One fic, no challenge
Title: Friendship
Summary: Remus Lupin's first year at Hogwarts.
Characters/Pairings: Remus, James, Sirius, Peter, Severus, Lily.
Genre: Gen
Beta: None
Rating/Warnings: PG no warnings.
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 1,980
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Nah.
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
Remus Lupin enters the great hall to the sound of derisive snickering. For a brief moment, he thinks they are laughing at him, and he looks about cautiously, face half-hidden behind his History of Magic textbook. After a second or two, he realizes that the laughter is coming from the Gryffindor table, where a small group of boys is huddled around its edge, pointing towards the Slytherins.
At the serpent’s table, one young first year sits glowering at the very end, distanced slightly from his housemates. Remus recognizes the boy as Severus Snape, a classmate he has seen in Potions class and in the library. Severus likes to read about potions, and indeed, he is quite good at them, from what Remus has seen in class. Snape is sullen and quiet, and yet sometimes Remus thinks he might make a good friend. The problem is his classmates.
He hadn’t realized that Gryffindors should hate Slytherins quite so much. Really, it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense, hating people. But hate is a pretty good word to describe the way his fellow first years treat the Slytherin group.
On this day, Severus is sitting alone because there is an awful smell coming off him. Remus feels that he has come in directly after a dung bomb attack, and the arrival of Filch, the caretaker, cements this idea.
The laughing Gryffindors are, of course, James Potter and Sirius Black, best friends and troublemakers from the moment they stepped on the train. Not a day goes by during which they remain quiet and kind, and already, only a few months into their time at Hogwarts, they have gained a reputation.
Remus does not approve. He sits silently and frowns, eyes downcast, as Filch viciously grabs Potter and Black by an arm and leads them out of the hall. Glancing up, Remus sees Severus getting up to leave, most likely to have a shower. Remus doesn’t understand why they have chosen Snape to torment; Severus has never started a fight.
Which is not to say that he does not retort when attacked. Where Remus can only stare downward and frown silently, Severus Snape snarls and shouts and flings awkward curses. He is only a first year, and yet he already knows a hex or two, and Remus rather suspects that he is inadvertently teaching James and Sirius, for the two of them pick up spells much more quickly after a skirmish with Snape.
That evening, Remus is writing an essay for Transfiguration when the Troublesome Two enter the common room. “Did you see his face when I lit the form on fire?” James asks excitedly; Sirius merely grins. “Oh, hullo, Lupin,” James says, his voice sounding a bit subdued. “Studying, are you?” Remus nods silently and continues writing, his quill scratching gently at the parchment as he chooses his words carefully. “I wrote that essay hours ago,” James says confidently, and Remus lets the smallest frown crease his forehead for a moment. “Well, I’ll let you at it, then,” and James collapses into a chair by the fire. Sirius follows suit without a word; he never even glances at Remus, who doesn’t really mind in the slightest.
A few minutes go by, during which time Remus becomes more and more frustrated with himself. James and Sirius are loudly reenacting the scene from that morning, and Remus finds it increasingly difficult to write his essay. He wishes he could just say something, even in the kindest voice, to make the two quiet down, but he does not want to chance making enemies of the two, as they will surely make him pay for it. It is safer for himself if he merely stays silent.
Just as he is about to pack it in and head to bed, a small creaking on the stairs creates a new distraction. Lily Evans, also a first year, is sneaking into the common room. She stops short at the bottom of the stairs as she catches sight of the boys, and all three of them stare at her.
“Oi, Evans,” says James excitedly, jumping up from his chair. “Where are you off to? It’s very close to night.” His voice mocks her. “You know students aren’t to be out of bed after dark.”
“I’m aware of that,” says Evans. Lily has an attitude that Remus finds slightly off-putting, a spark that frightens him a bit. “I’m just heading to the library to get a book, so I can read before bed.”
“You book people are quite amusing,” says Sirius. He does not move, and simply smiles haughtily from his seat. “First that dreadfully boring Lupin stays up late writing essays, and now you want to read before bed.”
“You know what I think?” James asks with a grin. “I think she’s off to see her boyfriend.”
Lily glares dangerously, and Remus slowly stands up and makes to sneak off to bed. He is not going to stand around during one of these battles, especially not when Sirius seems to hate his presence so much. Dreadfully boring Lupin. Remus pretends this does not bother him.
“He is not my boyfriend!” cries Evans, stamping her foot. “You are a bully, James Potter. Forget the library; I’m going to bed.” She storms back up the stairs and into her dormitory; Remus does the same.
*****
The Gryffindor first years have a double Potions block with the Slytherins at one o’clock on Wednesdays. Remus works with Peter Pettigrew, the fourth and final boy of the Gryffindor first years. Peter is a bit slow, but eager to prove himself, and he accepts Remus’s help gladly. Remus does the cutting and measuring of ingredients, for the most part; there have a few unfortunate accidents whenever Peter does the cutting.
Across the room, Lily Evans and Severus Snape are obscured by a cloud of fog; this, however, does not prevent James and Sirius from glaring over in their direction. Remus, being right beside the boys, cannot possibly miss their whispers. “Fraternizing with the enemy, she is,” says Sirius darkly.
“I thought the sorting hat didn’t make mistakes,” James says, carefully stirring his cauldron. “But she’s as Slytherin as they come.”
“Nice work, Miss Evans!” Professor Slughorn is beaming, as usual, over Lily’s work. “You and young Snape are a couple of brilliant potion makers in the making.” He laughs. “Yes, I can’t wait to see what the future will bring for the both of you!”
“Thank you, sir,” says Lily with a charming smile, and Slughorn moves on with a cheery wink in her direction.
“It makes me sick,” says James, slamming his textbook shut.
*****
Remus is almost glad when it is time to go to the Shack; he is tired of trying to sleep whilst listening to James, Sirius, and Peter joke and laugh and practice spells. It is very frustrating being the only silent member of a raucous dormitory. He follows the path under the Willow carefully, wondering ruefully what the boys will make of his absence. It is most likely they won’t even notice.
On moon days Remus is angry and fidgety; he still itches madly and shakes uncontrollably as the shadows loom over him. In Charms he nearly causes a fire with the strength of his spells, and he bites back a growl as James and Sirius laugh at him. Learning magic was supposed to make him better and stronger, and instead he feels more like an animal than ever.
Holed up in a room of the shack, Remus sits on the bed and stares down at his hands as he awaits the change. Outside, the moon pulls at him, and he feels the anger welling up underneath his peaceful demeanor. How can James and Sirius frolic about with absolutely no care for anyone else’s well being? How can Peter beg Remus for help with schoolwork, and then trot off with the Troublesome Two without a glance back? How much longer can he keep quiet, when the loneliness is threatening to smother him?
As the pain begins to ripple through him, and the clothing he wears tears off his skin, Remus realizes that he does not hate James and Sirius at all; he hates himself for not being able to make friends with them.
The harsh clarity of it all hits harder than the change: Remus is lonely.
*****
Several days later, Remus is back in class. He is tired, and his entire body aches. He knows that he is pale and torn, and he smiles as James looks him over cautiously. “Are you all right, there, Lupin?”
“Yes, James,” he says. “I’ve just been ill. I’m all right now.”
James shares a troubled look with Sirius, but the two of them turn around and once again forget Remus’s existence. It is History of Magic, and Peter Pettigrew is fighting to stay awake, idly doodling on a spare piece of parchment when it suddenly bursts into flames.
“AAAARGH!” He shouts loud enough to rouse the entire school, and yet the ghostly Professor Binns only pauses for a moment, ignoring the startled gasps and eventual laughter of his students as he continues with his lecture. Peter jumps out of his seat to avoid the flames, and James falls out of his chair with boisterous laughter. Sirius, who has cast the spell, remains sitting and does not laugh; he merely looks over the scene with haughty amusement.
Remus allows himself to laugh with the other students; Peter’s reaction was certainly quite humorous. He then mutters a spell and sprays water over the area to douse the flames. Peter jumps still further as the water splashes over the back of James’s head, causing an abrupt end to his laughter.
Remus is smiling broadly as James casts him a suspicious look. “Sorry, James,” he says calmly, raising his wand a bit so that more water sprays over Potter’s unruly hair.
James has wide eyes and an open mouth, and as the others watch in what might be amazement, he steps back and grins. “Quite all right, Remus,” he says his gleaming mischief in his eyes. “You’ll have to teach me that water charm sometime.”
“I expect I shall,” says Remus, still smiling.
*****
In the end, it is not because he disapproves of mischief that Remus has avoided James and Sirius; the two’s antics can be quite fun when harmless. It is merely their duels with Snape that bother him, their pointless harsh attacks cast upon someone for the sole reason of his Slytherin status (though Remus guesses it has a bit more to do with Lily Evans than anything). Still, Remus must learn to look the other way upon such attacks; he cannot gain a friendship with Severus when he is holed up with James, and he knows that he must choose one of them. Snape has never looked twice at him, and James is a fun Gryffindor, one who notices when Remus disappears for days at a time, one who offers to share new spells if Remus will share his knowledge, one who speaks up and does not laugh when Sirius calls Remus boring.
If Remus ever expects to learn strength, he will need friends. James is a good friend, and Remus is glad that he is able to overcome his fear and shyness, to look past his own faults and the faults of others. He finds comfort and safety when he is finally included in the late night fun of the Gryffindor first years’ dormitory, and, for the first time since before he was bitten, he is happy.
1980 words = 66 points
Summary: Remus Lupin's first year at Hogwarts.
Characters/Pairings: Remus, James, Sirius, Peter, Severus, Lily.
Genre: Gen
Beta: None
Rating/Warnings: PG no warnings.
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 1,980
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Nah.
If yes, your Tumblr username: N/A
Remus Lupin enters the great hall to the sound of derisive snickering. For a brief moment, he thinks they are laughing at him, and he looks about cautiously, face half-hidden behind his History of Magic textbook. After a second or two, he realizes that the laughter is coming from the Gryffindor table, where a small group of boys is huddled around its edge, pointing towards the Slytherins.
At the serpent’s table, one young first year sits glowering at the very end, distanced slightly from his housemates. Remus recognizes the boy as Severus Snape, a classmate he has seen in Potions class and in the library. Severus likes to read about potions, and indeed, he is quite good at them, from what Remus has seen in class. Snape is sullen and quiet, and yet sometimes Remus thinks he might make a good friend. The problem is his classmates.
He hadn’t realized that Gryffindors should hate Slytherins quite so much. Really, it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense, hating people. But hate is a pretty good word to describe the way his fellow first years treat the Slytherin group.
On this day, Severus is sitting alone because there is an awful smell coming off him. Remus feels that he has come in directly after a dung bomb attack, and the arrival of Filch, the caretaker, cements this idea.
The laughing Gryffindors are, of course, James Potter and Sirius Black, best friends and troublemakers from the moment they stepped on the train. Not a day goes by during which they remain quiet and kind, and already, only a few months into their time at Hogwarts, they have gained a reputation.
Remus does not approve. He sits silently and frowns, eyes downcast, as Filch viciously grabs Potter and Black by an arm and leads them out of the hall. Glancing up, Remus sees Severus getting up to leave, most likely to have a shower. Remus doesn’t understand why they have chosen Snape to torment; Severus has never started a fight.
Which is not to say that he does not retort when attacked. Where Remus can only stare downward and frown silently, Severus Snape snarls and shouts and flings awkward curses. He is only a first year, and yet he already knows a hex or two, and Remus rather suspects that he is inadvertently teaching James and Sirius, for the two of them pick up spells much more quickly after a skirmish with Snape.
That evening, Remus is writing an essay for Transfiguration when the Troublesome Two enter the common room. “Did you see his face when I lit the form on fire?” James asks excitedly; Sirius merely grins. “Oh, hullo, Lupin,” James says, his voice sounding a bit subdued. “Studying, are you?” Remus nods silently and continues writing, his quill scratching gently at the parchment as he chooses his words carefully. “I wrote that essay hours ago,” James says confidently, and Remus lets the smallest frown crease his forehead for a moment. “Well, I’ll let you at it, then,” and James collapses into a chair by the fire. Sirius follows suit without a word; he never even glances at Remus, who doesn’t really mind in the slightest.
A few minutes go by, during which time Remus becomes more and more frustrated with himself. James and Sirius are loudly reenacting the scene from that morning, and Remus finds it increasingly difficult to write his essay. He wishes he could just say something, even in the kindest voice, to make the two quiet down, but he does not want to chance making enemies of the two, as they will surely make him pay for it. It is safer for himself if he merely stays silent.
Just as he is about to pack it in and head to bed, a small creaking on the stairs creates a new distraction. Lily Evans, also a first year, is sneaking into the common room. She stops short at the bottom of the stairs as she catches sight of the boys, and all three of them stare at her.
“Oi, Evans,” says James excitedly, jumping up from his chair. “Where are you off to? It’s very close to night.” His voice mocks her. “You know students aren’t to be out of bed after dark.”
“I’m aware of that,” says Evans. Lily has an attitude that Remus finds slightly off-putting, a spark that frightens him a bit. “I’m just heading to the library to get a book, so I can read before bed.”
“You book people are quite amusing,” says Sirius. He does not move, and simply smiles haughtily from his seat. “First that dreadfully boring Lupin stays up late writing essays, and now you want to read before bed.”
“You know what I think?” James asks with a grin. “I think she’s off to see her boyfriend.”
Lily glares dangerously, and Remus slowly stands up and makes to sneak off to bed. He is not going to stand around during one of these battles, especially not when Sirius seems to hate his presence so much. Dreadfully boring Lupin. Remus pretends this does not bother him.
“He is not my boyfriend!” cries Evans, stamping her foot. “You are a bully, James Potter. Forget the library; I’m going to bed.” She storms back up the stairs and into her dormitory; Remus does the same.
*****
The Gryffindor first years have a double Potions block with the Slytherins at one o’clock on Wednesdays. Remus works with Peter Pettigrew, the fourth and final boy of the Gryffindor first years. Peter is a bit slow, but eager to prove himself, and he accepts Remus’s help gladly. Remus does the cutting and measuring of ingredients, for the most part; there have a few unfortunate accidents whenever Peter does the cutting.
Across the room, Lily Evans and Severus Snape are obscured by a cloud of fog; this, however, does not prevent James and Sirius from glaring over in their direction. Remus, being right beside the boys, cannot possibly miss their whispers. “Fraternizing with the enemy, she is,” says Sirius darkly.
“I thought the sorting hat didn’t make mistakes,” James says, carefully stirring his cauldron. “But she’s as Slytherin as they come.”
“Nice work, Miss Evans!” Professor Slughorn is beaming, as usual, over Lily’s work. “You and young Snape are a couple of brilliant potion makers in the making.” He laughs. “Yes, I can’t wait to see what the future will bring for the both of you!”
“Thank you, sir,” says Lily with a charming smile, and Slughorn moves on with a cheery wink in her direction.
“It makes me sick,” says James, slamming his textbook shut.
*****
Remus is almost glad when it is time to go to the Shack; he is tired of trying to sleep whilst listening to James, Sirius, and Peter joke and laugh and practice spells. It is very frustrating being the only silent member of a raucous dormitory. He follows the path under the Willow carefully, wondering ruefully what the boys will make of his absence. It is most likely they won’t even notice.
On moon days Remus is angry and fidgety; he still itches madly and shakes uncontrollably as the shadows loom over him. In Charms he nearly causes a fire with the strength of his spells, and he bites back a growl as James and Sirius laugh at him. Learning magic was supposed to make him better and stronger, and instead he feels more like an animal than ever.
Holed up in a room of the shack, Remus sits on the bed and stares down at his hands as he awaits the change. Outside, the moon pulls at him, and he feels the anger welling up underneath his peaceful demeanor. How can James and Sirius frolic about with absolutely no care for anyone else’s well being? How can Peter beg Remus for help with schoolwork, and then trot off with the Troublesome Two without a glance back? How much longer can he keep quiet, when the loneliness is threatening to smother him?
As the pain begins to ripple through him, and the clothing he wears tears off his skin, Remus realizes that he does not hate James and Sirius at all; he hates himself for not being able to make friends with them.
The harsh clarity of it all hits harder than the change: Remus is lonely.
*****
Several days later, Remus is back in class. He is tired, and his entire body aches. He knows that he is pale and torn, and he smiles as James looks him over cautiously. “Are you all right, there, Lupin?”
“Yes, James,” he says. “I’ve just been ill. I’m all right now.”
James shares a troubled look with Sirius, but the two of them turn around and once again forget Remus’s existence. It is History of Magic, and Peter Pettigrew is fighting to stay awake, idly doodling on a spare piece of parchment when it suddenly bursts into flames.
“AAAARGH!” He shouts loud enough to rouse the entire school, and yet the ghostly Professor Binns only pauses for a moment, ignoring the startled gasps and eventual laughter of his students as he continues with his lecture. Peter jumps out of his seat to avoid the flames, and James falls out of his chair with boisterous laughter. Sirius, who has cast the spell, remains sitting and does not laugh; he merely looks over the scene with haughty amusement.
Remus allows himself to laugh with the other students; Peter’s reaction was certainly quite humorous. He then mutters a spell and sprays water over the area to douse the flames. Peter jumps still further as the water splashes over the back of James’s head, causing an abrupt end to his laughter.
Remus is smiling broadly as James casts him a suspicious look. “Sorry, James,” he says calmly, raising his wand a bit so that more water sprays over Potter’s unruly hair.
James has wide eyes and an open mouth, and as the others watch in what might be amazement, he steps back and grins. “Quite all right, Remus,” he says his gleaming mischief in his eyes. “You’ll have to teach me that water charm sometime.”
“I expect I shall,” says Remus, still smiling.
*****
In the end, it is not because he disapproves of mischief that Remus has avoided James and Sirius; the two’s antics can be quite fun when harmless. It is merely their duels with Snape that bother him, their pointless harsh attacks cast upon someone for the sole reason of his Slytherin status (though Remus guesses it has a bit more to do with Lily Evans than anything). Still, Remus must learn to look the other way upon such attacks; he cannot gain a friendship with Severus when he is holed up with James, and he knows that he must choose one of them. Snape has never looked twice at him, and James is a fun Gryffindor, one who notices when Remus disappears for days at a time, one who offers to share new spells if Remus will share his knowledge, one who speaks up and does not laugh when Sirius calls Remus boring.
If Remus ever expects to learn strength, he will need friends. James is a good friend, and Remus is glad that he is able to overcome his fear and shyness, to look past his own faults and the faults of others. He finds comfort and safety when he is finally included in the late night fun of the Gryffindor first years’ dormitory, and, for the first time since before he was bitten, he is happy.
1980 words = 66 points