Author's Note: Thanks to those of you who are reading. The hit count keeps going up which is immensely encouraging. Yes, Chapter 1 is very long. No, the following chapters are not as long (so far) but I am not known for being short winded in speech or word. Thanks to those who have put the story on alert.

Malianani - Thanks much for your kind review. Yes, you'll see the time capsule again, but not for quite a while. I'm glad you're enjoying the interpretation of Sirius and Remus's friendship. Sadly, there's not much in canon to suggest how they were together, though it does allow my imagination to run and swing on the monkey bars.

teacher123 - Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy.

Now on with the show...

Chapter 1 - Lying Low at Lupin's (Part 3)

Isabelle Lupin was beautiful. She had pink cheeks, blue eyes, and fine blonde hair that cascaded down her back to a narrow waist. But what Remus loved the most about his mother was her smile. She had so many smiles. She had a happy smile that lit up her face. She had a mischievous smile when she was up to something. She had a loving smile for her husband when he returned home. She had a sad smile when she thought about her parents that had gone to heaven a few years ago. But the smile that Remus loved the most was the smile that was only for him. His smile was a smaller one. He could just barely see the white of her teeth between her pink lips and the corners of her eyes would crinkle and her eyes would twinkle. The smile that belonged to him spoke of love, pride, and belonging. He loved the smile that belonged to him. Mama was smiling that very smile as his fingers moved across the keys of the piano that was nestled in the corner of the living room. He was doing better than he'd ever done before on the piece she'd had been teaching him. Remus concentrated hard as he neared the end, not wanting to make a mistake. His fingers moved across the final keys and Mama broke into applause.

"Bravo, my Remus," she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his temple, "For that, I'm going to make you Grandmama's biscuits," and she smiled his smile.

"Can I help?" He asked, sliding off the piano bench. He loved to help his mother cook the muggle way. All of his friends' mothers cooked with magic. He loved the break the eggs and help her stir. Besides, none of his friends got to lick batter spoons when their mothers mixed with magic.

"I'm home!" A voice called over the sound of the front door opening and closing again. Remus danced in place, wanting to greet his father, but the biscuits…

"I'll wait for you, go on," Isabelle laughed and Remus shot off to the front door.

"Daddy!" He launched himself at the man, knowing he would be caught.

"Oh, what do we have here?" John Lupin laughed as he wrapped a bundle of energy in his arms. Mr. Lupin was a tall, stocky man with sandy hair that was forever falling over dark brown eyes set on either side of a rather prominent nose. His job as a Dark Creature Regulator at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures meant that Remus always got to hear about fascinating creatures like trolls, imps, and vampires.

"You're early, Daddy," Remus grinned, "You can help Mama and me made Grandmama's biscuits."

"Biscuits before dinner?" Mr. Lupin's brown eyes looked playfully suspicious.

"Your son got through the first three pages of Mozart's Piano Concerto Number 5 without making a single mistake," Mrs. Lupin declared from the doorway, "and you're home early."

"Ah, then biscuits it is then," he said, setting his son down and taking his hand as he approached his wife. Isabelle smiled John's smile and kissed his cheek. "You know how rough it's been at work the past week. Richard let me come home early."

Isabelle looked into her husband's eyes suspiciously, "We'll talk later."

Remus looked curiously between his parents. They were getting off track, "Biscuits?"

Isabelle laughed and placed her hands on each side of her son's face, "Yes, biscuits," she said, turning back to the kitchen.

"Oh Remus, Erin O'Malley's father said the strangest thing to me today," John called his son's attention again.

"Oh?" Remus asked with wide-eyed innocence, "What did he say?"

"He told me that his daughter told him that you put flobberworms in her lunch pail at school, but when she went to show the teacher, they mysteriously disappeared. Now why do you suppose she would say something like that?"

"I don't know, Dad. Erin's always been a bit mental," Remus said, his hands behind his back and rocking from heel to toe.

"Mental you say?" He grinned, sweeping Remus over his shoulder and giving him a swat to the backside that went unnoticed in laughter.

"No more putting flobberworms into girls' lunch pails, understand?"

"Yes," his son giggled as he was set back upright.

"Well, since your mum's making biscuits, how about I do a grill out for dinner? Sound good?"

"Yes!" Remus grinned.

"Yes!" Isabelle's voice drifted from the kitchen.

"Grill out it is then," he said, ruffling his son's hair, "and maybe after dinner, you can play me some jazz, how about it?"

Remus nodded enthusiastically before dashing back into the kitchen.

A few hours later, full of grilled kabobs and biscuits and having played a few sessions of jazz as promised, Remus lay nestled between his mother and father on the couch in front of the fire, listening to the wireless. He was in the process of stifling his third yawn when he heard chuckling. He looked up to see his parents grinning.

"I think its bedtime," his father said.

"Can I stay up a little longer?" He asked.

"You have school tomorrow," his mother reminded him, "You'll be grumpy if you stay up. And tomorrow's Quidditch day."

Remus grinned at the thought of the weekly Quidditch game at school and finally let his yawn out, squeaking out the end of it.

"Yep, that's bedtime for the future Ravenclaw Quidditch captain and piano maestro," John said, lifting his boy into his arms.

Wrapping his arms around his father's neck, Remus allowed himself to be carried up to his bedroom. He was placed into bed, a warm quilt pulled snugly up and tucked under his chin.

"Good night, son," John Lupin leaned over and kissed the boy on the forehead.

"Night Daddy," he sighed.

"Good night, my Remus." Isabelle Lupin kissed his cheek and smiled for him.

"Good night, Mum," Remus yawned and snuggled deeper into his quilt.

A cold wind blowing across his neck woke Remus from his sleep. He started awake, squinting across his room illuminated by the moon, just the barest shadow keeping the moon man from displaying his full face. His own face scrunched in puzzlement at his open window. Sleepily, he threw back his covers and stumbled across the room to shut it. His hand had just reached out to the sill when an arm darted through the window and grabbed the front of his pajamas. He squealed and put his small hands around the larger one, trying to wrench the fingers loose, but the arm jerked him out through the window.

"Daddy!" he screamed, but he didn't know if anyone could hear him as whatever had him leapt down from the eave under his window and bounded towards the woods at an inhuman pace. He kicked and punched and screamed before sharp claws raked across his belly. A warm wetness spread across his pajamas that quickly grew cool and all he could do was pant and gasp as he was vaulted deeper and deeper into the forest.

"I had no idea," Sirius said quietly, "I always thought you'd…." he shrugged.

"Been in the wrong place at the wrong time," Remus finished for him, "I imagine that's what most people think. Even I didn't know the full details of why until Albus told me." He turned to face his friend, "My father had captured a feral outside of Kendal a few weeks earlier. Several witnesses identified her as the werewolf that had attacked two witches and three Muggles. She was executed. Her name was Wulfrieda Ulf. She was Fenrir Greyback's mate.

Remus awoke slowly, confused at the feeling of unfinished wood beneath his cheek. Where was his soft bed, his feather pillow, and his warm quilt? His eyes peeked open, sandy and scratchy, alighting not upon his bedroom, but broken, dusty furniture and shabby walls. And he was not alone. Across from him sat a man. He was powerfully built with black hair liberally peppered with grey, grey whiskers, and pointed teeth. Pointed yellow nails drummed on his chest where his arms were folded, regarding his captive with an amused smile. Remus began to sit up and gasped at the stinging pain in his belly as the muscles pulled against torn flesh. His hand flew to his belly and felt a new flow of blood spill over the dried sticky stain already on his pajama top.

"I'll thank you to bleed a bit less, for now," the man chuckled with a gravelly voice, "The smell's making me hungry and it's not yet time."

Remus sat up, his knees drawn to his chest to ease his belly. "Who…are you," he gasped.

"Brave little one, aren't you?" The man laughed, "You'll know who I am soon enough, but your father knows me, boy. Yes, your father knows me well."

"Good," Remus spat, "then you'll know him when he comes for me and kicks your sorry ass."

The man roared with laughter, "Oh yes, you'll do quite well." He glanced out the window, looking into the sky, "Not long now and that father of yours won't come near you."

"My father will always come for me!"

"Oh no, boy," the man's voice became quiet, "Not when you become like me. Then it's me that'll be your dad."

"Remus, where are you?!" A voice echoed in the distance.

"Dad!" Remus leapt up from the floor and bolted for the door. His small hands pulled at it, but it wouldn't open.

"It's too late," The man laughed strangely. Remus turned. Moonlight fell across a contorting face as the skin stretched and the bones beneath transformed.

Remus was not aware of the tears that began running down his face as he tugged at the door in a panic. The sounds of bones breaking and tendons tearing behind him only urged him to tug harder and harder at the door, gasping and sobbing.

"Please, open!" he finally begged, and to his surprise, the door leapt open, knocking him over. He scrambled to his feet, running outside.

"Remus, can you hear me?!" His father's voice called, closer than it had been, but a long triumphant howl interrupted from inside the old abandoned cabin. The boy glanced once towards the sound of his father, towards home, "Yes, your father knows me well." The man had said, and Remus turned and ran the other way.

"You ran the other way?" Sirius interrupted astonished.

"Stupid, I know," Remus shook his head, "All I could think about was that I didn't want that thing getting to my mum and dad."

He ignored the brambles that tore at his pajamas. He ignored the sticks and rocks that cut his bare feet. He ignored the limbs that scratched his face. He ignored everything that distracted him from putting one foot in front of the other as fast as his five year old body would allow. He even ignored the sound of something enormous crashing through the brush behind him.

"Don't look back. Don't look back. Just keep running." The thought ran over and over in his head, even as the crashing behind him grew louder. "No, please, no no no no." And then in front of him, three pops sounded the arrival of three wizards.

"Dad!" Remus gasped.

"Remus!" John Lupin watched as his boy turned and the werewolf's claws raked across his son's face. A cry of pain and astonishment rang clear as Remus was knocked to the ground. Blood ran down the boy's face and into his eyes. Fetid breath overwhelmed him. He saw a flash of dripping yellow teeth and he tried to scream, but he couldn't. Something was crushing his chest, pushing the air out of him. Then, he became aware of tearing pain.

The werewolf looked up, his amber eyes gleaming over a muzzle full of human child. He saw what it was that he wanted; there was devastation in the face of John Lupin. His jaws spread wide in a hellish grin before he turned to bound away. Three more pops sounded from behind the werewolf and voices shouted "Stupefy!" Three jets of red light hit the creature, knocking him into a nearby tree, the child flying from his mouth. The wolf quickly regained his feet. He turned his head, his gleaming eyes glaring almost reproachfully at the wizards in Auror's uniforms before it snarled and leapt away. The creature gone, all six wizards' eyes now fell upon the heap of limbs that had been thrown to the ground. John Lupin ran to his son's side, his blue pajamas heavily stained with crimson.

"Remus," his voice shook as a trembling hand rolled the boy onto his back. His child was covered in blood from three slashes across his face and the bite into his chest. Behind him, the aurors stood solemnly.

And then, Remus opened his eyes, "Daddy?" His voice gurgled through his own blood.

"I've got you, son. You're going to be ok," he turned, "We have to get him to St. Mungo's," as he said it, the clouds parted over their heads and moonlight fell on his face.

Remus moaned. John turned and reached to pick him up, but the aurors seized his arms.

"What are you doing?" He tried to pull away, but their grip held fast.

"John, we have to get out of here," One of the younger aurors said urgently.

"I know, Alastor!" he said frustrated, pulling away again to no avail. His son's moans now turned to screams. "He's hurt. Let me help him."

"John, it's too late. We have to go, now!" Several of the aurors fell back, their breath quickening.

"No! I…"

"John!" The auror named Alastor grabbed his robes and shook him, "Look at him!"

John Lupin turned to look at his son and all strength left him. The child was thrashing on the ground, screaming as his bones broke and tendons snapped; his skull plates rearranged; sharp canines gleamed; long-fingered little boy hands had become sharp-clawed paws; his mother's blue eyes glinted amber.

"That's my son! I can't leave him!" The last thing John saw before he was apparated struggling back to his home was a young, sandy brown wolf with a short, broad snout and tufted tail howling at the moon.

"The next thing I remember was waking up in St. Mungo's. I'm pretty sure it was the following day…"

"…anything you can do…"

"…sorry…no cure…"

"…supposed to do now…"

"…best to put him down…"

A resounding slap brought Remus back to full consciousness. He opened his eyes and a wave of nausea swept over him. He snapped them shut again and, after a moment, slowly reopened them. He squinted against the glaring light, everything was, at first, too blurry. Gradually, his eyes began to focus, and he could see crisp white sheets covering him. Empty beds were made up tightly on either side of him. Towards the end of the room, he could see his father with his arms around his mother.

"Mama, don't cry," his voice croaked.

"Baby?" Isabelle Lupin turned, moving towards him as she wiped tears from her face. The bed dipped as she sat down beside him and he bit back a moan as she gathered him in her arms.

"Belle, careful," John hissed, "His blood could…" But one look from the woman stopped his words in his throat.

Remus took no note of the exchange as he settled safely against his mother. His face hurt when he spoke, and his chest and tummy hurt when he breathed, but none of it seemed to matter at the moment.

"Daddy, who was that man?"

"I don't know," his father said automatically.

"He said…you knew him." Remus winced.

"He lied," his eyes studied the linens.

The family was silent for a moment, Isabelle's hands gently running through her son's soft hair.

"Remus," John finally spoke, "Do you know what the man was?"

"He was a werewolf," Remus said, his blue eyes looked up at his father with a wisdom that was as new as the flecks of amber in his irises, "So that means I am now too, doesn't it?"

The first tears began rolling down John Lupin's face as he continued to look anywhere but at his son.

"Do you have to take me away?"

John's eyes finally fell on the child's face, and the images of morphing features, amber eyes and that howl melted away. Beneath the bandages was his son's face.

"Why would I take you away?"

"I'm a monster now."

"I never want to hear you say that again." He said, sitting down beside his wife, pulling them close so that Remus lay securely between them, "You're my son, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you again."