Disclaimer - You know the drill. You don't seriously think I created Harry Potter, do you? Give me a break, I'm not that smart. No, these characters are the sole property of J. Rowling and a number of publishing companies.
A/N - Well, I took a night off. I thought I'd earned it.
A lot of people said they wished I'd included a bit more emotion in the last chapter of "Another Word For You," so that's actually been the inspiration for this story. I hope you like it.
NEVER ONE TO LEAVE
"I'm telling you, he's not okay." Sirius Black slid onto the bench next to his friend James Potter, his eyes still on the Quidditch practice in progress.
"He says he's fine," James protested. "And Madam Pomfrey checked him out of hospital three days ago. You're just worrying too much, like you always do."
It had been nearly two weeks since Sirius had returned Remus to Hogwarts from his parents' house, where he'd been spending the Christmas holiday. It had been Remus' first time staying with them - he'd grown up in a muggle orphanage - and his father had been dangerously abusive. Fortunately, Remus' injuries had been relatively minor, and he'd been released early from the hospital wing on the condition that he get plenty of rest. Sirius had taken this to heart and had made it his personal mission to see that Remus did not have to lift a finger unnecessarily. James found the whole thing a bit amusing.
"You didn't see him," Sirius said shortly, his eyes tracing the Seeker's path in the air. Sirius was the alternate Seeker for the Gryffindor team and was supposed to be studying Faye Walsh's technique, but he couldn't keep his mind off his friend. "When I went to pick him up, James…he was so…"
"You told me, Sirius," James interrupted. "It sounded like he was a lot more together than you were. I mean, he wasn't the one breaking everything he could get his hands on, was he?"
Sirius sighed. "He forgave his father, James. I mean…how could he have?"
"Look." James turned to face Sirius. "That's his decision, Padfoot. I know it's not what you'd wanted, to be honest I'd like to see the scumbag behind bars too. But that's not our responsibility. That's for Remus to decide. All we have to decide is that we'll never let anyone hurt him again."
"It seems like every time I promise him no one will hurt him, someone does." Sirius shook his head. "I can't promise him anything."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter, James, Remus and Sirius gathered in their usual spot before the Gryffindor common room fire that evening. James and Sirius were playing Exploding Snap, but they didn't really know how to play so they mostly just spelled out dirty words with the cards. Then, when the word they'd spelled exploded, they shouted it out. Remus, who hadn't mastered a few of the charms they'd been taught last term, was practicing Banishing and Summoning. Peter was sucking on a quill and reading about simple culinary spells.
"Okay," Peter said after a moment. "I think I've got it." He said an incantation, and a moment later a plate of raw bacon appeared before him.
"Great, Pete," James said absently. "Now you'll just have to get that cooked."
"Hang on a moment." Sirius reached over and separated a couple of bacon strips. He placed them on top of the dirty word he'd spelled.
"What…?"
"Shhh…"
The word exploded, the bacon sizzled. "Accio bacon!" Remus yelled, and the bacon whizzed towards him.
"Hey!" Sirius protested. Remus grinned and popped the bacon in his mouth. "Good one, mate."
Annoyed, Peter shoved the book away. "Let's start planning the next full moon, you guys."
"Pete, it's a week away," Remus protested.
"I know, which is why we need to think about it now," Peter insisted. "You'll get all moody and depressed in a few days, and then we won't be able to talk about anything at all."
Remus was indignant. "I will not get moody and depressed!"
"Nah, he's right, Moony," James said. "You always get weird right before the full moon. Occupational hazard of being a werewolf, I guess, but you can be a lot to take."
"Really?" Remus' voice was icy, but only Sirius seemed to notice. He looked up in alarm.
"Oh definitely," Peter continued. "You're a right old pain in the arse." He grinned, amused at himself.
Remus stood so suddenly his books fell to the floor. "Fine. Tell you what then, why don't you all just not bother this month? Go make friends with someone a little easier to take!" He stormed off upstairs to the dormitory. The other three stared after him.
After a few moments Peter spoke. "I guess I miscalculated."
"Yeah, a lot," James glared at him.
"Oh, stop it," Sirius said irritably to James. "You provoked him."
"I 'provoked him'?" James asked incredulously. "Come on, Sirius, Rem never acts like that."
"The full moon," Sirius said coldly, "is eight days away. Remus isn't affected until it's three days away. That's the way it's always been. Which means something else is upsetting him, and since you don't believe it could be the incident with his father, I'm gonna say it's you." He turned away and stalked upstairs.
There was a long silence.
Finally Peter spoke. "What else gets moody for no reason, apart from werewolves?"
James snorted. "Idiots."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Remy?"
Sirius approached the bed slowly. There was no sound, but the hangings were closed.
"Remy, I'm coming in."
He pulled back the hangings. Remus was sitting on the bed, legs crossed, chin in his hands, his face expressionless.
"Hey, talk to me," Sirius sat down, but Remus scooted away from him.
"Go away, Sirius."
"Why?" Sirius demanded. "I wasn't saying that stuff, it was Peter and James, and they don't mean it anyway."
"Who cares?" Remus demanded. "I'm sick of them, and I'm especially sick of you. Get out of here."
"Remy…"
"And don't call me that!"
"Fine!" Sirius was mad now. "Look, I don't know what your problem is lately, but you can't just throw away a friendship without a reason. So if it's really what you want, Remus, I'll walk out of here and we'll end this right now, but I'm not bloody going until you tell me why. Why you don't want James and Peter around anymore, why you never talk around us, why you're bellowing at me and why you all of a sudden hate me."
He swallowed the lump that was rising in his throat and continued. "You know, after you got back, when you were in the hospital wing, I stayed every night with you. I stole James' invisibility cloak to sneak in, and I'd curl up at the foot of your bed and stay until sunrise. I was so afraid for you."
Remus looked like he might say something, but Sirius cut him off.
"I stole a broom from a shop so I could get to your house and find you, Remus. I could've gone to prison for that. As it is I have to pay a fine. I spent three years learning to become an Animagus for you. When you were having all those nightmares about your brother, I stayed with you every night. And just now, downstairs, I yelled at Peter and James for you, not because I actually understand, but because I can't imagine ever not being on your side. I'd do anything for you, Remus, I'd even give up my best friend in the world, but you've got to tell me why!"
Exhausted from his tirade, Sirius sat down on the bed and buried his face in his hands. His shoulders shook with sobs. After a moment he felt a hand on his arm.
"Sirius."
He shook his head, unable to get his emotions in check.
"Sirius, I love you."
Then he felt Remus' arms around him, pulling him down, and they were lying in each other's arms. Sirius buried his head in Remus' chest and felt his friend rub his back softly. "I'm sorry, Sirius, I love you."
"Love you too," Sirius mumbled, starting to drift off in the comfort and security of his friend's embrace. Whatever was wrong with Remus, it could be dealt with in the morning. They'd both feel better after a night's sleep.
A/N - Well, I took a night off. I thought I'd earned it.
A lot of people said they wished I'd included a bit more emotion in the last chapter of "Another Word For You," so that's actually been the inspiration for this story. I hope you like it.
NEVER ONE TO LEAVE
"I'm telling you, he's not okay." Sirius Black slid onto the bench next to his friend James Potter, his eyes still on the Quidditch practice in progress.
"He says he's fine," James protested. "And Madam Pomfrey checked him out of hospital three days ago. You're just worrying too much, like you always do."
It had been nearly two weeks since Sirius had returned Remus to Hogwarts from his parents' house, where he'd been spending the Christmas holiday. It had been Remus' first time staying with them - he'd grown up in a muggle orphanage - and his father had been dangerously abusive. Fortunately, Remus' injuries had been relatively minor, and he'd been released early from the hospital wing on the condition that he get plenty of rest. Sirius had taken this to heart and had made it his personal mission to see that Remus did not have to lift a finger unnecessarily. James found the whole thing a bit amusing.
"You didn't see him," Sirius said shortly, his eyes tracing the Seeker's path in the air. Sirius was the alternate Seeker for the Gryffindor team and was supposed to be studying Faye Walsh's technique, but he couldn't keep his mind off his friend. "When I went to pick him up, James…he was so…"
"You told me, Sirius," James interrupted. "It sounded like he was a lot more together than you were. I mean, he wasn't the one breaking everything he could get his hands on, was he?"
Sirius sighed. "He forgave his father, James. I mean…how could he have?"
"Look." James turned to face Sirius. "That's his decision, Padfoot. I know it's not what you'd wanted, to be honest I'd like to see the scumbag behind bars too. But that's not our responsibility. That's for Remus to decide. All we have to decide is that we'll never let anyone hurt him again."
"It seems like every time I promise him no one will hurt him, someone does." Sirius shook his head. "I can't promise him anything."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter, James, Remus and Sirius gathered in their usual spot before the Gryffindor common room fire that evening. James and Sirius were playing Exploding Snap, but they didn't really know how to play so they mostly just spelled out dirty words with the cards. Then, when the word they'd spelled exploded, they shouted it out. Remus, who hadn't mastered a few of the charms they'd been taught last term, was practicing Banishing and Summoning. Peter was sucking on a quill and reading about simple culinary spells.
"Okay," Peter said after a moment. "I think I've got it." He said an incantation, and a moment later a plate of raw bacon appeared before him.
"Great, Pete," James said absently. "Now you'll just have to get that cooked."
"Hang on a moment." Sirius reached over and separated a couple of bacon strips. He placed them on top of the dirty word he'd spelled.
"What…?"
"Shhh…"
The word exploded, the bacon sizzled. "Accio bacon!" Remus yelled, and the bacon whizzed towards him.
"Hey!" Sirius protested. Remus grinned and popped the bacon in his mouth. "Good one, mate."
Annoyed, Peter shoved the book away. "Let's start planning the next full moon, you guys."
"Pete, it's a week away," Remus protested.
"I know, which is why we need to think about it now," Peter insisted. "You'll get all moody and depressed in a few days, and then we won't be able to talk about anything at all."
Remus was indignant. "I will not get moody and depressed!"
"Nah, he's right, Moony," James said. "You always get weird right before the full moon. Occupational hazard of being a werewolf, I guess, but you can be a lot to take."
"Really?" Remus' voice was icy, but only Sirius seemed to notice. He looked up in alarm.
"Oh definitely," Peter continued. "You're a right old pain in the arse." He grinned, amused at himself.
Remus stood so suddenly his books fell to the floor. "Fine. Tell you what then, why don't you all just not bother this month? Go make friends with someone a little easier to take!" He stormed off upstairs to the dormitory. The other three stared after him.
After a few moments Peter spoke. "I guess I miscalculated."
"Yeah, a lot," James glared at him.
"Oh, stop it," Sirius said irritably to James. "You provoked him."
"I 'provoked him'?" James asked incredulously. "Come on, Sirius, Rem never acts like that."
"The full moon," Sirius said coldly, "is eight days away. Remus isn't affected until it's three days away. That's the way it's always been. Which means something else is upsetting him, and since you don't believe it could be the incident with his father, I'm gonna say it's you." He turned away and stalked upstairs.
There was a long silence.
Finally Peter spoke. "What else gets moody for no reason, apart from werewolves?"
James snorted. "Idiots."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Remy?"
Sirius approached the bed slowly. There was no sound, but the hangings were closed.
"Remy, I'm coming in."
He pulled back the hangings. Remus was sitting on the bed, legs crossed, chin in his hands, his face expressionless.
"Hey, talk to me," Sirius sat down, but Remus scooted away from him.
"Go away, Sirius."
"Why?" Sirius demanded. "I wasn't saying that stuff, it was Peter and James, and they don't mean it anyway."
"Who cares?" Remus demanded. "I'm sick of them, and I'm especially sick of you. Get out of here."
"Remy…"
"And don't call me that!"
"Fine!" Sirius was mad now. "Look, I don't know what your problem is lately, but you can't just throw away a friendship without a reason. So if it's really what you want, Remus, I'll walk out of here and we'll end this right now, but I'm not bloody going until you tell me why. Why you don't want James and Peter around anymore, why you never talk around us, why you're bellowing at me and why you all of a sudden hate me."
He swallowed the lump that was rising in his throat and continued. "You know, after you got back, when you were in the hospital wing, I stayed every night with you. I stole James' invisibility cloak to sneak in, and I'd curl up at the foot of your bed and stay until sunrise. I was so afraid for you."
Remus looked like he might say something, but Sirius cut him off.
"I stole a broom from a shop so I could get to your house and find you, Remus. I could've gone to prison for that. As it is I have to pay a fine. I spent three years learning to become an Animagus for you. When you were having all those nightmares about your brother, I stayed with you every night. And just now, downstairs, I yelled at Peter and James for you, not because I actually understand, but because I can't imagine ever not being on your side. I'd do anything for you, Remus, I'd even give up my best friend in the world, but you've got to tell me why!"
Exhausted from his tirade, Sirius sat down on the bed and buried his face in his hands. His shoulders shook with sobs. After a moment he felt a hand on his arm.
"Sirius."
He shook his head, unable to get his emotions in check.
"Sirius, I love you."
Then he felt Remus' arms around him, pulling him down, and they were lying in each other's arms. Sirius buried his head in Remus' chest and felt his friend rub his back softly. "I'm sorry, Sirius, I love you."
"Love you too," Sirius mumbled, starting to drift off in the comfort and security of his friend's embrace. Whatever was wrong with Remus, it could be dealt with in the morning. They'd both feel better after a night's sleep.