Disclaimer - You know the drill. You don't seriously think I created Harry Potter, do you? Give me a break, I'm not that smart. No, these characters are the sole property of J. Rowling and a number of publishing companies.
A/N - This is a pseudo-sequel to my last fic, "The Morning After," but it works as a stand-alone too. As always, I'll keep updating as long as I keep getting feedback!
HOLD ME, KEEP ME
"Pawn to E-4!" Sirius directed. He and Remus were playing chess.
Remus grinned and sent his castle in to checkmate Sirius' king. The moon was waning, and he was happy. On the rug in front of the fire, Peter was practicing his transformations under James' direction.
"You've got to concentrate, Wormtail," James said. "You're not focusing. Keep the whole rat in your mind."
"I'm trying!" Peter was sweating with effort. He tried again to transform, but ended up with a tail and covered in hair. "This is impossible!"
"You can do it, Pete," Remus said absently, resetting the chessboard.
"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "Remus just beat me at chess, anything's possible."
"I always beat you, Padfoot," Remus grinned.
It was the evening after the full moon. Sirius and James had transformed and spent the entire night watching over Remus' werewolf, but Peter hadn't been able to manage the transformation yet. Determined to be ready by the next full moon, he was practicing hard at every opportunity. Screwing up his face, he made the transformation again.
"Ooh, ears!" James cried. "Hey, that's better Wormtail, I reckon you'll have it before long!"
Remus, curled up in a blanket in the thickest and squashiest armchair, smiled. The day after his transformations he was always exhausted, so he and his friends would sit around the Gryffindor common room talking and playing games. At least one of them was always willing to skip classes (usually Sirius, Remus thought wryly). Today, however, there had been a Potions exam and they'd had to go.
But they were back now, and the evening stretched before them, full of possibility. Even confined to the common room, it seemed to Remus as though anything could happen. Life was always full of wonder after a full moon; the relief that it was over combined with the physical effect a waning moon had on the body of a werewolf, and he felt more peaceful than at any other time. He was content to sit here and watch Peter try to master this transformation, to watch his friends laughing and enjoying themselves, secure in the knowledge that they cared for him.
Suddenly the portrait hole began to open. Panicky, Peter (who was scurrying around on the floor - he'd managed to shrink down to rat-size) resumed his normal shape. James kicked his invisibility cloak under the chair Remus was sitting on, and Sirius shifted a book to rest atop a piece of parchment in front of him. The entrant turned out to be Maria, a dark haired seventh year whom Remus was pretty sure was head girl despite James' maintaining it was a Hufflepuff called Serena.
"Remus Lupin?" she called. Surprised, he stood as she walked over to him. "A message from the headmaster." Maria handed him a slip of parchment and walked away toward the staircase leading to the girls' dormitories.
"What's it say, Moony?" Sirius asked after an uncomfortable silence.
Remus unfolded the parchment. " 'Mr. Lupin; please report to the headmaster's office immediately.' What have I done lately?"
"You're kidding, right?" James glanced at him. "The real question is why he wants to see just you and not all four of us." Sirius nodded his agreement.
But as Remus walked to Dumbledore's office, he had an uncomfortable suspicion of what was going on. The headmaster probably wanted to tell him off, he decided, for allowing his best friends to do something as foolhardy as running around with a werewolf. Even in animal form, Remus knew his friends were taking a terrible risk, and he felt guilty about it. But after last night, how could he bring himself to ask them not to do it again? Last night Sirius and James had stayed with Remus as animagi for the first time, and he'd not only managed to keep from biting anyone (including himself), he'd actually gotten some sleep. Remus had never slept on the night of the full moon before.
How had Dumbledore found out? Madam Pomfrey must have told him, Remus reasoned. They should have realized she wouldn't believe that James and Sirius had been scratched by each other's brooms.
Dumbledore was waiting outside his office. "Come on up, Mr. Lupin. I have something rather serious to discuss with you."
Heart sinking, Remus ascended the stairs and sat in a chair before the headmaster.
"Remus, I've just had an owl from a Raymond Lupin."
For a moment nothing registered. Why was Dumbledore telling him this?
"He claims," Dumbledore continued slowly, "to have lost his son one night about ten years ago. He says the boy was out playing in the backyard and was abducted, and that he hasn't seen or heard from him since."
"Hang on," Remus croaked. He felt as though he might fall off his chair. The room had tilted, and his life had slipped beyond his control. "Are you saying…did you say his name was…"
"I believe him to be your father," said Dumbledore. "Mr. Lupin writes that he has given up hope of ever seeing his lost son again, but that his wife refuses to let go. He wishes to ascertain that the boy is not in school, because his wife believes that wherever the child disappeared to, he would have made it to Hogwarts if he had lived.
"But…" Remus swallowed. "But it might not be me, right? There are a lot of Lupins…"
"There are very few. And I have no doubt that it is you, Remus. Not only did Raymond include his son's name - Remus Jay - he also gave a very detailed physical description. It matches you quite accurately."
Remus was shaking. "What does this mean? I don't understand…have I got to…meet them?"
"I will be writing to your father tomorrow," Dumbledore said gently. "I will inform him that you are indeed here, and that you have been notified of his owl. He may then wish to contact you directly, or through me. I will of course make it clear to him that he is not to attempt to remove you from the premises for any reason, and that if he wishes to arrange a meeting he should do so through me.
"Remus, I know this comes as a terrible shock. No one is going to force you to do anything you are not comfortable with, but I feel sure your parents are eager to be reunited with you after all these years. Please return to your dormitory and think carefully about how you would like to proceed."
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Sirius was alone in the fifth-year boys' dormitory, idly pretending to read over his History of Magic essay, when the door banged open.
Remus stood in the doorway, soaking wet. Water dripped from his clothes down onto the floor. His face was pale, his eyes haunted. Sirius sat up, tossing aside his essay. "Hey, Moony, you okay?"
Remus didn't answer. He just stood there, shaking and staring. Concerned now, Sirius approached his friend. "Moony? Come on, mate, you're all wet." He took Remus by the hand and led him over to his bed. Remus did not resist, but he also didn't respond. Sirius stripped off his friend's shirt and pants and wrapped him in a large fluffy towel. He dried Remus' body gently, worry mounting. Finally, he wrapped Remus in his bathrobe and eased him down onto the bed. "Remus? Talk to me, Remy. What's going on?"
A low, hoarse voice rose from the depths of the bathrobe. "Dumbledore found my parents."
Sirius was stunned. He had known that Remus didn't have a family, but they'd never really talked about it. Whenever it had come up Remus had changed the subject, and he and James and Peter had never pressed the matter. "What do you mean?"
"My father wrote. Looking for me." Remus lay down on the bed, curled up in a fetal position.
"Well…aren't you happy?" Sirius asked. "He missed you, he was looking for you. Are you going to meet him?"
"Dunno." Remus looked exhausted. Sirius lay down on the bed beside him and wrapped an arm around his friend. "I don't wanna talk about it right now, okay?"
"Okay," Sirius hugged him. "You want to be alone?"
Remus looked down. "Could you stay? Please, just for awhile?"
"As long as you need me."
Remus was quiet for a long time. After a while Sirius felt him shudder, and realized he was crying. He reached down and pulled the blanket over both of them, settling in for the night. His best friend needed him, Sirius decided, and he wasn't leaving. Remus rolled over to face him and curled up against his chest. Sirius held him fiercely, protectively, and let Remus cry against him. "It'll be okay," he whispered.
"How do you know?"
"Because I'll make it okay," Sirius said firmly, one hand gently massaging Remus' shoulders. "I swear, Remy, I won't let anyone hurt you. No matter what."
A/N - This is a pseudo-sequel to my last fic, "The Morning After," but it works as a stand-alone too. As always, I'll keep updating as long as I keep getting feedback!
HOLD ME, KEEP ME
"Pawn to E-4!" Sirius directed. He and Remus were playing chess.
Remus grinned and sent his castle in to checkmate Sirius' king. The moon was waning, and he was happy. On the rug in front of the fire, Peter was practicing his transformations under James' direction.
"You've got to concentrate, Wormtail," James said. "You're not focusing. Keep the whole rat in your mind."
"I'm trying!" Peter was sweating with effort. He tried again to transform, but ended up with a tail and covered in hair. "This is impossible!"
"You can do it, Pete," Remus said absently, resetting the chessboard.
"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "Remus just beat me at chess, anything's possible."
"I always beat you, Padfoot," Remus grinned.
It was the evening after the full moon. Sirius and James had transformed and spent the entire night watching over Remus' werewolf, but Peter hadn't been able to manage the transformation yet. Determined to be ready by the next full moon, he was practicing hard at every opportunity. Screwing up his face, he made the transformation again.
"Ooh, ears!" James cried. "Hey, that's better Wormtail, I reckon you'll have it before long!"
Remus, curled up in a blanket in the thickest and squashiest armchair, smiled. The day after his transformations he was always exhausted, so he and his friends would sit around the Gryffindor common room talking and playing games. At least one of them was always willing to skip classes (usually Sirius, Remus thought wryly). Today, however, there had been a Potions exam and they'd had to go.
But they were back now, and the evening stretched before them, full of possibility. Even confined to the common room, it seemed to Remus as though anything could happen. Life was always full of wonder after a full moon; the relief that it was over combined with the physical effect a waning moon had on the body of a werewolf, and he felt more peaceful than at any other time. He was content to sit here and watch Peter try to master this transformation, to watch his friends laughing and enjoying themselves, secure in the knowledge that they cared for him.
Suddenly the portrait hole began to open. Panicky, Peter (who was scurrying around on the floor - he'd managed to shrink down to rat-size) resumed his normal shape. James kicked his invisibility cloak under the chair Remus was sitting on, and Sirius shifted a book to rest atop a piece of parchment in front of him. The entrant turned out to be Maria, a dark haired seventh year whom Remus was pretty sure was head girl despite James' maintaining it was a Hufflepuff called Serena.
"Remus Lupin?" she called. Surprised, he stood as she walked over to him. "A message from the headmaster." Maria handed him a slip of parchment and walked away toward the staircase leading to the girls' dormitories.
"What's it say, Moony?" Sirius asked after an uncomfortable silence.
Remus unfolded the parchment. " 'Mr. Lupin; please report to the headmaster's office immediately.' What have I done lately?"
"You're kidding, right?" James glanced at him. "The real question is why he wants to see just you and not all four of us." Sirius nodded his agreement.
But as Remus walked to Dumbledore's office, he had an uncomfortable suspicion of what was going on. The headmaster probably wanted to tell him off, he decided, for allowing his best friends to do something as foolhardy as running around with a werewolf. Even in animal form, Remus knew his friends were taking a terrible risk, and he felt guilty about it. But after last night, how could he bring himself to ask them not to do it again? Last night Sirius and James had stayed with Remus as animagi for the first time, and he'd not only managed to keep from biting anyone (including himself), he'd actually gotten some sleep. Remus had never slept on the night of the full moon before.
How had Dumbledore found out? Madam Pomfrey must have told him, Remus reasoned. They should have realized she wouldn't believe that James and Sirius had been scratched by each other's brooms.
Dumbledore was waiting outside his office. "Come on up, Mr. Lupin. I have something rather serious to discuss with you."
Heart sinking, Remus ascended the stairs and sat in a chair before the headmaster.
"Remus, I've just had an owl from a Raymond Lupin."
For a moment nothing registered. Why was Dumbledore telling him this?
"He claims," Dumbledore continued slowly, "to have lost his son one night about ten years ago. He says the boy was out playing in the backyard and was abducted, and that he hasn't seen or heard from him since."
"Hang on," Remus croaked. He felt as though he might fall off his chair. The room had tilted, and his life had slipped beyond his control. "Are you saying…did you say his name was…"
"I believe him to be your father," said Dumbledore. "Mr. Lupin writes that he has given up hope of ever seeing his lost son again, but that his wife refuses to let go. He wishes to ascertain that the boy is not in school, because his wife believes that wherever the child disappeared to, he would have made it to Hogwarts if he had lived.
"But…" Remus swallowed. "But it might not be me, right? There are a lot of Lupins…"
"There are very few. And I have no doubt that it is you, Remus. Not only did Raymond include his son's name - Remus Jay - he also gave a very detailed physical description. It matches you quite accurately."
Remus was shaking. "What does this mean? I don't understand…have I got to…meet them?"
"I will be writing to your father tomorrow," Dumbledore said gently. "I will inform him that you are indeed here, and that you have been notified of his owl. He may then wish to contact you directly, or through me. I will of course make it clear to him that he is not to attempt to remove you from the premises for any reason, and that if he wishes to arrange a meeting he should do so through me.
"Remus, I know this comes as a terrible shock. No one is going to force you to do anything you are not comfortable with, but I feel sure your parents are eager to be reunited with you after all these years. Please return to your dormitory and think carefully about how you would like to proceed."
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Sirius was alone in the fifth-year boys' dormitory, idly pretending to read over his History of Magic essay, when the door banged open.
Remus stood in the doorway, soaking wet. Water dripped from his clothes down onto the floor. His face was pale, his eyes haunted. Sirius sat up, tossing aside his essay. "Hey, Moony, you okay?"
Remus didn't answer. He just stood there, shaking and staring. Concerned now, Sirius approached his friend. "Moony? Come on, mate, you're all wet." He took Remus by the hand and led him over to his bed. Remus did not resist, but he also didn't respond. Sirius stripped off his friend's shirt and pants and wrapped him in a large fluffy towel. He dried Remus' body gently, worry mounting. Finally, he wrapped Remus in his bathrobe and eased him down onto the bed. "Remus? Talk to me, Remy. What's going on?"
A low, hoarse voice rose from the depths of the bathrobe. "Dumbledore found my parents."
Sirius was stunned. He had known that Remus didn't have a family, but they'd never really talked about it. Whenever it had come up Remus had changed the subject, and he and James and Peter had never pressed the matter. "What do you mean?"
"My father wrote. Looking for me." Remus lay down on the bed, curled up in a fetal position.
"Well…aren't you happy?" Sirius asked. "He missed you, he was looking for you. Are you going to meet him?"
"Dunno." Remus looked exhausted. Sirius lay down on the bed beside him and wrapped an arm around his friend. "I don't wanna talk about it right now, okay?"
"Okay," Sirius hugged him. "You want to be alone?"
Remus looked down. "Could you stay? Please, just for awhile?"
"As long as you need me."
Remus was quiet for a long time. After a while Sirius felt him shudder, and realized he was crying. He reached down and pulled the blanket over both of them, settling in for the night. His best friend needed him, Sirius decided, and he wasn't leaving. Remus rolled over to face him and curled up against his chest. Sirius held him fiercely, protectively, and let Remus cry against him. "It'll be okay," he whispered.
"How do you know?"
"Because I'll make it okay," Sirius said firmly, one hand gently massaging Remus' shoulders. "I swear, Remy, I won't let anyone hurt you. No matter what."