Small intro: My native language isn't English, so please correct any spelliing/grammar/whatever mistakes you can spot! I wrote this as a prize for some contest a while ago, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading. (Anonymous reviews will be answered in the reviews section)
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The boy laid on the bed, staring at the roof and trying to keep his mind blank, though pretty much failing at it. He was really pale and seemed tired; the dark rings under his deep, sad honey eyes were a proof of that. It had been a tough week, but he was used to it; once a month, he went through the ordeal. He was used to the pain and the tiredness, but he would never get used to the loneliness. He should, though: he was marked for life, and even if it wasn't his fault, he was doomed to being alone, to being on his own. He was an accursed child.
He heard something breaking and stared at the half-closed door. His mother had probably dropped a dish or something. He sighed, instantly screwing up his face because of the pain. His parents were waiting for some kind of miracle, but that was obviously not going to happen. He could picture them: his mum washing the plates, her hands slightly shaking because of the anxiety; his dad, sitting at the dining room table, staring into the space and flattening his hair, as he usually did when he was nervous. On the table, it probably rested the letter that had arrived yesterday's morning, brought by a magnificent Screech owl and sealed in green wax: A letter from the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Albus Dumbledore, the Lupins' only hope, had promised, after an interview with his father, to analyze his situation and let them know his decision within a month. But after two weeks, the letter announcing his visit had arrived, and they didn't know what to expect. Well, Remus did: a flat refusal. How could his parents expect anything else? No sane person would accept him to be around normal kids, basically threatening their lives. He didn't even know why that man had made them wait two weeks to answer; it wasn't right, giving the Lupins hope. They were going to be even more devastated this way.
At that moment, he heard a knock on the door, and his mum dropped something again. Remus approached to the room's door and peeked through the gap. He could see his dad, who had quickly stood up, waiting for a few seconds in front of the door before opening it. When he did, a tall, noble man entered the place. He was wearing purple robes and a hat, and had a long, white beard to match his hair. On the top of his long nose rested a pair of half-moon spectacles.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Lupin. Thank you for welcoming me to your home." He said, smiling.
"Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore, for visiting us, and for answering so fast to our letter." His father answered in a shaky voice.
"Please, take a sit, sir." Added his mother's voice, whom he assumed had came out of the kitchen.
"Ah, Mrs. Lupin! Good afternoon to you too. Thank you, but I will not be here long, I'd rather remain standing," He answered, and Remus' father tried to smile, but it turned up a lot more like a grimace. "I must apologize for not answering to you immediately, but I had to make sure I could arrange some issues before your son's arrival to the school."
The boy opened his mouth in disbelief, and he could hear his mother start crying. His father widely opened his eyes, staring at the smiling Headmaster.
"Wha…? You… Then, Remus… can he…?" The man stammered, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.
"You are so pleasantly surprised! Where you expecting a refusal?" he asked, trying to hide his smile.
"Well, yes!" Mr. Lupin was able to utter, beaming.
"I should have replied quicker, then! As long as we take certain precautions, there is no reason your son shouldn't go to Hogwarts. If I may, I will come back here in a few weeks to explain to you and your son which are those precautions and what will he have to do. Now I have to leave, but I would like to meet your young boy, first."
"Remus!" called his mum, and he opened the door without thinking, stepping into the living room with his eyes wide open. His mother, her eyes filled with tears, smiled widely, and his father beamed at him, happier than he had ever seen him. Then he looked at the man into those wise blue eyes.
"Hello, Mr. Lupin. I figure you have listened to what I have just told your parents. I'm Professor Dumbledore, and I will be your Headmaster for the next seven years." Remus couldn't even speak, and he focused on stopping the tears from coming out of his eyes. After a few minutes, he just said:
"Thank you, sir." Like his dad, he was happier than ever.
Years later, 1993
"Thanks for coming, Remus." said the wizard, sitting behind his desk and smiling. The lycanthrope entered the office and looked around, and a slight smile appeared on his face, remembering the good old days. He was wearing an extremely shabby set of robes, and he looked exhausted. His light brown hair was already graying, and the eternal dark rings under his eyes were there too.
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." He answered, taking a sit in front of him when the man told him to. He didn't know why the Headmaster had asked to meet him, and he looked at Dumbledore, his honey eyes full of questions.
"You must be wondering why I requested your presence, Remus," Dumbledore said. "As you may know, the school is lacking a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." The lycanthrope frowned and nodded.
"Sorry, sir, but I don't know who could be a good professor and a willing applicant. I haven't been much… in contact with the wizarding community lately." He said. Dumbledore smiled and shook his head.
"That's not why I asked you to come. I know who would be the perfect teacher," Remus frowned but didn't interrupt him. "I'm asking you, Remus. Unless you have a previous engagement, I would like you to come teach at Hogwarts." The man opened his mouth in disbelief, and Dumbledore could almost see the young boy who, years ago, stood speechless in his living room, staring at him with the same honey eyes. "You are probably familiar with the Wolfsbane Potion. Severus Snape has already agreed to breed it for you every month. If you accept the job, that is."
"Sir…" The man started saying once he was able to speak again, but Dumbledore interrupted him.
"I honestly believe you will make an amazing teacher, and that's why I am asking you to come back. You can decline the position if you wish to, but I sincerely hope you accept the job. I need you, Remus. Hogwarts needs you."
The man nodded and smiled. Once again, Dumbledore was offering him an opportunity; the opportunity no one else was willing to give him.
"Thank you, sir."