The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
-Allan K. Chalmers

Remus Lupin had always been small. It might have had something to do with his lycanthropy, but if you looked closely in the old singed pictures of him with his parents, he was a tiny little boy even before his incident with Greyback.

He was sixteen when it happened, over ten years of horrible transformations, when it happened. One fateful afternoon.

The Sixth-year dormitory door banged open, cause the two occupants to jump and the map they'd been concentrating on to slide to the floor

"Merlin Wormtail, if you're trying to hide from Abbott again, don't be so noisy about it." Peter scowled at Sirius' comment.

"I actually came in here because I have some news. And I don't hide from him."

"So what were you doing under your bed last time he stormed in here to hex your brains out?"

"Shut up Sirius. I wanna hear." James said and Peter handed him the newspaper. His eyes widened as they skimmed it. He wordlessly handed it to Sirius. The eldest boy read the headline quickly and in the blink of an eye, all three were banging on the bathroom door.

"MOONY!" Cursing could be heard from inside and a very irate Remus stepped out in only a towel only to be thwacked in the chest with the daily prophet. He glared at Sirius but his expression changed as he read the headline, his mouth moving silently.

"LYCANTHROPY CURE FOUND??"

"I don't know… it's still experimental." Sirius reached across the dinner table and grabbed the paper out of his hands.

"It says that three people have stopped transforming already." He said as he poked the third paragraph down. All three of his friends just stared at him. "What?"

"You actually read the article? The whole thing?" Sirius sat down and gave a shrug as he looked at James.

"Well yeah, I mean… I needed to make sure it was safe for Moony…" He mumbled awkwardly.

"It could still be dangerous." He said, setting the paper down next to his plate of cauliflower and carrots. "I think I'll wait to hear more about it first."

"Well Moony, just think about it." Sirius said softly as all four leant close together, blocking out anyone who might be eavesdropping (not likely as everybody was at least five seats away from either side). "Would you take a tiny risk or transform painfully every month for the rest of your life."

"If that risk involves becoming a vegetable stuck in St Mungos for the rest of my life, I think it's obvious what my choice is…"

When the Full moon came two weeks later, Remus didn't quite agree with his previous statement. It had been a particularly rough night and as soon as they were sure he was human again, his friends transformed back into human form and helped him up.

"Guys…" He said hoarsely as Sirius and James each put one arm over their shoulders and Peter fetched a blanket to wrap him in. "I think I'm going to try talk to my parents about that treatment."

"That's great Moony." James replied as they ducked, following Peter through the dark tunnel. "You'll be free from your 'Furry little problem' in no time." Those words brought back his original worry and he felt a lump in his throat. "Something wrong?"

"The money. They're obviously going to charge for it and my parents can barely afford to send me to school, never mind pay for something that might not even work!" They walked in silence, no one really having an answer.

James' parents didn't know what Remus was and Peter was probably in the same situation as him, only his mother to take care of him off of a type of welfare fund. Sirius broke the silence as the stepped out from underneath the now-still Whomping-Willow tree.

"I'll pay for it."

"Sirius, you don't need to do that." He knew Sirius was still saving to move out of James' place. They stopped walking.

"No, I want to. My uncle left me a decent bit of gold and I might as well put it to good use?" Remus' lip quivered. He didn't even know what to say. The blanket fell as he let go of James, hugging Sirius tightly around the neck, thanking him profusely and promising to pay him back someday. Sirius only laughed and hugged back.

Another thing for Porkishpixies. A little story for the Halloween challange. This is only part one... Hope you enjoy!

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