He hadn't believed Dumbledore at first.
He still didn't believe the man two weeks later when they walked through St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. Nor had he believed Dumbledore when they walked down the hall marked 'Recovery'. He played along with the old man, never believing whatever words of assurance poured out of his mouth. Dumbledore knew of his doubts, that he knew, and he did nothing to hide that fact.
Despite weeks of preparing, nothing had prepared him for the sight that met his eyes the moment the door swing open. On a bed of stiff white sheets lay Sirius Black; Marauder, animagus, friend, lover, and innocent man. The first to escape from Azkaban and the first to escape from Death.
The man's eyes were closed, his hands limp on the light blue quilt. Relaxed wrinkles of laughter decorated the corners of his eyes, in contrast from the wrinkles of stress and frustration that creased his forehead. His black hair was long and severely knotted, sharp in contrast to the white bed sheets. Sirius' body seemed too frail, too old beneath the blankets on the bed.
But Remus still didn't believe that this wasted man was Sirius.
It could very well be, but the many lying before Remus had been taken from him too many times. Remus wasn't ready to trust in others again just yet. He was content to live the rest of his life along in mourning, thank you very much.
Whilst Remus studied the foreign man on the bed, Dumbledore respectively stepped out of the room. Remus didn't hear the door close.
He walked across the room, still unconvinced, and sat in an abandoned chair next to the bed. Harry had already been in, no doubt, to see Sirius for himself. Remus remembered Harry urging him to go, telling him that Sirius wanted to see him above anyone else. Remus couldn't have come when he first found out. He had filled with hope, and then great despair. If Sirius was truly back that meant that Remus would have to face the past once again, he would have to be reunited with Sirius again, Remus would have to wait while Sirius got used to the modern world again. He would have to fall in love with a new man. Again.
Remus was a coward for waiting this long.
He didn't know how long he sat there debating with himself. He had finally convinced himself that this man, this fragile-looking man, was not Sirius when the man stirred in his bed. Remus felt a sense of foreboding fill his body. A lump grew in his throat as his heart misplaced its proper placement.
Sirius' eyes opened slowly, closed against the harsh light flooding through the window, then slowly opened once more. His eyes were immediately locked with Remus's. A wave of nostalgia hit Remus so hard that he lost his breath.
Those eyes. No matter what, Remus knew those eyes. They were an ocean blue, a blue so indescribably deep that they were often mistaken for black. They held no sparkle now, no joyful tint of life that they had carried in their better days. Sirius's eyes were something Remus could never forget. He knew every look they could carry; laughter, pride, pain, pleasure, love, hate.
Slowly Remus took Sirius's bony hand into his own. Sirius swallowed with visible difficulty. He wet his chapped lips.
"Remus..." he whispered in a croaky voice that hadn't been used in a while. Remus cradled Sirius's hand between both of his own.
"Sirius..." he said in a hesitant, gentle voice. Remus fought to keep his voice from breaking. He hadn't spoken that name in such a long time. "How did you..." Sirius shook his head.
"Please, not... not now," he swallowed again. "Please, just sit here with me."
Remus nodded, his questions quelled for the time being. He gently stroked Sirius's hand with his thumb, wondering why he had been so daft as to not believe Dumbledore. Remus looked into Sirius's tired eyes once more. Those eyes told him to believe that he had returned and Remus hadn't argued with them yet.
A/n– This was Sirius's return from behind the veil. What did you think? I know that I explained none of it, and I don't intend to explain it. Use your imaginations, my dears, for there will be no sequel to this.
Please review and tell me what you liked and didn't like. I love constructive criticism!
:-:silver-sunn101:-: