Carvings and Countdowns

2 RL

Remus got up the next morning with a new rhythm in his step. He almost couldn't wait to go to the hardware store just to see the town with this fresh mindset. He ran to the bathroom, started the shower, and got out quick enough for the water to not have turned cold. He wrapped his towel around his waist and grabbed his toothbrush. He squeezed whatever he could manage from the toothpaste bottle and made a mental note to buy some more later with the spare change he might have.

He spit in the sink, rinsed his mouth, and took a look at himself in the mirror. He didn't like to do that often, barely stared at his features long enough to remember them; but this time he reveled in them.

His jaw was getting sharper and his cheek bones finally showing through the chub he had growing up. The scar on his forehead and chin weren't as dark as they had seemed before, most definitely not as dark on the ones on his chest and collarbone.

Try not to claw yourself as much. Another mental note.

He didn't necessarily have abs from muscle, but more from minor malnutrition. He knew he'd gain it all back once the school food became a regular. He stuck his fingers in the corners of his mouth and pulled. Pretty straight teeth for not having braces. Pretty white for always running low on toothpaste. He stuck his tongue out, out of curiosity, and then closed his mouth. Deep hazel eyes and ashy brown hair. Those were the features of the day he would've liked to changed. But, maybe not, because his eyes reminded him of his mother's and his hair was just as mangled as his father's had been.

"I'm Remus", he cleared his throat and held his hand out to the mirror, "Remus Lupin."

He imagined the strange looks. A girl laughing in the background at him holding his hand out so formally. A girl laughing. He didn't know why, but that just seemed more humiliating than a boy laughing at him. Maybe because he rarely had interacted with the opposite sex, or maybe because he was frankly terrified of his his lack of knowledge on them.

"Good thoughts", he muttered to himself and parted from the mirror, "Good thoughts only today, folks."

That was a habit he had always had a hard time of breaking: Talking to himself. Being an only child with an Uncle that works twelve hour shifts called for him to think solidarity agreeable to social settings. In fact, he almost always preferred to be alone. Whether it was home or school, his introverted side always took over. That's where the books came in. He almost always had one in hand now. It was easier to refrain talking to himself aloud when the voice his head was reading words on a page.

He wondered if he would make any friends at this new school. As if he had many to count on in his old, but it was still a question that overtook his mind. He wondered how Benny would do without him at Durmstrang. If Remus was considered a runt, he was complete scum. In most of the boys eyes, not Remus's. That's what made them become friends, mostly. The underdog, rather be left alone than speaking to others, trope of teenage boy.

"I should leave him a letter", Remus muttered yet again as he threw on a white t-shirt and cuffed his levi blue jeans. He grabbed a piece of parchment and quill after he tied up his chucks that were tearing from the sole.

"Benny,

Uncle has me going to a knew school. Hogwarts. Sure youve herd of it. Don't get beat up to much without me. If you do, write me.

Remus Lupin"

He held the quill in his mouth as he folded up the letter. He clicked his tongue twice and his owl flew by his window within ten seconds.

"Make sure this gets to Benny okay, alright?", he patted her head, "Safe travels, Octavia."

He hopped up, cracked his neck that had been aching, and scurried down the steps as he whistled a tune. He shuffled through the papers on the table to find some cash left by Uncle Simon with a note underneath.