the marriage stone (Discontinued)

Chapter 42 - Lemon Drops

In moments they were all seated in Madam Pomfrey's office in brightly patterned chairs that the Headmaster transfigured for them. Dumbledore held out a tin of lemon drops, which he passed out to everyone. Harry watched in some surprise as both Severus and Madam Pomfrey popped one of the candies into their mouths. He tried to decline when the tin was offered to him.

"I must insist, Harry," Dumbledore smiled. "They are laced with Calming Draught - which we all need at the moment."

Not certain what was going on, Harry sighed and took the candy. If Severus was willing to eat the sweet, he supposed it was safe enough. The candy, though tart, did have an instant soothing effect on his body. His heart, which had been racing, slowed down.

"Sir, what happened to Remus?" he asked then. "Why is he chained up? The moon won't be full for days yet."

Dumbledore nodded. "Severus explained about the marriage proposal," he stated, and Harry nodded. "Sadly, when Remus heard about it last night, he did not take it well. I'm afraid he turned feral."

Harry nodded. "Yes, that's what he said, he said he lost control of the wolf. He said he was trying to regain control but that it wasn't safe for me to be there. But what exactly happened - what does that mean for him? He'll be all right, won't he? He wouldn't hurt us. I know Remus. He wouldn't hurt anyone."

Dumbledore's eyes widened at Harry's words. "He spoke with you? Said he was trying to regain control?"

Harry nodded, risking a glance at Severus. The man looked distinctly unhappy, glaring now at the floor rather than Harry.

"And did he ask you to free him?" Dumbledore pressed.

"No," Harry shook his head. "He told me to leave the room. That it wasn't safe." Harry realized in retrospect that the smart thing to do probably would have been to do as the man had ordered, but at the time he hadn't truly felt capable of it, desperate to comfort and protect the man who was like a father to him.

The old man leaned back in his chair and sighed thoughtfully, glancing at both Severus and Madam Pomfrey. Harry wasn't certain what to make of the look the three of them exchanged. "Well, that's something at least. He's aware enough to understand what is going on. Remus Lupin was always an extraordinary young man."

"Sir?" Harry cut in.

Dumbledore smiled and reached out to pat Harry on the arm. "Harry, sometimes werewolves lose control of the wolf inside them - they are in a constant state of conflict as their human nature and animal nature war with one another. When the moon is full, the human is instantly repressed and the wolf takes over. But during the rest of the month, the wolf is still there, still fighting to come out. Sometimes weaker willed werewolves simply give up and allow the wolf to take over completely - they go feral very soon after being infected. When that happens they become a threat to everyone around them - you know how physically strong they are. They are usually killed by the Ministry before they can cause too much damage."

"Remus isn't weak willed!" Harry insisted.

"No, of course not," Dumbledore agreed. "Remus is one of the strongest men I know. And he has survived this curse practically untainted for his entire life. But there are some instincts that are nearly impossible for any werewolf to overcome, and last night his control was shattered. That he has managed to control himself enough to speak with you and warn you away is extraordinary. Most werewolves never recover from a feral rage."

A thought suddenly occurred to Harry and he threw a wary glance at Severus. The man, seated in one of the chairs near Madam Pomfrey's desk, was glaring at him again, arms folded across his chest, face stern and imposing.