CHAPTER TWO:

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line and the few OCs that will come later.

Harry Potter is JK Rowling & Lord of the Rings is JRR Tolkien

'THINKING'

MEMORY

"TALKING"

~PARSELTONGUE~

Things had not really gone exactly how he had intended them to for his second year, and by the end of his third year, his thoughts had been proven… His life was a manipulated scheme, controlled by two masters who had used him as a tug of war rope. All his life he had only wanted to belong and have a family; to be surrounded by those close and trusted, and for a time… he could believe he had it, but as with everything else in his life, this was proven wrong as well. He didn't want to say that they were bad, just most of the ones he had trusted dearly were. Some though, the ones least expected, had been his pillars of support for his nightmare of a reality.

Severus Snape wasn't a man who wore his emotions on his sleeves, and never would he be called the type to offer his shoulder to cry on so freely, but to those who know him, he is a comfort. He was the calming presence you wanted around to help your thoughts straighten themselves out, the one you went to for guidance when nothing made sense. He was a man of many faces and even more skills, the movement of worlds had not changed this; if anything it had only given him a stronger understanding and more skills to master. This was just who he was and still is. Sure there are things he regrets, should haves and could haves, but as with most things even he cannot change time, and really he wouldn't want to. Too many things could have been so much worse than they were and he would risk that for the world…

Walking outside, looking to the glowing moon above, Severus couldn't help but contemplate all of the 'could haves' of his life and compare it to his present. He could have had a family of his own, he could have ended up in Azkaban, he could have been killed… so much could have happened and most of it bad, but none of this had happened. What he did have was a best friend to stand by, a godson to be proud of, a loyal companion, and a son he had always wanted… Yeah life was hard and they were all still figuring out the wishes of the Valar but they were a family now, and had been for a while.

"Severus?" The low hissing voices was one they all knew well.

"How was your visit with the Hobbit?"

Harry smiled slightly, his face pulling tightly. "It was relaxing, Frodo is a very smart man, and with him it is much easier to enjoy the simple things of life."

"I'm glad you two met…" Severus trailed off as his voice wanted to hitch at the end as he remember just how close he had been to losing his 'would be' son. "If not for him, you-"

"Don't. Please Sev, just don't." Harry cut him off and hugged him tightly from behind. "Lucius and Draco are out and Moony won't be back 'till sun up, it's time to feed."

The two pulled apart and Harry led Severus by the hand to their home.

Things had been getting worse for him, Dumbledore was constantly pushing him in to situations he was unable to get out of and Voldemort was questioning his loyalty to the point of constant torture. His mind was slowly unraveling thanks to these two powerful wizards and he just couldn't pull away; not if he wanted to live or protect those he cared for at least. It was becoming too much, the pain never stopped and the lies never ended. He had done this for too long, maybe… just maybe, death would be better for him. An eternal rest to stop it all; but then he would be letting them win, and that he wasn't ready to except this just yet. It had taken a rash action, by the least excepted of people, to make him see this and open his eyes up once more.

Lucius Malfoy was definitely not a nice person and neither was he a person you wanted to deal with willingly, unless you knew just what you were doing and had the intelligence to back it up. His eyes were a tempest storm of gray and blue that could freeze the strongest with a look, his tall build allowed him to tower over most, so as to look down upon them like they meant nothing, and then to add to this he had a silver tongue that could have been used to charm even the devil to his whim. All of this made up the one man that had, at a point, been feared almost as bad as Voldemort himself… but this was only a part of him. This was his shield that no one seemed to ever be willing to see through, except for a select few. To those who know him, he is an unmovable pillar of support and strength. He was the one you went to for the courage to face your fears, or to even make you understand and fight the real problem. You could trust him to never yield and to stand tall, no matter how heavy the weight upon his shoulders is…

Gliding across the sky, the air seeming to pull him into its own dance, Lucius allowed his mind to wonder over events past. His wife was gone, his 'Lord' was gone, his Ministry job was gone, and so much more was different then he could have ever imagined it to be. He was taught to be a proper pure blood, a man of pride that ruled his family with an iron grip, but this had only lasted so long… It wasn't all for the worst though. He still had his son by his side. His best friend was still with him, their bond as strong as ever if not stronger. With time he had also gain the loyal companionship of a Werewolf, as odd as that sounds. The last he had gained was a friend and son in one strong young man. Sure it wasn't what he was taught he should have; riches, power, perfection, but it was his family now. A dungeon bat friend, a mini-me son, an overgrown dog companion, and a hero complex surrogate son; as odd a bunch they were it didn't matter… They all understood.

"Lucius!" A small shadowed figured waved to him from the ground. "Come down here for a moment!"

Soaring through the wind, Lucius came to land next to Harry, shifting so as to speak face to face. "What is it Harry?"

"Sev and Dray are of gathering herbs and took Moony with them…" Harry trailed off as he shuffled his feet. "I was wondering if you'd help me, you know."

Lucius watched as Harry tapped his scar. "Are you sure, last time you were out for a good couple of days?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I don't want the others to know. I just, I can't help but feel that in the end it will help and if so, then maybe the pain will be worth it."

"Harry." Lucius followed as Harry lead the way to their normal location for these actions. "Why do you insist on keeping this from them? I know you don't want to seem weak, but they would understand, especially Severus."

"I don't want them to worry or get their hopes up. If this does have a reason then it will happen, if not then they will have worried over it for nothing." Harry then gave a wishful look towards him. "Maybe my wish is too selfish."

Watching as the young man walked a head of him, Lucius couldn't help but to frown slightly. No matter what they did Harry just never seemed willing to completely heal, no matter how much he would deny that. If there was anyone of them that deserved to be selfish it was him. He never did something just for himself, it always had some kind of bigger meaning to someone else. If Harry wouldn't be selfish for himself, then Lucius would just have to be selfish for him.

It was all a lie. People only saw dark perfection for his life, but is was never true. His 'no one is better than me' attitude a lie, his 'fortune' of gold a lie, his 'beautiful and perfect wife' a lie, nothing about his life was real! Even his son, Draco, the light of his prison of a marriage was a lie in a way or two. He was to be the perfect pure blood, but that just wasn't him. He didn't care for his 'Lord' or his 'Wife,' both were only using him just as the rest of the world wanted to do. Voldemort had ran his bank vaults dry, his 'wife' had so many lovers he had lost count, and his public face of perfection was a breaking mask. He hated it all. He wanted something real and he thought he had got that with Draco, but he couldn't lie to himself for long. Yes Draco was his, but not really his son… When the weight of judgment upon his shoulders was starting to finally break him with its lies, he was helped up. Another person had actually chosen to see 'him,' the real man behind the mask and had decided to be his 'pillar' of support as he had been for so many. Surprisingly enough, it was a person who seemed to need his own 'pillar of support'.

Draco Malfoy, son of Lord Malfoy, and all around arrogant prick was a carbon copy of his own father. His eyes, though young, where hard and cold. He had a tendency, just like his father, to look down upon those who even thought they were worth his time at all. He held himself like a prince and expected the world to grovel at his feet; he had the money, the name, and the status to demand respect. This was all what made the heir of the Malfoy family, a cold, arrogant, know it all, holier than thou boy. Just as stated before, he was his fathers' son, he to wears a mask with pride, and just as so with his father, few ever saw behind his as well. For those who know him, he is an open minded thinker with a curiosity that never runs out of questions. If you want a good debate then he is the friend you go to because, no matter the topic, he is bound to know something if only a little. If you need help studying or just learning something in general he is the one who can guide you to your answer and help you understand it without telling you directly. He is not a bad guy, far from it really, he just plays chess with some big people and needs to fit in; not everyone sees curiosity as a good thing…

Hidden in his high perch, searching the many tree tops, Draco scanned the area closely for threats. It was something he had taken to doing now that he had a real family to protect. Like his father and godfather he could ponder the 'what ifs' of his life, but his youth allowed him to except things much easier than the two older men who had live many lives in one lifetime. Sure his life was far from 'normal' really; he didn't have a mother, and though his father tried to hid the truth from him, he knew he never had… not really at least. He wasn't in school, or off playing with friends. He wasn't really doing anything that would be expected of a youth his age, little lone what was to be expected of the Malfoy family hair, but as with his new family, he wouldn't change what he has for the world. He had a father, no matter how the man saw it, that loved him unconditionally. A godfather, who was proud of him and there whenever he didn't understand. A companion, who was loyal and always willing to join him on outings. Last he had a surrogate younger brother, who would stand by him no matter what, be it a parents disappointment, or the burning flames of a cursed fire. To him this was enough; he didn't need fake friends and fame.

"Draco, why are you hiding up here?" Pale skeletal fingers grazed down his spine.

"Just looking." Draco shifted to be even with Harry. "I know we are safe here, but I still like to keep watch. You all are my family and I don't want anything to happen to our new home."

Chuckling softly, Harry set down next to him. "I understand what you mean. I keep expecting to wake up and all of this to have been a dream…though some of it is a bit too real for me to have imagined."

Draco followed his eyes as Harry glanced down sadly at his disfigured looking hands. His brother was never one to be hopeful for himself and had a very low self-esteem. Reaching over he interlaced his fingers with one of his brothers' hands and squeezed it gently. Smiling softly he pulled Harry into his side.

"You are perfect the way you are. None of us care how you look on the outside, you will always be the same Harry, hero complex and all, which we have come to love on the inside."

"You know, it still amazes me sometimes how much of an optimist you are…"

"Hey!" Draco started to tickle Harry. "Take that back!"

"No!" Harry laughed as he tried to get away. "Draco Malfoy has a soft spot for the 'golden boy' and is an optimist!"

"Stop telling my secrets, father will here you!"

The two laughed harder as they joked around, their teasing and tickling turning into a game of tag. With easy movements Harry had taken off the ground to take up the air. Draco, not one to be left behind, sifted and took off as well. He was glad when Harry could act like this, it made things not seem so bad. What his brother didn't know though, was that he was such an optimist because he felt if he lost hope then so would his brother. As long as one of them believed everything would be alright then maybe it all would be.

He couldn't believe it… How was he supposed to ever look at his father the same again, little lone his supposed 'mother'. Why hadn't his father ever told him! Between fighting to be the son his father wanted and the jewel of his mothers' eyes, he had never really thought of why he was so much like his father and nothing like his mother. He thought it had been normal, but now… he just couldn't believe his actual life was a 'lie' from the start, a stupid puppet on strings created to do as its Master commanded. If this was what he was supposed to be then how could he ever act so 'normal' again? He was already at his breaking point! He felt it all was some stupid act to gain favor in Voldemorts' eyes by his father and in all honesty he didn't want that. If his life wasn't really a life, then what was it… what was he? It was just too much, and he couldn't just let it go! Even more shocking was how different the one person he had been supposed to hate, the one person who, for some unknown reason decided that he was worth saving from a downward spiral that lead nowhere. He made him calm down and actually take notice to the REAL world around him. It made him wonder yes, but it also brought with it a lot of light that he had needed.

Remus 'Moony' Lupin had always been a very caring and sympathetic man. He never really hated (just disliked greatly), never really stepped out of line (just bent the rules a bit), never really did a wrong (just never caused open trouble). He was a man that most looked up to and, outside of being cursed as a wolf, he was like the perfect companion. He was kind, caring, always there, open minded, and willing to help no matter what. It was all of this that made him stand out, but at the same time it made him almost invisible unless it was the type of thing you needed. Few people ever saw the actual predator that hid behind his brown eyes. The curse wasn't just a part of who he was, the wolf part of him was him. He lived a sort of Doctor Jekyll & Mr. Hyde life, but it wasn't as hard as people seemed to believe. Sure, he hated his wolf part, but not for the reason most thought. He only wished to have the same mind in both forms. It was all of this that, in general, made him the perfect companion to go to, whether you problem was dark or light, it was something he could understand and he would always do his best to help. If you showed him the loyalty he needed, then even his wolf saw you as a pack member.

Crouched low, surroundings undisturbed, he moved forward with a predator's grace. The lower woods around their home was now his hunting grounds and he did it frequently, not only to keep them food, but to also insure their protection. His pack was just that, his. He would allow no harm to come to them; he knew they each kept their eyes out for trouble, each in their own way. This way though made him feel safer, he could protect his cub better like this. Unlike the other two older ones of his pack, he accepted this change easily as it offered more for his first cub. He couldn't say he liked all that had changed or how it had all ended up, but it was better than the alternative.

"Moony!" A choked laugh came from dry lips.

Moony had jumped forward to attack, or in this case surprise, his cub Harry. It didn't matter his form, he would always enjoy playing with his cub. Harry laughed openly so rarely and even though it was more since the changing of worlds, it still wasn't as much as he wanted.

Moony licked Harry's face and yipped happily.

"What was that for?" Harry smiled as he pet his godfathers' head. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

Moony knew his cub was teasing, as the young man never let his guard down so low. Yipping again, he playfully nipped at his cub's hand. It was his way of saying let's have some fun. His cub was too serious most of the time and it wasn't healthy.

Laughing, Harry wrestled around with him along the forest ground. The sun light reflected through the leaves, making a kaleidoscope of lights dance around them as they lost their selves within their little game. It was always fun, and Moony was proud to be able to cause such a joyous look to his cubs otherwise blank face. He knew he wasn't the best godfather, hell he was stuck as a wolf, but Harry still understood him in a way and it didn't matter what the cub thought, Moony was going to protect and stand by him even if not wanted. It was just lucky that he was wanted; very much so.

Calming down they laid in the sun peacefully for a bit of time.

"You know Moony, I wish there was something I could do to fix this…" Harry curled up into the Werewolf. "I never wanted you to be like this."

He nudged Harry's head and licked his cheek. 'I know cub.'

Holding each other tightly, Moony watched as his cub began to rest for a bit. He didn't blame Harry for what had happened to him; it wasn't even a problem he was related to at all, but Harry as he was, would always blame himself for another person's own problems. He hated that and loved it all the same about his cub. Maybe one day his cub would realize not everything was his fault, that other people had to carry their own blame… but till then he would do his best to assure his cub that it would all be okay in the end.

It had all went TERRIBLY wrong! He couldn't understand what had happened. He had been assured that it would work and he trusted the man, but here he was cursed even worse than he had originally been… He had been fighting the wolf since he was young but now, now he was the damn wolf! Why, why had this happened!? This wasn't what was supposed to happen, he wasn't supposed to become a wolf with a human mind PERMANENTLY! This was wrong… It hurt so bad to have been betrayed like this and if not for the fact he was still himself, wolf or not, then he just might have given into his own madness and allowed himself to fade completely away. His cub! It was his cub that called to him, that saved him from his own stupidity. If not for his cub he would have killed them all and left himself to die for their wrongs, but his cub needed him and as the Alpha of the pack, he wouldn't leave him, not ever.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: I hope you all enjoy and if you are confused please message me and I will try to explain without giving too much away. Some have asked me how this group came to be together, this will be explained throughout the story. Moony is 'Moony' but also Remus. They are one, the name Moony just suits him more now. I am still not sure what the pairings will be, just that Harry is for sure my main character and Elrond is going to play a big part as well later on. A lot of you seem to want that pairing, and I might do that, but for you few who do not like slash, I apologize in advance. I do use slash and there will be slash, but please make note that romance is not really a focus for me, so do not expect it to focus too strongly on slash at all times.

I hope you enjoyed.