Confronting Greyback
Alyssa sighed. She pulled at the chains binding her; not trying to escape, merely attempting to annoy her captor. Greyback was planning carefully, and that was not like him. He had admitted to being part of the Malfoy's plan to kidnap them previously, and that is clearly where he learned strategy. Before, he would have simply stood outside their house and howled his challenge until Remus answered him or someone attacked him. If the others were going to come after him, she would need him angry. An angry Greyback made mistakes, whereas a plotting one had the potential to be a threat.
A snarl came from somewhere behind her, to her left if she had to hazard a guest. Minutes later, Greyback appeared, still snarling.
"What part of quiet do you not understand?" he growled, showing sharp teeth stained red with blood. "Stop clanking those bloody chains."
"Or what Greyback?" Alyssa asked, faking nonchalance. "I have already been abducted, what more can you do to me?"
His feral smile was worrying, but she wouldn't let him know that. "You are replaceable," he said, still with that crazed smile. "I can simply move on to the next person important to your mate, after sending him a note from you, of course."
"A note, from me? Wouldn't you be worried that I'd send a message for help?" Alyssa asked, more confused. Has he lost his mind?
"No, because you would be beyond help," Greyback said, his smile widening as Alyssa's normally pale skin paled further. "Ah, quiet at last."
An irrational impulse, more suited to a Gryffindor than a Slytherin, made her yank hard on the chains, rattling them loudly enough to make her ears ring. She smirked as he grimaced, knowing that the noise was probably deafening to his enhanced senses. The triumphant abated as Greyback backhanded her hard across the face, causing her head to hit the side of the tree. Stars colored her vision for a moment, nearly sending her to her knees. The chain holding her to the tree was the only thing keeping her upright.
As Greyback laughed, a noise from the other side of the clearing got their attention. A howl; long, drawn-out, and filled with rage. The man that stepped out of the trees was ordinary and unassuming, with sandy brown hair. A mild-mannered man, a kind man, ordinarily. Now, however, now this man radiated barely controlled aggression and that turned gentle Remus Lupin into a man to be feared.
"Keep your filthy paws off of my mate Greyback," Remus snarled, coming closer. His walk was closer to a wolf's prowl than a human's gait, and Alyssa could see the amber flickering in his eyes. He has tapped into the were nature, just enough to help him without giving in completely.
"Or what Lupin? You're all talk; you'll never fight me," Greyback taunted, running a finger down Alyssa's cheek, following her as she jerked away. His nail dug into the flesh, leaving a light scratch that barely bled. "Come and get her yellowbelly. Join our pack, help us, and she goes free unharmed. Fight…" his finger trailed lower, making a crude x on her carotid artery. The cut didn't bleed; it wasn't deep enough for that. It was a warning, one Remus recognized. Join me or I rip her throat out.
"I'll never join you Greyback, nor will you harm her," Remus said, drawing his gaze from Alyssa and refocusing on Greyback.
"Oh? And how will you stop me? Will your puny little 'pack' challenge mine?" At that Greyback laughed. He then threw back his head and howled, a call rather than a challenge. As footsteps approached the clearing, Alyssa realized why Greyback had spent so much time in the forest rather than the clearing. He was organizing his pack.
Five men and six women joined Greyback in the clearing. Each had the same crazed gleam in their eyes that Greyback had, the bloodlust and madness showing through.
"Here is my pack," Greyback said, gesturing to the men and women behind him. "Where is yours?"
"Here," Sirius said, stepping out of the tree line with Severus beside him. They stood, one on either side of Remus, a solid show of support even when things were most desperate. Sirius's normally cheerful face was drawn, hate twisting his handsome features. Severus stood as if carved from stone, his expression fearsome enough to make a dementor think twice. It was his "Death Eater look", the one he had perfected when they had attended meetings.
Alyssa watched, eyes flickering from her family to the assembled werewolves. Twelve on three; three on one. This wouldn't turn out well. Someone would get hurt; someone could die. Her nightmare flashed before her eyes, her family dying one by one. Why was this happening? Because you were stupid enough to think you could handle the big bad werewolf on your own and you just had to drag the others into it too.
One of the weres, a large man with dirty blonde hair made the first move, shooting a stunner at Remus. He easily ducked the spell, sending one back, and the battle was on. The werewolves could use magic, but they also used their superior size and strength to tip the scales in their favor. Severus was fighting two at once, while a third lay unmoving by his feet. Two others were also down, taken out of the battle by Remus as he approached his intended target. Sirius was fighting another three in dog form, springing to attack and deftly dodging their returning blows. Two were standing by Alyssa, ensuring that she didn't escape and join the battle. Remus and Greyback were circling in the center of the clearing, neither making the first move. Remus was silent, taking stock of his opponent, while Greyback was taunting, attempting to make Remus lose his focus.
"C'mon Lupin, let's see how well you really fight," Greyback taunted, "Are you good enough to protect your mate? Your cubs?"
Remus broke his silence. "Yes, I am." With that he lunged, catching Greyback off-guard and knocking him to the ground.
One of Severus's opponents managed to get a lucky shot and sliced his arm open from wrist to bicep with a cutting curse. Another, a man nearly as muscled as Greyback, backhanded Padfoot hard enough to cause the dog Animagus to fly back into a tree. There was a sharp crack as his head hit the trunk, then a thud when his body hit the ground. He didn't get back up, causing the big man to laugh. Severus used magic to halt the blood flowing from his cut, his face contorted in pain, and his distraction cost him. One of the female weres snuck up on him, getting him in a stranglehold. She kept her grip, throughout Severus's weakening struggles, until he passed out from lack of oxygen. Then she backed away, smirking.
Greyback seemed to notice the changing tide of the battle and laughed, landing a punch to Remus's gut with enough force to send him to his backside.
"Looks like your pack lost," Greyback taunted as Remus got his breath back and rose to his feet.
"Go to hell Greyback," Remus spat, not letting on how worried he was. Sirius was down, and so was Severus. Alyssa was still chained up, and he wouldn't want her in this battle regardless. Even if he did manage to defeat Greyback, Remus would have to battle eleven other werewolves before he could get the others out of here. How did their plan go so wrong?
"Ah, is little Lupin tired of playing?" Greyback mocked in a sing-song voice.
Remus opened his mouth, ready to fire off another curse, when he was spared the trouble. Flames erupted from the ground near Alyssa's feet, drawing the eyes of everyone in the clearing. As Fawkes appeared from the flames, everyone missed the basilisk slithering into the clearing.
"Fawkes, what are you doing here?" Alyssa asked her familiar. He trilled in reply before launching himself into the air, flying up to land in the tree Alyssa was chained to. He settled on the branch right above her head, waiting for the right moment.
Attention was drawn away from Fawkes as a loud, angry hiss was heard from the opposite end of the clearing. Heads swiveled, watching as Nyx slithered into the clearing, coiling most of her bulk up as she hissed in warning.
"Do not look," Nyx called, knowing Alyssa would understand. She couldn't use her gaze unless Remus and Alyssa looked away. She didn't want to hurt them too.
"Petrify, do not kill them," Alyssa warned, casting about for some way to get her husband's attention to warn him. That proved unnecessary, as Remus met her eyes at that moment. She nodded slightly at the question in his eyes, and both closed their eyes as Nyx used her gaze to petrify the werewolves, freezing them where they stood.
"It is done," Nyx said a few moments later, sounding very smug. Fawkes had managed to unlock the padlock holding the chain in place, so Alyssa was quickly free, rubbing her wrists as she looked around the clearing. Her eyes narrowed in thought as she eyed the familiars.
"Where are Draco and Harry?" she asked, walking over to check on Severus while Remus went to Sirius. Each wanted to run to the other, but Severus and Sirius were injured, so tending them came first.
"They brought us here," Nyx hissed, looking slightly guilty. "Harry told us where you were, and that you needed help. He and Draco are safely hidden in a cave near here. I shall fetch them now." She slithered away, probably wanting to escape chastisement for bringing the boys along on their rescue party.
They healed as much as they could with Severus and Sirius, but Remus would need to do more once they returned home. Fawkes flashed them, as his method of travel was safer for injured people than apparation.
"Where did you send the boys when you came after me?" Alyssa asked, smiling as Remus pulled her close. She didn't get her answer for a few moments, but Remus answered after he got his breath back.
"To the Glen. We thought they would be safe there. We obviously didn't plan on them coercing Nyx and Fawkes to bring them here."
"I suspect Slytherin will have two new students if they go to Hogwarts," Alyssa murmured, resting her head against Remus's shoulder while he ran his fingers through her long hair.