Chapter Text
September 1998
☾☾☾
Another school. It's his 5th in the last 2 years. One thing or the other forcing him and his mom to flee. They were good at that, leaving. Running.
Now starting his junior year, Remus Lupin figured out a few things about high school: they were all the same. Same cliques. Same rules. Only different faces with different names.
Today was another first day. He rolled out of bed, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and shuffled into the shower. He tried not to hope this school would be any different—he knew better. After stepping out and drying off, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His father stared back: crooked nose, tanned skin, and the same expression that used to make Remus flinch. Scars still etched across his body reminded him of nights he couldn't forget. He turned away quickly.
He pulled on a forest green t-shirt, dark denim jeans, cuffed the ankles, and slipped on his brown Chucks. In the kitchen, a note was waiting on the counter:
Already left for work—have a good first day. <3
No surprise. His mom had picked up early shifts at the hospital—better pay. Grabbing a granola bar, he slung his bag over his shoulder, stepped onto his skateboard, and pushed off toward school.
The ride was his favorite part of any day—wind in his face, music in his ears. The Smiths were playing, and for a fleeting moment, he felt... okay. Maybe this year wouldn’t be so bad.
Until a motorcycle nearly blew him off his board.
The rider swerved to avoid him, nearly crashed, then rode off, shaking his head. Remus stared after him, heart pounding.
What a dick.
★★★
Sirius Black was not having a good morning.
First, James woke him up at the ass crack of dawn to go to the gym. Then Regulus hogged all the hot water, leaving him with an ice-cold shower. And his hair—his perfect, glorious curls—were refusing to cooperate no matter what he did.
James and Reg had already left without him, shouting “Don’t be late!” from the car.
Now, Sirius roared down the street on his motorcycle—his pride and joy, bought when he moved in with the Potters. He loved the speed, the wind, the rush, it was freedom in its purest form.
That was, until some guy on a skateboard darted into the street.
Sirius swerved hard, barely keeping control. The dude wore a green shirt, had wild curls, and a death wish, apparently. Sirius shook his head. Who the hell was that?
He made it to the parking lot just in time and parked in his usual spot. He barreled into class and plopped into the empty seat next to James, who was already deep in conversation with Lily. Lily and James began dating at the end of last school year. James had pined after her since they first met in the sixth grade, but she thought he was far too arrogant for his own good. That was until she got her heart broken by her lifelong best friend, Severus Snape. The greasy slimeball told the whole school they had slept together and she was “his bitch.” Safe to say Lily Evans, the strong, independent woman she was, immediately dropped him. While she was crying in an empty classroom, James came by and was just what she needed. After that, the two just clicked. Perfect for one another. Where he was messy, she was organized; where she was neurotic, he was laid back. Sirius had never seen a couple so perfect; they were the type to make you believe in love.
Minerva McGonagall walked into class just as Sirius sat down. His favorite teacher.
“Good morning, students. Welcome to English 11—”
The door creaked open.
In stepped possibly the tallest man Sirius had ever seen. He had short tawny curls and beautifully tanned skin that was spattered in light freckles. And Scars. Three large jagged scars crossed his face, and even more graced his arms. In the boy's left hand was a skateboard.
Him.
The idiot from this morning.
The idiot who nearly got himself killed.
☾☾☾
Remus knew he was late. He also knew this was a nightmare.
The classroom stared as he stepped in, trying not to look at anyone.
“Oh? And who might you be, interrupting my class?”
He directed his eves to the front of the room. A tall frail women with hark hair and caring but stern eyes stood there awaiting his answer. “Um, I’m the new transfer—Remus Lupin.”
“Ah, yes. Mr. Lupin. Take the seat in the back, next to Miss Evans.”
He found the desk beside a girl with fiery red hair, emerald eyes, and freckles not unlike his own. In front of her sat probably the most beautiful man he had ever seen. With pale skin and striking grey eyes, this boy had hauntingly beautiful features. His long black hair was artfully tied up into a bun, and he looked completely unbothered.
Remus clambered to the back of the room and set his stuff down as the teacher began her lecture on class expectations. He’d heard it a million times before in every school, the same stupid shit about respecting your peers and turning assignments in on time. He pulled out his notebook and decided to doodle instead of listening. As he drew, he found himself unwillingly drawn to the boy in front of him. Imitating the sharp features on his page.
When the bell rang, he started to pack up.
“Hi!” said the redhead beside him brightly. “I’m Lily, you’re new here.”
“Hey,” he replied, surprised. “Yeah, I’m new.”
“Well, welcome! What classes are you taking?”
They walked together down the hallway as Remus listed off his schedule. He was taking all the usual subjects but elected to also take an advanced drawing class and a psychology class.
“Oh, we have Psychology and AP Gov together. Also, you have PE with my boyfriend, James.”
“Cool,” he said. He wasn’t used to friendly people. Moving as much as he had, making friends rarely felt worth it. But Lily seemed genuine. Maybe he wouldn’t have to eat alone every day.
After saying goodbye, he found his next class—Pre-Calc—and sat a few seats away from a now-familiar figure. The dark-haired boy who talked animatedly and drew the attention of everyone around him, relishing in it. Grey eyes met his own with a sharp glare. Remus furrowed his brows. What was that about?
The rest of the day dragged. He ate lunch under the bleachers, smoking a cigarette and listening to Oasis, trying not to think about how much he already hated it here.
The boy ended up also being in his PE class, where he once again rolled his eyes and huffed at Remus’s presence. What a dick, Remus had done absolutly nothing to him. It was beginning to seem like this school was going to be just like the rest.
Finally, last period: Advanced Drawing. His one sanctuary.
Remus had been drawing his whole life. It helped after the accident. Helped him regain control of his hands. Helped him escape.
There was a seating chart posted. He groaned—front and center.
He slumped into the seat. Beside him was a boy with a similar bone structure to the asshole from earlier, but with shorter hair and a very different energy—quiet, nervous, and very much not the center of attention.
“Hey. I’m Remus, I’m new,” he said.
The boy didn’t look up. “Clearly. Otherwise, you’d know not to talk to me.”
Remus smirked. “Touchy. What’s your name?”
“Regulus Black.”
“Oh. That’s… a terrible name.”
“And Remus isn’t?”
“Touché.”
Regulus glanced at him, a bit amused. “If you think I’m bad, wait ‘til you meet my brother, Sirius.”
“Are all of you named after stars?”
Regulus blinked. “You know astronomy?”
“A little.”
Regulus actually smiled. “It’s a family thing.”
“Huh. Cool.”
“Yeah.”
Not so bad, this Regulus.
Remus was almost free when he spotted a small crowd near the parking lot. There, leaning against the bike that almost killed him this morning like some Greek god, was the boy with the long dark hair. It all clicked into place. What a douch. And across from him were Lily, Regulus, and a tall boy with a rats nest of hair, brown skin much darker than his own, round wire glasses, and a crooked smile. Great, the two cool people he met today were friends with the hottest, most insufferable man he had ever laid his eyes on.
★★★
Sirius was lounging by his bike, regaling the group with a story, when Lily waved excitedly.
“Remus! Remusss!”
Sirius looked up—and there he was. The walking disaster himself, the stupid boy with the stupid skateboard.
The boy sauntered over, greeting Lily with a grin and nodding at Regulus. Regulus smiled back.
What?
Regulus didn’t like anyone. Who did this guy think he was?
“Guys, this is Remus, you might remember him barging into Minnie's class this morning,” Lily said. “He’s in a few of my classes.”
Oh, Sirius remembered. He remembered the face. The skateboard. The scars. The way he nearly got Sirius killed.
Regulus added, “Oh yeah, Lupin, we have advanced drawing together.”
Remus smirked again and turned to James. “We haven’t met yet, I think.”
James beamed. “James Potter. We’ve got PE together, right?”
“That’s the one.”
“Awesome,” James said, already liking him.
Remus nodded at the group. “Nice meeting you all. Gotta run.”
He dropped his board and skated off without sparing Sirius a glance.
No apology. No acknowledgment.
What was this guy’s problem?
Sirius glared after him.
Remus Lupin was infuriating.