Hi! I'm taking a break fro my other fic, "The Werewolf". This is about what happened four years later. Everyone say it with me: "The Prank." That's right. This is just the aftermath of what happens, not how it happens. I own nothing.
Remus Lupin sat in the Whomping Willow, his head in his hands. After all these years, this was still his favorite place to go when he was upset. And right now, he was upset.
Remus was usually a very easy-going, forgiving person. But not now. Not anymore. He couldn't forgive Sirius this time. His friend had always been pretty much an idiot, but this was too much. He had betrayed Remus; he had almost gotten someone killed. He had almost gotten two people killed, actually. Remus and Severus "Snivvelus" Snape. Snape, because he had unwittingly take Sirius's advice and followed Remus down the tunnel and almost gotten himself killed. Remus, because if he had bitten Snape, he would have been "exterminated" by the Ministry of Magic.
He sat in silence for several minutes, brooding. He could hear the other students talking, chatting in the warm spring sun. Then, he heard one voice abve the rest. "Remus?" It was Black. Remus didn't answer. "I know you're up there. Please, talk to me." Remus could hear the begging in Sirius's voice, the pleading for him to forgive. But he couldn't. No longer.
"Go away."
"Remus, please."
Remus turned to look at him. "Please what?"
"Please forget about it. No on was hurt. Nothing bad happened. You can let it go." Sirius was an idiot. Didn't he understand that Remus couldn't let it go? That it was impossible? He turned around completely, glaring at Sirius. Then, in one quick, fluid motion, he leaped out of the tree. It seemed a fool hardy thing to do, but the Whomping Willow wasn't actually that big, and he was pretty tall, even he was the shortest one in their year. He landed right in front of his former friend.
"I can let it go? Just like that? You just expect me to forget it? No." He began walking away, in the direction of the lake, where other people were. Sirius followed him.
"Well, why not? Nothing bad happened. No one was hurt-"
Remus cut him off. "No one was hurt? You know that's a lie, Black." They stopped walking. They were still out of earshot of any of the other students.
Sirius lookd down, examining his hands. "I'm sorry." As though that was enough. Remus was angry, more angry than he'd ever been in his life.
"Sorry," he hissed. "You almost got me and someone else killed, but you're sorry.
"If James hadn't been there, I would have killed him, Black. But at least you're sorry." Remus's voice was getting louder, until he was practically shouting. "You almost got two people killed that night! You betrayed me! You said you wouldn't tell, promised you'd keep it a secret! I trusted you! And you just threw it away." He said the last part in a defeated whisper. "You don't know how much it hurts."
Sirius tentavely reached out a hand and placed it on Remus's shoulder. Remus shrugged it off. "Don't touch me." He felt broken, betrayed. How could Sirius do that? They were the Marauders, they stuck together. But Sirius had told. It was over. He turned and walked away.