We are back at the start of another year at Hogwarts and things are not looking nearly as good for Remus Lupin as they did last summer. There's now a great rift between his friendship with Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, his grades a...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Remus Lupin had had a very rough summer indeed. When he went up to McGonagall that wretched morning to tell on his friends, he knew what he was getting into. But, somewhere deep down, he had hoped that they would understand. They might not know his secret, but after visiting the shrieking shack, they must have been aware of the danger of going back there. He had thought that that would be enough to justify his actions. He was just trying to protect his friends.
Though a tiny part of him said otherwise- Remus Lupin was only trying to protect himself.
If he truly thought of them as his friends, then why hadn't he told them the truth? Isn't that what friends are supposed to do- share secrets? Yet Remus had lied consistently for a year to his friends, and had even managed to almost get them expelled in a cowardly attempt to push the secret down further into the pit that was the willow tunnel. He didn't belong in Gryffindor, for the past year Remus Lupin had felt more like a scurrying Slytherin.
He had written to both James and Sirius multiple times during the summer, apologizing profusely, but had gotten no reply in return. In a desperate attempt to maintain a single friend, he had even written to Peter, but even that had been useless.
So on September first, when Remus waved goodbye to his parents and climbed up to a carriage of Hogwarts Express, he was utterly lost with a heavy trunk and an even heavier heart. Amidst a crowd of bustling kids meeting and greeting their friends, Remus had nowhere to go and no one to meet. For a while he stood cemented to a spot, thinking of absolutely nothing and everything all at once.
For a moment or two, the thought of sitting with Selena Nightshade flitted through his mind, but surely she had other Slytherin friends now. He wondered whether James Potter would hex him if he tried to enter their compartment. He picked up his trunk and started lugging it along. The train let out a loud whistle and started chugging forwards on the tracks.
Remus might have passed a dozen of compartments before he stopped at one at the end of the train. Inside, Sirius Black was sitting next to the window, looking out moodily while Peter Pettigrew talked animatedly, oblivious to the fact that his companion was paying no attention. James was nowhere in sight. Remus sighed, he might as well try.
He extended his arms to knock on the compartment door when someone cleared his throat behind him.
"Excuse me," said James Potter, and Remus turned around at his voice.
"Oh," James said, his face turning visibly red as he avoided eye contact, "Remus- hey!"
They shook hands awkwardly. "I was just going inside," James said, looking incredibly uncomfortable. Remus nodded.
What was he thinking? He should have found himself an empty compartment. He cleared his throat nervously and bent down to pick up his trunk.
"You know-" James started and then sighed deeply as if it pained him to say what followed. "Look, I am sorry, okay?"
Remus's eyebrows scrunched up. "You- but wha- why?" he spluttered.
"I should have replied," he went on, "Although, that doesn't change the fact that you're a prat, Remus. What in the bloody hell? I knew you were snobbish about rules and whatnot but I never expected you to tell on us."
As James's dark eyes bore into him, Remus developed a keen interest in his shoes. "I just... didn't want you to go back there... it's not safe..." he mumbled through heavy eyelashes.
"Well, we weren't planning on going back either" said James hotly, "Next time when you grow such a big concern for our safety, do us a favour and talk to us, maybe?"
"I'm sorry," Remus pleaded, his voice cracking as he tried to sniffle discreetly.
James sighed dramatically again. "Look, Remus, you're a nice bloke. You really are and I want to believe that your heart was at the right place and maybe I already do, but just a fair warning- I'm pretty sure Sirius hasn't forgiven you yet." And with that James walked across Remus and reached the compartment door. He opened it with a flourish and waved Remus inside.
Remus looked at him gratefully before picking up his trunk and dragging it inside. For a moment it seemed that everything would be alright, that Remus Lupin had his friends back and Hogwarts would be a happy escape, just like last year.
But it seemed that Sirius Black had other plans for he stood up aggressively as Remus entered the compartment, heaving his heavy trunk behind him.
"What is he doing here?" he asked James, not even looking at Remus whose tiny heart started feeling as heavy as lead once again.
______
A/N: Well, at least James seems to have forgiven him, right? Please fell free to share your thoughts, suggestions and/or criticism.
Thank you so much for reading and please don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter. :)
