A New Life
9. Christmas
"Speech" 'thought' § telepathic speech §
As per usual the morning routine in the Gryffindor 1st year boys dorms went as such; the alarm rang, Sirius fell out of bed, Remus got to the bathroom first followed by the twins, Frank and when he woke up a second time, Sirius.
The twins and Sirius thought were usually the first ones dressed with Remus and Frank following. Sirius would look to see what books Remus had packed and do the same before using a spell he found to duplicate Harry's homework and make a few changes using James' homework so the teachers didn't get suspicious. Other times he did it the other way round or he used Remus', once in a while he would use Franks for Herbology and that was when he could convince the boy to help him.
They ran down the stairs and met the girls as they came down in a more orderly manner. Sirius flirted with Hope, unsuccessfully, Remus talked about homework with Radella, Frank talked to Alice and the twins talked to Lily, usually Harry apologizing for whatever James had done. As they entered the great hall, the four marauders pulled out their wands and under their breaths muttered an incantation.
The prank would activate when one of the Slytherin's touched their goblets after James said the word. Halfway through James was talking about sweets with Harry to cover us and said "Lollipops" As the word left his lips the whole Slytherin tables robes changed to pink and they jumped on the table dancing and singing Best Song Ever by One Direction including the dance at the chorus.
When the song finished the spell stopped and their robes changed back, the only thing that stayed pink was the blush on their cheeks, which was quickly becoming tomato red as the great hall continued to laugh.
The boys high fived and the day went on as usual. When the list came round with the people who were staying at Hogwarts for Christmas, the 3 brothers saw Remus going to write his name down. Quickly they intervened.
"Remmie why don't you come to ours for Christmas instead of staying here on your own?" James suggested, knowing their mum would let them if they told her today and not on the last day of term. Remus blushed with hope.
"I would love to but wont your parents mind?" Sirius shook his head. "Nah dad won't mind and mum would love have you, she likes cooking for others and we need you so we don't have to eat all that food by ourselves!"
They laughed at the end and ran to the Owlery where they used Harry's owl, Poseidon to send a letter home asking, including a picture of them and Remus that they took secretly in the great hall with the dancing, pink, Slytherin's behind them.
The next day the four sat, scoffing breakfast when Harry's owl came flying down, a letter clutched in his talons. After offering a piece of bacon, Harry took the letter. "Thank you Poseidon" He broke the wax seal on the envelope and quickly unfolded the letter.
Dear Harry, James and Sirius, I am glad to know you are getting on well at school, I hope you are not using all your spare time to prank the school, I saw the Slytherin's! It was a good prank though spread your tricks out a bit and don't always prank the snakes.
Anyway I'm writing to let you know Remus can come for Christmas as long as he gets permission from his mother. Keira is getting a bit lonely around here on her own without you boys here to cheer her up so remember to write to her again, maybe include some pictures of just you three, give her something to hold onto.
Make sure to spend some time with her this Christmas, she isn't going to see a lot of you for the next three years until she comes to Hogwarts. Your dad has been working a lot more lately because there has suddenly been a big amount of dark magic popping up all over and is tired so don't be too loud when you come, he's not been getting much sleep as of late. He'll be at work for most of the time you'll be here but unless there is an emergency he'll be with us Christmas, eve, day and will be there to greet you off and on to the platform.
We'll be taking the floo home so no need to change clothes unless you want to, remember to wear robes over your clothes, we need to keep up Most Noble and Ancient house appearances. I know you don't like it but it's expected, you can take them off as soon as you get home. Tell Remus that he's always welcome at our house, he looks like a nice boy and I'm glad your making friends.
I'll have one of the guest bedrooms done up for him on your floor. I think that's it. I have to go now, I have a potion simmering and I need to attend to it. See you at the Platform
Mum
Harry looked up from the letter to see the others looking at him expectantly.
"Remus, you have to get your mums permission but other than that you can come, Keira is missing us and we need to send her a letter and spend some time with her this Christmas, give her some pictures of us and some with her as well to keep hold of. Mum also says Dad is working a lot more because a lot more dark magic is coming up. She says not to be too loud because he's barely slept, they'll meet us on the platform and we're taking the floo. She also says we have to live up to the Most Noble and Ancient house appearance so you know what that means." Harry said, sighing at the end.
James and Sirius grimaced while Remus looked confused. James explained to him. "Being one of the only Most Noble and Ancient houses left means we have a lot of power, wealth and a reputation. People have expectations of us so that means when we get off the train we are expected to be in dress shirt, tie, trousers, dress shoes and robes." He grimaced again.
"Am I expected to dress like that because I don't think I brought any dress shirts or robes" Remus asked, worriedly. "It's okay, you are expected to as a guest of the house but not dressed as us, for one you don't have to wear a tie and a white shirt and black robes will do, if you need anything we can lend them to you"
Remus looked relieved at the prospect. "Okay, thanks. Anyway, I'm going to go to the Owlery and send a note to my mum to get permission." Remus said standing.
They stood with him but split ways as they walked out of the great hall. The 3 brothers started to make their way up to the common room where they would meet Remus after he finished sending a letter to his mum. They made their way down one of the barely used corridors before Harry tripped and put out his hands to break his fall.
His palms made contact with the rough stone and an unusually smooth piece. As he did so a quiet grinding noise could be heard from the wall and as they turned, a gaping hole, leading into a passage, greeted them.
§Whoa§ §Use this so no one hears us talking about the hole§ Harry and Sirius nodded to James suggestion.
Harry knelt by the place he fell. There was a small button, in the shape of a stone, the smooth spot he had felt earlier.
§Guys there's a button here I accidentally pressed with my hand when I fell, its out of the way so no one would see it and no one could step on it by accident unless they were edging along the wall.§ He stood up and pressed the button with his foot, nothing happened. He kneeled and pressed it again with his hand. This time the stone the fell back in the wall came forward and closed the passage off, sealing the doorway and making it almost impossible to see unless you knew it was there.
"Come on we have to go meet Remus in the common room" Harry said adding in his mind, §We'll come back later with Moony and explore§ The others nodded and they walked in silence to the portrait. "Dragons Den" Sirius muttered the password and they climbed through the hole behind the now open portrait.
"Moony! Have you any idea how good it is to see you again!" Sirius shouted, bounding into the room. Remus raised his eyebrow. "Hey Sirius it has only been 10 minutes since I last saw you and what homework do you want doing this time for me to get that greeting?" Sirius smiled sheepishly. "Transfiguration alright?" Remus nodded and Sirius ran up to the dorms to get the essay.
Harry smirked. "Nice one Moony" James looked around confused, "What? What did Remus do that was good?" Harry and Remus looked at him incredulously. "James… you're the best at Transfiguration so Sirius is going to come to you for the help with his homework and Remmie and I get a little peace to do our own homework"
It dawned slowly on James' face as Harry explained and he looked with horror at teaching Sirius as he came bounding down the stairs, quill and parchment in one hand with is wand swinging dangerously in his right. "Jamesie! Homework time!" Sirius said cheerfully and he dragged the reluctant brother over to a table in the corner where James tried to help him with his homework and by help, do it for him.
Remus looked nervous as he glanced at the brothers in the corner. "Err… Harry can talk to you please… in private" He said, hoping his desperation wouldn't show.
Harry saw the pleading in his eyes and slowly nodded, glancing at James. He signaled he was going out and James nodded before turning and groaning as he crossed out yet another of Sirius' mistakes.
Harry led them out of the common room and outside where Remus conjured some blue flames inside a jar to keep them warm.
"So, what did you want to tell me?" Remus looked at Harry worried. He sighed, it was going to come out anyway one day, he wanted to be the one who told his friends and hear their snide remarks rather than behind his back.
"I have a secret, a big one and I don't want to tell anyone but it's going to come out anyway…I'm a werewolf" He let out he breath he was holding and looked down at the snow around his ankles. After a minute of nothing he looked up, expecting to see revulsion of Harry's face. Instead he found acceptance and confusion.
"Is that it?" Harry asked. Remus looked at him, the weight that ad been on his shoulders lifting with the joyous acceptance. "Remus, just because you turn into a wolf one night a month maybe twice at the most doesn't mean you aren't human for the rest of the time. I'm friends of you because you're Remus Lupin, the guy who I can actually have an intelligent conversation with unlike my idiots of a twin and brother. Who speaking of which are we going to tell?" Remus smiled but shrank back at the prospect of telling someone else. "I'm scared," He admitted.
Harry looked at Remus; here was not the 12-year-old confident Remus Lupin he knew. Here was the shy, withdrawn 11 year old he had known earlier in the year. They had pulled him out and gave him confidence but now it looked like he had curled back in on himself.
"Remus, we called you moony because of the wolf part of you, even more fitting now, and that is a part of you. As a true friend, you are supposed to accept a person as a whole, not partially and I have accepted the whole Remus Lupin not just human Remus. Remember Remus me and my brothers grew up in the same environment, they will accept you and if they don't, they are not my brothers" Remus looked up in surprise at the last statement and so did Harry but the surprise soon turned to determination.
"Lets go tell them?" Harry suggested, slinging his arm around Remmie. Remus took a deep breath and set his shoulders.
"Lets go tell them"