Once in a Blue Moon (COMPLETE)

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Read Between the Lines
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“Who’ve you been writing to?” Romulus asked in surprise as two owls, one being his own and carrying a letter, the other looking positively vicious, flew in the open window and settled down in front of Remus.

“I just sent a note to Sirius Black, the one who the injured owl was going to,” Remus replied as he took the proffered envelope from the first of the two birds.

“Did you sign it? Why didn’t you let me see it before you sent it? You didn’t give him your address or your name did you? Remus, what have I told you about how careful we have to be?”

“I didn’t sign my name or give the address. I just told Athena to hang around a while in case he wanted to send a reply.” Remus ducked his head to avoid his brother’s glare. He knew the rules, and he also knew he’d deliberately broken them because he knew that if he’d asked Romulus if he could send the letter the answer would have been no.

He opened the only letter he could ever remember receiving and grinned widely at the contents.

“What does he say?” Romulus asked as he looked at the careful script on the envelope addressing the correspondence to R.L. Remus tried to ignore his brother’s exasperated shake of the head.

“Just thank you and asking if either of us go to Hogwarts so he can thank us in person on the first of September,” Remus said as he read the letter. He wasn’t surprised to see Romulus’s outstretched hand when he looked up from the parchment. He passed it across to him so that he could see the truth of his words. Remus knew that it wasn’t because Romulus didn’t trust him, he was just a little overprotective.

“You can’t tell him what R.L. stands for,” Romulus informed him sternly as he passed the letter back.

“I can write back?” Remus asked with a hopeful grin.

“It would be rather rude not to, especially since he’s one of the Black family. Besides, I don’t trust that owl of his not to bite one or both of us if you don’t send something back.”

“I’ll be careful, I promise.” Remus jumped up from the table, his breakfast only half eaten as he rushed to his room.

“Let me see it before you send it!” Romulus called up the stairs after him but Remus wasn’t listening.

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Dear S.B.

Thanks for your letter.

You won’t be able to meet me or my brother at King’s Cross. My brother did his OWLs at Hogwarts but he left a long time ago. He knows lots of great things about the school though. He told me about a secret tunnel from the school to the sweet shop in Hogsmeade.

Your owl seems in a bit of a hurry so I’m going to send this right away before he decides my finger is breakfast.

Sincerely

R.L.

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Sirius woke to the sound of an irritating tapping and pulled a pillow over his head to try and shut it out.

Tap

“Go ‘way,” he mumbled into the pillow.

Tap

Tap

Tap

Sirius pulled the pillow from his face and threw it in the direction of the noise.

Tap

Tap

He opened his eyes and looked across the darkened room. His pillow had hit the window and was now teetering precariously on the edge of his desk.

“Stupid owls,” he muttered with annoyance.

Tap

“Owl!” Sirius leapt out of bed and flung open the drapes. On the other side of the window Damon was tapping the glass hard enough to have put a crack in it were it not reinforced by magic. He opened the window and Damon stepped over the sill and planted his offering on Sirius’s desk.

Sirius saw that there was no official seal on the letter and when he saw it was addressed to S.B. he knew it was from the mysterious R.L.

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Dear R.L.

Sorry if my owl caused you trouble. There was a red mark on the parchment. He didn’t bite you did he? His name is Damon and I just got him the day I wrote to you.

Will you be going to Hogwarts next year? It’s the best wizarding school in Europe. All my family has been there too. I have a cousin who will be in fifth year but she said I can only talk to her if she speaks to me first.

Your brother sounds more fun than my family. Did he tell you where to find the secret tunnel?

Sincerely

S.B.

PS: You forgot to tell me what R.L. stands for.

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Dear S.B.

The red mark was just ketchup. Your owl gave me a few evil looks but he didn’t bite me. My brother spilt the ketchup on the letter when he was checking it. Sorry.

I wish I could go to Hogwarts but I can’t. My brother had a lot of fun there.

He says the tunnel to the cellar of the sweet shop is found under the hump of a statue of a hump-backed witch on the third floor. He says to tell you to have fun but not to blame him if you get caught.

Your cousin sounds a bit horrible. My brother says I shouldn’t jump to conclusions about people but she does.

Don’t you know any other first years?

From the mysterious R.L. who isn’t going to tell you what it stands for.

PS: The owl with your Hogwarts letter is being sent with Athena so you should get your invitation to the school at the same time as this letter.

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Dear mysterious R.L.

I’m glad Damon didn’t bite you. He bit my younger brother this morning so be careful around him. I think Reg was teasing him but he says he wasn’t.

Tell your brother thanks for telling me how to get into the tunnel to the sweet shop. He doesn’t know how to get into the school kitchens too does he? Narcissa, the cousin I told you about, says it doesn’t have a door. She knows how to get in but she won’t tell me. You are right. She is horrible. She’s vain as well. She’s going out with Lucius Malfoy. He’s a prefect. They are both in Slytherin house. All my family has been in Slytherin. I’ve even got green and silver robes for when I get sorted into it too.

Which house was your brother in?

Which house would you like to be sorted into? Your letter made it sound like you won’t ever be going to Hogwarts but surely you will be in a couple of years. You can’t be that young. I thought you were about my age at first, maybe a bit older. I don’t know any other first years.

From the not mysterious S.B. because you already know it stands for Sirius Black.

PS: Why won’t you tell me what R.L. stands for?

PPS: The invitation arrived just before Athena did. Thanks again.

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Dear Sirius

Are all your family like your cousin and brother? I bet they are if they were all in Slytherin.

My brother was in Hufflepuff. He liked it because it was near the kitchens. He found out how to get in when he was in first year. He says you need to find the painting of a bowl of fruit and just tickle the pear to get in. He says again that you are not to blame him if you get caught.

I hope you get into the house you want to. I don’t think you sound like someone who will be in Slytherin. My brother says it’s the house all the dark wizards have been in. You sound too nice for that house.

I wouldn’t mind which house I was in if I could go to Hogwarts. Even Slytherin would be all right. I’m eleven but I won’t ever be going to Hogwarts. I’m not allowed to. You will have to write and tell me all about it. I’ll just have to share your fun that way. Just don’t forget about me when you make all your new friends at school.

From the mysterious R.L.

PS: I’m adding this after my brother checked the letter. He told me to ignore you asking about what R.L. stands for. My name is Remus but don’t ever put it in a letter. My brother reads them too and I will get in trouble if he finds out I told you.

“Remus…Remus…” Sirius tested the name a time or two as he grinned at the latest letter.

“Who’s Remus?” Regulus asked from the doorway. “Your quill pal?”

“Yeah,” Sirius replied as he turned to his brother with a wide grin.

“Dad says dinner’s ready.”

“I’ll be down in a few minutes,” Sirius promised. “I just want to write back.”

“Mum says she’s not going to get Kreacher to keep it warm for you,” Regulus added as he left the room.

Sirius nodded in an absent manner as he turned back to his letter. Cold stew for dinner didn’t sound very appetising. Perhaps his reply could wait a little while. Carefully he tucked the letter into drawer of his desk where he kept all the other letters and the journal his father encouraged him to write in at the end of each day. He’d never seen the point of the journal himself. Where was the fun in writing in a book? It wasn’t like you ever got a reply. It was far more fun to write letters which someone would actually read and reply to.

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Dear R.L.

Most of my family are like my cousin and brother. My cousin Andromeda is nice. She’s Narcissa’s sister. But the rest are pretty awful. Bellatrix their other sister is a nutcase. She was nearly expelled from Hogwarts but no one will tell me what for.

Why won’t you be going to Hogwarts? Are you a squib? I don’t mind if you are. I don’t know any squibs. I don’t know what my family would do if they couldn’t do magic. Probably rely on Kreacher our house elf. He’s a bit bad tempered but I try to keep out of his way. Do you have a house elf?

How did your brother do in his OWLs? My family say they are really hard but I don’t know if they are just saying that to make me work harder when I get there. My cousin Narcissa says that Hufflepuff is the house where all the stupid kids get put and it would be great to prove her wrong if your brother did well.

Of course I will write to you from Hogwarts. I’ll write to you even more than I write to my family. I just wish you could be there with me.

From the not Mysterious S.B.

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Dear S.B.

My brother says he remembers Andromeda and Bellatrix. He says Bellatrix once hexed him in the hallway for walking too slowly. I think it was because he was a teacher’s pet. He was a prefect. Swot. He doesn’t remember Andromeda very well though he says he thinks she looked a lot like her sister. He doesn’t remember Narcissa at all but from what you said he thinks she might have started the September after he left.

I’m not a squib. I just can’t go to Hogwarts. My brother says lots of wizard children don’t get to go to Hogwarts. He says it only seems like it’s just me.

We don’t have a house elf. Unless you count me. I am being called to clean up the pots from breakfast. Your owl arrived just as I was starting them and I wanted to reply right away.

My brother got Outstanding in all his owls apart from Potions where he got Exceeds Expectations. Swot. My brother adds that in light of Narcissa’s comment about students in Hufflepuff he is glad he doesn’t seem to have met her.

Now I really have to clean the breakfast pots.

From the M.R.L.

PS: My brother told me what Bellatrix was nearly expelled for. He told me not to tell you so I am adding this after he’s read it again. He said that she cursed the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and he quit his job because of her.

Remus

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Dear R.L.

Wow. Your brother sounds really clever as well as fun – even if he was a prefect. Why didn’t he do his NEWTs? Or did he do them at another school?

My cousins came over to dinner tonight and I told them about your brother being in Hufflepuff and getting really good grades. Bellatrix said I made it up. We had an argument and she called me a liar. But when I told her that he was a prefect and she had hexed him she thought she might remember him.

My parents are always complaining about how expensive Hogwarts is. Maybe you will win some gold on one of those wireless shows and get to join me later on.

I have to do chores round the house too. Yesterday I had to clean doxies out of the study. I think Reg put them in there. He got a book last Christmas about where to find those sorts of creatures and he’s ticking off when he finds them one by one. So far he’s only got to the Ds.

Kreacher found your letters today and told my mother about my writing to you. She says I have to ask if you are a pureblood or not. Kreacher is getting really nosy, always poking through my stuff. I hope you are a pureblood or else I might not be able to write to you any more until I get to school.

Yours sincerely

Mr. Sirius Black Esq.

PS: My mother made me write out my letter again and sign it properly.

PPS: I really want to keep writing to you so lie if you have to. Mother doesn’t know I added this bit so don’t say anything in your reply.

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Dear Sirius

My brother says I should follow your example and address you properly.

My brother couldn’t do his NEWTs. He had to leave school suddenly. He says he might try to do them later on but he’s pretty busy at the moment. He works in a local pub and looks after me. He keeps me out of trouble. Or at least he says he tries to.

You can tell your mother that I am a pureblood.

Yours sincerely (and mysteriously)

Mr. R.L. Esq.

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“I didn’t actually lie,” Remus said as his brother read through his latest letter.

“You said that he could tell his mother that you’re a pureblood,” Romulus pointed out with a roll of his eyes.

“But I didn’t say that I really was,” Remus smirked. “Just that he could tell her that.”

“That’s a very fine line between truth and lies that you’re walking.”

“You’re the one that said we had to be secretive. I’m just following your example.”

“Cheeky!” Romulus chided as he passed the approved letter back. “And don’t get any smart ideas from this Sirius about adding any postscripts to your own letters after I’ve checked them.”

Remus nodded obediently. There was no need to tell Romulus that he’d already done exactly that, and Sirius had no doubt got the idea from him.

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Dear R.L.

My mother is really pleased you’re a pureblood. She’s suggested that you and your brother might like to come over to our own house for a dinner party she’s throwing next week. It was supposed to be a goodbye feast for me before going to school but now father’s boss is coming and a bunch of other people I’ve never met. It would be great if you could come visit.

Are you allowed to tell me why your brother is the one to look after you? Or are you going to be all mysterious about that too?

Reply soon about the dinner party. I hope you can come. It won’t be any fun if you don’t.

From a very relieved Sirius Black.

PS: I noticed how you answered the pureblood question. Mother didn’t though so your secret is safe with me. Because she thinks you’re a pureblood she’s not checking my letters any more. What a pain. I don’t know how you put up with it. I don’t mind that you’re a half-blood. I am guessing with a brother who is a wizard you can’t be a muggle-born, not with two in a family.

S.B.

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Dear S.B.

My brother says we can’t come to dinner. He has to work every evening all next week. He says I’m too young to come on my own, even by floo.

Try and have fun at the party anyway. You could always pull a few pranks and write and tell me about them. My brother says he won’t give me any ideas for pranks for you but I am sure you can think of some yourself.

My brother looks after me because we only have each other. I want to write more about what our parents were like but I don’t remember them very well and my brother doesn’t like talking about them much.

Sorry I can’t come and visit with you.

From a mysterious and miserable R.L.

PS: I thought you would notice my answer and am glad you don’t mind.

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Dear R.L.

The party was a bore. I let off a couple of dung bombs in the kitchen so the guests would think the meal was going to be horrible. But not only was I not sent to my room for the evening I was made to help in the kitchen instead of Kreacher because the house elf wouldn’t go in there because of the smell.

I’m sorry about your parents. I’m guessing they died? You don’t have to talk about them if you don’t want to.

You will have to come and visit at Christmas instead. The Black family always have a party on Christmas Eve and invite EVERYONE. With your help I am sure we will come up with a lot of great pranks to pull at the party.

Please say you can visit.

From Sirius Black

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (as of tomorrow)

PS: I meant what I said about staying friends after I am at Hogwarts.

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“He’ll be packing his trunks now, ready to get the train in the morning.” Remus sighed as he looked out of the window at the darkening sky.

“I’d hope his trunks were packed earlier than this,” Romulus replied with a snort of laughter.

Remus looked at Athena as she looked at him curiously. He could tell that she was waiting for another letter and simply didn’t understand why, all of a sudden, there was nothing for her to deliver.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Romulus said as he sat down at Remus’s desk and looked at the pile of letters Sirius had sent during the summer. “And you can’t do it.”

“Why not?”

“Because if you got caught we’d both be in serious trouble. You’d be looking at one of the dangerous creatures camps at best, or the death sentence at worst. As for me, I’d get sent to Azkaban.”

“I only want to see him,” Remus muttered. “Just to see what he looks like, maybe say hello or something. I wouldn’t tell him who I am.”

“You wouldn’t mean to,” Romulus replied as he flicked through the letters. “But we have to be so careful. You’ve already told him far more than you should have done.”

“What do you mean?” asked Remus with a twinge that seemed suspiciously like his conscience.

“There’s no need to look so alarmed,” Romulus assured him. “I should have been more careful too. But if this Sirius is smart then he could find out who you are…if he really tried.”

“He could?”

“He knows I was a prefect at the same time two of his cousins were at school. Hogwarts has a record of past prefects that anyone can see. Our dad was a prefect too and I looked him up in my first year. This Sirius could look through the prefects’ list and see who was a prefect at the right time. I was only a prefect for one year and would be quite easy to spot if someone looked. Plus, with your initials on the letters…well if he’s smart he could figure out who we are and everything.”

“But he doesn’t know where we are or anything,” Remus pointed out. “I could be anywhere in the country.”

“Which is exactly why you can’t risk saying hello or even being seen.”

It was then that Remus realised that he’d effectively made his brother’s argument for him.

He was doomed to live vicariously through Sirius Black, longing to attend Hogwarts instead of merely hearing all about it from his first real friend.

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A/N: Please note the entire story will NOT be in this letter format. For one thing I don't have the patience and another I don't think this particular story would work that way. Although there will be a few more letters Remus lives in the house sometimes known as the Shrieking Shack for a reason. And it isn't the scenic view.