Disclaimer: I do not own any of the items in the following text that are recognized as being written in J.K. Rowling's books. As for the rest...it's mine.

Spoilers from: All five books, and possibly from the third movie.

Rating: PG-13 for violence, language, and for the fact that it is supposed to be as realistic as possible. It seems as though entertainment that is completely realistic these days is not appropriate for the children...I wonder why?

Pairings: I don't especially like to write about romance...so I don't. But there will obviously be the Lily ending up with James, as that's what happened. But this is about Remus, so I don't care much about those two.

Genre: General/Humor.... Hey, it was the Marauders' time, after all!

Additional notes: A large chunk of this was written before the fifth book, so things such as the color of Sirius's hair and eyes may be off...but I happen to like my version better. Don't worry; his hair and eyes will naturally change as the story goes along. Have none of you noticed that your hair gets darker or lighter as you grow? And eyes do change as well—my dad's eyes used to be blue...now they're gray.

Well, I think that's about all you need to know for now, so on with the story!

-:-: The Marauders' Account :-:-

Written by Eizoku

Prologue

"I'll take you back to the start." Coldplay, 'The Scientist'

November 9th, 1965

The occupants of the castle listened anxiously as they heard high screams shift into the anguished howling of a young wolf. By now, everyone had heard about the young Lupin boy who had been bitten by a werewolf the previous month. And on his own birthday, too. Although several of them felt pity for the boy, many of them had completely rearranged their opinion of him. He wasn't human anymore; he was a dark creature that couldn't be trusted. He was bound to become a delinquent, they could tell.

Worst of all, though, was the master of the castle. Jonathan greatly disliked any dark creatures, and even though he respected Dorian Lupin, the fact that Dorian's son was now a werewolf also placed the young father in the category of people to be wary of. He decided that he didn't want the Lupin family to work for him anymore. Tomorrow, they would have to go. Until then, all he could do was wait.

In the morning, Jacqueline went into Remus's room to find her son unconscious on the rug by the fireplace, bloody slashes all over his body, along with dark bruises that seemed to have come from the boy attempting to throw himself at the door to get out. Jacqueline gently wrapped a warm quilt around Remus's small, frail form and held him to her chest. Then she lifted him up and carried him out to be looked at by the castle's personal Healer.

However, the woman refused Remus, and both Jacqueline and Dorian were told to leave the castle and never come back with their cursed son.

As Jacqueline and Dorian walked down the hill, away from the castle, Jacqueline sang to the sleeping boy in her arms, while Dorian carried their sparse belongings.

"Child, sleep now

Enter your world of dreams

Your paradise, it seems

Leave this harsh world

Go to the place where

The sun warms your smiling face

And the faeries dance in the

Fields around you

Laugh in the light

Stay away from the cold dark

Child, sleep now...."

November 11, 1965

"Please, sir, all I am asking for is a room for the night. I give you my word that we will be gone by morning," Dorian pleaded through the barely open doorway. He had stuck his foot in between the door and the frame, as well as braced it with his elbow as he pressed the door open a little more. All around him, gusts of rain blew about, scattering loose newspapers and random bits of trash through the street. The streetlamps had gone out mere minutes ago.

"Do you have money?" the man behind the door asked, scowling at Dorian, before his eyes flickered disgustedly at the woman and small child huddled underneath an overcoat on the doorstep, trying to stay out of the rain. The child's bright misty-blue eyes could be seen unusually clearly in the shadows, staring up at the man.

"I have a little money," Dorian offered. "And I could do some chores if you needed, like washing dishes or similar, if that that isn't enough.... Please, sir. It's just for the one night."

The man gave a huffy sigh and unlocked the chain holding the door shut. "Fine. Well?! Get in, then! I don't need the water to blow in here!"

Dorian led his wife and son in through the door in relief. "Thank you sir, we are very grateful for you kindness."

The man shrugged it off and ushered them toward the hall. "Come on, come on," he grumbled. "I don't need you dripping all over my lobby." He eyed Jacqueline and Remus as they removed the overcoat and tried to straighten out their rumpled clothing.

Jacqueline had managed to keep the rain off of her hair, but Remus seemed to have gotten soaked to the skin on the upper part of his body. His light brown hair had begun to curl from the wetness, and several locks had plastered themselves to his cheeks. He clung to a section of Jacqueline's skirt as he looked around in childish awe, but when his mother began to shake out the overcoat and relieve Dorian of a few of their smaller bags, Remus let go and instead latched onto Dorian's right leg.

"Daddy, I'm hungry. Are we going to eat soon?"

Dorian smiled down at him. "Yes, we'll have something to eat in a moment, Remus." They followed the man down the hall, and then into a small room.

1966

There was a loud, painful sound as Jacqueline's favorite blue glass bowl fell to the floor and shattered. Remus had frozen in shock, staring at the glittering mess on the floor in front of him. Then, without warning, he burst into noisy tears. Jacqueline rushed over to him.

"Oh, oh, honey, it's alright! Don't cry. Look, I can fix it up in no time at all!" She picked up her wand from the counter and gave it a short wave. The shards of glass on the floor flew up and reformed the bowl, and then floated safely onto the counter. However, Remus was not comforted by this. He pressed his hands to his face, hiding his eyes from view, and then dropped to the floor in a heap, his whole body shaking with his sobs.

For a few seconds, Jacqueline frowned at Remus's small body in confusion, and then her blue eyes widened slightly as she realized what was wrong. She quickly gathered Remus in her arms and kissed the top of his head several times, murmuring words of comfort. Time was nearing the full moon, and the poor child's level of emotions was on a dangerously tipsy seesaw. Remus was prone to having sudden tantrums like this, over the smallest of issues, when the moon was close to full.

Soon, Remus's sobs had become jolting hiccups as Jacqueline rubbed his back and stroked her fingers through his hair.

1966

Remus took the deep red pouch by the bottom and turned it over as he sat on the kitchen floor. Buttons of all shapes and sizes and colors scattered over the smooth tile, clattering as they hit each other and the floor.

There were footsteps in the hall, and Dorian stopped short at the door to the kitchen, his left foot inches away from a button of swirled gold and silver. His eyes lifted over the mess and rested on the pale eyes of his son. Smiling, he carefully stepped around several buttons and walked over to Remus.

"What do we have here?" he asked, bending down and lightly kissing the top of Remus's head.

"Mama said I could play with my buttons in here, as long as I cleaned them aaaall up when I was done," Remus smiled up at Dorian. "Ooh, and guess what!"

"What?"

"Mama gave me five brand-new ones!" He held out his tiny fist, showing off his new treasures. "Aren't they bea-ut-i-ful?" he asked, carefully pronouncing the long word.

Dorian made a show of examining each button in Remus's hand, and then he nodded, smiled, and replied, "Yes, they are indeed beautiful, Remus; quite the prize. Do you think Mama would give me some pretty new buttons, too?"

Remus blinked, and then he gave Dorian a silly smile. "Daddy, you don't get buttons! Mama said—"

"That all of the best buttons go to the sweetest one in the house, and I must say, Remus fulfills that category," Jacqueline finished, stepping into the kitchen, a glass of iced tea in her hand.

Remus's eyes lit up as he caught sight of the glass, and he jumped to his feet. "Ooh, Mama, can I have a sip? Please, please?"

Jacqueline laughed and held out the glass to Remus's outstretched hands. "Alright, but only a small sip. We all know how you like to guzzle—" She broke off as Remus held the glass up to his mouth with both hands and proceeded to drink the remains of the tea. Jacqueline exchanged an amused glance with Dorian as they heard the distinct sound of crunching ice, and Remus held out the glass again for her to take back.

"Yum, yum, crunchy!" He smiled and plopped back down on the floor, chewing on a mouthful of ice.

Jacqueline sighed and stepped around the scattered buttons, heading toward the sink. "I guess I'll do these dishes then," she announced. "Remus, could you move some of your buttons so that I have a pathway to walk on?"

"O-kay!"

Remus leaned forward and began to gather the buttons back toward his lap with his arms, but stopped suddenly, watching a button that had started hopping around on the floor. He stared, fascinated, as a few more buttons began moving around as well. They rolled, jumped, twirled, and even flew up into the air to shoot around a bit before coming back down to dance around by Remus's feet.

Jacqueline also watched in amusement as Dorian flicked his wand about, sending the buttons into all kinds of crazy dances, scattering them about the kitchen floor while also clearing a walkway for Jacqueline to move around the kitchen without stepping on dozens of buttons.

"Make a castle, Daddy! A castle! Can you do that?" Remus had figured out who was making his precious buttons move.

"Well, I suppose.... But I'll just put a little spell on them, and then I'm going to help your mother do these dishes; how does that sound?" Dorian wrapped an arm around Jacqueline's waist and kissed her lightly on the lips. They were interrupted when Remus made a sound from the floor.

"Ewww! Don't do that, Daddy!" Remus had his small hands covering his eyes as he looked up at his parents, his face distorted by a childishly disgusted expression.

Late Autumn 1968

Remus sat cross-legged by the coffee table in the Lupin's sitting room, a book set out before him as he scribbled in it with his quill. Every once in a while he would pause and frown thoughtfully, lightly tapping the fingers of his left hand on the page before resuming writing.

When Remus was almost finished with the history homework, Dorian entered through the front door, and as he was removing his coat and hat, he called out, "Jacqueline! Remus! I have wonderful news!"

Jacqueline came carefully down the stairs and kissed Dorian, one hand on her slightly enlarged abdomen. "What is it, dear?" They walked into the sitting room to find Remus staring up at them in interest, his history book forgotten.

"What happened, Dad?" he asked.

Dorian smiled widely. "I was promoted! It's not that much higher than what I was doing before, but the pay is much better, as well as the conditions I will be working in. And it will be much better for the baby if we have a more secure income."

"Oh, that is wonderful, Dorian!" Jacqueline exclaimed happily, embracing him.

Dorian turned to Remus, who was also smiling. "How would you like to get some new clothing next time we go shopping, Remus? And I'm sure a little gift can be added to that as well...."

"Really? I can get some new clothes?" Remus had stood up, revealing the rather worn slacks he had on at the moment, and the too-large sweater that had once belonged to Dorian. The sweater's collar was far too wide for Remus, and rested dangerously near the edges of his bare shoulders. Jacqueline had hemmed the sleeves so that they didn't get in the way, but she had left the rest as it was.

Dorian grinned down at his son. "Yes, you can get some new clothes. Oh, and Jacqueline," he added, turning back to her, "what do you say to the idea of a little vacation? Jim said that a little while after I get settled in, I could have some time off to be with you two and have some fun for a change."

Jacqueline's eyes lit up, and she turned to Remus. "Oh, did you hear that, Remus? Doesn't that sound lovely?"

Remus nodded excitedly. "Where would we be going?"

"Well," Dorian began, "my new position will involve me going up north in the city, so I thought that I could also check out how everything will be while we were up there...it's near where we used to live, actually, so it shouldn't be too bad."

December 1968

Remus winced slightly as they got out of the cab and he was overwhelmed by the noise of the city. The honking of car horns; the loud music coming from someone's radio on the steps in front of a red brick building; the general constant hustle and bustle of people on the street.... All of it pained his sensitive hearing, and his eyes threatened to water.

"Remus? What's wrong?" Jacqueline inquired, noticing his discomfort.

He edged close enough so that he could whisper and she would hear, "Everything's so loud...it hurts, Mama."

She frowned slightly. "But, it's not that loud at all—oh!" Her eyes widened as it struck her why it seemed louder to Remus. She bent down so her head was level with his. "Is it really that much different for you?"

Remus nodded. "It's...it's like everything is shouting in my ears." Jacqueline saw his hands twitch, as if he wanted to lift them and press them against his head.

"Ah...well, we'll be inside soon, and then we can figure out what to do about it, alright, love?"

"Okay."

"Good." She turned to her husband. "Dorian? Can we get inside? It's rather cold out here."

Once they were inside the hotel lobby, Jacqueline explained in a hushed voice what was wrong.

"I'm sorry, but there isn't really anything I can do about that, Remus," Dorian replied softly. "The only spell I could use would be the silencing spell, but that is too dangerous, because then you wouldn't be able to hear anything at all."

"Oh," Remus said quietly. "Well...well, maybe if I just try to ignore it...?" he began hopefully.

"Do you think that would work?" Dorian asked, raising his eyebrows in concern.

"I dunno...but I could try." Remus shrugged, pretending it wasn't affecting him as much as it actually was.

"Alright, we can try that, and once we're outside, I'll buy you a hot chocolate, how about that? Then you'll be distracted by trying to not burn your tongue!" He smiled and ruffled Remus's hair.

"Oh, my. We're quite near our old home," Jacqueline commented in some surprise, as she glanced at the map of the city.

Dorian nodded. "Yes, we are. The castle is just outside the border of this city. You and Remus can go visit it if you'd like, although I don't think you will be able to see anything other than ruins now."

Remus looked up from the hot chocolate he had been sipping. "Why is it ruins now, Dad?"

"Oh, the castle isn't in ruins, Remus, but Jonathan has most likely set up a spell around the property that causes it to look like castle ruins to outsiders. It is made so, so that unwanted visitors do not bother him."

Remus nodded in understanding. They were not welcome anymore at the castle where he was born and had lived for his first five years. Jonathan used to be a close friend to Remus's father; in fact, Remus's middle name came from Dorian's fondness for the master of the castle. Jonathan had been quite pleased when he found out the origin of Remus's middle name, and he used to always save special gifts for Remus whenever he could.

However, that all changed when Remus was bitten that fateful day.

The next day, while Dorian was meeting with a man about his new job position, Jacqueline and Remus took a bus out to the border of the city. Remus wore his new coat over a crisp white button-down shirt and black slacks, and he was enjoying the feel of new clothing. It felt nice to not be wearing hand-me-downs for once.

Around one-thirty in the afternoon, they arrived at their destination. Jacqueline allowed Remus to go on ahead to the gates, for she realized halfway up the hill that she wasn't sure if she could handle seeing the castle again. Remus, however, wanted badly to see the castle that he could hardly remember anymore.

Besides, Jacqueline wasn't worried for Remus. She knew he could handle himself if anything happened. Sometimes she wondered if he would have been so intelligent and skilled if that werewolf had not bitten him. It had taught him many things over the past three years, both painful and useful.

Atop a hill laid the apparent ruins of a sad castle; all left of what was once a sturdy, welcoming home. The gray stone walls lined the sky, breaking free of the trees surrounding it. Down the pebbled path and past the creaking, naked trees scattered on the grim slope of the hill, there stood an iron gate. Outside this gate Remus stood, his hands grasped tightly behind his back. He stood in the brisk wind, his long black overcoat flapping out to his right.

"Remus!" a woman's voice called from down the lane. "Remus, come on! We have to catch the bus!"

The boy blinked, as if he had only just come to life. Then he turned, letting his hands fall to his sides, and glanced back at the ruins behind the gate. He closed his eyes briefly and clenched his fists in his sleeves. A second later, he opened them again, and began walking away from the gate, toward his mother's voice.

Halfway down the lane, he broke into a run and threw his arms around his mother's waist when he had reached her, burying his face in her slightly bulging stomach.

"Oh, don't cry, love," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him and sighing. She blew her stray bangs out of her eyes and looked up into the gray sky. "We must move on, and leave our past behind. Think about the future, Remus. When you don't feel any warmth from the past, look to the future, and I'm sure you'll find some hope."

Remus loosened his hold a little. "But what do I have in the future right now to look forward to?" he asked mournfully, his throat stuck with suppressed tears.

Jacqueline looked back down at her son and smiled as she touched his cheek tenderly. "In just a few more months, you'll be a big brother, Remus. Isn't that something to look forward to? Then you'll have someone to protect as well."

Remus looked back at Jacqueline's stomach, and then pressed his ear to her. Not a moment later, he pulled away, a mock-angry expression on his face. "Mama, he kicked me!"

Jacqueline smiled and shook her head. "Now, Remus, we don't know for sure whether it is a girl or a boy, so don't begin to call it—"

"But Mama! He is a boy! I know he is!"

His mother laughed. "Is this another one of your special powers that you are claiming to have?"

Remus blinked innocently. "Of course, Mama! I'm extra magical!" But then his expression became serious. "And I tell you, I'm going to have a little brother, all to myself, by April."

"Well then. I hope you share this brother of yours with the rest of us...?"

Remus grinned again and nodded. "Yes, I'll share him. Somebody's got to change his nappies, after all!"

They continued down the lane, holding hands and talking amiably.

Summer 1969

Remus sat underneath the large beach umbrella on the picnic blanket in his beach shorts, watching the other children running along the edge of the waves. There was a family with two girls and one boy who were trying to race the waves up and down the sand, laughing and draping seaweed in their hair. A little further down the shore, some teenagers were playing beach ball with their transistor radio blaring the latest popular music.

"Why don't you go and play, Remus?" Jacqueline asked him, looking up from where she was breastfeeding Aubrey. "You're far too pale. Some sun will do you good."

Remus looked uneasy. However, he bravely stood up and slowly walked toward the water, glancing back at Jacqueline only once, to see her smiling encouragingly at him. Feeling slightly better, he ran the rest of the way to the waves and let his feet get swallowed by the rushing salt water. It was very cold.

There was a sudden splash, and as Remus blinked rapidly to clear his eyes, he saw a Frisbee floating in the water less than a foot away from his ankles. He picked it up out of the water and glanced around to see where it had come from, and then he flung it back to the teenage girls who were waving at him to get his attention. A girl in a blue bathing suit and shorts caught it in surprise.

"Wow, he's good!" one of them exclaimed.

"Eh, that was just a lucky throw, another her friends waved off. "Come, on, throw it to me!"

Remus looked back toward the family who he had been watching before. They had stopped playing in the waves and were now working on a sand castle. After a moment of watching them, the father must have sensed Remus's gaze on them, because he looked up.

"Why hello there!" he called, and Remus tensed, startled. "Would you like to come and join us? You're welcome to," he smiled in a way that only fathers know how to do properly.

The eldest daughter looked up. "Da-ad!" She whined, unhappy that he was inviting a strange boy to join their family activity.

"Hush, Jenna," he replied softly. "Come on, lad; we've even got an extra shovel you can borrow."

Remus hesitantly moved closer, forcing a nervous smile on his face. He took the shovel from the man's hand. "Thank you," he nodded to the man. "You really don't mind?"

The father smiled. "Oh course not! When someone goes to the beach, they should have fun. You didn't look like you were having much fun out there, all alone."

For the next several minutes, Remus happily helped shape the castle, evening collecting shells and driftwood to add as decorations. Fifteen minutes later, he thought he heard someone calling his name, and he looked up to see Dorian walking down the sand dunes in a t-shirt and shorts. He had finally gotten off of work. Remus thanked the sand castle family for letting him play with them and ran to join his father.

To Be Continued....

A/N: Ahh, it feels so good to be posting stories again after so long! This one is a lot different than I've done before. As you could see, it is written in sections that are not necessarily connected. I have done this because many of the things I leave out are the things we already know about, or I just don't find important to put in, as you are able to assume what would have happened afterward.

I'll post as soon as I get enough reviews!