Bonded For Life ⚡️ A Harmony & Jily story

Chapter 2 | Werewolf Musings & Destroyed Graves

"I'd be pretty ashamed of him."

In the back of his throat, without his consent, Remus Lupin growled. It was a loud, somewhat feral growl that made his throat raw and had him looking around just to make sure no one was around to hear it.

Remus had always prided himself on how well he maintained his composure. Despite everything, he knew he had better control over himself than most werewolves did. Yet here he was, stalking down a street in Godric's Hollow, barely stopping himself from destroying something. And to make it worse, it only took a few words from an angst filled teenager to get him this way.

"I'd never believe it. The man who taught me to fight dementors — a coward."

Anger twisted his stomach until Remus was sure he was going to throw up. Harry wasn't just any angst filled teenager: he was Harry James Potter, son of his best friend, James Fleamont Potter. James had made Sirius Harry's godfather and made Remus (and Peter) an honorary uncle to his son. They were suppose to protect Harry in situation where James and Lily couldn't and both of them had failed pretty hard at that. Now Remus was trying to make up for his failure and instead he gets verbally attack?

"I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with your own kid, actually."

But protecting Harry wasn't his only motive. Remus had to get away from Tonks and the baby growing inside her. He needed to think, to come up with a way to fix the mess he'd caused since Tonks refused to give up the baby. Harry had attacked him for that reason and the worse part was that Harry was right.

They both were right.

James would've definitely wanted Remus to protect Harry but only after Remus' own kid was well protected and if Tonks was okay with it. Remus could picture it clearly in his head: James would thank him for protecting Harry but then Lily would interrupt and give Remus a stern look not that different from the one Harry gave him today. She'd clear her throat in that expecting way of hers and ask if he was forgetting something. He would play dumb and Lily would bring up Tonks and the baby. James would agree and would put a hand on Remus' shoulder and tell Remus that he could never ask him to put his kid before Remus' own. Remus would insist and James would be hesitant and Lily would ask if Tonks was okay with Remus leaving her behind to protect Harry.

And Tonks would be okay with it.

Right?

It wasn't as if Tonks couldn't protect herself. She was a grown women and the baby was still in Tonks so how much protection could Remus give it? Meanwhile, Harry hadn't even finished his Hogwarts education and his only back up was two other kids who hadn't finish their education either. So who really needed him most?

Remus growled again. His excused sounded pathetic and weak even in his one head. Harry was right. He was a coward.

"Oof!" Remus grunted as he walked into the kissing gate leading to Godric's Hollow's graveyard and nearly fell over it. Backing up, he stood there pensively before pushing the gate open and entering his friends' finally resting place.

Remus closed his eyes and let muscle memory take him to the joint graves of Lily and James and the tombstone next to it. The tombstone was disillusioned most of the time, a little something Remus had purchased in Sirius' memory. It didn't mark an actually grave: Remus couldn't afford a casket and even if he could it would be empty. But still, the tombstone marked what could've been Sirius' final resting spot, right next to James as he'd always been.

When he opened his eyes, Remus expected to see the pristine graves he visited at least three times a month. He expected to see the pure white headstone inscribed with James and Lily's names. He expected to see the gray and much smaller headstone with Sirius' name on it, already falling into disrepair that Remus would have to fix with his wand. He expected to see the slightly browning grass freshly trimmed and falling leaves scattered over the area.

He did not expect to see Lily and James' graves completely disturbed, the ground  dug up and dirt everywhere as if an explosion had taken place. He didn't expect to see the lid of their casket tossed aside and broken. And when he looked inside the ruined grave spot, he certainly did not expect to find their joint casket empty.

The world turned red and the graves before him seemed to blur in out and out of focus. Suddenly the sounds of Godric's Hollow were sharper and the smells more crisp. He could feel the werewolf within pushing against his skin, trying to take over his body as much as possible without the aid of the full moon. His teeth felt like spikes against his tongue and he could feel his nails growing.

Calm down, Lupin! he tried to command himself but his body was out of his control. Never had Remus felt this type of rage: not when he was outed as a werewolf and had to resign from teaching DADA, not when Snape tried to out him as a werewolf back in school and get him expelled, not even when Harry had called him a coward - and that had made him so mad that he threw Harry against the kitchen wall! This red rage was something completely different, something destructive and dangerous, something feral.

Some one destroyed their graves! Someone opened their casket! Someone stole their bodies!

The words ran through his head relentlessly, making his heart thunder and his brain pound. A third growl, much louder than the other two, ripped itself from his throat,meaning the taste of metal in his mouth. Somewhere close by - extremely close by - there were gasps of surprise.

"Who's there?" Remus shouted, spinning towards the source of the noise and whipping out his wand at once. The tip of his wand burned and let off red sparks.

There was no reply but it didn't matter because Remus' senses were going haywire. He could smell the rotting bodies beneath the think scent of grass and soil. He could smell the exhaust fumes from passing cars and the food from dinner being made in nearby houses.

And he could smell them.

Remus could smell the sweat on their skin and the fear, confusion, and - was that excitement? - radiating off of them. He could hear their hearts pounding and the sound of leaves moving as they shuffled backwards. It didn't matter that they didn't show themselves because he knew exactly where they were.

Moving at a pace was that impossible fast for his human form but quite slow for his werewolf form, Remus closed the distance between them, wrapping around the tree they hid behind. "Stupefy!" he roared, sending two stunning spells at the two intruders.

It was only when they were slumped on the ground that Remus managed to calm down. He dropped to his knees and sucked in air through his mouth, his sense of smell too sensitive to allow him to breathe through his nose. Slowly but surely, he pushed his werewolf side down. His teeth dulled and his nails retracted until he looked as human as everybody else and his senses reduced down to their normal level of sensitive.

And with his humanity came his rationality.

"What did I just do?" he gasped, staring at the ground. The two he stunned could've easily have been muggles mourning their loved ones, shocked by his half-transformation. But instead he had assumed that they were the ones to destroy the Potter grave.

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Remus stood up and pointed his wand at the unconscious duo, ready to obliviate and wake them up. It was only then that he got a good luck at the two.

His chest turned to ice.

It was like looking at a photo or a pair of solid ghost. The red haired, lightly freckled girl and the messy haired, glasses wearing boy... it was all so familiar. Remus was positive that had their eyes been open, he would've been met with perfect replicas of the green and hazel eyes he knew so well because right in front of him were perfect replicas of James and Lily Potter.