The Grim's Den
Summary: Sirius Black- heir to the largest workhouse in the UK, Grimmauld Place, aka the Grim's den. Remus Lupin- a poor boy living in Grimmauld Place, with no family and just basically trying to make it through life with as little beatings as possible.
It began as a night like all others for Remus John Lupin. It ended as the worst night in his life.
A six year old Remus sat on the rug in front of the fire that crackled merrily in the fireplace, watching his mother work on a strange smelling potion while his father and elder brother chatted animatedly about the Ministry.
Remus beamed when his mother wiped her brow, smiling down at the little golden haired boy with his bright blue eyes before sweeping him up into the air, smiling at his squeals of joy. Remus heard his brother chuckle and squealed louder. Laughing , his mother set him down, and little Remus ran over to his brother, jumping onto his lap.
"Tell me a stowy, Rom, tell me a stowy!" the little boy demanded. Laughing, his brother told him "Okay, okay! I'll tell you a story! And my name isn't 'Rom', it's Romulus, you little fiend!"
Remus squealed and snuggled up against Romulus.
"Okay, you little devil, which story do you want?"
"Ummm…can you tell me the one about those thwee bwothers?"
"Okay, if you say so. There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brother were learned in the magical arts, so they simply waved their wands…"
Romulus read to Remus till the moon began to rise.
"…then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, as equals, they departed this life. So, how was that, you horror?"
"Great! But I'm not a howwa!"
Romulus laughed. "it's 'horror', not 'howwa', you silly boy."
Remus just frowned, sticking his tongue out and causing Romulus to laugh again.
"C'mon you horror, let's go up to bed."
"Awwww, why?"
"It's late and you need to be sleeping. Now come on."
Frowning, Remus did as he was told and allowed himself to be led up to his room.
Once in his room, Remus ran over and jumped onto the bed while Romulus picked out some pyjamas. When he had found a pair, he spent ten minutes trying to catch his little brother, before helping the now exhausted Remus into his pj's. Remus climbed into bed, yawning, as his brother tucked him in. Sleepily, he grabbed his brothers shirt as Romulus turned to leave.
"D'nt go…st'y 'ere…" he mumbled, trying to pull the older boy into his bed.
Sighing, Romulus turned round and climbed under the covers with Remus. Unconsciously, Remus snuggled into his brothers shirts, clutching onto it tightly. Slowly the pair drifted into sleep, snuggled against each other.
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Hours later, when the full moon was hanging high in the sky, Remus stirred against his brother, wiping his eyes sleepily. Slipping out of bed, Remus yawned and walked out of his room and down the hall to the bathroom, stumbling slightly. He was only halfway when he heard muffled shouts coming from his parents room. Curious, he made his way to the door and listened, catching only small sections of the conversation.
"No! Too dangerous…night…potions ingredients…risk!" His father was shouting.
"Best time…ingredients…night time!" And his mother was shouting back.
"Too dangerous…you…our sons…Fenrir Greyback…escaped…Azkaban!"
"Don't care!…old enough…care for myself!!!"
"What about Remus?! Too young…useless…dumb boy! Nothing like…brother…Romulus…smart!"
SLAP.
Quickly Remus turned around and headed back to his room, forgetting about going to the bathroom. He ran back in a shook his brother, startling him out of sleep.
"Huh? Remus…?What's the matter?" his brother asked, word slurred in his sleepy haze.
"Mummy and Daddy are shouting…I was going to the bathroom and heard them arguing about mummy not going outside at night and ingredients, and then daddy called me too young and useless and dumb and he said I was nothing like you cos you were smart and then there was this noise like someone hitting something!" Remus was crying slightly at the end, and clutched onto his brother tightly as he was swept up into the larger, comforting arms of Romulus, which were rocking him back and forth as he whispered words of comfort, soothing the smaller boy till the tears dried and the sobs turned into sniffles and small hiccups.
Romulus held his brother at arm length, staring at Remus firmly but softly.
"Remus, no matter what anybody says, you are an amazing, smart, helpful little boy. When someone needs you to take things seriously it's like you go from being a six year old to a boy who is far too grown up for his age. Remember that Remus." he told him."Okay…" Remus didn't look like he believed him, and Romulus tensed."Promise me Remus. Promise me you won't believe anyone when they say mean things about you.""I-I promise."
With those words, the tension fled from Romulus and a small amount of happiness filtered in, a small smile appearing on his face.
"Good. Now come on Remus, let's get back to sleep.""No."Romulus frowned.
"Why not?""M-my head's all jumbled up with loadsa thoughts.""Oh. Hmmm, can't really think of anything to solve that problem.""Could we walk a bit? Just in the forest behind the house. Only for a little while, please Rom. I wanna see the moon."His brother sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, fine, but only for a little while. Come on, let's go get your coat on."Remus practically beamed. "Thank you Rom!"Remus sprang up and grabbed Romulus' hand, pulling his protesting brother out of the room and downstairs to the coat rack. The two grabbed their coats and put their boots on, before heading out the back door and walking down the path that led to the forest, Remus skipping next to Romulus. Neither noticed their mother watching them from the window and then alerting their father.
Which had it's advantages, seen as it meant neither boy could hear the lovely stream of colourful curses erupt from their fathers mouth as the two parent tried to find something suitable to change into.
Remus and Romulus reached a clearing after about fifteen minutes of walking, and the two just stood and looked up at the stars and the moon, sharing something only siblings can experience.
Or they were till a loud growl sounded from the bushes.
Immediately, Romulus was in front of his brother, looking all around the clearing. But as he had no wand, he had no way to defend himself or Remus.
Which meant that when a giant wolf-thing pounced from the bushes, batted Romulus aside with its claws, leaving a large wound in his side, and bit Remus on the shoulder, he could do nothing but try to get the monster off his screaming brother.
"GET OFF MY SON!!! CRUCIO!!!"
The wolf flew backwards, howling in pain, right into a moonbeam of light. His mind didn't register the wolf getting back up and pouncing on his mother, ripping her throat out before shredding his father to death with it's claws, blood coating the clearing and Remus, whose eye's had lost any kind of innocence.
The only thing that registered was 'Werewolf. Get Remus away'.
Now that the main threat was gone, the werewolf turned around. Spotting the weakest target, he advanced towards Remus, growling.
Romulus grabbed his deceased fathers wand from the ground and pointed it at the werewolf, eyes flashing as it pounced at Remus, poor little, robbed-of-his-innocence-at-the-age-of-six Remus.
"AVADA KEDAVARA!!!" he screamed, pouring nearly all his magic into the spell.
A green light burst forth from the wand, hitting the werewolf full on in the chest, effectively killing the beast so that it landed in a crumpled heap next to Remus, harmless.
But it did not matter. The damage had been done, and Remus had been bitten.
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After Remus was bitten, Romulus went back into the house and grabbed a small suitcase, filling it with clothes for Remus, a loaf of bread and two bottle's of water.
He had immediately decided to find a new place to live, a place that the presences of their parents had never touched, and therefore weren't filled with memories of them.
He set off with Remus to London, using the money he'd managed to obtain from his father's wallet.
He then caught a cab, travelling with Remus to the countryside just outside London. They found an old abandoned house, which had practically fallen into disrepair, aside from the basement, which held strong, and that was what mattered.
Romulus quickly set about casting many different charms and spells. By the end he was exhausted, but he had successfully created a impenetrable barrier which would appear when the sun sets and disappear when the sun rose every day, including the full moons, successfully providing Remus with a cage in which to stay in through the full moons. Then, as an afterthought, he added a simple charm which made the room smell of the forest, erasing any and all human scents.
When that was done, Romulus healed Remus' wounds with healing charms and then walked back into London, leaving the suitcase behind in the basement of the house.
Finally, they reached their destination. Grimmauld Place, the largest workhouse in London, run and lived in by the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Remus watched his big brother plead with Walburga Black, promising to work and share a bed with his brother so they would not take up much room. Finally, she agreed, and had a house elf named Kreacher lead them down to the rooms where all the children slept. As they were led through the hall, a young six year old boy with black hair and grey eyes, named Sirius Orion Black and was heir to the family fortunes and the workhouse, watched with slight curiosity at the two golden haired boys with blue eyes. Their eye's were different though. The taller ones eyes held determination and protectiveness, while the small one, who looked to be Sirius' age, had eye's which held pain, sadness, grief, fury, remorse, guilt and a slight deadened look, all of which a six year olds eye's should not hold. Sirius soon forgot about them thought when his little brother Regulus dumped baby food on his head, sending him into a screaming fit.
On Remus' and Romulus' first day, they were working.
After a week Romulus' cut on his side from the werewolf got infected.
Two days after that, Romulus fainted and had to be carried back to bed.
Four days after that, the last of Remus' family was dead.
Remus snuck his body out and buried it in the abandoned house outside of London, where he was due to transform.
When he did transform he was so weak he couldn't move for two days.
When he got back he was beaten by Kreacher, the cane re-opening his wound's and making him scream.
Later that night, Walburga commented to her husband, Orion, that she didn't think anybody had ever screamed to loud.