Lupine Origins.
Part two: Of magic, mishaps, and moving on.

Silvia Lupin was introduced to a world of magic by her husband, John, who was a wizard. He had seemed concerned (although only those closest to him ever manage to tell what John was feeling) about letting her into his world, but she was thrilled to learn that all the creatures and myths she had studied and loved since her childhood truly existed.

Silvia loved John, and while she never fully understood his world and its ways, they were very happy together. Silvia learned that, just like her world (which her husband’s kind referred to as the Muggle world); the wizarding world had its advantages and disadvantages, good and bad, highlights and dark secrets. She found it exciting and challenging that she never knew what surprises were in store for her from her husband and his world of magic.

John introduced Silvia to an entirely different and more powerful world of magic nearly three years later when she gave birth to their son, Remus John Lupin.

Silvia had been the one to suggest the name Remus. Her love of mythology combined with her incongruous sense of humor, along with her given name and new surname, made the child’s name seem perfect at the time. Of course, fate would prove to have an equally ironic sense of humor, which should never be tested, but for now, everything in Silvia’s world was perfect.

Remus was the most amazing creature to grace this earth, in Silvia’s very biased opinion. Silvia had always wanted to be a teacher, and had even attended and nearly completed school for this career, but once she had Remus, she and John decided that they could not possibly allow anyone else to have him, so she stayed home with their child, and loved every minute of it. She was even able to put her love of teaching and advanced education to use, as she taught Remus things far earlier then any of her friends and parenting books claimed he would be able to learn them. However, learn them he did; he could spell, read, count, add, subtract, and recognize right from wrong (most of the time) long before most children ever set foot in a school.

One day, when Remus was five, he had read about magical creatures in a book that his father had brought home. One type of creatures mentioned in this book, were mooncalves. It seemed that these creatures were rarely seen, but liked to go into isolated fields and clearings to dance under the stars when the moon was full. Silvia was immediately asked (was it just her, or did those beautiful, warm eyes seem to get larger and even more innocent looking?) if Remus could wait out in the garden past his bed time to see if he could hear any in the nearby field or wood, as they lived in a rather secluded area.

At first, Silvia argued that a child of only five should not stay up so late. However she was promptly informed that her son was actually 5 ¼ years old (apparently, little Remus had grasped the concept of fractions already as well), and acquiesced to her child’s request with an amused smile. She fondly retold the story to John that night, while they chatted over coffee, as they usually did after Remus’ bedtime. John was in the middle of telling her about a werewolf (rather vehemently, as he had always detested the horrible creatures) who had caused his department in the Ministry of Magic quite a bit of extra work, when the sounds of fast foot beats could barely be heard coming from the garden.

Both Silvia and her husband stood immediately, but John calmed Silvia by reminding her that, bright and calm as he was, Remus was still just a small boy, and like all small boys, was bound to run if he got exited. Silvia was just about to relax, assuming that Remus mistook what was probably the sounds of a deer on the woods for a mooncalf and was running to tell his parents, when she heard the worst sound she had ever registered in her life. Remus screamed… a terrified, pain-filled, heart-wrenching scream. Before Silvia could react, John was already bolting towards the back door. Once he reached it, he called for her to stay in the house in a horrified tone, one that she had never heard from him before.

Silvia did as her husband had told; she heard him shout something that sounded like a word in Latin, or a made-up language, and guessed that he had cast something. Soon after she heard a loud cracking sound that meant he had disappeared, and she knew something terrible must have happened. If he left like that, then he had no time for explanations, and Remus must have suffered grave injuries. In addition, she knew that the wizarding world had to remain hidden from the Muggle world, that there were all kinds of laws and regulations about it, which meant that John must have taken Remus to St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

She was in quite a state of panic by the time John returned. He was usually so stoic and difficult to read, but his eyes were wide and terrified and his clothes were blood-soaked. With a horrifying shock, Silvia realized that it was Remus’ blood. Even though she always found magical means of travel to be completely uncomfortable and downright frightening, she could not think of anything more fearsome then not knowing if her baby was all right. She instantly demanded that John Apparate her to St Mungo’s with him.

They arrived at the hospital in a few seconds, but then had to wait for an agonizing amount of time (which in all honesty was probably much shorter then it felt) for a Healer to approach them with news of their child. He explained that there had been some serious damage, but that their son had survived, and Silvia’s tears of worry turned into tears of relief in a heartbeat. Then she realized that the Healer was waiting to continue and that John’s mind was drifting, both of which were rarely good signs.

The Healer stated that the creature, which attacked their son, was a werewolf, who had in turn made Remus into one. Their son was changing, they would not be able to see the change (most of the time), his senses would be a little sharper, his ability to distinguish colours would be limited, and he would undoubtedly have some alterations to his personality. When the full moon approached, he would grow weak as his body prepared for much more serious alterations. He would become a werewolf, a fully-fledged monster, during each full moon. Silvia had read many books and seen several films that included werewolves, and had heard her husband speak of the detestable beasts for years, but her mind drifted to her kind, caring, and sensitive child, and she could not believe that he would be like those other monsters.

Silvia decided that those others like the one that attacked and nearly killed her child must have had darkness in their hearts to begin with, which the lycanthropy intensified. After all, animals have much simpler emotions and ways of expressing themselves, so why should werewolves be any different? However, Remus had no malice or hatred in him; he had a kind and gentle heart and would not become what the others had.

Then the Healer said the most shocking and horrifying thing of all; he informed Silvia and John that they could have their child euphonized, and suggested that it would be kinder then allowing him to live with the curse. He told them that he would give them some time to discuss it and walked away, all as calmly as if he had suggested surgery for a nasty case of appendicitis.

Silvia turned to look at John, and saw a shame filled and apologetic expression on his face that she had never seen before, and had never imagined was possible for him. Suddenly, she remembered all of the loathing and disgust he had when talking about werewolves. While she loved John as much as life itself, Silva decided in that instant that if he suggested they allow these wizards to kill their child, then she would take their son and leave with or without him.

John finally began to speak, and told her that she did not appreciate the extent of the situation fully (which she silently agreed with, although it would not change her mind); that she did not comprehend what exactly it meant that Remus was a werewolf, and what the world would see him as. However, he pleasantly surprised her by stating that, even though he would rather die then live the life that their child would have to face now, he could not end their child’s life. Silvia fell in love with John all over again, and then she threw herself into his arms and cried, because she was starting to understand. If John, who was so strong and impetuous, would rather die then face life as a werewolf, then poor little Remus had quite the difficult life ahead of him. Nevertheless, he would live it.

Silvia and John had discussed the ways things would change that night in the hospital, and her husband had made it clear that this would not be easy. No one could accompany Remus during his transformations; he would not even be Remus whilst he was the wolf. They needed to lock the boy away somewhere, alone, where he could not harm anyone. If he ever got loose and attacked someone, then that would be it; the Ministry would have him destroyed. Aside from the wear and tear of the change itself, Remus would also severely injure himself during these transformations, and they could not afford to take him to a healer after every full moon.

The next few months were horrendous. Silvia could not believe that there was nothing more that they could do for their poor child. What was worse, little Remus seemed to have closed himself off. If not physically, then mentally and emotionally he was completely withdrawn. A child that young should have reacted to his plight with more then just a pair of frightened and ashamed eyes and a barely visible tremble. She watched helplessly as her child was trapped in a small underground cellar every night of the full moon, and then woke after an uneasy sleep the next morning when John went to tend to Remus. His magic could do far more then anything Silvia could, but Remus was still weak and scarred as his father carried him back into the house to recover in his room.

John always refused to go into any detail on how bad it had been, and always cleaned up Remus, the cellar, and himself, with magic before returning to the house. Try as he might, though, he could not hide the small (at least until puberty hit, when the wolf would become full-grown), but brutal marks that marred the solid stone room, its thick doors, or the small boy.

Nevertheless, life continues as always, and after a few months Silvia, John, and even (and perhaps especially) Remus grew accustomed to their new lives and routines. Silvia decided that if Remus could shoulder this burden without wallowing in self-pity or anger, then she had to as well. It occurred to her shortly after this, that they could no longer send Remus to a public school. Not only would his scars, wan appearance, and frequent absences (followed by yet more injuries and scars) warrant unwanted attention and questions, but John sadly informed her that Remus was now classified as a magical creature as far as the wizarding world was concerned. As such, he was restricted to the wizarding world in order to maintain their carefully achieved secrecy. It was the entire purpose of John’s department after all, to regulate and control magical creatures.

Thus, Silvia pulled herself together and decided to take night classes to finish her teaching degree, so that she could give Remus a formal education at home. John was still disappointed that Remus would never attend Hogwarts as he had, or any other wizarding school for that matter, since none would allow a werewolf into their establishment. Silvia came up with a solution for this as well. Once Remus was old enough for a proper wizard’s education, she would get a part time job as a tutor in the little town a few miles from their cottage. Then John could take some extra time off work and teach Remus magic himself. It would not be the best, but it was all that they could do.

Even keeping Remus at home nearly all the time could not prevent the world’s cruelties from reaching him. John’s parents had reacted horribly to the news that Remus was a werewolf. They had the nerve to say that John and Silvia should have killed Remus the night he became a beast and that he would no longer be welcomed in their house. They were not the only ones to react badly either; several of the people at John’s work became aware of his son’s plight, and they were not making things easier for the family. Some even tried to have John removed from his position, department, or even the Ministry of Magic all together. Fortunately, his superiors decided that John should remain in the department for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures, where he had worked since graduating from Hogwarts.

The few times that John brought Silvia and Remus to Diagon Alley with him were awful. Most of the (few) people who knew about Remus were either employees of St. Mungo’s or the Ministry, so they could not tell anyone of the child’s condition without risking their careers, but they could say things to John and Remus when they saw them in public.

Silvia was shocked that they would call an innocent child some of the things that they did. Several witches and wizards made comments similar to the ones that John’s parents had, while others simply stared at Remus in such a manner, that the poor child started refusing to look anyone in the eyes.

Having their child referred to as a creature (and Silvia still could not believe how many did, in fact, refer to him as such), seemed to add to John’s guilt and anger. Silvia decided that it would be difficult enough for their son to endure these remarks without his father’s reaction adding to the pain and shame of it all. She reached a conclusion that she hoped would desensitize them both to the tile, at least a little. She began to fondly refer to Remus as her little magical creature, and soon John stopped reacting to the things people said about their child, at least when Silvia and Remus were around.

With the obvious exception of the days immediately surrounding the full moons, Silvia actually found the situation of remaining at home with Remus to be rather enjoyable. He was a delight to teach, always wanting to learn more, and always being patient and understanding. He was still too reserved, showing far less emotion then other children his age, but he became less introverted after they all grew accustomed to his condition.

Silvia’s day started much the same as she presumed many women’s did. She woke up when John’s alarm went off, dressed, and then started breakfast. Not being able to use magic, she did everything the Muggle way. John used to offer to cast spells on some of the kitchen appliances so that they would work on their own, but had since given up, as Silvia blatantly refused every time. Even though he was usually up late (another side affect of his lycanthropy), Remus was a light sleeper and would usually wake up when he heard his parents rising. Shortly after she started breakfast, Silvia could hear him moving around in his room before he would join her in the kitchen.

John would usually eat quickly as he read a newspaper called The Daily Prophet, which an owl delivered every morning. At first Silvia was concerned at the way her husband seemed to avoid their son in the morning, never looking at him and only touching him once before leaving, but she saw how he was with Remus after he arrived home, and decided not to worry. After dinner, John would find Remus in one of his favorite reading spots, and would talk to him and play with him until he put the child to bed, then Silvia and John would continue their usual habit of talking about their day over coffee in the sitting room.

The exception of this was the day before Remus’ transformations and the day or two after, depending on the amount of damage. On these days, after John was off to the Ministry, Silvia would bring a tray with some light foods (and some potions that would help with the pain and blood loss) to her son as he convalesced in his room.

Therefore, the years passed on, with many vicissitudes as always. A law passed when Remus was nine that required all registered werewolves to be branded by the Ministry of Magic, Silvia had suspected that it was a rather harrowing process, but John assured her that it was not that bad after he and Remus returned home from the ordeal, and Remus would not say otherwise after he recovered.

Remus grew to be a courteous, unobtrusive, gentle, and intelligent young man. He also showed signs of being a considerably powerful wizard; not that Silvia could tell the difference, but John was quite pleased. Remus remained rather reserved, but as he had no friends to interact with (and due to the trials and horrors of his lycanthropy); Silvia supposed that it was only natural that he be more mature and well mannered then his short amount of years should allow.

When Remus was ten, a very excited John informed Silvia that a wizard called Dumbledore had become headmaster of Hogwarts sometime during the years since Remus became a werewolf. It seemed that Dumbledore was not entirely opposed to the idea of allowing the young werewolf to attend his school. The headmaster had contacted John, and arranged to meet the Lupin family in their home, a few days after one of the full moons, to discuss Remus’ possible admittance into Hogwarts.

Silvia did more listening then talking that evening, as she really did not know much about wizarding schools and educations. John was concerned about the precautions that would be taken to keep Remus’ secret while he was at school, as well as who would be treating Remus‘ injuries after the transformation was over. Remus was more concerned with the precautions being taken to keep the wolf contained (thus keeping the other children safe) while the moon was full.

Dumbledore had an acceptable answer for all of their questions and Silvia soon had the suspicion that the headmaster had already decided to allow Remus into his school, and that this meeting was for her and John’s benefit. She decided that she liked Dumbledore right away. The old wizard left stating that Remus would receive his owl before the start of the next school year and that they could proclaim their decision on whether or not to send him then.

Silvia was concerned about sending her only child away for most of the year (every year, for the next seven years), as well as the possible harm and disappointment that could befall Remus if he attempted to fully join the magical world. However, there were laws that prevented him from holding a job of any influence or prestige (as well as some that prevented him from marrying or having children, which Silvia found odd and unfair, since a book she had read entitled Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them stated that humans only became werewolves when bitten). Prejudice, hate, and fear would prevent him from holding most of the jobs he could obtain. He could not seek employment in the Muggle world (where no one would even consider the possibility that he was a werewolf), given that his status as a creature prevented this. With all this in mind, how could they pass up this opportunity to help their child be accepted?

So all too soon, Silvia was saying fare well to her now eleven-year-old son. John loaded his old trunk filled with used schoolbooks and supplies into the trunk of their car to take Remus to the train that would transport him to Hogwarts. Silvia was pleased to receive an owl near the end of Remus’ second day of school, informing her and John that he had been sorted into Gryffindor, the house that prised courage. Three other boys (one whom caused John to worry, as he came from a family known for their prejudices and focus on blood purity) and five girls were sorted into this house as well. Remus enjoyed and excelled in all of his classes (which was no surprise to Silvia), and his head of house, Professor McGonagall as well as the school’s Matron, Poppy Pomfrey, were both kind to him.

The first year was quite difficult; Madam Pomfrey sent them an owl after the full moon to inform them of Remus’ injuries and condition. It seemed that it would take some time for the wolf to accept its new territory, and in the meantime, it would be even more violent then usual. However, Madam Pomfrey assured them that Remus was recovering well, and would be all right. Remus wrote later that afternoon, and Silvia was happy to hear that, while the damage had been worse, having a proper healer (although considerate little Remus would not phrase it that way) had made the recovery quicker, and left Remus with less new scars then he had expected. Eventually, the wolf grew accustomed to its new holding area, and began to hurt the boy to a lesser extent.

At first, it seemed that Remus, who never interacted with other children his age before, was clearly avoiding his dorm mates and classmates; intentionally not making an effort to befriend anyone, and keeping himself as isolated as possible. Silvia felt concern at this, and suspected that John had a hand in it. However, after the holidays Remus seemed to be avoiding them less, and even mentioned a couple of his dorm mates from a less distant perspective in his letters. By the time spring break came and went, he had three good friends in the form of his dorm mates, and Silvia had never been so happy or proud of him. She knew how difficult it must have been for her son to overcome his fears and reservations enough to allow the other boys to befriend him.

The summer was bittersweet. Silvia loved having Remus home again. She listened enthusiastically as he told her all about Hogwarts and his new friends and classes. He had done very well in all of his exams, even in potions, which was his most difficult subject (apparently, his limited visual range of the colour scale was a hindrance in the subject). Remus did exceptionally well in DADA, Astronomy, and Charms. Silvia asked him many questions about the things he had learned, and continued to teach him various muggle subjects, such as art, English, math, and history; and even learned a few things herself when she asked him questions about the homework assignments he completed for school. The entire family seemed to fall back into their old routine.

Silvia’s joy was deluded however, when the first full moon of the summer came around. The wolf, having just accepted a place known as the Shrieking Shack as its territory, did not react well to being forced to return to the small, dark cellar. Remus had injured himself so badly that John was unable to heal many of his injuries. Madam Pomfrey sent them an owl, asking about Remus’ transformation, shortly after John had brought Remus to his room, and Silvia wasted no time in responding. The wonderful woman sent back a large parcel of potions and salves that would help. This continued throughout all the transformations of the summer, and while Remus remained calm and content (and even in good spirits after he received a letter from two of his friends), his physical state was weakened drastically, and the few weeks in between were not enough for him to fully rejuvenate.

A few months later, Silvia was once again saying fare well to her son, who was thinner, paler, and sporting several new scars, but who also seemed pleased to be returning to Hogwarts. Silvia was happy when John returned from work that day, and told her of how he had seen Remus greeted by two of his friends as he boarded the train.

Silvia decided to get a job as a tutor in the nearby town while Remus was at school. The extra money helped, and she still loved to teach. Remus sent home letters every week and an extra one after every full moon (as did Madam Pomfrey).

Around halfway through the term, Silvia awoke one morning to find John already up and looking tired, concerned, and somehow pleased. He informed her that he had received a letter from Remus during the previous evening, and that the boy’s friends had discovered that he was a werewolf; however, they were all right with the new discovery and still wanted to remain friends with Remus, swearing that they would keep his secret. The rest of the school term was wonderful, as Silvia noticed Remus finally sounding more at ease in his letters, now that he no longer had to lie to his dorm mates…his friends who accepted him for what he was.

Life continued like this for the remainder of the time that Remus attended Hogwarts. He excelled in school, and became closer with his friends. The summer transformations continued to be more violent, but now Remus received three letters to brighten his spirits after each one (and Poppy, as Silvia was now calling her, continued to send letters and remedies as well). Remus chose Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmacy as his electives in third year, and did splendidly in those subjects as well. John’s mother passed away while Remus was in his forth year, and then John’s father died in Remus’ sixth year (Silvia‘s own parents had passed away before Remus was bitten), but none of the them had spoken since the day the senior Lupin’s were informed that Remus was a werewolf.

Silvia considered Remus’ fifth year to be the most noteworthy, he became prefect for Gryffindor, received excellent results on his O.W.L.s, and the damage inflicted upon the boy during his transformations became drastically reduced. Unfortunately, the transformations at home became worse, but as he was at Hogwarts for more transformations, Silvia decided that it was preferable this way.

In the summer following his fifth year however, Remus received another large emotional blow. He learned of Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf who had bitten him. He also learned that his attack and existence thereafter were not the results of an unfortunate accident, but a carefully planned punishment for his father.

Remus had surprised both his parents years before when they realised that he held no anger toward the beast that had made him less then human in the eyes of many. In fact, he had always sympathised with, and even felt pity for, his maker. The remarkable child had once told Silvia that he could think of nothing worse then knowing you had contaminated someone else and forced him or her to live with such a burden as lycanthropy. John and Silvia had discussed it, and decided not to correct his misgivings, or tell him why he had actually been forced to survive the life he was resigned to live now.

Silvia soon after discovered that her son had looked further into the matter then he had let on, and had discovered enough information to discern exactly how far his father’s hatred of his species went. In the end, however, there was little that she needed to say in response to this. Remus had already uncovered the truth; he merely wanted it confirmed so he could accept it. Silvia did all that she could to reassure her child, but she knew that a wedge had formed between her husband and their son that would never be fully put to rights. Neither Silvia, nor Remus ever told John the full extent of their child’s knowledge on the events of the past, and if John noticed then he hid it well.

In Remus’ sixth year, another boy learned of his lycanthropy. This one however, was not a friend and posed quite a threat to the young werewolf. Fortunately, it seemed that one of Remus’ friends had stopped the boy from getting close enough to be injured, and the headmaster became informed of the situation before the boy could cause any damage. Dumbledore swore the boy to secrecy, but that was not the end of Silvia’s worries in the subject.

Remus suffered severe injuries, according to Poppy’s letter, but he would heal. However, there were obvious emotional wounds too, and those were taking quite a toll on her poor son. The letters Silvia received from her child were still courteous, but were now dull and distant. Poppy and Silvia began to write to each other every few days. Remus was withdrawing from his friends; his appetite (which was never grand to begin with) had all but vanished; He did not speak of his own volition or look anyone in the eyes. He continued to receive high marks in his classes, but his professors noticed his lack of participation and interest.

His behavior continued like this for the next several weeks. The subsequent full moon was just as hard on him as the previous one had been. However, Silvia noticed that afternoon, as she read her son’s letter that Remus stated he was cutting his letter short because his friend Sirius was bothering him. Sirius continued to be politely mentioned (as an ever present nuisance) in the next few letters that Remus sent home. To Silvia, it seemed that her son’s friend had decided to intervene on Remus’ depression and self-induced isolation, more importantly; it appeared he was succeeding, slowly but surely. Soon Remus was mentioning his other friends as well, and within a few months, Silvia knew that her son would be all right.

The following year, Remus received superb marks on his N.E.W.T.s and graduated from Hogwarts. The wizarding world had begun to grow increasingly concerned about a powerful dark wizard called Lord Voldemort, who had gained many followers. As a result, many more laws had passed throughout the years that would make it very difficult for Remus to find a job (assuming that any witch or wizard would hire a werewolf to begin with), but with his personality, intelligence, and the good marks from Hogwarts, Silvia was sure that her son would find something. She had never felt as happy as when she saw him and his three wonderful friends smiling and talking at the graduation ceremony.

During the weeks following graduation, Silvia did not see much of Remus during the day. He was usually out applying for a job at the kinds of places that most boys do upon graduating. Although she knew that he was limited by far more then a mere lack of experience, she never heard him complain about it. He also spent much of his free time at his friend Sirius’ new place. Silvia suspected that Remus’ friend had offered him his home, but knowing Remus, he would wait until he could pitch in, even if it was unnecessary.

Silvia learned a few important facts during this time. Lord Voldemort and his followers were becoming more dangerous, especially to Muggles and Squibs who were involved in the wizarding world, Muggle-borns, half bloods, and half-breeds. A few wizards in John’s circle of friends suspected that Dumbledore had put together a group of wizards whose purpose was to stop Lord Voldemort and his supporters specifically. In addition, it seemed that Remus had harboured the hopes that he might be able to become a teacher somehow. He had known that no wizarding school would hire a werewolf, but he thought that the possibility of becoming a private tutor like his mother was still a possibility, as long as he could keep his lycanthropy hidden.

In the meantime, Remus managed to get a job at a wizarding bookstore, not a well-known establishment, but he was pleased and so was Silvia. Shortly after this, Remus moved in with his friend Sirius, which was no surprise to Silvia. He still came home (as she still referred to it) for dinner once a week, and wrote periodically. John would stop by after the full moon to see how Remus was fairing and help with some healing spells. Silvia would demand details when her husband returned home from these visits. The first one was bad, but the following was a drastic improvement.

A few months afterwards, the unbearable occurred. Silvia was sitting in the kitchen, reading while she waited for her stew to cook, when Remus arrived unexpectedly. One glance at his face was all Silvia needed to know that something awful had happened. His skin was paler then usual and his eyes, usually warm and gentle, were distant and disconsolate.

He asked her to sit, and then started speaking in calm, but hollow voice. It seemed that some Death Eaters, the followers of Lord Voldemort, had attacked an outdoor meeting of some Ministry officials, who were investigating a series of Red Cap sightings. Muggles tainted all of the wizards involved in the investigation (as the Death Eaters saw it) in some form. The Death Eaters killed each of these wizards.

A few hours later, after Silvia had cried and yelled and finally calmed down, two Aurors arrived, one of whom was John’s old friend Kingsley. A healer was with them, and the three asked Silvia how she was (only Kingsley acknowledged Remus’ presence) and began to explain what had happened. They assured her that her husband’s death had been quick and not very painful. The Aurors added that it was not at all a disgraceful way to go, but that was only a small comfort to Silvia.

The next few days passed in a haze for Silvia, she remembered talking to a few people, receiving some letters of condolence, and Remus being around a lot more. It was not until she found herself at John’s funeral, seeing flowers that she did not order and a casket that she did not pick out, that Silvia realised exactly how much Remus had been doing for her.

Looking beside her, Silvia saw her son, standing abnormally still with his head downcast. She noticed a fairly large hand on his arm, as though someone had their arm around his shoulders, and realised that his friend Sirius was standing on Remus‘ other side. Not for the first time, she was very thankful that her son and the other young man had managed to become such good friends despite all the problems and prejudices that should have prevented them from it.

The next few weeks passed much the same as the days prior to John’s funeral. When Silvia became more aware of her surroundings, she felt badly for Remus. He had been staying at her cottage more often then not, and she never saw nor heard him cry, laugh, or smile. After Silvia began taking care of herself and her home again, Remus returned to his home with Sirius, but he still came by more often then before, sometimes with Sirius and more rarely with James or Peter.

It was during this time that Silvia began to suspect that her son had become involved with the wizards, which Dumbledore had joined to oppose Lord Voldemort and his followers. It made her very worried, but she was equally as proud that she and John’s son would have such courage and integrity. However, she also found it quite fitting that her son would actively stand against a group that represented all of the hatred, prejudice, and oppression that he had been forced to deal with for practically all of his life.

Silvia returned to her work as a tutor and joined a book club in the small town nearby. She spent more time in the Muggle world now, as the wizarding world lost much of its charm when John wasn’t there with her, and while the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort were wreaking havoc for the ones they considered unworthy of the magical community. As Silvia returned to her own life, so did her son. He still stopped by sporadically, and wrote often, although he was obviously not telling her what as taking up most of his time.

One day at dinner, Silvia informed Remus that she knew he was working against Lord Voldemort. He still did not tell her what he and the others involved were doing, but he seemed relieved that he no longer had to hide this fact, just as he had been pleased when hid friends had discovered (and accepted) that he was a werewolf. After that, Remus began to mention some of his new comrades-in-arms when they communicated, and would fill Silvia in on what was happening in the magical community.

Dark times fell upon the wizarding world, and over the next few years, they became darker still. Silvia began to receive the Daily Prophet, and was horrified at many of the events that filled its pages. She heard from Remus less these days, and in time began to notice that he was becoming introverted again and was mentioning his friends less and his associates hardly at all. Her son had gone through several jobs over the years, always being shunned when suspicions of his lycanthropy arose, or leaving on his own before anyone could reach that conclusion. Silvia knew that something more then the recent events of which she was aware, was troubling her son, but he would not discuss it, and there was no way she could help him in any case.

So Silvia watched from a distance as her son retreated further into himself, and was quite disappointed when she realised that this time, his friends were not going to try and retrieve him. It was shortly after this that she reached another startling conclusion. Remus’ friends, whom he trusted more then anyone and whom had always supported him, were shunning him. In these dark times, creatures such as Remus were the subjects of much scorn and suspicion, and this mistrust had finally slithered its way into his tight group of friends.

For Silvia, nothing brought home the truth of the war more then that simple, yet heart-rending fact.

Remus stopped by a few days after Silvia had this unsettling revelation, and she noticed two new scars on her son’s face. Her first assumption was that the wolf had done it to itself on the previous full moon, but it struck her as odd nonetheless, because the wolf had rarely injured its face so badly. When Remus asked if he could talk to her about something important, Silvia put the kettle on for tea, knowing instinctively that this was going to be a long and life altering conversation.

Silvia learned that Fenrir Greyback had once again come for her son and shattered the foundations of his life. Although Remus would not say much, Silvia could tell the monster was not going to be leaving her son to his misery so easily (not that she would call the last instance easy) this time.

Several members of the group Remus had joined to defy Lord Voldemort had stated (and in no uncertain or sympathetic terms) that they believed a werewolf with such obvious ties to, and a history with, the most savage and vile werewolf alive should not be considered an ally. In addition, it seemed that that some of his friends were in more direct danger then even the others in this group, and were going into hiding with their new son. For reasons that Remus would not explain, Sirius was also going to be lying low for a while.

For the first time in Remus‘ life, Silvia truly felt some anger towards John. He should have been the one to watch their son‘s heart break… should have been there when what was left of their child’s innocence was taken from him. On the other hand, Silvia was also glad that her husband had passed away before he too had to see the anguish and betrayal that their only child would have to face alone.

Silvia saw and heard from Remus less and less over the following months. He had asked her to avoid wizarding areas and to remain indoors on the nights that the moon was full. Every now and then, he would send a message asking her to avoid certain areas altogether or else remain home during certain times periods. Silvia did as her son requested, and aside from Remus and Poppy, she had virtually no contact with the wizarding world.

In time, Silvia began to notice events in the Muggle news that officials failed to explain properly, or had an explanation that she suspected was a cover-up by the Ministry of Magic. It seemed to her that the war, which had claimed her husband’s life as well as her son’s youth and happiness, was finally spilling into the Muggle world.

One of her son’s letters caused Silvia some concern in late August. For reasons that he did not go into any detail over, Remus had moved out of Sirius’ place. The only information he offered is that Sirius had grown distant and irritable, and an argument had ensued when Remus tried to find out why his friend was acting as such. It seemed that something Sirius had said caused Remus to leave the following morning. He never would tell her what happened. Silvia had a bad feeling that this was the beginning of the end.

Silvia’s Muggle friends from the nearby town obviously had no idea about the awful war that was currently waging nearby. She found this terrifying, irritating, and oddly comforting all at the same time.

One day she and her friends from her book club stayed out later then usual, drinking coffee, and talking about books, their jobs, and families. Silvia realised a few hours after dark that it was a full moon. She had not failed to know the date of a full moon for over a decade. She was surprised that she had forgotten now. Remembering Remus’ wish for her to remain home during the full moon whenever possible, Silvia decided to say goodnight to her friends and call it an evening, but she never made it home.

When James Potter read the Daily Prophet the next morning, he noticed an article claiming that the Dark Lord had werewolves on his side. The author of the article claimed that they found signs of a werewolf having been in a cottage in which the victim of a Death Eaters attack had lived. A friend and co-worker had found the woman (both Muggles) the morning after, in the woods near her home; it appeared that werewolves might have been involved in the attack as well.

James realised the Author’s and the Aurors’ might have made a mistake as soon as he read the address along with the name of the victim, Silvia Lupin. There had been signs of a werewolf in that cabin for years… and now that werewolf had lost both his parents to this war. Briefly, he wondered how his friend, if he could still call them friends, was holding up… and if Sirius or Peter would be attending the funeral.

He also thought that if they were right about Remus, then maybe it was better that Silvia had not lived to learn the truth.

Two months later, James realised that he should have recognised the truth when Silvia died, but that’s part of James’ tale; this one was Silvia’s, and this is where it ends.