Author's Notes: Glad everyone's hanging in there! Thanks for the new alerts and favs by Lady Beatle, cozmic, and ylana. Welcome, hope you continue to enjoy
ylana - Glad you're enjoying my take on Remus and Sirius. I agree there wasn't nearly enough of their interaction in the books. We were given tantalizing hints of the brotherhood the Marauders shared, but it was afterall, Harry's story, so I suppose the rest of us will just have to let our imaginations run rampant about other characters. The flashbacks are actually the result of me having ideas for both a "history of Remus" story and the "behind the scenes of the series" story of Remus that this is primarily. The history story was disjointed, flashes of scenes really, thus the "flashbacks." I hope you continue to enjoy.
catwalking.owl - Glad you're still enjoying. I do love writing banter. I just imagine talking to my best friend.
Wolviesfan - You are indeed right that I theorize Remus's werewolf magic combined with wizard magic made him a unique case. Wands use bits of magical creatures to help a wizard focus their own magic. So, if one WERE a magical creature...just a pet theory. Remus has grown quite a bit in the years that Sirius has been away, but his base nature of wanting to please will remain. I suspect Remus always was the one to try to make James and Sirius see reason only to go along in the end anyway. As to the brother wand issue, I have long learned when writing that things get written without any preplanning from me that become significant later even to my surprise. Yet another reason I believe that stories exist somewhere intact and the author just stumbles along them to put them to paper...or computer screen. As to the silver, I've done some research on werewolves to great disappointment on my part. Either it is utter rubbish on how to tell if you yourself or your neighbor is a werewolf (google "recognizing a werewolf" some time) or history of criminals and kings (such as King Lycaos, hence lycanthropy) who were rumors to be werewolves and yet often proved to be mentally ill or just psychos like Jeffery Dahmer. I can find scant little about the mythology of the werewolf. I'll take recommendations if anyone has found something worth reading. The reaction to silver is actually a Hollywood invention from what I can find only as old as the first half of the twentieth century, but it is so solidified in popular werewolf culture, I decided to keep it, but make it like a severe reaction rather than exposure death.
And now...a chapter that's not divided!!
Chapter 3 - Number 12 Grimmauld Place
The scratched, black door with the silver snake head knocker slid open with a long creak revealing darkness beyond.
Remus opened his hand, blue flames appearing without a word as two wizards entered and shut the door behind them.
"I love it when you do that," Sirius said.
"You always were easily entertained," Remus replied, squinting into the blackness. The smell of mold and dankness was overpowering to his sensitive nose and he was too late stifling a sneeze.
"Who's there!" a voice demanded from the end of the hall.
Remus immediately closed his palm, extinguishing the flame and both wizards split apart, drawing their wands.
They edged along the wall in the darkness when the voice again shrieked, "Who dares enter the House of Black?! Thieves and scavengers! How did you enter this home?!"
"Mum?" Sirius's voice asked unbelieving. "Lumos."
Remus squinted at the sudden burst of harsh light from Sirius's new wand tip.
"Regulus?" The whisper was soft and hopeful, still in shadow at the end of the hallway.
"No," Sirius said as they drew closer, the light finally falling on a painting of an older woman wearing a black cap, her yellowing skin stretched tight upon a once aristocratic face. Her eyes twitched back and forth, searching the darkness. Sirius brought his wand tip under his chin to light his face.
"You!" The painting said suspiciously, "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Azkaban."
"I escaped," Sirius said, gazing at the image of his mother. The portrait was nothing like he remembered her. His mother had been a handsome woman, never one of light, feminine beauty, but of noble bearing and forbidding stature. This withered woman clung desperately to an image long lost to her.
"You should have lost your mind in that place," the woman retorted, her eyes narrowed.
"I was innocent."
"Well of course you were," Walburga Black spat, "I'd have finally had a reason to be proud of you if you'd actually turned in the Potters and given those Muggles the end they deserved, but no, my son, the last scion of the House of Black has always been a blood traitor. Scum! Shame of my flesh!"
Sirius's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Well get used to seeing me around again, mother. I've volunteer my house as the new headquarters for the reborn Order of the Phoenix, so you'll be seeing a lot of blood traitors and muggle-lovers," Sirius stared savoring for the moment as the woman in the portrait sputtered and spat, lost for words. Moving away from the portrait deeper into the house, Sirius said over his shoulder, "Oh mother, you remember my friend Remus Lupin, the half-blood. Did I ever tell you he's a werewolf too?"
"Diseased filth!" The portrait shrieked, "Disgusting half-breed! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers..."
Remus sighed and rolled his eyes, following his friend.
"I think the first order of business should be taking down that portrait."
The two made their way into the kitchen. Layers of dust coated every surface and cobwebs hung limply from what once must have been a grand chandelier.
"Merlin," Sirius coughed, waving his hand distastefully in front of his face as he walked into a web, "I suppose Kreacher died."
"What is Kreacher?" Remus asked as he surveyed the room.
"Our old house elf," Sirius replied, "He was old when I was a boy, so I can't say I'm surprised. He seemed to continue to live just to spite me. Still, it would have been nice if he was still on the job."
"Ah, I remember you talking about him now," Remus said from where he was examining a cupboard, "Well, hissing about him would be more accurate."
"Yes, well once I was placed into Gryffindor and became a shame to the family, he was as nasty as he could be and still fulfilled his bond. Careful, Remus, that's the silver cupboard."
"Ah," Remus took his hand away, "I wonder where the cleaning supplies are?"
"They used to be in the back of Kreacher's burrow," Sirius stuck his head into a dark crevice, "Merlin it smells. I hope he didn't cork it in here. I'd hate to find his ugly little corpse. Nope, no cleaning supplies." Sirius pulled himself back out, wiping dust off his clothes and out of his hair, "I suppose we'll just have to scourgify the hell out of everything," Sirius sighed looking around, "Unless you have money to buy some?"
"Ha ha. Scourgifying will have to do. It'll suffice for the meeting anyway," Remus sighed.
"It'll have to," Sirius shrugged reaching past Remus to draw a silver goblet from the cupboard and filling it with water.
"You don't happen to have anything besides silver by any chance?"
"Of course not," Siruis snorted, "Nothing but the best for the noble and most ancient House of Black," he said, raising his goblet with one hand and giving a one-fingered salute with the other.
Shaking his head, Remus glanced about and spied a bug scuttling across the floor. He pointed his wand and mumbled, "Feraverto." Picking up the small water goblet, he poured himself a glass as well, "Surprised the water still works."
"Me too," Sirius nodded, looking throughtfully at Remus's goblet, "You're drinking out of a bug's backside, you do know that?"
Remus shrugged, "Protein?"
Sirius leaned against the counter, staring at Remus contemplating, "You know, I only just realized something."
"I'm flattered, Sirius, but I'm not gay."
"Ass," Sirius bumped shoulders, "Besides, if I were going to switch teams, I'm quite sure you wouldn't be my type. No, our first night at Hogwarts, the settings were silver, but after that it was always gold."
"You remember that after all these years?" Remus looked at him surprised.
"Thinking about Hogwarts kept me sane. Plus, the older students made a bit of a fuss over it, remember, wondering why it'd changed?"
Remus Lupin could hardly believe it. He was at Hogwarts! He was actually sitting in the Great Hall at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The enchanted ceiling he'd read about time and again hung over him, showing the almost but not quite, no not yet, full moon peering out behind the clouds. He frowned at it for a moment, disliking the reminder of reality glowing down on him when the red and gold Gryffindor banner over the table swayed to obstruct the moon from view, reminding him that he was indeed at Hogwarts and at the Gryffindor table no less! His gaze moved from the scarlet banner with the gold lion flying over his head to the proud line that spanned the room: the blue with the bronze raven, the yellow with the black badger, and finally, the green with the silver snake where he had expected to have to sit. After all, were else could he, a dark creature, go but to the house that produced the most dark wizards?
A great commotion across the hall turned Remus's attention back to the table to observe mounds and mounds of food spread before him, more food than he had ever seen together! Chicken legs, hams, roasts, meat pies, lamb, great bowls of seasoned potatoes, carrots, greens, beans…everywhere he looked his mouth watered.
Enthusiastically, he grabbed two chicken legs from the platter in front of him. Two black haired boys across from him were chucking bread rolls down the table and he grabbed one out of the air before they were all airborne.
"Nice one," grinned the one with glasses, "You could try out for seeker."
The boy's attention didn't stay on Remus long enough to reply, but he grinned.
He reached next for the spoon buried in the potatoes, but when his fingers closed around it, a searing pain shot up his hand. He hissed and dropped the spoon, pulling his hand to his body and glancing furtively around him. No one seemed to have noticed. Glancing down at his hand, he observed the raw red blistering flesh from the silver burn.
At the staff table, the small boy was being unknowingly observed. Dumbledore's eyes widened when he saw the child hastily drop the silver. How could he have forgotten, the old wizard frowned. He watched as the boy looked at his fingers, then look to his place setting and then again at the gleaming serving silver laying up and down the table.
Beside him, Professor McGonagall's chair began to stir. He quickly placed his hand over hers, "No, Minerva, it would only draw attention," he said softly.
"But Albus, that burn will be severe," she said concerned.
"We will tend to him when the feast is done," he assured her.
"How is he to eat?" McGonagall asked.
"He will have to figure something out," Dumbledore replied softly, "I do not know how I could have forgotten, but he will have to make do. If this is to work, if he is going to remain here, he will have to learn to think on his feet."
Back at the long table, Remus was surveying his plate. He had chicken and bread, both of which he could manage with his fingers, so he bit into a leg, ignoring the pain in his hand. He was accustomed to ignoring pain.
"Why ever aren't you having any vegetables?" A curious voice asked from beside him.
Remus turned to face the greenest pair of eyes he'd ever seen. He stared dumbly at them for a second, a bit of chicken hanging from his mouth before a giggle brought him around, "I, er…"
"Just because we're away from our parents doesn't mean we get out of eating our vegetables," the girl said, heaping a spoonful of potatoes on his plate, followed by a healthy portion of greens.
"Oi, what are you, his mum?" The other black haired boy smirked.
The girl observed the other boy's plate, piled high with roast and gravy and promptly plopped spinach on top of it.
"Hey!" The boy cried indignantly.
His friend with the glasses snickered, "She got you there, mate."
The girl turned away from the two with a roll of her eyes, "I'm Lily Evans," she held out her hand.
Remus took it tenderly, "Remus Lupin," he said, studying the face behind those green eyes with its peaches and cream complexion and long red hair.
The girl gasped as she went to take his hand, "What happened?" She turned his hand over, studying the blistered skin.
"Oh, um, I burned it on one of the lanterns on the boat," Remus stammered.
"Wicked cool," One of the boys said, leaning over the table to see. Lily glared at him, "Oh, I'm Sirius Black," He introduced himself, sitting back in his seat, "and this is James Potter," he thumbed at the boy in glasses.
"Pleasure," she said absently as she studied Remus's hand, "You really should go to the hospital wing, you know. That looks terribly painful."
"You sure you didn't bring your mum with you?" The boy named Sirius asked.
"No," Remus snatched his hand back, "Its fine, really. Besides, I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten since this morning."
"Well all right," Lily didn't sound very happy about it, but she let up. Remus turned back to his plate, now piled with food. Suddenly grateful for his too long secondhand robes, Remus allowed the long sleeve to fall over his hand and grasped the fork, spearing a potato and gingerly pulling it off the tines with his teeth.
"Well, that certainly worked out well," Dumbledore observed.
"Yes, but what is the boy to do tomorrow and for the next seven years. It will be obvious if he uses a unique place setting." MacGonagall asked.
"Oh, I think I can have the matter taken care of before morning," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as he watched the young werewolf eating and chatting with young Miss Evans.
After the feast, none of the first years noticed the Headmaster approaching the Gryffindor line, "Mr. Lupin."
Remus turned at the familiar voice, his insides sinking at being singled out so soon, "Yes sir."
"Congratulations on being placed into Gryffindor," he lifted his eyes, "Indeed, congratulations to you all, but I must ask to see your hand," his attention returned to the sandy haired boy. Remus looked up at him startled, then held out his palm, "Dear me, that looks frightful. Burned it on one of the lanterns, did you?" Remus's jaw dropped, but he nodded. "Yes, happens every few years it seems. Mr. Longbottom, I will be taking young Mr. Lupin to the hospital wing. I will escort him to Gryffindor tower as soon as Madam Pomfrey has fixed him up." A young man in Gryffindor robes with a small badge nodded, then herded the rest of the students away.
Remus walked quietly beside the Headmaster, trying to memorize the route to the hospital wing as he supposed he'd be getting quite familiar with the place.
"Tell me, young Remus," Dumbledore's voice broke the quiet, "How do you like Hogwarts so far?"
"If I had to leave tomorrow, sir, this would have been the best day of my life!"
Dumbledore chuckled, "Well, I am glad that you are so impressed, but I do hope it only gets better from here. I owe you an apology."
"Sir?" Remus asked, startled, then clapped his good hand over his mouth, realizing he'd interrupted.
"I should have remembered the silver serving pieces and settings. This should never have happened."
"Well, I don't suppose one can remember everything, can they sir?" Remus said, looking up at the older wizard.
"I don't believe that many would choose to if they could," he replied softly, "but not to worry. We will have the situation resolved by the morning."
Remus looked up, puzzled, "How will you do that, sir?"
"Tell me, young Remus, do you know what a philosopher's stone is?"
"Yes sir. It's legendary. It makes the elixir of life."
"Very good," Dumbledore nodded, "Do you know of anything else it does?"
"It's supposed to turn anything into gold."
"Also correct. I believe you've just earned five points for Gryffindor," he smiled.
Remus beamed, "Th…thank you sir. But sir, why are you asking me about a philosopher's stone?"
"Well it just so happens, I have a good friend that has one, and I am sure that he will lend it to me for the evening," Dumbledore placed his hand on Remus's shoulders as they entered the Hospital Wing, "I think Hogwarts is long overdue for a change in cutlery."
"Dumbledore can get his hands on a philosopher's stone?" Sirius gaped at him. "I don't suppose I should be surprised, I mean, this is Dumbledore, but still."
"I believe that it's since been destroyed," Remus said.
"Ah well, I suppose he knows how to make another if it ever catches his fancy. Wonder if he'd teach me," he said musingly, looking about the kitchen. "What do you reckon, good enough for the first meeting."
Remus looked around, pleased with what had been accomplished with only wandwork, "Yes, I think it'll do as long as no one's too finicky."