Story Title: These Four Heirs
Summary: There are not one, but two Dark creatures among the Marauders. Oh, and all four of them are descended from the Founders. This can only spell trouble... Features non-evil!Wormtail, vampire!Sirius, Wolfstar and Jily
Warnings: Blood, I guess. Not much, though. A panic attack, too. Oh, and a single insinuation.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. No profit is being made from this, and no infringement of copyright is intended. I am in no way affiliated with the author of Harry Potter. The Potterverse does not belong to me.
A/N: Who can spot the reference?
Anyhow, well, this is the first chapter.
-MWPP-
HISTORY - FLASHBACK
They all felt it when Salazar left the castle. Four days he'd stayed. No one knew what he'd done, but now he was gone for good. For even if he returned, they would not let him.
"He really is gone," Helga quietly said.
"That he is," Rowena agreed.
"We need to do something," Godric stated. "In a century or two, his descendants will return, and they will undoubtedly be purebloods."
"How about we ask the Hat for advice?" suggested Rowena.
"Accio Sorting Hat!" the remaining three founders said together. Immediately, the Hat came flying into Godric's outstretched hands.
"Hat, we have a problem."
-MWPP-
1st SEPTEMBER 1971, WEDNESDAY
'Legend has it that the cause of the rift between Salazar Slytherin and the other Founders was caused by a disagreement over their marriages. Supposedly, they had decided, three to one, to all marry either a Muggle or a Muggleborn. Salazar Slytherin, who valued blood purity above all else, left the castle four days after this agreement was struck. He died a month after leaving. Despite not having conclusive evidence, many historians have concluded this must be because the Founders made use of a magical vow, since the first Descendant of Slytherin was born nine months later. Exactly one century after Helena Ravenclaw, the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, was born, all records pertaining to ancestry and descendants of the Founders were wiped blank, most likely made Unseenable until-"
A knock on the door of his compartment made Remus drop the book he was reading. Quickly, he stuffed it back into his trunk, calling out:
"Come in!"
A short, lean boy with hazel eyes and impossibly messy hair entered the compartment, dragging his own trunk behind him.
"Can I sit here?"
"Sure, go ahead," Remus said, feeling rather awkward. He hadn't expected this, and self-consciously stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"How did you even manage to keep it empty here? Everywhere else is packed to the brim!" The boy chattered away happily, oblivious to, or maybe just ignoring, Remus's discomfort.
"I dunno, you're the first one who knocked on the door. It's like the others can't even see me."
The other boy shrugged.
"Well, if it means we can actually hear ourselves here, I don't really care. I'm James, by the way. James Potter."
"Remus Lupin."
"Strange name. I think my dad once told me a Muggle legend about twins, Remus and Romulus."
"Really? Never heard of it," Remus lied. He had, in fact, heard of the legend before, and hated it, since it was about wolves. Ever since he'd been bitten he hadn't even been able to look at their dog. Eventually a cousin of his mother adopted the poor thing. It had gotten really scared every time Remus walked into the room. Werewolves and animals generally weren't a good match.
"Want me to tell it to you?" James excitedly asked. Oh, shit. How did one deal with these situations?
"Eh, no thanks?" It came out more like a question. James's face seemed to harden. Remus inwardly sighed; he'd obviously offended the boy. Flushing, he looked down at his feet.
A few tense moments later, the door once again slid open. Another black-haired boy entered without speaking a word, chin tilted just a little too high, back a little too straight. His eyes were as dark as the night, with a hint of red in them. They reminded Remus of a Blood Moon. He'd experienced only one, and it had been highly unpleasant. Shivering, he soundlessly watched the staring contest the new boy was having with James. A sneer was on the latter's face, though Remus didn't understand why. Barely ten seconds later, James grudgingly broke eye contact, scooting half a metre to the right, away from Remus. The new boy nodded, and snapped his fingers.
"Kreacher!" It were the first words he'd spoken, and immediately, a house-elf appeared. It was dressed in a satin pillowcase with some kind of crest embroidered on it.
"Take care of my luggage." His voice was deep, as if he'd already hit puberty. In fact, the boy looked to be around seventeen. Remus wondered what he was doing with a couple of first-years.
"Of course, Master Sirius," the elf replied, bowing. Sirius. It seemed to fit, somehow. Haughty and aristocratic, because anyone who paid attention could see this boy was from a, if not noble, then certainly very well-off family. It oozed out of his pores.
The elf, who must be named Kreacher, efficiently stowed the expensive-looking trunks away. Why in the world did that boy have multiple trunks? Couldn't he just leave most of his stuff at Hogwarts? It was then Remus noticed Sirius did not have a Hogwarts House Crest pinned to his robes, meaning he was a first-year. This seemed very strange, for he was much more mature than the average first-year.
Another knock came just as Sirius was sitting down in the spot James had recently vacated.
"Could I come in?" a timid voice asked. When neither James nor Sirius seemed to think they should, maybe, be replying, Remus sighed and answered:
"Of course." Why did he, the socially deficient person, have to deal with this? He'd only wanted to read his book in peace, and now he was surrounded by these nutters!
A small, chubby boy came in, hesitantly looking around. James flat-out ignored the newcomer, and Sirius just gave him a glare before deciding this mousy child wasn't worth his time. Dear Merlin, Remus hoped he wouldn't be forced to room with them!
-MWPP-
"Black, Sirius!" Professor McGonagall called out. Sirius sauntered over to her, sneering at the ridiculous seat reserved for the Sorting. A short, wooden stump. How common.
As elegantly as he could, he sat down and waited for the Hat to be put on his head, certain he was about to become a Slytherin.
"Hmm...what have we here? Oh, I know just what to do with you..." the Hat mumbled. Sirius thought nothing of it, and did not respond to the vile object. How many Mudblood heads had it touched!
"Tsk, tsk, that's no way to think...NEXT!"
Huh? He wasn't given his House?
"Come on, Mr Black, go sit over there. Don't look so stumped, this happens every once in a while. Next is..."
-MWPP-
"Remus, Lupin!" Trembling, Remus went to sit down. He could have sworn McGonagall briefly smiled at him when he passed her by.
The Sorting Hat was placed over his head.
"Ah, yes, the werewolf. Dumbledore's told me about you," a voice spoke in his ear. Remus fervently prayed the Hat wouldn't reveal that to anyone else.
"No need to worry, I only reveal a House. Or, in your case...NEXT!"
What the bloody hell? Stumped, he sat beside Sirius, wondering what was happening.
-MWPP-
"Pettigrew, Peter!" Please, not Slytherin, not Slytherin, was all Peter could think as the Hat sank down over, swallowing his head whole.
"The third one...there may be hope for you yet, boy, so I think...NEXT!"
Okaaay. At least he'd seen the other boys who were skipped before. That was something.
-MWPP-
James almost missed his name being called, so preoccupied he was with the redheaded girl currently holding a rather one-sided conversation with a greasy boy, who seemed to be gawking at her.
"POTTER, JAMES!"
"Eep! Yes, Professor?"
"Get over here, Mr Potter."
Saluting, James did as he was told, and soon the Hat was on his head.
"It seems you are the fourth, and also the...HEIR OF GODRIC GRYFFINDOR!"
A stunned silence followed the Hat's announcement.
"Dear students and staff, it seems what many thought impossible has finally happened. Minerva, may I ask you to proceed with the Sorting?" Dumbledore calmly announced, eyes twinkling.
-MWPP-
Remus felt rather dizzy as he was asked to come forward once again. He was bright, this he knew, and if James had been one of the four Founder's heir, that meant there were probably three others.
He strongly suspected those three others were Sirius, the mousy boy, and himself.
Which was a bit problematic, seeing as he really, really did not need attention focused on him. Someone might put two and two together, which would then get him expelled.
"Don't worry," the Hat whispered in his ear, "it'll be fine. The four of you were meant to be, HEIR OF ROWENA RAVENCLAW!"
Oh, hell. As Remus took his place next to James behind the Sorting Stool and Hat, it was all he could do not to vomit. Panic attack, panic attack, panic attack.
-MWPP-
What did this mean, Peter wondered. Now, unlike what many people thought, he wasn't stupid, just socially limited. In the safety of his head, however, he was quick-witted and really rather sharp. He had therefore come to the same conclusion as, unbeknownst to him, the tawny-haired boy.
They were the four heirs. Peter also knew he was the-
"HEIR OF HELGA HUFFLEPUFF!" the Sorting hat yelled. Yes, that.
-MWPP-
This can't be happening, Sirius thought. He had wanted to be in Slytherin, yes, but to be his Heir? Someone would notice what he was, he was sure of it. The spotlight really wasn't healthy for him.
"You'll be fine," the Sorting Hat promised. "Keep Lupin close to you, HEIR OF SALAZAR SLYTHERIN!"
Keep Lupin close to him? What the hell?
Dumbledore stood up again.
"Many of you are probably wondering what is happening. As some may have concluded, the Sorting Hat was tasked with the duty to find four compatible heirs. According to legend, these heirs must be in the same year, and each found worthy by the Hat. Since Mr Black, Lupin, Pettigrew and Potter are these four heirs, they will not be Sorted, nor will they belong to a particular House. They can sit wherever they wish during meals, with the exception of the staff table, of course." A couple of students snickered. Dumbledore went on:
"A dorm of their own should have appeared somewhere in the castle, which the ghosts are already attempting to locate. None of you are permitted to enter that dorm, as we do not know what kind of protective spells were put on it by the Founders. Enough said; enjoy the feast!"
While everyone dug into the meal, Sirius strode toward the Slytherin table, hoping his anxiety didn't show. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lupin walking toward the Ravenclaw table, eyes downcast, while the Potter boy joyfully went to sit with the Gryffindors, and Pettigrew scuttered off to the Hufflepuffs.
Back straight, chin up. Hold your utensils like you would a quill. Elbows next to your body. Swallow, even if it's disgusting. He repeated this mantra in his head while pretending to enjoy the food, clinging to his father's familiar words. It was a side-effect of the potion he took to control his thirst; his parents had told him often enough that once he could drink from a mate, normal food would stop looking, and tasting, like hippogriff dung.
Not that the prospect of a mate was all that appealing, of course. He might look seventeen, but he really wasn't. The things his body got up to sometimes...
-MWPP-
"This looks just like a normal dormitory," James remarked. Remus eyed him strangely.
"How would you know that?" he hesitantly asked, not having forgotten their run-in on the train.
"Oh, my Dad showed me some pictures. It's the same, really, except for the colouring."
"Oh."
The colouring, was, indeed, not something that would be found in the dorm of a House. Four beds stood in a round chamber, each quarter of the circle having been decorated in different colours. Blue and bronze for him, silver and green for Sirius, red and gold for James, and yellow and black for Peter. In the centre of the room, much like the inside of a donut, a second circle had been drawn, with translucent walls around it. Remus suspected that was the bathroom. He could only hope those walls had been charmed with a see-me-not spell, which would turn them black whenever someone was inside.
"'Night, guys," mumbled Peter, already lying in his bed.
No one replied.
-MWPP-
5th SEPTEMBER 1971,
Remus felt sick. In the five days he'd been here, the cold from the hallways and castle had seemed to seep into his bones.
The dormitory, where he was currently lying on his bed, wasn't warm, either. Tension chilled anything even remotely cosy, which wasn't much. Students stared at him in the hallways, and the other Heirs weren't much help either. As far as he could tell, Peter had some sort of social anxiety preventing him from making friends, Sirius was an arrogant prat, and James...he wasn't sure how he felt about James. They'd gotten off to a bad start, which caused Remus to be quite scared of initiating any sort of contact with him. On the other hand, he seemed rather nice.
Tonight was the Full. He'd be meeting Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, at four thirty, and she'd escort him to the Whomping Willow, which, presumably, had a passageway built underneath of it.
He had no idea where he'd be going, and could only hope it was secure. Even so, he was more nervous about this unknown nurse. Maybe he had a social disorder, too, he wryly thought. Still, would she be disgusted of him? Would she refuse to walk within an arm's length of him? If that was the case, he wasn't looking forward to being healed by her.
Though it would probably be a nice change, since his Dad usually just left the wounds to heal themselves, afraid he'd cause more damage. Only on the really bad moons did he use his wand to speed the process up a little, and even then he only did enough to get Remus out of life-threatening danger. It was probably best that way. His dad was a very competent wizard, but any sort of healing spell... St Mungo's wasn't really an option either, as none of them liked being stared at like they were filth. Well, people mostly stared at Remus. His family wasn't well-liked for keeping him, though.
The day dragged on and on. When it was finally time for him to meet Madam Pomfrey, Remus was almost relieved. At least it would be over soon.
"Mr Lupin?" the nurse asked as he slowly walked into the infirmary.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Good to see you. Follow me, please," she said, smiling, before escorting him out of the castle. Once they were no longer within earshot of anyone in it, she began explaining:
"I expect you to go to the Willow on your own from now on. Meet me at a safe distance from the trunk, because Merlin knows that thing is a safety hazard, at least forty minutes before moonrise. I'll walk with you to the Shack, which is where you'll be transforming, and secure the entryway so you can't get out.
"Come morning, you are not to move at all until I am there, in case anything in your back is broken; that could paralyse you if it isn't treated before moving. Don't worry about the mess; someone'll clean that up later. Do you have any questions?"
By now, they were standing in front of the Willow.
"No, Ma'am."
"Okay, then. Wingardium Leviosa!"
-MWPP-
6th SEPTEMBER 1971, MONDAY
Remus stumbled back to the dorm, breathing heavily. Everywhere he went, students stared at him. Scrutiny like that was truly the last thing he needed. Hoping against hope his dormmates would be out, he opened the door.
And stumbled over something. Looking down, he saw it was a...broomstick? First years weren't allowed to have those! He decided that, since the bandage on his wrist had become a deep red, he'd worry about it later. Where was that potion Madam Pomfrey had given him to use if anything kept bleeding?
Drip, drip. Blood leaked out from under the bandage and fell on the floor. Remus groaned. How was he going to explain that?
Was anyone even here? If he remembered correctly, James had gone to watch Quidditch tryouts, and Peter...no idea where he was, but he was definitely gone. The boy really needed to shower more often. You could usually smell him from miles away.
That left Sirius. Shit, shit, shit. There was just something about him that made Remus uneasy, though he couldn't really pinpoint it.
"Uh...is anyone there?" he hesitantly called out. Drip, drip. Darn it, he'd probably need to go back to the Hospital Wing to let Madam Pomfrey fuss over him some more.
"Go 'way," a muffled voice said.
He frowned. That wasn't like the haughty boy at all. For once, he sounded his age.
"Are you okay?" he questioned, moving forward to get to his trunk. Hadn't his mum given him some bloodclotting potion? He seemed to be losing everything today!
"Don't come any closer!" Sirius yelled. Remus halted in his steps.
"I need something in my trunk, Black."
"Go the other way 'round!"
"I'm bleeding, you idiot! I need to get a bloodclotting potion!" he snapped, patience starting to wear thin. Drip, drip.
"Oh Merlin, don't say that!"
In, out. Drip, drip. In, out. Keep breathing.
"Why not? Unless you give me a proper reason in, like, five seconds, I'm walking past you." Drip, drip.
Suddenly the curtains were torn apart, revealing Sirius. He looked slightly different, though. For one, his eyes were glowing a blood red, and fangs were peeking out from between his lips. Remus felt like laughing and crying at the same time. Two of the four Heirs were Dark creatures! Oh, what would Hogwarts be pleased.
It didn't even occur to him to be afraid. After all, lycanthropy and vampirism were mutually exclusive. Once you had one, you couldn't get the other.
"Forgot to take your potion, did you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Sirius was visibly taken aback.
"How do you...never mind. Get out of here!"
"No. I need that potion- damnit, Black! Get off me!" he shouted. As soon as he had taken one step in the direction of his trunk, Sirius had jumped on him, pinning his two wrists to the floor. Hungry, red eyes looked down at him, reminding him so much of Greyback's he had to do his best not to vomit. Drip, drip. The sound was really getting on his nerves.
"Sirius," he calmly said, hoping the vampire would be startled by the use of his given name and back off, "please get off me. You're making it rather difficult to breathe, and- OUCH! That was my rib, watch your elbows!"
Sirius, with his impossibly developed body, though not so impossible given what he was, really shouldn't be lying on top of Remus, who was rather scrawny. And what was Sirius's wand doing inside his pocket?
"S-sorry! But I can't, you smell so good!"
It suddenly occurred to Remus that vampire saliva had healing properties. Hm. That might be an idea, seeing as how he felt like he was going to faint any minute now.
"Fine! If you won't get off, would you please heal the wound on my wrist? I'm losing way too much blood!"
Sirius's eyes got as wide as saucers.
"Are you serious? You could get infected!"
"No, you are. And I won't get infected, trust me." Shit, he shouldn't have said that. It was a clue for anyone attentive enough to pick it up.
Luckily, Sirius's brain was clouded enough by bloodlust, which was probably why he didn't notice the pun, either.
"Okay. Okay." Hesitantly, as if afraid his prey might leave, the boy lifted his right hand. When Remus stayed perfectly still, he tore the bandage off and put his mouth right over the gap where the wolf had bitten his own flesh off.
The sensations this produced were actually quite enjoyable; a light sucking and some tingling, nothing too intense. If this was what an aphrodisiac was like, he didn't understand all the fuss. Maybe the books on vampires were talking about something else?
Soon, and despite Sirius's best efforts to keep it open, the wound closed, healed without so much as a scar.
Remus considered bottling some of that saliva to prevent future maiming of his body.
As soon as Sirius seemed to notice there wasn't blood any longer, he growled softly and opened his mouth, presumably to strike. With inhuman strength, Remus put his right hand on the vampire's shoulder and forcefully pushed him back. Pulling himself up on Sirius's bed, he panted:
"Where do you keep that potion of yours?"
"Under my bed," Sirius shakily replied, startled by Remus's strength, maybe – after all, it shouldn't have been possible for him to push Sirius away –, or just by his own actions. Ducking under the bed, Remus found a large trunk. He quickly pulled one blood-red vial out of it and handed it to Sirius.
"Drink," he softly told him. Wordlessly, the vampire obeyed.
While he was drinking, Remus gently guided the obviously distraught boy to sit on his bed. With his wrist healed, he was in no hurry to leave, anyway, and feeling like a monster was something he was all too used too.
Eventually Sirius removed the vial from his lips and set it down on his nightstand.
"I'm sorry," he quietly said.
"It's okay. Hey, are your whole family vampires?"
"Uh, yeah, they are. Well, the adults and the boys, anyway. The women have children first and are turned afterwards. You're really not afraid of me?"
Remus's heart broke. It was something he could so easily picture himself saying, should their situations be reversed.
"As long as you don't go 'round biting everyone in Hogwarts, I'm fine with it," he assured Sirius, slowly putting one arm around him in a loose hug. The other boy squirmed a bit, but then seemed to settle down, sighing heavily.
"I'm trying not to, but it's just...the smells are everywhere here. It's so hard to resist!"
"Maybe you should remember to take that potion," Remus suggested, lips quirking.
"Yeah, but I can't when you lot are here."
"Ah," Remus nodded, understanding the problem. Sirius looked at him with beseeching eyes.
"How about I help you with that? I'm sure I can hide their toothbrushes somewhere they'd never think to look..." He was unaware of it, but his eyes were sparkling with mischief.
Sirius burst out laughing.
"That'd be great. Friends...Remus?"
"'Till the very end, Sirius."