Well, here is my third finished HP fic. My first is My Wizard and my second is Three Days, but those are both oneshots. This is... get ready... drumroll please... a two-shot!! Haha, actually, it was originally a oneshot, but I split it up because it was so long. Anyhow, this is about Remus Lupin and how the Marauders found out about his furry little problem. I hope you like it! This is just my idea of it, because I know it's been done so many times.
This is also being submitted for the challenge Bite Me.
Thanks to enitsirk, my beta, who is awesome! Check out her fic, You Want To Make a Memory. It's this amazing epic fic about the Marauders 7 years, and to their death (aw, poor guys... except Pettigrew) at Hogwarts. I think it's up to 4th or 5th year by now. It's great and I know there are so many of those, but enitsirk's tops it all.
Enjoy!
I do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does. If I was JK Rowling, Remus would not have died. He would at the very least get a cool death scene. And Sirius would get a cool one, too, because, honestly, drapery? Oh... I have an idea for something I should've stuck in... hm... maybe the second part...
Edit: Sorry, guys I missed something, I had to fix it.
"Dad, do I have to?" I was walking through the cold, wintry streets on our way to the Ministry. I shivered slightly through my ragged coat. It had endured many seasons. Dad rested his warm hand on my shoulder. I winced. It probably looked like a man leading his six year old son. I knew I was small for my age, but my parents' protective demeanor only made it worse.
"Remus, it's the law," he said sternly, but his face softened. "I know you're scared, but it'll be fine. I've heard great things about the officer; he's said to be very nice." I shrugged his hand off of me, and struggled to hold down my stomach. Not only was I nervous as could be, but the full moon was the following day. As I got older and transformations got worse, so did my condition before and after.
"But, Dad, it's Christmas!" I whined. I was acting like a child now as I stopped by the red phone booth and stomped my foot. "It's not fair!" Dad pushed me gently into the small, cramped space and followed me in, ignoring my pleas. He did this all the time. He had done this for as long as I could remember. Throwing fits would do no good if you were a werewolf. He only tried to prepare me for reality. On the other hand, my mother coddled me and spoiled me as much as a poor family could.
Dad used to make a lot of money, but then he stopped writing werewolf articles. Both my mother and I begged him to stop. It had been his profession – documents, newspaper articles, books, and so on. He was good at it, too. His most famous piece had spread across the world, been reprinted in magazines and books, even cited in student projects. It had been about Fenrir Greyback.
Greyback decided to get his revenge for this little bit that alerted the world of his true nature. He hid in my backyard. I didn't listen to my parents and stayed in the garden after nightfall. I never disobeyed my parents again. I already had my punishment for that.
My fingers traced the light scar on my wrist and I shuddered.
Dad punched in the numbers and spoke to the machine. Badges fell out and I slowly pinned mine on, in a sense of numbness. Perhaps if I began to go numb now, it wouldn't hurt so much, I thought.
I was coming to the Ministry to be registered and branded. As we stood in the elevator, I prayed to Merlin that none of the Ministry workers had children in Hogwarts. I prayed that they wouldn't spot the large "WEREWOLF" badge on my chest. I prayed that, even if they did, they wouldn't tell. My father and I made no conversation, but I felt my hand slip into his instinctively. He squeezed it hard and led me out.
The hallway was gray and cold. That's why I hadn't expected for the office we were to report at to have a bright red and gold door. The Gryffindor colors warmed my heart, if only a little.
Dad raised his hand and knocked twice. The door swung open immediately and I gasped. Standing before me was an almost exact replica of James Potter. This man, however, looked a bit more aged, and with gray streaking his black, messy hair, but the similarities were stunning.
He extended his hand.
"John Lupin," my dad introduced himself. "And this is Remus, my son." He pulled me forward. I was mortified to find I was still holding his hand, I blushed red enough to match his door.
"I'm Harold Potter," the man greeted, therefore confirming my fears. This couldn't end well.
"Nice door, you have here," my dad laughed and Mr. Potter joined him.
"Yes, well, you know boys, you have one yourself! My son and his friend did it just the other day. They've been accompanying me to work. I don't know why, I only do paperwork on most days… Ah, well, you might as well come in while I prepare this." We followed him silently into the backroom, where a cold, metal table stood in the middle of the room. Mr. Potter shut the door and quickly cast a spell. He explained that it was to keep noise inside. He didn't want to frighten anyone passing by.
Too late.
I shook in my spot as Dad chatted calmly with Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter threw gloves over his hands and began to sort through various potions. He set his wand carefully onto the tray of sterilizers and I quaked even harder. Soon, that wand would be slicing numbers into my flesh.
"Tell me, Remus, how old are you again?" he asked, scribbling information down on a pile of sheets. My registration, I guessed.
"Twelve," I managed to whisper.
"Really? James is your age. He has a friend named Remus. I didn't think I'd hear another boy of the same age group with that name. Do you know where your name originated?"
I scowled. This confirmed my fears even further. "Yeah," I mumbled. "I was cursed from birth." Mr. Potter laughed, a laugh similar to my friend's. Dad rolled his eyes. He had heard this enough.
"Can he take adult painkillers?" Mr. Potter asked my dad and my dad shook his head.
"It's too strong. He vomited yesterday when we tried to give him some for a headache. And children's doesn't work, either. It's too weak."
Mr. Potter sighed and bit his lip. "We're going to have to do this the hard way, then," he murmured, peering at me sympathetically.
"H-h-hard way?" I stuttered.
"Yes. I can't give you the painkillers, it would be no use if they don't work. I'll be right back, I'm going to get something for you to bite on," Mr. Potter explained kindly and left the room in a hurry. He left the door open, revealing a bit of his office. As soon as he was out of sight, I crumpled to the ground, shaking.
"I can't do this, Dad, I can't!" I gasped and he bent down to wrap his arms around me comfortingly.
"It's okay, Remus, you'll be fine. It's just a little cut, no big deal. You've had worse."
"Just a cut? Dad, where is this 'little cut' going to be?" Dad quietly traced my left shoulder, right above my heart, usually covered by clothes. "Dad, you don't get it. I live in a dormitory with four other boys! James, Sirius, Peter, and Frank. Frank isn't even my friend! And I'm going to be with them all the time. They're going to notice. We swim when it's warm enough! How do I hide this from everyone?"
"Maybe," my dad started slowly. "Maybe you can tell them."
"It's not so simple. Sirius hates anything Dark, including his family. If he can hate his family, he can easily hate me! Peter has nightmares about werewolves, he had one right before we left for break. And James… his dad is the one that's branding me!" The tears could barely keep themselves in. Not only was I terrified, but I had only just thought of what this would bring to my secrecy. "If enough parents complain, I'll be expelled."
"And we'll teach you at home."
"No, Dad, that's not what I care about! I can't get a job after Hogwarts, anyway. I want to go to school to be with my friends!"
He rubbed my back gently. "If they really are your friends, they won't abandon you. They'll see you for who you are, not what you are," he murmured softly to me.
"I can't take the chance," I mumbled. The office door opened and three sets of footsteps entered.
"I cannot believe you two!" Mr. Potter yelled. "What were you thinking?"
"About playing a prank on the Minister," I heard James's mumbled voice.
I froze, my body stiffened. The door was open. And I was here, with the word werewolf on my chest. "Shit," I breathed under my breath. My dad didn't even acknowledge my foul language.
"How stupid and irresponsible of you two! Do you want me fired? Do you want to be grounded? And Sirius, do you want to be sent home?"
Sirius's gasp filled my ears. "No, Mr. Potter, please don't send me home! My cousins are there, they hate me! I'm sorry, we both are. Please don't send me home!" His pleas struck me as odd. He was never one to be afraid of his family, just annoyed. Then again, I couldn't help but remember the night before the first full moon of the school year.
We sat on our beds late that night, chatting and exchanging chocolate. Sirius was observing me carefully, but I pushed his look, and the Chocolate Frogs, aside. I liked chocolate, but it made me sick so close to full moon. Sirius scribbled something in a notebook and slid it under his pillow quickly.
"Let's tell our deepest, darkest secrets!" Peter suggested, just as Frank Longbottom entered the room. As soon as he saw all of us eating candy. he turned on his heels, mumbling about sleeping on the sofa. James and Sirius readily agreed to the game, while I shrugged nervously. I could never tell my secret.
Peter started.
"Alright, so, erm, well, my secret is… promise you won't laugh, okay?"
We all nodded solemnly.
"Well, okay, fine. It's – wait, someone hold James back."
"Get on with it!" I insisted, anxious from the wait.
"Fine, fine. I sort of liked Lily for the first part of last year," Peter mumbled almost incoherently. James's face was a perfect mask.
"Do you like her now?" he asked. Peter shook his head frantically and James looked disappointed.
"Darnit. I thought someone would think I wasn't insane!" We laughed. We had all anticipated a big blow out. Of course, that was more of Sirius's style. James went on. "Me next. Okay, so I hate Snape right? Because he's a greasy git and a Slytherin, right? Well, I kind of hate him because he's friends with Lily, too. I mean, what if she fancies him? He fancies her! It's so obvious!" We nodded in encouragement and agreement.
Now it was Sirius's turn.
"I hate my mother," he stated blankly. We gave him a look that quite plainly said we know that. "Alright, just don't tell anyone." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Bellatrix tried this spell on me. It hurt. A lot. And then she told me to try it on my brother. I did. It's called the Cruciatus Curse."
"That's illegal!" James gasped.
"I know. I know why, too. It hurts. Oh yeah, I've got another one! I agreed with my family!" Sirius exclaimed. "Yeah, so my family was talking and I was in hiding, but I overheard some stuff. They were talking about werewolves. I think it's the only thing I agree with them about. They're vile, aren't they? Just… ugh." Sirius shuddered. "You know what I mean?"
I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, while James and Peter outright agreed. Sirius narrowed his eyes and I averted my eyes quickly.
"Okay, Remus, your turn!" I froze. What was I going to say?
"I don't have a secret," I muttered.
James laughed. "Yeah, right, you're the quietest of us all! You're bound to have a secret. C'mon, tell us! At least tell us what your mum is sick with!"
"She's got… a Muggle illness. That's all. She's getting better, much better," I muttered quietly, and they took it. Why wouldn't they trust their friend?
Sirius was afraid of Bellatrix, which was obvious at this point. I felt a deep stab of remorse for him. Even if my cousins didn't like me, I knew they wouldn't hurt me like that. Speaking of my cousins… I suppressed a shudder as I thought of the madhouse it would be when I returned home with numbers on my chest. The family was visiting for the holidays.
"Sirius, James…" Mr. Potter pulled air through his teeth roughly. "Sit down and don't move. I will deal with you after I finish." I heard his heels turn, but Sirius and James wouldn't let him stop then.
"There's a werewolf back there?" James yelled in astonishment. I winced. "I wanna see! Is it nice?" I winced once more. Being called 'it' was one of the things I couldn't handle smoothly.
"Yes, he's very nice, James, now sit down. The boy isn't an animal."
"Er, technically, Mr. Potter, he is." My dad's eyes lightened considerably and he stood.
"No, Dad! What're you doing?" I hissed. He turned to me, his eyes twinkling.
"You look pale. I'm getting something for you to throw up in," he stated calmly before walking out into the office. I cringed. This was going to be bad. "Um, do you have a bin or something? I think he's going to be sick. He's not feeling well. Tomorrow's full moon; it only gets worse as he gets older."
"It'll improve, don't worry," Mr. Potter comforted while bustling around quickly. "It's his body reacting. He's reaching puberty; it's not his fault at all." Dad rushed back into the room suddenly and set a bin in front of me. My stomach, suddenly queasy again, heaved. I vomited.
"The werewolf's a little kid? Dad, please, can we see it? I mean, meet him?" James corrected quickly.
"Depends if he wants to be met, boys." I could just see Sirius rolling his eyes.
"Hey! You, in the room back there! Wanna meet us? We're really not that bad, even if Mr. Potter complains!" Sirius shouted. I couldn't hold down a grin. "And anything you've heard about my surname, it doesn't apply!"
"Yeah, come on! We've never met a werewolf before! We just wanna meet someone. Plus, it's really boring around here, there are no other kids. The only reason we keep coming are pranks and to meet a werewolf."
"Please?" the boys chanted in unison.
Dad sent me a glance.
"They won't care, Remus," he whispered softly.
"They will," I croaked. "And tell them I say no." He strode out of the room quickly.
"Sorry, he said no. His older cousin, Marissa, said he was PMSing, this morning. He's usually more pleasant, really. My son… is extremely self conscious about his condition." My face blushed red as he shared this bit of information. Marissa had indeed claimed I was "PMSing" when she roused me out of bed. Marissa was a Muggle, from my mother's side, and therefore not quite as frightened as my younger, wizard cousins. My mum was a Muggleborn and the younger of two children.
"Poor kid," Mr. Potter laughed. "Well, let's get on with this. I haven't managed to find anything that wouldn't break his teeth to bite on except this old rag, and I doubt he wants to stick that in his mouth." They walked into the room and shut the door quickly.
"They can't hear us, so all is good. Really, Remus, they are quite nice. Pranksters, perhaps, but not cruel." This was, in no way, true. They were cruel to the Slytherins, especially Snape. I could only imagine what they could do to me. Still, they liked me, for the time being. I wasn't ready to give that up. It had taken weeks to gain acceptance into their group.
"Sorry," I mumbled.
"All is confidential, so I promise I won't tell your name so they can hunt you down," he joked, before turning very serious. He replaced his gloves with new, sterile ones, and turned towards me and the table. He helped me up gently and even helped me mount the high slab. The cold metal seeped through my jeans as I stripped my coat and, with shaking hands, my shirt. My back had goose bumps on it as I leaned against the smooth surface. Dad grasped my hand and squeezed, motioning that I could hold it as tight as I liked. Mr. Potter offered me the rag, and I took it willingly. I would take anything to help ease the pain.
I stuffed the cloth into my mouth and bit down hard as I watched the glowing end of the wand come nearer to my skin. I recoiled as the heat hit my shoulder. The skin split. I screamed.
The sound was deafening to even me. Mr. Potter looked down sympathetically, but hurried along with his job. As each number was etched into my shoulder, I screamed and gasped more. The rag was removed at one point, though I don't know when. They took it so I wouldn't suffocate on it. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks. I screamed louder than I had ever remembered screaming before. It hurt almost as bad as the transformation I knew would come the next day.
And suddenly, cool cream was being applied to the area. I sniffled, feeling immature. Mr. Potter and Dad smiled at me encouragingly.
"It's over, Remus. All over," Dad whispered over and over. "It's done. I swear, it's done. You are a true Gryffindor. So brave, I'm proud of you."
"Gryffindor?" Mr. Potter questioned. "He goes to Hogwarts? I thought werewolves weren't admitted into school. I've heard of courses being sent to them, but he attends the school?"
"Yes, Dumbledore is extremely kind," Dad replied as my hand went slick. He managed to pry his, now bruised, hand away from mine. Mr. Potter watched me in shock.
"You're James's friend?" he whispered.
I nodded, my throat dry. "Don't tell him!" I begged. "He doesn't know. None of them do. Please, don't tell him."
"The boys have been awfully worried about you. They've been taking notes on you, Remus. They have a notebook. They record anything odd that they notice."
"It must be full by now," I mumbled.
"It is. I found it the other day. They started it last year, but only started recording your disappearances in September. They haven't pieced it together yet, Remus, but they will soon."
"Don't tell them. I'm begging you, please don't!" I sat straight up on the table, my shirt still on the ground. On my shoulder was an angry red spot. It felt hot and painful, though less than before.
"I wouldn't think of it. But, Remus –."
The door slammed open. James and Sirius were standing at the entrance.
"The spell broke. And they're too curious for their own good." My friends (no, former friends, I corrected in my mind) gaped at me, their eyes wide and even a bit frightened. Sirius's expression looked a bit smug, but James's was betrayed.
"What do you mean the spell broke?" I hissed.
"The Silencing Spell. I suppose you screamed loud enough to break it," Mr. Potter apologized. "I only just noticed. And it would've been too late if I fixed it. I would've had to stop and that would have prolonged the pain."
"Lupin's a werewolf?" Sirius yelled. I gulped. He only used surnames for us when he was really angry. James shoved him to the side, but playfully.
"You're the one who thought it up!"
"It was a joke, you idiot, I didn't think he really was one!" Sirius stepped back quickly, and I remembered his words, that everyone was so quick to agree with.
They're vile, aren't they?
It rang through my ears. James hazel eyes bore through me and I followed their gaze to the newly scarred tissue. He scanned my arms and chest, all of which had various scars from previous transformations.
"You lied to us," he murmured. "We all told each other the truth, the plain, cold truth! Sirius told us stuff he wouldn't tell anyone else, stuff nobody would have even been able to guess! Yet, you won't bother to tell us that we're sharing a dorm with a bloody werewolf." He shook his head. I stumbled, searching for words.
"James, I couldn't tell you guys!"
"What, did Dumbledore forbid you?"
"No. He advised I didn't though. If there were letters from parents complaining, I'd get expelled! And… even if there weren't… I couldn't risk losing the only friends I ever had." I ended in a whisper. Their faces hardened.
"Why didn't you tell us? Do you not trust us? Do you not think we were real friends?"
"No! But… Sirius had just… and… I just couldn't get the words out!"
"Your mother never was sick, was she?" Sirius sneered. Dad turned to me in confusion. "Did you even intend to share it?"
"Your mum was sick? I don't remember that!"
"It was a cover, Dad," I explained quietly. "And, no, I guess not. But that's just why I don't belong in Gryffindor. I ought to be in Hufflepuff," I muttered. "I'm too lousy scared to say three words!"
"What's wrong with Hufflepuff?" my dad demanded. "Your mum was in Hufflepuff!"
"Things have changed, Dad. Hufflepuffs are nice, but total pushovers and duffers."
"You don't belong in Hufflepuff, Lupin," Sirius hissed. "You belong in Slytherin. You're a backstabbing, sly sneak! Besides, everyone knows that Slytherins don't have real friends, if they have any at all."
"Like Snivellus," James added, and my heart sank.
"Yeah. And guess what? You've earned a spot on my hit list. You know I've got one, Lupin," Sirius ended with a laugh. He did, I remembered. At the moment, Snape was number one. I didn't doubt that I would soon be replacing him.
"Come on, Sirius, just let him be," James mumbled as he turned away. "Wouldn't want to get bit in a fit of rage, would we?"
"James! Sirius!" Mr. Potter roared. "You're both being completely ridiculous! Apologize!"
"No," I said suddenly, my eyes burning. I leapt off the table, catching myself as my wobbly legs hit the ground. "No, don't. Not if that's what they really think. We're all entitled to our opinion, aren't we? I can't say I disagree with all their points. It would suck to be bit in a fit of rage. Believe me, I know. When Greyback's mad… well, let's just say you shouldn't get him mad."
"Remus, calm down," Dad hissed as he grabbed my arm. I yanked it away from him.
"I am calm!" I sneered. "If I wasn't calm, I'd be storming out of here without remembering my shirt. May I have my shirt?" He wordlessly handed it to me. I threw it on (backwards, in the end) then turned my back and stormed out. I stopped momentarily in front of Sirius and shook my head.
"I thought you weren't like your family. I thought you could accept others. I guess I was wrong. Have fun turning into Bellatrix, Black." And then I left.
"Remus, come out!" Mum was knocking on my door. It was time for Christmas dinner. We had a rather odd tradition in our family. We opened presents before dinner, not in the morning. I never really knew why. It's just how we did it.
"No," I yelled and curled up into a tighter ball under the covers.
"Remus, don't you want your presents? I think you and your friends will have some fun with them!"
"I don't have friends, anymore!" I responded.
"Please, Remus. I need to see you; I want to make sure you're alright." Her request was soft and gentle, just like my mother. I grudgingly dragged myself to the door and unbolted the lock. "Thank you, dear. Now, come and join the family."
I let myself be pulled into the living room, where my cousins all sat. Marissa, Aunt Julie, and Uncle Romulus (the man I was named after… poor us, terrible names) were sitting by the tree, marveling at the magical lights and ornaments, though they did this every year. They called me over and no sooner did I walk within a foot was I pinned under Marissa's strong grasp. We laughed and I playfully tried to shove her off of me, even baring me teeth in the fight. On the other hand, Aunt Chloe, Uncle Joe, Jake, and Allie kept their distance. Jake and Allie were young, but young enough to know that werewolves were bad. They weren't cruel, and I knew they loved me. They were just cautious. At least, this was what I assured my parents.
I laughed, though the action hurt, as my body was aching terribly by now. Marissa joined me, still keeping my hands against the carpet.
"Some werewolf you are," she teased. "Can't even get out of a trap!" I growled playfully and snapped at her, though I kept my teeth far away. "Hey, no fair!"
"Marissa, let Remus go," her mother chided.
"No way! Come on, get angry, get out!"
"Get off me or I'll break into your room tomorrow!" She rolled her eyes.
"Try harder." She pressed me down on the ground harder and I winced. My shoulder still hurt.
"Ow! Mind the left shoulder, will you?" I yelped and she suddenly let go.
"Oops. Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I mumbled, thrusting my hand under my sweater to stroke the new scar. It was unfamiliar, yet I knew it by heart by now. Seven-three-six-eight-seven. It throbbed slightly. I ducked as Marissa tossed me a heavy, rectangular package. I realized that I was the only one to whom presents hadn't been distributed.
Soon, I was surrounded by gifts. The little ones shrieked in anticipation as we decided who should go first. Everyone, even the adults argued. I, however, kept quiet, as usual.
"Alright!" My dad broke up the fighting. "I think Remus, ought to open his gifts first, because, well, I think he sort of deserves it. After the Ministry this morning and the run in with his friends, I think he deserves a break." The arguing ceased and I reached for my first gift. It was the one from Marissa's family. I unwrapped it quickly to find two large books and a smaller, yet longer one.
My eyes fell on the titles and Uncle Romulus laughed.
"Well, I thought you might like to suffer with me and find out all of the stuff our namesakes did," he explained, pointing to the book that stated "Remus and Romulus." "It's not that bad, actually. Except for the part where Romulus killed Remus over a fight. Glad we get along alright, huh?" I chuckled a bit, and set it aside. The next one wore a bright purple cover and my eyes lit up. It was a Muggle book of pranks and it was huge. Nobody at Hogwarts would know these ones!
"Wow, thanks! The guys at school will love this; I can't wait to show it to them! And we won't even get points off for using magic in the halls!" My face fell. "Damn. I forgot. Sirius and James hate me now." I set the book aside and ignored my mother's shriek of "Language!"
"And now, finally, is just a little picture book we made up. There are pictures of you from when you were born. We've captured every single moment in your life! First birthday, first time you pulled Marissa's hair, first haircut, first trip to the hospital…" I flipped through it and smiled. Even if some of the pictures did feature me sick and deathly pale, it was really nice.
"Thank you," I murmured and Aunt Julie laughed.
"Just get on with the gifts, boy!" And I did. From my parents, I received a subscription to this Quidditch magazine I really wanted. They also promised that over the summer, I could have friends over. That is, if I made new friends. From Aunt Chloe and Uncle Joe, I got huge box of Chocolate Frogs and an album to keep my cards. As I munched on one after dinner, I wondered idly what Sirius would be willing to give for Agrippa, before remembering he'd be more likely to give me a punch in the face.
All in all, Christmas was okay. I did puke because I forgot to stay away from the Chocolate Frogs, but that wasn't so bad. I had fun with Marissa before collapsing into bed, feeling sick to my stomach. Full moon approached.
"Mr. Lupin!" I heard a familiar voice call through the crowd. Both my father and I turned to respond. It turned out to be for Dad. Mr. Potter was pushing his way through to get to us. James was nowhere in sight. "Mr. Lupin, hello!" he greeted once he was closer.
"Hi," my dad responded. "How are you?"
"I'm good, thanks. And you? How about Remus?"
"We're both fine." An awkward silence fell and I shifted from one foot to another. If I wanted my own compartment, I would need to go soon.
"Listen, Remus… I can't make James apologize for what he said –"
"Don't try. If it's what he thinks, it's what he thinks." I stopped him midsentence, for I didn't want to hear it.
"Right. Well, I'd avoid them like the plague. They have Peter on their side as well." I shrugged. I had figured that much anyways. However, a huge lump grew in my throat as I watched the three boys speed by like rockets. Dad noticed.
"Remus, you ought to go! I don't want you to miss the train." Mum came up from behind me and planted a huge kiss on my forehead. I didn't even try and pull away. I just blushed bright red. She then strangled me into one of her big hugs before passing me off to Dad, who did pretty much the same. I called goodbye to them softly and hurried on my way.
I had taken too long to board. All of the compartments had somebody in them. I walked to the end of the train, ignoring the whispers that surrounded me.
"How come he's not with Potter?"
"Where's Potter and Co?"
"Why's Lupin alone?"
My breath caught when I passed their compartment. Sirius smirked out at me, James just glared, and Peter looked mildly frightened. I gave a small, regretful smile, before moving on my way.
I had gotten to the end of the train when I realized that there was one compartment left. In it were Snape and Evans. I really didn't want to do this, but…
"Can I sit here?" I asked in a strangled voice. Evans nodded and offered the seat right away, while Snape scowled. I sat down quietly and stared at my feet. The two others chatted animatedly over some trouble Evans had apparently had at home.
"Sev, she won't even speak to me!"
"She's just a Muggle, she doesn't understand," Snape comforted in a low voice.
"She's my sister! And she hates me!"
"Look, let's talk about something else. New Year's Eve was fun, right?"
"Yeah," Evans agreed. "Even if Tuney was a crab about you spending the night." I curled up against the door to the compartment. My muscles were still aching from full moon and I was exhausted. The new scar on my chest stung when I put pressure on it.
"Hey, Lupin," Snape huffed, finally giving recognition that I was there. "Why aren't you with Potter and Black?"
"Had a fight." He smirked.
"Well, I don't ditch my friends over one little fight. I apologize and move on."
"I did apologize!" I snapped. "And I didn't ditch them, they ditched me! Now will you just leave me alone?"
"Remus… is everything alright?" Evans asked tentatively. I shrugged. "You can tell me, I won't tell anyone, I swear. Severus won't either."
"It's nothing, I'm fine. Just had a crazy holiday. The family came over. Half are Muggles, half hate my guts. That's all."
"Oh, I see. The Muggles don't understand you?" I laughed and shook my head.
"No, no, I love my Muggle family. They're the best. My dad wrote an article when I was little about Fenrir Greyback. My family said that he would hunt us all down and kill us, so they never exactly forgave us for it." It was technically true. I just left out that he had already gotten his revenge. A look of confusion clouded Evan's face.
"Greyback? Who's that?"
"A werewolf," Snape sneered. "A vicious, blood thirsty werewolf. Of course, all werewolves are like that." The ache on my shoulder throbbed as Evans turned her face into a grimace.
"Sounds creepy," she remarked, and that was the end of it. I felt the train begin to move under my seat and I shook and rattled with it. The movement was oddly comforting to me. I felt my eyelids begin to droop, my vision become hazy.
"Lily! Fancy seeing you here! Who's accompanying you on this fine journey?" James's loud voice snapped me to attention. He was in the compartment, flirting with Evans. She rolled her eyes.
"Severus and Remus, as you can see," she responded coolly. His eyes widened in mock surprise as he "saw" us.
"Ah, well, I suppose I didn't notice for they were overtaken by this beauty sitting right in front on me!" Sirius held down a laugh from outside the compartment.
"Thanks!" Evans flipped her hair and turned back to Snape. "So, are you sure Slughorn is going to quiz us on that next week? I could've sworn he said two weeks after break, not one."
"It was one, trust me."
"Hey, Pete, look, it's Snivellus and Lupin!" Sirius chanted, trying to start a fight, or at least a torture session. "Honestly, Lupin, I know you need friends, but I didn't think you would resort to this." Snape's hand curled around his wand and I pulled him back.
"Don't start it, they'll just blame you. It's what they want," I muttered to him and he glared angrily.
"How do you know?"
"I was once one of them, remember? Or is your memory so faulty that you can't recall that terrific discussion we had over how you have friends and I don't?" Snape glowered.
"Defending Snape?" Peter giggled. "Wow, you really did sink low." James had a smile that reached his ears. He had an idea. I inwardly groaned.
"So, Lupin, I figured that you needed a nickname too. You know, to go with Snivellus. Do you know what Lupin means?"
"Something about the moon," I mumbled almost incoherently. I really was cursed with my name.
"Exactly." Sirius's eyes were alight. "What do you think about Moony, huh, Lupin?"
I didn't respond.
"I asked what you thought about Moony! Answer me!" he ordered and I felt my heart break a little. These people were supposed to be my friends. I could barely keep the tears in reign.
"It's okay," I whispered and they all smirked.
"Good." And then they left without another word.
"Lupin?" Evans whispered softly. "Lupin, they're just prats, ignore them. I don't know what happened with all of you, but this is horrible. You don't deserve people like that to be your friends." Snape scoffed. He obviously thought differently.
"Karma sucks, Lupin, it really does. Now, if only it would get back at them, too…"
No, karma doesn't suck, I thought silently to myself. Whoever was supposed to be watching over me, making sure I was safe and happy, had obviously gone on vacation. Or maybe he was killed. Just like Remus. Just like me.
My face hit stone for the third time that day. Giggles surrounded me as my eyes darted around for the cause. I couldn't tell, for every Ravenclaw student was standing with his or her foot out. Being an ex-friend of Black and Potter had many disadvantages.
For one, most students chose to side with them. I heard taunts through out the school, from all years and Houses. Moony had caught on like wildfire.
"Hey, Moony! You going to meet your friends? Wait, sorry, never mind!"
"Moony, over here! Look, we're learning about the moon cycles in Astronomy!"
And worst of all – "Moony, when are you gonna howl at the moon?" The last was most obviously from my former friends.
Another downside was the amount of enemies I had made. Thanks to James's reputation for hexing, most students felt that attacking me was good payback. I had been in the Hospital Wing more than I could count in only a week of school. In addition, trip chains had begun. Luckily, these chains had resulted in new friends.
Floor, meet face. Face, meet floor. They were inseparable.
I scrambled to my feet quickly and began to collect my books. I was going to turn for the library, but even that wasn't safe. I had gotten detention for being part of a fight there just the other day. I decided to just go to an abandoned hallway, but that quest wasn't very successful. As soon as I walked into view, the large group of Slytherins – and James, Sirius, and Peter – turned their heads. Snape smirked and turned his wand on me. I went flying through the air before I could even think and was once more on the ground. The entire crowd was doubled over in laughter.
It was almost the exact same thing that had happened only weeks ago, but the victim was Snape. I suppressed a wince. Karma sucks. He was right.
Snape lodged a kick at my left shoulder and it hit right on. I clutched it with my right arm and yelped in pain, not able to get up.
"Get the hell away from me, Snape," I said through gritted teeth. James, Sirius, and Peter decided it was time to join the fun.
"That wasn't very nice, was it, Moony?" Sirius taunted, his eyes on my shoulder.
"No, no, it wasn't," James agreed. "Peter, would you like to do the honors?" I inched myself away, struggling to stand, or at least sit up. Sirius's foot landed hard on my back, and I was splayed against the hard stone, unable to move.
"Sure," Peter said uncertainly and jabbed his wand. "Scourgify!" It didn't work.
"May I?" Snape asked and they sneered, but nodded. With a great flourish, he said "Scourgify!" My mouth filled with an unpleasant taste and I began to choke.
Pink bubbles surrounded the ground as soap coated my teeth, my tongue, and I coughed and gasped for air. The crowd was laughing hysterically by now, and I shivered as I heard one distinct snicker. Bellatrix Black was there. Panic rose through my chest. I had never been victim to her form of bullying, not yet, but from what I knew, she was cruel. I knew this from Sirius, but also from others in the school.
"Good job, Snape," she praised him. "Good job. I have a better idea, though. Move aside, Sirius." I looked up to find that my former friends had made a semicircle around me. Spitting out the last of the soap, I quickly crawled to my feet.
"No way, Bella." Sirius shook his head. "He's ours."
"Your what? Your punching bag? Practice target? Come on, I won't kill him. I think you'll enjoy it. Snape got to do something!"
"Only because none of us can do that spell," James pointed out.
"None of you can do this one, I bet." Peter and Sirius went flying to the ground as she pushed them aside. Her eyes were manic as her wand came level to my chest. Her lips curled into a smile. I was frozen.
"Crucio," she whispered, and I screamed like I had only screamed once before.
Poor Remus... I love him, I really do. Any characters that I love usually know to run far, far away, because I wind up torturing them, but it was too close to full moon and Remus was hurt, so he couldn't and I captured and him and produced this fic. One more chapter to go! I need to finish the editing in that half, but that's all. Feedback is very much appreciated. I don't usually give bribes, but... --shoots nervous looks-- I can capture Remus again and you can all hug him! Ah!! Get away from me Tonks!! Get off, I can't breathe! Uh-oh... Remus got wind of my plan and it's full moon... as he said, you don't want to be bit in a fit of rage. Love you all, toodles!