The Decencies of Sin - prologue part 1.
A pale silver moon hung in the sky that October night, the stars defying the darkness. A little cabin made of rickety wood sat in a clearing, with woods to the east. Wind racked the window shutters, carrying a not so distant howl.
Marie Lupin sat wallowing in sadness and pain, a nearly empty bottle of gin hanging from her hand. She pulled the loosely knitted blanked across her knees.
"A full moon tonight," she thought to herself. Her husband Greg was lying facedown on the hearth of the now cooling embers. She was afraid of him. Was it him that made her drink? She didn't know, and didn't want to say. Her two children lie sleeping in the only other room. She had wanted to give them the best she could. She eyed the almost empty bottle of gin, and finished it, setting it next to the twelve others just like it.
She had dim memories of her actually caring for her children, wanting them to grow up right. Remus and Romolus were only five years old this autumn night, but she couldn't remember their birthdays. Things started out as a normal family, abet the rickety shack they called a home, but that was all she could afford. A loving father, a loving mother, trying to do the best they could. That was before Greg started beating her. Maybe family life had gotten to be too much for him to handle, maybe he had always been that way. So Marie tried emptying all her emotions, forgetting all the pain, the yelling, all the hurt, and her sons.
***
Five-year-old Remus Lupin dimly opened his eyes. He could hear Romolus's shallow even breathing next to him. He prodded him awake.
"Rom-y, Rom-y," he said gently as he shook him.
Romolus slowly opened his eyes, blinking in the dim light, "Wha is it Rem-y?" he replied.
"Hungry. Come with me, Rom-y."
"Fine Rem-y."
The two boys crawled out of the sagging bed and opened the door to go into the main part of the house. The truth was that both boys were scared to death of their father. Too many fragile memories of him beating their mother while she screamed and threw empty bottles of alcohol. All Remus had was Romolus, and all Romolus had was Remus. Two of a kind.
Remus opened the door to find his mother sitting like an empty shell, staring out at the full moon through the window. His father appeared to just be waking up after one of his frequent blackouts caused by alcohol. Remus was having second thoughts; his father was awake which meant bad news.
"Let's go back, Rom-y."
"No. I'm hungry too, go Rem-y!" Romolus gave his brother a slight push on his shoulder, "go."
Remus and Romolus shut the door behind them and headed for the pantry. Romolus had always been a little pushy, more of a leader then his brother, always getting into more trouble.
"What the hell to you shits think you are doing?" Their father was awake.
"I said, what the fuck do you think you are doing!?" He staggered to a standing position, throwing the nearest object, an empty beer bottle, at the boys. Remus ducked and Romolus swerved, the bottle shattered against the wall next to Remus's head. Marie Lupin continued looking out the window. Greg advanced on the boys, a look of hunger and loathing written on his face. When he reached them he rose his hand, intending to strike Remus. At the last second, Romolus pushed Remus aside, catching the blow himself. Both boys flew and hit the floor, laying spread eagle on the cold, hard wooden floor.
"Cold. Like my life." thought Remus. Romolus started to get up, tugging at Remus's hand.
"Come on Rem-y!" he pleaded. "Get up I know you can!"
Remus had always felt that his brother had been stronger than him. He was the one who got hit, and he was telling Remus to get up? Remus wanted to be strong.
Just as Remus had gotten halfway to a standing position, his father's foot collided painfully with his stomach. He fell again.
"No." Remus thought, "I have to be strong, I need to be strong…like Rom-y." With an effort he rose, clutching his brother's shoulder for support. Their father was advancing again, laughing at them.
"You pathetic little shits!" His laughter booming across small cabin.
For once in his life, Remus remembered how to be strong. Blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, Remus grabbed a broken empty bottle, the edges so jagged and sharp he was sure it would cut him if he touched it. And with the courage he would remember all his life, five-year-old Remus Lupin hurled the jagged bottle at his father, hitting him in the face.
Romolus had just enough time to grab Remus, throwing himself and Remus out the door into the night. But before Remus was thrown out the door, he saw blood spattering down his father's face, pooling up on that cold wooden floor.
***
Remus and Romolus started running; their father's screams of agony could still be heard.
"Get into the forest Rem-y, we'll be safe there." Romolus's breath making white clouds of mist in front of his face. Remus could also feel the cold, biting his skin through his worn flannel pants and too-large tee shirt. He knew Romolus must feel the same.
The forest was thick with trees and over-grown brush. They ran deeper and deeper into the moonlit trees. The wind was blowing profusely, making the boys colder. Suddenly they heard a low growl, then twigs cracking. Both boys stopped dead in their tracks.
A/N: Hey thanks for reading my story! I have always loved Remus, so I decided to make a story on him! This is my first fan fiction story, so it makes me happy to have people read it. This fic will be pretty dark in the beginning, the prologue may have two or three parts to it. Then Remus will be at Hogy Warty Hogwarts. Anyways, thanks! R&R!
A pale silver moon hung in the sky that October night, the stars defying the darkness. A little cabin made of rickety wood sat in a clearing, with woods to the east. Wind racked the window shutters, carrying a not so distant howl.
Marie Lupin sat wallowing in sadness and pain, a nearly empty bottle of gin hanging from her hand. She pulled the loosely knitted blanked across her knees.
"A full moon tonight," she thought to herself. Her husband Greg was lying facedown on the hearth of the now cooling embers. She was afraid of him. Was it him that made her drink? She didn't know, and didn't want to say. Her two children lie sleeping in the only other room. She had wanted to give them the best she could. She eyed the almost empty bottle of gin, and finished it, setting it next to the twelve others just like it.
She had dim memories of her actually caring for her children, wanting them to grow up right. Remus and Romolus were only five years old this autumn night, but she couldn't remember their birthdays. Things started out as a normal family, abet the rickety shack they called a home, but that was all she could afford. A loving father, a loving mother, trying to do the best they could. That was before Greg started beating her. Maybe family life had gotten to be too much for him to handle, maybe he had always been that way. So Marie tried emptying all her emotions, forgetting all the pain, the yelling, all the hurt, and her sons.
***
Five-year-old Remus Lupin dimly opened his eyes. He could hear Romolus's shallow even breathing next to him. He prodded him awake.
"Rom-y, Rom-y," he said gently as he shook him.
Romolus slowly opened his eyes, blinking in the dim light, "Wha is it Rem-y?" he replied.
"Hungry. Come with me, Rom-y."
"Fine Rem-y."
The two boys crawled out of the sagging bed and opened the door to go into the main part of the house. The truth was that both boys were scared to death of their father. Too many fragile memories of him beating their mother while she screamed and threw empty bottles of alcohol. All Remus had was Romolus, and all Romolus had was Remus. Two of a kind.
Remus opened the door to find his mother sitting like an empty shell, staring out at the full moon through the window. His father appeared to just be waking up after one of his frequent blackouts caused by alcohol. Remus was having second thoughts; his father was awake which meant bad news.
"Let's go back, Rom-y."
"No. I'm hungry too, go Rem-y!" Romolus gave his brother a slight push on his shoulder, "go."
Remus and Romolus shut the door behind them and headed for the pantry. Romolus had always been a little pushy, more of a leader then his brother, always getting into more trouble.
"What the hell to you shits think you are doing?" Their father was awake.
"I said, what the fuck do you think you are doing!?" He staggered to a standing position, throwing the nearest object, an empty beer bottle, at the boys. Remus ducked and Romolus swerved, the bottle shattered against the wall next to Remus's head. Marie Lupin continued looking out the window. Greg advanced on the boys, a look of hunger and loathing written on his face. When he reached them he rose his hand, intending to strike Remus. At the last second, Romolus pushed Remus aside, catching the blow himself. Both boys flew and hit the floor, laying spread eagle on the cold, hard wooden floor.
"Cold. Like my life." thought Remus. Romolus started to get up, tugging at Remus's hand.
"Come on Rem-y!" he pleaded. "Get up I know you can!"
Remus had always felt that his brother had been stronger than him. He was the one who got hit, and he was telling Remus to get up? Remus wanted to be strong.
Just as Remus had gotten halfway to a standing position, his father's foot collided painfully with his stomach. He fell again.
"No." Remus thought, "I have to be strong, I need to be strong…like Rom-y." With an effort he rose, clutching his brother's shoulder for support. Their father was advancing again, laughing at them.
"You pathetic little shits!" His laughter booming across small cabin.
For once in his life, Remus remembered how to be strong. Blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, Remus grabbed a broken empty bottle, the edges so jagged and sharp he was sure it would cut him if he touched it. And with the courage he would remember all his life, five-year-old Remus Lupin hurled the jagged bottle at his father, hitting him in the face.
Romolus had just enough time to grab Remus, throwing himself and Remus out the door into the night. But before Remus was thrown out the door, he saw blood spattering down his father's face, pooling up on that cold wooden floor.
***
Remus and Romolus started running; their father's screams of agony could still be heard.
"Get into the forest Rem-y, we'll be safe there." Romolus's breath making white clouds of mist in front of his face. Remus could also feel the cold, biting his skin through his worn flannel pants and too-large tee shirt. He knew Romolus must feel the same.
The forest was thick with trees and over-grown brush. They ran deeper and deeper into the moonlit trees. The wind was blowing profusely, making the boys colder. Suddenly they heard a low growl, then twigs cracking. Both boys stopped dead in their tracks.
A/N: Hey thanks for reading my story! I have always loved Remus, so I decided to make a story on him! This is my first fan fiction story, so it makes me happy to have people read it. This fic will be pretty dark in the beginning, the prologue may have two or three parts to it. Then Remus will be at Hogy Warty Hogwarts. Anyways, thanks! R&R!