Disclaimer- anything you recognise is JK Rowling's, I make no money. Please
don't rip this off. Thanx. Now here's the fic.
Remus rolled over in his bed. Greymalkin was, as usual, curled up under his chin. She objected loudly at being disturbed.
"Can't you keep that darned cat quiet." A voice to his left complained sleepily.
Remus sat up with a jolt. This wasn't his attic room. This wasn't his bed. Where was he?
"It's 3 am. Go back to sleep." groaned another voice. There was the sound of someone stuffing their head underneath a pillow.
A guttural moan came from the far side of the room.
Remus looked out from the heavy red curtains hung round his bed. He was in a round turret room with grey stone walls. Medieval tapestries covered them and a circular rug of the same design was in the centre of the floor. There was a small arrow-loop window next to his bed and a gothic wood door at the other side of the room. Beside his bed was a small chest of draws with a piece of paper on it.
He climbed gingerly out of bed, not wanting to disturb the other occupants of the room. Walking over to the window, he lifted the paper to his face, to read it by the pale moonlight.
First year Gryffindor Time Table
He read. Then all of it flooded back, the letter, Diagon Ally, the train, the sorting, Sirius, James, Peter.
The lump that was James groaned again. "If you're not going to sleep go downstairs and leave us in peace." Peter gave a loud snore.
Remus got down from the windowsill as quietly as he could. He padded across the room and opened the door. He crept down the spiral stair to the warm fire lit room bellow.
More tapestries were draped around this room. Large red armchairs huddled in a circle around the fireplace. Remus, still in his pyjamas, went to go and sit down. In one of the high-backed chairs hunkered one of the girls from before. She was the redheaded girl who Sirius had called.. had called.. Lilly. Yes that was it. Lilly.
"Hello.. Lilly."
She jolted in surprise. Her green eyes widened in surprise. "Oh hello."
"Remus." He prompted.
"Remus." She repeated. "I'm sorry I never was one for names." She apologised. "Sit down, please." Lilly remembered her manners. "Don't worry about it. It's been pretty hectic." He sat down and put his head in his hands.
"Tell me about it. I get a letter and next thing I know I'm in some crazy school where the laws of physics don't apply." She sighed "I've been up all night trying to make sense of it."
"You're Muggle-born?" Remus asked
"So everyone keeps telling me."
"Ah. I don't get a lot of it either. My dad was a wizard, but not my mum. He.. he left when I was five. I knew what was out there, but not quite." Remus tried to keep his face passive. He had had a lot of practice.
Lilly sat back. "It seems lots of people have one up on us." She pulled out her wand from a pocket. "I mean do you have any idea how to use one of these?"
"I left mine upstairs," Remus remarked, "but there's some stuff in the "Standard Book of spells" you could try."
"Hmm. Good idea. What subject are you most interested in?" Remus looked down at the timetable, but before he had a chance to answer Lilly was off again. "I think Defence Against the Dark Arts sounds interesting." It seems that once you got Lilly going there was no stopping her. "I mean back in the normal.. muggle world that's all you hear about. The things that go bump in the night. Vampires, zombies and werewolves." Remus's head snapped up. "O, werewolves they always scared me when I was little. And now, and now I find out they're real." She gave an involuntary shudder.
Remus felt all the happiness drain out of him. It didn't matter that he was here and he had friends, it didn't change what he was, a monster. People feared him. Lilly, whom he had only just met, was terrified of him without knowing it.
"James told me they lived in the forest and crept out at the full moon to eat you if you weren't careful. But I think he was pulling my leg."
James, great he was afraid of him too. Thought Remus. "You know I'm getting tired. I think I'll go back to bed." He yawned for good measure. "See you in the morning. Goodnight." He stood up shakily.
"G'night Remus." Lilly went back to studying her wand now with the help of the Standard Book of Spells.
As he climbed back up the stairs his hand shook on the rope rail. He felt very small in a very large place he didn't know. There were hundreds of people here, each one capable of discovering his secret and totally freaking out. He was in probably the worst place for a werewolf. He would see the same people every day for almost seven years. That was about 77 full moons, his innate sense of time doing the calculations. Anyone, who didn't notice a pattern of absences, was a complete imbecile.
As he climbed back into bed, pulled the curtains round and settled Greymalkin round his neck he sighed. The odds were stacked against him.
He listened for indications that the others were asleep, then began to whisper to Greymalkin. "Right." He hardened his resolve and continued, "We're going to have to be very careful from now on. Anyone and everyone could find us out. Lets think of ways to get out of being found out."
Greymalkin purred reassuringly.
"Thanks," he scratched her behind the ears. "well there's migraines. We can use that more than once. Accidents, that would cover up any injuries. So what if they think I'm a klutz, better than a monster." His mind ticked over with possibilities. "Funerals, they would be worried about upsetting me more. Great Aunts and such. We could say my mother is ill."
He stopped. How was his mother. He had hardly given her a thought all day. How would she cope with out him? Now everyone had left her, even, Remus thought, himself. Maybe there was a way to send her a message. Possibly James or Sirius would lend him an owl? Perhaps the school had some?
Now questions and thoughts about his mother filled his mind as he slipped back into sleep.
**********
"Remus, Remus honey. Could you come down here please." Mrs Lupin called. Remus slid down the banister and rushed into the kitchen, worried that his mother was ill. Instead he found her smiling, a paper in her hand. "Come sit down." She pulled out a chair.
"What is it mum? Is anything the mater?"
"No dear. Nothing's wrong. In fact everything's right. Look what has come." She laid the paper on the kitchen table. It was a letter.
"It's from Hogwarts," Remus started, "but the Headmaster said, he took my name of the list when I was bitten. That it was impossible that I could ever go." His eyes wide with amazement.
"Well he's not Head any more." His mother said triumphantly. "There is a new headmaster. His name is Dumbledor. And he wants to see you, to review your case. Isn't that marvellous Remus?" her smile wide with joy. "You might be able to Hogwarts."
Remus sat in shocked silence. "I. I don't know what to say." Then it hit him, he could go to Hogwarts. The place he had always dreamed, but never hoped of going to. "It's great mum!" he leapt up and hugged her. She stood up as well and they swung each other round the kitchen, bumping into chairs and cupboards, yelling with delight.
As they sat down, panting for breath, Remus realised something. "Mum what will you do?" he asked looking worried.
"Oh I'll be fine. I managed without you for years. In fact it'll be nice to have a rest from you!" She joked tousling his hair.
Remus felt slightly deflated, but smiled nonetheless. It wasn't even definite yet, he might not get in.
"You look a bit pale love." His mother was concerned.
Remus lied, "Nah I'm fine, just the excitement and, you know tonight."
"OK dear why don't you go have a lie down, I'll call you when it's time to go." Mrs Lupin watched her son, tramp up the stairs. He was still so strange, but she couldn't blame him. Poor thing had suffered so much. And now he had a chance for some happiness in his life. She felt better than she had in years and turned to do the washing up, usually Remus's job, but never on the full moon.
Later that night Remus crouched in the corner of his "den". A large, cold, steel box at the end of the garden. He felt the chill fingers of dread creep over him. The transformations were always much worse when he was excited or worried. And tonight he was both. Soon the feeling of dread was replaced by pain that obliterated everything else, at least for a while.
********
That's it folks
Please review, tell me if you like it.
Next chapter up soon.
Have a good day. #:-)
Remus rolled over in his bed. Greymalkin was, as usual, curled up under his chin. She objected loudly at being disturbed.
"Can't you keep that darned cat quiet." A voice to his left complained sleepily.
Remus sat up with a jolt. This wasn't his attic room. This wasn't his bed. Where was he?
"It's 3 am. Go back to sleep." groaned another voice. There was the sound of someone stuffing their head underneath a pillow.
A guttural moan came from the far side of the room.
Remus looked out from the heavy red curtains hung round his bed. He was in a round turret room with grey stone walls. Medieval tapestries covered them and a circular rug of the same design was in the centre of the floor. There was a small arrow-loop window next to his bed and a gothic wood door at the other side of the room. Beside his bed was a small chest of draws with a piece of paper on it.
He climbed gingerly out of bed, not wanting to disturb the other occupants of the room. Walking over to the window, he lifted the paper to his face, to read it by the pale moonlight.
First year Gryffindor Time Table
He read. Then all of it flooded back, the letter, Diagon Ally, the train, the sorting, Sirius, James, Peter.
The lump that was James groaned again. "If you're not going to sleep go downstairs and leave us in peace." Peter gave a loud snore.
Remus got down from the windowsill as quietly as he could. He padded across the room and opened the door. He crept down the spiral stair to the warm fire lit room bellow.
More tapestries were draped around this room. Large red armchairs huddled in a circle around the fireplace. Remus, still in his pyjamas, went to go and sit down. In one of the high-backed chairs hunkered one of the girls from before. She was the redheaded girl who Sirius had called.. had called.. Lilly. Yes that was it. Lilly.
"Hello.. Lilly."
She jolted in surprise. Her green eyes widened in surprise. "Oh hello."
"Remus." He prompted.
"Remus." She repeated. "I'm sorry I never was one for names." She apologised. "Sit down, please." Lilly remembered her manners. "Don't worry about it. It's been pretty hectic." He sat down and put his head in his hands.
"Tell me about it. I get a letter and next thing I know I'm in some crazy school where the laws of physics don't apply." She sighed "I've been up all night trying to make sense of it."
"You're Muggle-born?" Remus asked
"So everyone keeps telling me."
"Ah. I don't get a lot of it either. My dad was a wizard, but not my mum. He.. he left when I was five. I knew what was out there, but not quite." Remus tried to keep his face passive. He had had a lot of practice.
Lilly sat back. "It seems lots of people have one up on us." She pulled out her wand from a pocket. "I mean do you have any idea how to use one of these?"
"I left mine upstairs," Remus remarked, "but there's some stuff in the "Standard Book of spells" you could try."
"Hmm. Good idea. What subject are you most interested in?" Remus looked down at the timetable, but before he had a chance to answer Lilly was off again. "I think Defence Against the Dark Arts sounds interesting." It seems that once you got Lilly going there was no stopping her. "I mean back in the normal.. muggle world that's all you hear about. The things that go bump in the night. Vampires, zombies and werewolves." Remus's head snapped up. "O, werewolves they always scared me when I was little. And now, and now I find out they're real." She gave an involuntary shudder.
Remus felt all the happiness drain out of him. It didn't matter that he was here and he had friends, it didn't change what he was, a monster. People feared him. Lilly, whom he had only just met, was terrified of him without knowing it.
"James told me they lived in the forest and crept out at the full moon to eat you if you weren't careful. But I think he was pulling my leg."
James, great he was afraid of him too. Thought Remus. "You know I'm getting tired. I think I'll go back to bed." He yawned for good measure. "See you in the morning. Goodnight." He stood up shakily.
"G'night Remus." Lilly went back to studying her wand now with the help of the Standard Book of Spells.
As he climbed back up the stairs his hand shook on the rope rail. He felt very small in a very large place he didn't know. There were hundreds of people here, each one capable of discovering his secret and totally freaking out. He was in probably the worst place for a werewolf. He would see the same people every day for almost seven years. That was about 77 full moons, his innate sense of time doing the calculations. Anyone, who didn't notice a pattern of absences, was a complete imbecile.
As he climbed back into bed, pulled the curtains round and settled Greymalkin round his neck he sighed. The odds were stacked against him.
He listened for indications that the others were asleep, then began to whisper to Greymalkin. "Right." He hardened his resolve and continued, "We're going to have to be very careful from now on. Anyone and everyone could find us out. Lets think of ways to get out of being found out."
Greymalkin purred reassuringly.
"Thanks," he scratched her behind the ears. "well there's migraines. We can use that more than once. Accidents, that would cover up any injuries. So what if they think I'm a klutz, better than a monster." His mind ticked over with possibilities. "Funerals, they would be worried about upsetting me more. Great Aunts and such. We could say my mother is ill."
He stopped. How was his mother. He had hardly given her a thought all day. How would she cope with out him? Now everyone had left her, even, Remus thought, himself. Maybe there was a way to send her a message. Possibly James or Sirius would lend him an owl? Perhaps the school had some?
Now questions and thoughts about his mother filled his mind as he slipped back into sleep.
**********
"Remus, Remus honey. Could you come down here please." Mrs Lupin called. Remus slid down the banister and rushed into the kitchen, worried that his mother was ill. Instead he found her smiling, a paper in her hand. "Come sit down." She pulled out a chair.
"What is it mum? Is anything the mater?"
"No dear. Nothing's wrong. In fact everything's right. Look what has come." She laid the paper on the kitchen table. It was a letter.
"It's from Hogwarts," Remus started, "but the Headmaster said, he took my name of the list when I was bitten. That it was impossible that I could ever go." His eyes wide with amazement.
"Well he's not Head any more." His mother said triumphantly. "There is a new headmaster. His name is Dumbledor. And he wants to see you, to review your case. Isn't that marvellous Remus?" her smile wide with joy. "You might be able to Hogwarts."
Remus sat in shocked silence. "I. I don't know what to say." Then it hit him, he could go to Hogwarts. The place he had always dreamed, but never hoped of going to. "It's great mum!" he leapt up and hugged her. She stood up as well and they swung each other round the kitchen, bumping into chairs and cupboards, yelling with delight.
As they sat down, panting for breath, Remus realised something. "Mum what will you do?" he asked looking worried.
"Oh I'll be fine. I managed without you for years. In fact it'll be nice to have a rest from you!" She joked tousling his hair.
Remus felt slightly deflated, but smiled nonetheless. It wasn't even definite yet, he might not get in.
"You look a bit pale love." His mother was concerned.
Remus lied, "Nah I'm fine, just the excitement and, you know tonight."
"OK dear why don't you go have a lie down, I'll call you when it's time to go." Mrs Lupin watched her son, tramp up the stairs. He was still so strange, but she couldn't blame him. Poor thing had suffered so much. And now he had a chance for some happiness in his life. She felt better than she had in years and turned to do the washing up, usually Remus's job, but never on the full moon.
Later that night Remus crouched in the corner of his "den". A large, cold, steel box at the end of the garden. He felt the chill fingers of dread creep over him. The transformations were always much worse when he was excited or worried. And tonight he was both. Soon the feeling of dread was replaced by pain that obliterated everything else, at least for a while.
********
That's it folks
Please review, tell me if you like it.
Next chapter up soon.
Have a good day. #:-)