Remus J. Lupin
tweaking with new info from Pottermore! ^_^ (i wont completly re-write, but changing some things that haven't come up yet)
ABOUT YOU
Name/Nickname: Deb / DarkFae
Your House: Ravenclaw (ravenclawsome!)
Are you 18 or over: Indeed.
Other characters played: none
CHARACTER BASICS
Name: Remus Jonathan Lupin
Nickname: Moony
Age/Year: 15/ 5th Year
Birthdate:10th March 1960
Gender: Male
House: Gryffindor
Bloodline: Half Blood
Sexuality: Pansexual. If Remus fell for someone, it would be because of the person, not the gender. Due to his condition, he hadn't really thought too long on the subject (after all, who in their right mind would want to date a werewolf). That was until he became friends with a Gryffindor named Lukas, who inadvertently forced him to consider whether or not he could possibly have a relationship. After a stolen kiss and a lot of thought (and research) Remus accepted that he had feelings for the blonde, and allowed himself (after some persuasion from Sirius) to explore them
Wand: cypress and unicorn hair, 10 1/4 inches long, pliable.
Friends: James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Evans, Lukas Simpson
Enemies: Severus Snape
Familiar: None
CHARACTER DETAIL
Physical Appearance: In comparison to his friends, Remus feels a little plain. He doesn't have the dashingly handsome look of James, nor almost model like features of Sirius...instead he would say he had a pretty non-descript face (he refuses to acknowledge claims he's got a soft, almost girly look about him), in fact he's adamant that if it wasn't for his often too pale skin, usually coupled with dark circles under his eyes, no one would remark him. Remus has chin length, shaggy brown hair and hazel eyes, and has a tendency to dip his head to allow his hair to act as a curtain when he is feeling self-conscious. However this is becoming a less common occurrence, and under his friends influence he is more often found with a little half smile quirking his lips.
Stature wise, Remus is shorter than most of his male classmates, at 5' 5" and a little on the thin side, though he hides this under ill-fitting clothes. His thin frame is not all he hides - Remus is rarely seen without a top on, and tries to avoid any situations that require him to even change in front of others due to a growing number of scars that mar his pale skin. He is very self-conscious about these, even with his closest friends.
Personality: This young man is quite a paradox, being both a gentle human and a bloodthirsty wolf. Remus doesn't know if it was how he was raised, his own personality or an echo of the person he should have been, if not for the wolf, but he has always tried to be a good person. And not just in that general way that most people do, but really in any way he can think of....he keeps his temper, is level headed, polite, conscientious, friendly - even when it's not deserved. He wants to be the opposite of the blood thirsty monster that he becomes on a full moon. Saying it like that makes it seem that it's all an act...maybe he does try harder to be these things, but he finds that they come naturally to him anyway (unless its close to the full moon, then he gets a bit short tempered and grouchy. The others think its funny to call it PMT - Pre Moon Tension. Annoying gits.) He is kind hearted and will always stick up for the underdog (with perhaps one exception); he has a good moral compass, stepping in when he feels that someone is crossing the line, although he isn't all that good at sticking up for himself. Its not that he can't hold his own in a verbal or physical fight, but that he prefers to avoid confrontation for his own sake, not feeling that it's worth the hassle. He does lack a feeling of self worth and is often self deprecating.
Because of his unassuming demeanour, people often either overlook or underestimate Remus - honestly, he doesn't mind this. Better to be un-noticed than for people to pay attention and learn a little too much about him. For all his sensible and courteous behaviour, Remus's friends have also brought out a side of him that he didn't even know existed. He knows that a lot of people wonder why they're friends with him (or, him with them) as he appears to be a smart, calm and mild mannered young man - indeed when they first met, Remus couldn't have imagined that they would become such a big part of his life. However, as their friendship has grown he's found that with them he is able to lose some of his inhibitions; he is freer with his words, shows his dry and sometimes sarcastic wit as well as his mischievous side. He is quick to offer his ideas on how to make James and Sirius's crazy ideas come to fruition, researches spells needed for pranks and is often the one who can get them out of trouble with teachers with quick thinking and swift spoken alibis (well, most of the time). He doubts his parents would approve of a lot of the things that he had a hand in, however he is very good at hiding behind an innocent mask (he perfected 'poker face' long ago) so he has far fewer detentions to his name than his friends. He is sure that he was only made a prefect because Dumbledore thinks that he will be able to ground his friends and curb their trouble making tendencies (though it has had the opposite effect, the Marauders use Remus's prefect position to their advantage). Remus feels a little bad at this, not wanting to betray Dumbledore’s trust but also not willing to lose his friends either.
Remus is studious and bookish, not only due to his interest in learning but because unlike James and Sirius, he needs to study to keep his grades up - sometimes he wishes that wasn't the case but he doesn't let it bring him down. He will not waste Dumbledore's generous opportunity to prove himself worthy of a place in wizarding society. Indeed, it is one of his downfalls. Remus hates to disappoint people. Another is that because of the way Lycanthropes are treated, he deeply values any friendship he is offered, to the point of neglecting his own common sense. He would do anything for his friends and (unwillingly) turns a blind eye to some of the things they do, as well as forgiving them all too easily for fear of losing the friendship he treasures.
History: Remus is the only child of Lyall and Hope Lupin (previously Howell). Both Lupins are Magical; Lyall is from a halfblood wizarding family, whereas Hope is muggleborn. They both attended Hogwarts, but it wasn't until after they'd graduated that they even spoke to one another. Remus has heard the story a few times, when his mum is feeling nostalgic (or she's been reading romance novels). She and Lyall are both herbologists (though Lyall worked in the ministry at the time in the dangerous beasts department, herbology was a hobby), and they met at a plant and potion convention. During the scavenger hunt Hope nearly drowned trying to collect a sample from a grindylow infested lake, and was luckily saved by Lyall. They still attend the convention every year - Hope thinks its romantic.
Due to Wizarding laws on Werewolves, the Lupins were both unable and unwilling to have another child. Whilst Remus understands why the law is in place, he has mixed feelings on it. He is loved by his parents, almost to the point of suffocation and yet his childhood was quite lonely. After he was turned, Lyall distanced himself from his parents and his own siblings to protect his secret, but this meant that he also lost any form of childhood companionship. Remus knows his cousins by name only, and doubts that they know even that much of him. He knows that his parents love him, and they tried hard to make up for his lack of peers as he grew up. He is also very grateful to them; they never treated him like a monster, they gave him an education, taught him about herbology and potions so he might be able to take over the family business, they made sure to encourage any hobbies he might have....and yet secretly, Remus regrets the large burden he has put upon his parents. He hopes that now he is in Hogwarts that they may be able to leave their self enforced isolation.
Remus doesn't talk much about his family, not because he dislikes them but because he is quite a private person - however, since the Marauders have already met the Lupins, there's little point in hiding anything from them.
Remus has no recollection of his life before The Bite, perhaps because he was so young (4 years old), or because it was so traumatising. The first memory that this young man has is of pain, searing heat radiating from a bloody set of teeth marks on his thigh, threading through his body...a grey blur darting away, his parents running towards him as he wailed, then darkness. Later he recalls vivid fever fuelled dreams, broken only by brief periods of fuzzy awareness - the way the nurses shrunk back from him, how his parents were crying as they looked at him. For Remus, his life begins here, as a Lycanthrope. For a long while, Remus believed that the bite had been an accident; that he'd forgotten to close his window when he'd been asked, and it been his own fault. It wasn’t until later that he discovered that the attack had been revenge by a werewolf named Fenrir Greyback, for an insult given by his father (who announced that werewolves were foul creatures and deserved death). When he found out, he was upset however he knows that it is useless to hold a grudge. His parents did everything they could in order to try to cure him, and when they couldn't they then tried their hardest to make his life as happy as they could, and his changes as bearable as they could make them.
Due to his condition and wizarding laws, Remus grew up in a variety of small houses in the countryside, and whilst there were usually villages not that far from them, he was not often allowed there unsupervised. He isn't sure if that was because his parents feared what he would do to people, or what they would do to him. They also had to move quite often in order to keep Remus's secret, which meant that he had little chance to socialise and instead he took solace in the world of literature - even now he is often found with his nose buried in a book. He bears his parents no ill will, he knows that they could not risk people finding out, or worse, him accidently biting another child. And so Remus was resigned to a quiet life between the hellish transformations, never even dreaming that he might be accepted into society. This all changed with the arrival of his Hogwarts letter - his parents were nervous, yet obviously very happy for him. His own feelings were indescribable...it was not just the chance at a normal life, but also confirmation of his humanity. Special arrangements were made for him to leave the School grounds for the Full Moon, and he would be able to transform in a safe house (which would soon come to be known as the Shrieking Shack, due to the bloodcurdling screams and howls that Hogsmeade residents heard).
One thing Remus didn’t count on is how hard it would be to keep his secret. He was sorted into Gryffindor which was a shock for him. He never considered himself particularly brave or daring, in fact if he’d been asked which house would suit him, he would probably have said Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. However, in the years to come, Remus would be very grateful for the sorting hat’s decision. For the first week or so he was very quiet but he found that he admired his dorm mates; they were brash and mischievous, however they were also fun loving, full of stories and charming to boot. Everything he felt that he wasn’t. It wasn’t until his second week at Hogwarts that he really caught the interest of his dorm mates; Remus on a whim covered for the troublesome duo, and a new friendship was formed. The only problem was that once he had friends, he struggled to keep his condition hidden. At first excuses of visiting his sickly mother were accepted, but as time went on the others grew suspicious. With his repeated disappearances, his pale complexion and the injuries he tried to hide, it didn't take all that long for them to find out. He cried when they confronted him, thinking the worst - that he had blown his chance at a normal life, they would hate him and expose him so that he would be forced to leave...until they pointed out that they were only mad at him for not telling them. Since then, his friendship and loyalty to James, Sirius and Peter has been unwavering. For the first time in his life, Remus felt truly accepted.
The first couple of years at Hogwarts were good for Remus. The group gained another member, a boy named Peter Pettigrew, and gained quite a reputation as well as more than a few detentions. Together they played pranks and tricks, they adventured and explored, learning more about the castle than even some of the teachers knew. Whilst James and Sirius were the ‘face’ of the group (they were the loudest, the ones who caught peoples attention, and the ones that came up with crazy ideas), Remus was more often than not, the brains. He was the one who researched the spells that would make their hair brained schemes work, and the one who used his goody-two-shoes appearance to talk his way out of trouble should something go awry. He also took on the role of ‘the sensible one’ who prodded them into doing their homework, steered them away from anything too dangerous and helped Peter when he got stuck with spells or work. He would do anything for his friends (well, almost...he refused to let the others copy work from him, but he knew full well that they snuck his notes to read when he wasn’t around).
In 5th year it was revealed that the other three had learnt to become animagus so that they could accompany him on full moons. They explained that they wanted to help him; they had visited him in the Hospital wing after he full moon and they saw the scars, the bruises, the bites and wounds where the wolf was taking out its anger and frustration on itself. They said that they wanted to do something to ease Remus's transformations, though he suspects that the main attraction of it was that it was highly dangerous and illegal. Still, the lycanthrope is very grateful for the companionship; it stops the wolf from turning on itself and with them there, he feels more human. With each month they’ve become more adventurous, even sneaking out of the Shack to run through the forest. This is something that Remus does feel guilty about, but he just cannot say no to the people who mean so much to him. Outside of the Marauders, Remus has a few friends and acquaintances, though no one close and certainly no one he has divulged his secret to. Most of them are people he knows from class and clubs, or has helped tutor. He also has befriended a lot of the fellow prefects, including Lily Evans (something which he is well aware annoys James).
Hobbies: hanging out with his friends, watching Quidditch (more out of House spirit than any true fanaticism for the game), reading, drawing (though this one he hides as he gets enough flack for reading), herbology.
5 Memories:
1. As much as he wishes he didn't remember, one of the worst memories he has is of being bitten, and the few weeks that followed....it's not a clear memory but a blur of jumbled pieces, with a few shards that stick out vividly amongst the pain and fear. He remembers his parents faces full of worry and fear, watching him as he drifted in and out of fevered sleep. He can recall the St Mungo's nurses skirting around him, barely daring to touch him unless absolutly necessary....but any pain he felt at that time was nothing compared to that first change. For a long while, he believed that the bite had been an accident; that he had strayed from my parents side to explore, and that it had been his own fault. It wasn’t until later that he discovered that the attack had been revenge by a werewolf named Fenrir Greyback, for an insult given by his father. When he found out, he was upset however he knew that it is useless to hold a grudge. His parents did everything they could in order to try to cure him, and when they couldn't they then tried their hardest to make his life as happy as they could, and his changes as bearable as they could make them.
2. his Hogwarts letter. It's common for magical children to get a letter, but as a werewolf he expected no such thing. He still has the letter in his room at home - it's more than a call to schooling, its confirmation that he is still human, that he is worthy of being educated and being given a chance to prove himself. He is under no doubt that he is being heavily observed, and he understands that Dumbledore (and indeed, others like him) has a lot to lose if he fails to be a good pupil. He thinks it's also why he remembers his first lesson at Hogwarts. He don't know how anyone could forget such a thing, but he supposes a lot of people here take it for granted that they will have that first lesson.
3. Most of his time with the Marauders is memorable - if not for the pranks then for the fun they have. But the one thing that he will never ever forget is when they found out his secret in 2nd year. They confronted him about it and he thought he had lost everything...he actually started to cry before they pointed out that he was being an idiot, and the only thing they were mad at him for was not telling them.
4. Before Hogwarts, he hated to recall Full Moons, although sometimes he had little choice, his injuries were a constant reminder (even now, he carries the scars of the worst moons). However, after accepting him the Marauders further astonished him by becoming Animagi so that they could keep me company. He doesn't doubt that a lot of the attraction lie in breaking the law, however it is still a very thoughtful gesture. He remembers when they proudly showed him their forms and staved off his berating with promises that he wouldn't have to suffer through a full moon alone again. Most of his memories of being a wolf are fuzzy, but that first night is a vivid collage of scents and excitement....even now Full Moons are clearer, saner and far more tolerable.
5.
10 Things About Him:
1. His Furry Little Problem is NOT a badly behaved Rabbit.
2. He did actually have a rabbit when he was a child. His Mum told him that they had to give it away after he was turned, due to it being scared of me. he'd like to believe that.
3. He likes drawing...and is pretty good at it too, but he gets enough teasing about being a bookworm as it is, so its one skill he keeps pretty quiet.
4. He'd actually quite like to be a teacher even though he knows it's an impossible career for someone like himself.
5. Some of werewolf lore is greatly exaggerated (in both wizarding and muggle worlds). He does not turn into a half man-half beast (just a larger-than-average wolf). He also doesn't perform bloody ceremonies or dance with demons (unless you count the Marauders). As for the 'mate for life' thing...he has no idea about that and he doesn't think he will ever find out - even if he found someone who liked him, would they really want to risk being stuck with the werewolf (or him with them?). He does however have some 'perks'; his senses of smell and hearing are keener - nothing compared to when he change, but still enough to be of use...he also has a bit more strength. Again, nothing special but he's certainly stronger than he looks, especially around the waxing moon.
6. He would have loved to have had siblings growing up. Even now he secretly hope that if he moves out, his parents might be able to try for another child. A brother or sister would be better late than never.
7. His patronus is a big canine. He decided it was Padfoot rather than a wolf, and will often produce only an insubstantial mist when in the company of others so as not to give too much away. Only the Marauders and a couple of the teachers have seen it in it's full form.
8. Boggarts turn into a full moon around him...luckily it looks more like an orb, so people assume that he's afraid of crystal balls, or bright lights.
9. Peeves has a 'song' about him...this unfortunately a lot of people have heard, but thankfully do not understand. Rumour has it he was caught doing something very weird.
10. He is a paradox, being both a gentle human and a bloodthirsty wolf. he don't know if it was how he was raised, his own personality or an echo of the person he should have been, if not for the wolf, but he has always tried to be a good person. And not just in that general way that most people do, but really in any way he can think of....he keeps his temper, he's level headed, polite, conscientious, friendly - even when it's not deserved. He wants to be the opposite of the blood thirsty monster that he becomes on a full moon. Saying it like that makes it seem that it's all an act...maybe he does try harder to be these things...but he finds that they come naturally to him anyway (unless its close to the full moon, then he gets a bit short tempered)
Plans for your character: Nothing set in stone as i'm very flexible. I find it more fun to include and plan with others ^_^ I can give some possibilities instead:
*Full Moon marauding
*Possibility of 'The Prank'
*and subsequent run ins with Snape - or perhaps ask Snapes rp'er if they'd be interested in having Snape attempt Wolfsbane experiments with Remus being a not entirely willing lab-rat.
*Death Eater recruitment or threats (i've never played with Remus being approached for D.E)
*Love interest (i know, people either love or hate that one, but i'm just saying that i am open to it :P)
*Pranks and general Marauding.
*Confiding in Lily of his 'furry little problem' (thinking after 'the prank' he'll want someone who knows about him, but isn’t going to use him like Sirius did)
*anything really...magical mysteries to solve, fights, missions, hexes, curses, spells...serious or cracky, i'm game ^_^ (seriously, i've played in a game where someone cast a spell so everyone at Hogwarts became fairytale characters for the day)
Sample journal entry: "Home" (based on an RP where characters journals were linked and could be read or written in by others. This one was a 'general' one to be read by any friends.)
Its good to be back (....apart from the odd smell in the dorm....did someone forget to do their laundry?)
Well, anyway it's been a nice holiday (aside from being repeatedly bitten by our rather vicious Faerie lights). We've had plenty of snow, which made getting to the village a little difficult, however it was worth it to see the festivities. There were strings of coloured lights and decorations hanging from every house, a giant Christmas tree in the village square and we watched the Muggles 'nativity' play. Afterwards we had a lovely Christmas dinner and opened presents...i now have several new books to read, which i'm sure will annoy at least one of my friends.
I haven't done as much on my essays as I would have liked, but my parents needed me to help out - they've filled the greenhouse with even more strange plants...one of which is very bad tempered and nearly had my hand off.
Never mind.
Oh...ugh! I just found the source of that smell. Please don't hide food under the beds - there's now a plate of green furry...something...geez, I can't even tell what it was! Oh...and it appears to be moving. Really, one of you guys can deal with that. I'm going downstairs- I just hope that thing won't follow me.
Sample RP entry: (a response to a previous RP thread. Peter and Remus talking about marauding activities, threats made by Bellatrix to Sirius and a girl that Peter likes. Remus seems a little younger here, 4th year perhaps when life is not all about booze and sex :P
"I'm not sure I was looking for something more exciting really. I guess I just wanted to know what everyone was doing," and if he'd be invited to join in......"I kind of wanted to ask Sirius for a little help, but he's not always. um. patient with me. You see, I’ve. Well? I just found out that someone wants me to ask her to the dance. And I know she wants me to ask her, and I want to ask her. but. well? I don't think I know how to ask. You know. Properly. I thought Sirius was the best person to ask, because James isn't so successful in those kinds of things. Well, at least not when he'd really want to be. And Sirius always seems to get his." ~ Peter)
Remus nodded, understanding wanting something a little more exciting since excursions happened rather a lot. "I didn't say where we were going, did i?" he gave a small grin, trying to disperse some of Peter's apathy and insecurity. "Sirius thinks that there's a passage under the docks...i know he's hoping it leads to the Slytherin dungeons, whilst James thinks that its where the squid lays its egg or hides treasure." he pulled a face to show how likely he thought those possibilities were. "It'll be a laugh, if only to watch those two idiots trying to search for hidden doors under the water." He would happily watch and help their escapades from the dock - he was sure they were the only two idiots in Hogwarts obsessed enough to search for secrets in the hardly used docks...especially in the middle of November.
Peter seemed to cheer up a bit, Remus could see him trying to work through his insecurity and put on a brave face, so to speak. He'd seen that look a few times on the boys face, and he couldn't help but worry that one day they were going to push him away without meaning to. James and Sirius were so confident and suave (or so they liked to believe), that people like him and Peter tended to be forgotten. Not that he minded this at all, he did not want to be in the limelight with people watching him and scrutinising him....but Peter, well...he had nothing to hide from the world, so it was probably frustrating to not get as much attention or praise. Remus smiled and replied warmly, trying to emphasis his point "No, it wouldn't."
The smile faltered however when Peter's brave face cracked and the young man became an insecure puddle on the floor. "Pete?" Remus prodded as he stood up and headed over to Peters bed, perching on the mattress close to the young man. When Peter started explaining the problem, the werewolf looked sympathetic, books forgotten and his worries about Peters frustrations confirmed. He listened quietly, letting his friend get it all out and giving a little chuckle at Peters summing up of James's 'love life'....unsuccessful indeed. Eventually the boy stopped speaking and Remus sorted through the main points quickly before replying. "Peter...congratulations." he clapped Peter on the shoulder and smiled, genuinely happy that his friend had found someone who wanted to go to the ball with him - it would be good for Peter, and perhaps it would help ease his insecurity a bit. His smile became sympathetic. "You're right, James would be an awful person to get advice from...but Sirius...well, do you really want to be like him?" he looked sheepish, trying to ignore his own feelings on the subject and shifting to get more comfortable. "Look, Sirius may be a bit of an impatient git, but you're his friend and he'll want to help you." he held up a hand, pre-emptively stopping Peter from interrupting. "Yes, he'll tease you rotten about it, but even James doesn't escape that." he reassured his friend. It as true, James' miserable attempts at winning Lily over were often the source of great amusement, and Sirius took delight in winding his best friend up about it. "Trust me, it'll be a boost to his already large ego to have someone who wants to learn from him...but whatever he says, don't take it to heart, ok? Don't let him talk you into using pick up lines, or doing stupid stunts...The girl obviously likes you if she wants you to take her to the dance, so it would be best for you to be yourself!”