Chapter Text
Remus was glad to be back at Hogwarts after Christmas. Not that he didn’t love his parents, but he was happy to be back in the company of his friends. He knew the break was a difficult one, having got the letters James sent informing Remus that Sirius had run away from Grimmauld Place after an altercation with his parents concerning the brewing war.
James had also informed Remus that while Sirius seemed happy over the fact that he was away from his parents, guilt still weighed heavily on him. He had been in such a rush to get out that he didn’t get the chance to grab his younger brother, Regulus.
Now Remus didn’t know much about the younger Black, him and Sirius seemed to always be on the fence ever since he started at Hogwarts. What he did know was that Regulus was a year younger than them, he was a Slytherin, and according to Sirius, their parents’ favorite. Despite this, Sirius was very worried over his brother’s well being, especially since none of them had spotted the boy since stepping on the Hogwarts Express.
Sirius was anxious the entire train ride and was obviously more so since Regulus wasn’t at the welcome back feast with the rest of the student body. The older brother was shifting in his seat, leg bouncing, and sending worried glances at the Slytherin table, specifically where Regulus would have usually been sitting between Barty Crouch Jr. and Evan Rosier. Remus tried to be understanding and patient, but with the full moon only a week away, his irritation over the fidgeting was hard to contain.
“Merlin, Sirius, can you stop moving around so much? You’re shaking the whole bloody table!” Remus snapped after an hour of enduring. He immediately felt guilty looking at Sirius’ anxious face, James’ disapproving glare making it worse.
“Fuck, sorry Pads. I didn’t mean it, you’re dealing with a lot right now.” He murmured. Sirius sighed, almost deflating under the weight of the worry on his shoulders.
“No no, it’s fine. I know that was Moony and not you talking.” Sirius sounded as if he had aged ten years since the end of last semester, the stress of the break showing on his face in his pale skin and deep eye bags. Only a few months ago, Sirius probably wouldn’t have let his worry over his brother show so much, but whatever happened over winter break had obviously shaken him to the point of no longer caring if people knew how much he cared for a Slytherin.
It was nearing the end of the feast when a stressed looking McGonagall made her way over towards where the Marauders were sitting. The four exchanged looks, wondering what they were about to be accused of doing before the semester had even really started.
McGonagall was still five feet away when Peter spoke up, “Whatever happened, we didn’t do it this time!” The other three nodded rapidly, trying to convey their innocence. The professor just sighed and shook her head.
“Nothing has happened that you four could have caused, at least not yet,” she gives them a suspicious look, now wondering if they had anything planned. “I simply came over to tell Mr. Lupin that Professor Dmbledore wishes to speak to him in his office immediately.”
That was not what Remus had expected. “Wait, why me?” He asked. McGonagall looked him in the eyes and it allowed him a chance to notice just how stressed she seemed. Remus knew this was an important meeting.
“He needs to talk to you about a recent development concerning your illness.” She said. Remus knew she wouldn’t have brought up his lycanthropy, even subtly, if this wasn’t an urgent topic. He stood, sending his friends a reassuring look, and followed his head of house out of the Great Hall and to the griffin statue that guards the headmaster’s office. After speaking the password, McGonagall led him up the stairs and through the large door.
Dumbledore sat at his desk, looking through stacks and stacks of papers. When they walked in, the headmaster looked up and smiled warmly at Remus.
“Mr. Lupin, I apologize for having Professor McGonagall pull you from the feast and your friends, but we have a significant development that may affect your full moons while at Hogwarts.”
Remus sat in the chair across from Dumbledore, his curiosity written across his face. “Well, what is it?”
Dumbledore’s smile fell as he sighed heavily. “Over the break, one of your fellow students was attacked by Fenrir Greyback,” At the mention of the name of the vicious werewolf that had turned him when he was a child, Remus’ blood turned cold. Then the rest of the professor’s words sunk in.
“Wait what? Are they okay?” He asked frantically. It didn’t matter to Remus who it was, being on the receiving end of a sadist like Greyback wasn’t something he’d wish on his greatest enemy.
“The student is alive, however, he has been inflicted with lycanthropy. This means that he will be joining you in the Shrieking Shack every month during the full moon.”
Remus was dumbstruck. He had never been around another werewolf since he was turned. While he hated the idea of anyone having to go through the painful transformations, perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad knowing someone who would truly understand the difficulty of keeping the inner monster at bay.
“Well, who’s the student?” Remus asked. Dumbledore was barely able to hide his grimace at the question before a figure stepped into the room from a door behind the headmaster.
A figure in Slytherin robes, with hair as dark as night and eyes as silver as the metal that could kill him. Eyes that were unnervingly similar to Remus’ best friend, except these eyes were void of the spark of mischief that showed in Sirius’. In its place was anger and misery, the likes of which Remus had never seen. His face was a beautiful blank mask, the only things marring it were the obviously fresh scars that stretched from his haughty eyebrows, across his aristocratic upturned nose, and pink cupid bow lips.
In front of Remus stood the newly turned werewolf student and his best friend's little brother, Regulus Black.