Young Remus

(A Harry Potter Fanfiction by Yolanda)

All characters except Laura belong to J.K. Rowling. The distribution of this story is for personal use only. Any other form of distribution is prohibited without the consent of the author.

This is my idea of what Remus might have been like when he was young and life had not yet been so difficult and disappointing. Thanks, Zsenya for encouraging me. Thanks to the Femmes too!

Chapter One: Friends Are Found On Every Road

He walked down the London street with no real destination in mind. Every now and then it was enjoyable to go out into the Muggle world. In such a busy place he could remain anonymous and forget the wolf for a little while.

He looked over and saw her standing in front of a shop with a slight frown on her face. Another lost tourist, he thought. He continued to stare at the girl. She was fairly short, with long, thick, dark hair. Even if she hadn't been looking at a map, he would have known she was foreign by her skin tone-not quite olive, but not as pale as the girls he knew. She was wearing a white lace shirt with billowy sleeves that gathered just under - place I have no business looking at, he caught himself thinking aloud in his head- and dungarees. (What did the Americans call them? Jeans?) Her ridiculously high platform shoes were quite amusing to him. How does anyone walk on those things?

She looked up at him and smiled, ducking her head a little and holding up the map. He walked over to her.

"Could you help me, please? I'm really lost. I was about to start looking for a policeman." She was definitely American, maybe Southern. Her eyes looked exotic, and when she smiled, he noticed her dimples.

"Sure, where are you trying to go?"

"Here's the address," she said, holding up a piece of paper. "It's a record shop my roommate wanted me to go to. She should have come with me, but she's too busy with her boyfriend, if you know what I mean. Oh, my name's Laura Cortez, by the way," she said offering her hand.

"Remus Lupin. Hi, Laura. Look, we're not that far from the shop, why don't I just take you there?"

"Oh, okay, if it isn't a lot of trouble for you. I mean, okay," she said shrugging shyly.

"Cortez, that's a Spanish name isn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah, my grandparents came to the U.S. from Mexico. On my mom's side, they were trying to get away from the revolution. Anyway, I'm sure you don't care about our family history-but wasn’t Remus one of the founders of Rome?"

"Come this way, Laura," he said, turning a corner.

"Oh, sorry, I like to talk," she said, smiling. He took her elbow and guided her through the crowd on the street. She didn't seem to object to his touch, but it could be that she was used to men being chivalrous. Some girls don't like that. He didn't feel like a man right that minute. He felt like a nervous boy. His hands were starting to sweat a little.

"My parents did like odd names," he said, giving her a sideways glance that was acknowledged by a flash of dimple.

When they arrived, she waited for him to open the door, which luckily he did quickly so there was no awkwardness. Now the question was did she want to keep talking to him and would he have the courage to ask her to go somewhere else?

He noticed that she stole shy glances at him as she flipped through the stacks. What do I do? I want to keep talking to her, but I don’t want her to think I’m some sort of pervert. I mean, I don’t think I look like one, but then I’m not a girl.

Apparently, she had found what she was looking for and was going to pay. Hopefully she knew what to do with Muggle money, because he didn't. They were near the Leaky Cauldron. Should he take her there? What would happen if she knew that he was wizard? Hello, pretty American girl, would you like to kiss a wizard? I'm magic, you know. He groaned at the stupid line. But he did look at her lips for just a second.

I know what James and Sirius would say. "You can do it, old boy. Who knows, she could be the one--the one who teaches you about-" How can I even think of that? I don't know her at all. For all I know, she has a giant American boyfriend who's coming to visit her in a few days and will kill any man who gets near her.

"I'm done, Remus. Did you want to look at anything else?"

"No, not really, but I was wondering if . . . well, are you?"

"I . . . um don't have anything else to do, if that's what you want to know."

"Yeah, yeah," he said flushing a little. "Would you fancy a cup of tea?"

"Sure, Remus, you can tell me all about your name," she said as he opened the door of the shop for her.

They stepped outside and lingered for a minute. Laura was looking next door and Remus started to pull her away. "Stop!" she said holding him back. "I know this sounds weird, but does it look like there's a little pub right there?" She was pointing at the door of the Leaky Cauldron. But she shouldn't have been able to see it. What should he do? She answered his unspoken question by pulling him there.

"I know you can see it too, come on, let's take a look."

"Laura, before we go in, I think you need to know something," he said in a worried tone of voice. "I can see that place, because people like me go there."

"What? It's invisible to stupid tourists who can't read maps?" she asked with a little giggle. Damn those dimples!

"No, I guess I might as well show you, since you must be meant to see it." He took her hand and led her inside.

"Okay, Remus. What's this about? Are you going to tell me that the moon is in the seventh house and we're destined for each-" She stopped short, as if catching herself before she said something embarrassing and began to blush bright red. He laughed and squeezed her hand.

"Laura, I don't know why you can see this place. Here, sit down," he said, guiding her to a table.

"I think we both need something stronger than tea, but are you old enough to drink?" he asked.

"Yes, but it’s a little early."

"Right," he said. Then Remus smiled. "I know what to get. I'll be right back."

He went to the bar and she looked around at the strange people sitting at tables and along the bar. They all wore weird clothes. Dang, I feel like I'm back in California. People just don't dress like this in Texas!

He came back with two bottles of something he called butterbeer. He pulled his chair around to sit next to her. Laura moved hers a little closer and he felt a twinge of excitement. She liked him. She really did!

She smiled up at him. "This is really great. So, what is it that you have to tell me? You make it sound like it's a big deal."

"Well, it is rather a dramatic thing to tell a Muggle."

"A what? That's not a racial slur, is it? I mean you don't seem like that type of person."

"No, not at all. A Muggle is a person who can't do magic. Laura, I'm a wizard."

"What? Is that some kind of new pick-up line?" she giggled a little, but her eyes remained warm.

"No, it's the truth. Really, you shouldn't have been able to see this place at all. You must have an extraordinarily open mind or something, unless you can work magic too."

"No, 'fraid not. You really can work magic? I mean, rabbit out of hat, turn me into a newt, go ask Alice magic?"

"I don't know exactly what you mean, but yes, I am a well-trained wizard. I don't know if I'm allowed to show you or not. Usually, we can't do stuff in front of Muggles, but why not? If you can see this place there must be something special about you. I mean, I think there is." It had slipped out of his mouth before he knew it. Why did he have to say something so stupid? Well, no turning back now, he thought. Looking around, he took his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at his bottle of butterbeer, muttering something. The bottle was transformed into a rose. He handed it to her.

She gasped, then smiled shyly at him and took the rose. He could feel his face burning. She took his hand and laced her fingers through his. That did it for him. He wanted to kiss her so badly. Maybe later-much later.

She looked up at him, "Maybe you should change it back so you can finish drinking it." He transformed the rose back into the bottle of butterbeer and took it back again.

Just then the worst thing that could have happened did happen. His two best friends in all the world came though the back entrance. James and Sirius. Sirius would never leave them alone. Why?? Why now?

"Remus, old mate, what's going on here? Who is this lovely young lady you're with?" Sirius smiled an evil little smile.

"Sirius Black, James Potter, this is Laura Cortez. She's from the United States. We just met this morning. Laura, these are two old friends from school."

"Hi, y'all. Remus was kind enough to help me find my way to the shop next door. Are you both wizards too?" Laura shook hands with them both and they pulled up chairs and sat with them.

James looked at Remus. "Should she know?"

"Well, she spotted this place and I guess if she can see it, she can know. Dumbledore's not around to ask, is he?" Remus replied.

"Look, I don't want to get you into trouble, Remus. Maybe we should go somewhere else after we finish these." Remus noticed Sirius follow her hand with his eyes as she placed it on top of his.

"Well, I guess that's our cue to leave them alone," said Sirius. Sirius was tall and handsome with dark-hair. He never had any trouble with girls. James was tall and slender with a sweet-looking face and messy dark hair. He belonged to Lily. Remus sometimes envied their marriage, especially now that they had Harry.

"Oh, no, I didn't mean that. It's just that I sensed that you and your friends aren't comfortable with a -what was it you called me?-a Muggle knowing about this place and the magic."

"It's no problem, Laura, I have to get home to my wife anyway," said James. "This lout promised to help me fix some things at my house. You should be glad I’m here to pull him away. Otherwise, he might tag along all day. Come on, Sirius, let's go."

"I know when I'm not wanted," Sirius said pouting.

"Bye, maybe we'll see each other again sometime," said Laura.

"If I know Remus, he won't let us near you-" Sirius began and James pulled him away.

Remus was looking down. He was a little embarrassed. She took his hand again and said, "Don't worry, I didn't take him seriously. Oops! You know what I mean. Why don't we go all the way over to St. James Park? I love walking there. But, I would get lost trying to find it."

"All right," he said looking back into her eyes.

They made their way to the park, arm in arm. Remus felt a little bolder and stuck his chest out a little more. This girl really seemed to like him. He wanted to get to know her better.

Once they arrived, they found a quiet spot and sat on a bench. They could talk and watch the ducks and other waterfowl swim around. Laura never pulled her hand away from his. She asked him about his school. What had he learned? Where was it? Were there a lot of magical people in England? Did he know if there wizards in the U.S. too?

"You know, I've never been to the U.S. Where are you from, Laura?"

"I'm from Texas. I'm sure you know, it's a really big place. I'm from the farthest point west. I'm here for the summer and the school year, as a student. I just got here two weeks ago."

"I live in a small place pretty far north of here," Remus told her. "My parents have a house. I can get from place to place easily by magic, so I can live far away and still get here without a problem. I'm going to work at a temporary job at the Ministry of Magic. I have to go home once a month to spend a few days with my parents, so it makes working tough. But, I have to make a living."

"Oh, I can't wait to start working. I hate having to ask my mother for money now that Dad passed away."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Laura."

"It's okay, Remus. It's been about a year now. He was really sick."

She moved a little closer to him. Does she want me to, I wonder? He put his arm around her and she leaned into him a little.

"This place is so beautiful. I can't get over this view. I could sit here all day, Remus."

"I know what you mean." He looked down at her. Her dark eyes were very disconcerting. He could feel the blood pounding in his ears-other places too. She looked at him almost expectantly and moved her face a little closer. He leaned down and kissed her gently. Her lips were so soft. He kissed her a little longer this time. She put her arm around his neck. He broke off, suddenly, looking alarmed.

"Look, Laura, I don't want you to think that I go around kissing girls like this. I mean. I'm sorry, I lost control."

She looked a little crestfallen, but then she smiled. "I've never kissed a guy on the first date either, Remus. I guess I just felt at ease with you. I appreciate you putting the brakes on. Most guys just want--well, you know."

Yes, well, if you knew what I wanted you might not be so happy. "I'm not like that. I do want to see you again, though. Will you? Will you see me again?"

"We're not saying good bye now, are we?" she asked tilting her head to one side. "Let's take a walk and talk some more, then you can take me home. And sure, I'd love to see you again. You should let me cook for you. I love to cook, but I haven't done much lately because there's no one to cook for in our little flat."

He seemed relieved. "A walk would be great. I'd love for you to cook for me, Laura, but I don't want impose."

"Are all men in England this polite?"

"I don't know," he said blushing, but smiling. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"There, now you know that it's okay to kiss me. I trust you."

He hugged her to him and kissed her on the lips again. Her lips parted slightly, but he continued to kiss her very gently for just a minute longer.

After their short walk, she told him where she lived and they made their way there. Remus promised to come see her in two days. He told her he would be there at seven o’clock on Thursday. Laura told him she'd do all her studying so she could take the time to make dinner for him.

Outside her building, he said goodbye and gave her a light kiss. She went in and found her roommate and her boyfriend half-naked on the sofa. She wanted to run after Remus and beg him to take her to his parents' house. She went into her room instead and lay on the bed thinking of Remus, his sweet face, pretty hair that fell into his eyes all the time, and his gorgeous eyes.

Well, she and Mr. Octopus had better get out of here on Thursday. I want the place all to myself. Remus would never act like THAT! He’s a nice guy - at least I think he is. I bet he’s saving himself for the right girl . . . .

Laura slapped herself back to reality and started studying just as a light rain began to fall outside.

* * *

"So, wearing the shirt Lily picked out for you, eh? You must really like this one. I think she liked you as well," Sirius said in a teasing voice.

"She’s bothering to make me dinner, Sirius. The least I can do is show up looking decent."

"Even if your thoughts aren’t decent?" Sirius threw a pillow at his friend. Remus picked it up and threw it back.

"Speak for yourself, Padfoot. I happen to value Laura as a person. I want to get to know her better, not take advantage of her and leave."

"I resent the implication that I don’t treat women properly. Besides, how do you know that isn’t what she wants anyway? Not all girls are like Lily, you know," Sirius looked at him intently. Remus turned back to the mirror and started combing his hair.

"Sirius, when are you going to grow up? I have no idea what she wants, but I suspect it isn’t that. You know I have no right to ask for much from any girl anyway. . . ." Remus' voice trailed off, his arms dropping to his sides.

"Look, Remus, you made it through Hogwarts and you can bloody well have a wife and children if you’ve a mind to, though I suppose right now isn’t the best time to think of such things."

Remus looked up and met Sirius’ gaze in the mirror. The fear that ate at the back of Remus’ mind surfaced. Sirius was right. It was a dangerous time for Wizards and Muggles, though the Muggles had no idea, of course.

"Are you going to tell her about You-Know-Who?" Sirius asked quietly.

"If it seems right. I mean this is only the second time I’ve seen her. It would be a bit odd to start throwing all of this at her so soon. Look, I’ve got to go," Remus said, gathering his jacket and opening the door to his room.

"Don’t forget these," Sirius said holding flowers in one hand and wine in the other.

"I’m not the least bit nervous, am I?"

"Have a good time, and mind you be home at a decent hour or you’ll be given a detention," Sirius said in his best McGonagall voice.

"I'm off then." Remus left, bounding down the stairs and shouting his goodbyes at his parents as he flew out the door. He Apparated behind the Leaky Cauldron, stepped in, and went out the front door into the Muggle world.

He got to her flat and knocked. Laura was waiting for him, he could tell. She was wearing a very pretty white dress. He didn’t know what those dresses were called, but had seen many girls wear them under their robes. When she smiled at him, he felt a rush of warmth inside. She had nice soft music playing in the background. It was modern, but instrumental. He didn’t know it. I suppose I might get to know a lot about Muggles being her friend.

"These are for you, Laura," he said holding out the flowers and the wine. "Thank you for going to all this bother."

She smiled shyly at him and said, "You’re welcome, Remus. You know cooking is one of my hobbies, so it’s fun for me. Will you open the wine while I put these in water, please?"

She handed him a corkscrew and turned to go into the tiny kitchen area of the flat. He didn’t know what to do with it, so he pulled his wand out of his jacket pocket, and tapped the bottle. "Breathe free!" he said and the cork flew out of the bottle just as she came back. He picked up the cork and poured the wine into the glasses.

Laura gasped and giggled. "Well, you are full of surprises," she said. "Flowers and magic! Won’t these look pretty on the table?" She brushed his arm accidentally as she put the flowers down. She looked up at him. "How sweet of you." He could feel the color rising to his face. Why did she have this effect on him? He’d been around girls before, lots of them. None of them made him blush like this.

"Have a seat and I’ll bring everything out," she said.

"Can I help you, Laura? You have to let me do something."

Laura laughed. "You’re wrecking my evil plan, Remus. I thought you might like to help me with the clean-up later, but if you really can’t wait, come on and get the salad."

They started to relax as the meal progressed. Laura had made chicken and mushroom crepes as the main course. "Laura, these are great. My Mum always says these are hard to get just right even with magic."

Laura smiled. "Well, I did have a French roommate last year. She taught me how to make several dishes. So, tell me about your parents. What are their names?"

"My mother is named Fortuna and my father is Stephanus."

"Fortuna? Wasn’t she a sort of deity in Rome? If you had good or bad luck, weren’t you said to have your own Fortuna?"

He shrugged. "Well, I do have my own."

They talked about their parents some more and Remus learned that her mother worked in a hospital. He didn’t ask a lot of questions about her father, thinking that she would tell him in her own time. He couldn’t imagine losing one of his parents, but most importantly, he couldn’t imagine either of them without the other.

They decided to take a walk after cleaning up the dishes just to enjoy the summer air. Laura loved to walk the streets in London. She told him that she liked crowded urban scenes and that at home, one had to drive a car to get anywhere.

"Well, we should get back and have dessert. Don’t you have to go to work tomorrow?" Laura asked him after they had been out for a half hour.

"Yes, but I’m not tired yet or anything."

She brought dessert to the little sofa in front of the television set. He really hadn’t watched television much, so he wasn’t interested in it. He was interested in her, but he was nervous and hesitant. Just because they got carried away the day he met her didn’t mean she wanted to kiss him now. She had put her arm through his while they walked, but . . . Why is this all so hard? Clearly, Laura likes me or she wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble . . . .

They sat and ate their chocolate cake in silence at first, but he had to tell her how good it was. She was sitting close to him and put her plate down. She leaned back a little and smiled.

"Remus," she said grabbing a napkin, "you have chocolate frosting on your face." She wiped it off with the napkin and almost as a reflex, reached up and brushed the hair out of his eyes. Realizing what she had done, she stiffened a little, but he moved quickly, put his plate down, and brushed his lips over hers.

"Thank you," he said quietly and kissed her softly again.

"For wiping your face or for kissing you?" she asked playfully.

"For both, and for knocking the hair out of my eyes. I seem to have that problem all the time." She leaned back again and he put his arm around her. It had been a perfect night. She seemed very comfortable with him and he was feeling less nervous now himself.

After they finished dessert, they talked for a little while longer. Her roommate and boyfriend came home and grabbed some cake, making a show of being overly affectionate as if to rattle him. Remus found himself feeling sorry for Laura, but sharing a flat was probably the only way she could stay here. Thankfully, they went into the bedroom. From their demeanor when they arrived, their inappropriate laughter, and sounds of someone colliding into furniture coming from the other room, Remus could tell that they were very drunk. He started to feel protective of her.

"Laura, are you going to be all right when I leave? I mean if you want, you can come to my parents’ house."

"Remus, I can’t travel the way you do. I’ll be fine. I’ll just lock my bedroom door and play some music. It will be fine once he falls asleep."

"You mean he stays here?" he heard himself blurt out.

"Well, mostly she goes to his place because he lives alone, but I think they’re doing it to intimidate you."

"It’s not right, Laura. I don’t like it."

"Don’t worry, and don’t stay out late for my sake, Remus, you have to work." He looked in the direction of the bedroom sternly. "Really, Remus, I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

"Well, all right. I don't much like it, though. And there was something else I had to ask, but they distracted me. I was wondering what you're doing tomorrow?"

"Studying and staying home, I guess."

"No, you won't be staying home. Is it all right if I come get you for dinner tomorrow at around six? James and Lily asked me to ask you to come by their house. We can get a Portkey," he said and noticed her puzzled look. "A Portkey is an item that transports you any place you need to go. All we have to do it touch it. James told me he would give me one to get you to their house. I know this is short notice, but I have no way to get in touch with you here unless you leave your window open and I send an owl."

"Send what?" she was looking puzzled.

"We have owls deliver correspondence. I could have sent you an owl, but I didn’t think you’d know what to do if one suddenly appeared at your window."

"Well, I’d say that was a good thing. I would have been very surprised to see an owl in the middle of the day delivering a note," she said laughing. "I’d love to have dinner with your friends. Is there anything I can bring, Remus?"

"No, I'll take care of the wine. I'm just happy you aren't busy." Then he got up and retrieved his jacket. They parted at the door with an embrace and a small kiss. When they broke apart Laura had a strange look on her face.

"Laura, are you sure you’re all right?"

"Remus, I had the strangest flash of . . . I don't know how to say this any other way, but a a vision . . . a vision of you in lots of pain. It almost seemed like you were undergoing some sort of metamorphosis. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, Laura," he said trying desperately to hide his reaction. Could she be one of them- like my mother?

Suddenly, Laura looked very embarrassed. "Look, forget that I said anything. I must have had too much wine. I'll see you tomorrow." She was practically shoving him out the door, so Remus decided to let it go. He’d ask his mother about it when he got home. "See you at six o’clock tomorrow then." He would have been happy to sit and talk to her for the rest of the night, but he knew she was right to send him home.

The next morning, Remus recounted the incident to his mother. "I got the feeling, Mother, that she knew about me. I mean that she could somehow see me when I was transforming. What does that mean?"

"You say Laura told you she was not magic? Perhaps she just doesn’t know. I have heard of people who are raised as Muggles and don’t find out the truth until a crisis or emotional event occurs. Was she under stress or very happy?"

"I wish I could say that she was happy, but I think her roommate coming home in that state with that boyfriend of hers embarrassed Laura. She’s a good girl, Mother."

"Remus, did you feel that she was unsafe? If so, you could have brought her here. You tell her she is welcome here at any time when she feels that she needs to get away from that environment. My goodness, what would her mother think if she knew? Sending the poor girl alone to a foreign country to study in that atmosphere."

"Well, Mother, I almost brought her home last night, but I didn’t have a way to get her here. I doubt she troubles her mother too much with anything, given the fact that her father just died last year."

"Well, Remus, you must do your best to be a good friend. Perhaps we should get a Portkey ready just in case. She could be a seer, but no matter how much raw talent a person has, they have to be trained to Apparate." Smiling at her son’s concerned face, Fortuna continued. "You’d best be getting off to work then. Are you going straight to collect Laura tonight?"

"Yes. I’ll be home a little late since I have to take her home first."

"Have a good time, dear, and be careful."

"All right, Mum," he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and left. He wondered how Laura was and whether she had slept at all. He was trying to ignore the little voice in the back of his head that said he had to tell her soon - that they had no future. Getting a little ahead of yourself, don’t you think? Future?

***

A/N The title of this chapter is taken from a song by Elton John and Bernie Taupin called, Friends.