Cage | Chapter 1
A Harry Potter Fanfiction by Majokai Yukiko
Pairing: Remus + Sirius
Warning: Slash.
Timeline: Marauders' First Year
This is an amateur effort and does not intend to infringe on the rights of J K Rowling, Scholastic Books and their associates.
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Chapter 1: Arriving At Hogwarts"Four to a boat!" The giant who had introduced himself as Hagrid bellowed. Remus gulped, watching the dark murky waters fearfully. He looked around and ten stepped into an empty vessel with a look of determination on his face. The lake was the only thing between him and Hogwarts now; there was no way he would let that deter him from a new life, away from his family.
"Is this take, or can we join in?' Remus looked up from his reflections in the water to the bright smile of a young bespectacled boy. His dark brown hair fell messily over his face, framing a pair of bright blue eyes. Blue, like Sirius', but unlike the Black heir, this boy had cornflower eyes the color of the sky at midday.
Day and night, light and darkness; Remus made the mental connection.
Beside him was a small chubby boy with beadlike eyes. Remus smiled reassuringly and moved aside a little, making enough space for two.
Suddenly, from somewhere not far from them was a yelp followed by a loud splash. But before Remus could figure out what had happened, he had to grab onto the sides of the boat as the vessel rocked dangerously.
"Hurry!" Sirius Black laughed and hopped into Remus' boat, gesturing wildly at the other two boys. Taking the cue, they stepped into the boat as well.
"SIRIUS BLACK!" Gulp. Choke. "I SWEAR I'LL GET YOUR FOR THIS!" Black only made a face and then laughed louder.
The boy with glasses joined in the laughing fit when he realized who Sirius Black had pushed into water.
"Hey, Snape, about time you wash all that oil off your hair!" Then, he turned around, introducing himself and the plump boy next to him.
"My name is James Potter, and this is Peter Pettigrew."
"Sirius Black." The dark haired boy replied, wiping another tear from his eyes, watching in amusement how Narcissus drag a very angry and very wet Severus Snape onto her boat with Lucius Malfoy.
Finally, Sirius faced Remus with a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry, I couldn't get you on the train just now. And you haven't told me your name yet."
"Remus Lupin."
His grin grew into a smile. Sirius was about to say something else before he was interrupted.
"Sirius Black?! You are THE Sirius Black? But…" Peter paused in his gushing, a look of admiration mixed with a tinge of confusion in his small eyes. "…just now, Snape and Malfoy…"
Sirius picked up two oars and tossed one over at James to get the boat moving. "Snape needs a wash. Or at least his hair does." Snicker.
Remus watched silently as a childish conversation on Snape's greasy hair struck off between James and Sirius. It was as if they had known each other all their lives, and not strangers who had just met. His previous impression of the Black heir, heard from his mother's lips, shattered. Sirius Black never once behaved as if he were better than any of them. Instead, Remus swore he see Sirius wrinkled up his nose in disgust whenever Lucius Malfoy and his posse were mentioned.
"So, what house do you think you will in?" Peter suddenly squeaked. "James wants to be in Gryffindo, but I thought I'd probably end up in Hufflepuff." He did not continue, but simply lowered his head and blushed.
Remus took Peter's hand and patted it gently. "There's nothing embarrassing in wanting to be with friends, as long as they'll have you." Sad amber eyes flickered to the distorted reflection of the moon in the water. It was only a half moon, but well; at least he would get to keep this set of friends for a week.
"Those that don't stick around are not friends." James added, placing his hands on top of Remus' and Peter's. Sirius looked uneasily at the joined hands, shrugged and continued to paddle on.
***
"You take that back about Lily!" Remus turned around to see an incensed redhead holding Lucius by the collar. He moved to get a closer look but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"Sirius?" The black haired boy shook his head and walked up tot eh pair himself. Remus, James and Peter only stood there and watched.
"Did I say anything wrong? She IS a mudblood, isn't she?" The redhead was livid. He pulled back his arm and was about to deliver a blow right onto Lucius' jaw when Sirius strutted up to them with an arrogant sneer on his face.
"I won't do that if I were you, Arthur Weasley." Sirius smirked, very gently but firmly prying Arthur's fingers off Lucius' expensive robe. "I'm afraid your parents can't afford to pay for even the slightest bruise on Lucius' pretty face."
Remus, James and Peter were shocked. Sirius was behaving very much differently from the way he was just moments ago. It was the heir to the Black family fortune they were looking at now. Not Sirius, but Black; the boy with deep blue eyes could exude enough arrogance to put even the Malfoys to shame.
Lucius, although irritated and upset about being teased "pretty" by his friend, was pleased to see Black sticking up for him. He knew, better than anyone else, that Sirius Black cold be a through and through high-nosed git if he had wanted to. There were two men living inside Sirius, but even Malfoy had seldom seen the Black heir coming through.
The pale boy smirked.
"Sod off, Black." Arthur hissed.
"How hurting, Arthur. I just hate to see purebloods at strife over a…" Black let his eyes glance briefly at Lily Evans before continuing.
"Mudblood." He spat. "Although I can hardly put the Weasleys on the same pedestal as the Blacks or the Malfoys, can I?"
A veil of whispered commotion fell over the rest of the First Years. Obviously, Black's speech had caused much disapproval from the crowd. But who dare speak up against the heir?
"Of course not, Black." Remus could not take it any longer. A painful hurt raised up fro his chest. Was this really the boy that, just moments ago, he had considered as friend? "Nobody but you goes lower than the level of trash."
Remus watched with sick enjoyment how Sirius' jaw dropped open in shock, staring unbelievably at the smaller boy.
"First years, will you follow me please?"
Peter tugged timidly on Remus' sleeve. The brunette allowed himself to be pulled along, but not before fixing Sirius Black with a cold hard stare.
"Let's go, Sirius." Narcissus urged, not realizing that someone else was also watching Remus Lupin with fascination in his eyes.
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End of Chapter 1
Continue to Chapter 2