Another Passes By The Door
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters, names and locations belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing that you recognize.
Written for the Torture the OTPs competition.
Prompt - One half of your OTP is happily dating another person, completely oblivious to the other half of your OTP's feelings for them. Will the second person suffer in silence, or earn their beloved's eternal hatred by trying to break up the happy couple?
Sirius shifted in his seat, turning his head as he tried to distance himself from the couple at the opposite end of the table. Though try as he might, it was difficult to ignore their incessant chattering, giggling and cute little pet names they had for each other. Worst of all was that she had started calling him Moony, a pet name Sirius had chosen for him when they were still in school together. She snatched it right out from under his nose, just like she'd stolen Remus from him when he wasn't looking.
However there were those who'd argue that Remus never belonged to Sirius Black in the first place. Not when he ignored the signals he'd been getting for the last twenty years. He thought Moony was just a clever nick name and had given Sirius one in return. He hadn't stopped to consider whether or not there was anything more to it. It was just a nick name. But then she came along, and suddenly the name Moony had a whole new meaning.
Of course it meant something when he was with her. Of course he preferred her shapeshifting abilities over those of Sirius Black, because she could change her appearance in a variety of ways that Sirius couldn't. Sirius only had one form which wasn't good enough for Remus. No, he had to have something special. Something more than what Sirius had to offer.
"Sirius, dear, is something wrong?"
"Hmm?" Sirius looked up when he heard Molly say his name. He glanced in Remus' direction before looking back at her, doing his best to wave off her concern as though it were nothing at all. "Of course not. I was just thinking about the possibility of escaping this dump in favor of a more pleasurable location." He paused, his lip curling in disgust as the sound of Tonks' laughter reached his ears.
Molly sighed, giving him a sympathetic pat on the back. "I know, Sirius. It must be awful having to stay cooped up in your parent's house while the world passes you by."
"You don't know the half of it," Sirius grumbled, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Tonks from across the table.
He'd spent so much time in Azkaban, waiting for the day when he could slip past the guards and make his way back to Remus, only to discover that he had found someone else. It was enough to make him consider taking matters into his own hands, a thought that never would have crossed his mind were it not for the misery he experienced in prison.
The opportunity he was looking for came when word got out that Harry and his friends had snuck into the Ministry of Magic, making it as far as the Department of Mysteries before they were ambushed by a group of Death Eaters. Sirius was first to respond when he received word that his godson was in danger, and for a brief moment the thoughts he'd been entertaining for the past few weeks slipped his mind. That is until he stepped out into the night and saw Tonks held in Remus' embrace, her lips against his as he kissed her one last time before taking her hand and vanishing into thin air.
Sirius froze, the light from inside spilling onto the pavement as he stood in the doorway. His heart beat frantically against his ribs before plunging into the pit of his stomach, his eyes never leaving the spot where, only moments ago, Remus held her in his arms, making sure she knew his feelings for her before venturing into the ministry. This sickening display of affection was enough to push him over the edge, with jealousy gnawing at his insides as the image of when he'd seen played over and over in his mind.
He joined the others in the battle at the Department of Mysterious, his sights set on Tonks as she fought to protect her friends. The air was filled with flashes of light as spells ricocheted off the walls, a stone pillar exploding to his left as a stray curse struck the polished marble. Sirius ducked to avoid the debris as a portion of pillar collapsed, then took aim and fired a curse at Tonks.
Tonks' breath caught in her chest, her eyes rolling back in her head as the spell began to take effect. Sirius grinned, thinking that no one would suspect him or notice what he'd done. He flicked his wrist, muttering a command under his breath, then stood back and watched her fire a series of hexes in Remus' general direction.
"Tonks!" the werewolf exclaimed, moving to avoid a jet of scarlet light as it soared past his ear. "Tonks, stop! What are you doing?"
Sirius' lips moved as he mouthed the words he wanted her say, her voice speaking for him as he commanded her to confess that she never loved him, and that she was only using him to get to Harry and steal the prophecy. In his mind it was the perfect plan. Peter Pettigrew had framed him for murder, so why not frame Tonks and make it appear as though she worked for Lord Voldemort?
He watched as Remus appeared to wilt before his very eyes, his shoulders sinking as he stared at her in disbelief. Sirius never would have considered doing such a thing if it weren't for the time he spent in Azkaban. But after more than a decade of reliving his final night with Remus, after being consumed with grief and feeling as though he would die before he saw the man he loved, he decided that he would stop at nothing to bring Remus back.
"No," Remus whispered. He swallowed hard, his throat constricted with emotion. He found it difficult to speak, his hand raised as he approached her with caution, keeping his wand at the ready in case he needed to defend himself. "No, I don't believe you."
Tonks raised her wand, ready to fire another hex at the unfortunate werewolf. And although he was prepared to defend himself if necessary, Remus couldn't bring himself to attack her. He knew in his heart that something was wrong, her vacant expression hinting at some sort of magical manipulation that was forcing her to act against her will. But who was it? Who would sink so low as to use an unforgivable curse on such a sweet, young lady?
The answer came a minute later just as Tonks was preparing to fire another spell at him. The was a brilliant flash, followed by a heavy thump as Sirius hit the floor after being struck by a stunning spell. The incantation died on her lips, her vision clearing as she blinked at looked around in confusion.
A moment passed between them before she realized where she was, her senses returning as Remus practically dove on top of her, knocking her out of the path of an oncoming curse.
The young witch shrieked as the green jet of light soared overhead, missing them by a hairsbreadth as she stumbled and started to fall backwards down the steps.
"It's alright," Remus soothed, his arms around her to keep her from falling over backwards. "It's alright. I've got you, and I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." He looked back at Sirius who was lying in a heap on the floor, his unruly mass of curls obscuring his face as he shuddered and gasped, trying in vain to lift himself off the floor.
"Remus." Sirius groaned, his eyes finding the other man's face in the shadows of the dimly lit room. "Remus, please. I... I'm sorry."
The werewolf glared at him, his arms tightening around Tonks' waist as he pulled her into a protective embrace. "I thought better of you, Sirius. I thought I could trust you, and that you were the one person who wouldn't try stabbing me in the back when I least expected it."
Sirius let his gaze drift towards the floor, listening to the sound of footsteps as Remus turned and walked away. He knew that he had singlehandedly destroyed any chance he might have had with him, and that there was a strong possibility he would be thrown in Azkaban for the crime he committed. Not that it mattered anymore, because life without Remus was like having his own personal dementor following him around, draining the happiness out of the atmosphere until there was nothing left but misery and grief.
But this time it was different, for he had sentenced himself to a lifetime without the one person he loved and wanted more than anything else in the world. He didn't have anyone else to blame for this. And no matter where he went, or what he did for the remainder of his life, Sirius Black would have to live with fact that he brought this on himself, and all because he let his jealousy get the better of him.