I know this is terribly short, but I like it none the less.
Done for a challenge at HPFC; The House Quote Challenge, and my quote was 'we read to know we are not alone'. This was fun to write, thanks to deja vu again for hosting such a cool challenge (:
Update: edited slightly, improved :D
The library smell was familiar to Remus, comforting even, which was why he spent so much of his time there. When the guys were just a bit too much for him to handle, he could sneak away to his books, his other life, or if he was lonely, his books would always comfort him. No strings attached.
Escape from his friends, escape from loneliness… Either way he was running, but today he was just a little lost. He didn't know what he was running from.
He was sitting at his favourite table, right in the corner, but far enough away from the snogging regions of the library that no one would think twice about him being there. He was reading, or at least trying to; he was distracted by nigling thoughts of what the others would be up to right about now.
Well, James would be playing Quidditch- after all, that was why the castle was deserted. Big game and all. Peter would be watching, wishing that he was good at something, and Sirius… Remus gave a little snort of laughter. Sirius would be leaping up and down in the stands, screaming like a complete madman at the team and... Probably wishing he could be out there with them.
But he couldn't, and the thought of whose fault that was sobered Remus up quickly. The full moon had been a few nights ago, and a certain werewolf had been more vicious than usual, leaving everyone battered and Sirius with a nasty concussion.
Sighing, Remus put his book down, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. It seemed he couldn't do anything right by his friends. After all they'd done for him, he just hurt them.
"Moony, what's up?" Looking up, Remus grimaced as he saw Sirius standing before him. Speak of the devil.
"Nothing, just reading," He lied. "Good book."
"Tired?"
"Yes." He admitted. "You?"
"Yeah, and bloody sore!" He added playfully. It didn't have the desired effect of putting him at ease, instead Remus visibly drooped.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, avoiding Sirius' eyes. "I-I never meant to hurt you…"
To his surprise, Remus heard a snort from the other Marauder, and he pulled out the chair next to Remus, sitting heavily.
"We've bloody well been through this, Moony," he said impatiently. "We are your friends, and we are willing to take the risk. We care about you."
"You shouldn't."
Sirius replied with a long-suffering sigh and changed the topic diplomatically.
"So what are you reading?"
"It's called a book, Padfoot."
"Really? That's fascinating. I'll have to remember that one." Reaching out, Sirius flipped the book shut, peering at the title. He muttered the name aloud a few times before seemingly coming to a conclusion and bursting into laughter.
"Merlin, that sounds like the name of some porn film!" He commented.
"It practically is," Remus offered. "There's an unseemly amount of sexual tension between the two protagonists of the book," he added. "I'm just waiting for the chapter where they realise their love for each other and have wild, passionate sex in the kitchen."
"Wow, that kind of book, huh?"
"No, not really."
"Pity."
There was a lull in the conversation, and neither of them seemed ready, or willing, to break the silence.
Remus pulled his book closer and tried to pick up from where he was, but he was too aware of Sirius sitting next to him. He could just hear his soft breathing. Other than a few twitches of his fingers, he sat perfectly still, staring into space and looking surprisingly peaceful.
"Why do you read so much, Moony?" Sirius asked suddenly. "Why does anyone read?"
"I guess…" Remus said hesitantly, taken slightly aback. "We read to know that we're not alone."
Hey, that actually sounded pretty good. Had he read that somewhere?
"Bloody riddles," Sirius muttered.
"It's not a riddle, Sirius," Remus said tolerantly.
"Whatever," he replied, flapping a hand at him.
Again there was a lull as Remus tried to read, and Sirius just sat there.
"You know you're not alone, right?" Sirius said, somewhat awkwardly.
"What?"
"I'm always here for you, Moony. Always."
Remus looked at Sirius, or more specifically at Sirius' hand, which had reached over and grabbed his. Looking up at his face, there was a wide array of emotions there, displayed for the world to see, but Remus didn't bother trying to decipher any of them. He merely smiled.
"Thanks, Padfoot."
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