even with lycanthropy. He was weak, pale, and running a fever that they could not lower.
Worst of all, in an attempt to fight off the infections during his imprisonment, Remus had
lethally depleted his magical core, making it that much harder to cope.
The closer the full moon came, the more worried everyone was for him.
The worst moment came days earlier when, after giving him his first dose of weekly
Wolfsbane Potion, Remus had a seizure. The pack—now including Lily due to her Familial
Bond with Mia and Sirius—kept as close to Remus as possible knowing that even
an unsealed Pack Bond would offer him strength. Unfortunately, it was not enough.
When Peter came to visit, he ended up on the wrong end of Sirius's wand. A duel
had broken out between the two over the fact that Sirius blamed Peter for Remus's
condition.
"Had you not been a bloody coward and gone into the fucking forest with us to
deal with Greyback, you'd have been a part of the pack, and we might have had enough
magic to save him now!"
It had taken James, Mia, and Lily to subdue Sirius enough to allow Peter an escape,
though Mia had only been helping in order to prevent Sirius from accidentally murdering
the little rat and ending up in Azkaban years early, actually guilty of the crime for which he
eventually would be framed. At least in her future, Sirius was innocent of Peter's death.
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," James said as he escorted the mediwitch to the
boundaries of the manor where she could safely Disapparate away.
Anti-Apparition Wards had been stretched and erected around Potter Manor at
Mia's insistence when Dumbledore had visited, requesting some time alone with Remus.
She had fought it tooth and nail, but Sirius and James both insisted that she let their former
headmaster help if he could.
When, instead of offering help for their dying friend, Dumbledore left nothing but
riddles and words of "hope," James agreed that it was best to keep the entire Order out of
the manor until Remus recovered.
If he recovered.
"Sirius? Sirius, wake up."