House: Ravenclaw
Category: Short Story
Prompt: Receiving a Letter
Word Count: 928

Walking into his office for the first time, Remus Lupin felt something like a wave of calm wash over him. He'd never thought he'd be able to come back to Hogwarts, and although walking down the corridors left a rotten taste in his mouth and a sadness in his heart, it was good to be here. Somehow he'd managed to get this job and he was excited.

He stopped at the base of the staircase in his class, hand resting inches away from an owl sitting on the banister. The owl looked worse for wear, a scar across one of it's eyes. It was staring at Remus wildly, a thick envelope with his name messily written across it sitting in it's beak. Hesitantly, he reached up and tried to pull it.

The owl pulled back, the letter still in it's mouth. It fought against Remus for a moment before giving up, letting the mail go and instead biting his hand. With a flinch Remus pulled his hand back, casting the bird a weary look.

He opened the envelope carefully, scanning to the end of the letter to check for the sender - there wasn't a signature. Nervously, his eyes caught on the first word and he started reading.

'Remus Lupin,

'The truth is, I had no idea how to start this letter. What can you say after 13 years? I'm sure by now you've already heard - I'm a fugitive. The rumors are true, but I won't bore you with details of my narrow escape. I'll cut to the point, Moony, I don't have much time left. And before I leave, I wanted to make peace with at least you…'

Remus pulled the note away from his face, hands beginning to tremble. It didn't matter that the letter wasn't signed. There was something equally horrifying and enthralling about being addressed with such familiarly by an anonymous writer. He knew that he should walk straight to the fireplace, toss this godforsaken letter into the flames, and continue on with his life. Anyone in their right mind would. There was, of course, only one person who this could be from. Only three people had ever called him Moony, and two of them were dead now, no thanks to the last. Almost as if they had a will of their own, his eyes narrowed and found the place they'd stopped on the first page.

'Although I'm sure it's nothing less than what I deserve, a day doesn't go by when I don't think about you, or all of the pain that I'm sure you've gone through because of me. I can't check that you have read this, but I really hope that you do. I did not kill Peter Pettigrew. I don't understand everything that happened that day, but I did not kill him, he is alive and scurrying around like the rat that he is.

'My hand played no role in Lily and James' murders either, however I cannot completely evade the blame. It was my carelessness and inability to convince James to reconsider his decision that ultimately ended up killing them. Did you get that?

'James didn't make me his Secret Keeper. Dumbledore had suggested Peter because he was the least obvious choice. Everyone would assume it was me, and that would put not only myself and you in danger, but also Lily and James and Harry. If I were caught and tortured, there was no way for any of us to know whether I'd betray their location.

'I wouldn't have intentionally betrayed my friends.'

There was a moment of utter silence in Remus' office. He took a deep breath. All of this was hearsay evidence. It was Sirius Black's word against witnesses who saw his arrest. He'd caused a massive explosion killing numerous Aurors along with Peter. Despite his inability to put much stock into what he was reading, he continued.

'As soon as I found out, I went looking for Peter. He was in his house, packing. Tell me, Remus, where would he be going so soon after his best friend was murdered? I had every intention of hurting Peter, I wanted him to atone for what he'd done. But I wouldn't have killed him. You know that, Remus.

'It's hard to bring myself to continue writing this letter, Moony, as I'm sure it's just as hard for you to finish reading it. I've heard the quote "life isn't fair" tossed around ever since I was a child; it was something that I'd never put much stock in. But when I think about the events that have transpired… "Life isn't fair" is an understatement. James and Lily did not deserve to die. You did not deserve the burden given to you when you were a child. Our family didn't deserve to be torn apart.

'I'll leave you with this note - I wish none of this had ever happened, I wish that we could carry on with life as if tomorrow wasn't even an after thought. I'm so sorry for everything that you've been through, everything that I've put you through. I genuinely hope that you find peace and happiness, Moony, because you deserve it.

P.S. I was going to make you a noodle bowl and ask you to marry me that night.'