Work Text:
Eternal Promise
by Lani
When Death Eaters stormed the Great Hall during the Sorting Ceremony of Harry Potter's sixth year, almost everyone was taken by surprised. Members of the Order were surprised as well, but hardly shocked. There had been a building sense of foreboding in the atmosphere in the week preceding Harry's return to Hogwarts. Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley had all acquired haggard, drawn-out appearances from long and tension-filled shifts. Lupin had become twitchy and irritable.. very rare attitude from the normally dignified werewolf. Even Harry, Ron, and Hermione, secluded from most of the outside world in Grimmauld Place, felt the growing darkness. So it was with great apprehension that the new school year began.
The number of students entering Hogwarts for the first time was noticeably smaller, Harry realized. Those that were standing at the front of the hall seemed more determined and care-worn than Harry could ever remember being at that age. The older students in the hall were quieter than normal; even the Slytherins were rather glum. At the head table, Professor McGonagall attempted to instill a sense of strength. Harry suspected that the teachers were actually quite disturbed by the absence of Dumbledore.
The Headmaster had informed the Order that he would be out of the country for a few days on a matter of great importance. This did nothing to appease the worry of those in the Order, let alone comfort the rest of the staff. Flitwick was the only professor with a smile on his face, and even that was strained. Harry could almost see the tension radiating from Snape; the Potions professor glowered at everyone, including members of his own house. Towards the center of the table, Lupin made small attempts to cheer up the students. He made eye contact with everyone, nodded to some of his old students and winked at the newer ones.
Despite Lupin's seemingly calm exterior, Harry knew the man was the most troubled out of all the adults that evening. Sirius's death had taken its toll on Remus in a silent and devastating way. He began to go on more dangerous and more frequent missions. When at Grimmauld, the man barely talked to anyone. Sometimes Lupin would respond when talked to directly, but never went out of his way to join in conversations. None of them had noticed how much skinnier he had gotten, or how paler, until it was too late to soothe away his pain. Grief was wrapped so tightly around Lupin that they could only be glad that he had not decided to give up completely. It was very reluctantly that he had agreed to return as the DADA professor. Harry thought that providing the students with the knowledge to protect themselves gave the werewolf a sense of purpose.
"I think this year might be the best yet," Ron stated suddenly. He twirled a fork in his hand as he waited for the remaining first years to be sorted. Hermione gaped at him. "Think about it. Lupin's back teaching, the Slytherins are too disgruntled to be annoying, and Harry's captain of the Quidditch team. If only Snape could disappear..."
"Ron!" Hermione hissed.
"I agree with Ron," Harry put in unexpectedly. "We don't even have OWLs or NEWTs to worry about." The last first year was sorted, and McGonagall was removing the Sorting Hat. "Well... except for the whole Voldemort thing," he added sarcastically, "this year might actually be pleasant."
"Come on, Harry," Ron sighed, "You-Know-Who is still smarting from the arrest of his top lackeys. It's too early for him to do anything. Besides, this is /Hogwarts/. We're safe here."
"I'd be careful what you say." Hermione looked crossly at Ron. "Sometimes you're just too naive."
"Yeah," Harry added. "Hogwarts hasn't stopped him in the past..."
As soon as the words left Harry's lips, an explosion rocked the entire hall. The large doors leading into the room had been forced open, and about twenty Death Eaters rushed in. The professors barely had time to react before they were all knocked backwards and their wands taken from them. Younger students screamed and began to cry, rushing away from the intruders. Older students tried to rise and attack the Death Eaters, but an invisible force pushed them all to the sides of the hall and against the walls. Harry felt like he was pasted to the stone, his whole body unresponsive.
"Give us Harry Potter, and no one will suffer," the foremost Death Eater yelled. Harry nearly growled when he recognized the voice. Bellatrix held aloft a softly glowing purple stone that was apparently the reason for everyone's immobility. "It is Potter who the Dark Lord /really/ wants, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind getting a few of you out of the way." She displayed the stone towards the teachers, who seemed stuck where they were standing.
"You think we'll give in after only a few threats? Idiots," McGonagall sneered. "The entire Ministry is probably on its way..." She was suddenly silenced by a spell from one of the Death Eaters.
"I wasn't talking to you!" Bellatrix hissed. "Just for that, you'll be the first to die." She raised the stone higher and a bright light surrounded McGonagall.
"WAIT!" Harry screamed. "I'm right here! Stop!" He tried to break away from the wall with all his strength, but he couldn't budge an inch.
Bellatrix rounded on him. She twisted the stone slightly, and everyone became un-stuck. "Well, well, well. Ickle Potter, trying to save the day." She dragged him into the center of the hall. "Have I got a surprise for you!" Her face was practically glowing with anticipation.
Harry looked around the hall, trying to find any way to reach the exit. If he left, the Death Eaters would probably follow and leave everyone else unharmed. Although freed from the spell, the students and teachers remained around the sides of the hall. Death Eaters had gathered their wands in a pile by the door and were separating them from Harry. He could see Hermione and Ron assessing their situation as well.
"A belated birthday present, Bella?" Harry taunted. "I didn't know you cared." If he could just keep talking, he'd be able to think of something. The two Death Eaters guarding the teachers chuckled.
Their momentary distraction was all Lupin needed. With a burst of speed that caught everyone off guard, he leapt over the head table. He pulled a spare wand from deep within his sleeve, and knocked out the two Death Eaters with two quick flicks of his wrist. Harry took the opportunity to tackle Bellatrix. He tried to wrestle the strange stone away from her, but she had a surprisingly strong grip.
Before Lupin could make his way towards Harry, another Death Eater rushed forward. He stopped a few feet from Remus and threw off his hood. Lupin halted immediately in disbelief. "Sirius?"
At Lupin's gasp, Harry turned. It was, indeed, Sirius Black. He was neatly groomed and dressed in crisp Death Eater robes. A smirk crossed his face. It was Sirius, but it wasn't the Sirius that Harry had known. The teachers had tried to fight when Lupin made his move, but were now pushed to the sides of the hall with the students. Bellatrix blasted Harry from behind, causing him to crash against the wall behind the head table. He was now seeing the back of Lupin, but Harry knew just how the professor was feeling. Sirius had died, and whatever caused him to be there could not be good. There was a reason necromancy was a Dark Art.
"Surprise!" Bellatrix laughed. "We worked so hard on him. I hope you like him!" Lupin was still frozen in shock. He whimpered slightly.
"Enough, cousin." Sirius's voice was exactly the same as it had been before he died, slightly rough and scratchy from disuse. He took a few steps towards Remus. The professor frantically looked around the room for escape. "So. Dumbledore's lapdog. Isn't there a price on his head?"
"Oh yes," Bellatrix purred. "After Potter and that idiot Headmaster, the tame werewolf is quite the catch. Do you want to play, cousin?"
Sirius only grinned in response. Lupin seemed to shake himself out of his daze and launched himself at Harry's godfather. They struggled for a few seconds, but it was clear that Sirius had the upper hand. Harry flinched when Sirius shoved the professor against the wall next to where he lay. He was choking Lupin with one hand and wrenching his wand away with the other.
"Sirius!" Lupin gasped.
"Don't try to plead," Sirius said bitingly. "It doesn't suit you."
"Besides," Bellatrix added from the center of the hall, "it won't do you any good." All of the Death Eaters were enjoying the spectacle. "He's not brainwashed anymore."
"Brainwashed?" Harry whispered. Unfortunately Sirius heard him.
"Yes, kid. Brainwashed." He let go of Lupin's throat, but still kept him shoved against the wall. "I've realized how foolish I've been to believe that supporting that crazy headmaster of yours will actually accomplish anything. None of you have been there for me in the past, so why should I continue to help you?"
"Padfoot, no." Lupin was pushing against his arms, to little effect. "We were brothers, we were Marauders."
"Wrong!" Sirius pressed against Remus's throat again. Lupin gurgled. A second year Hufflepuff began sobbing. "You weren't there for me when they sent me to Azkaban. You weren't there for me when I was on the run. All you ever did was abandon me."
"We finally got Sirius to see the truth," Bellatrix added, "after we worked so hard to save him from death. And I must say, he's a little angry at you lot for leaving him there as well."
Sirius drew back his hand and hit Lupin hard across the face. Harry had to look away. The students were staring at what was happening, unable to stop looking. He heard Sirius hit the professor several more times.
"Merlin's beard!" Ginny protested. "Just leave him alone!"
Surprisingly, Sirius listened. When Harry turned back, he was no longer choking Lupin. Instead, he was embracing Remus's throat in an almost gentle caress.
"I don't remember a lot about you." Sirius's gaze was penetrating Lupin's now bloodied face. "If Dementors didn't steal the memories away, death did. But I do remember some things." He raised his hand again, and the professor flinched. "You never liked being touched, did you?"
Lupin's eyes were wide and his breathing shallow. Harry thought he saw fear flicker through his face, but it hurt to acknowledge it. The entire time he had known Lupin, he had never seen him truly afraid. His voice was barely a whisper. "Don't. Please."
Sirius ignored Lupin and tenderly ran his hand down the werewolf's cheek. To Harry's surprise, Remus leaned into the touch. When Sirius drew his hand away, Lupin made a small noise of protest. Sirius chuckled.
"I can't believe it." He was staring fixedly at Lupin. "I mean, I had a suspicion, but I didn't really believe it could be true. This is going to be fun."
Harry watched in shock as Sirius leaned in and kissed Lupin thoroughly. He expected the professor to struggle, to fight back somehow. Instead, Lupin immediately gave in. It wasn't a tentative first kiss, but a kiss of unyielding passion. He actually /moaned/ when Sirius broke the contact.
"What is the meaning of this, Sirius?" Bellatrix looked just as shocked as Harry, but there was a twisted gleam in her eyes. The other Death Eaters were shifting uneasily.
Sirius grabbed Lupin roughly by the arm and dragged him towards Bellatrix. He let go of Remus so abruptly that the professor fell to the floor, where he remained kneeling, arms limp and head downcast. "You'll find it hilarious, Bella. It appears that I have actually /bonded/ with this mongrel."
"What?" Bellatrix murmured. "Bonded? How?" Snape hissed from the corner of the room. His eyes were somewhat triumphant.
"I'm assuming it happened when we were young, probably in Hogwarts. Am I right, Remus?" Sirius prodded the werewolf with his boot. Lupin only shrunk in on himself. "If it had happened later, I would have remembered it more clearly."
"Remembered what?" Bellatrix was obviously getting impatient.
"It was probably an experiment at first. Never underestimate a teenage male's hormones. But then we found ourselves bonded.../mated/ for life." Sirius knelt down in front of Lupin and gently tilted his head up. Several students and teachers gasped.
"For life..." Lupin echoed weakly. His golden eyes were wet with tears. Harry's stomach sank.
"But `always brothers, always Marauders,'" Sirius mocked. "We probably agreed to remain simply friends, to never take advantage of the bond. Right, love?" Lupin simply nodded and looked away.
"So what does that mean for us, cousin?" Bellatrix was staring at Harry. "Let's just get it over with and kill the brat."
"It means everything, /cousin/," Sirius spat. "Just think about it for a second. I still have a bond with the mutt. That means I can force him to do anything for me. /Anything/. Imagine if Dumbledore's most trusted pet became his downfall?"
Bellatrix caught on the same moment most of the Hogwarts staff did. Their outrage was hard for the Death Eaters to contain. "What a blow that would be!" Her eyes shined with anticipation. She held the stone aloft one more time, and Harry felt himself being drawn away from the comforting solidity of the wall. He stood frozen and exposed right in front of Dumbledore's seat at the table.
Sirius began to circle Lupin in a predatory manner. "Stand up, love." His voice was soothing and gentle, and pulled like the undercurrent of the ocean. Lupin slowly rose. "I need you to do something for me."
"I can't... Sirius, please don't make me," Lupin whispered. His hands were shaking.
"You can, and you must. For me, Remus." Sirius pressed Lupin's wand back into his hand. He placed his hands on the werewolf's shoulders and gently turned him around to face Harry.
"No..." Lupin's eyes locked with Harry's before closing tightly. Bellatrix giggled.
Sirius stood behind Remus, hands resting gently on his shoulders, mouth grazing his ear. "Please, my love? I want this more than anything."
Harry distantly realized he was crying. He felt hot tears running down his cheeks. He could hear Ron and Hermione struggling with Death Eaters to the right of him. All he could see was Lupin's distraught face and Sirius's icy eyes.
"Sirius, I don't want to." Lupin swallowed.
"Yes, you do." Sirius's voice was barely a whisper, but it carried through the hall. "You want to because /I/ want to." He began placing kisses up and down Remus's neck. Lupin tilted his head to expose more skin. "Don't you want to make me happy?" He ran his hands down Lupin's sides and across his stomach. Lupin moaned. "Don't you want to help me?" Sirius's hand slid lower. "Kill him."
"Yes," Lupin hissed. Slowly he raised his wand and pointed it directly at Harry.
"That's it," Sirius encouraged. Harry could hear increased struggling from some of the students and the teachers. McGonagall was actually releasing a rather long string of obscenities. Sirius continued to kiss and stroke Lupin, who finally opened his eyes and looked blankly at Harry.
`I'm going to die,' Harry thought. `I'm going to die at the hands of a man I trust being manipulated by a man I called family.' He would have laughed had he not been so terrified. Besides, Bellatrix was laughing enough for him.
"Do it, my love," Sirius whispered into Lupin's ear.
"But Sirius..." Lupin placed his hand over Sirius's. "You've forgotten something."
"What now?" Sirius pulled back only slightly.
"You've forgotten," Lupin said slowly, "how I was always a better actor than you."
Sirius's eyes widened, but before he could react, Remus had grasped Sirius's hand, spun around, and trapped him in his arms. Lupin pointed his wand at the ceiling and shouted, his voice so full of magic that the walls began to shake.
Bellatrix and the Death Eaters were running towards Lupin to get him away from Sirius, but they did not get far. A column of fire burst from the floor and stretched to the ceiling, Lupin and Sirius at its core. Long ropes of fire lashed out from the column, hitting the Death Eaters and drawing them closer to the flames. Lupin was positioned in such a way that the flames did not reach any of the students or Harry.
One by one the Death Eaters were pulled into the blazing column. Harry could hear their screams cutting off abruptly. What haunted Harry the most, however, was the keening he heard from the center of the flames. He could recognize it as Lupin's voice, filled with pain, sorrow, and anger. The stone Bellatrix had carried had smashed to the floor when she was caught by the column of flame. Although Harry knew he could move now, he remained still.
Lupin had known, probably from the moment that Sirius revealed himself, precisely what he had to do. The entire thing was planned with one goal in mind...sacrificing himself to save everyone else. Harry wasn't sure exactly how much of it was strictly an act, but he knew now that Lupin would never have uttered the Killing Curse. He felt a lead weight somewhere in his stomach. Harry only knew that Lupin had fulfilled Sirius's wishes...protecting him, even from his own godfather.
end