This story is to all of those who wrote me asking for a Remus/Moira ficlet. If you haven't read Harry Potter and the White Death, don't bother reading this one, cause it won't have the same effect.

This is dedicated to Audrey, who was the very first Remus/Moira shipper. Keep in mind that in this universe, Abigail Dumbledore never transferred to Hogwarts, and Remus really did catch Moira's attention instead of Snape. Feedback is always welcome. I would also like to thank Flora, for being my beta and for helping me to find this story. Enjoy.

Predators

The weather appeared to foreshadow the war that was in eruption. Heavy clouds tainted the sky over Hogsmeade, and, occasionally, thunder could be heard. People walked around holding their cloaks together at the neck, as a cold October wind cut through the crowd. Inside a local pub, three people kept their voices down to a whisper.

"Any word from her?" the tall one asked "I tried everything. She can't stay inside her house forever"

"I'm afraid she can" a woman with a terrible scar on her face responded "For Merlin's sake, Black, she was about to marry him"

"I know that, but it was a spell" the tall one answered "It's not like it was her fault. It's not like that was what she wanted"

"None of us wanted this" the other man whispered before he took a sip of his hot chocolate. His eyes were lost in thought.

"Look, Lily and James are already in hiding with Harry" his voice was barely audible "We can't have Moira hiding too, and from us, of all people! She can help us find him"

"And she will, but through other ways, Sirius" the woman replied "She was a victim of a spell that, to a woman, is worse than an unforgivable. She was betrayed by the man she thought she loved. She needs time. When she's ready, she'll come around"

"Half of us could be dead by then, Justine! Moira didn't love him, or else she wouldn't be able to break the spell. She loved somebody else, so I really think it's about time she crawls out of that shell and face the war that we are in!"

"How would you feel if you were betrayed by your best friend?" the second man suddenly spoke. His voice was really quiet, but firm. Sirius and Justine moved to meet his eyes "That is what she feels like. Tom was her best friend"

"No, he wasn't. I am." Sirius said, anger in his eyes.

"No, Sirius. You don't understand what it's like for someone like her, someone like me, to find in another the feeling of belonging" he said calmly before standing up "Moira didn't love him, but she trusted him, she felt as if she belonged next to him, only to find out that all she thought was true resided in the worst part of her"

"What are you saying, Remus? Don't you trust us?"

Remus looked at Sirius and Justine.

"I trust all of you, but I've never really belonged next to you" and he turned around and walked toward the exit.

"Don't" Justine said as she caught Sirius arm, not letting him walk after Remus "He's right, Black. Unfortunately, Remus is right"

Remus Lupin walked toward the border of the town and then some more. Dumbledore Manor was located outside the village, next to a pond. It was a beautiful house, with a very large backyard and stable behind it, but it wasn't fancy. Someone who would stumble across the house would just find it nice and move along.

Remus stood by the gate, his eyes set on the front steps. He had walked out of the pub with his mind set, but now, facing her doorsteps, he wasn't so sure he would be strong enough to say what needed to be said.

"Are you going to stare at the door or are you coming in?" a voice echoed in his head. As his eyes moved toward one of the tall windows on the front of the house, he saw Tsarina, Moira's mother, smiling at him.

Lupin opened the gate carefully and closed it behind him. His footsteps echoed in the pebbles that led the way to the front door. Wind blew his sand blond hair as he saw Tsarina open the door and come outside to meet him.

"Hello, Remus" she said sweetly.

Remus could identify Moira's smile in her mother's face. They were so alike in so many things and, yet, so different in others. Tsarina was a beautiful woman. Like her daughter, she was tall and slim, her hair was always tied up in an elegant hairdo, her clothes were impeccable, and her skin was really pale, save from the few light freckles she had on her shoulders and cheekbones. Her hair was of the same rich color as her eyes: chocolate brown. Lupin loved chocolate.

Tsarina Craine Dumbledore was a Dark Witch who married Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the school he graduated from. Albus was the one who managed to get Lupin to Hogwarts. Since he had been bitten by a werewolf at a very early age, Remus thought he would never be able to go to school, but Albus found a way. He made him feel welcome, just like his daughter did. Moira found out Remus was a werewolf very early on, but had never said anything about it, or acted differently around him. Remus only found out that she knew about his secret when, one time, at the library, she dropped a few books on the floor, and, as he bowed down to help her pick them up, she held his hand away from one of them.

"Don't!" she had said before dropping her voice to a whisper 'This one is silver bound. It will blister"

She, then, took the book away from him and put it in her bag. Lupin just stood there, looking at her, not being able to ask her how she knew.

"I've always known" she said, apparently reading his mind "I have an exquisite sense of smell and ... you have a particular scent"

"You mean werewolves"

"You smell like violets" she said, blushing slightly as she moved toward the door.

Moira was as beautiful and powerful as her mother, but as sweet and kind as her father, and, yet, Darkness ran in her veins just as it did in Lupin's. His friends turned into animagus just for him, they made him feel welcomed too, but not like she did. Every time the full moon came around, though, and the beast inside of him torn his way out, he could only think about keeping her safe, and the safest place for Moira, was away from him.

Moira was an animagus too, a snake, and he knew the wolf couldn't hurt her if she was transformed, but, yet, Remus felt differently. A lot had changed since the time they went to school together. Moira had been hurt, and he feared she wouldn't recover. She was a strong witch, she had been ever since she was a child, always ready to stand for what she believed in. Moira knew about the beast inside of Remus, and wasn't frightened by it, even though he lived in fear. He needed that fear to end.

"You know, I thought you would come by, but it took you longer than I had expected" Tsarina said, interrupting his thoughts.

"How so?" he asked as he was led by her around the house.

"Well, Sirius won't let a day pass without showing up, and Moira won't talk to him. Justine does the same, and even Lily took a chance at coming here, and, yet, Moira wouldn't come out" Tsarina stopped and faced Remus "But I knew she would see you"

"Why? Why me?"

Tsarina just smiled.

"She's at the stables" and turned to enter the house by the back door.

Thunder rumbled. The wind blew stronger as Remus walked toward the stables and he knew she would be able to smell his presence even before he got to the doors. He could sense her scent from where he stood: fresh, flowerly, but not too sweet. He heard the sound of Mavros, Moira's winged horse, coming from inside.

As he reached the door, he found the clear blue eyes from the large stallion gleaming in the near darkness. Moira brushed his hair calmly. She had her hair down almost to her waist, dark pants on, black boots and a long sleeve white shirt.

"I was never able to have small pets" Moira suddenly spoke "Could never keep a cat, or a dog. Well, Sirius doesn't count" Remus chuckled "Do you know why?"

"Small animals feel threatened by larger ones. By predators" he responded as he walked toward her "I can relate".

"Ten points to Gryffindor, Mr. Lupin" Moira said, her back still turned to him "Then this beauty came along" she said as she caressed Mavros face "Did you know that black winged horses are considered a bad omen?"

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Remus asked. Moira stopped her movements.

"Because I don't know what else to do" she said, motionless standing with her back to him "I can't go back to who I was before. To what I was before"

Remus took a few steps closer as Moira turned to face him. Her chocolate brown eyes looked black in the dim light, but he could still recognize the Moira he so dearly loved in them.

"You haven't changed, Moira. Not to me. Not to any of those who love you"

"I'm not the same, Remus. I'll never be" she said dryly but sadly as she walked passed him, their arms briefly brushing against each other.

"He lied to you. He tricked you into believing you were someone you're not" he pleaded.

"No. He showed me who I really am, and I felt ..."

"Like you belonged" Moira lowered her head in defeat "I know. I felt like that once. Like I could be with no one else but her"

Moira's eyes found his.

"She showed me the best there was in me. She made me feel good about myself, almost in peace with my condition. Whenever I'm around her, I feel as if I can do anything. I feel safe"

Tears escaped Moira's eyes, but she brushed them away quickly and turned her back to him.

"Get out of here, Remus" she said as she took Mavros' cell from his back "please"

"Moira ..."

"NO!" she yelled, her back turned to him. Mavros stomped the ground "Just leave"

"Why? Tell me why, Moira"

Moira sighed heavily.

"Because I don't want to hurt you" she said.

How could she ever hurt him? He could crunch her back with his bare hands if the moon was full, but how could the witch, the woman in front of him, hurt him more than she already did? He knew Moira would never use Dark Magic on him, and all the pain she could cause him, she already has, when she had said "yes" to another man.

"You never loved him, Moira" Lupin said calmly "He only made you think you did. He made you think you belonged just because you have Darkness in you"

"Stop it, Remus" Moira asked softly.

"All he wanted was your powers, not your smile, not your touch" he took Moira's shoulders in his hands and turned her around to face him "You don't belong next to him, Moira. You never did and you never will. Then why are you acting like this?"

"You never saw what I'm capable of" she replied.

"I know what you're capable of, and the fact that I don't see it tells me a lot, and should tell you as well"

Moira burst into tears, something Remus had never seen her do. All he could do was take her in his arms, and hold her as she sobbed. She buried her face in his neck and held her arms around him tightly.

"I don't know who I am anymore" she whispered.

"You're a predator who turned into prey, love" he replied as he cradled her in his arms.

They stayed like that for a while, until she calmed down. Slowly, Moira's breathing found its steady pace, and warmed Remus'neck, but their arms were still around each other.

"What happened to that woman you described?" she whispered.

He pulled her away just for a bit, so he could see her eyes. His hand caressed away a few strings of hair that fell on her face as his clear eyes stared into hers.

"You tell me" he whispered back.

"I think she saw the effect she caused in you and ran away" Moira said.

"But why would she run? Don't you think she loved me back?"

For a moment the four letter word made Moira fall silent, but only for a moment.

"I think it's impossible not to love you, Remus, but being loved that much can scare some people off, can make some women brake very strong spells too"

Remus simply smiled at Moira in a way that lit up his entire face.

Slowly, as the rain outside started to pour, Remus' lips finally found Moira's.

"Promise me you'll go back to us. That you won't run away from us again" he whispered, their lips brushing each other.

"I promise I won't run away from you" she whispered back.

As they lost themselves in each other's arms, they both realized they had a very difficult world to face. A war was breaking, he was a werewolf and she was a Dark Witch, but they knew they could deal with whatever came their way, as long as they were together, for together was how they belonged.