Five Maladies of Remus J Lupin

by Bedraggled Atelier 2

At 15, I had only four concern (my lycanthropy being the obvious first). That is, until Sirius Black approached me at Platform 9 and 3/4. We've met at St. Mungo's during the summer, he said. Imagine if a pureblood knew my secret?

3. Chapter 3

For the first month at Hogwarts, I struggled to keep up with the fifth years and with the additional classes, had no time to fret about Sirius Black exposing me for what I was although the Black heir made his presence known whenever he could. While I was hunched over one evening by the fireplace, searching for the answer to a Charms essay in the assigned readings, I felt a shadow over me. Sirius Black was leaning against the armrest while looking over my shoulders.

"You should be reading up on the Skurge Charm," Black grinned.

"I didn't ask for your help," I wanted to say. Instead, I muttered, matter of factly, almost like a dare, fed up with the fear of being exposed as a werewolf. "You know my secret. My affliction."

I wanted to tell him then about the origins of my lycanthropy, that I was only five when I was bitten by Fenrir Greyback, angered my father Lyall's comments on werewolf kind. Before me, to my father, lycanthropes were "soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death." I wanted him to know that I was not always a monster, only possessed by a dark creature every full moon.

Sirius's eyes softened. "It's none of my business."

Since that day, Sirius Black kept his distance.

It was November before long. I was still struggling to keep up with the long lists of assignments, but I fell into a sort of rhythm by then. At least an essay due every week and an unmentionable number of readings. Unfortunately, with the weather growing increasingly colder, I found myself holed up in the dormitory I shared with Sirius Black, his friend James, and a skittish Peter Pettigrew. Sirius was almost indifferent to me then. But every month when I disappeared to meet Madam Pomfrey, I could feel Sirius's eyes linger on me.

Towards the end of February, after Sirius had managed to dodge chocolates laced with love potions, he confronted me about my affliction. He said he had known since November, suspected it when I had gone missing every full moon. I, thinking he had known all along, grew increasingly confused.

"Why were you always around me then?"