Hope's Children

Chapter 5: The Full Moon Day and All Hallows Eve

Last Chapter

"Oh um... Ok, sure. In that case what if you used a time release spell…"

The three of them spent the reminder of the evening planning pranks and learning bits and pieces of Italian. Remus's vow to not make friends lay forgotten in the depths of his mind.

This Chapter

Remus blinked and looked around; the two other boys were both still asleep. The three of them had stayed up late planning pranks for the next month or so, and fallen asleep in the process. "Non sono stato supposto di fare gli amici."1 He whispered to himself as he stood and rummaged through his trunk in search of clean robes.

"Good morning, Remus." He jumped at James's voice.

"Good morning," he said quietly. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. Hey, Remus?"

"Yes, James?"

"Will you teach me basic Italian, so that next time you and Sirius start talking I'll know what's going on?"

"I suppose, though I've never been a teacher."

"Cool, thanks."

Remus smiled. "Ok, first lesson, go yell 'vostro un blocco di frutta marinato gigante'2 in Sirius's ear. I'll tell you what it means at breakfast. Ok?"

James nodded, and wandered over to Sirius. Remus giggled to himself before fleeing to breakfast.

"Non sono stato supposto di fare gli amici."1 Why was that giant pink elephant talking in Italian, he didn't even know Italian and now he was waking up. He stretched and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Blinking, he looked around the room, Sirius was still asleep and Remus was bent over his trunk.

"Good morning." He heard himself say.

"Good morning," Remus said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes," he said, an idea jumping about in his head. "Hey, Remus?"

"Yes, James?"

"Will you teach me basic Italian so that next time you and Sirius start talking I'll know what's going on?" he said quickly.

"I suppose, though I've never been a teacher."

"Cool, thanks."

Remus smiled at him and if James hadn't been half asleep he might have been suspicious. "Ok, first lesson, go yell 'vostro un blocco di frutta marinato gigante'2 in Sirius's ear. I'll tell you what it means at breakfast. Ok?"

James nodded absentmindedly and bent down next to Sirius's ear level. "Vostro un blocco di frutta marinato gigante!!"2

Sirius sprang up and glared at him. "What did you call me?"

James shrugged. "Remus is teaching me Italian and that was my first lesson, what does it mean?"

Sirius only glared at him. "As if you don't know." He stormed out of the dormitory.

Remus meanwhile was eating, and talking with Peter.

"…I'm from north Saylen," Peter said, taking a bite of his toast.

"Really? I've been there. It's…it's…small."

"You don't think I know that? I was so happy to get out of there, though I wasn't sure about the whole magic thing."

"Are you a muggleborn?" Sirius asked, coming up and sitting down next to Peter. Without waiting for an answer he kept talking. "You'll never guess what James just woke me up with."

"Did he call you a giant pickled fruit bat?" Remus said, chuckling into his porridge.

"Yeah how'd you know?"

"My idea, sorry, just a bit of a joke."

"Oh, I should go and apologize to James then, I got really mad at him," he said worriedly as he stood up and left the great hall.

Two minutes later James came into the great hall. "Did Sirius find you?" Remus asked as James sat down next to Peter and helped himself to pumpkin juice. He shook his head, as his mouth was full of juice. "He went looking for you to apologize for yelling and not believing you when you said it was my idea, I corrected him and all should be well."

"It is, I'm sorry." Sirius said, sitting down next to Remus. "Sorry about yelling at you, James."

"I'm sorry too, it was all my fault," Remus said.

"What did I call him anyway?"

"A giant pickled fruit bat."

James snorted, "Very original. So what have we got first today?"

The full moon of October was fast approaching, as was Halloween, though the two were one and the same; Remus was dreading both of them.

"Happy Halloween," Peter said happily, jumping out of bed and pulling robes on over his head.

Remus groaned and rolled over. His head was spinning, his stomach was turning, his eyes were burning, and he still had to get up and go to his classes.

"Are you all right Remus? You look pale."

"Fine" he mumbled, looking down at his porridge and setting his spoon down, it didn't look nearly as appetizing.

"You sure, you really look sick."

"I'm fine!" he snapped. "Sorry, just a little tired I guess."

"You looking forward to the feast tonight?"

"No, stupido, sanguinante, luna piena 3 I can't come actually I have to go and…and…visit my mother, she's ill."

"Sucky, the Halloween feast is supposed to be one of the best."

Remus shrugged. "I'm good, I'm going to hang out in the library till class, I'm not all that hungry." He set down his fork and grabbed his bag before leaving.

"He looked like he's the one who's sick, not his mum," Sirius said, looking at Remus's retreating back. "I'm going after him," he said grabbing two pieces of toast and his bag.

"Remus, Rem, wait up."

Remus turned to look at Sirius. "Stupido, giusto lascilo solo 4," he muttered before calling out to Sirius. "You didn't have to follow me, Sirius."

"I wanted to make sure you were ok."

"I'm fine, really, and I know you don't want to go to the library."

"I do really. But class is in like five minutes; we should just go there and not bother with the library. Don't want to be late, do we?"

"Guess not."

"What happened to the always on time Remus? You sure you're not coming down with something? You look really pale."

Remus glared, why wouldn't Sirius just leave him alone? "Sirius, will you please just leave me alone?" He knew he was whining and he couldn't help it.

"Fine, but if you aren't looking better by lunch I'm taking you to Madam Pomfrey, ok?"

Remus didn't hear him; he was already halfway to Charms and trying to keep his stomach from coming up through his mouth.

1 I wasn't supposed to make friends

2 You're a giant pickled fruit bat

3 No, stupid, bloody, full moon

4 Stupid, just leave me alone

A/N wow two chapters in just as many days, I don't think I've ever updated so fast. There isn't a lot to say. Review on your way out please.

This (and the other chapters of this story) have been betaed by my new beta ( California smells funny) and I'm very happy. Next two chapters will be up as soon as she sends them to me. Smiles,

Twa Twa

Xandria Nirvana