Five Books Remus Will Never Forget

Treasure Island

Six year old Remus had stayed up most of the night reading Treasure Island, completely and utterly captivated by the tale being painted before his very eyes. He couldn't sleep until he had competed the story; all that mattered was he kept turning the pages… That he made sure the characters survived…

When at last he'd finished it, he'd clambered out of the nest he'd made in his duvet and leant out of the open window. The story was still in his minds eye; Beautiful old sailing ships racing through the waves - Pirates and parrots and gold…

He'd dropped the book by accident then, almost yelling out when it slipped from between his fingers.

Remus had raced downstairs immediately, his book was more important than anything else… the book had to be saved! He'd fumbled with the lock on the back door before bursting outside into the light of the full moon, filled with a solid, singular determination to find his book.

He'd squinted through the darkness, trying to make out the shape of his book lying amongst the grass or flowers. When at last he'd found it, he'd hugged it tightly to his chest, apologising a million times over.

That was when the unusually large paw print had caught his eye. He'd bent down to get a better look, tracing it with a finger as his book remained clasped to him.

The shadow had fallen over him then.

He'd hardly dared to look up…

But when he did, when he did… he'd got a glimpse of an unnaturally large dog before it had pounced at him. The very epitome of fear in the night.

The last thing he saw was his Treasure Island laying in the mud, torn and dirtied as his shoulder was all but ripped from him… As he screamed till his throat felt like it was going to tear…

The book, to him, seemed to be an omen.

Hogwarts; A History

Eleven year old Remus had hurried along the Platform, Hogwarts; A History clutched between nervous hands.

He'd stepped onto the train, feeling lucky that he'd got that far, but feeling so reluctant to leave the haven of his house. He'd smiled weakly at his parents, not trusting his voice speak, not trusting his voice to remain strong and unwavering.

So he'd hugged them instead, holding on for that extra second.

When at last the train had started moving, he'd found an empty compartment and had started reading quietly, trying to ignore his eyes blurry with tears, his heart already aching for home.

The door had been slid open and two boys had piled in, laughing with each other. "Mind if we sit here?" had asked the one with the glasses had asked.

Remus had shook his head shyly as the other boy introduced them. "I'm Sirius Black, this here is James Potter." Remus had glanced nervously at him, sharp eyes had taken in the well groomed hair, the haughty expression.

"I'm Remus Lupin," Remus had replied politely, the comforting weight of the book on his knee the only thing that had kept him from fleeing.

His heart had been pounding, his throat dry. He wasn't used to talking to people his own age, to people who were so obviously going to be popular.

"Can you help me change his hair to pink Remus?" James had stage whispered when they'd sat down, unknowingly binding their futures together.

Remus had laughed at the idea and Sirius had thumped James' shoulder. "No! Let's play exploding snap instead!"

And for the first time in his life, Remus' book had lay forgotten beside him.

And for the first time in his life, Remus Lupin had friends.

In his second year, Remus had fallen in love with Water Ship Down. He'd been reading it for the fourth time when his friends had filed into the room, uncharacteristically quiet.

The first thing Remus noticed was the fact they all looked guilty, and the second was that none of them had sat down. He'd closed his book slowly, but had a kept hold of it, hoping to quell the panic that had risen inside his chest. "W-what's wrong?" he'd stammered; his voice sounded weak - even to his own ears.

Sirius had hesitantly lowered himself onto the bed, nibbling his lip. "Remus…" he'd all but whispered, "Remus we know."

Remus had froze. One hand locking onto the book it held, the only thing that could never judge him, would never judge him. His muscles had tensed, his chest had stopped working… He'd shook his head despairingly, feeling that panic, that pain of loosing his only friends rise up inside him.

"-What?" he'd asked weakly, partly hoping that they didn't know… that it was all some sick joke.

"It's okay," James had soothed, sitting down on his other side. "It's okay."

"We know you're a werewolf-"

At the words, Remus had leapt towards the door, wishing he'd had longer… Wishing for a life he couldn't have…

But James and Sirius had been quicker; they'd grabbed his wrists, forcing him to sit back down. He'd been trembling, every part of him alert… every part of him afraid. Just so afraid.

"We don't care," Peter had told him seriously, enunciating every word with his eyebrows slanted into a forceful frown.

Remus had squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep his heart from lifting at the words…

"What do you take us for Remus?" Sirius had joked lightly, nudging him in the stomach, "We're your friends and you can't get rid of us that easily!"

Then Sirius had hugged him for the first time in their friendship; that had meant more to Remus than words could ever describe. And as he'd hugged Sirius back, book still in his hand, he'd muttered, "Darn it! Looks like I'm still going to have to put up with you lot!"

Romeo and Juliet

Remus discovered the magic of Shakespeare in his seventh year and he'd wondered outside some time after dinner one day with Romeo and Juliet in hand.

Sirius had marched up to him at some point with a no-nonsense look. He'd grabbed Remus by the collar and yanked him up, so they were stood face to face in the weak moonlight.

He'd kissed Remus then.

As simple as that.

They hadn't said anything because they hadn't needed to, the emotions so clear in that one little kiss.

When they'd broke apart, Remus had blinked in the darkness, suddenly aware that time had passed since he'd started reading. He'd silently picked up his book and followed Sirius back to the castle.

They'd have plenty of time to talk later.

Hound of the Baskervilles.

Remus was into Sherlock Holmes the day that his world was destroyed.

He'd been drinking tea and reading the Hound of the Baskervilles as he waited for Sirius to return from James'.

When somebody had knocked, Remus had assumed Sirius had simply forgotten his key or was playing the prat. He'd thrown open the door with a big smile, ready to tease Sirius, to pretend that he wasn't allowed back in.

But his smile had disappeared when he realised it was Dumbledore who stood there.

He'd known, he'd known in that moment that something had happened, he'd known in that moment, that the perfect world he'd built around himself had been obliterated.

It was then he'd stopped feeling. It was then his entire body went numb, and stayed numb. He couldn't live, couldn't love without Sirius there.

"What's wrong?" Remus had asked, his brow creased in a frown as his hand automatically tightened over his book. "What's happened?"

And as Dumbledore had explained, Remus had twisted the book… tighter… and tighter… and tighter… till it just- ripped in half.

Torn pages had fluttered around him, floating to the floor. But he was past noticing, past realising. His body was focused entirely on the new pain that had seeped into his chest.

So cold…

So hard…

He'd collapsed into a chair, his breathing nothing but short gasps… Jagged pain stabbing at his heart…

And when he'd finally regained himself enough to see the mess he'd made, he'd known that that was what his life was like now… Something so good... So brilliant. Torn to irreparable pieces by somebody that had loved them.

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EDIT: Have taken the notes out... oops...