Written for:

OT3 Challenge - Illness/Injury

Defence Against the Dark Arts Assignment 4 - Task 2a: Write about a physical disability. This can be a permanent one, a temporary one or anything else you can think of as long as it's strictly physical. (word) shake

Emotion Challenge - Overwhelmed

Pokemon Go - Hogwarts

Cinema Challenge - Write about friendship, be it between the Marauders, the Golden Trio, or a different group of people.

Pokemon Trading Card Challenge - "Your beauty is so dazzling that it blinded me."

Going to Hogwarts

"You have an owl, Remus," Hope said as the post arrived.

Remus turned his head in the direction of her voice. "I do?"

"I'll help you take the letter. It's best we don't startle the owl."

Remus nodded his head. "Thank you," he said softly. There was a faint rustle and a flap of wings before a letter was pressed into his hand.

"Where's it from?"

"Open it," his father replied.

Remus turned the envelope, feeling for the flap. Once he found it, he traced it to the corner, slipping his finger under and tearing the envelope. The middle was stuck as though held down with something, and he traced his finger to it, examining the texture, quickly considering what would be on the envelope.

"Is this wax?" he asked.

"It is," Hope confirmed.

Remus opened the envelope, carefully setting the contents directly in front of him. He reached into the envelope to ensure that he had found everything, before setting that on his left side.

He put his hands on the table, finding the letter and opening it, making a note of how thin the sheets of parchment were. His fingers eagerly moved across the first one.

"What does it say?" John pushed.

"It's from Hogwarts," Remus explained excitedly. "They… they're offering me a place at the school! I can go to Hogwarts." He jumped up from his seat, moving left around the table until his hand found his mother's chair. She was already pushing it back and wrapped her arms around him.

"Wonderful news!"

"It is," John agreed. "Though I suggest we have a meeting with the headmaster before Remus attends, just to ensure that it's safe enough for him there."

Remus grinned in the direction of his father's voice. For a moment, he'd thought his father was going to refuse his attendance.

...oOo...

Remus gripped the boy's arm as Gilderoy led him to the sorting hat. Gilderoy walked a little too fast and Remus almost stumbled, but he hoped they would both adjust to walking together.

"Stool is right in front of you," Gilderoy said loudly. Remus nodded, not wanting to point out that his hearing was fine. It happened too often, after all, and he didn't want to fall out with someone who would be helping him around.

He used his stick to check for the positioning of the stool and the height, before turning and taking a seat.

"Now for the Sorting Hat," a woman with a scottish accent told him, before he felt a weight of the hat on his head.

Remus could hear himself breathing. It was overwhelming being in a room with so many people. The only indication he had was when various tables had clapped when students had been placed in their house.

'Hmmm… definitely not a Slytherin," the hat began. "And Ravenclaw won't be sympathetic to you.'

'I'm not looking for sympathy,' Remus thought angrily.

'No, but you need a house that won't leave you behind," the hat replied. "Which leaves two houses. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Now, Hufflepuff has easier access. It's on the ground floor, and—'

'I don't want to be placed there just because it's easier. I can handle stairs. Which house is right for me?'

The hat was silent for a moment. 'If you're sure? Better be—'

There was a moment of anticipation and Remus wondered if the hat would put him in Hufflepuff out of pity.

"—GRYFFINDOR!"

'Thank you!'

"I'll take the hat off now." The Scottish voice was back. "Gilderoy is to your right. He'll lead you to your table, and I'll have one of the prefects assist you once all of the students have been sorted."

"Thank you." The hat was lifted off, and he felt a hand on his right arm. He allowed himself to be led, quickly counting the stairs he was pulled down. He didn't count the amount of steps, knowing he wouldn't be walking from the stool to the table again.

"Do you want to sit down?" Gilderoy asked loudly.

"There's a seat right here," came another voice from the table. He felt a different hand on his arm. "Peter, shift over to the other side. Go under the table or something."

He heard a shuffling sound. "Directly to your left."

Remus turned to his left, reaching out and feeling someone's shoulder.

"Yeah, right next to me. You… you can hear me, right? I mean, the blond poncey git was shouting. Do I need to shout too?" There was a snort on the other side of the table, echoing the sound Remus made himself.

"I really hope you don't. I'm not deaf."

"Right, just checking. My cousin is like you. I don't see… I mean, I don't get to visit him often, but I sorta picked up what my aunt and uncle say to him. They do it all without magic too. Uncle Marius is a Squib and his wife is a Muggle. I'm James Potter." A hand brushed against his, and Remus realised that James was trying to shake his hand. He gripped James' hand firmly, shaking as his father had taught him.

"Remus Lupin."

"And I'm Sirius Black and this is Peter Pettigrew," came another voice from across the table. Remus tried to work out the differences in their voices, so he could have conversations without confusing them.

"So, we'll probably be sharing a room," James said. "The last couple of kids are definitely Slytherins."

"We will be," Sirius said, his tone more reserved than James' excited voice. "The house-elves will take the bags to the room and beds will be added to accommodate us all. Though I suggest we allow Remus first pick of beds. He may have a preference."

"I don't want to be treated differently," Remus murmured.

"And that's why I suggest you pick first. If there's a bed you can get to easier, it'll allow you to be more independent," Sirius continued. "Though you're one of us now... so whatever you need, we'll help!"

"Oh, the food is here," Peter said, his voice softer than the others. "Remus, do you want us to tell you what there is?"

Remus smiled nervously. He hadn't expected everyone to be so nice. "Yes please."

...oOo…

Remus felt a gentle, magical tug at his arm. He allowed the magic to guide the movements that the Professor was showing him.

"Mr. Lupin, do you have that?"

Remus nodded his head. "Thank you, Sir." Without the magical sensation guiding him, Remus began to move his wand once more, focusing on how the magic had led him.

He knew that one day, with a lot of work, he could do wandless magic, and that's what his ultimate goal was. Wandless magic didn't need him to move anything in a pattern that he couldn't see. It was easier, and he'd not have to worry were he to drop or misplace his wand.

"Wingardium Leviosa," he said firmly, moving his arm once more. "Guys?"

"It's up," Peter confirmed from next to him. "But mine doesn't seem to want to move."

Remus grinned, reaching out in front of him until he felt the feather. He couldn't wait to write home to his parents to let them know that he had cast a spell correctly! He was about to turn to Peter, but heard James move around the table to do it instead.

He listened eagerly for James to speak to ensure he had guessed correctly. He was almost certain he could distinguish between his friends footfalls now. James almost stomped around, Sirius moved quietly, and Peter shuffled his feet slightly.

"Try it like this," James said, causing Remus to grin even wider.

...oOo...

Remus flopped down onto the bed with a loud sigh. It wasn't long before his bed was full of Marauders. He could smell Sirius' shampoo on one side, and a hint of James' aftershave on the other. Though he could have guess by their positioning. Peter tended to lay at the end of the bed, or perch on the side. The other two had no issues of laying down as though it were their own bed.

"You have that face on. The 'I did something that I regret' face."

Remus glared in James' direction. "I… I almost asked out Benjy."

"What happened?" Sirius asked. Remus tried to place the tone. Sirius was so used to guarding everything that he struggled to show his emotions when he wasn't overly upset or distressed. Only bouts of extreme emotion could unlock everything inside him. He was getting better since running away from home though.

But Remus was almost certain that Sirius sounded dismayed or jealous. Remus shook his head. No, he was mistaking the tone, obviously.

"He was pitying me and shit," Remus muttered. "I can't be dealing with that. I didn't even get around to asking him out. I don't want pity-dates."

There was a long silence, and Remus wondered what the pair were doing. He could feel in the air that they were gesturing, but it just made him feel even more down than before.

"Rem? Don't look so sad," Sirius finally said. "Benjy's a wanker and you deserve better."

"Who'd want me?" Remus muttered sadly.

He jumped as a hand touched his face. "Well, since you're asking, you've become very important to me." Remus failed to work out the tone in James' voice, and felt very off-his-game. It was imperative to Remus that he could work out tones, and he was unable to work out the ones making up the conversation.

"And me, of course," Sirius added.

"I don't understand what you mean?" Remus admitted.

"What we're saying is that you don't need Benjy. Why not date us?"

"'Us', as in both of you?"

Hands reached for his, and his body turned in Sirius' direction as his left hand was brought to Sirius' face. Glad to have Sirius' silent permission, Remus ran his fingers over the sharp-cheekbone, the slightly pointed jaw, and moved to the long, soft hair. As he pulled his hand away slightly, wondering if he could get away with touching Sirius' lips,, he felt James' hand—which had callouses from gripping a broomstick— take his, pressing it against his own face.

Where Sirius' features were slightly pointed, James' weren't. His jaw was more square, his hair shorter, and his shoulders felt broader. Remus couldn't stop touching, but at the same time, wanted to turn back and touch Sirius too.

"We're glad that Benjy screwed up. Me and Sirius have been talking for a while, and we can't do this without you."

"Do what?"

"We went on a couple of dates together, nothing obvious," James began. "We just wanted to see… but without you there, it felt wrong. We did some research, and there's this thing called a triad. It's actually quite popular in the magical community. It means three people dating each other. So… how about it?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Remus asked, slightly hurt. He relied on being told certain things as he wouldn't be able to see the events.

"Because we weren't sure anything would come from it," Sirius murmured. "We were going to tell you after we decided what to do. So… what are your thoughts on triads?"

Remus listened carefully for any traces of deceit. All he could hear was hope. His hands were still on James, and Sirius was drawing little patterns against his back. "I may just drag you down. The chances of me getting a job in the magical community—"

"We'll make it work," Sirius quickly replied. "Remus, we want to be with you. At least give us a chance. If you don't feel the same after a couple of dates and a fun snogging session, we'll go back to being friends. I promise."

Remus nodded. "Sure. I'll give it a shot I guess." He knew it was a crazy choice. The rational side of him pushed him to turn them down, but Remus couldn't bring himself to be rational. Not when Sirius and James are involved.

"Did someone mention a snogging session?" James murmured. Remus felt the shift of James' body under his hands as James lowered his lips to Remus'. He felt his friend's warm breath against his lips, giving him a moment to refuse.

Remus only hesitated for a second before leaning up and letting their lips meet. It was a strange sensation, as Remus had never kissed anyone before, but James led him carefully through it, his lips slowly caressing Remus'.

"Don't forget me," Sirius murmured into Remus' ear, causing him to jump. Remus turned, almost headbutting Sirius in the nose in the process. This time, it was Sirius to initiate the kiss, his lips eagerly on Remus'. They were softer than Remus', and Sirius didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around Remus, the kiss deeper than what James had done, but just as satisfying.

Finally the three lay down on the bed again. "So, not to kill the mood, but I have History of Magic homework and Binns didn't provide me with any notes of what he wrote on the board. Which one of you wants to read the notes to me?"

"I'll do it," Sirius offered. "But when I'm done, I'd really like to kiss you both some more. That was perfect. You're so... so beautiful!"

"It was, you are!" James agreed.

Remus could feel the expectation in their voices, wanting to know what Remus had thought. He suspected he wasn't beautiful at all, not with the scar over his eyes from when Greyback got into his room. Thankfully the wolf had only scratched him before his father managed to kill the monster. Whenever he felt down over everything, Remus reminded himself that it could have been worse. He could have been bitten, or even killed.

He grinned warmly, thinking about how lucky he was. "Your beauty is so dazzling that it blinded me," he told them. Sirius and James burst into shocked laughter, still not used to the jokes Remus came out with, and Remus waited until the laughter stopped.

"It was more than perfect. It was amazing," he insisted, knowing his cheeks were reddening. "I can't wait to do that again."

"Well, how about we snog first and do homework later?"

"If we do that, we'll never get around to homework," Remus insisted. "Homework first, kissing later."

Thanks to Dina and Em for helping :)

2394 words