He was so excited that he could barely sit still; he was going back to
Hogwarts! The one place where he had found true friendship and acceptance.
The one place he never thought he would ever be able to go. The one place
he could call home. Searching the train for his friends, he found them in
the very last compartment, talking about their upcoming seventh year.
"I've heard that they turn you into a troll if you don't pass your NEWTs," Sirius Black said, flipping his long black hair out of his eyes. Peter Pettigrew cried out in despair across from Sirius, who grinned at the response. The chatter stopped, however, when Remus entered the compartment.
"Moony, old friend!" Sirius greeted, standing to meet Remus' height. "How was your summer? Any exciting news?"
Remus shook his head and smiled to greet Peter. "None whatsoever. Yourself?"
"Oh, you know, had a few dates, bombed on all of them," Sirius replied with a shrug. "The usual. So," he added quickly, hopping to another subject and sitting back down, "are you ready for our seventh and final year?"
He nodded enthusiastically. How could he tell Sirius that he had been looking forward to this day for the past eight weeks, impatiently counting the minutes until he was back on the scarlet train that would whisk him back to his true home? It almost seemed impossible to put into words. "I'm not looking forward to NEWTs," he commented, before looking around the compartment. "We seem to be missing James," he said slowly. "Any idea where he might be?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "With his new girlfriend," he practically pouted. "Our seventh year finally arrives and Prongs takes off to be with his new love."
"Girlfriend?" This was the first Remus had heard about it. James had tried, unsuccessfully, to date several girls in the school but none of them seemed to be interested in him at all. Remus suspected it was the fact that James was so full of himself it was hard to keep his feet on the ground, but he always figured someone out there would see him differently.
"Lily Evans," Sirius answered. "I know," he continued seeing Remus' look of utter shock and surprise. "Wormtail and I thought they hated each other, too. But as it turns out, one of them matured over the summer. Couldn't be Prongs, of course. He's always been mature." This last comment was said with the utmost sarcasm one being could muster and Remus couldn't help but laugh at his friend's disgruntled expression.
"I'm sure he'll come around," he assured Sirius. "Besides, Lily will get sick of him soon enough. She's always been the one to tell him he's too conceited for his own good. I'm sure her temporary insanity will wear off soon." He sat down beside Sirius and leaned back in the seat. Peter, who had been silent so far, leaned towards the window and looked up at the sky.
"Full moon just passed two nights ago," he said quietly. Remus gave him a blank look.
"Really?" he asked, pretending to look thoughtful. "So that's what that transformation into a werewolf was all about; here I was, thinking I had a problem or something."
Sirius burst into laughter just as James entered the compartment, a pretty redheaded girl attached to his hand. "What's so funny?" he asked, looking mildly offended. "Something I said?"
Sirius' smile faded and he glared at his friend. "How could it be?" he said with obvious distaste. "You just got here."
James ignored Sirius' attitude. "You all know Lily Evans," he reminded them, pulling her further into the compartment. Remus felt he was the only one smiling at her.
"You were in my Charms class," he refreshed her memory. "You were excellent at mobile charms."
Lily beamed. "Thanks," she replied. "What's your name again?"
James intervened. "Sorry, Lily," he offered. "This is Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew." He waved his hand around the compartment and everyone but Sirius smiled or waved. It became apparent that Lily noticed this and she backed away slowly.
"I think I'll go back and sit with Kat," she said, squeezing James' hand before she left. "I'll see you when we get to the school." She was gone before James could protest and he flopped down heavily in the seat beside Peter.
"Damn you," he cursed at Sirius, fingering his wand in his pocket. "Why couldn't you be polite like these two?" He jerked his thumbs in the directions of Peter and Remus. "Then maybe you wouldn't scare my girlfriend away."
Sirius said nothing. He just stared out the window with a pout as the rain bounced off the glass and struck the ground below them. There was a lull in the conversation in which Remus pretended to be examining his fingernails. It wasn't long before Sirius spouted off, "Sorry, mate."
"S'alright," James replied, dismissing the subject with a wave of his hand. "I just want you guys to know," he continued, "that nothing will change between us four. Just because Lily and I are dating doesn't mean I'm going to neglect you three."
Sirius didn't say a word, which Remus thought was extremely tactful. Instead, he continued to stare out the window, but his face looked somewhat lighter with the prospect of James' promise.
The Hogwarts Express rolled into Hogsmeade station just as the rain was letting up. Drops still fell from the sky but at less frequent intervals than they did while on the train. James hurried to snatch a carriage for his friends and they rode up to the school, chattering about who would win the Quidditch cup this year, what NEWTs were going to be like and if they were going to have nearly as much homework as they did during their OWL year.
"I hope not," Sirius claimed as the carriage slowed to a stop outside the front doors of Hogwarts. "That was brutal; if I have to go through that again, I just might become a murderer." He pretended to strangle Peter, who squealed in discomfort.
"That's because you don't do your homework," James reminded him. Sirius mocked looking thoughtful for a moment.
"Oh, yeah," he finally said.
The school castle looked fabulous as always and just inside the Great Hall, Lily Evans and a girl Remus had only seen but never been introduced to were waiting. "I thought you had gotten lost!" Lily cried when James entered the Great Hall. "Want to sit with Kat and me?"
James suddenly looked very embarrassed. "Um, I think I'll sit with my friends tonight." Sirius looked immensely proud by this fact, but Lily only shrugged and smiled.
"Okay, I'll see you after dinner then," she said, leading her friend away. The friend smiled and bid goodbye to James, but Remus couldn't help but stare at her. She was beautiful in every sense of the word. Her long auburn hair came just above the small of her back and her eyes were a clear, crystal blue that reminded Remus of the ocean in faraway places like Cuba. She was easily an inch or so shorter than him, but had the lean body of a dancer and the proud look of an entertainer. He watched her walk away and heard someone behind him clear their throat.
"Interested?" James was grinning when Remus turned to face him.
"In what?" he replied, trying to look innocent.
James' grin grew even wider. "Drop the innocence act," he scolded ruefully. "I saw you looking at Kat."
"Who?"
James rolled his eyes. "Kat Lawson, Lily's friend. She's in Gryffindor with us. Don't tell me you haven't seen her before."
Remus knew he had seen Kat Lawson before but her beauty never struck him as much as it did now. He watched her sit beside Lily on the bench at the Gryffindor table and admired the splendor that surrounded her. She looked like one of those people that were just wonderful in every way...but he couldn't get involved with her. Having a girlfriend at this time was out of the question for him. He couldn't endanger her every month and besides, what girl would love a guy who became a werewolf during the full moon?
"Not interested," Remus replied to James' earlier question. "Just admiring." He sat down beside Peter on the bench at the opposite end of the table from Lily and Kat, but kept watching her throughout the meal. If only he could live a normal life, then maybe a girl like Kat Lawson would be able to love him. But until then, he was doomed to lead a tragic love life.
"I've heard that they turn you into a troll if you don't pass your NEWTs," Sirius Black said, flipping his long black hair out of his eyes. Peter Pettigrew cried out in despair across from Sirius, who grinned at the response. The chatter stopped, however, when Remus entered the compartment.
"Moony, old friend!" Sirius greeted, standing to meet Remus' height. "How was your summer? Any exciting news?"
Remus shook his head and smiled to greet Peter. "None whatsoever. Yourself?"
"Oh, you know, had a few dates, bombed on all of them," Sirius replied with a shrug. "The usual. So," he added quickly, hopping to another subject and sitting back down, "are you ready for our seventh and final year?"
He nodded enthusiastically. How could he tell Sirius that he had been looking forward to this day for the past eight weeks, impatiently counting the minutes until he was back on the scarlet train that would whisk him back to his true home? It almost seemed impossible to put into words. "I'm not looking forward to NEWTs," he commented, before looking around the compartment. "We seem to be missing James," he said slowly. "Any idea where he might be?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "With his new girlfriend," he practically pouted. "Our seventh year finally arrives and Prongs takes off to be with his new love."
"Girlfriend?" This was the first Remus had heard about it. James had tried, unsuccessfully, to date several girls in the school but none of them seemed to be interested in him at all. Remus suspected it was the fact that James was so full of himself it was hard to keep his feet on the ground, but he always figured someone out there would see him differently.
"Lily Evans," Sirius answered. "I know," he continued seeing Remus' look of utter shock and surprise. "Wormtail and I thought they hated each other, too. But as it turns out, one of them matured over the summer. Couldn't be Prongs, of course. He's always been mature." This last comment was said with the utmost sarcasm one being could muster and Remus couldn't help but laugh at his friend's disgruntled expression.
"I'm sure he'll come around," he assured Sirius. "Besides, Lily will get sick of him soon enough. She's always been the one to tell him he's too conceited for his own good. I'm sure her temporary insanity will wear off soon." He sat down beside Sirius and leaned back in the seat. Peter, who had been silent so far, leaned towards the window and looked up at the sky.
"Full moon just passed two nights ago," he said quietly. Remus gave him a blank look.
"Really?" he asked, pretending to look thoughtful. "So that's what that transformation into a werewolf was all about; here I was, thinking I had a problem or something."
Sirius burst into laughter just as James entered the compartment, a pretty redheaded girl attached to his hand. "What's so funny?" he asked, looking mildly offended. "Something I said?"
Sirius' smile faded and he glared at his friend. "How could it be?" he said with obvious distaste. "You just got here."
James ignored Sirius' attitude. "You all know Lily Evans," he reminded them, pulling her further into the compartment. Remus felt he was the only one smiling at her.
"You were in my Charms class," he refreshed her memory. "You were excellent at mobile charms."
Lily beamed. "Thanks," she replied. "What's your name again?"
James intervened. "Sorry, Lily," he offered. "This is Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew." He waved his hand around the compartment and everyone but Sirius smiled or waved. It became apparent that Lily noticed this and she backed away slowly.
"I think I'll go back and sit with Kat," she said, squeezing James' hand before she left. "I'll see you when we get to the school." She was gone before James could protest and he flopped down heavily in the seat beside Peter.
"Damn you," he cursed at Sirius, fingering his wand in his pocket. "Why couldn't you be polite like these two?" He jerked his thumbs in the directions of Peter and Remus. "Then maybe you wouldn't scare my girlfriend away."
Sirius said nothing. He just stared out the window with a pout as the rain bounced off the glass and struck the ground below them. There was a lull in the conversation in which Remus pretended to be examining his fingernails. It wasn't long before Sirius spouted off, "Sorry, mate."
"S'alright," James replied, dismissing the subject with a wave of his hand. "I just want you guys to know," he continued, "that nothing will change between us four. Just because Lily and I are dating doesn't mean I'm going to neglect you three."
Sirius didn't say a word, which Remus thought was extremely tactful. Instead, he continued to stare out the window, but his face looked somewhat lighter with the prospect of James' promise.
The Hogwarts Express rolled into Hogsmeade station just as the rain was letting up. Drops still fell from the sky but at less frequent intervals than they did while on the train. James hurried to snatch a carriage for his friends and they rode up to the school, chattering about who would win the Quidditch cup this year, what NEWTs were going to be like and if they were going to have nearly as much homework as they did during their OWL year.
"I hope not," Sirius claimed as the carriage slowed to a stop outside the front doors of Hogwarts. "That was brutal; if I have to go through that again, I just might become a murderer." He pretended to strangle Peter, who squealed in discomfort.
"That's because you don't do your homework," James reminded him. Sirius mocked looking thoughtful for a moment.
"Oh, yeah," he finally said.
The school castle looked fabulous as always and just inside the Great Hall, Lily Evans and a girl Remus had only seen but never been introduced to were waiting. "I thought you had gotten lost!" Lily cried when James entered the Great Hall. "Want to sit with Kat and me?"
James suddenly looked very embarrassed. "Um, I think I'll sit with my friends tonight." Sirius looked immensely proud by this fact, but Lily only shrugged and smiled.
"Okay, I'll see you after dinner then," she said, leading her friend away. The friend smiled and bid goodbye to James, but Remus couldn't help but stare at her. She was beautiful in every sense of the word. Her long auburn hair came just above the small of her back and her eyes were a clear, crystal blue that reminded Remus of the ocean in faraway places like Cuba. She was easily an inch or so shorter than him, but had the lean body of a dancer and the proud look of an entertainer. He watched her walk away and heard someone behind him clear their throat.
"Interested?" James was grinning when Remus turned to face him.
"In what?" he replied, trying to look innocent.
James' grin grew even wider. "Drop the innocence act," he scolded ruefully. "I saw you looking at Kat."
"Who?"
James rolled his eyes. "Kat Lawson, Lily's friend. She's in Gryffindor with us. Don't tell me you haven't seen her before."
Remus knew he had seen Kat Lawson before but her beauty never struck him as much as it did now. He watched her sit beside Lily on the bench at the Gryffindor table and admired the splendor that surrounded her. She looked like one of those people that were just wonderful in every way...but he couldn't get involved with her. Having a girlfriend at this time was out of the question for him. He couldn't endanger her every month and besides, what girl would love a guy who became a werewolf during the full moon?
"Not interested," Remus replied to James' earlier question. "Just admiring." He sat down beside Peter on the bench at the opposite end of the table from Lily and Kat, but kept watching her throughout the meal. If only he could live a normal life, then maybe a girl like Kat Lawson would be able to love him. But until then, he was doomed to lead a tragic love life.