Letters

Disclaimer: Insert your own. The usual.

Later on in the week, on a Saturday night when Lily was not in the common room and James and Sirius were catching up with the weeks' homework, as well as helping Peter, Remus sat sucking his quill in the corner of the Gryffindor Common Room. Then he set quill to parchment.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hi, how are you lately? I know that it's been a while since my last letter, but I hope you don't mind. I really have been having a lot of fun lately. Maybe I should tell you.

First of all, James( you remember I told you about him?) is running from a very angry Lily. Apparently Sirius played a crazy prank on her and Lily thinks that it's James' fault-can't say I blame her, since he is always staring at her. Sirius of course, finds the whole thing a joke and says that nothing will happen. Well, nothing did happen since the two of them got a detention for not finishing their homework and complained when I told them so.

Though, something that should interest you dad. Since the day that Lily attacked us, we decided on calling ourselves the Marauders. Me, James, Sirius, Peter. I finally feel accepted, though maybe that's not such a big deal. We discovered a couple more secret passages, and Sirius wrote some down. So did I, only problem is what will happen if we are discovered. You told me that when you were here, you found a couple. Could you please tell me about them? Everything is useful.

Letter is kinda long, so I have to stop writing. Write me back soon.

Remus

Remus sealed this letter and sent it the next day. It was a good letter, and no point in telling him how much more accepted he felt. School still required his work, and still required his focus, but so what?

He was a werewolf, and lately he was forgetting that. He must never do that. It always should lurk in his head, since one slip of the tongue could lose him his friends- to the wolf, his pack. He knew the wolf had not gone, was just sleeping. But sometimes though he forgot that. Never must forget that. Never.

He stretched and yawned as he sat in his bed, waiting for the crazy James to come back up, when he heard James and Sirius whispering.

He leapt out of bed and met them on the stairs. The other boys in the dormitory were elsewhere. Remus was an early sleeper and riser. Also a light one. The being of a werewolf had very few perks, but excellent senses was one of them. So he could hear James coming up the stairs. Though that wasn't really a feat, since James and Sirius were loud. James then appeared with a package. A large light package.

'Hallo, who's it from?" asked Sirius. "I want to see the tag."

James grinned. "I think I know. My father sent it, he's a worse mischief maker than I am. Look, it's got a note."

James Son,

Hello, and since you are planning to become a grand set of mischief makers to plague Hogwarts in your turn, I think that it is a good thing if you had this- after all, mischief makers shouldn't be seen. Plus the fair Lily can't spot you as easily.

Dad

He opened the parcel. At once, a strange substance came sliding out, cool to the touch and a strange silvery grey. It lay in pools of grey on the floor at James' feet. Actually, at James' nonexistent feet.

"It's his old invisibility cloak! We Marauders are now well equipped! And this way, I can instantly hide from Lily."

"Cool," said Remus. They all tried it on, and he discovered that it was a very weird feeling when you could not see your feet. Very strange. You wondered a little. Yet he felt so light and free . . .

It was definitely cool. And would be useful.

&&&

Later, he sat sucking the ends of his quills- one was a sugar quill from a package that James' mum sent, and one was a fine tip quill. On a piece of parchment, he was writing, no drawing carefully. Each line had to be perfect, and each line was a work of art, even if it was only the first floor with classrooms. All the secret passageways were being drawn in so carefully, and every line was thinly drawn first. Then, he would thick line them.

He was actually pretty good at this even if he did say so himself. He smiled. Then he sighed, since the sugar quill that he had been nibbling on was finished. He would have to get a new one.

Sigh. Wherever from?

Note to self: See if we can find a way to get into places that have sugar quills. Find kitchens. This last bit was for Sirius.

He was lying on the floor moaning and groaning and saying that he was starving.

"Honestly, I don't see how you can survive? How on earth can you survive this way? Starving?"

"Sirius, will you shut up? I don't want a blot on the moving staircase. That would be a catastrophe."

James laughed. "Yip it would be. Luckily, I've got some other stuff. And here Remus." He chucked him a sugar quill which he caught, no problem.

"Yeah thanks. Sugar, food for the thought."

"FOOD!!" yelled Sirius.

Remus, Peter, and James rolled their eyes and exchanged glances. Remus then told them that his dad should be able to tell them of secret areas in the school, and the next letter was looked forward to with anticipation. When it came, it proved useful.

Dear Remus,

Hallo, how are you? We got your last letter, and I was going to tell you about a little secret cubby hole that we found. I don't know if it's still there, but there is a little room in the Gryffindor common room that was just next to the fireplace. Inside it there was Floo powder-if there is still some use it well, you hear me Remus? It seems that Sirius will starve if you don't get him food, so I will tell you how to get into the kitchens. There is a door to go through in the entrance hall. Go through, then go down some stone steps. You'll see a gorgeous corridor with paintings of food. Go to the painting with a fruit basket and tickle the pear. Then follow the door.

Good Luck! Your mother has a few words to add to this as well.

Dear Remus, I do miss you. Have fun, though if I were you don't let Filch catch you-that happened to Tony , and he narrowly missed being whipped. I've sent some quills for you to draw with, really nice ones, and some Muggle drawing pencils. You should find them useful especially since I sent a huge set. There are a few sweets and some biscuits- fun to nibble on.

Have Fun, and Enjoy

Mom and Dad

They laughed at this letter, and at once planned to see if they could find the Floo Powder, which they did. Also they ate some of the biscuits. He loved his mother's biscuits. They were always cinnamon and crunchy, and tasted so good. She had spelled them to make sure that they stayed warm as if they'd just come out of the oven. They had a spicy aroma, and they reminded him of home. He didn't miss it, not too much anyway, but when Christmas came, he might go home.

Also he liked the drawing pencils. So did all the drawers of the map, since they were the most wonderful things besides the sharp adjustable quills. Beautifully, light and dark, used for good and bad passages were brilliant. It was great. Just great.

So were the kitchens. They would never go hungry. Particularly Sirius.

He often wondered, however, why Sirius never got letters. Each of them, even the chubby Peter got letters, but Remus never saw Sirius with a letter, except for once-and they never asked who it had been from, since Sirius had looked murderous. He wondered, really what lay behind the smooth and easy façade that Sirius wore. He wondered, really wondered who lay there. Sirius never spoke about his family. Once, he said something about his cousin Andromeda, but that had been only once.

For once, he realized that his friends as well might have miserably painful lives.

Not just him.

Even if he was a werewolf.

&&

But life wasn't always good. He still had Davius' classes, Snape and Malfoy to deal with. Not to mention the fact that the moon was waxing ominously above him. So one day he sent a letter to his parents.

Hello Mom and Dad.

Right now school sucks. You know Snape, that greasy oily haired kid that knows all those curses. Right. Him. He tried to hex James for no reason at all, other than Sirius looked at him mean! So James hexed him, and Sirius would have jumped him. I grabbed Sirius, and then stupid Davius came out and took fifty points from Gryffindor and gave us all detention!!! For WHAT!! I DIDN"T DO ANYTHING!!! But no one ever accused Davius of being fair any way. So then in class, Malfoy- that Lucius- blond, sleek thing with grey eyes and an expression! Started flicking paper balls at peter, since peter won't do anything at all. Luckily, Lily hexed him. Really lucky, since I think Sirius was twitchy to hex someone. Miraculously, Snape came down to dinner with his hair pink! And a sign on his back saying: greasy haired kid. Lily just laughed. When she isn't quarrelling with James and not talking to us, she actually is kind of nice to us all. Which therefore, is hardly ever. Sadie hasn't gotten over Sirius' stupidity, but he doesn't care- he always has a girl up his sleeve. Lately it was some Ravenclaw named Tracy- he dumped her yesterday. So what?

Things are therefore as normal as they ever will be at Hogwarts, one week before the full moon. And we have Astronomy. I think I'll be sick. I just might attack Malfoy one day- tempers are hard to keep.

Remus.

Yes. Tempers are hard to keep. As well as wolves are to contain. He was brooding again, worrying, and two days before his transformation, he left school to hide. If only he knew how much he was missed.

"Hallo, has anybody seen Remus?"

"Nope Sirius," said peter.

"Funny." James frowned. "He usually is around . . . just like last month when we couldn't find him at all."

"He will turn up . . . he better had, since it feels really scary without him here to quarrel with us for not doing our homework. Plus I want a cinnamon biscuit!" said Sirius.

'They're in the cubbyhole by the fireplace, you dolt," said James lazily to the hungry (as always) Sirius.

He came back chewing. "Rem should be back by tomorrow."

But he wasn't.

They got seriously worried, and were just going to go to Professor McGonagall, when they saw him three days later.

"REMUS!! Where have you been?"

He looked exhausted, there were shadows under his hollow eyes, and he looked very bony, like if he had been fighting with something. There was a scratch on his hand . . .and to James, he looked very sunken.

"Just back home, one of my aunts was majorly sick, thought she was dying . . .wanted to see her dear nephew . . . didn't die though. Pity."

They laughed, but James wondered, then forgot about it.

& &

That night Remus lay awake. It was one of the first in a series of lies. And he knew that it would not be the last. It would not be the last at all.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Well . . . not lending to angst, but still . . .they will soon have more fun in update form!!! Encourage them! So review.