Harry Potter Before the End

Even now, at the age of eleven, Remus Lupin knew that it was a gift to be able to even attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At first, when he'd got his letter, he thought that it had been a mistake, a prank the neighboring kids were playing, but no, it wasn't. He would actually have the chance to make friends and learn magic just like many others.

The day he'd gotten his books for Hogwarts, along with five or six extra books, he'd read them to be able to get ahead before Hogwarts.

Now he stood on Platform 9 3/4, starting to make his way through the crowd. Once he boarded the train, he walked along the corridor, finding an empty compartment and taking a seat by the window. He watched the people on the platform silently, almost wishing to be normal. He watched the other students either talking with friends as they boarded the train, or saying goodbye to their parents and their younger siblings. He heard the whistle and the hustling to get on the train.

He kept his gaze out the window until he heard an arguement out in the corridor. He got up and opened the door of the comparment he sat in. He watched as the arguement further progressed, a messy haired boy standing on the sidelines. He shook his head when he got sick of listening in. "Why not just agree to disagree and leave each other other alone?"he asked softly, drawing the boys' attention. He dropped his gaze to the floor as a boy with longer hair started to speak. "I'm sorry, it's not my business, I shouldn't have said anything."he cut in. The only other boy sneered at him. "Of course not, mongrel. Since I doubt you could do much to stop a fight." Remus looked up, wide eyed. "You know nothing about me, so I suggest you not call me a _mongrel_."he said. '**even though it's the truth,**'he thought before going back and sitting down. He heard the whispered questions before hearing one of the boys speak from beside him. "What did Snivellus mean by what he said?" He looked towards the boy who'd spoken but shook his head. "I don't know."he said softly. "Oh, well, don't worry about him. I'm James, and this is-"he broke off and the longer haired boy spoke. "Sirius Black." Remus felt the tension rise in the compartment. "I'm Remus Lupin. I'm sorry that I butted into that-i didn't mean to."he said quietly and James shook his head.

The ride to Hogsmeade station was open-hearted, as much as was safe. When the first years took the ride across the lake, James and Sirius rode with Remus. But what Remus was sure shocked the other two was that when they stepped into the castle, he had tears coming to his eyes. The only downside of being so close now is the upcoming Sorting Ceremony.

Once the first years gathered in front of the Great Hall in front of the Sorting Hat and the names started being called, he finally realized this was actually happening. He watched as names where called, but didn't pay attention good until he heard Sirius and James's names and then heard his name.

To his suprize the worry melted away as he walked forward. He got sorted into Gryffindor with Sirius and James. He smiled at them as he took a seat with them at the Gryffindor table. He listened as James started talking rather quickly about anything that came into mind throughout the feast, becoming quickly confused. Sirius laughed at Remus's ovbious confusion after a bit that James seemingly didn't catch. Remus looked up at the enchanted ceiling for the first time that night, and went wide-eyed before dropping his gaze again. A week, at most, until the next full moon. He blocked out Sirius's attempts to get his attention and James's worried questions as best as he could throughout the rest of the feast.

He didn't sleep well that night, to worried to sleep much. He heard the snores of his roommates, James, Sirius and Peter. He soon drifted into an uneasy sleep, waking sooner than nessisary. When the others woke up, it wasn't near as quiet, but not quite too loud. He got up and dressed for the day before heading down to breakfast with the others. Term started that day so he was a little more aware soon after he realized that fact. He could hear Sirius acting up already and laughed with the others easily, forgeting the full moon was so close, forgetting that he had to lie about why he had to leave once a month. He forgot anything but the fact that right now, for the first time in his life, he had actual friends that he could nearly be his full self around without fear of being abandoned for a while.

Naturally, that ended rather quicker then welcome in Remus's eyes. Classes stopped the talking around an hour later and that forced his focus on the factors of his life that he'd much rather forget. He was quiet, but this didn't raise the others's suspision; he was always quiet after all. The morning classes ended, and Remus was relitively glad they were over now so he could relax for a moment. James had apparently grown tired of his quietness, however and went out of his way to get him to laugh. Remus smiled and shook his head. "You are so childish James,"he said in an amused tone and James smiled broadly and said a simple, "I know." before going on to talk about holiday plans. Remus though it was a bit early, however, but then again he didn't know what was gonna happen after the full moon night in a week any ways so he just let it be. He laughed at his friends easily as James and Sirius started wrestling around. Was it just him or did this really have a nice, cheery feel to it? Just spending time together..he hadn't been able to do anything like that before and now it just felt natural to him.

He kept his mind carefully elsewhere in his last week before the transformation and then headed out to the Whomping Willow as he had discussed with the headmaster early on. He told James, Sirius and Peter that he had to go home for a while to help his mum due to her being ill. He was unsure whether or not he would keep the act up for long. He walked through the tunnel, to the Shrieking Shack and waited for the moon to rise to get the worst overwith.

The night seemed long to him, as it always did. But he finally got to go back up to the castle around time for breakfast. He walked up to the dormatory, however, and James, Sirius and Peter had apparently just woken up for the day. He was finally able to smile, even if only weakly. Sirius and James immediately perked up when they spotted him, James pulling him into a tight hug as usual. Remus chuckled dryly. "James, let _go_."he said and easily broke James grip. He shook his head softly and sat on his bed quietly, exhausted as he always was the day after a transformation. Sirius seemed to have picked up that something was up cause he said, "Remus, you look pale, what's the matter?" Remus half smiled. "Just tired, don't bother yourselves with it. You lot best go on to breakfast or you'll be going to class on empty stomachs."he said and sat back silently. The others hesitated but soon left for the Great Hall so they wouldn't have to go into their classes with empty stomachs which would be sure to cause a few bad attitudes.

When Remus didn't turn up in classes, James took it upon himself to get his work for him so he wouldn't be behind. Remus slept a good bit of the day, but what he didn't he spent doing the homework that James and the others brought him. He ended up taking a trip to the library before dinner, which he walked down to alone, but met up with James, Sirius and Peter in the Great Hall just moments later. He smiled and laughed along with them, glad to not have to worry about the full moon again for a while.

Sirius was currently explaining what all went on in the classes that day. Remus was torn between amusement and disapproval through most of it. "You are going to keep on until you get into trouble. That isn't a great idea Sirius, you'll earn many enemies that way."he scolded.

The year progressed rather quickly and before they knew it it was nearing the end of term for Christmas holidays. Remus and Peter were leaving for the holidays, Remus because of the upcoming full moon; Peter to spend time with his family. James had asked to stay with Sirius, who's parents didn't feel that he should come home for the holidays.

Remus was greeted when he got home, but it felt only half-hearted to him. He having to deal with the loneliness at home while his parents worked on one thing or another. After the transformation, however, he left back for Hogwarts school with Peter and the other students that had went home for the holidays.

Arriving in the boy's dormatory that he shared with James, Sirius and Peter he found James and Sirius acting relatively odd, they were far too excited to be normal for the two of them.

At lunch, he figured out why:the boys had decided to pull a prank on Serevus Snape before lunch, one which led to the Great Hall having to be cleared out. He had to say, though, it did cheer him up to watch. He was laughing with the others when they headed back to their dormatory.

The rest of the year was quite calm, suprizing but calm nonetheless. Summer vacation arrived, bringing a longer separation to the group. It was on the Platform that he was taken by suprize when James pulled them all into a group hug before they all went their separate ways for a while. "You have to write over the summer, all of you. I don't think that _home_ will be too great this summer and I'm really gonna miss you all. I won't be able to come to your's James, they won't allow me."Sirius said and Remus readily agreed, the others following close behind. The group separated quietly, all headin home for summer.

Remus spent alot of the summer reading or helping his mum with house-work until the time came to go to the Potter's house to stay with James. Sirius wasn't there, as he'd said. This being the only fact that got him down slightly, he wasn't too overcheerful, but not really all that crestfallen either. He spent the rest of the summer with James and Peter, but had to leave a few days early due to his transformation. He knew he'd be on the Hogwarts Express but what worried him was that someone would see the new scars and then sooner or later start to piece it together. But he couldn't worry about that now, not if he wanted to remain sane during the day prior to the full moon, the day before he had to board the train and return to Hogwars School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year.

James, Sirius and Peter met up with Remus on the train in the same compartment that they'd rode to the Platform the start of summer. Sirius seemed lifeless, but then again that was understandable with his family and Remus hadn't exactly expected much other than this as a result in Sirius being unable to get away. James, well who could really understand him? He was himself, the same optimistic, overtalkative James Potter as last year. Peter was slightly less nervous, but not by much. The group was relatively back to their normal-being themselves and just asking for trouble without realizing they were.

And the trouble came soon enough, when they arrived in the Great Hall for the back to school feast and the Sortind Ceremony of the first years they ran into Sirius's cousin Bellatrix and she caused them a bit of trouble, not much what with it being the first day back, just enough to prove to some that their suspions about Sirius had been correct, he wasn't as different from his family as he let on. But he had been provoked and James quickly set the others in the correct place, most agreed just out of fear of being a target of a prank from the group later on. But that wasn't likely to happen in James's mind, he was too busy defending his friend to bother to realize that it'd be simpler to just prank them.

The feast was filled with tense and akward conversation, drawing unwanted attention to the group from other students. Sirius was still fuming, James was trying to convince him that it was nothing and to let it go before he did something that he'd regret later, Peter was just unsure of what to do in this situation and Remus was worried about his friends and what would happen in the year, because he was sure that this year wouldn't be such a great one.

When the feast ended, the group couldn't have been happier to get away from the other students and head up to their dormitory. When in the group had all sat down on James's bed, the talking started up. Sirius had since let what happened go and was excited to get started with new prank ideas but James set him back slightly by calmly stating that they needed to come up with group nicknames, that they should call each other something different than the rest of the school. But James was the one to come up with the nicknames, mearly shortening the names, yet with it having been a hectic night, the others agreed quickly to please him, but they were going to be getting their payback later on him.

The group fell asleep that night without ever moving from James's bed, having talked late into the night. When Remus woke up it was to Sirius and James arguing. Sirius quickly said, "Be quiet before you wake Remus, he's still asleep." in a huff. Remus chuckled. "No, Siri I'm afraid you two arguing like little kids and yelling did that already."he said, stiffling a yawn before getting up. Sirius and James chorused, "I'm sorry," before busting out laughing. Remus smiled at them and walked over to them. "Now could you possibly explain to me why you decided to argue?"he asked shook his head. "Er..we kind of were having a few issues on the idea of todays activities."he said and Remus laughed. "You guys amaze me."he said and shook his head. "Well, at least you won't be late to class today, Remy."James said with a smile. Remus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that makes the idea of being woken by an arguement between you two much more appealing."he said sarcasticly. Sirius laughed lightly. "True, sorry."he said softly before smiling at his scarred friend. "How about we go find Peter, because James did offer the idea of exploring the castle in spare time.."he said. Remus raised an eyebrow. "Really? So basicly, you mean to say that you are going to be risking getting in huge trouble yet again to explore the castle?"he joked.

The morning classes passed by rather quickly with the jokes and, unfortunately, infinate puns on Sirius's name. It grew old soon into their second class of the day, but Remus didn't bother to say his thoughts aloud, he hadn't needed to.


End file.
