Harry Potter Oneshots

Monsters

Remus Lupin did not like bedtime. The shadows were scary. The floor creaked randomly through the night. Things shifted. It was a terrifying experience for a five-year-old boy. 

Every night, his parents went through the same hassle. Force him into the bath. Calm him down enough for them to scrub his hair. Get him out and go through the battle to dry him off and get his pajamas over his head. It's not that Remus didn't like his pajamas. They had little moving snitches flying around them, which were fun to watch when he was bored, and they were really comfortable. The problem with his pajamas was that putting them on meant it was almost bedtime. 

After his pajamas were on, his parents would coax him into his bedroom, and then his bed, where they'd tuck him in and read him a story. Then another story. And another. After the fifth story, they'd insist that he go to bed. Remus would nearly begin to cry, but he had a few final requests for the night. 

"Mommy, check the closet?" he'd whimper. "Daddy, check under the bed?" 

Every night, Hope and Lyall would check in the closet, and under the bed. And every night they'd turn to smile at him. 

"Just some clothes and books, Remus." Hope would smile at him, closing the closet door. 

Lyall would stand up from the floor. "Just a mess of the toys I told you to pick up today." he'd say, and kiss the top of his head. "Goodnight, little bean." 

"Goodnight." Remus would peep, pulling his blankets nearly up to his eyes. 

His parents would smile, bid him goodnight once more, and close the door.

But tonight was different.

Lyall was in a bad mood. Someone had gotten mad at him at work, Remus thought, and now his job was in danger. So when Remus asked him to check under the bed, he rolled his eyes. 

"Remus, you are much too old for that nonsense." He declared. "Go to sleep." 

He pulled Hope out of the room and closed the door. 

Remus lay in his bed, terrified. He had no confirmation now. Who's to say that scratch wasn't a monster in the closet? Who's to say that wasn't a mitten after all, but the paw of some monster coming to get him from under the bed?

Wait a moment... 

That wasn't a mitten. Mittens didn't have claws. Mittens didn't move by themselves. 

Mittens weren't attatched to big, hairy monsters with yellow eyes and gleaming teeth. 

A huge monster stood from under the bed. 

Fenrir Greyback sneered at the shaking little boy. 

"You're never  too old to check under the bed." he snarled, before lunging for the boy and attacking. 

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And we start right off with Lupin! That's a good omen for the rest of the book, right? 

Heh. Heh. *grins sheepishly and rubs back of neck*

Well, anyway, enjoy my oneshots! I'll update randomly, whenever an idea will strike. See ya later, pineapples!