FIC: Of full moons and rain [Remus Lupin]
Title: Of full moons and rain
Author: evening12
Prompt: Own Prompt
Character(s): Remus Lupin
Word Count: 1253 words
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer:Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: I’ve loved this fest since the first year it ran, and I’m so happy to able to create something for it. Hats off to the mod for hosting such a great fest! All the thanks to icicle33 for beta-ing my story while she’s busy with a new job and a movie.
Summary: Remus’ life has taken on a routine that revolves around the full moon.
“Once a month, at the full moon, the otherwise sane and normal wizard or Muggle afflicted transforms into a murderous beast.” - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
***
When asked if he remembered that night, Remus always lied. He lied to the Healers. He lied to the Aurors. He lied to his parents. It happened too fast. He was unconscious. It was a long time ago. He was too young to remember. He had been four years old, after all.
Remus couldn’t voice his memories, but he did remember that night. He remembered the fog being so thick it hid the moon. He remembered the splatter of blood on his copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard . His mum had been reading it to him that very night. He remembered the man. Remus would never forget him. The man, who Remus had come to know as Greyback, only spoke once. Those words lodged themselves in Remus’ body: “soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death, that’s what your da’ thinks of us”.
Most of all, Remus remembered the pain.
June 1971
There were no neighbours. Only unending stretches of land with one house and one shed. A garden shed like any other one except for the now failing silencing charms, and the protective wards surrounding it. No pot or plant would be found in this shed. His mum had once added a cot and blankets, but they always got destroyed. After four years, no amount of magic could fix them. The cot and the blankets had never been replaced.
Just like every other full moon, Remus found himself locked in the shed for the night. Through the rusted bars over the window, he saw large clouds moving towards him. A storm was coming. When he was younger, Remus had been scared of storms. He would hide under the bed, hoping that the rain wouldn’t find him. Things were different now. These days, the rain always found Remus. And so, Remus had come to like rainy days the best. Nobody heard the howling. Nobody heard his pain.
The pitter-patter of rain against the window soon became more intense. A wall of rain moved over the shed, and the raindrops battered the roof top. So much rain fell that the sound blurred into one long, whir.
Remus felt it creep in. The full moon arrived. He pushed back, trying to force the beast away, but it was pointless. It was always pointless. His bones went hot, his skin cracked, and every inch of him was ablaze. Remus screamed.
July 1971
He had waited. Spring had given way to summer, and Remus was still waiting. He was 11 years old and nothing had arrived. Maybe boys like him didn’t get invited, didn’t get letters.
There wasn’t much time left before it was too late for Hogwarts. Remus had never said it out loud, but that’s what he wanted. Even after he got bit, he still hoped for Hogwarts. School. Adventures. Friends. Remus wanted it all. He didn’t dare tell his parents. His parents had enough on their minds. Remus heard their unspoken words of unending worry and fear, love and concern.
Remus stretched out his arm to shield his eyes from the morning sun. The cold rush of pain started at his elbow and spread to the rest of his arm. It wasn’t the first time he had shattered a bone, but the numbness from the shock of the pain still wasn’t enough to blanket the pain. Cradling his arm to his chest, Remus wiggled his toes, hoping he hadn’t shattered any bones.
Remus’ dad always insisted that the wizarding world wasn’t any better than the Muggle one. Not that Remus recalled much, but they had, for a while, lived among magical folks. They had uprooted themselves from village to town, leaving the instant the rumours started. Witches and wizards noticed Remus’ monthly disappearances and his scars. By Remus’ sixth birthday, his condition became harder to hide from magical folks. And so they lived among Muggles.
Even among Muggles, Remus was different. If Remus didn’t go to Hogwarts, his difference would be all too real. But there was no hope for Hogwarts. Remus had already heard talks of homeschooling. It was better this way. Safer.
August 1971
Today, was one of those heaving stormy days, when the clouds laid on the very top of the shed, and the rain poured down, leaving the grass bent low under its weight. The water streamed through Remus’ hair, down his neck, soaking his clothes. Remus didn’t bother staying under his dad’s conjured umbrella as they made their way to the shed. His clothes were going to be ruined all the same.
The hinges had seen too much rain and opening the door took both of them to push shoulders into the weary wood. Remus locked the deadbolt behind him. On the other side of the door, his dad did the same. Spells had been used to reinforce the shed.
He never knew which bone would break first. His knee. His finger. His rib. Remus sat and waited for morning.
The morning air was heavy, and the humidity pressed down on Remus as he stepped outside of the shed. The spells lifted his mum must’ve unlocked the shed like she did every month. Remus didn’t like to be there longer than needed.
The steps between the shed and the backdoor of the house winded Remus. Remus walked in on his parents gathered around the kitchen table talking to a stranger. A wizard by his clothes. Remus didn’t think he’d ever seen so many clothes on one person -- all shades of purples, yellows and greens.
Nobody noticed him standing in the doorway. Judging by the tea set that his mom had taken out, this was an important conversation. Remus’ mom always said that important decisions should never be made without a good cup of tea. This conversation made no sense. Something about Whomping Willows and secret passages.
Remus ached all over, even with the pain potion his mum had left on the table by the backdoor. Remus was about to leave and settle in his bed for the day when he heard it. One word that would change his life: Hogwarts.
September 1971
It was a beautiful day. The sun shone, a light breeze announced the slow arrival of autumn. A perfect day for boarding the train to take Remus on the trip that he’d been wanting to go on forever. He boarded and made his way to an empty carriage. Remus heard the station master yelling, “All aboard!” before the trains slowly pulled from the station.
A dark haired boy tumbled onto the bench across from Remus before the last train whistle. Sprawled on the bench, the boy rummaged in his rucksack.
“There it is!” said the boy as he took a small package from his bag and offered it to Remus. “Here. Have a Chocolate Frog. Sirius, by the way. I’m Sirius.”
“I’m Remus. Remus Lupin.” Remus took the offered Chocolate Frog. “Chocolate is my favourite, you know.”
“If you love chocolate, you’ll love Honeydukes. Ever been? Well, they have loads of them.” Sirius shook his head in an attempt to move the hair falling in front of his eyes. “Chocolate Eggs, Chocoballs, Choco-Loco, Wizochoc, Shock-o-Choc…” Sirius kept going until he became tongue tied.
Of course, neither boy could predict it at the time, but this was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. They would be inseparable.
Author: evening12
Prompt: Own Prompt
Character(s): Remus Lupin
Word Count: 1253 words
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): None
Disclaimer:Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: I’ve loved this fest since the first year it ran, and I’m so happy to able to create something for it. Hats off to the mod for hosting such a great fest! All the thanks to icicle33 for beta-ing my story while she’s busy with a new job and a movie.
Summary: Remus’ life has taken on a routine that revolves around the full moon.
“Once a month, at the full moon, the otherwise sane and normal wizard or Muggle afflicted transforms into a murderous beast.” - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
***
When asked if he remembered that night, Remus always lied. He lied to the Healers. He lied to the Aurors. He lied to his parents. It happened too fast. He was unconscious. It was a long time ago. He was too young to remember. He had been four years old, after all.
Remus couldn’t voice his memories, but he did remember that night. He remembered the fog being so thick it hid the moon. He remembered the splatter of blood on his copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard . His mum had been reading it to him that very night. He remembered the man. Remus would never forget him. The man, who Remus had come to know as Greyback, only spoke once. Those words lodged themselves in Remus’ body: “soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death, that’s what your da’ thinks of us”.
Most of all, Remus remembered the pain.
June 1971
There were no neighbours. Only unending stretches of land with one house and one shed. A garden shed like any other one except for the now failing silencing charms, and the protective wards surrounding it. No pot or plant would be found in this shed. His mum had once added a cot and blankets, but they always got destroyed. After four years, no amount of magic could fix them. The cot and the blankets had never been replaced.
Just like every other full moon, Remus found himself locked in the shed for the night. Through the rusted bars over the window, he saw large clouds moving towards him. A storm was coming. When he was younger, Remus had been scared of storms. He would hide under the bed, hoping that the rain wouldn’t find him. Things were different now. These days, the rain always found Remus. And so, Remus had come to like rainy days the best. Nobody heard the howling. Nobody heard his pain.
The pitter-patter of rain against the window soon became more intense. A wall of rain moved over the shed, and the raindrops battered the roof top. So much rain fell that the sound blurred into one long, whir.
Remus felt it creep in. The full moon arrived. He pushed back, trying to force the beast away, but it was pointless. It was always pointless. His bones went hot, his skin cracked, and every inch of him was ablaze. Remus screamed.
July 1971
He had waited. Spring had given way to summer, and Remus was still waiting. He was 11 years old and nothing had arrived. Maybe boys like him didn’t get invited, didn’t get letters.
There wasn’t much time left before it was too late for Hogwarts. Remus had never said it out loud, but that’s what he wanted. Even after he got bit, he still hoped for Hogwarts. School. Adventures. Friends. Remus wanted it all. He didn’t dare tell his parents. His parents had enough on their minds. Remus heard their unspoken words of unending worry and fear, love and concern.
Remus stretched out his arm to shield his eyes from the morning sun. The cold rush of pain started at his elbow and spread to the rest of his arm. It wasn’t the first time he had shattered a bone, but the numbness from the shock of the pain still wasn’t enough to blanket the pain. Cradling his arm to his chest, Remus wiggled his toes, hoping he hadn’t shattered any bones.
Remus’ dad always insisted that the wizarding world wasn’t any better than the Muggle one. Not that Remus recalled much, but they had, for a while, lived among magical folks. They had uprooted themselves from village to town, leaving the instant the rumours started. Witches and wizards noticed Remus’ monthly disappearances and his scars. By Remus’ sixth birthday, his condition became harder to hide from magical folks. And so they lived among Muggles.
Even among Muggles, Remus was different. If Remus didn’t go to Hogwarts, his difference would be all too real. But there was no hope for Hogwarts. Remus had already heard talks of homeschooling. It was better this way. Safer.
August 1971
Today, was one of those heaving stormy days, when the clouds laid on the very top of the shed, and the rain poured down, leaving the grass bent low under its weight. The water streamed through Remus’ hair, down his neck, soaking his clothes. Remus didn’t bother staying under his dad’s conjured umbrella as they made their way to the shed. His clothes were going to be ruined all the same.
The hinges had seen too much rain and opening the door took both of them to push shoulders into the weary wood. Remus locked the deadbolt behind him. On the other side of the door, his dad did the same. Spells had been used to reinforce the shed.
He never knew which bone would break first. His knee. His finger. His rib. Remus sat and waited for morning.
The morning air was heavy, and the humidity pressed down on Remus as he stepped outside of the shed. The spells lifted his mum must’ve unlocked the shed like she did every month. Remus didn’t like to be there longer than needed.
The steps between the shed and the backdoor of the house winded Remus. Remus walked in on his parents gathered around the kitchen table talking to a stranger. A wizard by his clothes. Remus didn’t think he’d ever seen so many clothes on one person -- all shades of purples, yellows and greens.
Nobody noticed him standing in the doorway. Judging by the tea set that his mom had taken out, this was an important conversation. Remus’ mom always said that important decisions should never be made without a good cup of tea. This conversation made no sense. Something about Whomping Willows and secret passages.
Remus ached all over, even with the pain potion his mum had left on the table by the backdoor. Remus was about to leave and settle in his bed for the day when he heard it. One word that would change his life: Hogwarts.
September 1971
It was a beautiful day. The sun shone, a light breeze announced the slow arrival of autumn. A perfect day for boarding the train to take Remus on the trip that he’d been wanting to go on forever. He boarded and made his way to an empty carriage. Remus heard the station master yelling, “All aboard!” before the trains slowly pulled from the station.
A dark haired boy tumbled onto the bench across from Remus before the last train whistle. Sprawled on the bench, the boy rummaged in his rucksack.
“There it is!” said the boy as he took a small package from his bag and offered it to Remus. “Here. Have a Chocolate Frog. Sirius, by the way. I’m Sirius.”
“I’m Remus. Remus Lupin.” Remus took the offered Chocolate Frog. “Chocolate is my favourite, you know.”
“If you love chocolate, you’ll love Honeydukes. Ever been? Well, they have loads of them.” Sirius shook his head in an attempt to move the hair falling in front of his eyes. “Chocolate Eggs, Chocoballs, Choco-Loco, Wizochoc, Shock-o-Choc…” Sirius kept going until he became tongue tied.
Of course, neither boy could predict it at the time, but this was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. They would be inseparable.