we had made a huge step forward. We were disappointed that you had to leave, but if everything we're fighting for works out... who knows? Maybe you can go back to teaching again."

Remus wondered if such a thing was truly possible... but he was learning quickly that Lobo was a very persuasive speaker. "So... how do you plan on achieving such a goal?"

"Right now I'm recruiting members to the Pack. You'd be the fifth if you accept." He paused and sighed. "The hardest thing is to find those who want to fight this. Many of our kind don't trust anyone- not even other werewolves. Others have gone mad, and can't distinct the wolf from the human anymore. And some just don't have the courage to face the Ministry, fearing that if they do, it's death or a dementor's kiss."

He nodded. No wonder that these two were the only two werewolves he'd met since he was first bitten. "So, you interested in helping us?" Lobo asked.

"Of course." Remus didn't even have to think about it.

Lobo smiled. "Great. There's only one thing I have to ask you to do. Show me your scar."

"I beg your pardon?" Remus hadn't expected that.

"You know... where you were first bitten. Here, I'll show you mine." Lobo stood up from the chair, took off his leather jacket. He hooked his fingers underneath the bottom of his white T-shirt and pulled it over his head in one swift motion. A pale, crescent-shaped scar was etched on his collarbone. "I was a teenager when it happened. My parents kicked me out after they found out I was infected. So much for their support. I couldn't turn to any other family because- well, let's just put it this way- my two uncles are werewolf hunters, and my only aunt never liked me anyway. So... what about you? Wait- let me see, then I'll guess."

"Okay." Remus easily removed his shirt, still in awe at how quickly his wounds had healed.

Lobo sat down on the edge of the bed beside him and motioned for him to come closer. Remus obeyed, sitting beside his new friend. "Let's see... it's pale, so this is an old wound... also, it's large, so you must have been very young when you were bitten... crescent-shaped like mine, so it was a male that bit you... and it was going for your throat, too, another hint that it was a male werewolf." As he spoke, Lobo traced the scar lightly with his fingertips, and an involuntary shudder ran through Remus's body. His eyes locked onto Lobo's. "It was a deep wound. It must have been very painful."

"Yes, it was." Although Remus wasn't talking about his scar anymore.

Lobo seemed to catch this. Before Remus could protest, Lobo had his arms around him, and embraced him in a comforting hug. "You're part of my pack now, Remus," he whispered softly into the other man's ear. "I make it my duty as the alpha wolf to protect my pack members. Whatever he did to you, he won't do it again. I promise I'll protect you from now on."

Neither of them noticed Sirius standing in the doorway. Neither of them heard his heart shatter at the sight of his lover in bed with another man.

End of Part Four

Announcement: Following this chapter is an Alternate Universe short. Due to it's rating, it cannot be posted on Schnoogle. If you'd like to view it, please send either myself or Sailor Twilight an email. ([email protected] or [email protected])