Sirius was alone in the common room kneeling before the fire. He was waiting for his mother to appear there after receiving a letter at breakfast. Even now at 15 years of age, even though he was several thousand miles away from home, he was too scared to disobey his mother. She would find a way to make him listen, if not this then a howler in front of the school at breakfast. Nervously he crouched on the cold stone floor and checked his watch. 1 minute before. He could make a run for it, be up in bed by the time she manifested herself, but just as he had been about to bolt he heard a sharp voice hissing from the fire.
"Stay boy, don't even think of running."
Sirius flinched and sank back to his knees.
"Good evening mother, you wanted to talk with me?"
"I would rather not but Bella has reported something to me that needs to be discussed." His mother continued, in a false, caring voice.
"Do you have many friends at school?"
"Yes."
"Are they of noble status?"
"No, not all of them"
His mother's eyes blazed and her lip curled.
"I should have known you'd be the one to let me down."
Sirius' stomach dropped, anger roared in his ears.
"Who is Remus?" she asked icily.
Sirius went dizzy. So this was what this was about. He wanted to turn and run, but he was glued to the spot, looking at his mother's eyes burning in the coals of the fire.
"He's another friend of mine." Sirius said weekly, praying his voice wasn't shaking as badly as the rest of him.
"Bella said she saw you two talking the other day in the library. You seem very good friends. You must care a lot for him, the way you act together."
Sirius didn't move. He couldn't. His mother's eyes still bored into his.
"Bella says you were planning to stay with him over the summer."
Sirius nodded mutely.
"Well you'd best hope his parents like you. You're not welcome back here anymore. Clearly you have found better people to respect than your own mother."
Sirius just stared at the fire.
"You know what happens to people who are no longer worthy of the black family name, don't you, boy" She sneered, as she burst into a whirl of sparks, burning Sirius' hands as he made an attempt to guard his face. He leapt back with a yell of pain, anger and fear and fell back into the chair. His hands burned and sparks peppered his face. He tried to reach into his robes to conjure the freezing spell Remus had used on him the first time he had burned his hands but he couldn't hold anything.
He heard footsteps coming down the staircase; he could tell they were Remus's the soft, swift footfall that he had heard echoed with his own since their first day. His hair was tousled, his eyes heavy from being woken sharply, or from not sleeping, his rumpled pyjamas, slightly too short in the arms and legs, the result of a recent growth spurt, were buttoned wrong.
"You okay?" He asked in a low voice.
He jogged across the common room till he reached Sirius' side.
Sirius couldn't speak, he just held out his palms. Remus took his wrists holding them still. He pulled out his wand and muttered the same freezing spell he had used five years ago. Sirius's breathing slowed as his hands cooled and healed. He gently pulled his hands from Remus's grip and put them to his face. That cooled slowly too. He sank forward with his head in his hands. His dark hair fell over his face, obscuring his eyes, his body trembled.
Remus rested a hand lightly on his friends shoulder. Sirius stiffened momentarily then relaxed taking several deep breaths before nudging his friends hand with his head. He sat up. Remus joined him on the arm of the chair.
"What happened to your hands?"He asked gently.
"Mother," Sirius muttered. He felt Remus's body stiffen. "Bella heard us talking about summer and told her."
Remus got up off the arm and stood, rubbing his face. He knew how worried Sirius was about her finding out.
"What did she say?" he asked softly.
Sirius took a breath before answering.
"She said that I was no longer worthy of the Black family name. She told me your parents better like me because I was not welcome back home."
Remus stopped walking and took a deep breath closing his eyes. Sirius was struck by how tall and lean he was, standing in the dim light of the fire he cast shadow over the walls.
"You stay with me then." He said simply. Sirius stood up.
"What?"
"You stay with me. I will write to Mum and Dad tomorrow. They'll be glad you're out that house. Please Sirius, come stay with me."
"You're sure?" asked Sirius hardly daring to believe it.
"Yes, at least I know you are safe, I couldn't bear the thought of you staying with your mother a minute longer."
Sirius beamed. He laughed then grabbed his friend in a hug so tight Remus gasped.
"So is that a yes then?"He asked huskily.
By way of answer Sirius did the most affectionate thing he could. He turned into a dog and licked Remus once behind each ear.
"Gross!" Remus yelled before cracking up laughing. "I'll send an own to Mum and Dad in the morning then.
Sirius put his paws on Remus's shoulders looking at him directly, trying to tell him how grateful he was. Remus just laughed again.
"You look like you need to go outside."
Sirius blew softly in his face and Remus still laughing rubbed his snout.
"Get some sleep. We have double history of magic in the morning and you are not copying my notes this time."
Sirius licked him one last time to say goodnight and Remus, shocking both himself and Sirius, kissed him on the nose.
"Goodnight snuffles." He whispered, his face flaming, and hurried upstairs to the dormitory.
Sirius turned back into himself and stared after him. He couldn't believe Remus would let him stay all summer. He was starting to realise just how much Remus meant to him.
He trudged up the stairs to the dormitory, falling into his four poster bed he stayed awake for just long enough to murmur.
"Goodnight Wolfie."
Before he fell into a deep sleep.