Under the Full Moony

Under the Full Moony

Scroll One: Firs' Years Over Here!

Slam.

"I refuse to do it!" yelled the man, who'd been slammed into the wall of a deserted alley, by a tall man in a black cloak.

"Is that so, John? I don't think you realize who you're refusing!" rasped the cloaked man, tightening his hold on the other man's neck.

"I have no wish to go over to the dark side, Fenrir!"

The cloaked man let out a cruel, low laugh. Then his face got serious and he growled at his victim. His growl sounded animalistic, dog-like almost, yet not ...

He spoke again in his raspy voice, "Then we shall see what your answer is after I'm through with the ones you love most!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The little brown-haired boy sighed, exasperated, "But MUMMY! I'll be fine! Ted's house is just up the street and he has a new pet NIFFLER! It's been sniffing around their backyard ALL morning! C'mon mum, Nathan's going to be there too, to search for treasure!"

"Treasure?! In a backyard-" began his mum with a laugh.

"Ted's mum is fine with it! Please! It’ll be loads of fun and I'd HATE to miss out on it!"

The little boy's mother sighed too as she looked at her son's pleading face.

"Fine, but remember what your father said, be back by sunset!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It had been a hard day of digging for the three boys. Ted's Niffler hadn't found anything, yet kept digging purposely.

Wiping sweat from his brow, the brown-haired boy looked at the setting sun.

'I'd better get going ...'

"Guys-" he began, but was cut off by the other two who nudged him and pointed to the Niffler, who’d suddenly gone into a frenzy.

"I think he's found something!"

All thoughts of his promise to his mum fled his mind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A loud howl brought the brown-haired boy to his senses, snapping him out of the trance he's been in as the Niffler had dug out a silver spoon, a small gold cross, and a few coins.

The boy shivered and looked up at the moon, full and white.

"Guys ... I was expected home about three hours ago."

Nathan looked at him, "So why haven't your parents sent an owl or come for you?"

"My dad's frantic about going out or sending owls out with letters after sunset. He's probably gone mad from worrying."

Ted and Nathan laughed a bit, "Alright, we'll walk you."

Another loud howl brought a shiver down their spine and Ted frowned, "Or you can both stay the night ...

Leaves rustled around them and the three small boys froze.

Suddenly something large and hairy with huge fangs came hurtling out at them. The three boys just stood there, transfixed by the sight of that ... thing.

There was a loud 'bang' as Ted's mother called at them to hurry inside in a rather frantic voice.

The three children made for the door, but before the small brown-haired boy could reach it, the thing pounced in front of him, tongue licking hungrily at its chops.

Then it pounced, slamming the boy onto the upturned dirt, and onto the stream of moonlight.

As the fangs sank in, the boy thought of his father's warning, his mother's hesitation ... he'd never see either of them again.

The boy looked up into the eyes of the thing, the big yellow, blood-shot eyes. And then he was gone, howling angrily; the silver spoon that Nathan had thrown, landed with a soft 'thud' near the boy. And as he looked at the silver spoon, he realized why the wound on his neck felt like fire burning his shoulder and why the awful burning feeling was spreading up and down the rest of his body. He realized, lying there as the thing had left him- sprawled on the dirt, head turned to the side, looking at the silver spoon shining in the moonlight ... realized what the thing was ... and what he now was.

He looked up to see images swimming together: his mother crying over him, holding him; his father sitting near him, face in his hands ... and the thing ... smirking over him ... it's big yellow, blood-shot eyes shining in the darkness ...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Remus cried out as he woke up. He’d had that dream again ... the one that had been haunting him since he was very young. He blinked and sat up, looking out the window, seeing the countryside speeding by and remembering he'd already waved good-bye to his parents.

He smiled, 'I'm going to Hogwarts!'

It was not lack of magical ability or talent that would have prevented him from ever setting foot inside the Castle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had not Albus Dumbledore been Headmaster. No, it was his dark secret that would have.

Remus sighed contently at the hills in the distance, then suddenly became very stiff. There, on the window, the reflection of two other people looked back at him. He turned and cried out again when he saw two persons in his compartment.

It wasn't that he'd never seen other people besides his parents, it was just he hadn't interacted with anyone else in about five years, or so. Shunned by his two best friends for what he was; feared by them ... he'd lived exiled in his room ... and occasionally in the basement.

The two darker haired boys looked at each other. Remus felt uncomfortable. One of them, the one with longish black hair and cool gray eyes was sitting next to him. The other with hazel eyes, glasses, and short black hair that stuck out at odd angles raised his eyebrows.

Remus looked back at the window and cleared his throat.

"We didn't ... mean to disturb you ..." said the long-haired one.

Remus smiled at them, "It's ... quite all right."

"Yeah, everywhere else was full ... don't look so scared. We're people ... just like you ...

there are loads more people at the school ..."

The one closest to Remus rolled his eyes, "Ignore James, he thinks everyone who doesn't talk incessantly about Quidditch is an idiot. But really he's the idiot."

He winked and Remus grinned.

The one called James stuck his tongue out at the other, "Shut up, Sirius. Hope you're forced into Slytherin. I imagine their common room reeks of dung."

The boy, Sirius crossed his arms and pouted angrily, "Don't remind me. I'm praying to every religious figure I can think of ... mind you, I'm thinking of making a pact with the devil."

James and Remus laughed. James pushed his glasses up his nose (they'd been slipping) and said to Remus, "Most of his family's been in Slytherin, see ... it'll be lucky if he isn't."

He stretched out of the seat, "As for me ... I'm all set. Gryffindor on both sides. You?"

Remus nodded, "Same here."

Sirius frowned, "Lucky bastards ... I hate Slytherin ... the whole lot of them."

"Time for a subject change. Remember that idiot we hexed when he was boarding the train?" asked James, eyes twinkling.

"The SLIMY-haired one? Yes! Wouldn't hurry up so we made his trunk sprout legs and push him in! It was hilarious!" added Sirius.

"But the legs broke off," explained James to a grinning Remus. "Thing was heavy! Packed with dark arts books, I'll bet."

"How can you tell he was Slytherin?" asked Remus curiously.

Sirius snorted, "EASY! Slimy hair, expressions like they've got dung stuck to their upper lip, it's obvious ..."

James reached into his trunk for something and pulled out a card deck, "Exploding Snap anyone?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Adams, Theodore."

Remus' head snapped up as he saw a blonde boy walk to the Sorting Hat nervously.

"Gryffindor!" announced the Hat.

Remus smiled and tried to catch Ted's eye but it was useless. He walked past without noticing his old friend.

"Barnes, Leandra," became the first Hufflepuff.

Then, "Black, Sirius."

Remus saw that the table next to Gryffindor's ... the Slytherin table, tensed.

Sirius walked up, pouting, and sat on the stool gripping it so hard his knuckles went white.

The hat seemed to be muttering something, "Ah ... a Black ... had a run-in with your cousin Bellatrix and her sister Narcissa a while ago ... they were in Slytherin, as were your mother and father ... good strong will. Will do anything to get what you want ... Not a bad mind ... it's all here!"

Sirius closed his eyes tightly and shook his head violently.

"Sl-erm ... Gryffindor!" called the hat.

Remus and James gave him the thumbs up as Sirius walked by looking relieved and haughty.

Remus watched as many others were sorted, waiting tense for his own turn.

Finally, "Lupin, Remus" was called. Remus sat down.

"Hah! What do we have here ... Lupin ... I remember him and your mother ... very strong mind ... set on excelling ... brave ... ah ... I see ... why this is obvious, GRYFFINDOR!!"

Remus happily made his way to Sirius's side. He caught Ted's eye across from him and smiled, but Ted just looked away, horrified.

Remus looked down at his plate and felt Sirius nudge him, "It's almost James!"

They watched as "Pettigrew, Peter" became a Gryffindor, then it was, "Potter, James."

The hat was on a second then it cried, "Gryffindor!"

Remus and Sirius high-fived him as he sat on Sirius' other side.

There were only a few left including a twitch, greasy-haired boy.

"Snape, Severus."

He walked twitchily, noticed Remus. He heard Sirius and James sniggering behind him, "That's the idiot! Look at him! He REEKS of Slytherin."

Obviously, James was right. The hat had no sooner recognized Snape than yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"

Remus smiled as he watched Snape walk to his table.

'They can tell just like that ... I hope they can't tell ... what I really am ...'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

James led the way to the dormitories after the feast, "Hey! Sirius, Remus, we're in this one along with the Peter kid and some bloke named ... Adams, Theodore."

Remus tensed when he saw Theodore. He walked into the dormitory and tried to hide behind his four-poster, between the wall and Sirius' bed. It would've worked too, had not Sirius wrenched his curtains aside and grinned, "What're you doing? Putting away some girly knickers?"

Remus shook his head silently but Sirius laughed, "Oy, James, Lupin's got girly KNICKERS!"

"What're they playing at?!" came a voice from the opposite end of the room.

Remus looked at Ted, who looked both angry and frightened.

"Hello Ted ..."

"I only return greetings from people, not THINGS ..."

Sirius saw Remus go stiff and pale-faced. His eyes were pleading with Theodore.

Sirius pouted, "Does he know something we don't, Remus?"

Remus looked at Sirius and shook his head quickly, "No ... of course not ... you know who I am ... Remus Lupin ... just Remus ..."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "You, Adams, why'd you call my friend a thing?"

Remus turned his head to look at Sirius with wide eyes, "F-friend ...?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and grinned, "Yes ... you know ... pals ... mates ... chums ... brothers ... amigos?"

Remus' eyes lit up.

Ted snorted, "I'd advise you to look people up before becoming their friends ..."

Sirius' wand was out and his pout was an angry one. His eyes were flashing, "Shut up Adams, or you'll have to pick your tongue up from the floor!"

"Meaning WHAT, Black?!"

"Meaning shut your face or I'll hex your tongue off!"

Remus smiled at him, his eyes shining with tears, "Thank you, Sirius."

Ted just glared at them and made for the door, "Bet Dumbledore doesn't know, Remus. You'll be out of here by tomorrow once everyone knows what a FREAK you are."

Remus looked away, "And Nathan?"

"He's dead! And it's all your fault! His whole family murdered in one night! EVERYONE knows it's you, you-"

"Don't!"

Ted just walked out, slamming the door behind him. Sirius frowned at Remus who was getting ready for bed, "What was that about?"

"Nothing ... childhood ... stuff ... just ignore him."

Sirius backed away to his own bed but watched Remus closely until the lights went off.

The next day Theodore and all his things were gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Remus thought the classes were actually quite interesting. Difficult, but interesting. It wasn't so much the subjects, but the danger of being in a class with The Marauders. It was a name James and Sirius had made up for themselves.

They'd trip you if you weren't looking in Potions class, so all the ingredients would spill onto the floor, sometimes a cauldron or two would be knocked over.

Explosions, toxic fumes, and experimentations with potions were not uncommon if you were in Potions class with James and Sirius. Nor was it uncommon to have to stand on your stool for the rest of the class for fear of being melted or killed by the potions that so often flooded the classroom.

Professor Slughorn did not bother with detention, or any other kinds of punishment, he was too used to The Marauders to care anymore. Or ... he simply loved them for being the two most brilliant people in his class.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was easily the best subject in Hogwarts. Although, their teacher was obsessed with dark creatures, how to fight them and recognize them.

The Marauders were actually too interested in what the teacher had to say to cause any major mayhem ... or afraid he'd set a vampire on them, one of the two.

They usually had to work in groups of four to a table with a cage or tank containing some sort of wondrous creature or monstrosity. Remus enjoyed it immensely as he sat with The Marauders and Peter who had taken to following them around. Even though Pettigrew could sometimes annoy him, what with all his questions, Remus tolerated him as best he could.

Transfiguration, though, was a matter entirely different from Defense Against Dark Arts class. Professor McGonagall, although she was the head of Gryffindor, was strict and sometimes downright mean.

That's why when there was five minutes left to class and they'd all gone up to hand in the match they'd been trying to turn into a needle, Remus wasn't eager at all to return to his seat.

Remus nervously sat down and Sirius gave him thumbs up. Remus thought about what he was going to do, quickly took out his quill, and began writing. He tore the scrap out, folded it up and threw it to Peter.

Remus' eyes widened as McGonagall raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Lupin, passing notes in class?"

The bell rang a second later, and she glared at them, "Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black, remain in your seats."

Remus quickly turned to Sirius who was looking down at the scrap of paper that had been thrown to him as if willing it to disappear.

McGonagall strode over and snatched the paper, unfolding it quickly and looking at them both, "Let's see what was so important, it couldn't wait until the end of class, which was three seconds later!"

As she read, her eyes widened and she turned her back on them, "W-well ... off ... off you go ..."

Remus stuffed his things into his bag and left without so much as a glance at Sirius.

James was laughing his head off with Peter outside, "You ... idiot!"

James laughed harder when Sirius came out, hair over his eyes.

Remus brushed his bangs away, "Sirius?"

Sirius was white-faced as he looked at Remus. He held out something, a little square package in his hand.

James cracked up along with Peter and Sirius. Remus frowned and studied the tiny envelope, "What is it?"

The now three Marauders (counting Peter after he'd thrown a dung bomb into Snape's cauldron) stared at him, "What PLANET are you from?!"

Sirius pouted, "It's a condom, genius."

Remus blushed, "She thought ... she really ..."

Sirius turned red too, but laughed, "WHAT did you write?!"

"What James told me ..."

James giggled madly, "I want you. I hate to keep you waiting and I've thought about what you said. Tonight, I'll let you screw me senseless, let you touch me 'till I come ..."

Sirius tackled James to the ground and Remus tried to not catch Peter's eye as he ogled at Remus, "You WROTE that ... to ME!"

"That was the plan! Now grab James before he becomes putty."

Remus found Sirius' arm and pulled him off James, "Sirius enough, it was just a joke."

"But now she thinks I'm a POOF! She thinks I'm going to ... do it with you ... JAMES, STOP laughing!"

And that's how Remus became a Marauder.