Hey, first off: Big, big, BIG thanks to dogstar-ebony, my beta!

Second: Here is the hopefully the first oneshot to a new HP universe. This is majorly AU, but hopefully not OOC and hopefully well explained. I'm calling it the Real World Universe for now, but *shrugs*. We'll see. All backstory will be explain in the story. As you know, I am a HUGE Remus fan, so of course, he gets his own AU world, revolving around him. Poor guy...

Third: I do not own Remus. Tonks, unfortunately, does, and though she is awesome, I want him to be mine. Actually, JKR owns him. Which is unfair, because she owns about a million guys I like. That's sort of selfish. But then again, I would do that, too. I do not own anything else you recognize in this story, save for the Werewolf Facility and my OCs.

Thanks, and enjoy!

"Welcome to the real world, werewolf," Remus muttered to himself, observing his pruny, wrinkled fingers and sighing dejectedly before sticking them back into the basin of soapy water. It had been the same exact words the Werewolf Capturer had used while leading him out of the Werewolf Facility a month and a half before. Remus had ignored the man's sarcasm and scorn, and simply reveled in the fresh air that he was breathing for the first time since he was a child. But now, it was practically his motto.

His bones ached from the last full moon, though it had been two full weeks previous. As hard as the real world was to face, Remus had returned to the Facility for his transformation, one of the requirements that he would even be released, and found it to be confining, suffocating, even. He had ached to see the blue sky, to feel the wind whip his face in the cold December.

"Oi, werewolf!" one of the staff called to him. Remus dropped the plate he was scrubbing into the water and turned quickly, expectantly, waiting to be given orders. "You're serving tables."

He was suddenly tossed an apron. Remus' mouth dropped open – he had never been allowed to interact with customer before. He was rarely allowed to leave his position in the corner, washing the dishes.

"But… why?" he questioned, though he threw the apron over his head hurriedly.

"Malcolm sprained his ankle, and we're short on waiters today. There's not many in the shop and we don't want to alarm anyone. Come here."

Remus followed him automatically to the door, not bothering to figure out who exactly Malcolm was, nor the boy speaking to him. None of the others spoke to him if they could avoid it. Nobody wasted their time learning names. All he had to do was keep quiet and be a good little werewolf. All they had to do was call him "werewolf".

"See those tables over there, in the corner?" Remus nodded. There were three tables in that section. One held what seemed to be a family going out for dinner during the teenagers' school break. At the other two, several older teens were seated, though they did not seem to be together. In fact, they had pushed the tables as far apart as possible in the small space. "Those are yours. The only one you might have any trouble with is the family, because adults are sometimes more particular about their order. The teenagers will likely order a Butterbeer, a burger, and fries and be done with it. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Remus said quietly, struggling not to clench his jaw. When they weren't poking fun or sneering at him, they would treat him as if he were four years old. And Remus knew for a fact that he never wanted to be four years old again. "Are they ready?"

"The table in the middle already had their orders taken. Ask the family if they need a minute, and then, if they do, get the teenagers. If not, take their orders and go back for the kids." The man smiled slightly, the first smile Remus had ever received at work. "Good luck. I remember my first time serving tables was hell."

"Thanks," Remus murmured and meekly took the pen and pad he was being offered. He swallowed thickly and stepped forward, walking slowly and steadily to the tables, making sure to plaster a smile on his face. He had learned years and years ago that the best thing you could do in almost any circumstance was to simply grin and bear it.

Welcome to the real world, werewolf.

Remus had lived in the Werewolf Facility for as long as he could remember. Then again, he had been a werewolf for practically all his life. Besides being bitten at age four by Fenrir Greyback, the most vicious werewolf in all of Britain – a fact the guards were sure to never let him forget – his most prominent memories took place in that institute. He had learned to read, how to write, how to do math, and by some miracle, how to pick locks. Remus wasn't quite sure that he would have been able to survive all those years if he didn't have that ability.

Remus Lupin was very skilled at making trouble. He was, unfortunately, not very good at evading capture or blame. Starting at age six, when he had figured out that all he needed to break out of the children's ward was a bobby pin that could be used to deactivate both his security bracelet and pick the lock, he had been a menace for all employed. Many employees adored the lively little boy that was easily the youngest to ever step foot into the Facility. More hated him for the messes he continually made.

This fortunate ability honed his curiosity and let him relieve his energy in a healthy way as he wandered about aimlessly to explore the building, as opposed to what his dorm mates found interesting. At thirteen, he had been proud to say that he had never participated in a fight. That's not to say, of course, that he had not been thrown down the laundry chute several times. Remus preferred the days they had laundry, because the landing was much softer. The others preferred the days that they didn't, for the exact opposite reason. Remus had actually experienced his first broken bone due to a head-first trip down the laundry chute, in which he luckily broke the fall with his hands, but in the act, also broke his arm.

By fourteen, however, enough was enough – for everyone.

The guards at the Facility no longer tolerated Remus' childish pranks and mischief and had his belongings searched for any sort of object that could aide him in breaking out. Consequences became harsher than being sent to his dorm for the day. Causing trouble now resulted in solitary confinement, for a minimum of two days, in the high security cells, which Remus thought less of cells than as small, dark boxes. Remus had risked it only once, for he discovered within twenty minutes of sitting in his cell that he was claustrophobic to the extremes. Terrified of being locked in the hell hole again, Remus immediately became the most obedient and well behaved resident. This, of course, did not increase his popularity in the least and only led to trouble.

The other boys that shared his dorm became sick of their wimpy room-mate, who never fought and was an absolute bore, in their opinion. They had handled him for years, but no more. They didn't really care that Remus had lived in the Facility for far longer than they, considering that none of the others had shown up until they were eight. They spent day and night trying to provoke him, trying to get him upset and riled up. It didn't take long to figure out his greatest weakness (and from the bullies' perspective, he had too many of them to count). All the boys had to do was make a pointed comment about how at least their parents would have kept them if the werewolf had left them alive.

Remus, finally, couldn't stand it anymore. He could clearly remember the first punch he'd ever thrown in his life. The boys had been shoving him around, fighting for the bathroom. It was the day before full moon and Remus was feeling especially weak, not even bothering to try and argue his way to the front of the line. Noticing this, the others decided to get along for a moment.

Remus had choked and spluttered, and his knees were aching on the tile floor. Everyone laughed loudly and his face was so red, he could feel the heat. He wasn't sure if it was from anger, or from humiliation, but sure enough, his arm had pulled back and snapped. He broke one boy's nose, and when he toppled to the ground, he had knocked over the other three into the shower. Remus, feeling particularly vengeful that day, had turned on the icy cold water full blast and walked calmly out of the bathroom.

They never gave him a swirly again.

That's not to say they left him alone. However, they were more cautious when attempting to provoke him, for he no longer had any qualms about fighting back. Still, Remus was one of the better behaved werewolves at the Facility.

The Werewolf Facility housed two main categories of werewolves. The first group was the larger one – it was the orphans of attacks that happened to have been bitten in the action. Remus was part of this group, though unlike the others, was not a true orphan. He knew that his parents were healthy and alive. He also knew that they had no tolerance for werewolves and therefore sent him away immediately after he was bitten. It was this intolerance that had gotten him bitten in the first place, Remus had found, and thought it was unfair to be punished and then sent away thanks to their mistake. Most of the orphans eventually had the opportunity to leave, though they had to return every full moon.

The second group was the one that was never to leave the Facility. They were the ones that had killed and committed vicious crimes. They were also the orphans that seemed to have the potential. Remus often wondered what gave them the "potential". None of his dorm mates had been sent to any of the permanent wards, and he would have figured they would be the type. Then again, he realized, he was probably prejudiced against them.

Starting at fifteen, Remus had counted down to the day he would be released. He knew that if he stayed on the guard's good side, he could possibly get out at eighteen. As it was, he filled his fight limit at seventeen and was forced to remain until he turned twenty.

Now, at twenty and one and a half months, Remus was experiencing freedom. He loved it. He could care less that his flat was cheap and dingy, and that everyone at work hated him and gave him menial tasks. As long as he had fresh air and the wide, open sky, he was satisfied. But he sometimes watched his co-workers and the people that came to the restaurant. They all had friends, they would all go out to eat and joke with one another. They all could give their friends a look, and they would seem to understand it instantly. They all had a connection with someone. Remus had nothing, not even with his family, and he couldn't help sometimes longing for it.

"Hi, I'm Remus," he grinned at the family tentatively. The teens, a boy and a girl, stared at him stonily, but glared at their parents openly. They were apparently having an argument. "Um, your server, Malcolm, he's injured, so I'm taking over –"

"We know," the father of the family interrupted smoothly, but not rudely. "We saw those boys in the middle table spill water, trying to make him slip. Be careful, I'd say." Remus glanced quickly at the barely moving, almost silent boys. Them? They had done that? That was completely not the type, he thought. But then again, what did he know? His contact with people had been limited even after leaving the Facility. Perhaps his idea was a bit warped.

"Oh," he said lamely. "Well, do you need a minute or…?"

"I think we're –" the father began.

"Not ready," the mother cut him off, still scanning the menu. She looked up and smiled kindly. "I'm sorry, I take forever to decide."

"It's no problem," Remus told her. "I'll be back in a few minutes then."

"Wait... You say your name is Remus?" she suddenly asked. The information seemed to have only just registered in her. She scanned his face hungrily, looking for something, though he couldn't be sure what. "Who are your parents? I, er, remember someone telling me that their son had that name."

"My parents… died." It was simpler than telling them the truth. "A while ago." Her face fell.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "I just assumed, I suppose. The name isn't too common, and I haven't seen the boy since he was very young…"

"It's no problem," Remus assured her before backing away slowly. He then headed for the table on the end. This looked like a table that would try to spill the water. The three boys were rowdy and loud, and the one redhead girl at the table looked humiliated to simply be sitting with them.

"Let's hex 'em!" the black haired boy suggested. The small, mousy looking one squeaked.

"Here? Now?"

"No, in a year," the boy with big round glasses snorted. "Yes, now, Pete! Merlin…"

"James, Sirius," the girl scolded. "Leave them alone!"

"Why? They're Slytherins! James, please explain your girlfriend's logic," Sirius argued, but settled down anyhow.

"No clue, she's a mystery," James commented as the redhead glared. He grinned widely and pulled her closer, planting a kiss on her forehead. "That's what I love about her." Remus was only about a foot away from the table when Sirius grumbled and looked towards the kitchen.

"Where's the bloody waiter?" he grumbled.

"Hi," Remus said quickly, swallowing to ease his dry throat. On closer inspection, these people looked to be around his age, if not older. He tugged his sleeve down quickly, trying to conceal the security bracelet he was still forced to wear, to make everyone aware of what he was. People closer to his age tended to be more against werewolves. "Sorry it took so long to get to this table, the person that's supposed to be here sort of got hurt."

James frowned. "Yeah, that was them." He jerked his head over towards the middle table. "Tell your friend sorry, 'cause they were going for us, we think."

"I'll tell him, thanks," Remus assured him, though he had no idea who Malcolm really was. "Are you ready to order?"

"Sure," the redhead said. "I'll just have the grilled chicken and pumpkin juice, and then they'll each have a hamburger and a Butterbeer." Remus scribbled down their order quickly.

"Hey, Lily, what makes you think you can order for us?" Sirius huffed. She raised her eyebrow. "I'm not so predictable!"

"I apologize, Mr. Unpredictable. What do you want to get?"

Sirius glanced at the menu and glared at her before mumbling, "Burger and Butterbeer."

"Is that it?"

Lily nodded."Yes, thanks."

Remus smiled and walked quickly to the kitchen, sighing in relief. Well, the worst part was over. It had been completely nerve racking and he was sure he looked like an idiot. I think I'll stick to dishwashing in the future, Remus thought as he handed the order over to the chef and he recoiled at the touch. Definitely.

Remus walked down the cobble stone path of Diagon Alley that night, the new moon approaching ever so slowly. He had been lucky – Malcolm, who he soon found out was a twenty four year old Hogwarts drop-out, had been patched up in an instant and took his shift back without hesitation. That is, if you don't count the speaking to Remus part.

Quietly, he hummed himself a tune he couldn't believe he remembered. He could vaguely recall his mother singing it to him as a lullaby when he was a child, but that was as clear as she ever got. If he really tried and closed his eyes, he could sometimes feel as if he were still sitting in that warm, soft bed, the moonlight pouring over the mother-son pair and the calming melody in his ears.

Remus hitched his bag up higher on his shoulder and turned into a coffee shop that he knew to be open twenty-four-seven, for those dependent on caffeine. Remus had tried hard to shake his addiction, because he knew it was expensive, but he had gotten his hands on coffee when he was twelve. There was no turning back now.

The shop was sweltering hot, a pleasant change from the biting wind. Remus knew he didn't have any money to spare, but he also knew that there was no power in his flat that night. The shop was unusually crowded, but he managed to slip into an empty table near the corner. Relieved to be off work and in a warm (powered) building, he pulled out a worn, second-hand book he had bought from a Muggle shop. The conversion from Galleons to Muggle money was significant – Remus was considering moving into the Muggle world, and he already got his groceries from a Muggle supermarket.

"Hi, do you mind if I sit here?" someone asked, pulling Remus from the first chapter of his book. Startled, he jumped, but smiled slightly and nodded to the girl. She practically fell into the seat with her coffee, flushed beyond belief from the cold. It took scarcely a moment for Remus to recognize her. She was the girl from the restaurant.

Remus immediately tensed, pulling his sleeve over his security bracelet once again. It would do no good if a worker recognized him, and they surely would, for he was a regular in this little café. They would no doubt bring attention to him, just as they had every time he entered. But, for now, he could hide under a human façade.

"It's cold, isn't it?" the girl - Lily, he suddenly remembered - commented.

"Yeah, absolutely freezing," he replied softly, not wanting to seem rude. If there was one social skill he had learned from the Facility, it was to not be rude. It didn't stop any of the others, but Remus wasn't quite like them.

"I'm Lily."

"Remus." There was a pause as something registered in the girl's mind.

"Oh, you were the waiter at the restaurant today, weren't you? I'm not even sure what the name was… James just dragged us there after work." Lily giggled slightly, obviously thinking of her erratic boyfriend. "Do you like working there?"

Remus shrugged. "It's a good job. It pays the bills, I suppose." Hesitating slightly, he asked her, "What do you do?"

"Oh, I work in Control of Magical Creatures in the Ministry. I'm pretty low as far as rankings, I just started, but who knows? Maybe I'll rise to the top one day!" Remus' stomach dropped. Control of Magical Creatures. Oh, great! he thought. The one person I actually get the guts to talk to works for the very department that tries to exterminate people like me.

"What do you do there?" Remus asked, curious. Please don't be an executor, please don't!

"Mostly work magical creatures' rights and such. A lot of things to do with ghosts, they're a problem, and a surprising amount of werewolves. Did you know that one out of every ten people is a werewolf?" she asked, seeming to be shocked by this notion. Remus wasn't. He knew there were plenty of werewolves, considering the Facility was often cramped and crowded.

"No," he lied. "That is a lot. What sort of things do you do with werewolves, though?"

"All sorts of things. Testify in trials, do some research and all, and now I'm actually working on reuniting some parents with their child."

"What do you mean?" Remus was curious – he had never heard of something like this happening. "Was the child kidnapped by a werewolf?"

"I'm not really supposed to be talking about this out of work, it's mostly confidential," Lily mumbled and Remus sat back, backing away.

"I'm sorry, then. I didn't mean to pry," he apologized. Lily smiled and shook her head.

"It's all right, you didn't know. But it is an interesting case. We'll be at the Werewolf Facility – you've heard of it, right? – next full moon, trying to figure out which werewolf is their child. I really hope we find him. The family you served today, that was them, actually. I said hello before, when we walked in. They're all so nice, but the kids are a little angry with their parents. They didn't even know their sibling existed until today!"

"Wow," Remus said simply, not sure what else he could do. An awkward silence fell over them, and Lily sipped at her coffee.

"Can't live without this stuff," she pointed to the cup. "You?"

"It's great, but would likely run me out of a home if I gave in to my cravings."

Lily laughed.

"Yeah, well, that's why I always try to get James to treat me. It rarely works, so I only come here once a week or so."

"I come almost every night, just for the light and heat," Remus chuckled. "My flat goes out all the time. The worst, though, is when the power is working, but the lock is jammed and I can't get in."

"Merlin, that sounds terrible!" Lily exclaimed, but was laughing nevertheless. "You know, Sirius or James could probably fix that for you."

"Thanks, but no thanks. The landlord doesn't like me much, so tinkering with his locks won't do any good."

"All right, then, how about –"

"What're ye doing here tonight?" Remus and Lily both jumped, finding the owner of the shop to be standing beside their table, glaring venomously at Remus. "I thought I told ye to stay out when there's lotsa customers!"

Remus made to stand up, despite Lily's shocked expression. "Look, fine, I'll go, I'll just -"

"And ye didn't even buy anything, did ye?" the owner spat.

"I haven't got much money," Remus protested. "I can't buy something every night."

"Well, here's a new rule for ye – stay out or buy something. Now, get!" Remus sighed and turned to Lily, waving lamely.

"See you around," he muttered. "Gotta go."

"Hey, wait just one moment!" Lily stood from her seat, grabbing Remus' arm in a flash. He realized she had an iron grip after trying to tug away. It wasn't happening any time soon. "What has he done? Nothing! I don't see any reason why he can't stay. More than half these customers haven't bought anything."

The owner smirked. "Do ye know what kind of company yer keeping? Do ye have any clue what it is?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about…" Lily trailed off, looking at Remus in confusion. The owner yanked Remus out of her hands, and forcibly pulled up his left sleeve, exposing the bracelet that clearly read "WEREWOLF 73687" and the bite that had ruined his life sixteen years ago.

Remus flushed in anger and humiliation. This was his secret to tell! Not the owner's! And now, the only person that had ever pursued a friendly conversation with him in his entire life was going to be disgusted and would walk away without another word. She worked for Control. There was no doubt about what her reaction would be. She would surely say –

"So?"

Remus' jaw dropped in shock. So? He had expected her to say something along the lines of "Get away, you filthy beast!" or something to that extent.

"So? What're ye thinking, a girl like ye shouldn't be associating herself with this… this… thing!" The owner dropped Remus' arm as if it were a piece of trash and took hold of his collar roughly. "Get out, or I'll make ye."

"I'm leaving, really, I am," Remus murmured, indeed ready to rush out the door the instant people stopped touching him.

"You are, are you?" Lily asked, but didn't wait for an answer. Remus still couldn't understand why people, usually girls, did that. He had only started hearing it when he first left the Facility. "Right, then, let's go. Let me tell you – you've just lost a customer. And you can be sure as hell that nobody I'm friends with will be coming here, either."

She grabbed hold of Remus' hand and marched them into the icy wind without another word.

Remus trudged into his childhood dorm and dumped a small bag of clothes on the bed unceremoniously. He had been here for less than an hour, and already, he wanted to leave. He'd rather be scrubbing dishes, or freezing outside his apartment, or even being thrown out of yet another coffee shop. The reason wasn't solely the rapidly approaching full moon. It was the possible encounter with Lily that he knew might come.

She had two days to figure out which werewolf belonged to these parents. Sure enough, he was placed in the children's ward, seeing as he wasn't a permanent resident. Two days to seek him out. Two days to find out what a true terror he was. Granted, he had never told her his last name and he had avoided her like the plague after the horrible night. Nevertheless, there was always the possibility.

Werewolves that were allowed to roam the outside world were required to return the day before full moon. They spent a night in their human form, and a night as a wolf. The next day, they were permitted Lupin hto leave, if they wished so. Most stayed long enough to get medical attention, and then went on their merry way.

"Look at that," one of his dorm mates, Romy, the "leader" of their little pack (and also the boy who had previously suffered a broken nose, courtesy of Remus) muttered under his breath.

"The mighty as returned," another, John, sneered.

"Wonder how he's liking the outside world," Henry laughed cruelly. "Bet he's making tons of friends… that is, when they don't run away screaming."

"He thinks he's so much better than us," Kyle snorted. "He's such a freak."

"At least I'm not still locked up in this hell hole," Remus butted in loudly, already fed up with their taunts. "At least I get to see the sky."

"Yeah, as you sleep on the streets. I'm surprised you haven't gone searching for Mummy and Daddy yet. They're still alive, right? Maybe they'll give you somewhere to stay. Oh, but wait – they left you here. They hate you. Never mind, then." Romy's comment stung just as hard as they had when they were kids. It was oddly reassuring to know that some things never changed as Remus' temper snapped and he found himself suddenly wrestling the bully on the floor.

Needless to say, he wasn't doing very well. However, he did have quite a set of lungs.

"Shut up, you git!"

"Is that the best you can do? Can't even call me a decent name! We're not kids anymore, Lupin! Learn some new insults!" Romy laughed, punching Remus successfully in the gut. "Come on, wolf boy, you can do better than that."

"I said to shut up!" Remus gasped, already heavily bruised, though they had been fighting for less than a minute. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"Freak!" he hissed, and was quickly joined by the others in the chant. "You're not human, I don't see why you bother trying to pretend! This isn't nursery. We don't play dress up anymore."

"Shut – UP!" Remus threw Romy off of him and into the wall with a bang!

"Boys, boys, behave yourselves!" The boys all gasped and turned to see a guard, and to Remus' horror, Lily, standing at the door. The guard was angry. Lily looked frightened. "I leave you alone for two minutes, just two minutes, and you beat each other to a pulp!" he grumbled, pulling Remus off the floor by his hair. Remus flinched at the painful tug.

"Ouch," he mumbled, rubbing his sore scalp.

"He spends two months in the real world and he's a wimp," one of the boys commented not so quietly.

"He was always a wimp."

"Lupin, come on. Someone's here to see you." The guard turned sharply on his heel and began to stride away. Lily hesitated, waiting for Remus to join her. He did so nervously and flinched when the door slammed behind them.

They walked in silence, trailing several yards behind the guard. The gray walls aggravated Lily more than they aggravated Remus. Her eyes darted side to side, in search for an escape route from the crushing atmosphere. Or, perhaps, Remus concluded, him.

He smiled fondly at the pictures that had been hanging for sixteen years. Messy finger paintings and scribbles from the boys, and neat, pretty flowers from the girls. Remus could easily identify which were his – they all had a large "R" written in the middle with a marker. He had been so proud that he could write his initials that he had shown off any chance he got.

"Did you know your parents were alive?" Lily asked curiously.

"What?" Remus was yanked out of his memories by the question.

"Your parents. Did you know that they were alive?" Remus looked at her blankly. "Gosh, Remus, I told you why I was here. Your parents have been looking for you. You've already met them, actually."

"My parents hate me," Remus snorted. "Left me here when I was four."

"Yes, they did, but they started trying to find you three years ago!" Remus shook his head, not quite sure he could believe any of it. "They're uneasy and everything, but they want to see you. Get to know you."

"It's not mutual," Remus muttered. Lily rolled her eyes.

"It doesn't matter. You don't have a choice. They only came to the department for help a few months ago, but they've been trying to hunt you down since you turned of age."

"Hunt me down," Remus repeated flatly. "Yeah, that sounds like a wonderful description of someone trying to find a werewolf." Lily ignored him.

"You see, the Facility wouldn't let them in on their records, so they obviously couldn't know that you were still here. I'll be honest, I had no idea it was you until I was able to convince them to show me your file and I caught a glance at your picture." She took a deep rattling breath as the three crowded into a lift. The guard roughly tapped Remus' security bracelet with his wand and then shoved him away to the opposite wall. The doors closed and they slowly rose from the basement – or, in other words, the living area.

"What –"

"The elevators won't work if someone with an activated bracelet is in it," Remus explained before she could go further.

"Oh." A pause. "It's kind of dark and cramped in this place. How did you ever live here?" Remus shrugged.

"You get used to it, you know? Werewolves don't need much. Just food, water, and somewhere to sleep. And something to use pent up energy on, but I handled that pretty well."

"Have you ridden down the laundry chute any time recently?" the guard asked conversationally.

"Er… no. Haven't had a chance to be thrown down. Why?"

"You'll be burnt to a crisp if the tunnel picks up on the bracelet. Activates a shock. I imagine it would hurt." Remus cringed and rubbed his bracelet, reassuring himself that it was not going to shock him this instant. The guard laughed hysterically at his shocked face. "Merlin, kid, I was kidding. You're all so gullible."

The lift shook to a stop and the doors slid open smoothly, revealing a large, white lobby. Remus gulped and let himself be pushed out into the sunlit room.

Looking around, he instantly tensed. He didn't know why. He didn't understand. He loved sunlight and space. Why was he getting so nervous being here? He caught sight of the family from the restaurant huddled by the front desk. That would be his answer. He felt too exposed, too vulnerable when he was out of the shadows.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lupin?" Lily left Remus' side and walked over in a friendly, assuring manner. "Ryan, Nicole, are you all ready? Remus is here."

Remus stiffened just as they lifted their heads. He could already make out some small features on their faces. His mother had the same color hair as he. His sister could scowl just as well as he could, if not better. His brother was reaching around the same height. And his father had the same determined look in his eyes as Remus had when he tried to pick a new, more complicated lock, or win a fight with his dorm mates. How had he not noticed this when they first met?

"We're ready," his mother replied softly. Lily raced back to Remus and grabbed his hand, just as she had in the coffee shop. He let her pull him forward, as hesitant as he was, and bridge the distance. Lily smiled and gently took Mrs. Lupin's hand. Smoothly, she slid her hand out of both of theirs and replaced the grips with one another's. Remus took a deep breath, preparing for her to jerk away.

It never came.

Her hand was soft and warm, seeming to fit his hand perfectly, reminding him of his very early youth when he would walk to the store with his parents. They always held his hand, so he wouldn't get lost or taken. A whole lot of good that did in the end...

"Wow," he muttered to himself, before pulling away. It was just a little too awkward. He gave a half smile. "You know, in the dorm, we were just talking about you. I tried to beat a kid to a pulp."

"He lost," Lily offered.

"Thanks, Miss States-The-Obvious," Remus laughed and rolled his eyes. "Do you think you could get Romy shipped out of here, though? I'm positive he's going to slit my throat tonight. I almost got him in trouble." Lily laughed.

"He won't. He hasn't got any weapons."

"He'll smother me, then. It wouldn't be the first time he's tried." Lily rose her eyebrows skeptically. "All right, it wouldn't be the first time he's considered it."

"Talk to your family," she laughed. "I'll see what I can do about separating you from those gits." As she leaned over the counter to talk to a guard, Remus smiled a bit.

"I think I like knowing people around here," he said to himself.

"Erm, Remus, these are Ryan and Nicole. We usually call Nicole Nikki, but if that makes you uncomfortable, she doesn't mind Nicole," Remus' father told him. "Right, Nikki?"

"You're a werewolf, huh?" she simply said. Remus nodded. She cocked her head to the side. "You don't look like one." Remus shook his head slightly.

"What, did you expect fur and teeth and claws and stuff? That's not until tomorrow night."

"No, no," Ryan said. "She means that you don't look aggressive or any of that stuff you're supposed to be. You look… well, you're my brother, right? So I can say brotherly stuff that's usually kind of mean, right?"

"I don't really know what you're talking about, but…"

"Well, to be honest, then, you look like kind of a wimp. Do you have glasses? Do you like to read?"

"Leave him alone, Ryan!" Nicole shoved her brother roughly. "That's so mean, really! Why would you say that to anyone?"

"No, no, it's all right," Remus laughed. "I am a bit of a wimp, you should hear the people I share a dorm with. They think I'm weaker than a twig, which I usually am, but that's besides the point. And yeah, I like to read. It keeps me busy, at least."

"Good, then. I like books, too." Ryan turned to Nicole angrily. "See? I wasn't being mean, I was wondering if he was Ravenclaw material!"

"Oh no, you're trying to convert him! Hufflepuff is the best, Remus, really. We've got a whole mix – smart people, sneaky people, brave people, and all of us are loyal! All the qualities of the Houses. I bet you'd be a Hufflepuff, because we're obviously the best."

"No way, Ravenclaw is amazing!"

"I think that Slytherin is pretty cool," Remus' father commented lightly. They turned on him, glaring. "But seeing as I wasn't sly enough to get in, Gryffindor is pretty cool, too. Maybe we ought to ask Dumbledore to Sort you, just to settle this argument."

His mother scanned him for a moment. "Gryffindor," she finally stated. "Definitely Gryffindor material, I think. To have the guts to come up here… that takes a Gryffindor."

"I, er, didn't have much of a choice. It was come up here, where there's sunlight and windows, or stay in the very closed up, cramped dorm room with four boys that currently want me dead."

"I'd choose the dorm room, just so I could beat them up," Nicole informed him. "Anyhow, Mum and Dad told us about you a few days ago, when we went out to eat." She gasped. "Oh, wow! You were there, weren't you?" She didn't wait for Remus' answer. Why did girls do that? "That's so cool! Anyhow, we were so annoyed that they never told us, but we don't really care about the… you know. Werewolf-ness."

"The term is lycanthropy."

"Shut up, Ryan. I'm sure Remus doesn't mind werewolf-ness, do you? If you do, I'll stop."

Remus smiled. "Werewolf-ness is good. I think I'll use that on Henry later. He's always trying to be as correct as ever, it drives him nuts when I use incorrect grammar and nonexistent words. Which I, of course, do on purpose."

Ryan's eyes glinted. "Ooh, evil. Maybe you do belong in Slytherin."

"You're stuck, sorry," Lily sang as she approached them again. "And do you know what they're talking about, with Houses?"

"Not really," Remus blushed. "I was going to ask."

"In Hogwarts, they Sort you into one of four Houses based on your personality. Slytherin for the cunning and sly, Gryffindor for the brave, Ravenclaw for the smart and those thirsting for knowledge, and Hufflepuff for the loyal."

"Oh, that makes sense, then," Remus murmured, trying to remember which they had accused him of being.

"I've got to escort you back down. But why don't I set something up for you to get together after full moon?"

"That would be nice," Mr. Lupin responded quickly and then gazed at his son. "If you'd like, of course."

"That would be nice," Remus repeated, nodding. He paused before adding, "I had some things I wanted to ask, but it can all wait."

"Good! All right, then, Remus, you're with me and the guard – what's his name?" Remus shrugged. He had no idea. Lily turned to the family. "I'll be right back to get you out of here. You all must be exhausted after all this. I just need to talk to Remus about something."

A few moments later, Lily, Remus, and the guard were trudging down the endless hallway once more. Remus glowered at the blinking red, activated light on his security bracelet. That temporary freedom, taken away so quickly, so effortlessly, with just the tap of a wand.

Then again, was any freedom really permanent? Rather, was there any freedom at all? In werewolves' case, Remus figured there wasn't. There would always be laws, always be regulations, and always be the little wolf in the back of your mind, whispering to you, telling you that you're worthless. In a way, the guards and the wolf were one and the same.

No matter if Remus was allowed to roam about the real world and interact with humans, he was always beckoned back to the Facility. He'd be back here for twenty four days a year, every year, for the rest of his life, at the very least. Everyone said in a scathing, mocking tone, "Welcome to the real world" because the werewolves were never really welcome and they surely weren't there to stay.

"What did you think of them?" Lily finally asked softly.

"They seemed…" Remus searched for words. "Nice, I suppose. But I don't know. Why would they leave me here and then come searching years and years later?"

"Perhaps they realized they made a mistake. Perhaps they really loved you, but weren't sure they could afford the cost of having a werewolf in the house, with all the expenses for medication and possible cures. Here, at least, you never have to worry about that. They just give it to you."

"That's true. But… I don't know. I just don't know... Nicole and Ryan seemed very, er, energetic, though, didn't they?"

"Their parents – er, your parents didn't tell them about you until a few weeks ago. This morning, they were so excited to meet their long lost brother. They don't care that you're a werewolf. From what I understand, Nicole is very against keeping you all locked up in here."

"I think I'd like to get to know them a bit better," Remus commented. Lily didn't respond for a very long time.

"And me?"

"What about you?"

"Would you like to get to know me better?" Lily stared at him with her vibrant eyes, searching his face for lies. "Wouldn't you like to be friends?"

"Well, yeah, but –"

"Then why did you not even bother to get in touch with me after that night at the café? I gave you my address so you could! James and Sirius and Peter would love to get to know you, as well, I told them how we talked. Sirius is a bit iffy on the whole thing, but he's Sirius, and his family had a lot of negative views on werewolves. He doesn't believe in them, but there's always that doubt when something like that happens, right?"

"I don't know," Remus admitted truthfully. "I'm a werewolf, why would you want to be my friend? I'm absolutely fine on my own, you know. I've been on my own my whole life."

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't be alone any longer. Maybe in here you can get away without having any friends, any acquaintances. The real world is hard, though, hard to live in and hard to survive in. You need a friend to get you through it all." Lily sighed, discreetly slipped her hand into his comfortingly. "I want to be the first."

"Surviving and living –"

"Aren't the same thing. Surviving means you're getting by, you are breathing and eating and sleeping. Living means that you're having fun, you're enjoying life! Come on, Remus. Can you truly tell me that you're living?"

"No," Remus whispered. "But why do you –"

"Offer to be your friend?"

Remus frowned and then nodded reluctantly. "You've got to stop cutting me off," he chided, but then fell silent.

"I was once new in the Wizarding World. I'm Muggle-born. I still get nasty comments about it, and they hurt. They're designed to hurt. You get these comments, and looks, and glares as if they were nothing, as if the person were simply saying hello. For Muggle-borns, people are attempting to hurt us. For werewolves, people don't even have to try. It comes naturally."

"Then maybe that's how it's supposed to be," Remus mused, mostly to himself. It was something he had wondered about plenty of times. Lily was just confirming it.

"No, it's not! Everybody deserves a friend, and nobody should be made to feel bad for something they can't help. I know what it's like, Remus, perhaps not to your extent, but I know. My sister hates me because I'm magical. People hate me because my family's not. But I've got great friends, and James is the best boyfriend I could ever have – though I may not have admitted that until seventh year – and it helps a lot. I don't think I would have made it if I had been bitten by a werewolf," Lily told Remus gloomily. "I wouldn't have been able to make it, even with friends. You're brave for that, I think. And very strong willed. But even the strongest need someone at their side.

"Be my friend, Remus. I can help, we can all help. The transition to the real world must be so hard, I can't imagine how you get by. Even if we can't help, we'll keep you company. Please?"

They halted in front of the cold, metal door, behind which sat four, unfeeling, uncaring boys. Remus wasn't sure what to say. Lily was right. He wanted a friend, desperately. He needed one. But he had never thought he deserved one, and he still wasn't sure that he did. But Lily was willing, nevertheless, and he was unspeakably grateful for that.

And so, in his speechlessness, he did the biggest thing he had learned in the Facility, the skill he knew he could use no matter where he was. He grinned. But he did not try to simply bear it. He grinned widely and sincerely for perhaps the first time in his life.

Welcome to the real world, Remus. The real world was difficult. But maybe now that he had a friend, it wouldn't be so hard.

Well, that's it for now. I hope you enoyed it, and I'd really appreciate feedback, especially on how it all flowed. I'm not very good at third person, I prefer writing in first. I slipped a few times, I think, but dogstar and I caught most of it, I hope. Thanks to dogstar again, a round of applause please! *claps enthusiastically* I am hoping to explore this universe a bit more in the future, but I'm not sure how quickly that future will come. If it does come, you can expect at least one where Remus has a fight with his front door. And you'll explore his apartment. Reviewers get my undying gratitude and a coffee date with Remus (where you preferably do not get kicked out of the shop. If you do, then a nice, crescent moonlit walk through the streets of Diagon Alley ought to make up for it)