Chapter Text
Remus Lupin hated the summer holidays he decided. Especially the days of the full moon during the summer holidays, of which he was unlucky enough to have 3 of this time around. He had grown so used to the presence of his friends during his Wolf days over the recent months that transforming without them last night had been the worst transformation he could remember ever enduring. Laying on the cold earth floor in the family cellar where his mother had dutifully locked him yesterday, he tried to evaluate his injuries. He could feel a gash across his chest, and another over his face. His left leg was bleeding profusely, and all his joints felt stiff and swollen. Knowing it would be at least an hour before the cellar was unlocked and he was let out he attempted to get a little sleep.
Lyall Lupin closed his sons bedroom door, having been in to once again tend to the boys self inflicted wounds. He hated the full moon, even more than Remus did if that was possible. It had been 10 long years, and the guilt still tore at him and made him hate himself. He has considered suicide many times over the years, but he was ultimately a weak man who didn’t deserve such an easy out of this nightmare. Grabbing a full bottle of fire whiskey from the sideboard he locked himself in his bedroom, prepared to drink himself into oblivion. Anything to forget that this was his fault. His big bloody mouth had ruined everything, and he would never, ever forgive himself for his stupid comments. The stupid comments hat had angered Greyback. The stupid comments that condemned his son to his lycanthropy.
Hope Lupin loved her son. Once upon a time she had loved his father too. These days she couldn’t stand to be in the same room as Lyall, let alone talk to him. She was so grateful that Remus spent most of his time at Hogwarts, it meant she only had to pretend for 2 months a year, and even that was more than she could bear. She was in the kitchen, clearing up after breakfast when she heard Lyall’s retreat to his room, where he would undoubtedly drink his way through a bottle or 2 of Ogden’s best. Not that they could afford it, but Lyall has always been a selfish bastard. She remembered how she had begged him, repeatedly to stop with his werewolf hunt back in ‘94, once she had learnt of the threats being made against their family, but he wouldn’t have a bar of it. He wasn’t scared he had told her, his ministry position offered ample protection, they would be safe. They would all be safe. The threats kept coming, almost daily towards the end. She had taken the children, moved them back to her muggle parents house, thinking it would keep them safe. Remus has been almost 5, Adeline was 3. They had been in bed, exhausted after a day of enjoying the last of the snow for the year. She was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner when she had heard Remus screaming. A scream that made her blood run cold. She ran to their room, but it was empty, the glass from the window smashed, covering he floor. She peered out, Adeline was lying in the snow, blood pouring from her tiny body. She wasn’t moving. Hope ran through the house, flinging open the door, towards her daughter, scanning the yard frantically for her son. Another ear-piercing scream rang out across the countryside as her eyes found Remus, watched him fall to the ground, blood dripping from his face and chest. Out of he corner of her eye she saw a flash as a large creature ran away. Her blood ran cold. She knew. Lyall’s stupidity and selfishness had caught up with them.
Remus has been taken to St Mungos, the magical hospital in London, where he was listed as critical, and healers warned her it was unlikely he’d make it through the week, let alone the night. Adeline had been pronounced dead on arrival. She sat by her sons bed for days, mourning her daughter and praying for her son. Lyall had been there, she knew that, but she barely gave him a thought. She was too caught up in her own grief to care about the man she now despised more than any other. To everyone’s surprise, Remus had pulled through. Hope had almost welcomed the news of his Lycanthropy, because it meant she hadn’t lost both of her children.
Remus’s Lycanthropy had ruined their family. They had moved on average 3 times a year, each move necessary after the neighbours had started to suspect their secret. Lyall had lost his job and had struggled to maintain a job at all over he last 10 years. He had given up trying to find work in wizard of society after 3 years, and his increasing alcohol dependency had lost him many non-magical positions. The family barely survived on the scant income she could scrape together working as a secretary in various companies in each location they moved to. She never once blamed Remus for her life, she’d live it 1000 times over if she thought it would help him, but she would never, ever forgive her husband.
As was his usual pattern, Remus slept solidly for almost 24 hours after the full moon. Transforming always exhausted him, and the moon cycles never allowed enough time between full moons for him to properly gain any real strength. He gingerly pushed himself to a sitting position and swung his legs to the floor, preparing to stand, knowing it wasn’t going to pleasant. His body screamed at him as he slowly stood and walked toward the bathroom. He could hear his mother rattling around in the kitchen, making a breakfast she knew he would devour before heading off to work. In the bathroom he stopped off his threadbare pyjamas and took a hot shower, water just shy of boiling, hoping it would help ease the pain in his muscles. He scrubbed himself raw 3 times, trying to wash the stench of wolf from his skin and hair. Turning off the water he dressed and brushed his teeth twice, knowing it would never fully remove the taste of blood and flesh from his mouth. Shuffling into the kitchen he flopped listlessly into his seat as his mum came over and enveloped him into a warm hug before placing a massive, meat heavy breakfast in front on him. The wolf that was almost always just below the surface howled in appreciation. Hope placed a cup of hot sweet tea and 4 envelopes in front of him, before sitting across from him to finish her own tea. Remus recognised the writing on the first 3 envelopes belonging to his best friends James, Sirius and Peter, while the 4th was a slightly bulkier one from his fellow prefect Lily Evans. Smiling for the first time in days Remus tore open the first envelope.
Moony,
So, Pads finally did it, he ran away from home for good, and is living with us. He’s not in a good way, those bastards almost killed him, but Marlene’s Mum has been taking care of him, and he is going to be fine. Now that the wolf shit is done do you think you can come over for a few days? He’s in a bit of a funk, and a little maraudering is just what the Doctor ordered. Well it’s what I ordered anyway. Wormy will be here on Friday but come whenever you can.
See you soon
Prongs
Moony,
I did it. I moved the hell out of that hell hole. They nearly won, and I was nearly carried out in a body bag, but it’s all over now. I’m living with Prongsie for a while, you should come around, so we can start planning the back to school prank. Only 7 weeks left, and this years needs to be amazing, and hopefully very anti Slytherin.
Sorry I couldn’t be with you for Wolf day, I hope if wasn’t too harsh on you.
I miss you, and I love you.
Love always,
Your Pads
Moony,
I’m heading the Prongs place on Friday, you should come too. There’ll be chocolate.
Wormy
Dear Remus,
Thank you so much for loaning me that book. I really loved it, Atticus reminded me a little of a muggle professor Dumbledore. I’ve sent you a copy of one of my favourite books, Little Woman, to read. It’s probably a little girly for your tastes, but I hope you’ll love it as much as I do.
I hope you are having a good break.
See you on September 1st.
Love
Lily.
After breakfast Remus headed back to his room to make a start on Lily’s book, thankful he had such brilliant friends.