AN: This chapter is really short, I'm sorry, but it was another of those 'I really want to get to the next part of the story cause it's much more interesting' things. And I've mentally estimated how many chapters this story'll be by the time I'm done with it. If everything goes they way I'm planning, it's going to be about 60 chapters long. ::sob!:: And I couldn't even find a decent song for this chapter either! And for everyone who doesn't know who Sirius' mum is, go reread the chapters "Padfoot Returns' and 'The Pensieve' in GoF. (and please go read 'From the Ashes' it's a lot better than this chapter, I swear!)
Remus had to smile at how happy Sirius looked when they got off the Hogwarts Express to start the summer holiday. The taller boy had run straight to a darkly beautiful woman in fine robes. They didn't hug, but Sirius was grinning from ear to ear and the woman was smiling down at him indulgently.
"Guys, come here!" Sirius yelled to them. "This is my mum," he said proudly once they'd followed him to that end of the platform.
"Hello Mrs…?"Remus faltered, not knowing what her last name was.
"Lastrange," she supplied helpfully. "Sirius has told me about his friends, which one are you?"
"Remus Lupin, ma'am," he said quietly.
"There you are!" Remus turned to find his father standing behind him, frowning down at him. "Hurry up," was all he said, turning away from their little group and starting to walk away, expecting Remus to fallow him.
"Bye guys," Remus said quickly before grabbing his trunk and following after his father. He heard Sirius yell "Bye Moony," and then, even louder. "Nice to see you again Mr. Lupin!" And he had to smile.
"Bye Sirius," he said, casting the taller boy one last look as he pushed himself through the barrier. The trip home was silent and thankfully brief, but as they got to the front door his father stopped and turned to Remus.
"Don't give your brother a hard time this summer, and don't tease him for not going to Hogwarts," Tiberius said firmly.
"Yes, father," Remus said rather unconvincingly as they entered the house. His mother was sitting in the living room and gave him a grimacing sort of smile when she saw him. He gave her a weak smile and then headed down to his room.
He methodically emptied his trunk and put everything where it was supposed to be. It used to be that he was glad to be home, he didn't have to worry about hiding his curse or about being picked on. But now? He'd been home less than an hour and he already wanted to go back. He wanted to play pranks and study and just be back, because there he had friends. Real friends that didn't care that he was a werewolf, didn't care that he was quiet and reserved and was used to spending more time with books than with people.
He'd even be happy to put up with Sirius' weird antics and strange looks. Remus had been trying to figure out why the other boy seemed to have this need to touch him all the time. No one he'd met had wanted to touch him since he'd bee bitten. Even James and Peter, especially Peter, would get nervous if he sat too close to them sometimes. But with Sirius it seemed the closer the better. The other boy would put a hand on his shoulder or knee, brush against him in the halls. Sirius had even tried to hold his hand a couple of times, which Remus had just thought was weird.
Sirius had said that he liked him but...but...Remus really couldn't get his mind around the idea. It was ridiculous! His own parents were disgusted with him and barley tolerated his presence in the same room.
"So...you're back," Remus looked up, startled, to find Romulus standing in the doorway.
"Yeah, I am," he muttered, sitting down on his bed. "Anything wrong?"
"Why would anything be wrong, besides you being here that is." His brother sneered at him, giving him a threatening, teeth bearing smile that he'd learned from Remus years ago.
"Dad said to be nice to you, I was wondering why," Remus explained, not raising to his twin's bait.
"Don't strain yourself," Romulus spat at him. "I don't need to be cottled, especially by you." Remus just sat there staring at him. It had been a long time since he'd cared what his brother thought of him. But his twin almost looked scared.
"Romulus, what's wrong?" he asked, trying to sound concerned.
"It's nothing you have to worry about, even if you aren't human, at least you're a wizard," he spat out before turning and storming back upstairs. Remus frowned after him for a minute before pulling a book off of his bookshelf and starting to read. Hopefully he wouldn't read through of his books before they when to Diagon Alley and he could get new ones. He stayed down in his room reading for the rest of the day and only came up for supper. Nobody talked during the meal; they never did, at least not when Remus was at the table. He finished quickly and retreated back to his room.
He didn't find out what was upsetting his brother until about two weeks later. He came upstairs to make himself breakfast to find Romulus already up and reading the Daily Prophet with an intensity Remus had rarely seen him devote to anything, let alone reading the Quidditch scores. Remus watched his twin out of the corner of his eye as he grabbed a box of cereal and a bowl form the cupboard. He nearly dropped both in shock when Romulus slammed the paper down on the kitchen table and ran from the room.
With curiosity and a little bit of fear, Remus went over and picked up the Prophet, scanning the headlines for something that would upset his brother so much. There was nothing, except...
~ More Disappearances Confound Magical Law Enforcement Officials! ~
~ Today, Noris Dansville was reported missing in Cambridge. Ms. Dansville, like many others who have gone missing in these recent months, was a squib. This rash of disappearances that have been plaguing the magical community are thought by many to be targeted at those of 'impure blood'. Either muggle and half -blooded wizards or squibs. The Minister of Magic assures us at the Prophet that the Magical Law Enforcement Department has found nothing that links these disappearances to one another. However? ~
Was that what Romulus was so upset about? A couple of unrelated disappearances? Remus couldn't really see what the fuss was about, yes some people had gone missing, but they'd show up eventually. And if James' dad said there was nothing to worry about, he didn't see why the reporters were making such a big deal out of it. 'I wonder how many people have gone missing?' he scanned the article until he found: ~ Ms. Dansville's disappearance brings the total of those missing up to twenty, we at the Prophet think?~ 'Twenty!?!' Okay, maybe there was something to worry about.
Remus ate his breakfast mechanically, still thinking about the newspaper article. There really wasn't anything he could do about it, but if it seemed to be bothering his brother he'd try and be nicer to him. He'd have to ask his parents if they would get him a subscription so he could read it while he was at school.
Several more weeks passed and the Lupin household fell into the routine it usually did during the summers. The rest of the family went on as if he wasn't home, and Remus stayed in his room and read. Remus was very glad when he got an owl from Sirius, because it meant that he could write him back. He hadn't wanted to be the first to write, out of principle. He didn't want to encourage Sirius too much.
~ Dear Remus,
How are you? I'm having a great time. Mum's place is huge! All the ceilings are really high and the mirrors talk back to you when you look into them and it's all just really really awesome. I hope you're all right. Did the last full moon go okay? Well, as okay as it could?
As great as this place is, it can be really boring too. I miss you and James and Peter, hell I even miss Snape! There's no one here to play jokes on, except the house-elves. (did I mention we have house-elves?) And they're not that much fun. I've actually taken to reading the books in Mr. Lastrange's huge library to keep from dying from boredom. There are a couple on werewolves, so I've been reading up. And there are also some like the ones you got all those great spells from, so we'll have a bunch more ideas to work with in fourth year.
I'll write you again soon, but right now I have to get ready for some dinner party mum and Mr. Lastrange are having. I won't know anybody, so I hope it's not too boring.
Yours truly,
Sirius
PS - I still like you a lot! ~
Remus frowned at the last line and then rolled his eyes. 'Sure you do Sirius,' he thought in exasperation. A dinner party? Remus almost felt sorry for him, Sirius was sure to be bored within the first five minutes.
Remus sat down and grabbed a parchment and quill from his desk and began writing a reply.
