Larger Than Life {Remus Lupin}

Prologue

In the early morning on September 1st, 1974 Ella Conrad sat barefoot on the back porch of her father's house in Bangor, Wales. Not having slept a wink, she'd been out there for hours on the swing, just trying to calm her nerves about going back to school. She tried drawing, reading, humming to herself, breathing exercises, everything that she could think of, but none worked.

She was always so nervous. For absolutely no reason, either. Frustration was a tight ball at the back of her neck, and she kept squirming around and huffing and tossing things on the wooden planks and kicking them across to the other side. She had nothing to do but kill time until they had to leave for King's Cross Station. Her trunk was packed, carry-on bag at the ready. All she could do was wait, idle hands picking at her blouse.

"I knew you would be up at this ungodly hour." Her father, Raymont, croaked tiredly from the back door. "Get in here, I'll make tea." She saw the back of his graying head retreat into the kitchen as she slowly grabbed her sketchbook and pencils and walked with heavy steps into the kitchen. As she sat at the long table he shuffled around, making noise and grumbling to himself.

"Why are you up so early?" She questioned, scribbling a bunny on the corner of a page as he made tea.

"I actually don't know." He shrugged heavily, rolling his neck.

"Father-daughter mind link? You could just tell, right?" She shaded in the ears and added whiskers far too long.

"Yes, that's it." He set the tea in front of her and she gently picked it up. "And from that I know you're driving yourself mad in that curly head of yours."

She set the cup down on the dish again, sighing loudly and slouching in her chair. "The others will be up soon. Mum will be at the station today, too, since George got his Hogwarts letter."

"Ella-" Her father began, but she shook her head. She hadn't meant to sound upset when she mentioned her mother, Julia. It was difficult to talk about her when she couldn't remember that she wasn't married to Ella's father anymore, let alone having a new husband and step-son. Sometimes she couldn't even remember her children being born. But those were bad days.

"No, Dad, I'm okay. I'm sorry." She sighed and sipped her tea gingerly. A few years ago, her mother developed early onset Alzheimer's disease. She would sometimes only get names and events wrong, call her ten year old brother Terry the name of her twenty year old brother Leonard, or call on Christmas to wish Ella a happy birthday even though she was born in May. They moved in with their father and step-mother when she was deemed unfit to care for them two years ago when Leonard was rushed out of the house because she didn't know who he was.

"Next year it will be Terry's turn. It's amazing how fast you all grow. I remember when Leonard got his letter." Her father smiled nostalgically, and she could really see her resemblance to him as he did. Both of them on the heavier side, she had inherited her dark skin and eyes from him. Anyone could see that they were father and daughter if they paid attention. "He was running all around the kitchen. Julia was breaking out in hives, she was so worried about him."

Ella sipped her tea and smiled at the perfect amount of sugar. "I can't believe he's almost eleven. Pretty soon he's going to be sorted and getting detention. What house, do you think? Not that it matters. You and Mum gave up tradition a while ago."

"I never doubted you were a Hufflepuff for a second. I almost expected it. But I think we'll finally get a Ravenclaw this time. I can feel it." He lifted his chin proudly.

"You only say that because you were one, Dad." Terry grumbled as he dragged his feet into the kitchen, hair springing out wildly in all directions. "I want to be a Gryffindor, they're brave."