A/N: For a fanfiction contest… Had to make up a name for Mrs. Lupin though… because yeah she doesn't really have a real name…
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. It belongs to JKR
XxXxXxXxXxX
"Tell me a story Remus…"
John Lupin stormed into the house angrily and slammed the door shut with a loud bang. Ellen Lupin, his wife, jumped at the sound and rushed out into the den only to see her husband tugging off his cloak with such a force she feared that he would tear it at the seams again.
"Sweetheart? What's wrong John?" She asked, her voice soft with concern.
"That… that monster! He wants me to make him the Wolfsbane potion! Who in their right minds would give that bloody bastard Wolfsbane potion? He already bites every living thing he sees! To want to retain consciousness while doing that? It's simply inhumane!" John hissed angrily as he stomped into the living kitchen, unaware that the door that connected the living room and the kitchen was open.
"He confronted you? Oh my god… John, what if he wants to take revenge on us? What if he hurts you?" Ellen gasped and brought her hands up to her mouth to hide her horror.
"He won't, I'll make sure of it. I'll cast every damn protection spell I know around the house and I'll alert the ministry, they'll know what to do," John sighed and slumped into a chair.
His words did not ease the mind of his wife in the least. Ellen continued to gape in horror as her imagination ran off and began to think up the worse possible scenarios. What if Greyback bit John? What if he murdered her husband?
"Oh god… oh god…" the pretty blonde haired housewife sank down into a chair as silent tears began their decent on her smooth pale skin.
Outside in the living room, a 5 year old Remus lay on his stomach on the fuzzy white carpet, his knees bent and feet swinging back and forth lazily. He flipped the page of the picture book absently and furrowed his brow as he tried to decipher the words on the page.
"But John… what if they do something to you…?" Remus heard his mother's broken sobs as they floated into the living room.
Glancing up in alarm, Remus scrambled to his feet and inched towards the kitchen door which was held ajar. He had never heard his mother cry before, and he was curious as well as terrified to find out what prompted her to do so now.
Peering in silently, he saw his father get up from his chair and wrap his mother in a tight hug.
"It'll be alright love," John mumbled as he stroked her hair, "I promise."
"But you don't know that," his mother shook her head back and forth repeatedly, "what if something happens to Remus?" At this she broke down into a sobbing mess once more.
Deciding to make his appearance now, Remus stepped into the kitchen timidly, "What's going to happen to me mummy?"
Both parents froze and turned their glances towards their 5 year old son who was clutching the door frame with tiny hands.
"Nothing," John said firmly as he walked over to Remus, "Nothing is going to happen to you son."
From the tone in his father's voice, Remus knew better than to say anything. He then looked to his mother who plastered an obviously forced smile on her face.
"How about some dinner Remy honey?" His mother croaked changing the subject, "You can have some chocolate cake for dessert because you've been such a good boy lately."
She immediately stood up and turned towards the kitchen sink, it was clear that she didn't want to continue with the conversation and was silently pleading with her son to understand and play along.
"Okay then mummy," Remus smiled, his expression just as fake as his mother's had been, "since I've been a good boy, can I have a bigger slice this time?"
OoOoOoOoO
It had been 3 months since John's run in with Greyback and the faimly had fallen back into their regular routine in relief, it didn't seem like the infamous werewolf would be making an appearance anytime soon. Currently, the Lupins were at the home of their close friend enjoying a festive dinner to welcome in summer.
Remus pouted from his place on the couch. It was so dreadfully boring having no one else to play with. All the other children were busy playing a game of quidditch in the back yard but he was too young to join.
"Mummy! I'm bo-oored!" Remus whined and tugged at his mother's robes.
"Not now Remus, mummy is talking to some older people," Ellen dismissed quickly and ran a hand through Remus' sandy blonde hair.
Frowning grumpily, Remus sulked away and resumed his seat on the couch. It wasn't fair. How come everyone was having fun except for him? Kicking an imaginary rock, Remus huffed and put his head in his hands as he leaned on the armrest.
Staring out the window, he noted that the sun was just setting and the sky was alight with orange, red, and pink colors forming one of nature's most beautiful murals.
Looking beyond the rickety picket fence bordering the front yard, Remus found himself staring at the woods, the tall trees looming mysteriously with their branches swaying in the wind, beckoning to him silently.
Since exploring the woods was a much better idea than staying cooped up in a house with a bunch of boring old people, Remus grabbed his cloak from the rack and hopped towards the door.
"Mummy! I'm going out to play! I'll be back before dark!" He called out as he tugged the door open.
He wasn't sure if she heard him for he was running through the front yard and down the path the lead to the woods before he received an answer.
Jumping from stone to stone, Remus laughed gleefully as he saw a frog splash into the small stream. He was pretty far into the woods now but he remembered his trail by small markings such as a turned over rock or a fallen tree.
Remus crouched down and gently scooped the amphibian into his hands. Eyeing it with interest, the 5 year old boy squealed in surprise as it suddenly leaped out of his hands.
"Hey! come back!" the boy cried as he ran after it.
He dodged the trees at an alarming pace, stumbling on stray twigs and roots. After a few minutes of running, Remus had to stop and catch his breath. Straightening up again, he looked around for the frog but it had disappeared. Sighing in defeat, he turned around.
Oh dear. He was lost.
The sky was rapidly turning dark and Remus had to get back to the house. Even he knew that wandering around alone in the woods was dangerous, no matter how skilled you were with magic.
"I think… I came from this way," Remus frowned and began back tracking his steps.
He walked for what seemed like hours. The sky had long gone dark and the moon was now rising into the sky. The chilly wind blew harshly and its icy cold breath nipped at Remus' cheeks. Pulling his cloak tighter around him, he continued his trek.
To his right, the sound of a twig snapping echoed loudly in the silence. Remus froze with wide eyes and whipped towards the direction of the sound. Just when he was about to convince himself that it was all in his imagination, Remus saw a large black blur appear and disappear just as quickly into the shadows.
He didn't pause to figure out what the creature was. All he knew was that he had to get out of the woods and back to safety. Scrambling over the uneven terrain, Remus ran in the direction he dearly hoped the house was in.
Whatever it was that was chasing him was quickly gaining on him, he could hear the heavy pants and dull thud of footsteps. Quickening his pace, Remus nearly laughed in happiness as he recognized one of the marking he had made.
Making a quick turn, Remus screamed as the large blur made a lunge at him. Throwing himself to the floor, he managed to barely dodge it and he scrambled hastily to his feet. He had managed to get a glimpse of the figure and he saw that it had 4 legs. Whatever it was that was chasing him was definitely not human.
The full moon gleamed brightly against the night sky, seemingly unaware of the terrified boy running for his life in the woods down below.
So close! Remus could see the edge of the forest now. His parents were standing in front of the house looking around worriedly for him and he couldn't help but let out a terrified scream, "DAD! MUM!"
He heard a loud growl behind him and promptly stumbled on a root, his hair stirred as the large beast jumped over him. Wincing in pain, Remus looked up with wide eyes and saw a large wolf leering back at him with bloody jaws.
"REMUS GET DOWN!" his father bellowed. Remus didn't hesitate and flattened himself against the soil once more as a loud bang erupted.
With a pained whimper, the wolf flew backwards and crashed into a tree with a loud crash.
"Remus run!" Ellen screamed as she fired a spell while dashing towards him.
Ignoring the pain shooting through his legs and arms, Remus hauled himself up and ducked as his parents let out a flurry of spells against his attacker.
He had nearly made it to his parents before he saw something creeping up behind his father.
"Dad! Behind you!" Remus cried.
John Lupin whipped around just in time to fire a strong spell at the chest of the other wolf.
Suddenly, he was yanked backwards by his mother and she pressed his body close to hers while firing spells left and right at the newly arriving wolves.
"John! They're everywhere!" Ellen gasped as she stunned another.
Remus watched with wide eyes as his parents valiantly fought off a group of 5 wolves. Looking closely, Remus could see that their eyes were all trained on him. He was the target.
A snarl from behind him garnered his attention and Remus did not hesitate to step in front of his mother's back to act as a shield.
"You leave my mother alone!" he yelled as he put his hands together in front of him, feeling the magic run through his veins he let out a powerful blast that sent the beast flying across the grass.
"Ellen! We have to get to the apparition point!" John cried over the fray as he let loose another hail of spells.
His wife did not answer him, instead, she muttered a quick 'Stupefy!' before grabbing Remus' hand and running for dear life. John quickly followed and soon the family was running as swift as their feet could take them.
Remus could see it, the patch of road where they had originally apparated to earlier in the evening. Just a bit more and they would make it.
In an attempt to quicken his pace, Remus gasped as he accidentally tripped on the hem of his travelling cloak. By instinct, Remus ripped his hand from his mother's grasp to shield himself from his impact with the ground.
"Remus! No!" Ellen cried as she skidded to a stop a few feet away.
She lunged at him with a terrified look in her eyes and Remus was about to scramble towards her when suddenly a searing pain ripped through him as he felt teeth sink into his shoulders.
Remus screamed in pain and thrashed around violently trying to throw the wolf off of him, but its jaws were locked firmly on his right shoulder.
Through the curtain of pain Remus heard his father yell in outrage and fire spells quicker than he had ever before.
Mum… Dad… Help me please… Remus thought desperately as the pain continued to rack his body, tears of agony running down his face and he continued his futile attempts to escape the jaws of the wolf.
Blood was now rapidly staining the grass beneath him and Remus could feel all of his clothes soaked through with the crimson liquid. Finally, with another burst of pain, the youngest Lupin felt the teeth that were embedded in his shoulder retract in one swift jerk and he lay there sobbing and bleeding.
Remus could register the fact that his mother was clutching him to her body and that tears were falling down her beautiful face just as quickly as they were falling down his.
With a weak whimper, Remus tried to move but immediately regretted it as pain swept through his body in a tidal wave of burning nerves.
"Mum… help me…" He sobbed weakly as his eyes lolled back in his head.
The last thing he saw before the darkness claimed him was the bright luminous orb in the sky.
It was a full moon.
OoOoOoOoO
When Remus awoke, it was in a sea of agony and blinding white lights. Groaning weakly he opened his bleary eyes and squinted in an attempt to focus his surroundings.
Blinking a few times, Remus managed to distinguish the worried face of his mother and the pained look of his father.
"Mummy…? Daddy…?" He winced in pain as he brought a hand up to rub at his eyes, "Where am I…?"
Letting out a loud sob, Ellen Lupin hugged him as tightly as she could without hurting him, "Oh sweetheart… you're in the hospital honey, you're in St. Mungos."
The silence that hung between the family was deafening. They all knew what was coming next but none of them wanted to be the one to start the conversation.
Remus fidgeted on his bed before mumbling weakly, "I'm a werewolf now aren't I?"
His mother's sob was confirmation enough for him.
"I saw the full moon before everything went black."
John Lupin sighed and the pain in his features doubled. He should've known that Remus was not stupid. He was only 5 years old but he was one of the brightest children he knew.
"We… we're not sure," John said slowly, "We'll have to wait until the next full moon."
His voice was thick with emotion and it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was lying through his teeth.
"Remus honey, why don't you get some rest? Me and your father will be close by so if you need anything you can just call us," Ellen smiled, her eyes shining with unshed tears. It was clear that she did not want her son to see her cry.
Rearranging his pillows for him, his mother gently tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead. She paused for a moment and bit her lip as if she was going to say something before shaking her head and giving Remus another forced smile and closing the curtains around his bed. A few seconds later, he heard a door quietly click shut and he fell asleep once more.
It was about an hour later when Remus was woken up by loud whispers.
"John, how could this happen? Our Remus! Our sweet little Remus…" He heard his mother sob silently.
"I'm sorry… it's all my fault Ellie… I brought this upon our family. I-"
"Family! Our Remus will never have a family… No one will love him… he'll always be alone-"
"That's a load of bollocks and you know it Remus," Tonks said as she interrupted his story.
"Well not many people would love a werewolf," the sandy blonde haired professor muttered against his wife's hair.
"Well those people are stupid."
Remus laughed quietly, "Only you would say such a thing Dora."
"Well then, aren't you glad you fell in love with me?" Tonks grinned cheekily as she brought his hand up to her mouth and placed a chastise kiss on his knuckles.
He mumbled an agreement and hugged her closer to his body, molding her back to his torso as his hands entwined themselves with hers.
"Besides," Tonks said, the silence broken, "your mother was wrong about everything. Ilove you and you have plentiful friends in the Order."
Then, without another word, she place one of his hands on her rounded stomach.
"We're raising a family Remus. You're going to be the father of our little baby. You're going to have a family because you can."
He did not reply, but instead breathed in her scent slowly and nuzzled her neck.
The couple lay like that for a while, Remus' hand rubbing slow circles on her bump.
As usual, Nymphadora Tonks did not last long in silence.
"Why did you tell me such a depressing bedtime story?" she asked, a teasing smile on her face.
Remus chuckled, "would you rather me tell you a story about a lovely young witch who is swept off her feet by a dashing young wizard?"
"I'd rather you tell me a story about a pink haired punk witch who literally falls head over heels in love with a bloody handsome werewolf who just happens to catch her in that moment and charm the living daylights out of her." She grinned and tilted her head to the side to glance at him from her peripheral vision.
"That, my dear, I can do," Remus chuckled and placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth.
Once upon a time there was a lovely young witch by the name of Nymphadora Tonks…
XxXxXxXxXxX
A/N: there you go, hope it didn't suck too much haha!