Trust Fall

Chapter One: Unsolicited Mail

"Checkmate." Remus said a little wearily as his white rook moved into the strategic position on the board. At his words, the tower-shaped piece seemed to grow in stature, toppling onto, and crushing the suddenly minute black King. Averting his eyes from the other white pieces that were now victoriously (and violently) finishing off the rest of Sirius', Remus made to get up from the board.

"Wait...just one more game. I think I've got my strategy planned out this time."

But the other shook his head very violently. "No way Sirius. I really can't afford to spend any more time giving you a sound beating in chess." He paused a moment to wait for the comment to have it's desired effect before continuing in a more serious fashion. "It's our final year and in a few weeks, it'll all be over...we'll be out looking for jobs and finishing schools."

"Thank YOU Captain Obvious!" Sirius said dryly, twirling his finger in the air and looking bored.

"Well we have exams first. And you may have everything under control, but I'm losing a week because of my..." he lowered his voice significantly, "...transformation tomorrow night."

"Oh right!" Sirius sat up a little straighter. "Hey now! We're coming with you...y'know...like ALWAYS? You don't get off that easily!" He tapped the chessboard with his wand. Both the black and white pieces reformed and scuttled back to take their starting places for another round. "Now come on. I really think I've got you figured out this time."

"It's not just that, Sirius."

"What now?"

"Well as I recall, you seem to have a detention this evening."

The ever-present grin faded momentarily from Sirius' face, but it soon returned in full force. "Ah you speak truly wise one! Oh but it was so worth it too...did you see the look on Snape's face when he walked in Florence Berendoyl in the...in the..." he doubled over laughing at the mere memory.

"Girls showers?" Remus supplied lightly.

"Oh yes yes yes! And it wasn't even half as good as seeing her running after him across the Quiddich Pitch, with the towel and the suds...."

"I swear to god Sirius, I wonder what your motives really are on those two. First there was that 3^rd Year incident..."

"They were always hanging out together. How was I supposed to know that they were just friends?!" He gave up on the innocent look to just shrug noncommittally. "Anyway, it's not my fault that Severus is a gullible snoop...he'd probably go running after you up the bloody whomping willow if I told him how to do it."

Remus chose to ignore that one. "All right, your prank was funny. But you still have detention that you shouldn't be late to."

"Walk me?" Sirius grinned.

"Yeah, what the hey." At least with Sirius out of the way, Remus would have time to get some work done.

After dropping his friend off by the trophy case for the Tried-and-True Hogwarts detention of non-magical scrubbing, Remus retraced his steps back to Gryffindor Tower, planning on getting a full evening of Potions review in before he went to bed. The subject was never his forte, but he still could rank up there if he dedicated himself.

"Asphodel and wormwood." He mumbled to the walls in a desperate attempt to recall some of his notes. "Sleeping potion...or was that...huh?"

He looked up startled as a large black bird fluttered overhead. It was about the size of an average owl, but it's more streamlined beak and slimmer shape suggested something more along the lines of a raven or crow. Attached to it's leg was a piece of parchment. After circling a few times, the bird alighted itself on a statue, let out a hoarse 'caw' and quite suddenly toppled from it's perch to the ground, where it lay still and, apparently dead.

Remus looked around quickly, and not just because he was so close to transformation time that the bird was beginning to look more like dinner than something potentially menacing. He forced those instincts to the back of his mind -- he'd be damned if he was caught doing something that disgusting when he wasn't even transformed yet, and tried to think on the rational side. Who would be sending a letter via a bird like this? Clearly, they wanted to be noticed. Not only that, the bird had died so suddenly he wasn't even sure this letter was for him. At the very least, he'd take the letter over to the Owlry so it could be delivered to the right person.

Quickly he bent down and removed the parchment from the bird's leg, dropping it promptly thereafter with an exclamation of pain. Was it just him...or had that parchment just burned his hand? More confused than ever, he quickly checked himself for hexes -- but the pads of his fingers where he had touched the letter were tinged no more red than if he'd picked up a very hot cup of tea. The reason behind this was made in the next instant painfully obvious, but also alleviated none of his confusion. Burning on the front of the parchment, in letters that seemed to be comprised entirely of green flames, was his own name: "Remus J. Lupin."

Okay, so apparently it was for him after all. Something inside him screamed for him to go to the Headmaster, but he found himself heading for Gryffindor again, carrying the paper gingerly between his fingernails to avoid further burns from the fire-script. He gave the password to the common room and entered, giving a brief wave to Peter and James who had taken over the chess-board before bolting up the stairs to the dorm room he shared with his three friends and Derek Channing, a friend of Arthur Weasely. Luckily, Derek wasn't up there either, and he had the place to himself. Now, for a good look at this letter.

He risked a quick touch of the parchment, and found that it was still quite hot. Whoever had sent it certainly wasn't making it too easy for him to get inside. Frowning, he pulled out his wand and spell book to experiment a little. He even went so far as to try a few basic charms meant for opening a locked doors and breaking glass windows, but nothing in the "Standard Book of Spells Grade 7" got him any farther on the parchment unfolding front.

His mind was wandering again -- another side-effect that occurred close to transformation time. Maybe he should think of something else for a few minutes...and the inspiration would come to him then. Swiveling desk chairs provided a great source of non-magical, non-sensical entertainment, and as he pushed himself in a circle around the pivot point of the chair, he let his thoughts go where they would. Sirius' desk was a bloody mess, he noted. James's was a mirror image on the other side of the room. Derek had all these silly muggle trinket things on his and Peter...well now that was an idea wasn't it?

Peter had on his desk a paperweight and a letter opener. They had actually been a gift from Sirius one year, who -- while he had no real idea what a paperweight and letter opener were actually for, claimed that the shorter boy could always chuck it at Snape's head (or kneecaps) whenever he tried to beat him up. Remus decided that Sirius and definitely Peter probably wouldn't mind too much if these things were used for non-violent purposes...such as actual letter opening.

The non-violent method worked wonders. Through a combination of the letter opener and the metal paperweight, the folded page was easily pried apart. Remus gripped the edge of his desk as the cold feeling that had manifested itself in the pit of his stomach ever since he had laid eyes on this parchment started to blossom into butterflies. The letters on the page jumped out at him, blazing green and menacing...and he forced himself to read.

Mr. Remus J. Lupin

It is my great pleasure to inform you that you need no longer remain an outcasted member of society. I personally am dedicated to providing so-called dangerous creatures with respectable jobs and positions in the Wizarding Society.

Here, Lupin stopped, unsure whether to laugh or put a random hole through something. He decided on laughter, fortunately. What was this? Some kind of wizarding unsolicited mail? 'Act now and receive your free induction into society'? But any suspicions he may have had with unsolicited mail either in the muggle or wizarding world somehow had died along with remembrance of green flame script and big black birds. If this was a prank, it couldn't have been from anyone at Hogwarts...nobody here knew about his condition except Peter, James and Sirius...and not a single one would consider something like this funny. The butterflies returned with his nervousness and he read on.

"We appreciate the time and counseling it must take to overcome the horrible bigotry given those who experience lycanthropy..."

And now they were trying to make him out to be some sort of eternally depressed mental patient? Doggedly, he read on.

"Lord Voldemort offers you the chance to experience life as it should be lived. Join the Death Eaters, be paid a salary and enjoy a lifetime of alternative wizardry."

Signed, Lord Voldemort

There followed a complete list of the 'titles' that the dark wizard had bestowed upon himself. This thing just had to be a joke. Remus may have been muggle born, but his family had been forced upon the wizarding world and not only because their son would later show magical talent. Even the students from the most muggle families knew who Voldemort was, and what he represented. Dumbledore had warned each and every one of them that Voldemort was trying to gather followers -- that they should not honestly discount themselves as being potential targets.

Remus had been to many meetings with the Headmaster and many of the other teachers at the school, warning him against propositioning...but this wasn't underhanded propositioning. It was like the flyers you sometimes got in the mail for special spell courses. Beyond that, he was a part of real society. He had four friends -- four wonderful friends that hadn't left him, hadn't run away in fear, had understood...and were coming up the stairs now.

Quickly, Remus shoved the parchment into his spell book. He didn't really want to talk about the joke tonight anyway. Why let everyone else worry about something that stupid.

He replaced the book on his desk shelf and then as an afterthought, grabbed his Potions text, swung around back into position at his desk, and opened it right to the page on sleeping potions just as the door swung inward to admit both Peter and Sirius.

"Hey Moony. Get any studying done?" Sirius asked.

"Er...no." Remus answered honestly, then hoping to change the subject he added "Where's James?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Bugger off Sirius, let us be alone!" He placed a hand on his hip and attempted an imitation of an afflicted feminine pose.

"Mr. Wormtail would like to inform Mr. Moony that Mr. Padfoot's strange behavior is due to a most unfortunate incident involving an invasion of Mr. Prongs' and er...mate's privacy."

Remus smirked. "In other words?"

"Lily kicked Sirius out of the little snog-fest that she and James were having downstairs. I think they went up to the Astronomy Tower." Peter paused a moment, then dove across James' trunk. "Which means, he won't mind if I borrow his invisibility cloak to get to the kitchens."

Sirius laughed. "Great, bring me back something good."

"Sure thing." With that, Peter threw the cloak over his shoulders and disappeared from view. Remus and Sirius watched as the door to their room opened seemingly of it's own accord, and listened as Peter's footsteps died away down the stairs. As soon as Sirius deemed he was gone, he slumped against Remus's desk and let out a long whoosh of a breath.

"What's up?"

"Eh...James is always off with his girlfriend now, and all..." Sirius replied, trying to sound offhanded but failing.

"You don't like Lily?"

"No no, she's perfect for James. Couldn't have a better match...."

"...but?"

"Well...James is the one with the girl and the sports trophies...Peter's getting so much bolder...you're Mr. Intelligence...I'm beginning to wonder what's going to happen to me."

Remus was becoming increasingly more concerned. It was...strange...to say the least when Sirius was being anything less than his happy-go-lucky self. "What do you mean?" Okay, not the most helpful thing to say...but it was something at least.

"I...just have a bad feeling." For a moment, Sirius looked tired, old far beyond his seventeen years...or maybe it was just a trick of the candlelight because in the next moment he was smiling again. "Probably something stupid. How much do you want to bet it's over Snape thinking up some prank to pay me back for the shower incident. Of course, it won't work, his pranks NEVER work on me...well there was that one with the burping potion, but that was an isolated incident that..."

As he listened to his friend blab on, Remus put the incident out of his head. 'All the more reason not to tell him about the letter incident' he rationalized. He'd even managed to forget about it almost completely when Peter returned from the kitchens an hour later.