Bright Side of the Moon | Remus Lupin

Chapter 1: Sixth Year

The usual rowdy chatter from the three marauders faded into the background as Remus looked out at the compartment door window.

He watched every group of students passing by, trying to spot the one he missed the most.

"Looks like Moony can't wait to see a certain someone." James teasing grin pulled him back into reality.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Remus said defensively.

Sirius pretended to be in deep thought, completely ignoring Remus' protest, "Could it a female best friend of his?"

"Probably goes by the name Claudette Moonbeam?" Peter joined in.

Remus rolled his eyes at the three, looking back out the compartment door window, "Oh bug off, will you."

The three laughed, Sirius leaned forward to jokingly pinch Remus' cheek - causing the latter to swat his hand with a glare.

"Aaw look, someone's grumpy because she's not here yet." Sirius teased.

"No. I'm grumpy because the three of you insist on being annoying." Remus deadpanned.

James was about to open his mouth to retort when a small knock was heard on the compartment door.

The four looked up to see Claudette standing on the other side of the glass, giving a small smile and a wave to the group.

At the sight of her, Remus' mood was automatically lifted. Returning the smile, he stood up and slid open the compartment door for her.

The smile never wavered from the chocolate-haired boy's lips as Claudette came in and sat down next to him.

"So, what did I miss?" She asked, looking around the group.

James gave a wicked smile, opening his mouth to answer when Remus beat him to it.

"How much these three could act like toddlers on a sugar high." He said, making her laugh.

"Absolutely not!" Sirius protested, making a face, "You're just exaggerating."

Claudette and Remus laughed.

"Well, based from my experience, you guys are worst than toddlers on a sugar high." She said making the boy next to her laugh even harder.

"Oh yeah," Remus said through fits of laughter, "remember that one time in third year."

Claudette laughed even harder, hanging on to his arm in order not to fall face first on the train floor, "They were literally bouncing off the walls."

Sirius and James rolled their eyes before engaging Peter in their own conversation to "leave the lovebirds alone".

"You know, we've been friends for six years but I never got to ask - how did you and Lily become friends in the first place?" Remus asked.

"That's actually a really boring story. No drama at all." She smiled.

He just shrugged, "I don't mind. No story is actually boring."

"It all started when we were four. I was playing in the sandbox, Lily joined me. We started talking and immediately hit it off and the rest is history." Claudette said.

"Also," she continued, "there was this incident when we were six that we made some rules that was supposed to help keep our friendship strong and intact. Now we hardly remember any of those rules except the first one: never date anyone within the friend group."

Remus furrowed his brows, "That's a rather... odd rule."

Claudette laughed, "I know! Blame our six-year-old selves for managing to think of that."