Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead. - Benjamin Franklin

Chapter III: Superheroes

Superheroes.

What is it about them that fascinates our culture? Perhaps we are disillusioned by the discovery that real heroic people aren't perfect. Maybe we're all wearing out by pop culture's tendency to build a person up so we can collectively tear them apart. If superhero films are escapes to a place we wish was true, then our life has needed a lot of escapism over the past few years. I have a fair amount of knowledge of superheroes due to my Muggle mom, wanting her son to have the most normal childhood any young boy would, including knowing all the superheroes.

Back on the topic though; superheroes, everyone likes them. They save the innocent lives, give justice to their society, keep them from the next meteor shower - the whole lot. But most importantly, people like them because they're just different in general.

So why is it that I, with all my glorious differences, feel like the bad guy? And everyone else gets to be the superhero? Just another injustice to add to my collection.

All I want is to explain myself – explain myself to myself, because honestly, I don't even know what I'm meant to be using as my defense. I don't want to be the villain that is hated before being known, that is booed by the citizens because of the superheroes. I don't want to be the person nobody likes (unless, of course, the fans have the same twisted mind as the actual villains). I don't belong in this category, though. It isn't fair that I am judged before even getting to choose which side to be on; it isn't fair that I'm actually good, but no one will lend me an ear – none of it is fair, really. In fact, life is not fair.

Why do I feel so wrong? Why is it that every time I do something, it's like a villain failing to carry out his master plan? Why is it so hard for a werewolf to be accepted into modern society? All I want, desire, wish, pray - is to have the chance to be the superhero, just once. Damn superheroes.

Remus' POV

That might've been the most awkward moment of his life. Alright, not the most, but it was definitely one of his recent ones. No one could ever top the one in 2nd year. However, coming to see Sirius Black sleeping in his bed, having Sirius Black wake up to no one but him in the room, & having probably the most pointless conversation yet - yeah, I think it deserves to be up there.

Remus Lupin laid in his bed staring at its canopy. He had woke up to trouble breathing. Dare he move? He could just wait until the others went down for breakfast first - then again, it was Saturday, and they might just sleep until noon instead. Whether this was a good or bad thing, he didn't ponder much more on it, for he decided at that moment to swing his legs over the bed. Was it just him, or was it getting excruciatingly hard to breathe?

He got up and checked the other 3 boys in the room. Ah, so they weren't awake, good. Before getting ready for his day, he looked at his sleeping roommates again. They looked so peaceful, but looks were deceiving. Beneath all of their looks and smiles, were hearts of stones, apathetic attitudes, and homophobic feelings.

Remus got dressed quickly, not really looking good for anyone - what's the point? He took nothing with him as he left his sleeping peers to the Hospital Wing. He had to check his side, it was injured really bad, and the wound got worse when he slipped down from the dresser. He had landed roughly, and no one came to his aid as the tears he shed when it happened came down again.

He gave a soft knock on the door and waited until Madam Pomfrey came.

"What can possibly be the matter this early, Mr. Lupin?" she asked as she let him inside. He sat on one of the made-beds and just showed her his bruised side. She frowned at him, but immediately went to work. She examined it, softly adding pressure around the area until he suddenly inhaled sharply.

"It seems that you might have a fractured bone, Mr. Lupin. It might've been affecting your lungs to breathe, but no problem." She muttered Emando[1] and she asked him if that was better. Remus took a few breaths and smiled, "Yeah, yeah it is, ma'am. Thanks."

Madam Pomfrey gave a nod, "So, care to tell me how this happened?"

"Er, can I not?" he asked unsure.

"Well, I have to fill out some paperwork, and if it's something serious, I have to be a mandatory reporter, so yes, you have to."

"I fell down the stairs," he said a bit too fast.

"Right. Well, Mr. Lupin, I'm disappointed that you're not being honest with me, but I'll see if the headmaster is busy." He wasn't even going to try to argue, it would probably make things worse. He allowed her to take him to the ugly stone gargoyle, mutter the stupid password, and left him to stand on the staircase spiraling upward. Soon, he came face to face with a griffin knocker on the wood door. He reached for it when he heard Dumbledore's voice.

"Come in." Although it crept him out that he didn't give any sort of notice he was there, he opened the door anyway.

Professor Dumbledore [2] was sitting behind his desk, with the pensieve covering it.

"Please ignore the 'elephant in the room' Mr. Lupin, I was just trying to clear my mind for the day. Being an old man like me, too many memories gives you a headache, you know?" the Headmaster said offhandedly. Remus nodded in agreement.

"So, what seems to be the matter?"

Remus looked away from the soft gaze of the Headmaster when he answered, "Er, Madam Pomfrey sent me here, sir."

"And what might that have been for?" Remus contemplated whether to answer truthfully or not, when Dumbledore interrupted his thoughts.

"Mr. Lupin, look at me," and so he did, "I'm not forcing you to tell me anything, but as your headmaster, I was under the impression you trusted me enough to tell me what's going on."

Remus took a shaky breath, "I'm being bullied, sir." Dumbledore's brow furrowed and he frowned at the statement.

"Who's bullying you?" Remus didn't answer. "Remus," on a first name basis now?, "Hogwarts is a safe home for everyone, and I don't tolerate any of my students to feel unsafe, unwelcome, or uncomfortable here. It won't improve if we don't do something, and we can't do something unless you tell me who." Remus decided that the headmaster was right, as always, and to just come clean.

"It's just … Everyone, sir. More specifically, the Slytherins. I feel so alone. I've feel like I've gained so much, and I finally had it all, that this was what life was about, friends - and I lost it all. I lost my reputation, I lost my friends, I lost my social life in general, I lost everything I had and wanted for years so fast. And it's like for that, it made everything worse. Maybe if I still had my friends, it wouldn't be like this, they would stick up for me, they would prevent it - but they're all gone. Just because of my stupid mistake."

"Mr. Lupin, please elaborate this more. What are you being bullied for? How and why did you lose your friends?"

"I'm gay. I'm the only homosexual in Hogwarts - that's out, at least - and apparently that's wrong. I-I should've never told anyone. I never did tell anyone! It just - I don't even know exactly how it happened, it just ..." he trailed off in frustration.

"I shall tell only you this and trust that you won't tell anyone else," Dumbledore paused to give him a pointed look from behind his glasses, "but I feel that it's necessary, and it might even make you feel better. I, too, am gay." Remus wasn't even sure if he breathed for a few seconds as his eyes widened in surprise.

"Can you tell me more about the situation, on how your friends reacted and such?" Dumbledore continued to question what happened, but Remus couldn't really focus on what he was saying.

So he knew the Headmaster's secret, and he knew his. But if two people share the same secret, is it really a secret anymore?

[1] Emando is the incantation to heal arm bones, not ribs - but I don't think there were any spells to heal any bones that was mentioned in the book, so let's just pretend that worked.

[2] I really dislike it when people describe Dumbledore all the same like "His eyes twinkled mischievously behind his thick spectacles, as he stroked his beard thoughtfully" - like WHOA, as if that isn't being cliché almost as much of making a Mary-Sue. I know, this Dumbledore seems really out of character, but I can't write him like JKR does, who can? But he's like really OOC, being all nosy and shit. Well, sorry, deal w/it please?

PS - This chapter wasn't Beta'd yet by HPJellicleCat.

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