Remus couldn't help the nervous shivers that ran through him as he paced the unfamiliar corridor outside Professor Dumbledore's office. He waited to be called in by his parents so his constant companion, anxiety, would go away. His poor muggle parents, who had been trying to accept the concept of magic since it had shown up in Remus, and who were now sitting in the Headmaster's office in a magical school for witches and wizards. Remus was actually proud of how well they were taking it. In their shoes, he would have been more than a little tense in the shoulders. He frequently pinched himself, trying to prevent his excitement rising as he thought he'd finally done it, finally convinced them to let him come. Now he just needed Dumbledore to accept him.
For the past six years, they'd been too worried to let him out his front door, let alone to an enclosed school surrounded by other people. When Remus was five years old, his parents had taken him on a family hiking trip in the huge forest near where he lived. Foolishly, he'd crept out of their tent one night to hunt for fairies or something else magical from his bedtime stories, but got lost. Being five years old, he didn't know what he could do other than to cry for his mummy. That only made his situation worse as the noise attracted the attention of a werewolf, who apparently seemed to think his shoulder looked rather tasty because there was a huge scar in a mouth crescent shape there. If it hadn't have been for his wizard magic, which caused a thick tree branch to break off and slam into the werewolf's face and making it flee, he'd have died right there. Sometimes he wished he had, it probably would have been better than the pain he went through every night the full moon was high in the sky, or the fact that he'd left his basement bedroom possibly five times in the past 11 years.
Since then though, his parents never let him out of their sight. They said it was worry about what would happen if someone found out what he'd become, but he knew they worried about what he could do to someone. It was a comfort they never voiced it though, Remus appreciated it. They'd found him a wizard tutor through the Ministry to visit his basement daily, so he'd still been learning how to control and use his magic, and the almost 24/7 attention meant he was now skilled in every aspect he'd been taught. Obviously, that didn't include flying, which was because his parents had forbidden it, and his basement ceiling wasn't high enough. Not that Remus was that bothered he couldn't fly, he'd started learning to Apparate two months ago and was pretty good at it, even if he couldn't actually use it until he was 17. Less than a week to go. The only reason they were giving in to Remus' plea to let him do his N.E.W.T.s at Hogwarts was that he'd shown them how well he could control his 'condition' and promised that he'd keep it a secret. He could handle it, they'd raised him to be mature enough. And that's why he was there. Friday on the 2nd of September became a day he'd always remember no matter how it went from here. Accepted or not, this was proof he was ready to enter society.
The click of a door opening drew Remus' attention, his excitement becoming nerves that threatened to choke him, and his mother poked her head around the door to inform him the Headmaster now wanted to talk to him. Remus nodded, making sure his tatty old suit looked as presentable as he could make it before he entered Dumbledore's office. He felt embarrassed for meeting a high-power person in a second-hand, grubby suit, but his parents couldn't afford any better and he wasn't working himself either.
The old man was sitting behind a large wooden desk, talking to a beautiful, exotic-looking bird he had perched on a stand by his side. Remus complimented Professor Dumbledore on his beautiful Phoenix, hoping his knowledge and politeness would sway the Headmaster into accepting him into the school. Maybe distract him from the tatty clothes and scarred face.
"No need for compliments Mr Lupin, seen as I never bothered much with first impressions," Dumbledore rasped wisely. "After speaking with your parents, I feel further inclined to let you stay at Hogwarts for your N.E. these two years."
Remus beamed, rushing right over to shake his new Headmaster's hand. He had to have thanked him at least five times before finally letting go of his hand. Professor Dumbledore merely laughed and instructed him to retrieve a tattered old hat off a shelf just high enough for Remus to reach. Having read all about Hogwarts before he came, he knew just what to expect as the hat was lowered onto his head.
Ahh, right now, it said from inside his head, let me think about you. I sense intelligence and a desire to learn, a good match for Ravenclaw, but also a desire for friends that gives me cause to think Hufflepuff. I can't deny your courage either, the strength of your will considering your…condition is quite astonishing. Oh, there's something to fit you in every house I see, but I sense more of one than the others, a house I remember sending many pranksters to.
"Gryffindor" it announced to Dumbledore, before falling silent on Remus' head.
"Well then, it's settled," Dumbledore grinned, flicking his wand at Remus' clothes.
In an instant, Remus' suit turned into a set of black school robes, his suit appearing folded in his mother lap. Around his neck looped a silky, scarlet tie, with golden stripes across it. His shoes were black and polished, obviously new, and he briefly worried about how his parents were going to afford his little makeover. He wasn't even sure how they were affording the tuition fees. That was until Dumbledore informed his parents they didn't have to worry about paying for it, that it was his welcome gift to Remus. Or an early birthday gift if they preferred, since it was only a week away. Dumbledore wrote a quick note and gave it to Fawkes for a girl named Lily. The bird left swiftly and elegantly, Remus' gaze following the movement before he considered his biggest issue.
"Excuse me Professor, but I was wondering where you wanted me to go next weekend, for my…change."
"Ah yes, I apologise, it slipped my mind," he smiled. "I have planned for Hagrid to meet you at 7 o'clock by the large Whomping Willow on our grounds, he'll lead you where you need to go with your new…equipment."
This scraped some of Remus' anxiety away and he started to feel better now he knew there was a plan for the weekend. He trusted Dumbledore to find a safe enough place for when he fully lost control of the demon he tried to keep hidden. And new equipment was much safer than his old stuff. It sucked to have to change on the night before his birthday when he would have wanted to spend it with friends. If he made any in 9 days.
There was a firm knock on the door, and a young girl came in. She looked like she could be in his year, or perhaps the year above by the confident way she carried herself. She was really pretty, she had eyes that were green like springtime and bright red hair. Remus knew she was trying to hide her reaction, but her eyes widened when she looked at his face before quickly returning her gas to the Headmaster. The scars usually got that reaction, so Remus didn't find it rude. Just natural.
"Mr Lupin, this is Miss Lily Evans. She is also a sixth year Gryffindor." He smiled, "Lily, I asked you here to show Remus to the dormitories and to his first lesson. I believe you both have Potions for the first two lessons this morning."
"Of course, sir," she nodded, gesturing for Remus to leave with her.
Remus nodded, satisfied that he was now ready to start his academic years at Hogwarts. He pecked his mother on the cheek as he left, sharing a smile with his dad before meeting his new friend in the hallway. Lily seemed friendly enough to be his first friend, not badgering him with questions about his scars or walking as far away from him as possible. He followed her up one of the many hallways, twisting through the maze of corridors like an expert. She didn't start a conversation immediately, so Remus took that as a cue to walk in comfortable silence. She'd say something when he was ready.
"Is it rude to ask why you're joining the school with only two years to go?"
Remus tried not to be too fazed by the question. He knew it would come eventually today, but he had expected something else as her first question. Everyone questioned the scars first. He resited the excuse he'd practised about his social anxiety holding him back slightly, and how he was more under control so he was allowed to attend school. It was half the truth. He certainly felt anxious about all the people, but Lily didn't need to know that his nerves came from years in a dark basement only interacting with three people and that making it hard to handle the outside world. Remus wasn't neglected, or physically abused, or anything scary like that. He knew his parents loved him as much as life itself, they were just scared and he bore the brunt of that. He was scared too, knowing there were monster instincts in him that he had to control. But that was easy after 11 years, he just needed to avoid getting angry.
Lily mistook the following silence as part of his anxiety and he wasn't going to correct her. She started asking him about lessons, which ones he'd chosen as N.E.W.T.s and how his O.W.L.s had gone. He felt more comfortable with this subject. He hadn't gotten below an Acceptable and had taken most subjects that schools offered. He didn't have much beyond books in the basement, meaning loads of time on his hands with his tutor, so he was good with all 12 subjects he'd studied. Lily seemed impressed but was of a similar level with the few courses she'd taken. They could definitely have intellectual conversations, which was a comfort to him.
"We take most of the same N.E.W.T.s together. Potions, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures. But I take Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes. You take-"
"Herbology and Charms. Being Muggleborn, I didn't think it was that useful learning what I already know, you know?"
"I'm Muggleborn too. I think it's cute hearing the wizard-raised kids look surprised by muggle things." She giggled.
She promised him that she knew people who were nice enough who took the subjects they didn't share, so she offered to introduce him to them in the Common Room. Remus accepted, wanting all the help possible when it came to making friends. He wasn't good at starting a conversation, but his tutor helped his courage over holding one. She laughed that most Gryffindors were really talkative, so he'd be fine. He hadn't noticed how far they'd gone until he was on the staircase outside their House area, Gryffindor Tower. Lily asked if he was ready to go in, as it might be a bit busy. Remus just linked their arms, saying he'd be fine as long as there was someone he knew, which was her. She smiled and opened the entrance, letting noise vent out and making his anxiety try to choke him slightly.