Guided By The Moon
Chapter One
When It All Began

Okay we all know that Remus Lupin AKA Moony, has a very mysterious past and no one is quite sure what it was like. I'm going to have a stab at what it might've been like when he was doomed to live as a werewolf for the rest of his life.

It was a dull gray day in a tiny village just off London. The sky was a dark gray colour and the clouds were fit to burst with rain. The birds had taken refuge inside their nests that lay perched on the branches of trees. There was a ferocious wind and mud puddles everywhere from the previous day's rainstorm. All the inhabitants had boarded up their windows preparing for the storm ahead. There was only one person outside on this soon to be dangerous day. His name was Remus Lupin.

Eight-year-old Remus had light brown hair, brown eyes, average height for his age. He knew he shouldn't be out on a day like this but he had been asked by his friends to play a game of catch with the kickball he had. His mother, Anna, had reluctantly agreed to let him go since he had helped her around the house the whole week. Remus and his two best friends Charles Wilter and Matthew Lipton were tossing the ball under the large oak tree that was swaying in the breeze. Charles had dark red hair and brown eyes; he was a bit on the short and overweight side. Matthew had dark black hair and blue eyes; he towered over Remus and Charles and was as thin as a twig. Though they were all best friends Charles and Matthew tended to boss Remus around a bit

"Do you think we should head inside?" Remus asked, looking up at the threatening sky

"Nope," Charles answered, "it just rained yesterday! It can't possibly rain again!"

"I think it's going to rain," said Matthew as he kicked the ball in the air and it landed straight inside the dark forest. They watched as it rolled in and not one of them moved. They were forbidden to go in there, their parents told them of suspicious creatures that dwelled within the forest. Of course Remus knew perfectly well what beasts were hidden there, they were magical creatures and being that he was a wizard his mother had told him.

"I'm not going in there!" Charles squealed

"Me neither!" Matthew shrieked

"Well you kicked it in there" Remus accused Matthew, "you go get it"

"Do you know what's in there? I could be killed you go its your ball!"

"Fine!" Remus stomped off towards the forest and mutter under his breath "big babies." He stepped to the front of the forest entrance and glanced back at his friends, they were watching him apprehensively. He continued further inside, stepping over snapped twigs and roots protruding from the ground. He could hear the consistent drip drop of water dripping into puddles below. All around him were noises made by the beasts that inhabited the forest and he knew he had better find his kickball and get out as quickly as he could. The only problem was that it was nowhere to be seen. Walking a bit faster he went deeper and deeper into the mist of the woods.

As he was walking he heard a deep, muffled growl. He jumped in fright and turned his head frantically in all directions searching for the source of the growl. However, he didn't see anything.

"Probably just my imagination," he told himself sternly, he heard the growl again, "or not!" He turned sharply around, forgetting completely why he was in there in the first place and ran towards the forest exit. As he was running the growling got closer and closer, when it was so close he saw standing in front of him a fully grown werewolf. It was crouched down and ready to leap, Remus was so frightened he didn't even take in what it looked like. It had blackish gray fur, pointed ears, yellow eyes with slited pupils, and was baring its teeth menacingly and the corners of his mouth dripping with drool. Rooted to the spot Remus watched as it walked steadily slower towards him. Attempting to run he dashed to his left but tripped over a tree root sticking up from the ground. He fell to the ground and mud splattered all over him. He scrambled backwards into a tree trunk.

The wolf moved closer and closer. It was inches in front of Remus when it sunk its fangs into his right arm, tearing through his flesh and then ripping his teeth away he started clawing at Remus. Pain searing through his body he struggled to remain fighting but found the werewolf was much too strong for him. The last thing Remus saw before surrendering to the pain was his clothes being splattered with blood and dark shadowy figure running towards him. He slumped to the ground, his eyes shut slowly and everything went black.

When Remus opened his eyes again he found himself lying on the couch, in his living room. He had a long brown blanket draped over him and saw his arm wrapped in now blood soaked bandages. He didn't know, but his face was sickly green and his whole body was as white as a ghost. He tried to sit up but the pain was so great he just slumped back down. He heard his mother and father talking quietly in the kitchen. Desperate to hear what they were saying he pushed himself up and forced himself to go and listen. He leaned against the wall and strained to hear.

"Luke, what are we going to do?" his mother answered anxiously.

"I don't know," Luke, answered, "nobody knows what happened except for Charles and he's... well you know." What was Charles? Remus thought, what was going on? He didn't remember anything that happened, he didn't even remember getting bitten. He staggered into the kitchen and sat down unnoticed. Watching his parents do nothing but look at each nervously he cleared his throat particularly loudly.

"What's going on?" Remus asked weakly.

"Oh!" said his mother jumping in her seat, "how are you feeling?"

"I dunno, still kind of sick."

"Well why don't you go and rest?" his father suggested.

"I just woke up, I'm not tired. I want to know what's happened to Charles." He looked at the expressions on his parents faces change from adoring when they looked at him to frightened and anxious. Immediately Remus knew it was nothing good, but he still had to know, so he took matters into his own hands.

"Was it something bad?" He looked again at his silent parents and saw tears welling up in his mother's eyes and his fatherly turn ghastly white. He knew it was bad now, but just how bad?

"Well you see" his father began, his voice trembling as he spoke, "Remus, when you went into the forest and didn't come out for a long time Charles went in to look for you. Well he didn't come out so Matthew went in. He said he saw you lying on the ground covered in blood and mud and Charles just feet away from you. He checked for your pulse and he knew you were still alive but when he checked for Charles'-"he father broke off and said croakily, "he didn't have one, son, your friend has passed on."

Remus gaped at them they weren't serious? No, he thought, they must be joking he isn't dead! I bet if I go to his house right now he'll be sitting there watching the television or reading a book. I'll ask him what happened and he'll just laugh and tell me!

"Matthew brought you both back," his mother said gently, "there's going to be a funeral tomorrow and we would like for you to go."

"No- no- you-you're lying!" Remus stuttered, "H-h-h-h-h-he's not dead! I can't believe you! He's alive! You're not serious, you can't be! He's alive I tell you, alive!" Suddenly all his strength returned to him and he ran at full speed out of the kitchen and out into the rain. He heard his parents shouting for him to come back and that he would get sick if he was in the rain but he paid them no mind. He turned left and ran that way looking desperately for his friend's house, determined to find him. As he was nearing the house, panting and gasping for breath, he saw a priest walking towards the house. Remus ran quicker to catch up before the priest went in.

"Excuse me?" said Remus politely, "why are you here? Is someone getting married or something?"

"No" the priest replied gravely, "there has been a death in the family. I'm here to arrange the funeral for the folks' son."

"Son?" Remus repeated, dreading what he was about to hear next, "Charles is really dead?"

"Yes, were you a friend of his?"

"Well yes, but you could also say that I-I-I-I-I'm the reason he died." Before the man could answer the door swung open revealing Charles' mother. Charles was the spitting image of his mother. He had the same dark red hair and brown eyes, as well as the same build. She was white face and her face was basically blank.

"Oh Father Alexander," she whispered, "Come in." Father Alexander walked in and Remus followed unnoticed. She brought them to the kitchen and when she sat down she noticed Remus standing right in front of her. Immediately she burst into tears.

"What did I do?" Remus said at once.

"O-o-oh its n-n-nothing dear," she answered through sobs, "are you all right?"

"I'm fine, I guess."

"Thank goodness you managed to get out," she said, barely sounding relieved he was safe, "Matthew said he found you both but for Charles it was too late!" and she broke into more hysterical sobs. Father Alexander patted her gently on the shoulder and muttered to Remus "I think you should leave right now." Remus turned to leave but Mrs. Wilter stopped him.

"Tell me, Remus, what happened in the forest? What killed my son?" she begged, dabbing her eyes with a checkered handkerchief.

"I really don't know," Remus, answered truthfully, "all I remember was being bit by... well something. I passed out right afterward and I didn't even know he had come to get me. It's all my fault! If only I hadn't gone in there in the first place!" He threw himself on a chair and stared at the bandage on his arm, his bite was stinging terribly so he did his best to hide his winces of pain.

"It's not your fault," Mrs. Wilter said comfortingly, "He should have done the smart thing and went to get an adult rather than go in there himself. We mustn't blame anyone. Now I think you should head home you parents are probably worried."

"I guess so. Good day."