Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter OR Remus Lupin (yes it is quite sad) only J. K. Rowling does pouts That doesn't mean I can't kidnap him though right? grabs Remus and runs away
O well! Hope you enjoy my story enough to review it! Big Thanks to all my friends especially my editor and critic SiriusAllPunked.
Chp. 1 Places to go…
The small platform that stood before a large scarlet steam engine was packed with anxious parents and children waiting to board. The sound of hooting owls echoed from every corner as cats of every color wound between people's legs and toads sang happily from atop luggage trolleys. The conductor always enjoyed seeing students from previous years return. He even recognized some of them. He laughed to himself. A small student to be was trying to make herself look as inconspicuous as possible between a pile of trunks and her mother's skirt. Her flaming red hair was the only thing that kept her from blending in entirely. All first years were nervous. Among all the hustle and bustle that is usually quite common at train stations, stood five shabbily dressed people, a man and his wife, along with their three children. The tall gangly girl who looked about 14 had her long brown hair in two braids that hung down her back and was trying to stuff a large black and white cat into a too small cage without much success. The older of the two boys, a skinny one with light brown hair who looked 11, was being poked unmercifully by the younger boy, a round chubby boy with messy dirty blond hair who looked about 8 years old. Despite this annoyance, the skinny boy wore a huge grin along with his tattered jeans and T shirt. He looked older than he really was and had a tired look about him. And when he lifted up his sleeve to scratch his arm, the conductor noticed he had a half-healed cut on his arm. The conductor tore his eyes away from this unusual child and blew the whistle, sending the children scurrying towards the train.
Remus Lupin stared intently at the scarlet train as he waited for his older sister, Addie. He really didn't mind waiting though, he was happy her cat had stopped drooling on his shoulder, something it had been doing for the past half-hour. After five minutes of desperate yowling from the cat, it was unhappily crammed into the large box. Addie straightened up and brushed her hair from her eyes.
"Ready to go kiddo?" she asked slightly out of breath.
Remus snapped back to reality. He nodded and was about to pick up his bags and start walking when-
"Remus did you pack enough socks? You know how cold it will be up there in the winter." his mother asked worriedly.
Susanne Lupin was a thin Muggle woman who always seemed to be worrying or on a diet. Although she had never attended Hogwarts, she had visited many times with her husband when Addie had gotten an award, and knew almost as much about the castle as her husband.
"Yes mum" he said half-heartedly. He didn't care whether he had packed enough socks or not. Cold toes would be a small price to pay as long as he was going. He just wanted to get on that train and go where he had been told he could not go for five years.
His sister was picking up their bags and loading them onto the small trolley as Remus was suddenly caught from behind in a one armed bear hug. He turned to look at his father.
Robby Lupin was by far the tallest of his small family and looked about 45. His once dark hair was beginning to gray but his green eyes still danced despite the hardships the family had been pelted by for the past five years. Hardships, Remus thought as a tsunami of sadness and guilt washed over him, that he had brought upon them.
Remus pushed these thoughts from his mind as he looked at his father.
"Go get 'em champ" he said, clacking Remus on the back and releasing him. Remus felt himself be hugged by his mother.
"Oh Remus I'm so proud of you" his mother said lovingly.
"Oh Remus I'm sooooo proud of you" Charlie Lupin was a round pudgy boy of eight whose sole mission in life, it seemed, was to torment Remus to within an inch of his sanity. He was one of those children who could get away with anything by just turning on his smile.
Remus glared at his brother over his mother's shoulder, who in turn stuck out his tongue.
When he was finally released from his mother's embrace, he started pushing the trolley towards the baggage car. As the conductor helped him load his trunk, Remus had the strangest feeling that the man was looking at him. Before he could check though, the man had once again merged into the crowd of students.
Remus found an empty compartment and sat looking out the window. He saw his parents and brother searching the train windows for a glimpse of him. He waved and was relieved when they finally saw him and waved back before they disappeared into the crowd of people seeing their children off. He slumped against the window and pulled out a Muggle book he was reading, The Three Musketeers. As the train slowly pulled away from the station, Remus felt his eyes beginning to close as he drifted off into a world of dreams.
…………………
BANG!
Remus jolted awake, his book falling from his lap as the compartment door opened suddenly and two dark haired boys tumbled in.
"You git! You tore a hole in my robes! "The long haired boy was saying to his companion, a bespectacled boy with short unruly hair.
"Chill out you have at least three more" The boy with glasses was countering fiercely.
"I'll chill you out you little-"the boy stopped suddenly as he saw Remus' bewildered face.
The boy looked at Remus, tilting his head to the side. "Who are you?" he asked curiously.
Remus wondered why this boy was talking to him. Back home, everyone knew what he was, and even though the town had been ordered not to tell anyone about it, they never spoke to him. When he was around, they would call their children inside and lock the doors, no matter what time of the month it was. He had always been home schooled, and once when he had wandered over to a local school playground, he had been pelted with Gobstones the whole way home. Even the Muggles knew something was wrong with him, although they didn't know what.
He regained his composure and remembered that the boy was addressing him.
"Who are you? You're the one who came in here." Remus replied with confidence.
Remus saw the bespectacled boy scowl at him from behind his friends back.
"Oh um….well I'm Sirius Black and this is James Potter." He gestured to his companion, who just glared.
"I'm Remus Lupin. Pleased to meet you." Remus replied smiling as he bent to pick up his book.
"Whatcha readin'? "The boy was called Sirius Black asked curiously.
"The Three Musketeers. It's a Muggle book that my mum gave to me. "Remus said shyly.
Sirius picked up the book. "Interesting. Hey James, look at this." Sirius said to the other boy, who was unpacking a box of Exploding Snap and promptly ignored him.
"So you're Mums a Muggle then? "
Remus nodded slowly, not sure what Sirius's reaction to this piece of information would be. His mother told him that some wizards greatly disliked those of Muggle parentage.
"Cool. My family is boring. All pure bloods. James's family is too." Sirius handed him back his book.
"Do you want to play?" he asked, gesturing towards the Exploding Snap and James, who shot Sirius an annoyed look.
" Um no thanks I'm almost done with my book. Thanks anyway. "Remus said nervously, catching the look James had made no attempt to hide.
"Suit yourself. "
The two became absorbed in their game and as Remus felt himself falling asleep, he wished he had join in; after all, these two didn't know his secret. Maybe…maybe they could be his first real friends…
That took long enough! Please Review and tell me what you think.
