Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any character mentioned in this story, minus Mercury the owl… Everything else belongs to the fabulous J.K. Rowling, and therefore could not possibly be mine…

A/n: I hadn't seen one of these before, and so when I had the idea I decided to write it… I don't quite know where I'm going to take it… perhaps it'll become Slash, but that's only an if… 'If' that's what the readers want… 'If' that's the way the story takes me… It all really depends on the 'if' and you, the reader… So review… 'If' you, the reader, don't want Slash, let me know, and it'll become a friendship fic… Thanks all!

The Photo Album

By The Rogue Raven

Chapter 1: Remembering Harry

Remus Lupin had just barely managed to walk through the front door of his small, shabby house when a large, regal-looking barn owl soared in behind him. "What now?" the worn looking man muttered sourly. After shutting and locking the front door behind him, Remus trudged over to where the large owl was now perched, atop an empty owl cage that was resting on a shabby-looking end table. "Well," the man muttered to himself, "at least someone's getting some use out of that cage…" Frowning at the haughty-looking bird, Remus asked, "What is it today, hmmm? Another decree from Delores Umbridge on the 'containment' of 'dangerous half breeds'? Or perhaps another parole board notification from Azkaban? Let's see it then…"

The owl stuck out its leg and allowed the werewolf to untie the scroll. After ruffling his feathers, the regal owl hopped down into the cage and began to drink from the water dish.

Remus turned the letter over in his hands to reveal a scarlet seal bearing a large 'H' surrounded by an eagle, a badger, a lion and a snake. "Hogwarts?" the werewolf murmured to himself. After carefully breaking the seal, Remus glanced down at the untidy scrawl of the Hogwarts gamekeeper. "So Hagrid sent you, eh?" he asked the owl, who didn't respond. Remus looked back down at the letter and read over te half-giant's words.

Dear Remus,

Long time, no see, eh? How're things going in London mate? Things is all right back here and all… I don't know if you knew, but Harry, you know, Lily and James's son, he started here at Hogwarts this year…

Remus stopped reading instantly, how could he have forgotten? 'Harry, you know, Lily and James's son…' He couldn't forget that… Harry, Lily, James, Peter… Sirius… Attempting to avoid thoughts of his four lost friends, the werewolf turned back to the letter.

He's a great kid Remus, James and Lily would be proud. But Dumbledore sent him to live with his aunt and uncle after, well, you know. Their muggles and didn't tell him anything about his parents. I suppose you remember what they were like from the wedding. Seeing as you were one of their best friends I figured you might have some old pictures of them, you know, from school, the wedding and things. Could you possibly send some on to me? I was thinking of making Harry a photo album of his parents. You know, something to remember them by. Send us an owl back.

Cheers,

Hagrid

P.S. Do you now where I'd be able to find Sirius's stuff from his house before he was arrested? I already sent an owl to Peter's mum, asking for anything she can find, and to all the living members of the old Order.

The aged-looking young man stared blankly at Hagrid's letter. Harry was eleven, he was a great kid and had almost no knowledge of his parents or their lives before Voldemort had attacked at Godric's Hollow, late that Halloween night. He didn't know that someone who was supposed to be their friend had betrayed them to the Dark Lord that killed them. He didn't know lots of things that Remus say fit to tell him, and the werewolf was about to sit down and pour his heart out into a letter to the Boy Who Lived but something stopped him. 'Send us an owl back.' Remus lowered himself into the seat of his worn writing desk and tucked a strand of graying sandy hair behind his ear.

Dear Hagrid,

I received your letter today when this bloody owl swooped in and claimed Mercury's cage as his own. A photo album for Harry sounds like a spectacular idea, and I shall send on some photos of Lily and James as soon as Mercury returns from his most recent hunt. In regards to your postscript concerning Sirius's possessions, I must regretfully inform you that they reside in my home. I shall go through them and see what I can find for you.

Sincerely,

Remus J. Lupin

Remus finished signing his name to the parchment with a flourish and reread the letter. Nothing too obvious… He sounded like his old-school-self: serious with a touch of humor.

'You're not Serious; I'm Sirius!' said a boyish voice in the back of his head. "Shut up Padfoot…" Remus muttered to the voice. Finally, after deciding the letter was good enough to be sent, the werewolf magically sealed it and tied it to the now rested barn owl. "Go on then…" he coaxed the owl as he opened the front door wide.

The owl spread his wings and took flight from the room.

The werewolf watched as the large bird disappeared into the clouds carrying his letter to Hagrid. Remus closed and locked the door once again just as a precaution his home had been broken into more than once by villagers hoping to spill the blood of the wolf. "Well…" he murmured to himself, "I suppose I should make some dinner before I get started…" He managed to drag himself to the kitchen to make himself a cheese sandwich.

'Great dinner Moony… Really impressive…' echoed the voice of a cheerfully sarcastic young man.

"Lovely, I'm going mad…" Moony said to the empty room.

'Well, you know they say talking to yourself is the first sign…' chimed the voice.

"No… In my case its talking to a voice inside my head that sounds oddly like my bet friend before he went and betrayed us all…"

That shut the voice up… It always did, because the voice was a figment of Remus's imagination, and no matter how active the former Marauder's imagination was, it didn't know how he would respond to that comment. They were supposed to be The Marauders forever, and the memory of Padfoot had no idea how to react to the fact that he had become a traitor.

A/n: So? What did you think? Should it be Slash or not? Should it be continued at all? Let me know, please!

Raven