Disclaimer: Really, these things are utterly pointless. Why would JK be writing fics? Her fics ARE the books.
AN: Umm…I honestly don't know what to say about this thing. I just sat down and wrote it. I know it's really…weird. Even I don't get it, I really don't. Maybe you will, and you can enlighten me…? I don't know. Read, enjoy, and try not to be too greatly disturbed.
Different
He remembered.
It was raining that day he stepped out onto Platform 9 and ¾ for the first time. His mother had told him to run to the train quickly in order to keep his new robes from getting soiled, so of course he was trudging through every puddle he could find.
That was when he had spotted Remus Lupin.
The other boy was standing in the rain, looking too young to be any older than a first year, but much more mature than some of the last year students that walked by. He had a slight scowl on his face, as if he was thinking about something that upset him, and that something was not the rain.
"Hello," he had said. If this boy was standing out in the rain, then they had at least one thing in common, and that was enough to be friends. "My name is Sirius Black."
"As in the Most Ancient and Noble House of?" the boy had asked, his eyes cracking open slightly.
Sirius put on a face and the other boy smiled at him.
"My name is Remus Lupin."
After that they had been friends.
He remembered how in second year they had found out that Remus hadn't really been going to visit his sick mother. How he had looked after Sirius demanded to know if he was a werewolf, drawn back, his golden eyes wide with fear.
Then they had told him without hesitation that they would find some way to make the transformation fun.
And their friendship had been sealed.
Then in fifth year, how they all finally managed to change into animals, and had laughed about it, and given themselves names. How they decided to make a map of the school based on what they learned from running around late into the night.
How James started smiling different at Lily Evans different than how he smiled at his friends, and they all had laughed, and how one night Sirius noticed that when Remus gave him a smile it was different somehow.
In sixth year they returned to school stronger friends than ever, and he and James were nearly brothers after he had run away from home.
Then Sirius had nearly ruined it all by telling Snivellus about the knot on the trunk of the willow. He remembered how for weeks afterward he could not get a smile or kind word sent in his direction, and how he had felt alone for the first time after stepping onto the Hogwarts platform.
And then something happened.
He was sorry, he knew that Remus knew that.
"I don't want to be friends with someone who is going to make me the subject of a prank that could hurt somebody." Moony had said.
"I wouldn't want to be either."
There were awkward terse smiles, and then seventh year began.
Lily Evans finally noticed that James smiled at her in a special way during a meeting they held with the Prefects.
Graduation happened and there were smiles everywhere. Smiles that Lily and James shared, and smiled that Sirius and James shares, and…
A smile from Remus.
"My Uncle lent me some gold so I can go buy my own flat," he told Moony proudly.
His friend wasn't smiling anymore. He had the same sort of look he had worn on that first day of first year. Like he was getting ready to do something painful. "You'll have to invite me over."
"All the time," he promised. "Or maybe, you could get a flat next to mine? How about it Moony, where are you going?"
"Home." He said. "I don't have any money, and so-"
"Then come live with me!"
He looked surprised, then grateful, then remorseful. "I couldn't pay even half the rent."
"You making food decent enough for consumption would be plenty."
And then Remus Lupin smiled at him, the way that was different from the smiles he gave James and Peter. He smiled, and encircled his arms around Sirius tightly.
"Thank you."
Sirius returned the hug, and he knew.
Knew that things would be all right.