Fic: Making Forty (HP, Remus)

[mayachain]

Title: Making Forty
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1100
Summary: Being among friends is all Remus Lupin has ever needed for his birthday.
Note: Previous parts of the birthday!verse (started in January 2008) are here.

Making Forty March 10th, 1970 'I wish I were dead,' Remus thought wearily, knowing better than to even try to open his eyes. There was a fire crackling in the background, soft sheets were wrapped around him, and he could feel Mum's hand cool against his forehead. 'I wish I were dead,' he repeated to himself, exhaustedly breathing through far too slowly fading pain. Something was different. "Where's Dad?" he croaked, his voice so pitiful in his ears that he wasn't certain Mum could make sense of it. When she didn't answer immediately, he was gripped by panic that something had happened this time, something had gone wrong, it had gotten loose, he'd hurt someone. Cool fingers stroked around new cuts on his face, made it easier to breathe. "I don't know what to do with him," Mum whispered, careful about Remus' sensitive ears. "'Wait,' I said. 'In a few days, he can come with you,' I said. But does he listen to me?" And Remus remembered, could see the book lying on his desk without opening his eyes, its worn-out pages, the title barely visible on the cover: Hogwarts: A History. Mum hadn't wanted him to have it, had been afraid that the place where Mum and Dad had made dozens of friends would turn out to be a false hope. But Dad had promised, and he wasn't here, which meant that it was happening right now: On your tenth birthday, I will talk to Professor Dumbledore. March 10th, 1980 "What a party," Remus let out when James and Lily had disappeared through the Floo. Peter had excused himself an hour earlier, waving the proof of his recent employment around with the same mixture of fear and pride as he once had his essays. Sirius was passed out on the couch. James had offered to take him off Remus' hands, but the Potters - the Potters, plural, that never got old - had enough with Lily's morning sickness and no need to deal with Sirius' hangover come morning, too. A mite unsteady on his feet himself, Remus threw a warming blanket over his friend. He made a half-hearted stab at cleaning up the mess, but quickly put his wand away when a muttered "Scourgify" almost made the sink explode. 'What a party,' he thought again. It had been a good party, worthy, as Prongs had said, of the youngest of the Marauders turning twenty. For the first time in weeks, they'd had fun, eaten more than was probably good for them and laughed, and it had been nice, doing it this way, just the five of them, in private. For a few hours, the world outside had not reached them. For a few hours, James had stopped wondering why Dumbledore wanted to meet with them, and not once had that look crossed Lily's face when someone mentioned Snape's name. For a few hours, they had even forgotten the absences that would have made themselves known if Remus had gone all out like Sirius had, if he had invited a wider range of friends. To friendship, they had toasted each other, again and again. The world outside might be marred by Dark Marks in the sky, but Remus knew, knew that standing together, they could and would survive anything. March 10th, 1990 Dear Wormtail, You must tire of receiving one of these from me every year, but it seems as if I am still not ready to let go. I am writing these words from the library i Heidelberg. It is to my great shame that I must admit to frequenting these halls as much for the warmth and the free coffee as for the invaluable information. However, the knowledge I have gained since coming here – I imagine you would find it daunting, my friend, but to me it is a source of inspiration that keeps me going. Thirty years. I wonder what kind of party you, Prongs and the traitor would have thrown me? I can only imagine what you and Lily would have thought of the way I spent my last birthday. Grow wiser with the years my father used to say, which is why I am here, not in possession of a single drop of Firewhiskey, waiting for the librarian to uncover the priceless first edition of “Tiefen des Waldes“ for me. When will you return to Brittain, Moony? you ask. I catch myself thinking about it sometimes, but since you require my honesty – I still do not know. Molly Weasley sent me a cake. I am grateful that I discovered that she does this for all the surviving Order members; I would hate to be angry at her for pitying me. As it is, I will be able to wake up for at least a week and think, I will not starve today. I must bid you farewell, Wormtail, for Herr Uhrenmacher has just emerged from the vault. Hoping the afterlife treats you well, as ever, your friend, Moony. PS: What colour of socks this year, you wonder? Why, Professor Dumbledore seems to have taken a liking to pink and yellow. March 10th, 2000 "We'll be taking Teddy now, then," Neville said, and it took Remus an embarrassingly long minute to figure out what he meant. By the time he managed to sit up in the sofa, his son was already scooped up in Draco's arms. "Bye!" Teddy waved excitedly, nearly drowning out Draco's more measured "See you tomorrow." "Don't do anything we wouldn't do," Neville winked before all three boys disappeared into the portkey that would take them directly to the Manor. Silence reigned for a moment. Then Remus slumped back into the cushions and asked, "Did they really just give us the first evening alone since... well, since you've been here?“ "That appears indeed to be the case," Severus replied, the expression on his face not astonished at all. Remus even thought there was a hint of a smile on his face as he surveyed what their departed guests had left when they had cleaned up the table. "Sorry I've been so tired all day," Remus yawned when Severus lowered himself onto the edge of the sofa, a half-filled cup in his hand. He considered having another cup of tea, but this particular spot was growing increasingly comfortable. "You are a war hero turning forty," Severus said in a slightly stilted voice. "It is perhaps natural, if ill-advised, that your friends would celebrate the event as if you were half your age." "Not all my friends," Remus murmured, turning his head until his cheek was leaning against Severus' knee. "Why do you think I made them have the party yesterday?" He sighed contently when he felt a hand in his hair. "Clearly," Severus said, drawing the word out, "to give Draco and Neville the opportunity to manipulate you into manipulating me into fulfilling your most secret, child-inappropriate dreams." "You may serve as my pillow," Remus muttered, snuggling closer. Giving in to exhaustion, he drifted off into sleep. .

Comments

[azure-rosa.livejournal.com]

""Clearly," Severus said, drawing the word out, "to give Draco and Neville the opportunity to manipulate you into manipulating me into fulfilling your most secret, child-inappropriate dreams."

"You may serve as my pillow,"" I'm to sure whether to laugh or go AWW! :) I love it!

[bk7brokemybrain.livejournal.com]

Aww. Remus is TIRED, dammit. But he's got a great pillow to rest on. *g* I hope he gets his second wind, so Severus can give him his present. Yum.

[etain-antrim.livejournal.com]

Each decades ficlet was wonderful and somewhat unexpected -- I loved the letter to Peter. But the last. more quiet celebration shows a truly contented Remus, with no ominous overtones to lessen the joy, and feels like a benediction. Severus, let Remus rest, perhaps there will be more celebrating after a nap.

[atypicalsnowman.livejournal.com]

Aww...especially to the pillow line, but the entire ficlet was just heart-wrenching. Poor Moony. It must have been terrible to have four close friends and the none from one day to another.

[tetsubinatu.livejournal.com]

I loved the last two lines! The sections were all lovely though, and formed an unexpectedly good summary of Remus' life put together! A good plot device sensitively excecuted. (As you can tell, I'm not really all that good at commenting, but I do try!)

[carolinelamb.livejournal.com]

wonderful! and so sweet!

[lore]

I am still digging this series, even the backtracking I usually do to remind myself of the storyline. I thought the letter to Peter was particularly heartbreaking. How they must have pained Remus. That leads very well into him just wanting comfort and snuggles when he turned 50.

Thank you so much for turning out for the challenge year after year. I think you're quite special. *HUGS*

love, lore

[geri-chan.livejournal.com]

The progression of birthdays over the years was very moving--the letter to Peter was particularly poignant.

The final section fills me with an "awwww" feeling of satisfaction, and I think that Draco and Neville gave Remus (and Severus) a lovely birthday present!

[chrisvel.livejournal.com]

Awww, love the ending.
But reading Moony's letter to Wormtail was like a blow ... so unexpected but again so real in a way. It struck home the fact that everyone thought Sirius a traitor, even more than the books ever did. Great job!
Oh and I love theses snippets of their life! I hope to find lots more now that I started reading your verse.