We know of Remus Lupin. That in an attack by Fenrir Greyback before the age of five, he was bitten and turned into a werewolf. But we don’t know about his parents, Lyall and Hope Lupin, and the events leading up to and following the attack, nor about his life up until he went to Hogwarts. So...what were some moments that defined Remus’ childhood like?
Part 1: The Trial
The fateful trial that brought the Lupins’ name to the attention of Fenrir Greyback.
Part 2: Everything’s Fine
A conversation between Lyall and Hope Lupin after the trial.
Part 3: Revenge
The night Fenrir decided to teach Lyall Lupin a lesson. Alternatively known as the night Remus Lupin’s life changed forever.
Part 4: Changes
At St. Mungo’s the morning following the attack on Remus Lupin.
Part 5: Search for a Cure
Lyall Lupin wants to fix his mistakes.
Part 6: Loneliness
Hope and Lyall do what they think is best to protect Remus.
A sort of continuation/parallel of this ask by @softsiriusblack
*meanwhile, in Eduardo’s salon*
Assistant: What is it, Eduardo? I have not seen you so sad before.
Assistant: Maybe he found someone else to cut his hair?
Eduardo: It is simply a bonus that I also cut his hair for him and give the best scalp massages with my magical hands. He would have been here, you know.
Eduardo is currently what one would call “marinating in the salt”
James “Prongs” - Marauder of the High Seas (Part 2)
(part 1)
*in a local tavern with his crew after another successful raid*
*a loud cheer fills the tavern, from crew and tavern patrons alike, James nearly the loudest of them all*
James: A round of drinks on me for everyone tonight!
*another roar of delight fills the tavern, and James can’t help his smile as he nods to a handful of people whose eyes he catches*
One particular person in the corner catches his full attention. A woman with red hair and eyes so green he can see them from where he sits. A woman who seems amused by the whole display if the slight quirk in her lips is anything to go by. When their eyes meet, her eyebrow lifts up, and she lets her gaze wander before meeting James’ eyes once more, shrugging her shoulder in challenge. And James is intrigued.
It had been nearly four months since the attack that had turned his son, and Lyall Lupin had not stopped searching for a cure. He stayed in the back room of their cottage in the village they had moved to recently as rumors began about their son’s odd behavior. It would be Remus’ fourth moon soon, and Hope Lupin had been taking care of her son who became achier and didn’t know how to respond to the pain his body began to feel as the moon approached.
Pushing open the door to their home, Hope placed her bag on rack on her left, removing her coat as she called out to her husband and son.
There was the sound of blocks being dropped and then the soft thump of running feet as Remus ran the short way from the floor of the living room to the front door. “Mum!” he called out with a wide smile, slipping a bit on the wooden floor.
Hope laughed as she bent down, dropping a kiss to Remus’ forehead before kneeling to be level with her son.
“Da was in the room all day. Weird smells from there,” he explained, wrinkling his nose a bit. He seemed to brighten immediately after as he remembered something. “Mummy! I got to make my own lunch today!” he said proudly, puffing up his chest before wincing a bit as one of his joints popped.
The young boy laughed at the teasing, an easy joy filling his face as he giggled, “Mam! Nooo.”
”I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner.” Hope watched with a sad smile as Remus ran back off to where his blocks were and immediately set back to playing and creating his castle. She watched him a moment longer, before she sighed and stood back up, turning to walk down the hall to her husband’s study.
She gave a short knock before twisting the doorknob and walking in, gazing finding her husband quickly. Lyall sat at a desk, his hair messy, a clear sign of how often he must have been running his hands through his hair recently. A cauldron simmered on a separate table, ingredients laid out haphazardly and random bits of paper with notes crossed out strewn about, both on the table and on the floor.
Hope leaned against the wall, pressing her lips together for a moment before speaking.
Lyall’s silence was all the answer she needed.
“And to do that,”
“How do you think he must feel when his da doesn’t spend the day with him? How do you think any of what you’re doing looks to him? How easy do you think it is for him knowing that you can’t accept what happened to him? That you can hardly look at him? Holing yourself up in this room?”
“As if he doesn’t think, as if he doesn’t have feelings, as if-” her voice cracked and she stumbled back a bit, her breathing heavy. “As if we didn’t create that beautiful bundle of happiness that’s sitting in the living room, playing, and waiting for us so we can have dinner together.” She took a deep breath, forcing back the telltale pin pricks of tears.
The begins of a sob seemed to burn the back of her throat but she swallowed and continued on before Lyall could argue. “Because all he’s going to hear from every witch or wizard he meets is how terrible werewolves are. Dehumanizing him. It won’t matter what he does or doesn’t do. They’ll still be afraid of him. Call him a monster. What do you think that’s going to do to him? But we’re his parents, Lyall.”
“And, Lyall, I love you, but,
“Because it’s going to drive you mad. And that’s not going to do any of us any good. Least of all Remus.”
It was silent in the room. They could hear the soft bubbling of the cauldron, the quiet howl of the wind outside, and then Remus’ voice slowly coming closer as he made his way over from the living room. “Mam? Da? Are we going to have dinner soon?” The innocent question seemed to snap both adults out of their quiet and Hope shut her eyes as she took a breath to compose herself and clear the shaking from her voice before opening her eyes once more.
When Lyall Lupin returned home that night after the trial, his wife heard him before she saw him. It was difficult to miss the sound of the Floo in their living room followed by a loud curse and a low thump as something hit the wall. Hope Lupin made her way out of the kitchen to see her husband standing there with his coat thrown off, pulling his tie loose and undoing the top button of his shirt as if he couldn’t breathe. Hope settled herself on the arm of the couch before speaking.
The humorless laugh echoed loudly in their quiet home.
And so, Lyall and Hope Lupin made their way to the end of the hall to their four year old son’s room, entering quietly and pressing soft kisses to the top of his head. The four year old was clearly trying to pretend to be asleep as his parents whispered their “I love you”s, but he couldn’t stop himself from calling back “I love you too” as they shut the door behind them and walked to their room at the beginning of the hall.
