The Watching Moon
Sirius watched from the tower window as Remus was lead to the Whomping Willow by Madame Pompfrey. His slight form seemed even smaller as he huddled against the wind in nothing but an old pair of worn out pajama bottoms. The autumn wind was rustling the fallen leaves and the Willow's branches swayed innocently in the breeze. Sirius watched, as he did every full moon for the past year, as Pompfrey prodded that one spot on the Willow's trunk, making the now trashing limbs freeze.
Sirius watched as Remus stood next to her, bathed in the light of twilight, clutching his arms and shivering slightly. He gazed at the scarred torso that always stayed hidden underneath layers of clothing. He looked at the gentle curve of the sides that disappeared into the loose pajama pants. He watched as Remus looked up at the window where he was sitting, unable to see him beneath the Invisibility Cloak he borrowed from James for just this purpose.
Sirius watched as the school nurse gave Remus a quick hug before lightly pushing him toward that hole in the ground. Sirius watched as the top of that sandy head lowered out of sight and as the tree began flailing again. He watched Madame Pompfrey look at the spot where Remus' frail body had dropped into the ground. He watched her turn and head back to the castle. And he sat in that window and watched the moon slowly rise into the night sky.
Sirius watched as that pale orb mingled with the stars. Such a beautiful, cursed sight. He stared at the glowing moon, willing it to disappear, to vanish. But it wouldn't fade from the sky, from existence. It never did.
Sirius leaned his head against the cool glass as he waited for the one thing he wished he never had to hear. He waited with his eyes closed, hoping that this was the night he wouldn't hear it. But he did hear it. The pain filled, lonely howl. The cry of a wolf desperate to be free, to not be alone and abandoned.
Sirius hugged his knees to his chest as he listened to that distant call, wishing with all his might that he could make it stop, that he could erase the pain. But he knew he couldn't, it wasn't his place. He wasn't wanted. And as the rain began to fall on that windy autumn night, so did the silent tears that Sirius had been saving for this very occasion. He sat there all night, watching that moon, and when the sun rose so did he.
He lingered near the window to watch as Pompfrey lead a bloodied and bruised Remus to the doors of the school. He watched as she vanished the trail of red dripping down in their wake. He watched as the two left his view and entered the castle.
And then Sirius headed back to the dormitory, knowing that in a few hours Remus would be back to tell them his latest excuse.
A/N: This is a little ditty that was spawned from boredom. I didn't feel like writing Fallen Angel, and no one seems to mind its slight pause, so this was created. It's short and set sometime around third or fourth year I suppose. I won't go into it too much. I'll just leave it as it is and let you make of it what you will. And we always love reviews.