Remus' Room- 1967
Remus sat at his desk near the window, reading a captivating muggle book about a Frenchman who was wrongly imprisoned for years in a fortress-like jail on the sea and eventually escaped to seek revenge on those who framed him. Although it was a sunny day, he much preferred burying his mind in "The Count of Monte Cristo" rather than going outside. He had done that quite a bit in the last year or so: give up the outdoors, which he had loved (this a characteristic he'd learned from his father), in favor of a piece of literature, usually reccomended by his mother. Ever since that night in May of last year when the Lupin's annual family camping trip in the woods went tragically wrong (an incident now referred to by the Lupins simply as "the camping trip"), Remus had lost his enthusiasm for nature.
All in all, it was miraculous that the boy was not consumed by bitterness and self-loathing, as many others who've found themselves inflicted with Lycanthropy are. Of course, there were times when Remus would have envious thoughts, but these were few and far between, for Remus was a very sensible boy. Like today: he sat in his chair, consumed by his book until a sudden noise outside made him look up. The neighbor children, two boys a few years older than he, fighting over a broomstick in their yard. Remus watched as the boy managed to wrest the broom away from his brother and flew up and out of sight.
At least you have a friend to fight with, the thought came, but was not really accompanied by any strong feelings, and then was gone, Remus turned back to his book, and five minutes later would not be able to remember ever having thought such a thing.
No, Remus was not bitter, or at least not overly so. It had not taken him long from the first full moon after the bite for him to really know what it meant to be a werewolf. Yes, he knew that werewolves were people who became wolves on the full moon, and knew (all too well) that those who were bitten by said wolves were cursed themselves. But he did not know what it meant to be labeled as such. He did not know how it felt to cause a person to run away and scream when he was recognized (thanks to the Daily Prophet) on the street, or how alienated it felt to be denied admittance to stores in Diagon Alley when his parents took him there for a weekend, determined to find a way to lift his drowning spirits. He now knew how it felt to be different, for he had caught on quickly.
The monthly transformations were not the only effect that Remus' lycanthropy had on him. Mentally, he had matured faster, and seemed several years older than he was (a trait that would never leave him, as his hair started to gray not long after his 32nd birthday). And speaking of his hair, it had changed from his mother's blond to a light brown, seemingly a compromise between his parents' haircolors. He was a right little bookworm, and quiet, too. Few traces of the once boisterous and carefree personality of his childhood remained, although he was only seven.
"Remus, dinner!" called Helena. Remus dog-eared the corner of the page he was on and set the book on his desk, glancing almost longingly out the window at the younger brother, who was still yelling up at his unseen brother before jogging out his bedroom door and down the stairs.
Anyway, as always, I appreciate feedback on this (especially constructive criticism). This time, I'd also like to know what you think about some ideas I've been working on:
-First ride on the Hogwarts Express (although I think I'm going to save that one for last, when I'm finally all done with this fic).
-The whole situation that lead to Remus actually getting to go to Hogwarts (so excited about the idea of writing Dumbledore! W00t!).
-A little chat with Remus and his parents about another cure that they want to try.
Please review and tell me, because I love reviews and ideas! Thanks again to my faithful reviewers, WhiteRose101, jess moony, and Yoko73. I really, really appreciate that you guys take the time to R&R. Oh, and I'd also like to thank Yami Padfoot and DeepThought3900, who each gave a review recently.
Whoo, I'm terrible at keeping author's notes short, so I'm shutting up now :D