A/N:. :wince: I had no idea it had been so long! I have no excuse. I'm sorry... As a small compensation I've uploaded the last two chapters together. I hate to leave things unfinished. Man... That was a long break...

Loose Ends and Memories

For the second time that year, Harry discovered himself inside the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor's office, faced with the same awkward decision that was not quite a decision. In front of him, on the desk, lay that same pewter bowl, oozing silver vapour from cracks in the edges as well as the surface. The urge to reach out and delve into the promising silver pool almost overwhelmed him.

However, before he could give in, the door swung open to admit the professor, or former professor as he was now, and his owl. He made crooning sounds under his breath to the owl, as well as revealing to him exactly what had made this year so weird.

"-And Snape looking almost apologetic? He'd have a heart attack if he knew I noticed that!"

Orion hooted in agreement, and then left his owner's shoulder to perch on the intruding student's head. Harry yelped and flapped his hands at the offending owl.

"I wasn't doing anything you infernal bird!" He protested. "Get off! I was only looking for the Professor!"

Remus threw a chunk of owl treat into a rusty looking cage. The owl hurriedly followed it, bashing Harry's head with his beating wings. Orion crashed into the back bars, reminding Harry considerably of Errol, the Weasly family's owl.

Wordlessly, Remus walked around to the other side of his desk and began to close packs and suitcases. A huge box that looked like a wardrobe folded itself to the size of a large briefcase. If he was perturbed by Harry's presence, it did not show. He dropped the battered suitcase that Harry had seen on the train on to the table and began to fill it with parchment, quills and inks.

"Can I help you Harry?" He asked, after another moment's contemplation. He had expected fear in the boy's eyes, in fact he had not expected in a million years to see the boy in his office after the fiasco the previous night.

"I was just wondering…" He trailed off, taking in for the first time what the professor was doing. "You're leaving?"

"This morning over breakfast, professor Snape accidentally let slip that I am a werewolf. Tomorrow the owls will start arriving. Parents will not want a werewolf teaching their children." He spoke in a matter of fact way, as if it were someone else.

"You were sacked?"

"Indeed not. I resigned. What was it you wanted Harry?"

"I want to know more about my parents."

Short, to the point. Clearly, he had not the gift for elaboration and melodrama that James had. James would probably have never described a spoon in less than four words.

Remus contemplated the pensieve. Surely, it could not hurt to introduce the boy to a few images of his parents. After all, he had just been put into a confrontation with three of his father's old friends and a nemesis, learned that the man whom he had thought betrayed them had not and seen a supposed dead man emerge from a rat. Not something a thirteen-year-old wizard should have to experience. The werewolf sighed and rested his head on his hands for a moment.

"I will show you some of my memories if you wish, Harry." He indicated the pewter bowl.

"You would let me do that?"

"Yes. Better than allowing you to explore it on your own, as you no doubt would have, given half the chance." He smiled and stood, up, holding out his hand to Harry.

The student clasped his hand uncertainly.

They tumbled head first into the silver mist, flashes of memories overwhelming Harry's eyes until he had to close them to ward off a headache. With a sharp twist that turned his stomach, they stopped. Remus let go of his hand.

"Where are we?" Looking around, Harry discovered that he did not have to ask. The rocking motions of the carriage, the old-fashioned red cushioned seats and the sliding windows told him that he was on board the Hogwarts Express.

"How about this one?"

"There's someone in there Sirius."

Footsteps approach the cabin.

Harry looked around. Upon first glance, he had not noticed the small boy sitting by the window. His robes were clearly too big, his tawny hair showed misleading streaks of grey and his amber eyes looked too big for his face. Nevertheless, it was obviously a younger version of the man standing beside him.

The compartment door opens and two black haired boys step inside.

"Hey," The taller of the two greets. Bright blue eyes shine with something unrecognisable. "Do you mind if we sit here? Only everywhere else is full."

Remus looks up and shakes his head before dropping his gaze back to his lap. His hands are shaking.

The boy who had spoken drops into the seat next to Remus. "I'm Sirius Black," he announces, draping an arm over the boy's shoulders. "I'm a nice guy; don't let my name fool you."

"James Potter," the bespectacled boy extends his hand.

Remus eyes it dubiously for a moment. Then he hesitantly takes the hand and shakes it, letting go quickly as if it had burned him.

"Don't worry, we don't bite," Sirius assures, hugging the boy against his side.

Remus mutters something under his breath.

Beside Harry, the adult Remus repeated the child's words in a low voice. "But I do."

Something pulled at his gut and he found himself twisting painfully through decades of memory. The second stop was even more nauseating than the first.

"Go out with me Evans!"

"Not a chance Potter!"

"Second year," Remus informed Harry quietly.

A boy with tousled black hair jogs over, grabs James by the arm and pulls him away. Twelve-year-old Remus shrugs, and opens his book.

Moments later, he is accosted by a chubby Gryffindor demanding his attention.

"Remus come with me! We have to talk to you. Alone."

Dejectedly, Remus follows, the book dangling limply from his fingers.

They enter a room through a door in the wall that Remus did not know existed. The moment he steps through the door, a blur of black flies at him and Sirius has him by the throat.

"You bloody idiot! Why didn't you tell us? Why!" He gives the werewolf a violent shake. "We're your friends dammit!"

James steps out of the shadows and a smile twists his lips. "Did you think we wouldn't find out?" He adjusts his glasses on his nose and lifts a huge tome into the light. Remus shivers as he catches sight of the title - "Creatures of the night Encyclopaedia. Succubus to Werewolf. "

James begins to read. " "How to recognise a werewolf in human form- Frequent disappearances that coincide with the full moon, preoccupation with astronomy or the moon in particular, eyes often change in colour throughout the lunar cycle, becoming more amber as the full moon approaches." Any of this sounding familiar Sirius?"

"Let's see," He growls. "Remus is often ill, and it just so happens to be on the full moon. He's always in the hospital wing in the morning. He gets top marks in Astronomy and has a lunar chart posted to the wall behind his bed. Today his eyes are grey, but I'm seeing little flecks of orange." He pushes Remus harder against the wall.

The aforementioned eyes fill with tears. Remus cannot meet their eyes.

"Also, it says here that another characteristic of werewolves is that they have a lot of scars, and one particular scar known as the 'maker's mark' which shows where they were first bitten and turned."

Sirius's eyes rake over his friend's body. "I can't see one… Where is it Remus?"

"I d-don't know what you're talking about." He tries, voice shaking.

"Don't even try to deny it. You're a werewolf. We know." Peter speaks for the first time since they entered the room.

Remus raises his chin and levelly looks at his aggressor. "All right. I give. Now that you know, what are you going to do about it?"

Nobody speaks. Sirius releases Remus and he falls unsteadily to his feet where he is immediately engulfed in a tight hug.

"Oh Remus. Why didn't you tell us, you infernal idiot?" Sirius questions, almost sobbing into his friend's hair.

Hesitantly, Remus raises his arms to return the hug. "Y-You don't hate me?"

"Did you really think we were that shallow?" James questions. "We just had to be sure."

"But what are you going to do?"

Remus grabbed Harry's arm and whisked them away to another memory. He brushed a tear from his eye as they landed, not wanting the teen to see his weakness.

Three men stand by an archway of flowers. A tall, elderly man stands beneath the arch, grinning at the congregated guests and conjuring novelty items to amuse the children.

In front of the arch, on the left side, stands a wizard of medium height and medium build. Round glasses perch on the bridge of his nose, and unruly dark hair falls into his hazel eyes. Behind him stands to more wizards, standing side by side. One with shoulder blade length hair so dark it gleams blue in the sunlight and shining blue eyes, the other with hair that is almost entirely silver hanging neatly to his earlobes and getting longer towards the back. His eyes shine amber in the failing sunlight and he looks so willowy that it seems possible a strong enough wind could break him in half.

"Is that you and Sirius?" Harry asked, leaning across to Remus.

The older wizard smiled and nodded. "We were different back then."

Upon closer inspection, Harry realised that the bespectacled man was the only one in a muggle suit. Sirius and Remus were dressed in dark wizard's robes. Following the line of their arms down, he was surprised to discover that their hands were entwined. Chasing Harry's gaze, Remus smiled.

A woman walks slowly across the grass causing the hem of her ivory robe to swish across the green tips. She takes the bespectacled man's hand and they turn towards the arch.

The elderly wizard, who is clearly Albus Dumbledore, begins to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Witches and Wizards, we are here today to bear witness to the union of these two people."

"Are they my parents?" Harry asked, although it was clear to him by the man's hair and glasses and the woman's hair and eyes that they were.

"Of course Harry. Are you ready to leave?"

Tears welled up in the boy's eyes. His father's old friend had given him a glimpse, just a glimpse of his parents and what they were like. He had been given a wonderful gift.

He nodded.

This time, he barely noticed the sickening lurch and the nauseating spins. When his feet touched the solid ground of Remus's now ex-office, he sighed in relief.

Remus smiled ambiguously and slid the pewter bowl into a suitcase. He stood and his knees cracked painfully.

"Professor. Were you and Sirius, holding hands?" Harry asked curiously, aware that his curiosity was most likely unwanted.

"Sirius and I were always particularly affectionate. Perhaps it came from us both having unaffectionate childhoods. I mean, who wants to be friends with a werewolf, hm? And Sirius's family were none too pleasant." He closed the lid of his preposterously small suitcase with a sense of finality. "Anything further is up to Sirius to disclose to you."

As if sensing the conversation was over, Harry turned to the door. "Thank you professor. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me."

"Harry, you can repay me by taking care of yourself. Take no unnecessary risks. Keep your friends close to you. And most of all, don't forget who you are. Goodbye Harry. I hope I see you again soon."

A rush of air and Harry was left alone in the empty room. He dropped onto the ground in shock and amazement.

Twenty minutes later, Remus Lupin was striding out of the huge wrought iron front gates. As he walked to a safe apparating distance, he mentally whispered to himself:

Don't look back. Don't look back. Don't look back. Don't look back.

Just as his feet lifted off the ground and his destination flowed into his mind, he looked back. He looked back just in time to see Hogwarts whisked away from him as he faded out.