There is a small house in the middle of the woods somewhere in Scotland where there is always smoke coming from the chimney and a warm plate of gooey chocolate Chip cookies in the oven.
This is the Lupin residence, home of Remus Lupin and Mrs. Mary Alice Lupin. It had been seven years since a Mr. Lupin resided there as well.
It was then, seven years ago, that Remus Lupin had been bitten by a werewolf. Within the week, his father had walked out on his muggleborn mother and his werewolf son.
Remus always blamed himself. He could remember sitting outside the courtroom in the Ministry of Magic as his parents signed the divorce forms, his father relieved his mother unable to hold in her tears.
Now Remus was all she had left.
It was eight days after Christmas and Mrs. Lupin was baking a warm cherry pie, Remus's favorite, as a going away present, for tomorrow he would be going back to Hogwarts.
"Remus? Remus? I've asked you five times do you want whipped cream or not?" said Mrs. Lupin.
"Oh, sorry, I must have drifted off…"
"Excited to go back to Hogwarts? I don't blame you; I loved it there. You know, if there's ever anyone you want to invite over, you're more than welcome to. What ever happened to that James Potter boy? You haven't said anything about him all vacation, last year it was James this and Sirius that, oh and how can I forget, Addy!"
"Mom, I don't like Addy, we're friends!"
"Ok, I believe. So is there anyone you like?" his mother questioned passing him a piece of pie.
"Well, actually there is this one girl."
"Hmm, and does this one girl have a name?"
"Yeah. Maddi, Maddi McKinnon."
"McKinnon? I went to school with her father."
"Really? I've never heard her talk about her dad, her mom and her are very close though. I could ask her if he's ever mentioned you"
"Probably a bad idea, her father is dead. He died three years ago. He was murdered by Helena Black, Mrs. McKinnon's own sister."
"Helena Black? You mean Sirius's mum?"
"Yes, but now Remus don't go telling your friends you know, I'm only telling you because I think you're old enough to understand. So, tell me about McKinnon junior."
"She is really pretty and really nice. She can talk on and on for hours but somehow, it never gets boring; I could listen forever. She is so confident and has a great sense of fashion."
"Yes, I'm assuming she got that from her mother. Well if you like her so much, why don't you ask her out?"
"Mum! I couldn't do that!"
"Why not?"
"Mom, you know me, with my well, problem it wouldn't be possible."
"You still haven't told your friends about it have you?"
"James Sirius and Addy know."
"And?"
"They said they don't care; but they do, I know they do; they're only saying that because they don't understand."
"I think they do understand- Remus you're not the only kid who's been through hard times. I remember when we met Addy at Gringotts, lies sprouting out of her like daisies on a summer's hill. She was obviously ashamed of being an orphan."
"I'm a blood thirsty werewolf, she's an orphan, there's a huge difference!"
"Give it a try Remus, what's the worst that could happen? She'll say no, then you'll be no worse off than you are now!"
Remus went to sleep that night resolving to ask Maddi out once he got to Hogwarts, he just had to pluck up his courage.
Remus got off of the knightbus and walked across the grounds of the school, determined to find Maddi.
"Hey Remus!" yelled James as he passed.
"Hey Remi! Where are you going so fast?" asked Addy as he passed by without giving them a second glace. She skipped up to him doing his best to keep up with her friend's fast pace.
"No Addy, we went over this. I already shouldn't even be going here, the least I can do is be a good student to make Dumbledore not resent his decision to let me in!"
"Remus," she called after him, but he just continued without looking back at his four former friends assembled in the hall.
He walked into the common room and made a beeline for where Maddi was talking to Lily and Amelia.
"It was the scariest thing I've ever seen! Oh I'm sorry, I just can't stop crying since it happened. I don't know how I'm going to survive in the lessons. And we're scheduled to study werewolves soon!"
"That's horrible Maddi, don't worry. I'm sure they'll catch the creature that did it!" Lily assured.
"How can they do that? I don't know who it was! Oh that horrid beast! They should just kill all the werewolves! Burn all those horrible monsters!" she sobbed into Amelia's shoulder.
Remus stood, frozen where he was. He didn't know what he should do. He felt like screaming or running or throwing something. He felt like biting someone. Damn that werewolf in him.
"Remus," whispered a voice from behind him. He turned to see Addy standing there. Lifting up her arm to place it on his shoulder.
Yes Bite her! Bite her! She's a little orphan! No one would notice!
Remus swatted away her hand and ran up the spiral staircase that led up to the astronomy tower.
He sat down on the edge, seriously pondering what it would be like to throw himself off of it.
He had lost everyone because of his curse. First his father, now his friends. He should have known it was too good to be true he could never have friends.
He heard footsteps approaching. He looked up to see a girl coming towards him. At first he thought it was Addy but then he saw she was different. Her eyes were brown and had a smaller more distinguished oval shape. Her skin no longer had a red tint and her nose was the tiniest bit bigger.
She walked over to him and began to sing softly.
Child of the wilderness
Born into emptiness
Learn to be lonely
Learn to find your way in darkness
Who will be there for you,
comfort and care for you?
Learn to be lonely
Learn to be your one companion
Never dream out in the world
There are arms to hold you.
You've always known
Your heart was on its own
So laugh in your loneliness
Child of the wilderness
Learn to be lonely
Learn how to love life that is lived alone
Learn to be lonely
life can be lived
life can be loved
Alone.
Her voice sounded so much like Addy's that it was impossible for them not to be related.
"Who are you?"
"For the first eleven years of my life people called me Courtney, you can too."
Suddenly at then end of the hallway, footsteps were heard nearing the tower. Remus turned back to the girl, but she was gone.
Just then, Addy turned the corner.
"Remus! We've been looking all over for you! Guys! I found him!"
After her, James and Sirius tunred the corner, both out of breathe.
"Remus, I'm really sorry about what Maddi said, she doesn't know what she's talking about!"
"No, she does know what she's talking about; you don't know what you're talking about! I'm a monster! With fangs and claws and fur all over my body!"
Addy walked up to Remus and picked up his hand.
"No claws," she said softly examining it. She put it down and put her hand on his mouth. She opened it and examined its inside. "No fangs." She held up his arm, "No fur."
"Well mate, I'm sorry to break it to you, but you're no werewolf. You're Remus Lupin. My friend. Whether you like it or not."
"Come on Remus, let's go back to the dorm!" suggested Sirius.
And so the normality was reinstated. Remus James Sirius and Addy were back to being best friends; the way it was meant to be.
The four friends, now joined by Peter, sat on the floor of the boy's dorm, formulating a new prank to get the Slytherins.
"That's bloody brilliant Addy!" said Sirius as they scribbled on the small piece of parchment.
"Now for your signature."
"Our what?" James asked Addy.
"Our signature. If we're going to be the master pranksters, we're going to need a signature, an alias so everyone knows who we are but its not like James Potter did this!"
"What about the Pranksters?" suggested Peter.
"Not original enough." Said Addy, leaving Peter to silently pout.
"The Floridian Flamingos?" added Sirius.
"Too original," Addy shot down.
"The Bolivian Bears? The Hungarian Hayracks? The Spanish Spaniards? The Norwegian Neanderthals? The Indian Iguanas?"
"Right how about something that actually has to do with England?" said Remus, rolling his eyes.
"Finland!" yelled James, "Did you say Finland, I went to vacation there once it was amazing!" He stood up and began to bounce up and down on his bed, soon joined in by Sirius and Addy, who though they had never been to Finland, liked to jump on the beds.
(Ok so Addy is slanted, Sirius is bolded and James is normal. Both slanted and bolded is all)
Finland, Finland, Finland
That's the country for me!
(VARIOUS ANIMAL NOISES)Finland is the country where we dance
Finland is the country where we play
Here in Finland boy and girl can find a true romance
In traditional Scandinavian vay!Schlip! Schlap!
Schlip-a-schlap-a vaySchlip! Schlap!
Schlap away all day
Schlip! Schlap!
You simply can't go wrong
Vith traditional fish-schlapping songFinland, Finland, Finland
The country where I quite want to bePony trekking-Or camping-Or just watching TV
Finland, Finland, Finland
That's the country for me"I said England!" Remus yelled
"Oh, oops," said Addy, jumping and landing one last time on the bed, which happened to belong to Sirius.
"Anyway, now that we're all sane," started Remus, "I have an idea. Why don't we call ourselves the Marauders?'
"I like it!" said Addy.
"Yeah" agreed Sirius.
"So from here on out we are the Marauders. What's next?" concluded James.
"Now we need a rule code." Addy decided. Sirius lay down on his bed next to Addy, listening intently.
Remus picked up a piece of parchment and began to number it, writing on the top The Marauders.
"First rule, never rat out a marauder, EVER! Everything told to you by a marauder is told to you in confidence and no circumstances can we tell on each other for anything." Said Addy as Remus wrote it.
"Rule Two," said James, "Being a Marauder means being the best, don't forget it."
"Rule Three," said Addy, "No act of mischievous form may be played on a fellow member of the Gryffindor house unless previously provoked by bad action."
"Rule Four," said Sirius, "Slytherins are our enemies, if they are a Slytherin they are evil, show no mercy."
The rules continued on getting pettier and pettier until Remus was on his seventeenth piece of parchment and Sirius announced, "Rule 237, No eating more than five types of fruit on a single waffle for breakfast on a day before transfiguration class when you have not done your homework yet."
Addy had been nodding off since rule 150 and was now hard asleep. She had gone underneath the covers where Sirius had joined her soon after. Her head was resting on his chest and her blonde locks were covering her face.
"Is Addy asleep?" Remus asked.
"Yeah said Sirius, "Should I wake her?"
"No, there's one other thing we should put on the list, girls."
"What do you mean?" Peter asked.
"Oh like an off limits list, I got it!"
"One," said Remus, "Lily Evans,"
"What why Lily?" James nearly yelled.
"Because you and her are perfect for each other and you two will go out, she's off limits for everyone else." Remus explained.
"Put Helga Hufferskin on there. She has a huge wart on her, actually put anyone with warts! As the marauders our standards are higher than that!"
"No Slytherins!" quipped Peter.
"And when Addy wakes up, we're making a no older guy rule for her. She's our little sister now, no Slytherins and no older guys. But we have to approve them first." Sirius added.
"She should be on the off limits list," added James.
"What Addy?" now it was Sirius's turn to be outraged.
"Yeah, we don't want to go out with her and then it not work out and completely ruin the friendship. No, no going out with Addy. Not that that would be an issue, she's our little sister, remember?" justified James.
"Yeah, you're right." Sirius said, bowing his head. Addy didn't like him, she would never like him, arguing this rule would make it obvious he like Addy, something he had been denying for a long time.
"Goodnight." Said Remus as he blew out the candle, leaving the four boys to their thoughts.
James, of the newest prank.
Peter, of cheese.
Remus, of his friends, the friends that swore to always be there for him.
And Sirius, of the girl that slept in his arms but would never, ever be his.