Ministry of Magic
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Trish
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Post by Gabriel Bishop on May 9, 2017 4:21:23 GMT
The full moon was going to be hard and Gabriel knew it, but when he overheard talk that they weren't allowing 'the werewolf' to have Wolfsbane he knew it was downright dangerous. Not for the guards of Azkaban, good luck breaking out of there, but for Remus. Maybe this was the Minister's way of discreetly offing him, to leave him bleeding out from self inflicted wounds 'til he died and explain it away as an 'accident'. He was furious, aggravated by the fact that they had dehumanized Remus, demoted him to just 'the werewolf'. It made one thing clear, he would have to take another risk for Remus. Despite all his talk about not taking anymore risks for the man, he knew that inaction on his part would have devastating consequences. He talked it over with Mali, of all people (were they bonding? Damn...) and they formed a plan and she set him up with all the supplies he would need (silver and dittany were becoming increasingly scarce at apothecaries.)
He got little sleep the night of the full moon, it was hard to rest knowing someone you cared about was awake and tearing themselves to shreds. Gabriel was striding down the halls of Azkaban the moment the moon had set, carrying small vials of powdered dittany and silver, wound cleaning potion and blood replenishing potion. They were tucked into a hidden pocket in his jacket that had been enchanted with a magical extension charm. As he was an Auror, no one questioned his presence but he had a story ready if they did about needing to question someone about a very recent development in the 'case'. The key was confidence, to look like he knew what he was doing and like he belonged there.
When he stepped through the door he was greeted with a strong smell of copper and the sight of red splattered all over the walls. It was gruesome, stopping him right in his tracks. He was no new hat to Aurorship and had seen some pretty jarring things, but to know all of this was self inflicted squeezed painfully at his heart. He forgave Remus right then, for everything. He had begun to forgive him the day of the questioning but the way his heart dropped at the sight of the blood made it very clear, he would be devastated to lose Remus. Gabriel understood the lies in the back of his mind, they hadn't known each other long and the full cells in Azkaban made it abundantly clear that there was a ripple effect to one person confiding in another, but he was so blindsided and injured by the revelation that his mind wouldn't comprehend it or at least wouldn't acknowledge it. Seeing the blood, Remus' life force, spilled across the floor and over the walls made everything seem so insignificant in contrast.
"Hey." He quietly closed the door behind him, cringing when the hinges groaned. The auror swiped a few strands of blonde back away from his face before stepping over to the crumpled figure on the ground and crouching low. "Remus?" His voice was soft and gentle as he laid a careful hand on the werewolf's shoulder, cringing at the sticky dampness there. "I've come to patch you up, can you hear me?" |
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Hogwarts
Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor
Werewolf
Order of The Phoenix
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44 years old
Gryffindor Alumnus
Wandless Magic
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Mego
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Post by Remus Lupin on May 9, 2017 18:16:45 GMT
Monsters. Remus came to halfway under his cot, hiding from the moon. There was a broken record in his brain...monsters, monsters, monsters. The last thing he remembered and the first thing he was reminded of. He was laying on the floor of a prison cell, naked and bleeding. His prison uniform was folded neatly on top of the cot. Remus reached to grab it, and dragged the thin blanket down instead. He rolled himself in it, soaking it with his blood immediately upon contact. He shivered violently, folding in on himself, trying to push the pain out of his veins. There was no stranger feeling than waking up like this. When the animal was allowed to take over, Remus never remembered those nights. He remembered only falling to the floor, cursing those who did this to him (all of this, from the bite to the imprisonment to the decision to deny him wolfsbane), and then waking up on that very same floor, throat too raw to curse anything.
Remus wasn't used to the unaided transformation anymore. And with the added stress of literally locking a wild animal in a cage, he was sure last night wasn't pretty. He didn't need to open his eyes and take a look around the ruined cell; he could feel it on every inch of him. His voice was gone from howling and his throat felt like fire. He felt like one giant bruise, the myriad of lacerations across his skin actually a sort of relieving, sharp pain against the dull ache he felt all over. Everything around him was sticky with his blood; he was losing a lot of it. He was too exhausted to be frightened. Remus just wanted to fall asleep for a very long time; maybe for the rest of time. He rested his face against the cool, sticky concrete and let himself drift.
The door to his cell opened. It was loud, and Remus recoiled from the sound. His eyelids fluttered open and for a moment, Remus thought he was seeing a ghost. He was just so bright against everything else that Remus almost couldn't look at him. The visitor spoke, and Remus lifted his head - blood was caking around his ears and making it hard to hear. All of his senses felt dulled, a stark contrast to a few hours earlier when the sounds and smells of Azkaban were driving a more wolfish Remus absolutely mad. His visitor fixed that problem for him, getting so close there was no denying who he was.
Gabriel. Gabriel was going to save him. In that moment, looking up at Gabriel and cringing at the hand he laid on his shoulder, Remus knew they meant to leave him here to die. But Gabriel wasn't going to let that happen. Remus choked back a sob and rubbed at his throat. He managed to haul himself up enough so he was half-sitting against the wall, and he nodded. When he moved his mouth to try to speak, he discovered two busted lips by the sudden rush of blood in his mouth. It made him so nauseated he had to clench his eyes shut. He scrabbled bruised and torn fingers across the floor, seeking warmth, not really caring if he got blood on Gabriel - the man was probably already kneeling in the stuff, it was everywhere. Remus tried again, his voice a hoarse whisper. "Please. I'm sorry."
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Ministry of Magic
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Trish
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Post by Gabriel Bishop on May 10, 2017 4:28:51 GMT
Foolishly, Gabriel felt prepared when he arrived at the wizarding prison. Healing had never been his thing, he was much better at injuring people than he was putting them back together but it couldn't be that hard, could it? Pack the wounds with the powdered mixture and ply them with potions. A monkey could do it (and from some of the Healers he'd run into, it seems like monkeys had been doing it for quite some time.) but now, as he stared at the scene before him trying to remember to breathe, he realized how misguided his cocky readiness was. He felt like someone who'd shown up to climb Mt. Everest with only a pair of old hiking boots and big ideals. There was just so much blood. How could all of that come from one person?
He would figure it out because he had to figure it out, there was likely no other help coming. Gabriel tried to do what was natural, Remus pitifully tried to respond and his hand searched. Gabriel took that hand and held it in his own. "Shh." he soothed, shushing the older man. "It's alright, it's okay. You're going to be alright. I'm here now, okay?." Where did he even begin to start? There were so many things he needed now. Blankets, because Remus was shivering. Something for his throat, it sounded painful. But where to get them in a prison? First, he wanted to get the man off the floor and into bed, like a human being and not an animal. In the scheme of things it was insignificant, but it felt direly important to return some of the werewolf's dignity. "Let's get you up." He was a man of strength and muscle, easily scooping Remus' broken body off the floor. He was lighter than expected, likely because his blood volume was spilled all over the cell. Gingerly he set him down and pulled off his own jacket, first to empty the magical pocket and then to use it to cover the poor shivering werewolf up.
And next? Next Gabriel wished he would've thought about smuggling Mali into Azkaban with him because he felt entirely out of his depth. Should he stop the bleeding first or replenish the blood? He couldn't even see where the blood was coming from, there was so much smeared and dried over Remus' skin. A good scourgify charm would help but it felt like it would be too abrasive for such terrible wounds. Thankfully his training as an auror had taught him how to be resourceful. The tall blonde withdrew his wand to conjure up a small round bowl and then with a murmur of 'Aguamenti' he managed to fill it with water. Gabriel tore the cleanest corner of Remus' blood soaked blanket and used it as a washcloth to gently clean away as much of the blood as he could so he could see the wounds. The busted lips, the scratches, the bruises. All of it, he saw all of Remus.
His own face was lined with concern and concentration as he worked. It would be a tedious and long process, but he wasn't anticipating an interruption. And if someone happened to come by then good... How could he possibly get in trouble for this? Officially? To punish him for it would be to admit that they had intended Remus to die, to execute him by proxy without so much as a single proper hearing. "You're going to be alright." He reminded Remus, more for his own benefit. "I'm going to get you out soon." Remus had a habit of inspiring promises from him that he was determined to keep even if he didn't quite know how. The claw wounds were more pressing, but the busted lips were easier to fix and he took care of them with a basic healing spell before setting down both his wand and his makeshift washcloth for the mixture of silver and dittany.
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Hogwarts
Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor
Werewolf
Order of The Phoenix
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44 years old
Gryffindor Alumnus
Wandless Magic
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Mego
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Post by Remus Lupin on May 30, 2017 19:18:36 GMT
Remus found Gabriel's hand and used all his remaining strength to hang on to it, slumping toward the tiniest relieving warmth it gave him. It wasn't much at all in the grand scheme of things, but that touch was Remus' whole world right now. Even Gabriel's voice, spoken so close, sounded distant and otherworldly. Remus wanted to acknowledge him, but the nod of his head was all internal, his neck stiff and immovable. There was quiet, then the sound of Gabriel's voice again, and then Remus was suddenly weightless. He clenched his eyes closed tighter, sure he was about to rush into unconsciousness, but then the warmth from Gabriel's hand spread all over his body. He dared open his eyes and Gabriel's face was even closer, Remus could actually see him clearly now. He was in Gabriel's arms. Then Gabriel deposited him on the cot, and Remus was enveloped in the man's smell as Gabriel's jacket went over him. He took the fullest breath he'd had since waking up, his lungs screaming at him but drinking the air down all the same.
Remus could manage to keep his eyes open now, and he watched Gabriel, his eyes trailing the man's movements some moments after they happened. Gabriel wasn't doing much, at first, and Remus had enough strength in him now to feel the first trickle of fear down his spine. Maybe he was worse off than he thought. Then Gabriel was doing magic, and using water to wipe Remus down. Remus' eyes watered at the pressure, but he only cried out once - after biting down on a busted lip in a desperate effort to keep quiet. He was pitiful enough already, and his stubborn refusal to appear as broken as he was was one of the only things keeping him conscious, beyond Gabriel's image and touch and scent. Anger straightened Remus' spine against the cold fingers of fear.
Gabriel eventually worked most of the dried blood away. Remus watched him all the while, eyes flitting over his own body wherever Gabriel's hands went. He hated the taste of blood, but had become more than accustomed to the sight of his own. With the gore wiped away, he didn't look nearly as bad. Make no mistake, it was all still very horrible and he was in terrible condition, but Remus knew Gabriel wasn't going to let him die. He could see it, now that his vision was clearing up, from the man's lines of concentration in his face to his gentle touches. "I know," he nodded once against the thin mattress, eyes locked on Gabriel's face now. There was a lot more meaning behind those two little words that his sore throat and stiff body wouldn't let him express right now, and his eyes watered again with the effort of it.
Maybe he was still a little loopier than he thought, though, because what Gabriel said next confused him. He was very happy with the fact that Gabriel didn't want him to die, but he didn't exactly expect the man to want to fight for him so soon. Remus pursed his newly healed lips, squeezing his eyes shut again at the residual taste of copper, his nausea overwhelming his confusion for the time being. When he opened his eyes back up, Gabriel was mixing what Remus immediately recognized as silver and dittany. He would know the stuff anywhere. "Where did you get that?" In this broken, vulnerable state, Remus' emotions were absolutely haywire. His eyes watered again as he felt a surge of pride toward Gabriel, for knowing exactly how to fix him. A tiny little memory niggled in Remus' brain, trying to wiggle its way out and answer his own question, but he chose to not waste the energy trying to recall it and instead stared unashamedly at Gabriel, needing his voice again.
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Ministry of Magic
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Trish
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Post by Gabriel Bishop on Jun 14, 2017 1:20:10 GMT
The intensity of the broken man's focus made Gabriel uncomfortably self conscious. He was aware of every little movement from Remus, the man's cry making him tense up and suck in his own sharp breath. What had he done? Had he used too much pressure on a stubborn spot of dried blood? Attending to the wounds felt direly urgent but Gabriel was no healer and found it difficult to ignore Remus' pain. He stopped what he was doing to lightly trail his fingertips over the man's bruised and torn cheek in an effort to soothe out as much of the discomfort as he could. He had no words to alleviate the pain, just a gentle touch. He left Remus for a moment to rummage through the vials he'd been given. There must have been something there to mitigate Remus' pain. It all looked the same to him, dark liquids in small little glass containers. He didn't know which one would replenish blood and which would help lessen the discomfort and he didn't want to waste the blood replenishing potion while the poor man was still bleeding...
Gabriel returned to his work with a sharp huff of annoyance. Remus was cognizant enough to nod and answer him and the reassuring 'I know' barely coaxed the corners of his mouth up to break the line of concentration. It didn't matter what happened between them over the past few days, Remus still knew that Gabriel would take care of him. That meant something, he wasn't really sure what it meant but it felt important enough to hold on to. Silver and dittany were easier to distinguish from blood replenishing potion and analgesic potion. Remus' question stoked his ego a little bit because despite the man's weakened state he'd swear that Remus sounded impressed. Gabriel's lips curled up a little more with a touch of smugness and confidence. "Your friend made sure I was well stocked for this morning's 'mission'." He and Mali had conspired a lot in the past few days but she was still firmly 'Remus' friend' and not his. The two of them were reluctant allies, forced together under terrible circumstances. Although, Gabriel did have to admire her enthusiasm for breaking the law and helping him smuggle what was very likely considered contraband into Azkaban. His new found confidence allowed cockiness to seep into Gabriel and he tacked on some gentle teasing with a wink. "You didn't think we would let you die, did you?"
His own teasing felt inappropriate and his partial smile vanished. Had Remus thought that? After all, he'd treated him pretty coldly over the past few days. A heavy, sick feeling settled into the pit of Gabriel's stomach as he thought about how absolutely abadoned Remus must've felt through the whole ordeal, from the moment he refused to listen to the werewolf during the arrest to the moment he woke up alone, bleeding on the floor. Gabriel had done his best to take care of Remus from a distance, but the auror had done nothing to give him a sense of solidarity. He wasn't so sure that Remus deserved that unity but he felt awfully selfish for withholding it.
Gabriel would grapple with that later, right now he needed to focus on the task of putting Remus back together. He worked quickly with steady hands, packing the wounds once the two ingredients were mixed. "I want to get you out of here." he told the werewolf and then shook his head "No, I will get you out of here but I don't know how long that will take." Just days ago he was on the lowest rung of the Auror totem pole, he had absolutely no weight in the department. Not much had changed since then, honestly. His status was only slightly elevated, given he was one of the very few aurors left. "We'll figure out how to get you the potion next time. Maybe we should get you out of 'here' completely?" He was talking just to talk now, saying whatever absurd thought popped up into his pretty blonde head. "I could get you and your children to New York. It's easy to disappear there, but if you're anything like the man I thought I knew then you wont abandon the rest of them, will you?" It was an effort to distract them both because Christ, the wounds were gruesome.
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Hogwarts
Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor
Werewolf
Order of The Phoenix
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44 years old
Gryffindor Alumnus
Wandless Magic
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Mego
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Post by Remus Lupin on Jun 21, 2017 18:06:20 GMT
Gabriel looked just as scared as Remus was. It was hard to look at, out of place on his confident and sure features. Remus had drawn all sorts of emotions out of the man that he never, ever wanted to be the cause of in just the last few days. Fear was a new one. But Remus knew Gabriel was scared for him, and not of him. He stuffed that latter possibility back down as soon as it bubbled up; Gabriel wouldn't be here if he was scared of Remus. If he didn't still care, in some sort of way. "It's okay," he said as Gabriel stroked his cheek. Remus watched him with worry as he stepped away to sort through everything he brought with him, looking frustrated. "What are you looking for?" Remus had to take care of Gabriel, too. He was hurting just as much, in a different way. Remus' options were quite severely limited given his current state - imprisoned and bleeding out - but if there was anything he could do, he would do it. He had to.
Trying to help kept him awake and aware of his surroundings, too, which was good. He knew he couldn't slip away no matter how badly his heavy eyelids begged him to. Gabriel came back and Remus resumed watching him, catching his smile and feeling like pure sunshine was streaming into his prison cell. Not too many people smiled in Azkaban. Gabriel answered his question with a touch of vagueness, but Remus knew instantly who he was talking about. He knew no one else that would describe all of this as a mission, anyway. "Mali," he said, nodding. Of course. "You two are growing quite chummy, aren't you." Remus sounded exhausted, his words slow and thick. He tried his best to fight it off as Gabriel worked, eyelids occasionally fluttering. His eyes snapped open when Gabriel asked him another question, and he saw Gabriel wasn't smiling anymore. Remus felt another surge of wetness at his eyes, and a tightening in his throat. "No," he whispered past it after a minute of silence. "No, of course I didn't think that." For whatever else it was worth, from the very beginning, Gabriel had talked about getting him out of here. Whatever else happened afterward, not once did it cross his mind that Gabriel could very well just leave him here, alone, possibly to die. That was too awful to think about and Remus had to fight off another wave of nausea.
Gabriel was busy packing his wounds now, and talking a mile a minute. Remus tuned back in once he was sure he wasn't going to vomit, and there Gabriel was again, talking about getting him out of here. It made Remus happy to hear that, even if the details of such a feat weren't so happy. He relaxed against the cot and listened. It would take a long time to get him out of here, but that was okay, because that was more guaranteed time where Remus knew he would get to see Gabriel. Once he was out - who knew if he would ever see the man again? He mentioned New York and Remus made a contented noise, imagining himself and Gabriel and the kids striking out somewhere new. Except - Gabriel hadn't mentioned himself in that scenario. Just Remus and the kids. Remus frowned, already shaking his head at Gabriel's next question. "No," he said. "I can't. That's my family, too." He blinked at Gabriel as he worked, hesitant if he should say what he wanted to say next. What the hell - he was already bleeding on the man, might as well bleed his heart on him too. "I won't leave you, either."
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Ministry of Magic
PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Trish
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Post by Gabriel Bishop on Jun 22, 2017 16:48:46 GMT
It's okay. It was okay as long as they had each other, wasn't it? Remus worked to ground him while he worked to put the werewolf back together. His skin felt cold underneath his fingers as they ran along his cheek and his stomach twisted into an uneasy knot. Cold skin was a poor substitute for Remus' usual warmth and Gabriel was desperate to restore it. The only distraction from that was the fact he never wanted to hear the man in pain again, so he wasted precious time trying to find something to help. He glanced to Remus when he spoke, resisting the urge to shush him and tell him to save his strength. "There's got to be something for pain here, but they all look the same." Each vial looked identical and he held them up to the dim light as if scrutinizing the containers by it would suddenly illuminate the secret to distinguishing one from the other. "The instructions were clear, no blood potion while you're bleeding." Something about effectiveness and wasting preciously small dose.
Stop the bleeding. He could do that now that he could better see where the blood was coming from. It was imperative, Remus' strength was draining right before his eyes. "Yes, well.. Breaking the law and undermining the Ministry together has warmed her up to me a lot more than a plate of cookies did." The auror carefully mixed the two substances together with a steady hand, just as Mali directed. "I don't know if I should feel concerned over the sort of company you keep." He paused for a moment, revisiting a question that came up when he first learned about The Order. "Is she involved with any of this? Your group?" Gabriel was suspicious of everyone he met now. If Remus could hide such a thing from him, right under his nose, then what was hidden by the people he didn't look too closely at? He wasn't sure what to make of The Order of the Phoenix, based on what the Ministry told him they were a rogue group with nefarious purposes including overthrowing the Ministry but he didn't believe that Remus was capable of such a thing.
This 'mission' was a rollercoaster of emotion. Worry over Remus, a small thrill at being near him, a little humor and then a little guilt. It sat heavily on his shoulders, lightening only a little when Remus answered his question. He paused again just long enough to differentiate the noise of content from a noise of discomfort. He couldn't be sure it wasn't provoked by pain because Remus was frowning, which made him frown. "I understand. " Gabriel actually didn't really understand because he didn't really have anyone he considered family. His parents were gone and he'd grown apart from those he used to be close to over the years, that's what made it so easy to uproot and move to somewhere brand new. He had Remus, but Gabriel wasn't sure what that meant anymore. He was only able to set aside his tangle of feelings because Remus was in trouble and once this was over they would come back. He would bury them, hide them from others but he would still know, Gabriel would still feel them even if no one else could see. "I don't think there's much I can do. I don't really have any authority or power. I'm sure the Minister's only keeping me around so she can play her mind games... but I'll do what I can to help them too." That was that. If they were important to Remus then they would be important to him, too. He worked in silence 'til Remus spoke again.
He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "I never thought that was an option." That should speak volumes on it's own. Even though Gabriel was angry and hurt it never occurred to him to leave Remus. He did create a bit of distance for his own sake, so he could get his head on straight but he always came back. "I would go with you." They trekked through the heaviness together and Gabriel returned to humor. "Besides, you would need me to translate for you or you would be very disappointed when you asked for a biscuit."
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Hogwarts
Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor
Werewolf
Order of The Phoenix
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44 years old
Gryffindor Alumnus
Wandless Magic
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PLAYED BY OOC NAME
PLAYED BY Mego
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Post by Remus Lupin on Jul 9, 2017 19:19:13 GMT
Remus squinted at the vials as Gabriel held them to the light, the effort actually helping his grayed and blurry vision. If there was one thing Remus knew, it was what a healing potion looked like. "That one, I think," he said, as Gabriel quickly passed another identical vial through the light. "Got a sort of...bluish tint?" Words were getting hard for Remus as he reached his allowance of energy to spend. He quieted down once Gabriel came back to him, only nodding his grateful approval that Gabriel understood his instructions and smiling. In his head, he made some half-funny pun about bloody potions that he just knew Gabriel would like, but in the end, all Remus could manage to make out loud was a sound sort of like a closed-mouth laugh. Maybe later.
He knew his condition would start to improve once Gabriel started packing his wounds - the relief he felt at the first instance of cold substance against his skin was almost overwhelming. It hurt, and Remus knew he was still going to be exhausted afterward, but it was wonderful not to bleed anymore. He settled into watching Gabriel, making conversation here and there when he could convince his mouth to work. His mouth was doing a surprising amount of smiling, actually, given the current state of the rest of his body. He was thinking about baking cookies with Gabriel, and it was impossible not to smile at that memory. "I rather enjoyed the cookies," he murmured, the rest of what Gabriel was saying too complicated for Remus to form a response around right now. Direct questions, though, he could answer. "No," he shook his head, maybe a bit too quickly. He didn't want to get Mali in trouble, and though she wasn't an all out member of the Order, she knew of them and their ways. But...Remus felt the guilt in his gut before he felt in in his brain - he didn't want to lie to Gabriel, either. "Not involved. She does know of it. We've helped her out and she helps us."
Remus could feel himself getting sleepy. Not the inevitable slide toward unconsciousness that came with blood loss, but rather the bones-deep exhaustion that came with throwing yourself against walls all night. He stayed with Gabriel, though, because who knew when he would get this again? He'd completely wrecked Gabriel's trust, maybe even his love, of him. But right now, Gabriel was being so gentle, and understanding, that Remus was almost sick with how smitten he was. Gabriel even wanted to help Remus' friends and gods, if he weren't so empty of everything else right now, Remus would have cried. "You've done more than I could ever ask for already, Gabriel. Thank you." Sincerity forced his voice into a whisper.
After such a trembling moment of hesitation, Gabriel's expression did Remus no favors when he said his next piece. Oh, no. Maybe he was speaking too far out of turn. But he had to let Gabriel know he wasn't going to give up on them - nothing else felt more important right now. Remus met Gabriel's eyes and listened closely, relief deflating his fears with an audible sigh through his nose. He patched on a watery smile, laughing for real this time as the topic of biscuits was brought up yet again. "I'd be utterly lost without you."
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