Our Story

“This makes no sense.”

“What do you mean, it makes no sense?”

Remus looked up from his spot on the clean, expensive couch, leaving his wet fingertips to linger in front of his mouth. His curious eyes locked onto the back of his friends head before watching him turn around to face him. The tall well dressed man sighed deeply, looking at Remus from over the top of his glasses.

“Mr. Lupin, your work is supposedly about love.”

“No, sir.” Remus stood up, brushing his suit down. “ It is about love.” Reaching out his hand towards his work, Remus smiled softly as he took his work back. The man handed it over, fixing his glasses and clasping his hands behind his back. Briskly walking away Remus towards the lit fireplace, he seemed to be thinking hard.

“Mr. Lupin, your work is beautiful…but.” The older man looked back at Remus, “ It lacks true feeling. A connection to a certain someone.”

“What do you mean?” Remus arched his eyebrow, feeling his hands begin to sweat.

“It sounds like you’re explaining what love would feel like. Not what love does feel like. Understand?”
Remus looked down at his hard work, thinking about what the man said.

“I believe I do…How do I, fix it?” Remus looked unsure, his confidence hurling down from the sky.

The man laughed at Remus, his face breaking from its thoughtful stare. He walked until he was standing next to Remus, placing a hand on the younger mans shoulder.

“Find love.”

Remus looked down at his writing as his father walked out of the room, the only sound left was the ticking of the grandfather clock.

Find love.
_

Later that night, Remus laid in his bed that could easily hold four people, thinking about what his father had told him. To find love, as if it were just a task in a game.

Find love, father said. Find love as if it were the easiest thing in the world to find. Love shouldn’t be so hard to find though. How hard could it be? Women and men love my writing, they’d easily be convinced I am god’s gift to them…Well, maybe that didn’t come out exactly the right way.

Remus stopped writing in his book, the sides already filled with his thoughts. He sighed deeply, crossing his arms behind his head as he thought.

What is love?

“Love is a many splendid thing, all you need is love.” Remus whispered to his lit candle beside his bed. The flame dancing gracefully towards the ceiling. He smiled, closing his eyes.

“Paris. The city of love, I shall travel to Paris!” Remus laughed, almost not believing his words as he spoke them. “Father will not like it…But, he told me to find love.” Remus sat back up, blowing out his candle and eager to get to sleep. He simply wanted to wake up in Paris and find his love for inspiration. After that, he can write his love story and have it published before the next year is out.

_

“Paris?” His father stood over him, Remus in his chair looking horrified at his father’s voice. “Paris?!”

“Yes, f-father. You told me to find love and Paris is known to be-”

“Yes, yes, yes I know. Do you know what else Paris has?” His father titled his glasses, almost glaring down at Remus.

“Art?” Remus shrugged his shoulders.

“No, you fool! Hookers! Prostitutes! Beggars! Thieves!” His father shouted, throwing his hands up in the air as he walked away in fury.

Remus shrank in his seat a little more before he sighed.

“Remus…There are plenty of nice young women here for you to fall in love with.” Remus rolled his eyes at his father’s suggestion, “Why risk throwing your life away with some whore?!”

Remus looked up, taken back by what his father had just said. He accused him of falling in love with some low life whore of the underground scene in Paris. He had thought lowly of Remus’s standards when it came to choosing a lover. He offended Remus on the highest level.

Remus stood up, fixing the bottom of his suit as he did and sent his father an uneasy look.

“Well, I am appalled by your accusations…But, I am going to Pairs. I will fall in love, whether it’d be with a lovely young lady or…”

Before continuing his sentence, Remus took a cautious step forward to look directly into his father’s furious eyes.

“Or a fifth street corner whore.” Remus kept his voice low, letting the words sink in for his father.

There were no more words to exchange after that, leaving Remus with an awkward feeling about just standing there. He cleared his throat, watching his father stare believingly at him. Remus nodded his head, turned to leave, and for the first time felt like he was doing the right thing.

_

It was the best feeling in the world to finally make a decision for myself. I was going out in the real world to find real love, on my very own. I recall the blissful feeling as if it were only yesterday, when in reality it was about a year ago.

I packed one suitcase, leaving behind all my fancy, expensive clothes and taking the clothes I love to wear. My books, my work, and everyday needs were all stuffed along with them. Surprisingly it wasn’t that heavy, and I managed to sneak inside my father’s room to get some extra cash.

Leaving home wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I simply jumped on the next train to Paris and began writing about how happy I was to be leaving. No more uptight business men to shake hands with, no more avoiding their daughters as they tried to woo me into marriage, and no more feeling like I wasn’t doing the right thing.

I constantly felt like I wasn’t doing what I supposed to do with my life. I felt like I was supposed to be somewhere else, being someone else. And now, that feeling was slowly going away as I got closer and closer to Pairs. The city of love…

My journey to my love was beginning, and little did I know at the time that it would soon be more tragic then joyful.

_

Remus stood in front of the village he knew all writers and want to be’s stayed. It was run down compared the better parts of Pairs. It was full of low lives and whores, all calling out to him with evil red eyes and green teeth. Their bony fingers begging to grab him by his clothes and drag him inside their world of sinning. They wanted to make him a writer of their underworld and all Remus could think was…

“Father’ would hate this…” He smiled widely, marching inside the world or sinners, “I love it already.”

The buildings were barely buildings, the streets were littered with flyers and trash, and the people seemed to not mind. Remus wondered how they got here, were some cases like his? Run aways? Cast aways? Whatever the case, Remus felt connected to these underground dogs. He understood them and didn’t dare judge them, after all he will be living with them.

On his way, Remus spotted a place with a sign that said room for rent in sloppy letters. The building looked fairly decent and the people hanging out outside looked…happy?

“Lovely spot…Lovely spot.” Remus repeated, walking up to the bright red room with confidence.

Upon walking in, a small man half his height ran into, nearly knocking him down. Remus gasped in surprised, looking down at the small man with a confused look.

The man was dressed in colorful, mix matching rags for clothes. He was holding down his black fedora hat on his tiny head, blinking his pair of brown eyes up at Remus. Remus bit his bottom lip and waved with his free hand.

“So, sorry, Mr. Black!” The little man shouted, then looked down at the floor seeming to be searching for something.

Remus felt even more confused, Mr. Black? Remus looked down at the floor and saw a pair of glasses laying there. He smiled to himself, bending as he picked them up and placed them in the mans hands.

“There you go.” Remus watched the man before him blink as he placed his glasses on his nose. “And, I’m Remus Lupin…Not Mr. Black. You are?” Remus held out his hand for the man to shake.

“Uh…I’m Shakespeare!” The little man yelled, making Remus cringe.

“Hey! Get back over here!”

Remus looked up as another man entered the main hall, he was tall, thank god. He also had glasses, but his hair was dark and very untidy. He stood with his hands on his hips as he glared down at “Shakespeare”.

“No!” The little man ran out the door behind Remus, making this new man upset.

“…Never mind. Hello, how may I help you?” The man looked at Remus with a pleasant smile.

“Oh, yes. I saw you had an available room?” Remus bit his lip again, waiting for the offer to be declined.

“Oh yes! I am James Potter, I will be your…well basically just taking money from you so we can pay for this dump.” James smiled, waving for Remus to follow him.

“Land lord?” Remus suggested.

“Yeah, that guy. I’m horrible with figuring out what words to use.” James laughed as he started up the stairs.

“I guess it pays to be a writer, then.” Remus smiled, but suddenly bumped into the back of James as the man stopped.

“How did you know I was a writer?” James turned around, fixing his glasses as he stared down at Remus.

“Oh you are?” Remus laughed, “I was referring to myself, but that’s excellent.”

“Excellent? That’s bloody brilliant, that‘s what it is!” James shouted, raising his arms above his head and then hugging Remus in the middle of the staircase.

Remus felt a bit uncomfortable as he stood being hugged by his new land lord…in the middle of the staircase

“We’ve been looking for another writer! Oh, thank you lord!” James yelled next to Remus’s ear.

“Have you?” Remus asked, unsure about what James was going on about.

“Yes! Oh, yes! You must help us! We’re in the middle of a horrible script.”

_

James was ecstatic when he found out I was a writer. I was surprised by the hug, but it was better than him hitting me or pushing me down the stairs. In fact, I was happy about the hug, it might’ve been the start of our relationship as friends.

After our hug fest in the hall, he pushed me towards the door of his room…or the “practice” room where there were several other people sitting down yelling at each other. I learned their names one second…and forgot the next.

The only thing I remember clearly at that moment, was that I was fitting in. These people could help me in my career and possibly my search for love.

_