Finding the Truth
1981- Prologue
1981
Bang, bang, bang.
“Remus! Remus, please open the door!” A thin, shabby, young man with shaggy brown hair and piercing brown eyes flung open the door.
“Enid get inside, don’t you know were in the middle of a war.” Remus asked, with gentle concern in his voice.
“I know, I only just got away,” A thin, mousey woman placed a sleeping child gently on the couch and choking back tears said, “ I didn’t know where else to go Fabian’s gone now and I haven’t seen Peter for days.”
Remus pulled her quickly into a hug, “It’s alright I was only kidding. You both are always welcome here. But why didn’t you go to your parents, Peter could have been there.”
Exasperated, Enid said “I called they haven’t seen him either. Though my brother wasn’t much for checking in. Neither has Molly, and I didn’t want to go there and burden her with my problems. She’s having such a hard time with her brothers’ deaths and the kids.”
Remus sat down next to her on the couch, “And you aren’t?” He asked gently.
Stealing a glance at the girl, Enid got up and crossed to the crackling fireplace. “Remus I have a favour I need to ask of you.”
“Anything.”
“I need you to take care of Katie for me.” She said flatly.
“You mean if anything should happen.” He asked hopefully.
“No, I mean because it already has.” Her eyes filled with tears. “The neighbours told me some strange men came to the house yesterday. They’re muggles; they didn’t think anything of it. If they’re looking for me then I need to make sure she’s safe.”
He got up quickly and asked, “Your parents?”
“Are leaving the country.”
“Peter or Molly?”
“I can’t find Peter besides he’s been acting weird for weeks. He obviously has enough on his plate. Molly has seven children Remus, I can’t burden her with mine.”
“And me, you think I don’t I have enough on my plate.” He asked frustrated.
“I wouldn’t trust anyone else with this. You’re like a second brother to me, Remus. Please.”
“Enid, I’m a werewolf. I don’t have the financial stability or the health to raise a child.”
Defeated, Enid asked, “Alright, Can we stay here for the night and I’ll try and make other arrangements tomorrow?”
“Of course, let me just lie her down in the spare room and we’ll try and figure something out.” Remus said, glad that she was finally listening to reason.
Remus scoop the child up gently, her brown hair draped over his arm as he started down the hall. It was barely wide enough for the pair of them but he managed to make it through the first door on the left without waking her. Lupin pulled the covers back from the tiny twin bed and lied her down gently. He removed her shoes and placed them on the chair in the corner and quietly made his way out.
As he closed the door, another sound caught his ear. He rushed into the living room and sure enough there wasn’t a hair left in his living room that wasn’t his own.
Bang, bang, bang.
“Remus! Remus, please open the door!” A thin, shabby, young man with shaggy brown hair and piercing brown eyes flung open the door.
“Enid get inside, don’t you know were in the middle of a war.” Remus asked, with gentle concern in his voice.
“I know, I only just got away,” A thin, mousey woman placed a sleeping child gently on the couch and choking back tears said, “ I didn’t know where else to go Fabian’s gone now and I haven’t seen Peter for days.”
Remus pulled her quickly into a hug, “It’s alright I was only kidding. You both are always welcome here. But why didn’t you go to your parents, Peter could have been there.”
Exasperated, Enid said “I called they haven’t seen him either. Though my brother wasn’t much for checking in. Neither has Molly, and I didn’t want to go there and burden her with my problems. She’s having such a hard time with her brothers’ deaths and the kids.”
Remus sat down next to her on the couch, “And you aren’t?” He asked gently.
Stealing a glance at the girl, Enid got up and crossed to the crackling fireplace. “Remus I have a favour I need to ask of you.”
“Anything.”
“I need you to take care of Katie for me.” She said flatly.
“You mean if anything should happen.” He asked hopefully.
“No, I mean because it already has.” Her eyes filled with tears. “The neighbours told me some strange men came to the house yesterday. They’re muggles; they didn’t think anything of it. If they’re looking for me then I need to make sure she’s safe.”
He got up quickly and asked, “Your parents?”
“Are leaving the country.”
“Peter or Molly?”
“I can’t find Peter besides he’s been acting weird for weeks. He obviously has enough on his plate. Molly has seven children Remus, I can’t burden her with mine.”
“And me, you think I don’t I have enough on my plate.” He asked frustrated.
“I wouldn’t trust anyone else with this. You’re like a second brother to me, Remus. Please.”
“Enid, I’m a werewolf. I don’t have the financial stability or the health to raise a child.”
Defeated, Enid asked, “Alright, Can we stay here for the night and I’ll try and make other arrangements tomorrow?”
“Of course, let me just lie her down in the spare room and we’ll try and figure something out.” Remus said, glad that she was finally listening to reason.
Remus scoop the child up gently, her brown hair draped over his arm as he started down the hall. It was barely wide enough for the pair of them but he managed to make it through the first door on the left without waking her. Lupin pulled the covers back from the tiny twin bed and lied her down gently. He removed her shoes and placed them on the chair in the corner and quietly made his way out.
As he closed the door, another sound caught his ear. He rushed into the living room and sure enough there wasn’t a hair left in his living room that wasn’t his own.