Money, Love and Bloody Murder

by the "artist" formerly known as bel_unleashed for some reason

AU: Money and prestige replace magic; by this system everyone will have the same status equivalents

Summary: Sirius is expected to continue his family line with a suitable girl; Remus is a new scholarship student with a dark past and a dangerous secret; James... is still stalking Lily.

Starts: MWPPfifth year (15-16)

Pairing: SBRL all the way. And some JPLE, just because of the era

Chapter One

"In a secluded area of the Scottish countryside, surrounded by the kind of crystalline waters and rolling hills seen only in out-dated British magazines for horse fanatics, there is a decadently refurbished castle, its turrets valiantly penetrating the virgin skies like... wait... forget that..."

The director sighed. "Cut!" he demanded irritably, trying and failing to conceal his desperation. The students passing the scene bursting out into giggles didn't really help.

"I'll have to use that one sometime," one of them laughed, reaching up a lanky arm to ruffle his already unkempt hair. "Penetrating... that's pure gold."

"Give it up, James," his companion said boredly, with a haughty toss of his long black hair. "Evans will never go for it."

"You don't know that," James argued. "Besides, shouldn't you be doing something like that?"

"What? Relentlessly stalking some bitch just to get kneed in the groin several times a day?"

"It's not sev– that's not what I mean!"

"Oh," Sirius replied, rolling his eyes now. "You mean charming the pants off some disgustingly suitable girl, sticking a couple of babies in her, and then spending as little time with them as possible."

James held up his hands in mock-defeat. "Hey, I didn't say it." He turned back to stare at the camera crew. "Why does Veruca Swine need an ad, anyway?"

Veruca Swine Grammar School was the most prestigious boarding school in Britain. Only the rich and powerful could afford to attend – and that was how elite families like Sirius' liked it.

Sirius shrugged indifferently. "I think it's for scholarship applications. I heard my parents complaining about it."

James groaned inwardly. He had been trying to skirt away from the topic of Sirius' family.

"Race you to the lake?" he suggested weakly, feigning bravado.

"Don't you mean the 'crystalline waters'?"

Youthful laughter permeated the school grounds as the two teens tore down the valley, arms outstretched in a reminder of childish dreams of soaring free.

"See, Remus; don't they look happy?" a woman said genially, gesturing towards the two boys. Remus watched as one of them crashed headlong into a tree, to the immense amusement of the other.

"Ecstatic," he replied distractedly. "Mum, I'm not sure about this... You know how people are."

"The headmaster assured us that your – private problems – would be kept well under wraps," his mother said, her wide beam unfaltering. "You have nothing to worry about, Rem."

Remus saw the artificial smile, and looked away.

Veruca Swine was separated into four distinct houses. Where each student would go was decided by the Head of Academy Therapists (H.A.T.), based on where she thought they would fit best, and the ideals embodied by each of the school's founders. H.A.T. did have a name, but nobody really bothered with it, because that would mean they knew her; to know her meant going to see her; to see her meant to be seeing a psychologist.

(And nobody wanted anybody else to think that.)

Remus had been waiting for what seemed like an age, when the verdict finally arrived. His parents returned with an austere-looking, bespectacled woman, her hair pulled back somewhat severely. Her stern face softened into a smile when she saw Remus.

"This is Dr McGonagall, honey," his mother said, seeming genuinely happy for once, "the deputy headmistress, and head of your new house."

McGonagall nodded sharply. "You've been sorted into Gryffindor," she said, voice underlined with unexpected warmth. "It is a noble house, and I'm sure it will be fitting for you. If you would like a moment?"

Remus blinked, before realising what she meant. Each parent gave a mechanic, uniform hug before sending him on his way, and going theirs.

"You were our first successful scholarship applicant," McGonagall informed him as they walked briskly through the halls. "As such, you may feel great pressure to maintain a certain standard – this is, to a degree, expected of you. However running yourself into the ground will do no good. Exploring the forests bordering the grounds is expressly forbidden, as are practical jokes of all kinds." Her nostrils flared white at this statement. "You will commence lessons next week. The staff have been informed of your specific requirements, and will be mindful of any provisions they entail."

Remus pulled at his crisp white shirt. "Uh, don't – I mean, I don't want to be any –"

"Nonsense," McGonagall cut across his stuttering, which Remus could only be thankful for. She turned to look at Remus, and he saw compassion in her eyes.

"We don't think any less of you, Mr Lupin," she said kindly, "and we have no problem with anything letting you be as comfortable as everyone at Veruca Swine."

Remus couldn't help but return the smile, this time.

a/n This chapter occurs before lessons on Friday; Remus is being given the weekend to settle in.

If you think it's weird that there are so many doctors, well... private schools are like that. It's a prestige thing.

Pureblood = old money (Sirius)

Blood-traitor = same, but don't care (James)

Muggle-born = nouveau riche (Lily)

Half blood = either one parent is, one isn't, or other varied family history (Remus is still classified as this; he was born to this status, but his parents blew a lot of the money – you'll find out why later)

Muggle = all lower classes