September 8th
Woke up. Last night was full moon. The first thing I noticed was the pain. I ignored it and moved on to the second thing, which was that I was in the Hospital Wing. It was gleaming white all over, the floors, the wall, even the sheets on the beds were shining. And then there was me.
I found that I was clean and wearing pyjamas, and realised, with some embarrassment, that Madame Pomfrey must have bathed and dressed me. I turned over to see if my robes were nearby, and there was a sudden, sharp pain in my left arm. It was ten times worst than the pain had been before. I sat up in shock, and then gingerly rolled up my sleeve to see what had caused it. I nearly cried out. I have a huge chunk ripped out of my forearm, leaving my flesh torn and my arm in agony. It’s not bleeding; Madam Pomfrey must have stopped it. But she can’t heal them, I know that. Werewolf bites can’t be made better by magic.
I have inspected the rest of the damage. I am fairly badly scratched all over, but with only a few really deep ones and several other, non-serious bites. I found my school robes at the side of the bed, and was beginning to get changed, thinking I might be ready in time to catch the end of Transfiguration, when Madam Pomfrey came and told me that on no condition am I to get out of bed for the rest of the day. I tried to explain to her that it was important that I get back into school, but she was having none of it. She brought me chocolate, which as a mark of defiance I refused to eat, but then she left it on the bedside table, and eventually I yielded to temptation and consumed it greedily.
I have been left to my own devices for the rest of the morning. When Madam Pomfrey brought me my lunch she also gave me some books she thought I might like. The books were awful, so I pretended to read them whenever she came through, but in reality I stared out the window, trying to watch the Care of Magical Creatures lessons that were going on. I hope that James, Peter or Sirius will come and see me.
James Peter and Sirius have just been to see me. They crowded round my bedside, and I thanked them for coming, telling them how bored I’d been.
“Anything for an old friend on his death bed,” grinned Sirius. I asked them how they’d all got in, as Madam Pomfrey was usually very strict about the number of visitors allowed.
“Sirius flirted mercilessly with Pomfrey,” laughed James.
Sirius said that flattery could get you everywhere, and James said that it certainly got Sirius everywhere.
By this time I was laughing so much I had forgotten all about my injuries. When I sat up, I noticed that they were all staring, horrified, at where I used to have a complete arm. I tried to hide it, but Sirius was too quick. He grabbed it, and examined it.
Finally, he asked me if I had done it.
Seeing no point in denying it, I replied with the affirmative.
“We need to think more about the whole…” James lowered his voice “Animagi thing.”
Sirius agreed, and Peter grunted, which I took to mean yes. Then Madam Pomfrey came back, and they all had to leave. Sirius tried his ‘flattery’ thing again, but this time she was having none of it.
Madam Pomfrey made the mistake of leaving the door out unlocked, so I got changed and sneaked back to the Gryffindor Common Room, where James and Sirius were talking in whispers. I asked them where Peter was, apparently he finally summoned up the courage to ask out Marie Davenport of Hufflepuff, and she said no. They said that they thought he was crying in a lonely toilet somewhere.
Meanwhile, they had been talking about becoming Animagi. I tried to persuade them otherwise, said that in my transformed state, I would kill them. They said that they would take that risk. They are the best friends in the world.
September 9th
Madam Pomfrey was very cross at me for escaping. She said that I needed a longer stay in the Hospital Wing. If she had her way, I would spend my life in there. I ducked past her and went off to Charms.
Peter made a scene in the boy’s dormitory this evening. He said nobody cared about him anymore; all we were bothered about was me having a few scratches when he, Peter, had suffered a cruel and biting rejection.
“Peter, mate, she said no. So what? Me and James suffer that all the time,” Sirius looked at James, “well maybe he suffers it more than I do.”
James clouted Sirius round the head with his discarded shoe. Sirius hit him back. They started a huge, laughing fight. Peter was trying not to be interested. I genuinely wasn’t interested.
September 10th
Although there were no lessons today, I spent most of the time in the library; I feel I have a lot to catch up on after missing a whole day’s lessons. I had to force James and Sirius (not Peter, Peter is still in a huff) to tell me all I’d missed so I could look it up and take notes.
Around lunchtime, Sirius joined me. It isn’t often that Sirius risks being seen there. He explained that James was filled with despair on account of Evans, and is therefore not any fun to be about.
“Ah well, ‘the course of true love ne’er did run smooth’,” I quoted, whilst perusing a large volume of hexes.
Sirius asked what the hell I was on about and I explained that it was a Muggle saying. He lost interest. He carried on saying about how boring James was now, and eventually I asked, meaning no offence, why he was telling me this.
“Ah, well,” he continued, “this is where we come in. You see, Remus, you and I are going to make Evans love him.” He smiled impressively.
“But you can’t make someone fall in love, and Lily isn’t that easy to influence.”
“Sure you can make some one fall in love; I do it every day of the week.” Sirius explained that we first had to find out what qualities she valued in a boy. He said this was my job, I immediately said that there was no way I was walking straight up to Lily and asking what qualities she valued in a boy. Sirius says there is more to it than that. I have to befriend Lily, and then gradually discover the answer to the question. I was about to refuse outright, but then remembered how much my friends are prepared to do for me, and reluctantly agreed.
September 11th
Finding an opportunity to make friends with Lily is going to be more difficult than I thought.
September 12th
Making friends with Lily is nearly impossible.
September 13th
Sirius told me to get a move on; James’ love-sickness is unbearable.
Slightly on the plus side, Peter has returned to the ranks of the Marauders, but he is still sulking.
September 14th
I don’t have to worry about making friends with Lily any more! We have become friends bonded by trauma! These circumstances I am about to relate to you were clearly orchestrated by powers far beyond my control. Wow. This is what happened:
I was walking along a crowded corridor, when Severus Snape got me with Levicorpus. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. He had with him his cronies Mulciber and Avery.
“Well if it isn’t little Mummy’s boy Lupin,” sneered Avery, as I dangled helplessly, trying not to publicly display my underwear. I failed, judging by the laughter of all the Slytherins.
“Ickle pwitty boy Wemus!” jeered a passing seventh-year.
“So,” said Severus Snape and a cruel smile played round his lips. “Are you going to tell us where you were six days ago?”
“I was ill.”
He said that I was lying, and why was I ill every month? Every month at the…
“Stop it, Sev! He’s not hurting you!”
At this point, I fell in a heap on the floor, Snape had stopped. And then somebody extended a hand.
“Sorry about that, Sev can be so mean!”
Then I looked up to see that my saviour was none other than… Lily Evans herself.
“Oh, I tried not to look by the way,” she said, as she helped me up.
“What?”
“When you were upside down. Everyone could see your erm… well, your underwear.”
I groaned, and, I suspect, blushed. Lily laughed, and chattered happily to me all of the way through the next lesson. She is very interesting to talk to, and what is more, I have accomplished my mission.
The Remus Lupin Diaries, aged 15 and a bit... by The Dog Star
Chapter Notes: Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise is not mine, and some bits you don't recognise probably aren't mine either.