Written for:
Mother's Day Event
at Hogwarts
Words: 720
AN: This piece may be submitted to further challenges and competitions retrospectively. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to work through this piece now before the Mother's Day event deadline.


The Son She Made Up

April, 1977

Remus woke up knowing it was his last few hours before yet another transformation.

Hope woke up knowing it was Easter. She'd planned a special, chocolatey breakfast of French bread and spreads, and she'd bought her son not one, but two chocolate eggs to celebrate the day. They were having a bog roast dinner that evening, and she'd even invited her parents-in-law. Unfortunately, they'd turn the offer down, but Hope didn't feel bad about that. She'd made the effort, so that was what counted.

She showered and dressed early, bustling about the kitchen with a smile on her face as she hummed the tune to a song she'd heard on the radio. She turned the oven on for the par-baked rolls and set about brewing fresh coffee.

Remus was not in a good mood. He never was on the day of the full moon, but it was always worse when it fell on some sort of celebration. It was a day when people were supposed to be happy and cheery, and Remus couldn't be that, even if he wanted to. So, he rebelled, and did the opposite.

He rumbling of his stomach forced him out of bed earlier than usual, and he dressed in a half-asleep haze. There was only really one thing on his mind, only one thing he really felt like he wanted: meat.

"Happy Easter!" came Hope's exclamatory greeting as Remus entered the kitchen. Remus didn't even bother to grumble in response as he scoured the contents of the fridge. "I thought we'd have a special Easter breakfast today," Hope explained. "I've got some of those rolls you like in the oven, and a baguette to cut up. I've bought us lots of spreads."

"Oh," Remus said with a frown. "I kind of wanted bacon. I'm in the mood for meat."

Hope smiled. "Oh, that's no problem. I'll put a pan on. Would you mind getting it out of the fridge for me?"

She began to bustle about in the pan cupboard straight away. Remus did as he was bid, grateful that he didn't seem to have to play nice today.

They descended into silence as Hope cooked and Remus nursed a coffee; a quiet broken only by the muffled shuffling of Lyall Lupin as he got ready upstairs.

"We bought you two Easter eggs this year, Remus," Hope began to babble. "I'll fetch them once we've eaten. I know how you like your chocolate. Oh, I invited your grandparents for dinner tonight, too, but they can't make it, unfortunately. It's a shame; I know they miss you when you're at school. But they said they had other plans," she told him.

Remus snorted in derision. "Of course they did."

"Don't be mean about your grandparents, Remus. Whatever do you mean, anyway?" she asked, a look of genuine confusion on her face.

"Whether they miss me or not, mum, they're terrified of me," Remus explained with a shrug.

"Nonsense."

"Mum, it's the full moon. They'd never come tonight, even if it was Christmas."

"The moon's got nothing to do with it," Hope dismissed.

"Of course it does, mum. Who would you invite them on the full moon, anyway? Did you want to put them in danger? I know you don't get on with Grandma, but that's a bit extreme," Remus spat, the innate anger of the wolf within him mixing with his frustration at his mother's behaviour.

"How dare you suggest such a thing! Remus, I invited them because they're family, and it's Easter. Why else would I invite them? I didn't even know when the full moon was!" Hope defended.

"And that's the problem, mum. You don't think. I'm sorry I'm a werewolf, okay? I'm sorry I'm not the son you were promised, but you can't go on pretending I'm still him. You can't make believe all the bad stuff away. You just can't, okay? Yes, it's Easter. But it's also the full moon. Stop pretending it isn't."

Remus stayed where he was sat, avoiding the sight of shock on his mother's face. He knew it was a little out of the blue, but it was also a long time coming. Tomorrow, he might feel differently, but for today at least, he would not apologise for what he'd said. He'd only told the truth, after all.