don't forget about me •marauders r.j.l•

to help a friend

I should apologize to all the people that gave my fanfic a go and added it to several Reading Lists... I'm really sorry I didn't update sooner... School got in the way and honestly I forgot...
I don't know if the format of this book is quite clear... So I write a significant moment or moments in Amelia and Remus's relationship and of course The Marauders are present, Lily as well. I skip quite a few time from chapter to chapter. I hope it all stays clear. I'm always happy to clear something up in the comments... Even if it is some wierd expression I used (English is not my native language, sorry).
Please enjoy!

Summer, 1972, between 1st and 2nd years at Hogwarts

First year had passed in a blink of an eye and soon I saw myself having to come back to my small home in Sintra, Portugal. I remember that I couldn't quite shut up about all the adventures I had lived with the lads through out my first year at Hogwarts and found myself confessing quite a few illegal episodes to my own family at dinner... Like when we found a secret passageway to Hogsmead and almost got there but turned around because Peter was afraid of the detention we might get... Stuff like that.
Both my parents laughted at my crazy stories... Only my brother, a prefect, found them quite uninteresting and rolled his eyes at every possibility.
"Amelia, dear... You must invite your friends to stay with us for a week or two..." my mother said to me one day, "What do you think, Bernard?" Mum looked at father with a smile, saying it wouldn't hurt, would it?
My father was a strange man... Some days he was in the mood and took me and my brother on exploration trips through out Sintra, our city... A city filled with more magic that one might think. I loved living here.
Living in Portugal didn't exactly granted you the possibility of attending Hogwarts since the nearest school would be Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, but since mum and dad had went there and both of them worked for the British Ministry of Magic an exception was made.
Besides, my French is not that good.
But other days my father was quite severe in his parenting. There was no in between.
"I think it's a wonderful idea... Have them stay for as long as you want, Amelia" I stood up and, despite myself, ran to him and hugged him.
Of course, after that dinner, I put my hands to work on crafting three letters for my friends, each quite different from the other. Sirius was going to come anyway so I just let him know that he could come sooner. To James, my Mother warned me, I should make an invitation to the Potters as well for tea or whatever grownups like to do while discussing politics.
For Peter and Remus the letter was quite the same, telling them our fireplace was free for them to use the floo network and join us as soon as possible.
A week passed and the replies started coming.
James was to arrive in two days with both his parents, who wanted to meet my own. Sirius was coming later that day with all his belongings to stay until it was time to go to Hogwarts. He was to go with us to the Platform 9 3/4  on the first of September.
Peter was to come shortly after James, and Remus was coming some days after the 26th of June (because of his furry problem).
I was the happiest I had ever been. With all my friends staying with me. We rode our bicycles to a beach near the house, we explored the woods, we even went to visit a Palace near by. Of course there were magical creatures everywhere we went... So many, the boys were surprised how the muggles couldn't see them.
Summer was going great. In fact, it was on this summer that I came up with the idea for us to change into Animagi.
It was a warm afternoon and birds were chirping on nearby trees. I was laying in my bed, in my peculiar room (a restored windmill) and my friends were running around downstairs, on the backyard playing footy. I heard them scream in frustration as Peter missed and let a goal for the other team. From what I had gathered it was James and Peter versus Sirius and our neighbor Alex (who attended Beauxbatons).
Remus had gone with my brother to a nearby village, to go see a small bookshop managed by a sweet British couple of immigrants. They had a big section of English books and that was where my brother bought most of his. He'd mentioned it to Remus and Remus, being the bookworm he is, was thrilled to join my brother on his next trip there.
Remus Lupin was my most special friend... He was a werewolf.
I still remember how he told us his huge secret.
It had been the night before a full Moon and when Remus didn't show up for dinner at the Great Hall (something that was happening every now and then), I was worried.
"He wasn't feeling very well... Something about too much scones", Sirius had said. So, after finishing my dinner, I had made my priority to go and check on my friend at the Hospital Wing.
When I got there, a very busy Madam Pomfrey (a rainy day quidditch game had taken place that same day) had dismissed me after countless "Remus Lupin can't be seen at the moment".
I asked why but no use. Yet I wasn't quite satisfied so, running back to Gryffindor's Common Room, I whispered in James's ear "I need to borrow your You-Know-What."
You see, James Potter has an invisibility cloak, one just like the one in The Tale of Three Brothers.
James, mischief running through his veins, told me that he'd only lent it if I was to tell him what I was up to. I quickly filled him in on my plan to go check on Remus, Sirius ended up coming as well since he overheard our entire conversation.
Long story short, Remus hadn't been there, later I was told he had been on the Shrieking Shack, the old and decrepit haunted house in Hogsmead. When, in the next morning we did found Remus sleeping in the Hospital Wing bed, we questioned him about it.
And he told us between stutters and shy glances. Not everything at first, just small details. Through out the school year he'd drop other details. Like how he'd been bitten when he was only 5. I remember not being able to sleep that night.
I felt useless seeing my friend struggle all by himself so, without anyone's knowledge, I started reading about werewolfs and trying to find something... Anything that might help Remus.
I kept a journal with information bits, newspaper cut outs that looked relevant that someday might help my friend. My last discovery had been an article on a newspaper in my father's study, where it said that some witches and wizards were trying to find a way to make the change, during full moons, less painful, others were trying to come up with a potion for werewolfs to keep their sane human minds while they were changed.
Because werewolfs only respond to the howls of their own kind... I thought sadly. Unless some of them could turn into a dog anytime soon, there was no hope for helping Remus.
But, all of a sudden, the idea didn't look so stupid after all.
Hundreds of wizards and witches were able to change themselves into animals... Like Professor Mcgonagal in her cat form. They were called Animagi.
What if we could become Animagi and then be able to help Remus during full moon nights?
What what if, instead of staying in the Shrieking Shack, we could wonder all through the Forbidden Forest in the skin of any animal you might imagine?
The possibilities were endless.
"Amelia, dear... Come down for lemonade and cookies" my mum called from downstairs. I closed the window muffling the sound of birds and raced downstairs.
There was a slight chance I would get none of the cookies and lemonade my mother had mentioned, the boys being all over them.
"Hey!" I called out, "leave some for me, would you?" I also noticed Alex had gone home.
I scanned the kitchen and saw Remus hadn't come back yet. His absence only made me even surer of my plan.
So, making sure my mother was outside tending to the flowers, I whispered them the raw plan I had came up with just minutes ago.
In the end they all agreed to it and we made a deal. Next year at Hogwarts would be the year we all gave into research and preparations to become Animagi. The only disagreement was whether to tell Remus or not... I figured it would be best to wait. I didn't want to see Remus's eyes light up with hope only to be put out because of an imminent failure.
This would be quite a year

Thanks if you read it all!
The aesthetic thingy I did will be on my tumblr (the watermark thing I wrote in the image) that btw is ilovethemockingjaywhistle, feel free to give it a follow :)
Next chapter will be updated sooner than you might think! (Sooner as in I have it written in paper I just have to type it all in my phone)