Only The Good Die Young

Gryffindor House

Remus sat quietly as he listened to James and Sirius, his first friends, discussing their futures. Remus hadn't thought that far ahead. For his whole life, his main goal was to get to Hogwarts, but now that he was here, he didn't know what he wanted with his future. He didn't know what he could have in his future. He had friends now, but surely they would eventually figure out why he disappeared every month, and when they did, they would most likely abandon him. Not to mention life as everyone else knew it: werewolves just didn't get jobs; that was common sense. Hogwarts was all he had, and he was going to fight to keep even that.

Remus was enjoying a scrumptious kidney-steak pie and a fat potato. He had barely eaten, and the full moon had only been yesterday. He was still weaker than he would like to admit. With his first helping finished, Remus began reaching for a bowl of fruit when it disappeared to be replaced by desserts. Delicious, marvelous desserts. There was a collective gasp throughout the hall, and Remus heard one of his new roommates exclaim, "Oh yes!"

Fruit forgotten, Remus grabbed a stack of cookies and piled them onto his plate. They were cookies filled with melted chocolate chips: Remus's favorite thing on the planet.

Sirius noticed Remus's full plate and said through a mouthful of cheesecake, "Four cookies! Merlin, Remus, you must be starving still!"

"I am," Remus said with a soft smile. "Plus, I love chocolate. Probably love it too much." Remus frowned at his stack of cookies, but then shrugged his shoulders and started on the first one.

Remus engaged in a conversation with Sirius and James as he munched on his cookies.

Professor Dumbledore stood up in front of the podium, his arms outstretched as if to embrace the Great Hall. He wore a smile that flashed in the candle light, not unlike his twinkling eyes did. As Remus watched him, Professor Dumbledore met Remus's eyes and he smiled warmly at him. Remus smiled back, but he was also blushing.

"You already know Dumbledore?" James asked across Sirius.

Remus shrugged. "I mean, I guess. He came to my house a few weeks ago to give me my acceptance letter," Remus said.

"He personally came to your house?" James said, confusion written all over his face. He turned to James real quick and said, "I thought only the Deputy Headmistress went to muggle-born's houses to give them the letters. I've never heard of Dumbledore doing it himself."

Sirius turned to Remus and said, "But you aren't muggle-born, are you, Remus?" Sirius looked just as confused as James.

"I─ no. I'm half-blood," Remus mumbled. Already the questions had started. He had been at Hogwarts for less than an hour, hadn't even left for a full moon, and his friends were already questioning him. Remus sighed and stared at the cookies on his plate.

"Wow, that's special, Remus!" James said, patting him on the back. Remus looked up to him. Maybe they wouldn't read too far into it. Hopefully.

Dumbledore cleared his throat at the front of the Great hall. "Well, another year is upon us! I welcome returning students, new students, and staff! Welcome! Now, to get down to business. I must first remind students that magic is not permitted in the corridors, and our caretaker Argus Filch would like me to also remind you he does not allow magical products such as fanged frisbees or a screaming yo-yos. As most of you know, our old Astronomy teacher Professor─"

"Remus, do you prefer your four-poster to be near the window or near the bathroom?" James asked him in a whisper. Remus looked past him at Dumbledore, who hadn't noticed this disruption.

"Um─" Remus said blankly. Didn't they want to listen to Dumbledore's speech? "It doesn't really matter to me─"

"But Remus! This is a seven-year commitment! This is where you are going to sleep for the next seven years! It's important!" James said in a whisper yell.