Title: Stay
Author: Ex-Professor Remus Lupin
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General/Romance
Era: Post Marauder
Pairing(s): James/Lily obviously but not really. If you squint you can see Remus/Sirius
Summary: You can only do so
much.
Disclaimer: This story is based
on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various
publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic
Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being
made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's Note: I can't even
begin to tell you what inspired this. It's pure drabble and fell out of my head like this. I don't like the conclusion much as there isn't one. I sincerely doubt I'll write any more to this.
-
The bedroom is filled with the coppery smell of
blood as Sirius edges the door open, peeking in as if he were an
intruder. Remus, kneeling on the floor, his head bowed in
concentration, is healing James' arm while Lily hold her stomach
protectively. The bedroom door creaks loudly and the three
inhabitants jump, Lily letting out a small gasp. James reached for
his wand, usually in his holster, but it was with his injured arm and
he curses.
"Idiot," Remus mutters as he heals James' wound, leaving only a thin, pale white scar.
"Bloody hell, Sirius," James manages, reaching for his wife's hand instinctively. Their fingers entwine instinctively and Sirius smiles apologetically as he slips into the room.
"Peter's just arrived, he looks nauseous so I've got him drinking tea in the kitchen," he explains. "What the hell happened?"
"You-Know-Who is what happened," James growls. "The bloody Death Eaters attacked the flat."
"Shit," Sirius said, sitting down hard on the bed, jostling Lily enough that she has to grab his shoulder to keep from tumbling over. The bed, along with the rest of the small house, is old and the mattress not as sturdy as it once was. It had belonged to Remus' parents before they died and in turn to his grandparents before that. Now, it was just something familar in such an unfamilar setting.
"Remus was with us," Lily explains, her voice soft, slightly panicked. Sirius is amazed that she is able to be so calm when they had arrived, James covered in blood. "He's hurt."
"What?" Sirius demands, looking frantically at Remus.
"I'm fine," Remus says, but he's looking at the floor.
It's the same look he has when he'd gotten himself hurt on full moons when Sirius or James couldn't be there.
Then that Sirius notices the blood soaking Remus' shirt and he realizes that most of the blood on James clothes isn't anywhere near his arm. Immediately Sirius is up and dragging Remus to his feet and pulling off his shirt – only now noticing the long slash in the material – despite the protests from the other man. As the clothes pull away from the wound, Remus bites back a hiss of pain.
A deep gash runs from his collarbone in a downward slash to his right hip. It's a nasty wound that had just started bleeding fresh again. Lily and James both curse in unison and Sirius absently thinks that they really are too much alike for their own good. But, then he watches as Remus tries to cover up the wound and he's forgotten about the other two and grabbing Remus' shoulder.
"You bloody git," he hisses. "What happened?"
"Knife," Remus answers easily.
"This isn't a knife wounds, Remus. It would have started healing by now. What kind of knife?"
There is silence and then finally, "Silver."
"Shit!" suddenly there is a knock on the door and Peter is calling to let them know that Dumbledore is downstairs along with some others and they need to talk to them. As Lily and James leave the room, Remus moves to follow, but Sirius' hand on his arm stops him.
"No," Sirius says, turning steely gray eyes to him. "You stay."