This Slope is Treacherous
Remus did decide to stay at Hogwarts that night, and for weeks following his meeting with dumbledore. He felt closer to James and lily when he would walk up and down the steps leading to the great Hall, remembering all of James' wild love confessions that would happen on these steps, while Lily rolled her eyes and stormed into the hall. Remus’ first time entering the great hall as a visitor and not a student was odd, but Minerva just ushered him over to where a seat had been placed next to her at the teachers table.
“Didn’t think we’d make you sit with the first years, did you Mr. Lupin?’ Pomona Sprout said from the other side of McGonagall, chuckling slightly before turning back to her conversation with one of the other teachers.
After about a month of wandering the castle and spending his first full moon alone at Hogwarts since his third year, Remus received his first piece of mail at dinner. When the owl landed in front of him, he assumed it was a mistake.
“But no one knows I’m here,” Remus said softly to Mcgonagall, hoping she might have an explanation.
“Well someone must know you are, or how else would this letter have arrived for you Remus? The owls don't just fly around looking for people.”
Remus sighed knowing she was right and opened the letter. Inside was a single piece of paper and 4 photographs.
Lupin,
It's come to my attention that you were meant to be Harry’s guardian. While I understand that this is not your ideal situation, I would be a complete idiot to pretend like I didn't know how swiftly James would have kicked my arse if I kept Harry from you completely. While I can't do much to calm your worries, I can do this. Harry misses you, and Sirius. He cries out for ‘pafoo’ every time the door opens, and at night asks for his ‘moony’. I’ve taken to buying him little stuffed animals of you three (I never quite figured out what peters animagus form was, but i have had the privilege of seeing James and Sirius’ in person). The wolf is Harry’s favorite, but I know James would understand. Some nights Harry crawls into my bed and brings me the stag and sits the dog between us, but his arms never let go of that wolf. I’ve included a few photos of Harry, and a photo of James and Sirius I thought you would want to have. I know Hogwarts might feel like home, and safe from the outside world, but Sirius needs you, Remus. So while I do my job, please work on trying to figure out a way to get Sirius out of there. We need him to be safe. I’ll write again next month, but please don't try writing back, it’s not safe for owls to be coming and going from my home. If you need me to know anything, or want to send Harry anything, Dumbledore will be able to get it to us. I’m sure with a mind clever enough to create that map of yours, you'll be more than capable of figuring out a way to keep our dear old headmasters eyes from reading whatever you have to say.
Until we meet again,
—Leo
Remus stared at the letter with tears in his eyes, rereading every word for some hope that the words might rearrange themselves to form the name of their sender, but sighing when he only felt relief that Harry was okay. How did this person know about the map? And they seemed to know Remus was a werewolf, which should’ve been terrifying but was surprisingly reassuring. And knowing they didn't know one of the marauders well enough to have been knowledgeable of Wormtail made Remus believe maybe this person was someone he already trusted.
Remus pulled out the first photo and chucked when he saw it was of Harry on a kitchen counter, dipping his whole arm into what appeare to be a bowl of brownie mix. His face was bright with joy, but for the first time Remus saw the result of the killing curse that nearly took Harry’s life with his own two eyes From his hairline all the way down through his left eyebrow, harry bore a light night bolt scar, starting as one line, but splitting off in little fractures as it went, ending just into his eyebrow. He would bear that mark forever, Remus thought. A constant reminder of what happened when his family was made a target. Remus gently touched his side, where his own reminder sat, a set of teeth indentations in his skin from when he too was an innocent child.
The second photo was of Harry sitting on a rocking chair in what Remus assumed was Harry’s room, in what appeared to be an attempt to take a nice photo of Harry, but Remus immediately noticed the cat sitting on the back of the chair, tail swinging down near Harry’s face.Remus had forgotten about the cat, not even realizing that it might have needed somewhere to go too, after the death of James and Lily. So this mystery person took the cat too. That’s good, Remus thought, its good that someone took her. Lily loved her.
The third photo was of Harry sleeping, curled up in a far too large bed, holding a tan stuffed wolf tightly in his arm with a stuffed black dog sitting just outside his outstretched hand. Remus noticed the way each of these photos was, surprisingly, not moving. Harry’s guardian had to be a muggleborn, or a half-blood maybe. Or maybe they were living in a muggle area and couldn't risk trying to develop wizard photos.
Remus turned to the last photo and found himself transported back in time. The photo was of James and Sirius, smiling at each other with wide, joyful eyes, while they rested their heads on what Remus assumed was a very pregnant Lily’s lap.Unlike the other photos, this one WAS a wizard photo, so Remus was able to watch as Lily gently ran her hand through Sirius’ curls as he closed his eyes in contentment. James, at this time, looked straight at Remus and winked. No, not at Remus, but at whoever was taking the photo. On the back of this photo, in the same brilliant cursive used in the letter, was a note. ‘My last day with the family before we leave for the cave”
Remus had no idea what that meant, or who ‘we’ could possibly be, but whoever it was, Remus decided to trust him. Gathering the photos and transfiguring a few pencils into frames, Remus placed the photos on his mantle above the Floo and began writing a reply.
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Over the next year, Remus and Leo sent letters back and forth, with Remus charming the letters to only open with Leo’s magical signature, and Leo sending as many photos as possible. Remus got the chance to watch Harry grow up from a distance, which hurt, but Remus knew it was the only way to keep the boy safe.
Only once did Remus see a glimpse of the person he was writing with. The photo sent was taken of Harry running towards someone, and at the last second the camera moved enough to show Harry’s little arms wrap around a man with curly black hair and a pale neck, with his back to the camera. If Remus didn’t know any better, he would have thought it was Sirius. But that was impossible, as Remus was spending every spare moment going through years of laws and Wizengamot hearings, creating a case for Sirius. Because of this, Sirius’ treatment in Azkaban seemed to be getting better, although he was still denied visitation.
Between research and meetings with lawyers, Remus found he was ending up with more and more nights alone, wondering what Harry was up to, what Sirius might be thinking, and who Leo could possibly be. To pass his time, Remus often found himself visiting Hogsmeade, occasionally finding himself helping Rosemerta or Aberforth out behind the bar. After a few weekends spent in the loft above the Three Broomsticks, Remus made a decision. He was going to buy a bar.
Remus had made a lot of decisions in the last year for Sirius. If he should get a lawyer, if he should fight for Sirius to get removed from the most secure ward, if Sirius’ funds should be going to Harry. But Remus needed to make some changes to his life. He couldnt spend this time away from Sirius just wasting away. He wouldn’t want that. So when Aberforth mentioned a great location for a pub in Diagon going up for sale, Remus bought it, without even looking at the place. The night the sale went through, Remus apparated to the Alley to collect his keys and finally see the store he spent a hefty chunk of Sirius’ inheritance on. After quickly casting a warming charm on his robes, Remus walked down the Alley past Olivander’s and the Leaky Cauldron to stop in front of the building Aberforth described. Remus took in the building and let out a laugh that soon turned into gasping sobs. Because there, on the sign above the door, was a perfect sketch of Sirius’ animagus form. With a steady hand, Remus carved the new name of the Pub into the blank space around the image. The Black Dog.