The Moon Looks Brighter Than the Sun

A boy walked down the alley known as Diagon Alley to pick up this year’s school supplies. He was alone; in shabby and tattered clothing and every store he’s been in, he’s bought second-hand supplies. Although these factors didn’t bother him too much, he still shied away from other people. If a store was too crowded, he’ll go to another and come back later. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for the fifteen year old to be alone, doing his own shopping and getting ready for the next school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Walking in to Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream shop, he ordered himself a chocolate ice cream and noticed two boys—around his age—sitting at a table together. A smile grew on his tired face as he walked up to the boys.

“Hullo Sirius and James!” The boy greeted his school mates with enthusiasm and the other two boys looked at him with wide grins.

“Remus!” They stood up and hugged the skinny boy each. Remus felt a lot better than he had all day. He wasn’t expecting his best mates to be in Diagon Alley. Sirius pulled up a chair for Remus and the three of them sat down in the store.

“So how’s your hoofiday fin, Moofy?” James asked after scooping up a spoonful of ice cream and Sirius gave him a look.

“Eat first mate, talk later.” Remus just laughed at his friends and shrugged. He understood James fine because of how well he can hear.

“It’s been okay, I’ll be happier once we get back to Hogwarts.”

“Definitely! I had to beg my mum to let me go to the Potter’s for the rest of summer. Of course, I had to explain to her that James is pure-blood.” Sirius spat bitterly. Sirius Black is part of a family that is all about pure-blood mania and the family already careless about him for being a Gryffindor and not a Slytherin. James gave his best mate a small smile.

“But hey, school starts in two weeks! That means I get to see the beautiful, talented Lily Evans.” Sirius groaned loudly, Remus laughed and James sat with adoration on his face. James Potter has fancied Lily Evans for ages and tries his hardest to impress her.

“I never got to you tell you,” Remus started and earned both of his friend’s attention. “I’m a Prefect.” Both James and Sirius exchanged a glance before looking at their friend.

“Obviously, mate, Dumbledore did this so you’d keep us in line. Who’s the other Gryffindor Prefect?” At this point, the three of them finished their ice cream and started to leave the shop. James looked to Remus as Remus held a sly smile. Of course, only he would keep in contact with Lily Evans and he is the only one of the group of friends Lily didn’t despise.

“Lily.” James Potter instantly stopped walking, looked to his friend with his jaw falling down. Remus held an amused, yet small, smile and Sirius groaned.

“Mate, do you know what this means?” James paused but not for his friends to answer but so he could smile wildly to them. “Remus you have to talk me up to her. C’mon! Evans is probably the prettiest girl in our year and smartest, brilliant and quite possibly the most perfect girl! So I have to have her.” Sirius walked ahead of James and Remus muttering under his breath about how James is a nutter. Remus shook his head at James but laughed quietly.

“I’ll try, James but it just means I won’t be helping you with Charms homework for at least a month.” James saluted his best friend before running up to Sirius and yelling "Sirius!” in the boy’s ear. Remus smiled to himself as he walked along with James and Sirius clowning around in front of him. The only things left on his shopping list were books for all the classes he’s taking at Hogwarts. He called out to his friends to stop but they didn’t hear him. Shrugging because he knew they wouldn’t go in anyway, Remus walked into Flourish and Blotts. He walked in and browsed by himself, picking up the books he needed.

As he rounded towards where he’d be getting his Potions book, he felt someone staring at him. His eyes darted around the store until they fell upon a girl he wasn’t sure he has seen before. She had big, almond shaped gray eyes and long brown hair. Her pink lips curled into a smirk as she winked to Remus and disappeared behind a bookshelf. Instantly Remus’ cheeks and ears grew a light shade of red and he continued his shopping. Remus didn't know that girl but he figured that Sirius just might. He knows every girl at Hogwarts, at least the fifth years and up.

Remus paid for his second-hand books, thanking the store assistant in a small, polite voice before leaving the shop in search of his friends. He found James and Sirius at the Quality Quidditch Store, standing outside gawking at a new racing broom. Sirius noticed Remus first. “Oi, Moony, where’d ya go?”

“Bookstore,” he huffed before looking back to see, just maybe, that the girl followed him. She didn’t. “Sirius, you know a lot of girls…” Remus watched his friend’s eyebrows raise and his lip twitched into a smirk.

“Glad you noticed, Moony, but yeah, I know a lot of girls.”

“Do you know a girl with almond shaped gray eyes and long brown hair? She’s about, I don’t know, five foot maybe she seemed a lot shorter than us.” Instantly a blush came to Remus’ face. “She was super pretty.” He mumbled the last part and Sirius instantly started laughing his bark-like laugh.

“You could be talking about anyone, Remus! But, judging by eyes, I’d say it’s Elise Wilkes. She’s in our year and she’s a Gryffindor,” Sirius paused and eyed up his friend. “How do you not know her, mate?”

Remus shrugged. He didn’t know too many girls. Not in the way James and Sirius did. He knew Lily Evans; obviously, she’s the kindest person Remus has ever met. But, if Remus was being honest with himself, girls sort of freaked him out. Especially the thought of getting close to a girl scared him the most. “I’m not sure,” he confessed in his quiet voice and Sirius clapped a hand on Remus’ shoulder.

“Well, mate, what did she do to get you so flustered?”

“She winked at me.” Sirius and James shared a look and a smirk before looking at their friend.

“Well mate, we’re just going to have to you to talk to Elise, huh?” James smirked and Remus’ eyes instantly widened, a blush came back to his cheeks and he shook his head.

“No, no, it’s all okay. I-I’m fine.” Sirius and James didn’t believe Remus but they dropped the subject anyway. Remus just swallowed the knot in his throat and the three boys walked around Diagon Alley until it was time for them to go home. Remus took all of his things out of Diagon Alley, through the Leaky Cauldron and to the London Underground. From there he went to King’s Cross where he would take another full train ride back home. It was that ride home that Remus couldn’t wait for September 1st.

To Remus’ surprise, September 1st came faster than he thought. He had fully packed the night before, triple checked with all his books, summer homework, clothing, supplies and the most important thing, his cycle tracker. Although he didn't fully need the tracker, Remus thought it was best to keep track of each full moon for the school year so his friends can be prepared. Then a familiar guilty feeling washed over Remus as he thought about his secret and that three of his best friends knew of that said secret. The guilt killed him only because he knows he betrayed the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore’s, trust that Remus would keep the students safe.

But it wasn’t like James, Sirius or Peter even followed him to the Whomping Willow or the shack he stayed in, they just knew to have his back when people would ask questions.

“Remus, sweetie, are you ready?” Mrs. Lupin poked her head into her son’s room and watched the fifteen year old boy nod. She smiled sweetly before walking with her son down the stairs; Remus had his trunk in tow. The two left the house and Mr. Remus happened to already be at work. Remus’ mother didn’t speak much on their long drive to King’s Cross station. Remus was used to it. It was stressful in the Lupin family because of Remus’ problem. Mrs. Lupin left Remus to take his trunk all the way to Platform 9 and ¾ all by himself. She kissed him goodbye and hugged him tightly but wouldn’t go further. With a wish of luck, Remus left his mother for another year at Hogwarts.