Oh dear, it looks like I'm back. I haven't written anything since the last time I updated, excluding a required short story, so I'm a little rusty, but hopefully a little improved too? I just felt like writing (procrastinating) yesterday, and look what has happened! I don't have a clue where this is going yet, and I know that updates will likely be irregular and infrequent, so I'll apologise in advance. Thank you for reading this though!
Remus Lupin sighed, brushing the sandy-blonde hair from eyes his with a simple sweep of his long, delicate fingers. "I'm going to be fine, Mum," he muttered, as his mother panicked once again. What if someone found out? What if a transformation went wrong? What if Dumbledore changed his mind?
Life as a lycanthrope was certainly not easy at the best of times, but when heading for his first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry the stress was clear. Remus himself was terrified, but he was determined not to show it. He would get onto the train confidently, cheerily wave goodbye to his parents and then, and only then, would he allow himself to worry. If he lost his composure now, his parents would never let him go. Ever. And if there was one thing Remus Lupin was going to do, it was attend Hogwarts.
Hogwarts itself fascinated him: the grandeur, the food, the classes, the people. Since the age of six, when he had been bitten, Remus had often found himself isolated from other children growing up. At first it was only for a few days around the full moon, and then he had stopped being allowed to play with the other children after school, and finally he had been pulled out of the local village school altogether. Life ever since had been awfully lonely for the young boy, but this was his chance to finally have some friends again.
Remus missed his old friends of course, especially Dennis - a muggle boy of his age from a few farms over. From the age of three the two had been inseparable, spending every evening playing together in the forestry surrounding the village. Of course, that had stopped too, and Remus had been left alone. Remus had hated being alone, and had cried and pleaded for hours on end when he was withdrawn from school, however it hadn't changed his parents' minds. Looking back on the situation, Remus understood why his parents had felt it necessary to pull him out of school, and he didn't resent them for it. However, he was determined to ensure that he would not be spending his Hogwarts years alone.
He was aware of the risks of making friends, and knew he would have to be cautious in order to keep his "furry little problem" - as his parents called it - a secret, but the thought of having friends made it worth it in the end. They could stay up until the early hours talking, they could play Quidditch, they could explore the colossal castle that they would call home for the next seven years. The prospect made Remus giddy, though he had to keep his calm. He had to make sure his parents didn't change their mind now, he just had to.
"Now Remus, are you sure you'll be fine?" His mother as a muggle had never been to Hogwarts, so the thought of sending her only son to such a foreign place terrified her. Her experience with a boggart many years before still haunted her, although she now understood that there were good sides to the magical world too. She just wasn't sure of how she felt in exposing her son to them.
Remus sighed rather audibly, "Mum, I'll be fine, now we need to go or we'll be late!" Remus grabbed his father's hand, as well as his trunk and pet-carrier, and his mother took his father's other hand. Within seconds, they had apparated away from their quiet country home and found themselves in the bustling centre of London.
Remus had only been to London twice. Once when he was five - before the incident. The second time was when he went to Diagon Alley, although they had used Floo Powder to arrive straight in The Leaky Cauldron. Even with his lycanthropy, the healers had always come to him, perhaps because they were scared to let such a "dangerous creature" into London. Remus was aware that he was viewed as a danger to everyone, but he didn't feel like one. He just felt like an ordinary eleven year old boy - or as ordinary as a wizard could be at least.
Remus stared curiously at the people dressed in suits rushing by, each headed to their own destination. A loud whistle nearby startled him, as his hearing was heightened, though it was only a train pulling into the station. He realised that they were right outside of Kings' Cross Station, which was where the Hogwarts Express left from. "Come on!" he urged, desperate to get a glimpse of the train which would take him to his freedom. He dragged his parents behind him, desperately searching for Platform 9 3/4.
Platform 7...Platform 8...Platform 9...Platform 10? Where was Platform 9 3/4? Remus was confused, perhaps they were at the wrong station. Surely his ticket couldn't have the wrong platform? He was so close to Hogwarts, he couldn't not go now. Where was the platform?!
"Dad, where is the platform? Why isn't it here?" Remus gushed, trying to keep calm.
"Relax son, it's okay. The platform is hidden, but just trust me on this one, okay?" his dad replied, before heading straight for the wall between platforms 9 and 10, Remus' trunk in tow. Remus panicked, thinking his dad had suddenly lost his mind. He seemed fine a moment before, what could have happened?
"DAD! STOP!" Remus called out, although as soon as he had finished both his dad and trunk disappeared! Remus' mind was boggled, his dad had run straight at a wall and then disappeared? Remus' mum looked equally as confused - clearly she had no idea what was going on either. Some people in the station had turned to look at Remus, and he blushed, embarrassed by his outburst.
"Should we just copy your father?" Remus' mother asked uncertainly. Remus nodded slowly, trying to take everything in. The pair held hands, and then ran straight for the wall. Remus closed his eyes, preparing for the impact of hitting the wall, but it didn't come.
When Remus opened his eyes, he was somewhere completely different. A new platform, definitely not the one in the station. A large sign above his head read "Platform 9 3/4", and Remus smiled. They had arrived.
In front of him stood his dad, trunk in tow, with a cheesy grin across his face. "Sorry, Bud, had to let you experience that firsthand. It's always better to be taken by surprise the first time." Remus' mum tried glare, but ended up laughing and hitting her husband's arm playfully.
"So magic can do that?" Remus asked, confused. After the incident, his father rarely used magic. In fact, his father often pretended that he was a muggle, trying to forget all aspects of the wizarding world completely. Remus was shocked when he first learned of Hogwarts on his eleventh birthday earlier that year, and even more shocked when he learned that he, a werewolf, could attend.
At first, his parents didn't seem keen, but Albus Dumbledore, the school's kindly headmaster, had met with them several times. After several of these meetings, and various precautions being put in place, they had finally agreed to let Remus attend. Remus was thrilled - he was just so excited to get away from the tiny farm they lived on and meet new people - to have a chance to experience life. His parents had been preparing him ever since, although he still had almost no idea about the true capabilities of magic, which was why he was so surprised by the barrier.
In front of him stood the scarlet steam engine known as the Hogwarts Express, his ticket to Hogwarts, clouds of steam bellowing out from the top. The spotless engine gleamed in the morning sunlight, giving it a heavenly glow. It seemed fairly appropriate to the young werewolf. Remus wanted to run aboard immediately before anyone could stop him, although he knew that these final moments were crucial. He had to reassure his parents that he could do this, that he could finally attend a school again.
The goodbye itself was fairly awkward - his father was quiet, his mother tried not to cry, he wanted to leave as soon as possible. It wasn't as though he wouldn't miss them - he would - but the excitement was overpowering by this point. He still couldn't believe this day was actually here. From only discovering Hogwarts seven months previously, to pleading to go yet never expecting to, to shopping for school supplies, to actually being here. The experience didn't feel real, and Remus had to remind himself that this was really happening every few minutes.
There was a quick hug, and his mother whispered in his ear about how proud she was of him, of how well she knew he would do. He had expected more warnings and advice, but his mother didn't seem to have the heart. His father just smiled, before helping him onto the train with his trunk. "You'll do great, Bud."
Remus stood by the window and waited for the train to pull away. He jumped slightly when it eventually did, but happily waved goodbye to his parents, promising to write soon. Remus kept his calm, ensuring that his parents wouldn't worry about him, ensuring his place at Hogwarts was safe. Once they were out of sight, he trailed down the corridor in search of an empty compartment. Students were everywhere, crammed into compartments on all sides, chattering rapidly, squawking like a flock of birds. Remus passed meekly - although he intended to find friends, he had decided that the time wasn't quite yet.
After finding an empty compartment, he flopped down onto the nearest seat - exhausted. He had done it, he was finally heading there. Remus Lupin was going to Hogwarts.