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.

It was just another reason for Remus.

"Where's Stewie?" he asked Carl.

Carl's mouth was a hard line, unable to answer.

"Ellie? Is she alright?" Remus asked, "And your little girl?"

Carl's lips twitched, wanting to talk, and Ed grinned and cackled at the struggle in Carl's eyes before he looked back to Remus again, amused. "Greyback knew you'd be askin' questions and Carl can't answer a single one of 'em." Ed paused then, eyes catching on the sack in the corner of the room. He pushed around Remus and Carl, storming over to pluck the bag up and unfurl the top, peering in at the remnants within. He glowered up at Remus. "Who gave this to you?" he growled.

Remus replied truthfully, "I don't know."

Ed growled lower and threw it down. "Greyback will know soon enough who dunnit and they'll be sorry for it once he's taken care of you - they'll be next." He grabbed Remus's second elbow - Carl still holding the first - and Ed yanked Remus toward the door roughly. "Come - let's get up stairs before the festivities begin."

Sirius sat in the chair by the window and stared up at the moon hanging in the sky as the sun died, the last rays of it piercing over the edge of the horizon like sharp lines across the purple-blue sky. He rubbed the tattoo around his wrist nervously, his fingers tracing the tree line that inked around the bone there, the tiny wolf standing on the plain of skin over his veins. He swallowed back the anxiety rising up in him - the nausea that may have been nerves or sympathy for Lily, he wasn't sure which at the moment.

Somewhere out there, somewhere where he wasn't, Remus Lupin was about to make his transformation.

It would've been bad enough for Sirius to think of if Remus was to be alone for the transformation. But no - it was so much worse - because Remus was not alone, but rather he was accompanied by the most terrible werewolf-villain there was. It didn't matter how many times Sirius reminded himself of Remus's strength and the fact that Remus had bested Greyback before in duels... It didn't matter because winning with magic was entirely different than winning in his werewolf form.

Remus was strong in werewolf form, sure. But was he stronger than Greyback?

If he won, how many new scars would Sirius count on his husband's body when Remus returned to the flat?

And if he lost...

What then?

What had been the last words he'd said to Remus before they'd gone to bed that night?

When had the last kiss been?

The last touch?

The last laugh?

The last smile?

He hugged his knees to his chest.

Suddenly there was a palm touching his knee and he jumped in surprise, turning to find James sitting down on the chair next to his. James held up a cup of tea. Sirius took it, holding the cup between his palms as James floated the saucer by Sirius's shoulder. Sirius stared into the cup and thought of how the color of the tea was nearly the same color as Remus's happy eyes.

"He's going to be alright," James said firmly.

"You don't know that," Sirius said, his voice rough from having been quiet a large part of the last three days - the biggest outward sign of his inward stress.

"He's Remus," James said simply, "Of course he'll be okay. You have to have faith in him, that's all."

Sirius took a long sip of the tea and clutched the hot cup all the closer, hugging it to his chest. "I do - I do have faith in my Moony," Sirius murmured. He looked back at the window, at the sun's last breath as the light broke and night took over. His eyes shifted to the moon, which had officially taken over now... and he he could feel the pain in his spine. He winced, biting his lip so hard he could feel the copper of his own blood seeping into his mouth.

James put down his cup and put a palm on Sirius's knee.

When the pain had passed, Sirius looked at James, tears streaking his face.

Greyback was reclining across his chair once more when Carl and Ed brought Remus in. The men and women whose fealty was captured by Fenrir lay in various states of unrest and pain all about the room - their eyes all trained upon Remus as he was led into the room. Greyback sneered and sat up, dropping his legs to the floor and standing up. Ed pushed Remus forward toward Greyback, who waved for both Ed and Carl to step back - step away.

Remus stood before Greyback, looking haggard and exhausted.

"And how were our accommodations, Mr. Lupin?" Greyback drawled in amusement. "Five stars?"

Remus peered up at him, breath shallow as the sun's last rays peered through the windows. He refused to answer, even as he felt Greyback's Alpha-magic probing his mind, pushing him to give a reply.

Greyback smiled mirthlessly, annoyed with Remus's ability to shield him off.

"You might as well stop trying," Remus murmured. "You are no longer my Alpha... and soon, you'll no longer be any of these people's alpha, either."

Greyback sneered. "Very well then," he said. Then, raising his voice, he said, "None are to interrupt, none are to help or intervene. If any interfere, the challenger's rights will be forfeit and I, the rightful Alpha, will win by default... and the challenger's life shall be the payment." He glared at Remus.

Remus added, "And if they interfere coming to your aid, it shall likewise be... You'll be forfeit and it will be your life which will be the payment."

It was clear by Greyback's face he'd rather hoped Remus might forget to repeat the terms. He stepped closer to Remus, his gait slower than typical due to the moon that was seconds from transforming them... Greyback grinned and stared into Remus's eyes. "I'll enjoy tearing out your throat," he said menacingly, "And then the throats of your friends until the floor in here is soaked in their blood." He grinned and licked his lips.

Remus felt his spine beginning to crack and winced with the pain. He looked up, meeting Greyback's stare as evenly as he could as the transformation started, he said, "You think you're so strong for fighting with hatred in your heart... but Greyback, we figured out a long time ago that love is stronger than hate in ever aspect... and... I --" he felt his knees cracking, the burn of fur sprouting running up his back and around his sides and over his arms... "I intend to - to pr--  prove --"

Greyback laughed as he transformed, laughed as his nose burst forward with a shout.

All around them, people were transforming, their bodies breaking and cries escaping the young children as parents hurried to round them closer - pain eating them all alive...

Remus was still laying on the floor, the last of his internal organs still making the change, by the time Fenrir Greyback made his first lunge for Remus's neck.