House: Ravenclaw
Word Count: 790
Category: Short
Prompt(s): [Prompt] Prove them wrong.
Prove them wrong. That's what he had to keep telling himself, over and over, every day. Show the world, show your teachers, your fellow students, show them that you aren't what they make your kind out to be. He was a grade O student, and he had a way with words, but he would never make it far enough in life. Werewolves just didn't make great - well - anythings.
And Remus Lupin was a Werewolf. The world said that all werewolves were dangerous, were creatures that would haunt your nightmares, and that they couldn't ever be good people. Remus had just been a small child when he'd got bitten, and growing up to hear what the world was saying hurt. His mother had tried calming him down using the words that he eventually made his mantra.
"You just have to prove them wrong honey."
She would whisper to him as he cried, shushing his wails, because he was the same boy as before - smart and kind. He was just bitten by a Werewolf, is all, and that didn't change his personality. But to many others - he was different, and they didn't like that one bit. Dangerous, that's what they called people like him. Remus didn't feel like he was dangerous - not that it mattered to anyone.
He vividly remembered his first year at Hogwarts, when he had boarded the train and met his friends. He was, admittedly, a tad confused when they had pulled him into their conversation. Why were they talking to him? A small smile had grown on his face as he realized they didn't know about his problem. He, a Werewolf, had made friends. This was his first step! Remus was already proving the world wrong, because he wasn't being a danger to those closest to him.
Of course, that was only because he wouldn't ever tell his friends why he had to leave every full moon. He'd make up excuses like sickness. His mother was ill and he had to go care for her. Remus felt guilty because they trusted him and he was lying straight to their faces. They were his friends, though he hadn't expected they would be much longer after a particular conversation in their third year had gone.
He was sat on his bed in his dorm room, Sirius, James, and Peter all around him and cross-legged on the same bed. They asked him about where he went every full moon, and they emphasized the word 'full' when they had said it. Remus insisted that he'd already told them, but they wanted more details. He choked, panicked about the consequences of his lies, and gave them an answer he knew didn't fit with anything he'd ever told them.
"You're a Werewolf."
Remus visibly paled at Sirius' statement, as he'd said it with a certain tone that made it clear he knew it was true. It wasn't a question to him, to them, it was a fact.
That's why you've been disappearing, right?" James asked, adding on to Sirius' statement with a lighter tone. Remus contemplated if he should just tell them, or keep denying it for as long as he could. He looked over to Peter, to see if he would get any help from the smaller boy, he frowned when Peter didn't meet his eyes. Remus let out a shaky sigh before nodding his head, a frown drawn onto his lips
He expected them to freak out, to want to get as far away from him as possible, to call him dangerous. He was almost certain they wouldn't want to be his friends anymore. Hence he was surprised when he was knocked over by someone embracing him in a hug. Remus got a clearer look and saw that Sirius was the one hugging him. James stood with a smirk on his face.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Remus let out a sigh, pushing the Black off of him and sitting back upright in his bed pondering how he would answer James' question. "I was worried you would... hate me."
The Potter boy snorted at Remus' answer. Sirius let out a chuckle. And Peter just smiled, awkward and friendly as ever.
"We could never hate you, Rem."
There were murmurs of agreement from Sirius, James, and even Peter. Remus let a smile slip onto his face. He had been sure that this was him proving the world wrong, making friends even though he was a Werewolf. Though, it looked like it had been his friends who had proved him wrong. In the end, they would always be there for him whenever he needed them. Remus swore that day that he would be there for them too.
After all, that's what friends are for.
