Chapter Text
Monday, October 7th, 2013
“This might be the weirdest journal entry I’ve ever made.”
The wind picked up drastically. He hadn’t remembered ever being outside, but weird things seemed to happen all the time here. It wasn’t until he felt the rain that he realized something was wrong.
He had just been in class. Just a moment ago found him sitting in Fenrir Greyback’s classroom. And now he had no clue where he was.
The rain hadn’t just started; it was heavy rain. Far worse than any rain he’d ever seen here before.
Remus opened his eyes to the footpath leading to the top of a jagged cliff, where the lighthouse sits. The wind is howling now. A storm wasn't forecasted for today, though this didn’t seem like anything ordinary.
“What the fuck,” Remus muttered, pushing himself off the ground with his fore-arms.
The ground was slick, and the small light from the lighthouse ahead was barely visible. Trees shook violently, and many now lay fallen to the ground.
Remus trudged up the hill toward the lighthouse—if he could get out of the storm, he’d be safe.
A twig snapped just ahead of him. With a quick glance, he discovered a deer.
“What..?” His exasperation apparent—a deer in this weather?
Quickening his pace, he followed the deer at a distance, watching as it trudged on with ease despite the harsh wind.
“Where are you going!”
The deer stopped, turning to face him before slowly fading into the storm. He watched the scene unfold—a tornado bigger than the town itself just off the distance in the bay.
He glanced up toward the lighthouse now looming over him, and with a loud crack, a dinghy boat flew into the upper portion. Where did that even come from?!
Before he could think of an answer he woke up with a start.
—
Light filtered through his vision. He wasn’t in the storm anymore. He remained just as he’d remembered, sitting in class, taking notes.
The teacher—Mr. Greyback—spoke of a photography contest. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was just a dream.
But he’d never fallen asleep, he had to be going crazy.
He carefully surveyed the room, his desk, and anything within his field of sight. His camera, notebook, cellphone, book bag, pencil case; all normal. A phone rang, Emmaline’s.
Remus picked up his camera, and flashed a picture of himself. The only thing he could think to do, something semi-normal among the anomalies. Although, thinking on it, maybe it wasn’t so normal, he’s just odd.
“Ah, I believe Remus has just taken what you all like to call a ‘selfie.’” Greyback remarked, putting air-quotations around the last word. “Since you very clearly wanted our attention, and wanted to join the conversation, why don’t you tell us the process that birthed the first self-portrait?”
“Uh,” Remus hesitated, he knew the answer, or he thought he did, but it wasn’t quite there now.
Seeing his hesitation, Emmaline’s hand shot up as she sent a smirk in his direction.
“Yes, Emmaline?” Greyback sighed, glaring at Remus.
“Louis Daguerre created the Daguerreotype, it’s basically just a process that gave portraits a reflective look.” She replied smugly, turning back to face Remus. “Now you are stuck in the retro zone, sad face.” She snickered, returning to face Greyback.
He was still a bit frazzled from the dream, entirely missing the last sentence from his teacher. But, the bell rang, snapping him back to reality.
“Don’t forget to submit your pictures for the everyday heroes contest! The deadline is today, and yes Remus, I see you pretending not to see me.”
He slung his bag over his shoulder, pocketing his phone, and starting toward the door. Emmaline was speaking to Greyback, so surely he’d be able to escape without a lecture.
“Ah, Remus don’t leave yet!” Greyback commented from the other corner.
Remus turned on his heel and walked slowly toward his teacher.
“Excuse us, Emmaline.” Greyback said, “Remus, where is your submission for the everyday heroes contest? I couldn’t possibly let one of photography’s future stars avoid their opportunity.”
“Do I have to?” Remus sighed, “I just don’t think it’s a big deal.”
“Remus, you’re a much better photographer than you are a liar. I know it’s boring to hear an old guy lecture you, but life won’t wait up for you.” He crossed his arms, stepping backward slightly. “You lack the courage to share your gift, and that is what separates the artist from the amateur."
Remus rolled his eyes when Greyback turned away, walking back to the door. This time, Greyback let him leave.
—
The hallway was bustling with the energy of students excited to get to their next period. The bell having just rung, meant the teachers were stood outside their classrooms as well.
He desperately needed a break. With that god-awful dream, and the general feeling of going insane.. the crowded hallways definitely weren’t his go-to spot.
He pushed through a crowd of students, stopping only when a poster caught his eye. A missing persons poster.
“MISSING PERSON:
James F. Potter
Missing from: Arcadia Bay, OR
OTHER:
Age: 19 Years
Eye: Br Hair: Brown
Height: 6’0 Weight: 198.5 lbs
Last seen: April 22nd, 2013
Please call ——————
Arcadia Bay sheriff’s office with any
information.”
The posters were everywhere. Someone went a bit crazy with the staples, that’s for certain.
He continued to the bathroom, the only place he could hope to get a single ounce of privacy without returning to his dorm.
The bathroom —much to his surprise— was entirely empty. He filed over to one of the sinks, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
The bags under his eyes were much more noticeable than they’d been just hours prior, maybe he really had fallen asleep. His hair was all tousled, and his green flannel was slightly crinkled. He looked a mess.
Remus turned on the cold water, letting it run for a moment before splashing his face with it. Turning off the sink, he wiped his hands on his flannel, discovering the outline of a small Polaroid picture.
Him in front of the photo wall in his dorm.
He groaned, feeling like an idiot. He couldn’t possibly think that this was contest worthy, he wasn’t a hero at all. He tore the picture, and threw it to the ground, covering his face with his hands.
A small breeze was allowed in through the tiny window in the corner. He caught sight of a blue butterfly the moment he dropped his hands away.
A good opportunity for a photo, he thought. Following close behind the butterfly, walking behind the wall, serving as a separator to the custodial supplies. He set his bag down, and quietly picked out his camera. Crouching to get the angle just right before snapping the picture.
The door opened. It was Peter Pettigrew. Remus hated Peter, he thought he owned the entire town in some odd classic 80’s bully kind of way.
“It’s cool. You’re okay dude, count to ten.” Peter chanted to himself. “Don’t stress, you could blow this school up if you wanted, you’re the boss.” (Boss of rats.)
The door opened just behind him as he stood leaning on a sink. A boy with long wavy black and blue hair, wearing what was possibly the most badass outfit Remus has ever seen.
“What do you want?” Peter hissed, turning his head to look at the boy.
The boy chuckled. “I hope you checked the perimeter,” he stepped forward, pushing open the stall doors. “Mhm, let’s talk.”
“I don’t have anything for you.” He snapped.
“Wrong! You have cash.”
“My family—not me.” He shook his head.
“Boo hoo, poor little rich kid. I know you’ve been selling drugs to kids here.” He met Peter at the sink, shoving his face close to the other’s ear. “I wonder what your ‘respectable’ family would think, I can see the headlines now!”
There was a short beat of silence before the black haired boy spoke again.
“I can tell everyone that Peter Pettigrew is a stupid bitch who talks to himself!”
“You don’t know who the fuck I am, or who you’re dealing with!” He almost shouted, reaching into his pocket to reveal something small, but seemingly heavy. Remus couldn’t quite see what it was.
“Where’d you get that? What are you doing! Put that down!” The black haired boy screamed.
Remus watched silently as Peter stepped toward the other boy, pinning him to the wall with whatever he was holding. “Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass, would they?”
“Hey!”
And that’s the final word before the shot. The final blow.
“NO!” Remus screams, running out from behind the wall with his hand raised…
And then he wakes up.
—
He’s back in class, the same class as before. Greyback is still speaking about the contest, and everything is as it was before. Surely he hasn’t had a dream within a dream–but this is quite the odd loop.
It isn’t long before Emmaline’s phone rings. And Remus would love to chalk it up to a coincidence, but something still feels off.
He reaches for his camera, and with a shuttering breath takes a picture just has he had earlier.
“Ah, I believe Remus has just taken what you all like to call a ‘selfie.’” Greyback remarked, putting air-quotations around the last word. “Since you very clearly wanted our attention, and wanted to join the conversation, why don’t you tell us the process that birthed the first self-portrait”
The exact same sentence, exact tone, exact body language and movements.
Remus stared in disbelief for a moment, while everyone else in the classroom observed him. Shit. What was the answer? The daguerreian process? The Daguerreotype?
“Uh…The Daguerreian Process. It was created by Louis Daguerre,” he breathed.
Shit, so much was wrong with whatever the fuck is going on.
“Someone has been doing their reading, as well as posing! Good job, Remus.” Greyback clapped his hands together once, continuing his spiel from earlier.
Remus looked around the classroom again. Everything was exactly the same, but this time he knew what would happen next.
He hadn’t realized Lily before. She sat at her own table writing what looked like a note. A note to who? He wondered.
The bell rang and he retraced his previous steps, but this time he spoke to Lily. If he was right, he had a few minutes before.. everything.
“Hi, Lily.”
“Oh, hey, Remus.” She sounded sad, or tired, maybe? He couldn’t tell which of the two.
“You seem quiet today, is everything okay?” He tried his best to sound sincere—he was, but how could anyone sound anything but absolutely terrified in this situation?
“Just thinking too much,” she whispered, hiding her face.
“I hear that, want to grab some tea later and talk about life?” He fidgetted his fingers.
“Thanks, but not today. I’ve got a bunch of homework to go over.”
“No worries, we’ll hang out later.” He tried his best to manage a smile.
He was worried about Lily. Rumors fucking suck as is, but right now her life is being ruined by one, and he has no clue how to fix it for her.
He tried his best to shrug it off, he needed to save that boy somehow. Remus practically ran to the door, only to be stopped by Greyback once more.
“Ah, Remus don’t leave yet!” The same tone. It’s only been a matter of minutes, but Remus can feel his brain breaking.
“Excuse us, Emmaline.” Greyback said, “Remus, where is your submission for the everyday heroes contest? I couldn’t possibly let one of photography’s future stars avoid their opportunity.”
“Do I have to?” He tried again, “I just don’t think it’s that important.”
“Remus, you’re a much better photographer than you are a liar. I know it’s boring to hear some old guy lecture you, but life won’t wait up—”
He’s heard this before. In an act of desperation—or maybe just a test to make sure he isn’t insane— Remus holds up his hand once more; palm facing the ground, fingers extended and…
He’s back. And time travel is so much worse than everyone thinks. He can feel it in his head, like a pressure behind his eyes. Seriously, who invented that?!
“Excuse us, Emmaline.” And then, “Remus, where is your submission for the everyday heroes contest? I couldn’t possibly let one of photography’s future stars avoid their opportunity.”
“Uh, I’m not sure I have one.”
“Given your affinity for taking selfies, I think you must have thousands of pictures by now!” He was probably joking, but Remus would take it seriously anyway.
“It would take far too long to find the right one.”
“Remus, don’t take too long.”
He could rewind. He could redo that somehow, say something different. He doesn’t want his teacher to hate him, and right now it seems like that is exactly what’s happening. Why is this all so difficult? Why does he have to be the one to make this choice?
With a sigh, Remus hurries toward the hallway once more. Pushing through rows of students, and ignoring all of the posters and signs. He opens the bathroom door and finds no one. He’s made it just in time.
He rushes to the sink, turns on the faucet, and splashes his face—a direct mirror of his previous actions— he then wipes his hands on his flannel, tears the pictures, and waits for the butterfly.
As if it could hear his thoughts, the butterfly slowly immerges from the window, finding its place behind the separator.
Remus can hear footsteps outside, so he once again runs behind the wall, and snaps a photo of the butterfly.
The door opens, and just as before; it’s Peter.
Remus looks around frantically for something he could do to prolong the inevitable. The only thing within sight is a bucket— which the butterfly currently resides on— and a cleaning cart.
The cart has nothing of any use on it, and just as he thinks to look under it, he hears the shot.
Remus rewinds, and moves the cart right as Peter enters the bathroom. The mallet used to press the fire alarm lays underneath it. And Remus thinks this might be the best idea he’s ever had.
He waits, holding the mallet for the black haired boy to enter the bathroom.
Remus watched the scene unfold, but this time the second Peter pulls out the weapon, he hits the fire alarm.
“No way..” Peter says, glancing toward the wall.
“Don’t ever touch me again, psycho!” The boy screams, pushing Peter to the ground, and running for the door.
Remus waits for Peter to haul himself from the ground and rush out the door before leaving himself.
—
The hallway is empty, save for the school security.
“Do you hear that fire alarm? That means you should be outside!” The officer says sternly.
“I— I was using the bathroom?”
“That’s what they all say to cover up whatever it is that they're up to! Your face is covered in guilt!” He continues like he’s on some weird power trip.
“The alarm tripped me out!” Remus held up his arms, gawking at the guard.
“Well then, trip on outta here!” He points to the front door.
Remus hadn’t noticed the principal exiting his office, but he’s glad that she did on time, because this security guard is really beginning to piss him off.
“Mr. Black, the situation is under control. Please leave Mr. Lupin alone, and go turn off that alarm seeing as how that is your job.” The principal says.
Remus walks slowly to the front doors while the guard starts in the other direction. He walks past the principal before being stopped once again.
“You look stressed, is there anything you’d like to report, Mr. Lupin?”
He could tell the truth, or hide it. The chances of her believing him were slim to none, but he can always deal with that later.
“I just saw Peter Pettigrew with a gun in the boy’s restroom.”
“That is a serious accusation.” Her tone sounded more accusing than believing and Remus really didn’t know how to feel about it.
“I swear it. He was talking to himself, babbling on and on like crazy.” He waved his arms around for emphasis.
“And you saw this without him seeing you?”
“I was in a stall. I have a right to be there, it’s a bathroom!”
“I know, I just— I want to be entirely sure of what happened.”
“Are you going to do something?” He was growing worried. “Peter is dangerous!” And still out there, free of consequence.
“I’ll look into it.” She said, sending Remus towards the front entrance of the school.
—
He pushed out the front door, and walked down the stairs. Everyone that had been in the school previously was outside, littering on the front lawn, and the football field.
There was so much going on—and the day had already been so insane. He’d witnessed that guy get shot, and then rewound time to save him.
This shouldn’t be possible.
“Will Peter Pettigrew please come to the principal's office?” Mcgonagall’s voice chimed over the speaker system.
She really was going to do something about it.
The chattering of students filled the air, and the realization dawned on him that he’d still had plenty to do today. His phone chimed with a notification several minutes ago, but he’d been far too distracted to check it.
Christopher: Hey Rem, can you get my flash drive?
Hello?
Remus typed his reply and continued through the courtyard, glancing at his classmates. He’d noticed a boy drawing, and he was curious, but not enough to bother him. Truthfully, he wanted to get Christopher’s flashdrive, and then spend the rest of the night in his dorm, but that wasn’t likely to happen.
He walked slowly past the brick fountain, and a board of school-wide events. Many posters were hung, including ones for vortex club parties, and—once again—the missing persons posters.
He often spent time admiring the multitude of brick buildings spattered across campus, there was something so artful about them, despite the lack of variety. The dorm buildings were a favorite of his, and it definitely wasn’t just because of his room.
Remus pushed through a small crowd of people towards aforementioned buildings, before spotting the cause for the crowd. Emmaline and her group of “friends” were sprawled across the steps, preventing entry to the buildings, and ignoring those who tried.
“Oh look, it’s Remus Lupin.” She said with a sneer. “God, I don’t know how anyone could fall for your fucking bullshit. ‘The Daguerreian process!’ You could barely even say it.” The group of girls behind her snickered. “Since you know all the answers, I guess you’ll be fine finding a different way into the dorm.”
She paused for a moment before pulling out her camera, and snapping a photo. “Hold that pose, Remus.”
He rolled his eyes, and looked around for another entry point before she continued. Gosh, how much can one person talk?
“Don’t worry, I’ll slap a vintage filter over it before I post it all over social media. Now, why don’t you go fuck your selfie.”
Remus walked away, what else could he do? They weren’t moving and he didn’t want to fight. He followed the side walk to the left, passing by the janitor—who he forgot the name of. He was carrying a small paint brush, seemingly to use on the windows.
He glanced into the small janitorial room at the very edge of the building to be met with the control panel of the garden sprinklers. He thought for a moment before walking in, turning up the water setting, and rushing to the door to watch what Emmaline would do about it.
The water began spraying with much more force, causing it to spray further as well. He smirked when Emmaline shrieked and jumped from her spot on the steps. Yelling something about cashmere before walking back and standing in front of her previous spot.
So that plan didn’t work. It was then that the idea hit him; and Remus was by no means the smartest, but this was a damn good idea.
He jogged back towards the steps, stopping just at the latter where the janitor had set down the bucket of paint earlier, before returning to grab a forgotten paint brush. Remus took a deep breath before shoving his hand out once more, watching as time reset around him. Students walking in reverse, footballs stopping mid-air to return to sender—how was this possible?
He might not know the answer to the question, but he was grateful anyway. Remus withdrew his hand, and looked around, the janitor still hadn’t left the supply room, so he quickly crouched down, and pulled harshly at the handle of the small bucket of paint. He stood, preparing to watch the fall out.
Several moments passed before the janitor returned, giving a modest nod, grabbing the bucket of paint and starting up the latter. He hung the bucket by the handle on a small piece of scaffolding under a window. The bucket creaked loudly, causing the janitor to look down to it, but it was already too late.
Remus couldn’t help the small smile that spread across his face as the bucket fell, hitting the ground with a thud, and splattering paint all over Emmaline and her friends.
She mirrored the shriek from before, but it differed slightly. This time she yelled about paint and—like before— her cashmere sweater. The man hurried down the ladder, continuously apologizing, while her friends scrambled to their feet to get towels.
Emmaline shooed the janitor away, and sat back on the steps with a grimace. Remus kind of felt bad watching, maybe she was mean, but he didn’t have to destroy her sweater.
He walked back to the steps, bracing to be made fun of once more.
“Hey, Emmaline…” He said when no words were spoken for a moment.
“What do you want, Remus?”
He thought for a moment, he could make fun of her, take a photo and laugh, just like she had done. But unlike Emmaline, he was nice—to some extent.
“I am sorry, it’s a lovely coat.” He murmured, shifting back and forth on his feet.
“It was, but there will be another.”
“Well, you always seem to know how to pick out really cool outfits!” He tilted his head, trying his best to look sincere.
“Yeah, I do have some talent. Greyback told me–”
“I’ve seen your pictures. They’re really— uh… thought out, and executed well.”
Emmaline paused looking up at him before pulling a somber expression. “Thanks, Remus. And I’m sorry.. About the whole ‘go fuck your selfie’ thing.” She pulled out her phone, and deleted the photo.
“It’s okay, it was pretty funny.”
She smiled up at him, and slid out of the way.
—
He hurried up the stairs, pushing through the door that led to the boys' dorms. He’d remembered where he had last left the flash drive, but whether it was still there is a mystery. At least until he actually enters his dorm.
He walked slowly through the hallway, observing the new drawings and words written on small dry-erase boards by the doors. Multiple of the boards contained quotes, or “school spirit” slogans. His was the only one that remained empty.
It felt as if he had been left out of a club that didn’t actually exist. Obviously, no one was coordinating them with others, but being the only board left blank felt lonely. Remus picked up the marker that was stuck to the board and drew a stick figure with his name underlined just above it.
He hummed, and opened the door to his room. There was a message on a piece of printer paper laying on the table near his bed.
Remus smiled warmly remembering when Christopher left the note for him. And now he felt bad for not getting around to watching all of the movies Christopher had asked him to.
He walked to his desk, where he could’ve sworn he left the drive, but in its place lay a sticky note left by Marlene Mckinnon— a classmate of his. So, Marlene had the flash drive, and now he has to go upstairs into the girls’ dorms to get it.
His phone chimed once—then twice more. A message from Christopher, and two from his mother. He skimmed through the messages from his mother, deciding that the best course of action was to ignore her. And then he read Christopher’s message.
He was asking him to hurry, but now that he had said something Remus almost felt inclined to take his time.
He grabbed the sticky note and started out the door into the hallway once more, this time headed upstairs—again. This time shouting could be heard before he reached the top step.
Remus opened the door slowly. The girls’ dorms usually had some fights—more than the boys— and he did not want to be a part of that. He peered through the small opening and watched as Mary Macdonald threw herself against the closed door of Marlene’s dorm.
“Mary, let me out!” The shouting was muffled from inside the dorm, but still able to be made out.
“No!” Mary screamed, tilting her head back.
He slipped through the opening and walked over to the scene. “Hey, Mary. Is everything okay?”
“Yes, Remus, everything is just fine! Marlene isn’t locked in her room for any particular reason!” Mary Macdonald had managed to sound even more sarcastic than himself, and that felt like a problem. Or a challenge.
“What did she do?”
“Nothing, I swear I did nothing!” The voice in the room said again, a hint of desperation in her voice.
“She’s been sexting my boyfriend!”
“I’m not sure that’s right–” he hadn’t spoken to Marlene very much, but every conversation had led him to believe more and more that she was—in fact— a lesbian.
“It is! Emmaline sent me an email.” Mary pulled out her phone, turning it toward Remus. He didn’t read the email, he didn’t have to. Of course Emmaline would lie about someone like that.
“I think I can prove that’s fake.” He said.
Mary huffed and he turned away to look for Victoria's dorm. He didn’t know whether the door would be locked or not, but he had hopes, and he needed to get into Marlene’s room.
The door to Victoria’s dorm was left open, presumably from the two girls that ran to grab towels. He smiled to himself, pushing the door open and walking in. Even her room looked pretentious.
He made a mental note of how stupidly expensive the room looked, and decided that maybe it’s okay to snoop a bit.
Her room had a couch— much like everyone else— she had a few cases of books, and a fancy record player that Remus wishes he had. On the coffee table he spotted a letter, crumpled slightly, but tucked back into the envelope. He picked it up, unfolding the letter and reading it.
A rejection letter from the Kroft Gallery. Although it’s a difficult read, it seems like something worth keeping. A rejection letter is feedback, and she’s putting herself out there. He could never.
Remus folded the paper back, exactly as it was, and tucked it into the envelope.
A camera lay on the couch, brand new from the looks of it. He fucking hates Emmaline, or at least he thinks he does. But maybe he’s just a bit bitter.
Her laptop sits open, and unlocked on her desk. Asking for someone nosey (Like Remus!) to go through it. He sifts through the open tabs, commending her for not posting that picture she took, but he soon finds an email from Emmaline to one of her friends, and immediately decides to withdraw that commendation.
The email contains information about the blatant lie she has been spreading about Marlene, and it really angers Remus. They might not be friends, they’re at most acquaintances, but Marlene is a nice girl, and she doesn't deserve the slander.
He glances behind him to make sure that Emmaline’s printer has paper in it before turning back to the laptop and printing the email.
There is very clearly more that he could look through, but Christopher’s texts are starting to seem more and more aggressive.
He grabbed the paper from the printer and started back toward the commotion. He stopped just before Mary once more and handed her the paper.
She took it very reluctantly; but when she read it her face changed. Mary dropped the paper and turned to open the door.
“I’m so sorry for not believing you!” She pulled Marlene into a hug.
“Yeah, It’s okay.” SHe sighed, pulling away.
“I’m gonna go confront Emmaline. Don’t worry, Remus, I won’t mention you.” She said, already running the opposite direction.
“Thanks, Rem.” Marlene walked back into her room, gesturing him in.
“Uh yeah, no problem.” He glanced around at the tables and shelves in her room. “Do you have Christopher’s flash drive?”
She hummed, pointing to her laptop. “You can just take it.”
Remus nodded, taking the flash drive and starting toward the door. “Thanks, Marls.”
He needed to talk to Marlene more. It would be nice to have her around.
—
He exited the building to find that Emmaline was no longer outside. There was a short girl with purple hair reading on a bench, and a guy behind her tossing a football into the air.
He walked past, not sparing a glance to either of the two. Until he heard the girl say “Ow.” He turned around and saw the football rolling on the ground right in front of her.
He stuck his arm out and watched again as time renewed itself around him. This time we walked up to the girl and warned her about the ball. She smiled, thanked him, and went back to reading.
Maybe it was worth it if he was using it to help people.
Christopher had messaged several times since being in Marlene’s room, and Remus getting a bit agitated. He typed “Okay,” and “I’m on my way.” Rolling his eyes at his friend’s impatience.
He shoved his phone into a pocket on his jeans, and stopped just before rounding the fence. He heard a male voice speaking—rather harshly— and he saw Lily.
The same security guard from earlier was now harassing Lily. Figures, this guy is a dick, he thought, listening in to the conversation.
“I see everything here at Blackwell. Don’t think that I’m not onto you!” He shouted, “You all think you can get away with everything, but you can’t! Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“No, I don’t. I haven’t done anything!” Her voice was wobbly, and she was backing away from him slowly. “Leave me alone!”
The man stepped forward, and Remus advanced from his spot as well. He wasn’t going to let a grown man harass his friend.
“Why won’t you leave her alone?” He said, standing up straighter.
“This is official campus business, you need to stay out of–”
“You shouldn’t be yelling, and bullying students.” He stepped toward the man, putting his arm up to push Lily back.
“No one is bullying anybody. I'm just doing my job.” He was trying to sound stern, but he just sounded like a prick.
“No, you’re not.”
“You’re part of our problem. I’ll remember this.” He huffed, walking away.
“You do that!” Remus called out. He turned to face Lily, “Are you okay?”
“I think you scared him, Remus! I have to go, but seriously, thank you!” She put her arms on his shoulder for a fleeting moment, then walked away quickly.
—
Remus entered the car park, surveying the crowd of cars in search of his friend. He met Christopher’s eyes and began walking toward him.
“Hey, Remus!” Christopher opened his arms for a hug, but Remus handed him his flash drive instead. He chuckled awkwardly, playing it off as if he was stretching. “Check out my new wheels..!” Stepping to the side to show Remus the car.
“Cool, very old school!”
“1978. Now we can go to that drive-in theater I’ve been telling you about.” Christopher leaned back on the car once again. “It’s about 60 miles away.”
Remus smiled, stepping back a bit.
“You okay?” Christopher tilted his head slightly, as if to look at Remus differently.
“Fine– just a crazy fuckin’ day.” He ran his fingers through his hair, looking down at the ground.
“Yeah, I heard Emmaline got a face full of paint! Man, I’d pay to see that.”
Remus nodded, choosing carefully what to say next. “Uh, I watched some cool stuff.”
“Really? Did you watch Cannibal Holocaust?” He seemed far too excited, but Remus wasn’t gonna mention it.
“Yep, I was a bit more disturbed by the emo vampire movies.”
“Ha, can’t a sensitive high-school boy enjoy movies about sensitive vampires?” Christopher leaned forward slightly, propping a foot up on the front of the car.
“Oh, so that’s what you’re calling it? Sensitive?”
Christopher gasped in mock offense, pulling a hand up to his chest.
A beat of silence passed between them, Christopher still smiling and looking expectantly at Remus.
“I kind of have something to say, but I don’t know how to say it.” Remus said suddenly.
“Oh, uh okay?” Christopher patted the hood of the car, gesturing for Remus to stand beside him. “Is it–”
“This stays between me and you, not social media.” Remus said, joining him.
“Don’t insult me, go on.”
“I had this absolutely bizarre experience in Greyback’s class today..” He started. “Like, life changing.”
He was looking for what to say next when he was cut off by the sound of Peter’s voice.
“Remus Lupin, right? You’re one of Greybacks’ photo groupies.” Peter continued walking, not stopping until he was face to face with Remus, staring up at him.
“I’m one of his student’s.” Remus replied, leaning away.
“What-the fuck-ever.” He paused. “I know you like taking pictures, especially when you’re hiding out in the bathroom.”
“That sounds–” Christopher started, but quickly stopped.
“You better tell me what you told the principal, now.” He stepped closer, again. How could he possibly get closer?
“I told her the truth. A student had a gun.”
“No, you told her that I had a gun. That’s why she dragged me into her office.” His voice was shaky with rage. A rage that even Remus couldn’t understand.
“And did what? Give you a stern talking to?” Christopher laughed at Remus’ remark.
“Nobody lectures me. Everybody tries, but they–”
God, he sounds insane right now. “You should talk to somebody, Peter.”
“Shut up!”
“Take a step back,” Remus held up his arms, pushing Peter away.
“No!”
Christopher stepped between them, putting a hand against Peter’s chest. “Get away from him, dude!”
Peter rammed his head into Christopher’s, knocking him to the ground.
“Hey!” Remus shouted, “Leave him alone.”
Peter turned around quickly, putting a hand up to Remus' throat. “Nobody tells me what to do! Not my parents, not the principal, or that fucking bitch in the bathroom!”
Remus pressed his hand to Peter’s face, pushing it to the side harshly. Peter let go, grabbing his face.
Remus hadn’t noticed the truck pulling through the lot until it screeched to a stop right behind him. He turned quickly, looking at the driver.
“Remus?” The boy said.
It took Remus a second to recognize the other. “Sirius?”
“No way, you again?” Peter fixed his posture, releasing his face from his hands, and starting toward Remus again.
“Go, Rem. I got this!” Christopher called from behind Peter. Running forward to stop him.
Peter turned to the other, kicking his shins until he toppled to the ground, punching him several times before leaving him for Remus once again.
“Get in, Remus.” Sirius’ voice lacked the urgency that was needed in this situation, but he ignored it, throwing his camera to the floor and getting in the truck anyway.
“Get. Your. Bitch asses. Out now!” Peter howled, kicking the door of the truck just before it drove away.
—
The drive was silent for a while. The chaos of the day added to the tension between the two.
“Man, Peter Pettigrew is messed up, and– and dangerous. This day won’t ever end.” Remus turned in his seat, peering out the back window.
“Oh and thanks, Sirius!” The other said, “After 5 years, you’re still the same Remus I remember.” He shook his head, looking at the road.
When Remus didn’t reply Sirius looked over at him, “Oh stop, at least pretend that you’re happy to see me.”
“I am!” Remus said, “it just- of course I'd see you today.”
“It has been that kind of day.” Sirius paused. “What did that freak want with you?”
“Hopefully nothing after today. How do you know Peter?”
“He’s just an asshole, everyone knows him. And your friend really took a beating for you.”
“Oh, yeah, I owe him.”
“You’re not the only one in debt, Rem.” He laughed.
“I thought it would be peaceful coming back here.” Remus looked at his hands, “It’s just been crazy.”
“Is Seattle that bad?”
“No, not at all.” Remus looked at Sirius. “I just missed home.”
Sirius had changed so much. His hair now fell just past his shoulders in perfect curls. He had dyed bits of his hair blue, and cut it into a shaggy 70’s-era rockstar style. He had tattoos, and he wore black leather jackets, and his boots had purple laces in a ladder like formation. He was—in Remus’ opinion— the epitome of cool.
Sirius didn’t speak again, and Remus remembered his camera that he had thrown haphazardly in the truck.
He leaned down, picking it up and observing it.
“Fuck,” he groaned, “it’s broken.”
Sirius chuckled. “You can probably fix it at my house.”
“I need really tiny tools for that.”
“My pathetic excuse of a dad has a garage full of tools, you’ll probably find something.” He went silent for a long moment, like he had before. “Welcome home, Moony.”
—
They arrived at Sirius’ house, and to say that it's a sight for sore eyes would be an understatement.
The outside walls were left painted half blue, while the rest remained an off-white. The yard was well kept, and the birds around the house seemed to be welcoming Remus back as well.
“The house still looks nice,” He said, smiling to himself.
“Mmm, home shit home.” Sirius replied, unlocking the door. Sirius made for the stairs, leaving the door open behind him.
Remus followed, making sure to shut the door.
Seeing Sirius’ room after all these years felt wrong in a way. Maybe it was all that had changed, or maybe it was just the time? It all felt so different, but—somehow— distinctly Sirius.
“My room has changed since you last saw it.” Sirius smirked, plopping himself on the corner of his mattress.
“It’s chill…” He looked around, taking everything in.
The walls were littered with posters of women, and rockstars, and album covers that he had never seen. Sirius’ mattress lay on the floor now, rather than on any kind of frame. A small wooden desk sat against the window, cluttered with seemingly everything. There were bookshelves full of vinyl records, and compact discs, and other miscellaneous items that surely could have been put elsewhere.
Sirius laughed, “It isn’t much of a chill spot. My dad makes sure of it.”
“He sounds like an ass.”
“Mhm, now put on some music while I medicate.”
Remus directed his gaze to the hi-fi that sat atop one of the several bookshelves, then back at Sirius. “Yeah, I will.”
He walked over to the speaker system, pressing the power button several times before realizing that it wasn’t plugged in. He rolled his eyes, shooting a glance at Sirius to make sure that he didn’t see it happen.
A small outlet extension lay on the ground with several other cords plugged into it. If Remus had seen it then he’d have tried turning it on. He walked around the room several times before Sirius huffed and pointed to the power cord.
The second he flipped the small red switch, the Hi-Fi began playing, a CD hadn’t been removed from the last time it was used.
Remus turned to face Sirius, quirking an eyebrow in question. As if to ask if the music was alright.
Sirius didn’t acknowledge the silent question at all. Instead, he focused on a small wooden box that sat wedged slightly under the blanket draped off his bed. Remus followed his gaze, walking slowly to the box.
“What is this?” He asked, crouching to grab it.
“Don’t!” Sirius shouted, smacking the other’s hand away. “Don’t touch that..”
Remus ignored him, picking up the box once more, and setting it on the bed in front of Sirius. He looked at the photos inside—there were so many photos—all of them were of Sirius and another boy. The boy had a sun-kissed complexion, a few freckles spattering across his nose, the messiest hair that Remus had ever seen, and by far the dorkiest glasses ever.
He recognized that person. That was James Potter, the kid from the missing posters.
“Is that James Po-“
“He was my best friend after you left.” Sirius cut off the question. “We were gonna get out of here.”
Remus massaged his fingers into his own arm, shifting slightly on his feet. “Do you know where he went?”
“If I knew where he went then he wouldn’t be missing, would he?” His tone was harsh, and his face was unreadable..kind of. It was clear that he was upset, but Remus couldn’t tell if he was sad, or just angry. “Remus, you left— and Reg died. He was all I had, and now he’s missing. Just 6 months ago he was here, and then he was gone!”
“I’m sorry, Sirius.” He muttered.
“James saved my life, Remus.”
Sirius wouldn’t look at him now. He lay back on the bed, striking a lighter to a joint that Remus hadn’t seen until now. “You can go find your tools in the garage, I kind of want to be alone right now.”
Remus nodded, didn’t say anything, swiftly exiting the bedroom, and starting down the stairs. The inside of the house looked the exact same, with the exception of Sirius’ room and some minor changes in furniture arrangements.
The small family photo board still remained, with the same old pictures of Sirius—the one Remus would always remember—new photos of his mother and some man that looked vaguely familiar, and to his surprise pictures of him. Even after all the time that had passed, Sirius and Walburga never let go of him.
The messaging machine on the phone beeped. Remus hardly paid any attention to the phone at home, so it didn’t make sense to pay attention to it now; but he’d probably let Sirius know there was a message.
He walked through the kitchen, the dining room, the living room—the very same as when he left. The couch had moved, the wine stain on the carpet had faded slightly, but the feelings this room caused to surface were nothing new.
He pushed the door to the garage open, and peered inside. The old car was gone, replaced with a newer, somehow more beat-up car than before. The concrete was stained with grease, and the cabinets looked worn, paint chipping, and wood beneath scratched.
Remus looked around the room for a tool kit, or any hints to where the specific tools he would need could be, but it didn’t look like there was anything. He opened some cupboards to find rusted paint cans, piles and piles of instruction manuals, and a small television with a map taped to the cupboard door.
He clicked on the TV, sifting through the several “channels” to discover cameras around the very house he was standing in. Whoever this man is, he sure is paranoid.
Remus closed the cupboard, and walked over to the washing machine, where a metal lock box lay open. Inside the box lay photos and dog-tags belonging to Sirius’ father. Upon further inspection it became very clear why the man looked familiar. He was head of security at Blackwell. Remus hadn’t bothered learning his name yet, and it wasn’t likely that he would.
He noticed that the washing machine was left open slightly, and the clothes inside were damp. Without a second thought, he transferred the clothes to the dryer and turned it on, watching as a small container atop the dryer began rattling. The container fell to the floor, landing under the work bench where the security guard’s lock box sat.
He didn’t know what could be in the container, but he didn’t want Sirius’ dad to realize it was missing, and confirm his fears of whatever it was he was afraid of. Remus looked to the floor, scanning for something that he could use to grab it.
A piece of cardboard lay half under the work bench. If he rewound time and pushed the cardboard further, he could probably get the container, and finish the laundry for Sirius’ mother.
So, he did exactly that. Watching as colors and air wooshed around him, surrounding him in some odd sort of space between time.
He squeezed his eyes shut, bringing his hand up to clutch his head. Every time he used his powers, it felt more and more like his head was going to explode.
When time finally returned to normal, he kicked the cardboard gently, and then turned on the dryer once more, watching as the small box clattered to the ground. With a sigh, he crouched down to pull the cardboard from under the bench.
Inside the container lay the exact tools he had needed to fix his camera.
—
He sat at the wooden desk in Sirius’ room, fiddling with his camera, unable to figure out just what to do to fix it.
“Did you get it?” Sirius asked, sitting up on the bed.
“I can’t fix this thing.” Remus muttered, the frustration causing his voice to wobble.
Sirius hummed, “Are these your new photos?”
“Just took them today,” He dropped his head into his hands while the other boy picked up the polaroids.
“Wait– I’ve seen this before.. In the bathroom! That was- you were there?” He stared at Remus, mouth agape. “That’s why Peter raged at you! This totally makes sense. You saved my life.”
“Yeah, I was there. I hid in the corner, but I just took a butterfly photo…”
“That is so badass!” He grinned, that famous grin. The same one that haunted Remus for 5 whole years. “I almost pissed myself when I saw the gun! Did you recognize me?”
“Not at all,” Remus laughed, “Your hair is blue! And you dress so.. different.”
Sirius nodded, “I’d hope so. It’s only been 5 years.”
There was a beat of silence between the two now.
“I seriously owe you.” Sirius turned around, crouching and grabbing something at the back of his shelf. “This is a late birthday gift, I guess.” He held out an old digital camera. “It was my brother’s, you can have it.”
“Oh my god, Sirius, this is cool. I can’t take this.”
“Yeah, you can. Reg would be pissed that I never use it, but I know you will.” He smiled, picking up the butterfly photo once again. “and I’ll snag this super cool photo as a symbol of our reunion, ‘kay?”
“Of course! Sirius, this is so awesome. Thank you, this camera is- just woah!”
Sirius pocketed the photo, and turned around again. “Now that we’ve got all that mushy feeling shit outta the way, I’m in the mood to dance!”
“You’re crazy,”
“Oh yes, absolutely. Insane in the brain!” He clicked several buttons on the Hi-Fi, cranked up the volume, and stood with a proud expression. “Come on, dance! Shake that boney white ass!”
Remus barked a laugh, “What!”
Sirius twirled around him, putting his hands on Remus’ shoulders, forcing him to sway.
When he released his grip, Remus stopped moving, watching the other with a dazed expression.
“Ugh, fine. Then take my picture with your new camera!” He hopped up onto the mattress, waving his arms in the air.
Remus barely registered his own movements; Didn’t realize he’d been listening at all until the shuttering of the camera could be heard over the music.
He’d taken several pictures before Sirius spoke again. “Can’t dance, Rem? Ah come on, loosen up!”
He opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of the front door slamming quickly cut him off.
“Sirius, are you up there?” A voice called from downstairs, angry.
“Shit shit shit!” Sirius jumped from the bed, running to the Hi-Fi. “Remus, quick hide!”
Remus looked around, he couldn’t go under the bed, and the floor plan was very open. Where did Sirius expect him to hide?
“The closet!” Sirius whispered.
He ran to the closet, opening the door while Sirius threw himself against the door to his bedroom. The man was now behind the door, banging on the wood.
“Give me a minute! I’m changing!”
Remus tripped entering the closet, causing the tall standing lamp to fall to the ground.
“What was that? Sirius, let me in!” The door burst open, Sirius and Remus remained in their spots, staring at the man.
“Oh for fuck’s sake.” Remus muttered.
“How many— what is he doing here? I’ve told you, I don’t like strangers in my house!”
“Chill out, he’s not a stranger. He’s my friend.” Sirius made a show of rolling his eyes, plopping himself on the mattress again.
“Great. Another one of your ‘friends.’ ” The man sighed, walking to Sirius's window. “One of my guns is missing. Did you take it?”
“Come on, man. I didn’t take your fucking gun! I happen to believe in gun control.”
“Wait… is that weed? You’ve been smoking in here again!” The man pointed to a small ash tray on Sirius’ desk.
“Oh yeah! Guns, weed. God, fuck off already.”
“I am sick of your disrespect. Tell me the truth, that is an order!”
Sirius stood up, walking up to the man. “It’s not mine, it’s Remus’s”
Remus stepped back, looking up at the man.
“Oh, so you’ve brought drugs into my house, what if I call the police? Screw up your spotless Blackwell record.” The man huffed a small laugh. “You do seem to get around, Remus. I am sick of you losers always dragging Sirius down.”
“Get the hell away from him. Stop harassing my friends!”
“You don’t have any friends.”
“Yeah, like you would know! Hell, you’re not even a real cop! You’re a fucking security guard.” Sirius pushed the man back by the shoulder.
“I was a soldier, Sirius.” He paused, looking over to Remus. “If I ever see you here again, you will learn all about real trouble.”
He walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Both Sirius and Remus stood in silence for a long moment, neither caring to speak up.
“Thanks for taking the blame for that weed. Fuckin’ hate his bitch-ass.” He was back to laughing now.
Remus didn’t know how Sirius did that…got himself into such shitty situations and then went about his life as if it didn’t matter.
“He’s no match for us!”
“Right.” He nodded.
“Anyway, let’s sneak out the window. I’ve got a place we can hang out in this hell hole.”
—
Sirius had brought Remus to the same lighthouse from his vision earlier. Vision? Dream? He couldn’t tell you what it was, but it was fucking weird.
They sat on a bench, overlooking the bay. The entire town could be seen from here, everything seemed so small.
The water sparkled under the sun, and the trees rattled softly behind them.
“Are you sure that you don’t want to be alone?” Remus tilted his head a bit, looking at Sirius.
“Have a seat.” The other replied.
Remus was already sitting, but he’d ignore that for now.
“You seem happy.”
“You really took one for the team, Rem. I can’t thank you enough.” He looked over to where Remus sat, meeting his eyes.
“I’m not as brave as you are, and your dad is a douche.”
“Yup. There’s something so…off about him now.”
Remus nodded, looking back to the water now. Sirius stood beside him, walking to the edge of the cliff, and Remus followed.
“If this is destiny, then I hope we can find James. I miss him so much, Remus.” Sirius shuttered with the words.
With the end of Sirius' sentence, a small buzzing filtered through Remus' ears. Slowly getting louder and louder until eventually nothing could be heard.
He squeezed his eyes shut, grasping his head and stepping backward. The buzzing turned to thunder, and Remus realized very suddenly that it was raining, and his clothes were entirely soaked.
He lifted his head, opening his eyes. He remained watching the bay, but he was back in the storm. The lighthouse was destroyed, and the trees uprooted from the ground. The bench was gone, and leaves, papers, flyers, and signs circled the air.
“God, not again!” He shielded his eyes from the rain, “why is this happening to me?”
He remembered Sirius. He had been right beside him, but he was now gone.
“Sirius!” He cried out, “Hello?”
A newspaper flew through the air past him, getting caught on a piece of the now half-missing fence.
He grabbed it, holding it as gently as possible against the harsh winds. The paper disintegrating in his palms.
“October 11? This Friday?” He released the newspaper, watching it fly directly into the tornado.
“Oh god, the tornado..”
He heard a gasp beside him, and he was back with Sirius. The storm was gone, and the other boy was crouched next to him with a look of horror.
“Oh, Sirius, you’re here! I’m back, oh god. This is real, it’s real!” He panted, pulling Sirius into a hug.
“Are you okay? You black out.”
“I didn’t black out! I had a… vision!” He shook his head frantically. “The town! There’s a tornado this Friday, It's going to wipe out the town!”
“Oregon gets like 5 tornados every decade, you’re just high or something.”
“No! I saw it, I was there! I’m not crazy, I- I felt the electricity in the ground! Sirius, you have to believe me!” He stood, walking in a small circle. “I have something so insane to say.”
“What is going on, Remus.” It was more a demand than a question.
“I had the same vision earlier, and when I came out of it, I saw you in the bathroom.. I discovered that I can rewind time? I watched you get shot, Sirius.” He looked at his hands, “I watched you die.”
“You’re just high. I get it, you’re a fucking nerd, but this is real life. People don’t have those powers! You can’t-” Sirius stopped talking suddenly, looking up to the sky. “What the fuck? It’s like 80 degrees!”
Remus followed Sirius’ gaze. It was snowing—in October— in 80° weather.
“I told you, Sirius. A storm is coming, and it’s going to take out the entire town.”
“Remus.” The boy paused, walking up to him and putting an arm on his shoulder. “Tell me everything.”