Rediscovering The Stars

Chapter 1

September 8th 1981

Honest to God, Remus Lupin didn't expect to be starting his first year at uni by slamming his head against his new room's door frame.

He was already late, faffing about the small apartment at eight o'clock in the morning just trying to find his glasses. Not a great start, to say the least. He'd arrived in New York a mere fifteen hours ago, unpacked what little belongings he'd salvaged from his parents' dingy old cottage back in Wales. He'd found several old school books damaged by the rain that sometimes seeped in through the thatched roof, an old letter from his mate James and his old sweaters plus a few pairs of jeans.

What he didn't expect to find, was a shirt he'd received on his thirteenth birthday in '73. The colours weren't as bright as they had been seven years ago, but that was to be expected. Though you could still make out the distinct outline and unusual makeup of David Bowie's aladdin Sane. He stood in his full-body mirror, eyeing the shirt quietly as he pinched the soft white material between his forefinger and thumb. He'd been ecstatic when he unwrapped it, so much he'd tackled the person who gave it to him. Something twisted in his gut. No, he wouldn't think about her- him.

The rain hammered against the window as he snapped back, widening his eyes as he gripped his shoulder bag and ran out of the house, almost forgetting to lock the door behind him. almost. With a very irritated sigh, he held the leather bag over his head and made a run for the school grounds, his tacky converse soaked through by the time he'd arrived inside his destination. a soft sneeze from his lips and his first day of uni had started.

The classroom was decently small, the walls painted that yellow-tinted white that reminded Remus of stale vanilla ice cream. a whiteboard hung on the wall closest to the door clean and white except for the date and several tasks written out in a blue pen in the center. The classroom seemed almost empty except for a few students sat in varying positions spanning across nineteen wooden desks that resided in two tables per side. Two boys sat at the back, leaned over their notebooks as they, presumably, scribbled down the answers to the tasks in the blue pen. a girl in the middle caught his eye. Rather her hair caught his eye, a bright vibrant pink stuck out like a sore thumb in the monotone, tired colour of the room around her.

Several necklaces with varying pendants on them hung from her neck, a neon yellow Sex Pistols shirt almost as vibrant as her hair also stuck out to him. He liked the Sex Pistols. He shrugged and occupied the seat on the nearest table and laid out his belongings, opened the new notebook and started on the tasks at hand, looking up occasionally to reference from the textbook he'd only just saved up enough money for before school had started. a soft thump caught his attention, looking up to catch the gaze of a pair of deep, shining brown eyes and fluffy pink hair. He startled and leaned back, avoiding entering the woman's personal space.  She grinned back at him, black lipstick clashing with her pearly white teeth.
"'ello." she held out a hand, fingernails painted bright yellow, "first day here too, yeah?" He nodded and gently took her hand, his larger and more scarred than her's.
"ah! yes, I'm Remus-" she hummed and diverted her attention from him, looking down at the book he'd previously been referencing.
"I know who you are," his eyebrow arched in confusion, "you're my cousin's ex boyfriend, you are."

Remus stared at the woman. She hadn't even introduced herself and already she was accusing him of sleeping with her cousin?
"I, I beg your pardon?" He must've looked extremely confused, because she laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Don't get your panties in a twist," he groaned internally, "He talks about you all the time, does old Canis." Remus looked up at her, recognition at last filled his mind, 
"Oh! Right." He didn't like thinking about him and their time together at Hogwarts. It reminded him of the utterly distraught look that had marred the ebony haired boy's face when the letter of Remus's acceptance into New York University.

"I knew him." he muttered, trying to get back to whatever it was he had been doing before his ex boyfriend's cousin had stolen the seat he'd previously perched his bag on. The woman snickered at him,
"Oh from what I hear," she whispered, leaning in close to his ear, "you two knew each other very well." Remus gaped at her as she laughed, covering her mouth when the teacher on study duty shot her a dirty look and a sharp "quiet."

She held her hand out once again, her face a little more apologetic rather than utterly mental,
"I'm Tonks, by the way. Nymphadora Tonks." she grimaced, "Just don't ever call me Nymphadora." He smiled and took her hand for a second time, nodding politely,

"I shall try and remember that, Tonks."