Any apology I make won't be enough! I haven't updated in a REALLY long time. And I don't really have an excuse… well, here's the update everyone's been waiting for! Terribly sorry it took so long…
TelepathicPrincess- You're such a faithful reviewer! My favorite books in the ASOUE series…? Hm, I'd have to say The Ersatz Elevator. I really liked that one. You play clarinet? Yay! I love my clari'! It's definitely the best instrument as far as I'm concerned. Do you like band so far? You asked if I'm good… well, I'm okay I guess. My tone's got problems, so does my technique. I do love my clarinet though. It's an R13:-D I got lucky when I bought it (used, of course). I named it Jacques. Ha ha. What model is your clarinet? Is this a long enough reply for you:-)
Morohtar- Thanks for your opinion. I enjoy it when people tell me specifically what they liked about my writing. After you reviewed (I do this a lot) I looked at some of your stories. Your fanfic King Edmund's Crusade, I just have to say it's magnificent. I hope you write more things like it soon!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything related to him. That's all J.K. Rowling's and Warner Brother's property.
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In the weeks that followed the full moon, Remus began to gain back some of his old persona. He challenged his father to chess almost every night, but was still unable to win. He ventured outdoors sometimes, but never did he step foot in the forest. Most of his days in the sun were spent swinging on an old tire Mr. Lupin had tied to a tree branch in the backyard.
The school year was approaching fast and Remus' parents didn't know what to do.
"We could have him continue to go to muggle school, they'll never know- what he is." Mrs. Lupin said to her husband one foggy night.
"No, it's still too dangerous. We don't know for sure how he'll act around other children." Mr. Lupin ran his fingers through his hair then continued. "And what about play dates? And school activity nights? He would have no explanation for missing them during the full moon."
"But… how will he gain an education? We're still not positive if he's magical or not."
"Perhaps we can get him accepted into Hogwarts. Until then, I think its best we keep him away from other human contact." Mr. Lupin sighed heavily. "Having no friends will break his heart."
"Exactly! I think a few muggle friends will do him good, and-" Mrs. Lupin was cut off.
"Do you have any idea how angry that would make some people if they found out? They think werewolves-" both parents flinched inwardly- "are abominations, barbarians! What if a muggle child is somehow related to a witch or wizard? They could find out and tell everyone in the whole town. Then Remus would definitely have no friends, and we would be shunned from society!" Mr. Lupin paused and looked unhappily at his wife. "Maybe when he's older he can have a few friends."
"He still needs an education!" Mrs. Lupin protested. "If need be, I'll home school him. I used to be a teacher after all."
"That sounds perfect." Mr. Lupin said with a tone of finality in his voice.
And so Remus was taught all kinds of information at home by his mother and his father as well. Besides mathematics (which Mr. Lupin believed was the true root of all evil) and history, he learned how to read and write fluently in a very short period of time. Since Mrs. Lupin was a muggle, she couldn't teach Remus very much when it came to magic, so it was up to Remus' father to inform him of the wizarding world. Remus found it very funny when he saw his mother peeking into the room while his father talked about magic, even when she said it was all nonsense and he should be learning geography instead of wasting time on charms.
Remus soon knew all about Hogwarts, the wizard gold and muggle money systems, and even how to ride a broomstick (the Lupin family was far too poor to buy one, so Mr. Lupin improvised with a cleverly bewitched mop). He learned about magic creatures such as bowtruckles and kneazles; and dueling, which his father said would become particularly useful later in life. Although Remus was unable to use magic, his father practiced wand movements and spell incantations with him using a plain old stick.
But even more than Remus loved these magic lessons with his father, Remus adored reading. As soon as he could decipher the marks on their pages, Remus immersed himself in every book on the shelf. Books provided him a much needed escape from the horrors of real life. He read everything from Shakespeare to Hogwarts, A History, finding the whole lot absolutely fascinating. The only book he didn't even dare to look at was what had once been his favorite. Goodnight Moon lay abandoned in a dusty cupboard in the Lupin kitchen, hidden behind boxes of pudding and tins of biscuits. Mrs. Lupin had placed it there after that miserable night of the row, careful Remus never noticed it. He never asked where it had gone, and didn't appear to care, which suited everyone perfectly.
As the next full moon loomed nearer, the Lupins were all increasingly edgy, Remus especially. Luckily he still had plenty of reading material to keep his mind occupied, but the supply was diminishing. Their shelves of books were limited, and the Lupins were unable to buy more because the new door for Remus' room had been so expensive. It was made of solid oak wood, so escape was impossible during Remus' next transformation.
Mr. and Mrs. Lupin recalled that there were no windows in Remus' bedroom (it was a closet, after all) to their utmost relief. They were also glad last time Remus hadn't tried to break out of their bedroom through the window; that could have caused havoc throughout the town.
With every book Remus read; every page he turned, the full moon crept closer and closer, until the day of mayhem was upon him.
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A/N: Well, sorry for the kind of cliffhanger ending. And if anyone asks how on earth Remus could have learned so much in only a month or less, remember he has nothing else to do except be taught by his mother, and his father after he comes home from work. I hope to get the next chapter posted MUCH sooner than this one. PLEASE REVIEW!