✧THE HARDSHIPS AND SOLUTIONS OF REMUS JOHN LUPIN✧

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|November 4th, 1982|

Remus waited anxiously in the back of the church, the last row in the back to separate his likeness from the rest. Dumbledore had forced him to return from his mission in haste, and only then was he introduced to what his life had turned into.

James and Lily are dead.

Sirius killed Peter.

Sirius had been proven to be the traitor, all this time...All this time.

Remus didn't want to be correct, and he couldn't imagine what Rory—The name popped in his mind countless times without the day. Yet he hadn't seen her or heard from her since the last time he apologized for what he had said, James confirmed before he returned to the mission that she had brought Cara, her youngest, to visit Harry.

Both she and Sirius.

But now neither sibling was here, he even scanned the crowd to see who showed up to the funeral. And whilst everyone was off celebrating the end of the Dark Lord's reign, this group felt the cost of the gain.

The grim faces around the remainder of the Order was what caused Remus to flinch, the full moon was in a few days' time... But it was difficult to think of his own hardships and planning for them when he was at his best mates funeral.

Yet when he tunned back in to listen to the rest of the ceremony, it caused Remus to frown at how little the wizard up at the stage knew the couple, it'd seem that only he, Peter, Aurora, and Sirius knew them the best.

Lily couldn't look at James until he fixed his mentality, and now they were immortalized as this power couple. When they didn't have the chance to do much more for the magical community than bestow this chosen one.

Lily wanted to join Aurora in the potion field, and James—Well James would've bought a Quidditch team had the world not turned the way it had, but now they were both dead. And within the next hour would they be six feet under, and only he and Harry were the ones to be present.

McGonagall had given him a teary smile and tried to speak through all the sadness, but it was a silent consultant that rightly brought Dumbledore to both of them.

"Where's Harry?" He sniffled, and Albus lightly shook his head. Explaining that he was with his Aunt and has been living with them for the past few days. And as much as Remus wanted to speak out at how wrong that felt in his heart, but he couldn't make the choices.

Sirius was the Godfather, and he was long in Azkaban now.

"I ask that you retire from the Order, Remus, it isn't wise to send you into the field so soon after this." He agreed, but was one of the last to leave, he regretted not visiting as much, regretted not being here the night that it happened.

Perhaps then he could've saved Peter, stopped Sirius, been given a stronger image that he could take care of Harry. But none of that was possible, instead he felt wrong that the one that either James and Lily had loved the most and died protecting had been absent from this entire ceremony

*

The first few weeks following the funeral had been awful, but as they turned to sequenced months, he was feeling alone as ever. He had grown up in fear throughout his childhood in not being able to have friends and feared what would happen following Hogwarts.

And with the lack of friends just solidified his network of who he spoke with. There were Order members who were kind when they passed in public but seeing them simply brought the worst memories.

He moved off to the small town of Yorkshire, the torn-down cabin was the best he could do on the final payment James had given him. There would be no forced donation being thrusted upon him now, now or ever again.

Lyall demanded that his son return home, but neither him nor Hope could manage to do that. And so they helped in the background as much as they could, sending weekly care packages as though their son was helpless.

Inviting him at least once a week to come over for dinner, but there was a strange tension between the Lupin family. Much stronger than what it had been prior to Hogwarts.

Remus was not the nervous boy they sent to school, nor was he the excited young lad who wanted to head to platform early to catch his friends. Wanting to learn, and now he was left with the remains of a shattered life at the age of twenty-three.

________________________

He had been suffering the last few days from a broken spirit and broken rib, all of which were the effects of the moon just three days prior. He would have to owl his parents, or else they would come and tend to his wounds in fear that the curse had finally done their son in.

Part of him wished it had already, but another felt that he should hold on longer in the will of those who had fallen before him. If he chooses the path of death, then what would that look like for James and Lily who sacrificed themselves for their son.

Remus Lupin was holding out until he could lay eyes on Harry Potter.

As he trudged into the cramped den to make way through the kitchen, he desperately needed something to drink. And yet he was still forced to use his wand as to clean the cup, summon water and summon fire as nothing rightly worked in this half abandon three-room shack.

He roughly waved his wand in an attempt to clear the dust from the room, throwing the windows open and rushed a breeze in.

The cool air broke against the heating spell his father had put on the day he moved in, and the minimal additions and furniture was all his mother. But nobody could help the growing state it was being in without his upkeep, yet he was hardly home with the number of days he needed to work to even make a decent coin.

No matter how many times he tried to deny his parents packages, he was always thankful for the tea in his pantry among the latest perishables that would last until he made his way to the market.

While the kettle was growing louder, he tried to settle his deflating illness, the moon always made his senes amplified, the light was even giving him the potential of a migraine. And yet he fell into the unsturdy chair before the dining room table, there he found the bundle of usual parcels.

Bills. His parents. The Daily Prophet.

But his mind refused to function until he had the sweet burning sensation of this weeks donations in his grasp. And so he waited, in complete and utter silence in the event that something happens.

Yet it never did.

There was no easy way to return to a normal life before Hogwarts, he had built a solid brotherhood with people he loved...or thought he knew.

He chuckled in thinking of Aurora, throwing them all for a loop. Throwing them into the ring of Death Eaters, maybe she's even entertaining the thought of—

The demand the kettle was coming for him was what drew him out of his silent rage, it was always an incriminating trail when going down that cliff. He shouldn't care about either traitor, she probably lied about being tied to contracts!

An angry whip of his wand caused him to summon the entire kettle to come and join him at the table, and once it settled in the center he graciously poured a steady cup and a solid addition of honey. He sniffed the milk and decided he could do without it, considering he couldn't afford to get sick from a simple stomach poisoning.

This week he would need to find another place of employment before the symptoms of the next full moon settled into his system.

With half his first cup down had he settled to what his mum packed this time. Smiling softly did he hum at the amount they stuffed in this package, everything from cookies to teas. Homemade jams and things of that nature.

Along with that had his mother demanded that he come over when he feels better, and so he summoned a piece of scrap paper and whatever ink was left in the bottle to scratch out the remaining few words in agreement to see them.

He'd have to see if there were any extra ink bottles in his old bedroom, he'd left the majority of his Hogwarts things at home. Perhaps he should bring his old textbooks, at least it'd give him something to read than listen to the dingy old radio he bought at an estate sale weeks ago.

It worked and that's what mattered.

The owl he had since he was a third-year had been called and delivered the said parcel, he'd give the fellow a snack when he returned. But for right now he sighed in utter relief as he felt uplifted.

Yet one look to the Daily Prophet through him to spit up his tea.

He called it.

His eyes made haste to read through the article, causing him to jump to his feet with his hands in tugging through his thinning hair. "Fuck!" He cheered, the first information of Aurora that surfaced from anyone had been public knowledge, and that she had been arrested, prosecuted, and deemed innocent.

Yet her husband and the rest of her family had failed to be so lucky.

The last time he saw either Alice or Frank was among the crowd at the Potter funeral, but to know that they've been lost—Well not lost but having lost their minds for what Aurora's husband done?

Was Rory there?
Did she watch?

It was difficult to come to a conclusion, but after sitting in silence for so long he threw the damn bundle of paper back to the table, chugged his remaining tea and apprented to the place he hated the most.

And he had only been here once before.

The youngest Lestrange's manor, daunting as ever. And even worse knowing that Aurora has been here in solitude and away from the public...or that's what Dumbledore had confirmed anyway.

His neck craned to the top, and he willed himself to knock at the front door. It wasn't that it was cold outside that afternoon, it was the eeriness of what lurks behind this damnable manor that truly beckoned his spine to protest his actions.

The given few seconds had passed before an elf reluctantly opened the door a wee bit. "Er—Is...Is Mrs—Is Aurora available?" The elf shook their head, looking fairly tired if that.

But as was Remus, and he plowed through the door and watched as the crowd of elves looked at him with both displeasure but also in worriment.

What the hell was going on?!

"I need to see Aurora." The elves shared a few glances with one another before Daisy found the courage and took a given step up. "Mistress no live here. Mistress evicted." Remus' eyes grew wide, that hadn't been in the paper. "And where has she gone?"

"Daisy not know, Sweet Mistress pack, pack with haste."

Remus groaned into his hand, had it truly come to this that he stormed the former manor of the Lestranges to question the whereabouts of a former friend and criminal's wife?

"She left then?... Not a clue where?" The elves shook their head, and he rightly couldn't tell if they were lying in hiding their mistress or Aurora hadn't given enough time to truly settle it all with her staff.

"Daisy ask for Sir's name?" Remus turned down to the newest little fellow, and he narrowed his brow while answering the question.

The elf popped out before returning with a parcel.

"Mistress leave two days ago, mistress leave parcels to deliver when she says. She hasn't said yet." Remus choked back on his thought, there in her fine beautiful handwriting would hold Rory's explanation of all that has happened.

He thanked the elves and hoped that they could relay a message that he wanted to speak to her in person. But the elves claimed she hadn't done anything to check on the house and what-not.

Remus then learned that the house had been ceased by the bank, and much worse that the bank accounts under the Lestrange name have all been withheld from any use.

What would Aurora do in that case?

He recalled at the Potter wedding that she was putting together runaway funds, or that's what Black had said that night. But it worried on the account that she trusted her brother to still have his freedom.

Having overstayed his welcome did he rush to his remaining connections and sought advice from his father, luckily it was only him at home and not his mum.

Hope Lupin would baby the likes of him, and he couldn't take much more of that mentality. Remus was in his mid-twenties and he needed to grow up from looking his parents for help.

Remus hadn't even walked close to the small farmhouse, but the front door had opened wide and his father offered a kind smile to join him for lunch.

And Remus hadn't been able to eat much the past few days, and Lyall knew well enough that his son was recovering from the moon. But the way his son was rushing towards him caused a worried chill to his endearing form.

"Son is everything—"

"Have you seen the Daily Prophet?" He questioned, not having taken his own issue but knew that his father kept the last issues for a few days. The Lestrange trials were a few days old, as Remus missed the day entirely since the moon distracted him from otherwise.

Much like the night of the Potters—

"The rumor around the ministry is that Hanson defended her." His father said softly, and Remus ate up every word on the mater. Sitting down and not even needing tea to handle this retelling.

"But her house and her bank accounts—"

"All of it was taken away yes." Remus narrowed his brows together, cursing as he touched the brink of his nose. "And Dumbledore didn't—"

"He was present at the hearing, he and Aurors captured them after Alice called for back up. Son...I am sure that wherever Aurora is that she's safe." Lyall knew his son all too well, he knew right along with this wife on how their son felt about the little witch that arrived with Mrs.Potter all those years ago.

Remus dug into his cloak to retrieve the parcel that he picked up from her manor. "She left this for me—I haven't talked to her since..."

"That sounds like a falling out, but remember that her husband was still running from law when the Potter's passed." Remus tore his gaze from the beautiful script of his name to look at his father.

Is that why Rory didn't attend?

"I met the lad before, I ran into the two in the Diagon Ally. Nervous rightly doesn't describe what she looked like when he came in, I take no offense to it...But—"

"Black told me that Rory and him got into an argument about it, about me." Lyall stood up, placed a firm hand to his shoulder and instructed him to read the letter.

Leaving his son alone to brew some tea, it'd give him a moment to sort out his thoughts, and yet it still took him an eternity to open the damn thin.

___

Lupin,

You were right, weren't you? About everything. That Sirius was the traitor and that Lestrange would end up in Azkaban. But I cannot accept that my brother, my blood had done that terrible deed. He did not kill the Potters, but I also don't trust anyone in Britain anymore.

Can you blame me?
I watched front row Dumbledore remain silent as I was chained to the seat and judged for a crime that I didn't commit. If you're reading this I'm free and away. Safe. And you need not know more than that.

Best of luck Lupin, hope all is well. Take care of yourself.

-Aurora

____

It was a goodbye, it wasn't a see you soon. It gave no location, no plan. Nothing.
And even if it had, Remus could offer nothing to her either.

Remus threw the parchment away from him as he hid himself away from the damn thing. He felt awful enough as is asking his father for help, but what was he meant to do? He's had five muggle jobs these past few months in hopes of getting somewhere better than the standing what he has now.

But he hasn't. And he wouldn't.

Lyall returned and offered as much support as he could, or much as his son could receive at a time like this...But Remus was a stubborn man.

*

Remus John Lupin had fallen into a boring pattern, it usually meant taking odd jobs within the magical world to the basic wages that the muggle world would offer. He had been fortunate that he was able to lie on account that one of his parents was ill and his muggle employer hadn't questioned it. So at the very least he had the fall back, but it was magical jobs that made him feel connected to a life that hardly recognized him as a member of their society.

He found himself skilled at multiple topics—though he still couldn't handle a cauldron to save the life of him or others. But with the odd jobs and the little literature he's managed to gather over the years, he was well versed in the Dark Arts and other topics in the realm of that as he was technically a dark creature.

Remus pulled a late shift the following evening, and returned home early morning as the single muggle job was simply not enough to fund this entire home. Over the years it's seen some upgrades, like a proper radio, a functioning kitchen. But nothing looked worthwhile to entertain—not that he had many visitors.

His neighbors were kind, but that was probably because they were muggles and only assumed that he was a poor man. Not that that was any better, as there was a kind elder with far too much time on her hand that would send her baked goods this way.

Perhaps it wasn't the easiest life, or what he had planned. But he made decently and rightly had enough money in Gringgots to start buying things for himself.

Though it'd usually push to books. It was still the means of thinking about nonnecessities.

Tiredly removing himself from his bed did he have a plan for today, enjoy the likes of his weekend. An peaceful breath was released from his lungs as he summoned the beginning of a boiling kettle, while his morning routine was well underway.

Mornings were believed to be better than nights, nights allowed his tired thoughts to linger. And with how dark this cabin could grow, he didn't need anymore creeping thoughts to seep it's way through.

Seeing the large package sitting on his round table he chuckled. "Course she'd send the leftovers my way." He mumbled, fawning over his owl for a moment before cleaning his damned living space.

Remus Lupin was not a messy person, he was simply busy—And lazy.

And his knitted Cardigan was not giving him enough warmth, so he summoned the hearth of the fireplace to ignite and ready a roaring fire.

It was not long after that the kettle called to be settled off the burning, and thus he hummed along to the radio's daily offering of music.

He poured a generous full cup, leaving room for a splash of milk. And once he was satisfied he took his sip, flattening the Daily Prophet to be read correctly. Nothing but the daily reoccurrence of rumors and displays of unimportance. He usually forced himself in Hogwarts to read the Quidditch scores so he could keep up with James and Sirius' obsession with whatever game had played the following day.

And it still made his heart warm that James' team won.

Especially when he could picture the bloke retelling it as if he had been there.

Having read all he could, he finally moved to his parent's package. He narrowed his brow as he didn't know what was in the box to be this damn heavy.

After removing the given layer of protection did he finally find what had been the reason for it being heavy, and the weight of it suddenly tripled as he read the label.

Wolfsbane.

He of course heard rumors of different companies finally working on brewing it, but he hadn't been apart of the testings that sprinkled around Europe as his father warned him the danger of it.

So he was rightly apprehensive with what he was holding, or how he was holding it considering there was not even a hint of a final product.

Digging further into the pack had he found the damned parcel, but while digging for it did he find more bottles. His full name suddenly displayed in front of him with very familiar penmanship taunting back at him.

—————

Lupin,

I hope this finds you well, and that you believe me when I tell you this works. It isn't going to be my final product, but this will make you conscious and aware while you transform. There will be no need to lock yourself up and away.

You will be either: Sleepy/drowsy or functional/wide awake.

I have given you the first shipment of many that will be sent throughout Britain, but I do hope you give me the benefit of keeping this hidden. My informants tell me that it hasn't leaked just yet, and I plan on keeping it that way so capitalism won't be taken over.

This potion is set up into daily doses, set up seven days prior to the moon rising. The last being the night you transform, I will warn you that it's a dreadful taste. But I'm sure I've made you drink worse back at Hogwarts.

I currently have a supplier stocking warehouses, keep this address and my card. Just ask for Otto Hanson and he'll give you another year supply if it hasn't released by then.

Best of luck Lupin, hope all is well.

-Aurora

_____

After years of living in the dark from where his old friend had been located, she managed to find him yet leave nothing in telling of where she is.

With the beautiful note suddenly out of his grasp did he turn the bottle over, and the beautiful inscription surely pushed her inspiration rightly on him.

"To the friend I promised to help, to the friend I told that it matters what's in their mind and in their heart. I hope all is well."

Remus couldn't understand if he was angry or relieved. The bottle itself had small notches to how much one day's goblet would need to be taken, and a gentle whiff had he chuckled.

"Yeah, figured you couldn't make it taste like chocolate." He whispered again, but it was indeed her brew. She didn't sound all that different in her letter, but he could count that of the years without a single corresponding chat, it made things more than odd.

They were strangers, and Aurora was pushing true to it. She was just upholding up her promise from a decade ago.

He thought long and hard on what his former friend could possibly be doing with herself, and it was clear she never stopped her grind or work ethic, it just made him heavily frustrated that he had been left out.

Instead he decided that he would share the news with his parents, and off he went with the box in tow. Hope had been the first one at the door after hearing the dramatic pop of an apperation, though she was expecting Lyall, she was even more delighted that it was her son walking forward with the box.

"Mum, is dad home?" She shook her head, but did offer him lunch. And since he was going to stay until his pop's came home,  so he might as well come to accept instead of deny it so quick.

The Lupin family was met with a blessing—a blessing that was upheld by a promise from a traitor.

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Date Posted: 01-27-2020

Time: 8:27

Words: 4318

I know most of you aren't the biggest fan of Remus because of his little crush on Aurora, but I promise this is Rabastan Lestrange fic through and through.
Even if our girl is off in America with Aidan, it is still Rabastan and Aurora pairing.

In the beginning, I had Remus fancy Aurora because it was that bond steaming from being his first genuine friend at Hogwarts. Which is why Aurora is both unaware and not going to return said feelings. 

But that's also why he is so caught up on her not being a traitor to having been one. He's stuck in the middle.

And besides, Tonks is coming soon anyway:)

*

Next chapter coming in a bit,  I just finished once homework assignment and want to get the next one out of the way before I edit the next chapter. Stay tunned!!!