Remus Lupin was generally a kind-hearted boy who usually brought everyone else before himself

Disclaimer. I DO NOT own the wonderfully wizardly tale of Harry Potter. I only seek to put my charming twist on it. So Mrs. Rowling, don't get pissed at my amazing talent to think up a better gay couple than you. Oh, this means there will be a pairing in it later. Take a wild guess before the end of the chapter. There's no indication of it through out though!

White Chocolate Buttons

Remus Lupin was generally a kind-hearted boy who usually brought everyone else before himself. It was a quality that came naturally to him. He never wanted to see anyone argue or get hurt, especially not his parents. But sadly, he had to put up with their arguments every night, starting from the age of four. He only heard random words really, never the whole fight, and even if he did he still wouldn't know what they were talking about. He could hear his mother, Cybela Lupin who was a muggle, yelling at his father, John Lupin, about being irresponsible, how he didn't think before he did something.

He could hear her scream "DID YOU NOT THINK OF YOUR FAMILY BEFORE YOU TOOK UP THIS CASE!" and then some mumble from his father obviously trying to calm her. Then she would just yell even louder "HE'S A WEREWOLF! WHAT IF HE GETS LOOSE, HE'LL GO AFTER YOU FIRST!"

Remus tried desperately not to listen to them and concentrate on the picture book he would bring into bed, but nothing could keep his mind off of his parents screams. Sometimes he would kneel on his bed and lean against the window sill that was right above his bed. He would pray that one day their screams would stop and he could sleep at night again.

Remus often resorted to the moon for comfort. He loved how it glowed without a care of what was below it. It was like a magic filled white chocolate button in the young mind of Remus. Not the kind of magic that his father used though, no a mystic kind. One unknown to humans. It was the only peace Remus could find in his life. So he devoted his nights to casting his amber eyes on the moon while his parents raged on in the background.

"HE ESCAPED! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN HE ESCAPED?"

"He sort of, broke loose from his confinement in the lunacy ward at St. Mungo's." John tried to tell his wife. "But every Auror in the Ministry is after him. Don't worry, they'll find him before anything can go wrong."

"Didn't you tell me Greyback is one of the most DANGEROUS werewolves in the world?! Now he's loose and because you just had to deal with his confinement case first hand, he'll he after you or worse your family!"

The row went on like that for hours; all the while Remus was in his room praying to anyone to help him. Remus was now five and thoroughly positive that he was the cause of this year long dispute. He was even wondering if the moon had turned against him because it no longer gave him the same comfort as it did the year prior. It held more of an ominous feeling towards it. He always saw the shadows moving in the silver moonlight. Daring to pop out at him but always second guessing themselves at the last minute.

Even with the full moon out that night, the most beautiful phase of the moon in his opinion could not relieve him of his worries. He stared out at it clutching his Beatrix Potter book close to his chest as he waited for his dad to come in and read it him before he wished him goodnight.

Suddenly Remus could see one of the shadows moving again. He saw the giant furry figure whose yellow eyes burned through the moonlight. His ragged body slinked unseen by anyone else through the yard. Remus was terrified by this creature, yet transfixed on it. He would have sat there and watched all night, but his father's voice broke the concentration he had on this animal.

"Um…Cybela…Remus" John mumbled as if he just remembered about his five year-old son.

"GO! JUST GO! I don't have anything left to talk to about. Just, go to Remus before it gets too late. He's probably still up anyway."

This lapse was all that the werewolf needed. Fenrir Greyback leapt from the yard through the glass of the boy's window. He skidded on the wooden floor and growled. Without even giving Remus the chance to scream for someone the wolf attacked. He bit down hard on the young boy's shoulder. As Remus cried from the pain John Lupin ran into the room, sending a curse strait at the wolf. Greyback flew back and crashed against the wall. John ran defensively in front of his son ready for another attack.

The wolf recovered quickly and leapt out at John, tearing the skin on his chest and bashed him against the head. He staggered to get up; then he raised his broken arm holding his wand. He muttered a curse under his breath and a purple flash of light flew from the tip of his wand. It hit Greyback straight on his head, rendering him unconscious for probably days at the strength he had used for the curse.

With that, John Lupin collapsed carelessly on the floor with a soft 'thud'. Remus soon followed in suit. Almost all of the blood had been drained from him, mostly from the wound but also from shock. His head felt light and his pupils were dilated. At first glance he looked dead. But with a closer look you could see his shallow breathing.

Remus thought his body had caught on fire. Every muscle, tendon, organ, and bone felt as if they were breaking, splitting apart, and moving around. It was hell for him for the first couple minutes after being bitten. After that, everything went numb. He could barely make-out the vision of his father collapsing on the floor. When everything went utterly black he had convinced himself that this was a nightmare. Yes, he would wake up perfectly fine, with his Beatrix Potter book waiting for his dad to read it to him.

But as Remus woke up in the sterile quarters of St. Mungo's to an intense pain starting at the top of his left shoulder and went half-way down both his back and chest, he knew it was not a dream. At this realization he began to panic for his dad, unsure if he was still alive.

"No need to worry," one of the cordial nurses assured Remus as he stroked the young boy's hair "he is alive, but is hurt very badly. He will be fine soon."

"Are you sure?"

'Positive' was the answer Remus was looking for but all he got for assurance was a meek smile from the older man.

In truth, John Lupin would never heal from his injuries but only struggle to hold onto life. The damages to his head were too great and the gash on his chest was too deep. But each day he sat in the hospital ward with the slightest amount of brain power left.

Of course, Remus didn't know what who attacked him, just a werewolf. He thought it was his fault his father was like this. He also took pity on the werewolf. At that time, Remus truly thought that it had lost control and had no clue what it was doing. That he was just in the way of the wolf.

When really, there had been no fault in Fenrir Greyback's plan, except for maybe John Lupin could have died then and there.

Cybela truly did try to look after her son. They moved far into the country into a small rustic cottage. She chose that cottage because it had a large stone cellar at the bottom of the house for his transformations. She would tend to his wounds after each full moon. And she would take Remus to see his father every weekend.

But this only lasted for the first couple years. After she knew he knew how to clean up his own wounds she left him alone. She purely could not stand magic any more. She had had enough. She just wanted to escape reality, forget her dying husband, her cursed son, and every other trouble she had. So she resorted to drinking, smoking, and doing drugs.

Every mourning she would drink a bottle of bourbon, through the day she would smoke two packs of cigarettes, and then at night drink too many bottles of vodka and cognac, before she went out to only God knows where for a couple hours. And this was just the daily routine.

On most days Remus would leave the house with a slice of toast and go sit by the river bed a few miles away from the house. He never wanted to make friends; he could never trust any one really. So he sat on the dirt listening to the water pass by petting whatever random animal happens to walk by. He would only walk back to go to sleep once his mother had left. Occasionally he would visit his father, but that was only on special occasions.

One mourning, in early May, as an eleven year-old Remus searched the house for a slice of bread; there was a gentle rap at the door. His mother gave a low groan from the couch as if to say, 'Open the damn door before the knocking gives me even more of a headache."

Remus warily moved to the door, and pulled it open slightly to come face to face with a tall man wearing a ridiculously yellow muggle suit with an orange tie and a purple shirt. His long silver hair flowed down his back and in the front a long beard was there to match. The most eccentric yet fascinating thing about this man though was his silvery blue eyes, twinkling even behind his half-moon spectacles, which were carefully perched on his crooked nose. All-in-all, this man was eye-catching, in a magnificent way.

"You must be Remus Lupin, am I correct?" He asked. Remus was slightly taken aback. How did this man know who he was? Who was he? But he decided to answer the older man's question.

"Y-yes, and m-may I ask who y-you are?" he shakily answered.

"There's no need to be nervous Mr. Lupin. I am Albus Dumbledore, headmaster to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If your mother doesn't mind, why don't we go for a walk around the country-side? I have an important matter to discuss with you." Dumbledore asked "Or we could always talk in here. Either way, I just think the scenery is nicer outside, and it smells better."

"Take him, take him." Cybela replied from the couch "I don't even know why he's still here. He's usually gone by now."

"Well then, it's settled. Come on Mr. Lupin; show me a nice spot for a nice conversation." Dumbledore was already leaving as he said this with Remus close behind.

"There's a river ahead. That's where I usually sit during the day. Um, sir, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Ah, that can wait until we get there. So, Remus, are you aware of magic. I mean, have you seen your father use it, or do you just know it existed."

"Dad used to use it around the house a lot, and he used to complain about the Ministry of Magic. And I know that he's in St. Mungo's Hospital which is magic. I'm a werewolf too, so I'm fairly used to magic."

"Good and I know you're a werewolf, that's what I came to talk to you about." Dumbledore replied in his mellow tone.

"Y-you aren't g-going to k-k-kill me are you sir." Remus of course would be extremely paranoid about this with the Ministry's prejudice against werewolves. He was horrified. His face went extremely pail at this and he stopped walking, still looking up at the headmaster though, who had stopped as well.

"No, no, no, of course not" Albus reassuringly ruffled the small boy hair and gave him a comforting smile, and they continued to walk. "I would never do that."

After walking for a while in silence they had come to the top of a hill over looking the murky river below. "Ah, I think we're here, are we not?" Remus nodded and they both sat down and Dumbledore continued his talk.

"What I wanted to ask you is, if you would like to start school next year at Hogwarts? We normally send letters to perspective students, but in your case we have to take in the precautions of your lycanthropy."

Remus was in awe, he had never expected this offer in his whole lifetime. It was amazing. He immediately accepted the headmaster's offer.

"But how will people be safe when I transform every month, and I'd miss a lot of school?" Remus asked.

"Simple really, there is a Shrieking Shack not too far from the school. You will go there for your transformations, and to prevent you from escaping or a student wandering in a Whomping Willow will be planted at the entrance to the tunnel to get to the Shack.

"A Whomping Willow?"

"It's a giant tree whose' limbs are able to move unless a stub at the base of the tree is tapped. The limbs could injure or kill anyone who gets near, so that's a good precaution for children to keep away from it.

"Our school nurse, Poppy Pomfrey will walk you over the night of the full moon and cure your wounds the next mourning. You will stay in the hospital wing until your well enough to go back to school. In return, all you have to do is do well in school and make sure no one knows your secret."

"But how will I explain to someone my monthly disappearances if someone asks? It is strange to see someone leave school so often with no good excuse?" Remus asked, trying to find some flaw in the old man's plan.

"Ah, you will just simply tell them you are going home to visit your ill father. That's not far from the truth anyway."

"Oh," Remus was looking at his shoes tentatively, wondering if this was a good idea "I accept then."

"Pardon," Dumbledore said coming out of a slight daze from looking over at the river.

"I accept you're offer, I'll go. Everything seems safe I guess. I want to go to school anyway." Remus looked up at Dumbledore and gave him a whimsical smile.

"Wonderful, school starts on the 1st of September. Here's your list for school supplies." He rummaged through an inside pocket of his yellow jacket and fished out a letter. He handed it to Remus and continued "You can find everything you need in Diagon Alley, but I'm sure you know not how to get there. Oh bother. I'll send our gamekeeper, Hagrid to take you there.

"You should also know that the train is stationed at King's Cross Station. It will leave from Platform 9 and ¾ at exactly 11 o' clock. So I advise you to be on time or it might very well leave without you."

"Platform 9 and ¾ at King's Cross? There isn't a Platform 9 and ¾'s there, do they?" Remus lifted a tawny eyebrow to this question.

Dumbledore nodded slightly then spoke "There is but it is hidden to muggles so you may not have noticed it before.

"Anyway, is there anything else I can do for you before I see you again in September?"

"Um, no, nothing really" Remus was still trying to take all of this in. He knew of magic and knew that his father was a wizard, but he never thought that he would be a wizard too. Much less that they would accept him at Hogwarts. Then it hit him. Something he did want was to see his father. His mother had been far too drunk to take him to the hospital in the last couple years and he just didn't know his way there. So he asked the older wizard.

"Oh, yes I'm sure he would be glad to hear of this news. Hmm, why doesn't Hagrid take you when he picks you up to take you Diagon Alley? That sounds good, doesn't it?" Remus nodded at looked up at Dumbledore, agreeing to his plan.

"Well then, I must be off. School is running and I have a meeting to attend. I'll inform Hagrid as soon as I arrive though." Dumbledore stood up from the dry grass and Remus followed in suit. They bade goodbye and the older wizard vanished, leaving the little werewolf the muse over the events changing in his life.

When Hagrid did come to fetch Remus to take him to Diagon Alley late in July, Remus had to admit he was close to a heart attack. The headmaster had forgotten to mention the slight factor that the gamekeeper was a giant: an eight foot tall one at that with a humongous bushy black beard.

"C'mon, is a'right, I won't bite" the giant reassured Remus a few times. Remus gathered up all of his courage and moved out towards Hagrid. With that they left making their voyage toward Diagon Alley. Primary source of transportation was the Knight Bus. Of course it was a bit cramped with a giant in there, but it being a magical bus they could always make more room.

When they got off the bus, they went through a dingy pub and then through a brick arch in the back. As he moved through with Hagrid close behind him he stared in awe at the magic going on around him. He would have stood there staring all day if it weren't for Hagrid.

"So, where'd ya need to go first?" Hagrid ask looking all the way at the small eleven year-old.

With Remus's trance broken he stated that he needed to exchange his muggle money for the wizarding currency first, then he would commence with buying his school supplies.

About an hour of shopping later Remus had bought all of his text books, a cauldron, quills and ink wells, parchment, school uniform, a wand, and a bottomless pit of a trunk to carry everything to fit in.

The last thing he wanted to purchase was a pet. He was never allowed one when he was younger, but now was an acceptation to him. As Hagrid waited outside Remus searched though the pet store. He saw odd birds magically changing colours, shapes, or species, in cages that would float past you. He saw giant slimy frogs that were neon green and blue in containers set on trays that would too float around. The owls there were all in cages hanging from the ceiling making annoying swaking noises and in Remus's opinion far too loud to keep as a pet. He saw the rats but thought they would be too easy to loose. Then he saw the cats on a non-moving table in the middle of the small store. He looked into the cages seeing cats of all different sizes, ages, and colours. Remus then eyed a tiny kitten that had to be much smaller than his palm. The kitten was dark grey and fluffy with odd grey eyes. He reached into the cage and surprisingly the tiny animal leaned its head against his hand. Most animals could sense that he too was part animal and were usually frightened of him, but not this kitten. He opened his palm and the kitten climbed into it. He bought his new kitten and walked out to meet the giant.

"So, wotcha get?" Hagrid asked as Remus came out.

"A kitten," Remus pronounced holding up the grey puffball with pride.

"What's his name?"

"It's a she, um," Remus looked down at the kitten "I think I'll call her Moppet, how's that?"

"Why'd ya call it that, it sounds familiar in some way?"

"'Cause in the Beatrix Potter books I used to read there was a kitten called Moppet. There were other cats but I never liked the name Benjamin and Tom, plus they're male."

"Oh, I remember reading her books. She's a muggle author right?"

"Yup,"

"I liked her books when I was little."

"Me too, I always read them before I went to sleep."

From there the conversation ended and they traveled in silence accept for the occasional meow from Moppet on Remus's shoulder. They traveled out of Diagon Alley and to St. Mungo's as promised by Dumbledore.

Once they arrived Hagrid waited outside, mainly for Remus's privacy but also because he thought it would by hard to fit a giant in there without knocking something over. So Remus made the journey to his father's ward only with the company of a nurse (Moppet had not been allowed in because of sanitary reasons).

The nurse brought him up through the unnaturally sterile and white corridors to a white door just like all of the others. The nurse opened the door for Remus but didn't come in with him. The door shut behind Remus and he continued his walk to his father's bed.

Remus looked down at his dad seeing his gaunt face, gray balding hair, and the slight grey stubble around his jaw line. He just stood there for a few minutes when he chose to speak up.

"Dad, are you awake?" There was a slight groan from the bed and brown eyes met Remus's amber ones.

"R-R-Remus, 's that you?" John said uncertainly as tired eyes tried to focus on his son.

"Yeah Dad, it's me," Remus said with slightly more sadness than he wanted to. He saw all the wires and tubes hooked up to his dad. With only that he knew John Lupin was on his last legs, if that. He looked more like a corpse than a human, and his breathing was more shallow than Remus would have liked it to be. "I just came to check up on you and to tell you something."

"Really…what…is…it?" John asked pausing between words to catch his barely existent breath.

"I'm allowed to start at Hogwarts starting in September. Everything's set up perfectly for my transformations, and I just went shopping for my school supplies. Isn't it great?" Remus tried not to let his dad on to the worry he had for him or the sorrow, but it wasn't quite working.

"That's great," John wheezed out barely audibly "J-just…m-m-make…s-sure no one…finds…out, okay."

"Y-yeah Dad, I wouldn't let anyone know." And with that last look into his son's eyes John Lupin passed away slowed, not even trying to bother to breathe.

"Dad? Dad. DAD! Wake up Dad." Remus screamed sounded much younger than he really was. He fell into a panic looking at the now peaceful body of his father, and he broke down crying.

Remus sat there for awhile not forgetting about Hagrid though. A nurse finally coaxed him to leave his father's body. Remus plaintively agreed with the young woman and left to go back to Hagrid.

The giant asked no question for he had already been informed about what happed. He just handed Remus back Moppet who went back to sleeping on his shoulder, and they left.

When Remus returned home he thanked Hagrid for everything and took off to his room. He threw his trunk that contained all of his school supplies into the corner and crawled onto his bed lying on his back. Moppet was sitting on his chest cleaning her over sized paws which she'll have to grow into (yes cats grow into both their paws and their ears). He could hear the drunken woes of insanity from his mother downstairs.

He needed to escape. Escaped from this hellhole, and he knew the opportunity would come on the 1st September.

And now for a note from the wonderful author. Hey every one of you who reads this but thinks it is cow manure, but I would like to address those who actually like it. Okay, so this is my first HP story, and if you haven't guessed it the pairing will be Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. Best slash pairing in the history of history. Seriously (no pun intended). Anyway, I know I made Remus have a terrible life, but you get to hear Sirius's life story next. There might be some humour in that. So, I say unto you in the words of my fore-fanfiction authors… DON'T BE LAZY! LEAVE ME A COMMENT. Please (see, I have manners).

Next chapter will be out soon. I promise.