Chapter Three

Remus stepped off the Knight Bus and looked around. He was back in Hogsmeade. He hadn't, in fact, been there since his seventh year. All right. Step one. Disguise himself.

He approached Barber Bartholomew's, located on a side street near The Hog's Head. Stepping inside, he expected to hear a bell tinkle softly. Surprisingly, a loud, croaky "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!" came from a corner. Remus jumped.

"Sorry about that, mate," said a man, stepping away from a barber's chair. He was tall with a blond goatee and brownish blond hair. Remus could only assume this was Barber Bartholomew. "We taught him that back when he was only a chick, and that's all he's bothered to learn." Bartholomew pointed. Remus turned and saw a red and blue parrot near the front window, preening himself and watching the newcomer peevishly. "Well, what can I do you for?"

"Oh," faltered Lupin, forgetting for a moment why he was even in a barbershop. "I'd, um, like my hair cut, please." It pained him to say this. He'd had his chin-length light brown locks ever since he was eleven years old, and he'd grown quite used to them. Having them cut off would be a large change. Hopefully large enough that no one he knew would recognize him.

"All right, then," said Barber Bartholomew. He indicated to the one lonely chair. "Have a seat. I'll have those mangy locks clipped in a jiffy." Remus winced. His hair was not mangy!

Barber Bartholomew snipped and cut for almost ten minutes. He pronounced, "Ta-da!" and pulled off the barber's cape with a flourish. Remus' hair was short. It curled nicely around his face, and, he had to admit, didn't look too bad. Pleased, he fingered several strands, trying to get used to them. "You look like a different person. The ladies will love you," proclaimed Bartholomew. Lupin smiled bitterly. Ladies. Who had time for ladies? He needed to escape ladies, and friends, a coworkers, and associates. He was already a wolf. Might as well be a lone one.

Remus left the shop and conjured up a pair of horn-rimmed glasses to complete his disguise. He caught a glimpse of himself in a shop window. I actually look pretty different, he thought to himself. But he knew that wandering the streets wasn't a very good idea. After all, he had to eat and sleep. He needed to make some money. But what shop would hire a man who turned into a werewolf once a month?

Loud shouts rang out from Honeydukes' candy store. A fat man in a very dirty white apron appeared at the door, screaming at a smaller, mousey-looking man. Remus blinked his eyes in disbelief. Peter?

But no, it wasn't Peter. He could see that now. This man had black hair, as opposed to Peter's dishwater blond. The black-haired man cowered before the man in the apron. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll never do it again!" he cried, tears glistening in his eyes.

"You told me that last time! That's it! You're fired!" roared the man, who was clearly the owner of Honeydukes.

"F-fired? But you can't fire me! I need this job!" wailed the other.

"Yeah, and I need profits! Now get out of my sight before I hex you into oblivion!" the Honeydukes owner hollered.

The black-haired man whimpered and scrambled, half-walking, half-crawling down the street. The owner sighed in disgust and wiped his hands on his apron. "Bloody lazy worker," he muttered to himself.

Remus had never been one to step down from an opportunity. He quickened his pace and moved towards the man. "Sir? What happened?" asked Remus.

"It's just that new guy," complained the owner. "He's worked here two weeks, and already he's eaten me out of a whole month's worth of fizzing whizbees! I ask you, how hard is it to get decent help these days? Now I've got to try and hire someone else. We're already short workers."

Remus saw his chance and seized it. "Actually, I myself am looking for work. You wouldn't consider hiring me, would you?" he asked hopefully.

The man wrinkled his brow and gazed Lupin up and down. "You look like a real studious lad. You got a name?"

Lupin thought fast. He couldn't give the man his real name. "Er - Roger Lewis," he said quickly.

"Lewis, eh? Haven't heard of your family. New to the area?"

Remus wished he'd stop asking questions. "Sort of."

"Well, normally I wouldn't go hiring some random guy off the street, but you look like a decent man, and hell, I'm desperate. All right then. When can you start?" asked the owner.

"How about now?" suggested Remus.

"Eager little fellow, aren't you?" chuckled the owner, who seemed much more pleasant now that he'd found a new employee. "Well, all right, Lewis. Come on inside. The name's Lucas."

"Thank you, Lucas," said Remus gratefully. As he stepped inside, he could hear voices in the back of his head.

"What are you doing, Mooney? You're the smartest blighter I know, and you're working in a candy store? Come on, man, have some pride," said Sirius disgustedly.

"Honestly, Lupin. You shouldn't waste your time here. At least try and get in somewhere you'll be appreciated. What about Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley?" suggested James helpfully.

"Yeah, Mooney. You're better than this!" agreed Peter.

"Besides, Remus, why are you hiding? All Dumbledore wanted to do was help you. Don't turn away help when it's needed," urged Lily's voice.

Remus shook his head. A lump the size of a large cockroach cluster had formed in the back of his throat. He didn't need to cry now, of all times! Ignoring the voices of his former friends, he took an apron from Lucas and stepped behind the counter. It was time for his new life to begin.