blinded in chains | sarah

[rhys alexander greyback]

I see you're living for tomorrow

but decisions you have made
will leave you empty

August 28, 2020
sarah jane oliveira

Rhys minded the time. Even though he’d successfully completed his training and was mostly on his own schedule, some habits didn’t disappear. The trainers had always pushed the importance of being punctual and timely, not wasting time, and using the day to one’s advantage. If you really want to explore ruins in a remote corner of the forest as the sun goes down, do so at your own risk. But he wasn’t needed anywhere for at least a week. Rhys had just returned from Egypt, where he’d collided with a wall that previously wasn’t there, and it moved. The broken ribs were healed when they were done, and Rhys made a mental note that somehow this very senior Cursebreaker had survived by pure luck because his mistake had been a novice one.

Now back in London for some time, he’d visited for a few reasons. Rhys had just a lease on a flat. It felt strange to hold the keys in his hand. He’d never had a place of his own before or even had a bedroom that wasn’t shared. While trainees didn’t earn the mountains of gold promised to them by recruiters, he’d saved as much as he could. Rhys had even worked extra. His motivation was that chip on his shoulder that he wasn’t his father regardless of his name. It also helped that when Rhys was back in London for bank business, he could save extra by staying at that werewolf hotel where he could get free wolfsbane. Abroad he had to buy it since he hardly had the time to brew it himself, nor did he enjoy potions in the slightest.

After the hassle of paperwork and everything, Rhys felt that he’d earned a drink. Not that it took much these days to find a reason to find some whiskey. While his school days were filled with his classmates enjoying contraband firewhiskey in the dorms, Rhys hadn’t participated all that much. But graduation and needing to curb his temper and mood had created a new habit. Not to mention Renfri’s taunting that he’d never outdrink her. Fortunately, Karkaroff had set him straight one day before being arrested in a bar in Mexico after someone made a sneer about his name.

As he made his way toward the Leaky Cauldron, Rhys turned a corner and came face to face with someone. His blue eyes blinked a few times as his brain decided if this was a ghost or not. But it wasn’t. ”Sarah?” He questioned. In an instant, all the progress he had made over the past three years vanished for a few moments. Rhys felt seventeen again, back when he’d been tall but scrawny. Shoulders always drooping and that forlorn look in his eyes. Two years around the world and escaping perilous situations had turned him into a man. He was taller now but not scrawny anymore, his hair still with its trademark curls and a bit of stubble on his face. ”Merlin—how long has it been?” It was good to see her, his old friend, but she’d fallen off the face of the Earth after what happened.

template by vee

[sarah jane oliveira]

August 28, 2020

After having joined Fenrir Greyback's pack, Sarah had felt more at home than she ever had. No one there judged her for her decisions, and she was allowed to be free in a way that her parents—despite being werewolves themselves—had never permitted. She didn't need a wand or much of what she had learned in her years at Hogwarts. With an expulsion on her record and only OWLs, her chances of making a life for herself other than with Fenrir's aid were slim. It wasn't what kept her there, but it was a large part of it.

With little money to her name, she had taken the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron, grateful for the inexpensive fare. Showing up and proving to her family that she was still alive and not dead in a ditch somewhere was worth it, she supposed, and so she had opted for the werewolf inn in Horizont Alley instead of showing up on her parents' doorstep and hoping they would take her in.

After she had run a few small errands, she came across someone who addressed her by name. "Sarah?" She realized that the young man—now muscular and with more stubble than she remembered from Hogwarts—was Rhys. Rhys Greyback.

Sometimes she hated that the magical world was so small. She didn't know what her school friend would think of her having been running with his father for some time, but the part of her that might have doubted herself had left her a long time before.

"Merlin—how long has it been?"

Sarah, not primed for making small talk, answered matter-of-factly. "Almost three years?" It had been something like that. Three years, more piercings, and a few tattoos.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

I see you're living for tomorrow

but decisions you have made
will leave you empty

August 28, 2020
sarah jane oliveira

There was a sense of relief in seeing her. After Sarah had attacked that student and gotten expelled, Rhys hadn’t heard a word from her. No letter, nothing. And he wasn’t close enough to her sisters to even ask, though they seemed fine while at school. One had been three or four years younger than them in Slytherin, the other in another house. While Rhys was no stranger to violence in his life or seeing it, it had shaken him. His nightmares had gotten worse after, but he’d pushed through to graduation.

Sarah responded quickly and rather bluntly. Not entirely out of character, but she certainly seemed less shocked than he was. ”Right. Erm—I didn’t know what happened to you after…” He trailed off, feeling awkward, but decided against bringing up the obvious. ”I was heading to the Leaky Cauldron. If you want to grab a drink?” Those that had been kind to Rhys always held a special place with him. Hogwarts was one of the best things that ever happened to him, but it didn’t mean he didn’t go through dark times there. The werewolves he befriended understood and didn’t judge him.

template by vee

[sarah jane oliveira]

August 28, 2020

"Erm—I didn't know what happened to you after…"

…After her expulsion from Hogwarts. Sarah nodded slightly, understanding what Rhys meant. Without school, she hadn't had much reason to stick around at home. She had been dying for the chance to break free from the castle, and she'd gotten that. It hadn't been in the way that she had anticipated back then, but it had turned out for the better. She had found a community of other people who accepted her as she was and weren't trying to mold her into something she wasn't. Neither was she treated as a child, the way she knew she would have been until she found a decent job to make up for her lack of NEWT-level qualifications.

"I was heading to the Leaky Cauldron. If you want to grab a drink?"

"Alright. Yeah, that sounds nice," Sarah agreed, shrugging her shoulders and moving to walk in that direction. There wasn't any harm in that, Sarah felt, even though she got the sense that the time since she'd been in Slytherin had changed Rhys in a different way than it had changed her. At the same time, she wanted him to know what it was like on the other side of the fence, what he was missing out on from the lifestyle she led and the freedom she got. There was no Wolfsbane Potion, for a start.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

I see you're living for tomorrow

but decisions you have made
will leave you empty

August 28, 2020
sarah jane oliveira

As much as Rhys wanted to ask—he also didn’t. There was no sense in bringing up that unfortunate day. It only reminded him of how bad he’d felt in the aftermath. While Sarah had been expelled almost immediately, Rhys was left with the stares and whispers in the hallways and during class. As if he was going to violently snap at any second like Sarah had. And why wouldn't they think that? He was a werewolf as well, was he not? Not to mention the son of that monster Fenrir Greyback. Rhys had only been grateful that nobody had pushed his buttons like they had in the past.

Sarah agreed to a drink, and Rhys nodded. It was good to see her again and good to know she hadn't died in a random ditch somewhere. He began to walk. They weren’t far from the entrance and quickly entered. It wasn't crowded at this time of day, even for a Friday. Though, if he was honest, the days all began to blend together in his busy life. He’d even almost forgotten his own birthday with how busy he was. ”Are you living in London now?” Curiosity in his tone. Those that knew Rhys the Cursebreaker knew him as a man of few words and a quick temper, ready for a fight or a challenge. Those who knew him as an eleven-year-old knew he wasn’t as prickly as he portrayed.

They would get faster service if they sat at the bar, and Rhys motioned to a stool as he took the one next to it, waiting for the bartender to come over. ”I wondered what happened to you. What are you doing these days?”

template by vee

[sarah jane oliveira]

August 28, 2020

"Are you living in London now?"

Sarah shook her head. "Just visiting," she replied simply. She didn't have much of a permanent home anymore, and London wasn't it. Wherever the pack went, she went. It wasn't always nomadic, but they had to stay on their toes. Lingering in one place for very long wasn't always advised, but it gave her an opportunity to see things that she wouldn't have otherwise.

The Leaky Cauldron obviously hadn't changed any. It was busy, but they were able to get seats at the bar once they were inside the pub. Rhys motioned to one stool, and Sarah sat down. He sat down upon the stool beside hers.

"I wondered what happened to you. What are you doing these days?"

"Traveling," Sarah answered, "mostly. You know, here and there." That was the answer that she felt comfortable giving him with other people around, at least. She assumed that Rhys must have been doing something with his life now, and he must have gotten a real job of some sort. "You?" she asked, looking around the pub instead of at him. He could use magic, at least, so that was something.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

I see you're living for tomorrow

but decisions you have made
will leave you empty

August 28, 2020
sarah jane oliveira

Rhys didn’t have a clue who had stuck around after graduation since he was hardly in London these days. A lot of people traveled for work, Cursebreakers among them. But he figured desk jobs or anything like that were mainly local. But there was still a lot about the world he didn’t know. Until he was seventeen, he always thought he was alone in this world, and so much had happened since then. ”Right.” That made sense. Sarah had younger siblings. They would still likely be at Hogwarts. Though Rhys couldn’t remember their ages. ”Are your sisters still at Hogwarts?” Or maybe one had graduated?

But that also reminded him, and his eyes went a little bit wide. ”Oh—speaking of—I have a sister. She’ll be in her second year now.” There was a little bit of pride mixed in with that childhood excitement in his voice. Maxima was very young, but at least she wouldn’t be alone since their other sibling would be beginning their fourth year. The idea still made his stomach flip. Siblings. Family. But it also did another backflip from anxiety. ”Guess my dear old dad got around.” The excitement was replaced with clear disdain and bitterness.

The bartender approached, eagerly listening for their orders. ”Whiskey.” Rhys responded simply. It had slowly become his new drink of choice. For a while tied with tequila, but after a job in Mexico, he’d decided to take a break from the shots for a while. After their orders were taken, Rhys addressed the question directed at him. ”Traveling as well—working for Gringotts.” It didn’t seem that long ago they talked about career prospects. ”The Auror program didn’t take me, so this was Plan B.” He was admittedly still angry with that, but like he always did with his temper Rhys kept it at bay with whatever distractions he could.

template by vee

[sarah jane oliveira]

August 28, 2020

Rhys asked after her sisters, and it took Sarah a moment longer to come up with an answer than it probably should have. Callisto had left Hogwarts already. That math was easy enough to figure out without trying. For September, though, that would be Evelyn going into her first year at Hogwarts, since her birthday was in late September. And then Mina would be going into… sixth? Her sixth year? Was that right? Merlin. "Mina and Evelyn are," she told Rhys. She didn't think that she would be sticking around for long enough to see Evy off to school, though.

What Sarah didn't expect to hear, however, was that Rhys, too, had a sister. It didn't make sense at first, until he mentioned that he guessed that his father had gotten around. Sarah nodded, wondering if that would be the right time to bring up that she'd been spending time with his father.

Their conversation was briefly interrupted by the bartender's taking their orders. Rhys ordered whiskey, and Sarah paused for a moment. "A pint of Dragon Scale," she said, ordering for herself.

Interestingly, Rhys told her that he had been traveling, too. He'd been working for Gringotts, he said, because the Auror training program hadn't accepted him. Sarah wasn't too shocked to hear that, not that there was anything wrong with Rhys. It was just the standard werewolf discrimination nonsense it had always been.

"Do you like it, then?" Sarah wondered. She could vividly remember when they had spoken hypothetically about the jobs they might have someday. It also explained why Rhys had gained some muscle since they had last seen each other.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

I see you're living for tomorrow

but decisions you have made
will leave you empty

August 28, 2020
sarah jane oliveira

Rhys noted that Sarah paused a bit when he asked after her family. But he wasn’t sure what to make of it, so he didn’t mention it. For now, he just nodded. Sarah and Dakoda were the only ones Rhys had really hung around. Mainly it was due to age and convenience at first—a fear of being alone, but they were friends. Her youngest sister, which he presumed was Evelyn since he vaguely recalled meeting Mina, was likey around Max’s age. The likelihood that she might end up in Slytherin was there, but Sarah’s family didn’t have a consistent sorting history.

The bartender took their orders, and he looked back at Sarah when she asked him a question. ”I think so.” Rhys had done well so far, so he couldn’t complain. The beginning had been rough. ”I haven’t found that mountain of gold yet.” Rhys recalled their ‘get rich quick’ idea from their last year. The bartender returned quickly with their drinks, and he drank his whiskey. Somewhere between the beginning of training and now, he’d developed a bit of a palette for the drink. Though the Leaky Cauldron was not world-renowned for its top-shelf whiskey. But it would do. ”Nobody cares who you are or who you’re related to once you’ve made it through training.” It was a place where the infamous could fit in. The first name that came to mind was Karkaroff—who had taken pity on the angry boy and taught him a few valuable lessons.

Rhys paused a moment, however. He considered some information floating in his head for a while now. ”I hear interesting rumors when I travel…” It bothered him, as much as he tried to push it out of his mind and convince himself he didn’t care. ”I worked in Romania during my first year of training, and people said Fenrir had been spotted.” Rhys fidgeted. When it came to that man, it was never a comfortable topic. ”And then my sister wrote to me about Max—the new sister.” Rhys had met his other sister at the beginning of his seventh year after the sorting ceremony, and it was still a bewildering memory. ”And I didn’t think much of it but I kept hearing rumors wherever I went, and…do you think I have more sisters? Maybe a brother?” Yearning and a touch of emotion flashed for a second in his eyes. ”They didn’t go through what I did—we did. He didn’t turn them.” Nor were their respective mothers deceased. Rhys still wasn’t sure he was happy or hurt that his experience had been the only brutal one. It wasn’t typical conversation when seeing an old friend after years but who else would understand?

template by vee

[sarah jane oliveira]

August 28, 2020

When she asked, Rhys said that he thought that he liked being a Curse-Breaker. It wasn't a glowing review of working for Gringotts, but Sarah supposed that he had taken what he could get and didn't want to complain about it for fear of losing what he had. He told her that he had yet to find "that mountain of gold", and it took her a moment to recall that they had joked about that once upon a time. That was a shame, though, Sarah thought; she could have used some of that gold.

The bartender got their drinks to them in hardly any time at all, and Sarah took a sip of the beer she'd ordered. It wasn't as strong as she would have liked; Rhys was the one with the whiskey, but she didn't have the money to spend on anything decent.

"Nobody cares who you are or who you’re related to once you've made it through training," Rhys informed her, which would have been helpful to know if they were still in their final year at Hogwarts, before she had gotten herself expelled. If that hadn't happened, then maybe her experience would have been different. Their paths were similar but just different enough that she could feel it. Rhys had exceeded all expectations for his future, obviously. She, on the other hand, hadn't even finished school.

Speaking of some rumors that he had heard during his travels, Rhys added that people in Romania a few years before had said that Fenrir had been spotted.

"In Romania?" Sarah asked curiously. Romania was mostly vampires and dragons, wasn't it? It probably wasn't much of a place for a werewolf, though the fact that it didn't seem to be too heavily populated must have worked in Fenrir's favor. She hadn't made it all the way out there with him, but that didn't mean that Fenrir hadn't gone there. She didn't know what all he got up to. The pack ran together, yet it wasn't as though they would know half the time if Fenrir popped out somewhere to hunt. He was like that, and Sarah knew not to question it—or his authority.

"And then my sister wrote to me about Max—the new sister," Rhys continued, without elaborating about Fenrir and Romania for the time being. "And I didn't think much of it," he went on, "but I kept hearing rumors wherever I went, and…" He sounded more emotional than Sarah had heard him in a very long time. "Do you think I have more sisters? Maybe a brother?"

"I don't know," Sarah answered, her voice actually sympathetic. She really couldn't say how many siblings Rhys might have had by Fenrir—or how many he might end up having in the future. Even in his human form, Fenrir left dead bodies in his wake where he could. It was one of the many reasons why it was better to be with him than against him. Besides, there weren't many children in Fenrir's pack; it wasn't a lifestyle that was ideal for parenthood. Of those few, there was no real way to know if Fenrir had fathered them, though there were other adult werewolves who had been turned by Fenrir as children.

There were at least those two half-sisters, too. "They didn't go through what I did—we did. He didn't turn them," Rhys explained.

Sarah sipped her beer again. "So the Max girl isn't a werewolf?" She didn't remember much about Rhys's little half-sister from their seventh year at Hogwarts beyond her existence, and now there was another one? That was interesting, especially that there were at least two known Greyback siblings who weren't werewolves. If Fenrir had known about them, Sarah reasoned, he would have turned them a long time ago. That was always his goal.

"There must be other siblings who are werewolves," Sarah voiced, knowing that that would probably comfort Rhys. "It's not just us out there," she reminded him. She doubted that there were other werewolves working with him as a Curse-Breaker, but they weren't alone in the world or in their experiences. Being with Fenrir's so-called "army", there was hope for people like them. They had a community that understood that they had a power all their own, with whom they weren't viewed as defective witches and wizards who had to be shut away from the world. They were whole beings as werewolves. Their lycanthropy was what gave them strength, and Sarah hated that Rhys had bought into the idea that he was lesser. Her parents might have assimilated back into wizarding society to raise their children that way, but there were more werewolves who knew that there was a better future for them.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

I see you're living for tomorrow

but decisions you have made
will leave you empty

August 28, 2020
sarah jane oliveira

Rhys nodded in confirmation. ”I didn’t expect him to be there.” He said with a light shrug. ”Then again, I guess I don’t know what to expect with him.” Rhys had never wanted to learn more about Fenrir. Hearing the stories had been enough to confirm what his memories already told him. Fenrir was a monster, yet Rhys had to live with the knowledge that they were related. Half of Rhys had fallen in love with the idea of more siblings, but then his heart sank right back down at the thought of Fenrir turning more of them—or more unwillingly becoming his victims.

”No…neither of them are.” That was a simple blessing. And they had families as well. Rhys clenched his jaw slightly. He always felt…weird thinking about it, so he drank more whiskey instead. But he looked back when Sarah spoke. While he didn’t want to be alone in his experiences, Rhys also wouldn’t want anyone to go through this monthly physical pain. ”Right.” Werewolves were not common but they existed. It was a shame he was so old when he met his sisters—though hopefully, they had a better time than he did regarding bullies.

Rhys grew quiet for a moment, drinking more whiskey. If he let them, his thoughts could run rampant on this topic until he somehow silenced them. ”At least they don’t have to deal with wolfsbane or any of it.” No jeering during class or dumb comments about leashes and dogs. No physical pain or feeling sick near the full moon or trying to push past the brain fog after. But someone had once told him that Fenrir liked to turn children the most, so maybe as his sisters grew older, they would be out of danger? He could only hope.

template by vee

[sarah jane oliveira]

August 28, 2020

Confirming that there were rumors that Fenrir had been in Romania, Rhys said that he hadn't expected him to be there. Sarah almost laughed but avoided doing so. "Then again, I guess I don't know what to expect with him," he added. Didn't they all?

He also said that neither of his half-sisters by Fenrir were werewolves, but he didn't sound as reassured as Sarah expected him to be by the reminder that there were more of them—more werewolves who knew what it was like to be discriminated against by magical society at large. There was no cure for their lycanthropy, nor did it seem reasonable to Sarah to waste her time in search of something that probably wouldn't ever happen, at least not in her lifetime.

Rhys kept drinking his whiskey. Sarah, who wasn't sure if she had ever seen him drink at all, was surprised to see how quickly he was getting through it. Then again, he wasn't exactly the type of person she expected would order some sort of fruity cocktail with a strawberry stuck on as a garnish.

"At least they don’t have to deal with Wolfsbane or any of it," he added.

He didn't have to deal with the Wolfsbane Potion either, Sarah thought to herself, though it wasn't the right place to mention that to him. If he wanted it, he could be free. He didn't have to deal with the frustrations of being confined by a world that didn't want to accommodate him—them. She took another sip of beer. "Yeah," she stated simply.

"Is it weird for you," Sarah wondered, "to have siblings after… you know?" He had spent his life as an orphan, effectively. And now he had siblings by Fenrir. She already had siblings, so imagining what it was like to be in Rhys's position was hard.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

I see you're living for tomorrow

but decisions you have made
will leave you empty

August 28, 2020
sarah jane oliveira

Unfortunately, his sisters were very young and still in school, so Rhys could not see them as much as he could or converse much with them aside from letters. But what was he supposed to talk to an eleven and twelve-year-old about? Aside from shared parentage, what did they even have in common? So many new questions had come to mind lately, and it had created a very uncomfortable level of introspection. Was his temper some common trait or something unique to him? Or maybe the girls would develop one if they were treated anywhere close to how he was during his seven years.

Hogwarts held bittersweet memories for Rhys. Years of fighting with a constant target on his back and moments where he’d laughed and rightfully earned detention for something stupid. Renfri’s glare waiting for him and Ilija upon their return. Or the roll of Nell’s eyes when he and Sarah returned to the Slytherin Common Room from their own detention. His friends. There was an awkward pause as Rhys pondered all of these things just as he’d done every day for a few years. Or at least more than usual. But Sarah finally broke it to ask a question.

Rhys blinked a few times. Nobody had ever asked him that. He hadn’t even asked himself that. He looked away a moment, face contorting slightly as she clenched his jaw a few times. Weird wasn’t the word he would have used to describe it all. Was there a word where one was simultaneously overjoyed, happy, jealous, and bitter all at the same time? ”Its strange…I mean, I’m grateful.” Taking a hearty sip of his whiskey, he had never been entirely good at faking extreme happiness, so he didn’t bother. ”They’re so young, they don’t…” Rhys trailed off before looking back at Sarah finally. So young and with families to protect them from the gruesome realities. ”They have so many questions. They have their own families. Max—the youngest, has two younger siblings.” Rhys explained. They had their mothers and stepfathers in their lives. A thought that made him drink more.

”I don’t have much to tell them. And I couldn’t very well tell an eleven-year-old what actually happened to my own mother…” Rhys paused. His story in his letters had been short and simple—his mother died when he was young. The emotions swirling in his chest were easy to verbalize, nor was it a particularly strong skill for him to do so. The friends he was close to felt like siblings to him, although only Sarah knew more of those gritty details out of all of them. Rhys finished off his whiskey and waved down the bartender for another. ”You want another one?” Rhys asked Sarah as he looked at her unfinished beer.

template by vee

[sarah jane oliveira]

August 28, 2020

Something about her question seemed to confuse Rhys at first, but Sarah continued to wait for his response. Maybe it was that he didn't know how to put his thoughts into words, Sarah considered. Besides, she couldn't imagine that it wasn't weird for Rhys to have learned that he had half-siblings by Fenrir. She probably could have answered that for herself, right?

Rhys did answer her, though. He agreed that it was strange, but he explained that he was also grateful. At the same time, he mentioned that his half-siblings were so young that they didn't… something or other. While Rhys didn't finish his thought in that regard, Sarah assumed that he was going to say something about how his half-siblings didn't understand the experiences that he'd had.

On top of that, Rhys mentioned that his half-siblings had their own families apart from him, even though they, too, had been fathered by Fenrir. That had to have been painful to realize, guessed Sarah, who noticed that he had gone back to his whiskey on that note.

"I don't have much to tell them," Rhys continued. "And I couldn't very well tell an eleven-year-old what actually happened to my own mother…"

Sarah, understanding what Rhys was getting at, nodded. Telling a kid he barely knew that he was essentially an orphan because of the brutality of their father was one way to break the ice, certainly.

"You want another one?" Rhys asked her, even though she hadn't finished the beer that she was drinking.

Without a second thought, however, Sarah agreed. "Sure, yeah," she replied to him, downing as much of her first beer as she could in the meantime.

rhys alexander greyback

[rhys alexander greyback]

I see you're living for tomorrow

but decisions you have made
will leave you empty

August 28, 2020
sarah jane oliveira

The bartender brought them more drinks. Rhys didn’t want to dwell on the subject that much. The excitable energy of such a discovery made it hard not to, but then he spiraled back into his usual hole. One day he’d probably tell them the truth. But the last thing Rhys wanted was their pity. And typically, that’s all those with somewhat normal upbringings could manage. Then again, not even Nell knew the full extent. Sarah had never done the pity thing with Rhys. And Juniper? Rhys wondered how he’d skirted around such details these past few years. However, it was becoming harder to hide.

Part of him was grateful nobody else had suffered as he had or even other families or former pack members. Though in the other part, his jealousy and anger grew. Resentment that those possibilities were taken from him so violently. He forced the thought away, drinking from the new glass. ”So, where do you think you’ll end up next?” She mentioned traveling, and he often traveled for work. He supposed that was a better and happier topic. It felt good to catch up, as Rhys wondered when he’d ever see her again.

[ end rhys ]

template by vee