Sorry for not updating last week - I found a beta for this fic, and I was working on fixing the last few chapters (which I'll re-post in the next few days). Extra long chapter to make up for it! Though this hasn't been beta'd yet, so forgive any errors.

Remus' head started to spin as his brother punched him repeatedly in the stomach.

'It was only a bag,' his mind cried out, trying to make him retaliate. 'I didn't even lose it! I don't deserve this!'

If their positions had been switched, if Romulus had been the werewolf, Remus felt he could almost have understood his brother's anger; There were times, often if he overheard someone do something as innocent as comment on how 'nice' the moon looked, that Remus wanted to hit other people for being so… well, so normal.

But this wasn't the case. Romulus had no such good reason, and Remus had never done anything that deserved so harsh a punishment. He wished he could just run away from Romulus, but there was nowhere to go. Right now he'd be happy if he could get rid of the pain that was overwhelming his senses - if he could get his brother to stop.

Suddenly, like a wish come true, the blows from Romulus' fist stopped. Remus sank down onto the bed next to him, wondering why it was over so quickly. He looked up to see his brother glaring across the room. Someone was knocking rather uncertainly on the door.

"Who the hell is that?" He hissed.

"How should I know?"

"Shut up. I'm going to answer it, and if you say a single word you're going to regret it."

Remus nodded, wishing he had the nerve to yell for help from the stranger at the door. He slouched over and put his arms around his stomach – at least the interruption would give him some time to recover.

'I hope it's one of the teachers… Maybe McGonagall wants him for something…'

The boy jumped as he heard his name mentioned, and strained to hear the conversation at the door.

"…In the common room last night. I saw him come up here, and I just wanted to give it back."

That was Sirius Black's voice. Remus groaned inwardly. He hoped the boy wouldn't do anything stupid. He seemed to be taking Remus' silence as a challenge. If this was another attempt to talk to him then Romulus would just get even more annoyed.

"Oh. Well, thanks, I guess."

"No problem."

The door shut with a 'click' and the older Lupin strode back across the room with the leather bag clutched in his fist.

"See," Remus began. "I told you I didn't lose it."

"Yeah, but why did he have it? What were you doing down in the common room with him last night? If you think you've got a new 'friend', you've got another thing coming! If anyone finds out about you we'll both have to leave this school – Mum and Dad'll probably ship us off to Beauxbatons or something!"

"I didn't say anything to him. He tried to talk to me last night, but I ran off. That's why I forgot the bag."

"Well don't let it happen again. I'm dead serious. I'm not going to have to leave another school because of a freak like you."

With those words he shoved Remus off the bed and stormed out of the room. The boy landed on the floor with a loud 'thump'. He pulled himself into a sitting position underneath the window, and clutched his stomach once again. It felt as though it was going to burst with the pain. Romulus was deceptively skinny – his thin arms packed a mean punch.

The door creaked open once again. 'He's back already? Probably decided I didn't get what I deserved after all…'

But instead of his brother's angry footsteps, the ones that came into the room now were tentative, and stopped halfway across the floor. Remus looked up, squinting in the sunlight, to see Sirius Black's face looking anxiously back at him.

"Are you… alright? No, ugh, stupid question to ask. But… yeah…" He trailed off, seemingly unsure of what to say. This struck Remus as strange. Black's was always the loudest voice in the dorm – even with Potter and Pettigrew to compete with – and always had the most to say.

The awkward footsteps continued across the floor, stopping right in front of Lupin's feet.

"Do you want some help?"

Remus was panicking slightly; he kept imagining noises on the stairs, kept seeing Romulus coming through the door.

"Don't worry, your brother's gone. That guy wasyour brother, right?"

Remus nodded.

"He went downstairs. Listen, I'm really sorry if I did this… You know, by taking that bag and all. I was just trying to think of a way to… well, a way to make you talk I guess. I never thought this was the reason you never said anything to us. If I'd known, I wouldn't have done anything. Well, I mean, I'd have done something, but…"

The boy rambled on, clearly trying to fill the silence that echoed through the room. Remus just grinned and shook his head, indicating that he could stop apologising. The dark haired figure smiled back, then stuck out his hand.

"I'm Sirius Black."

"Remus Lupin."

The two boys made their way slowly down the stairs to their own dorm. Remus' knees were shaking like mad, and he kept having to lean against the wall for support. Romulus scared him more than he liked to admit – it was more the relief of getting away from his brother that caused Remus to shake than the injuries he'd received.

Sirius was still the one forcing conversation between them, and Remus was still worrying that Romulus would appear any minute. It continued like that until they were safely inside their dorm room. There Remus finally worked up the nerve to say something.

"Thanks."

It wasn't a lot, but it was a start.

"Well, it was kind of my fault your brother got mad at you in the first place. If I were you I wouldn't be thanking me. Listen, I'm really, really sorry again for taking that bag."

"Don't be. Romulus would've found another reason to get angry; the bag was just an excuse."

"Oh, right."

The tawny haired boy frowned a little. Sirius didn't seem very shocked by Romulus. Remus had been expecting a barrage of questions about his brother's behaviour; why was he doing it? Why did Remus let him? Why hadn't he told anyone before?

The silence was a bit weird. Maybe Black was just uncomfortable.

"Really though, thanks."

"Don't mention it."

They lapsed back into silence again, neither sure of what to say. Remus sat down on his bed and started to pick at his fingernails. Sirius hovered in the middle of the room, his manner reminding Remus of a bird in distress. The tension had almost reached a breaking point when the door flew open and James Potter flew through it, closely followed by Peter Pettigrew.

"Sirius, mate! Where've you been? You were supposed to come down for breakfast. We had to eat yours for…"

James trailed off as he caught sight of Remus and cast a curious glance at his friend.

"James, Peter, this is Remus."

"Yeah, I know… well, kind of," James looked a little unsure of what was going on, but nodded at the boy in acknowledgement.

"Hi." Remus felt terribly awkward.

"Not to be rude or anything," Peter piped up. "But how come you've ignored us all this time? I mean, we've lived in the same room for years now, but I don't think I've ever heard you speak."

Shrugging his shoulders, Remus looked to Sirius for help. He really didn't want to explain everything right now. Sirius shot a glance at the other two that clearly said 'Drop it.'

Turning back to Peter with an apologetic look on his face, Remus added,

"I just don't really want to talk about it."

"That's ok, mate," James reassured him. "At least you're talking to us now."

"Hey, you're right. I hadn't really noticed…"

"What do you mean?" Sirius queried.

"I mean, I know I haven't said anything for the last year, but you guys have. It's kind of hard not to listen to you talking at night, so I guess I sometimes forget that I'm not involved in the conversation."

"I get you. And I think it's now your turn to do some of the talking – you've got a few hours to catch up on a year's worth of conversation."

"Umm, what do you want me to talk about?"

"I dunno, anything really. Where do you live? Are you muggle-born? Just keep us entertained for a while," Sirius finished with a wave of his hands.

"Ok… umm, I live in London, I am muggle born – My dad's a wizard, mum's got no magic in her at all. I… have an older brother, though I sort of wish I didn't. And I'm a generally boring person, so do I have to keep doing this? I feel like a right idiot."

"Nah, you can stop if you want," came James' voice. "I think Siri just likes to put people in awkward situations. Like with that Ravenclaw last week," the bespectacled boy cast a vengeful look towards Sirius.

"What was wrong with that?" he answered. "She looked lonely. I thought she might appreciate hearing that the oh-so-wonderful James Potter fancied her."

"Yeah, she did. I, on the other hand…"

Remus grinned to himself and settled down more comfortably on his bed. The four Gryffindors talked for hours, covering a rather broad range of topics.

Suddenly Peter jumped up and announced that it was time for lunch. As the boys filed out the door, Remus grabbed Sirius by the shoulder to remind him of something he'd almost forgotten.

"You've still got to pretend you don't know me at lunch, ok. My brother's going to be there, and he's pissed enough at me already."

"What'll I tell the others?"

"Just… just explain that they can't talk to me. Tell them as little as possible; I don't want anyone making a big deal over my brother. It'll just make things worse."

"Alright so, I won't say a thing. But you won't go back to your usual silent self tonight, will you?"

"I promise. I'll be just as loud as the rest of you, as long as it's not around Romulus."

"It's a deal then. Coming?" Sirius gestured out the door. "I'm famished."

"I'll wait a few minutes. It might look kind of suspicious if we go down as a group. And it'll give you time to explain things to Peter and James."

"See you later, then. Bye."

He slipped out the door and down the hall. Remus sighed contentedly and lay down on his back, a smile playing across his lips. He was happier than he'd been in a long time. Even as he slipped into his seat beside Romulus at the table the feeling stayed. Life was taking a turn for the better.