(A/N: Hey there. Sorry it's been a while. I'm trying to find my perfect writing routine. I mixed in two mini Remus POVs. Tell me what you think of them, I'm planning to continue the story that way for at least a little while.)
"Looks like we have a new roommate!" James Potter grinned as Sirius Black waltzed into the dormitory, Peter Pettigrew trailing after him.
Sirius flopped onto his bed, letting his arms go limp. "Where'd you hear that?"
James rolled his eyes and pointed to the empty bed. "Kensington moved to the States over the summer. This trunk says 'Remus Lupin'– " The air whooshed from James' lungs as Sirius threw a pillow at his stomach.
"Can the attitude, Potter," Sirius said, grinning. "Anyway, what's the deal? He's probably going to be just like Kensington was – a prudish, bossy swot who can't pull his head out of his arse to see that there are sweeter-smelling things growing in the flower fields.
James rolled his eyes. "We don't have flower fields at Hogwarts."
"We should, though," Sirius mused without missing a beat. "It would definitely be an improvement to the smell around here."
"That's probably your feet you smell."
Sirius flipped him the bird, chuckling.
"Anyway," James said, rolling his eyes. "He's gotta be important, else Dumbledore and McGonagall wouldn't be whispering about him."
Sirius sat up, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "What were they saying about him?" he asked. "Anything we might find interesting?"
James shrugged. "They saw me listening and walked away, but I know I heard the name 'Lupin'."
"How can you remember a name like that?" Peter asked him.
"Superior brain powers," James teased, flopping back onto his bed. "I remember things much better than you do, man."
Before Peter could come up with a retort, the door opened and a thin boy with honey-colored hair walked into the room. His gaze darted between the three; then he waved a hand in greeting.
"Hi," James said, coming up and holding a hand out to the boy. "I'm James Potter. The two dunces over there are Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew." Sirius and Peter waved back at the newcomer.
The boy looked at James with a sharp, nervous gaze. He shook his hand, not saying a word.
"So…you must be Remus Lupin, then." Sirius joined James as the boy rifled through his bag.
The boy didn't say anything, but brought out a yellow legal pad. James could see writing on the first page, sentences broken up by a line in between each of them.
"Are you deaf, man?" Sirius sounded annoyed. They watched as the boy began writing on the pad without acknowledging them.
Now James was getting annoyed. This kid was stuck up all right.
But after he finished, he handed James the paper pad. Scribbled at the bottom was:
Hello, James, Sirius, and Peter. I'm Remus Lupin. I switched here after being homeschooled.
That explained his lack of verbal response. Sirius leaned over James' shoulder to read the note. "Why aren't you speaking?"
Lupin held out a hand for the pad. After James handed it back, he tore off the top page, crumpled it into a ball, and wrote on the new page.
I'm just not. Don't worry about it.
"No, tell us. Why aren't you speaking?" James probed.
Remus made a face, and took back the pad.
If you're going to be so nosy I won't write you notes either.
"Well, that's stupid," Sirius said. "It seems like kind of a big deal."
"Lay off, Sirius. He doesn't have to tell us if he does want to."
Remus shot James a grateful look. After taking back the legal pad, he sat on his bed. Remus pulled out a book and began reading, as though they were no longer there. Sirius, James, and Peter looked around with raised eyebrows. Shrugging, they pulled out a deck of cards and began playing a loud game of slapjack. But even as James laughed, his eyes kept wandering to their mysterious new roommate.
What is he hiding? James wondered. He was determined to find out.
Remus didn't find his roommates very amusing. Clearly, in their own eyes, they were the world. Maybe they were interested in him, in their goofy way, but they would need to show more than that to earn Remus' trust.
When Remus looked at James Potter, he knew he was looking at a hero. Since the moment he stuck out his hand, Remus knew James was the type of person who would fight evil and defend good. Remus didn't have the energy to fight evil. He fought for survival.
Sirius Black was different. From Remus' quick encounter with him, he sensed that Sirius, too, fought some sort of battle. It was not pure and golden like James'. Sirius' battle was tainted, and it gave him a bitter streak.
Though he was silent throughout the introduction, Remus mistrusted Peter Pettigrew most of all. Peter gave off no sign of any sort of fight. He gave off a dejected air, like he'd given up. If there was one thing Remus hated more than any other, it was people who gave up on life.
For the first day of lessons, James observed Remus, always sitting one seat away from him. He waited for Remus to break his silence and pull the prank. But hour after hour, Remus remained silent, scratching notes during lectures. It wasn't just that he never said a word, he never made a sound. He didn't laugh, groan, or acknowledge people. James had never seen anything like it; he burned with curiosity.
After classes were over for the day, James strolled down the corridor back to the dorms. He saw Remus walking a ways ahead of him, clutching his stack of books. James was impressed that such a thin boy could carry such a load – besides the school's textbooks, Remus also carried his legal pad and a paperback crime novel.
Just then, a muscular, blond seventh-year strode by. He reached out and shoved Remus with all his might. The smaller boy toppled to his hands and knees, his books scattering across the hall.
"Freak!" the bully spat. "Why can't you be normal?" James broke into a run, hoping to give Lucius Malfoy a talking to. But Malfoy continued on, leaving Remus on the floor behind him. Remus, James decided, was the more pressing matter. Kneeling down to help Remus gather his books, James' eyes met Remus'. The amber depths were pained, even haunted.
James stacked Remus' books neatly in his arms and rose to his feet. He held out a hand to help Remus up. Remus stared at James' hand for a moment, but then turned his head away and pushed himself up.
James raised his eyebrows. "Got an independent streak, huh?" Remus shrugged without looking at James.
"Malfoy's a git," James said as they continued down the corridor. "Don't pay any attention to what the wanker has to say."
Remus nodded.
"Would you like to hang out with me and Sirius and Peter during free time?" asked James. "I mean, if you've got nothing else to do – we hang out at this tree down by the lake…"
Remus blinked in surprise as he pulled his writing pad from between his English and Arithmetic books, and a pen from his pocket. After writing as they walked, he handed it to James, not looking him in the eye.
James looked at the note – You sure? I don't want to intrude.
"Course I'm sure. I'm the one who asked, you dolt!" James was about to smack Remus on the back, but thought the better of it. Maybe it was better to move slowly with this one.
James chatted about many things as they walked back to the room. Football, Peter's weird love of rats, football, girls, and football. James noticed that Remus listened attentively the whole time, a strange sort of look on his face. While he never smiled, he did look slightly happy. James hadn't that seen before, at any point during the day or the previous night. He liked it.
I want to get Remus to smile, James thought as they dropped their books in the room.
Freak! Why can't you act normal? The tall boy's comments cut Remus. Remus knew the mutism made him a freak. He knew normal people didn't live with flashbacks of confined basements and disgusting kidnappers. Normal people hugged and kissed, normal people spoke. Maybe coming to Hogwarts had been a bad idea after all. At home, he could at least pretend to be normal.
When James Potter came to help Remus, he was more embarrassed. He felt weak, pathetic. Normal people didn't let jerks knock them around. But as they walked, as James told him about the quirks of being a boy at school, something changed. James, Hogwarts' self-proclaimed hero, spoke to Remus with respect. More than that, James wanted him around. Remus did not trust James, but he enjoyed his company. The black haired boy's constant optimism was rubbing off on Remus a bit.
Maybe, just maybe, I'll learn more than just English and Math at Hogwarts.
(A/N: No promises, but I hope to get the next chapter up soon. It will be called "Lily.")
