Velvety silence; Remus raised his head groggily from his pillow, unsure what had woken him and then almost immediately became conscious of a dull ache at his side. His transformations were painful enough by themselves but the nights immediately after were nothing to look forward to either, especially once the healing potions started wearing off.
He knew from experience that it would be more comfortable to sit up than lie down so he did, the dormitory dark and quiet around him. Trying to ignore the soreness he still felt, he reached across to the bedside table to pour himself a glass of water.
"Be so kind as to pour me a glass?"
The whisper was startling in the late night hush and the jug wobbled in his hand. Water slopped over the sides onto the table, trickling down to the floor. Remus swore under his breath as he set down the jug and though he couldn't see Sirius' face, he could imagine him rolling his eyes.
"Why are you awake?" Remus asked, reaching for his wand to perform a drying spell.
"Couldn't sleep," Sirius said, propping himself up on one elbow and watching as Remus poured out two glasses of water. Instead of using magic to give Sirius the glass- he didn't quite have the finesse to work the spell without being sure that the contents of the glass wouldn't spill out- he got out of bed and walked over to Sirius, a glass in each hand.
Sirius took his with muttered thanks and moved over slightly so that Remus could sit down on the edge of his bed.
"Mind if I open the window?" Remus asked. Sirius gestured for him to go ahead so he undid the latch and the cool night breeze washed over them, carrying with it the mingled scent of lake water and honeysuckle. The fresh air felt soothing and Remus breathed it in as they stared out over the Hogwarts grounds in companionable silence.
They had only been back at school for about two weeks but he already felt completely at home there. In many ways, he always felt more at home at Hogwarts where he was among friends who not only accepted him but also made his transformations more bearable. Loving and supportive though his parents were, they could not hide the fact that his condition worried and upset them. It made his home life feel strangely oppressive. He knew he would have to leave Hogwarts in less than two years time but he preferred not to think about that.
Sirius drained his glass and stared at the bottom of it as though it might reveal great secrets. Up close, by the minimal light that fell through the window, Remus saw that he looked paler than usual, his eyes heavy.
"Are you all right?" he asked softly.
Sirius hated that question, he knew that perfectly well. But it was easier to ask now in the sleepy silence and semi darkness that filled the room, which made it harder to see Sirius' answering scowl.
"You should get more of that healing salve from Madam Pomfrey," he said instead, catching Remus by surprise.
"I will," he said, after a short pause in which he considered that Sirius was much more observant than they gave him credit for. "Tomorrow." Silence fell between them again, punctuated by the sound of James' and Peter's deep, even breathing. Remus wondered idly what it would feel like to have an untroubled night's sleep.
He turned his attention back to the window, contemplating the night sky, his eyes picking out stars as he tried to remember what they had learned in Astronomy.
"Your namesake," he said to Sirius, pointing east at the bright star for which Sirius had been named.
"Don't remind me," said Sirius, his voice suddenly bitter. "Why my bloody parents couldn't have picked normal names..."
It was the first time he had mentioned his family since their return to school. All he'd said was that he'd moved out to live with James, his manner making it clear that he had no desire to discuss what had happened. As Remus watched him now, frowning at the sky, he suspected, as he had done for some time, that Sirius was more disturbed by the separation from his family than he probably even realised himself. He might have loathed his family and the ideals and traditions it upheld, from their pureblood mania to the way they named their children, but he supposed that turning away for good from the household in which you had grown up would take its toll on anyone.
He couldn't make Sirius talk about any of that though so he said instead, "You're hardly the only one with an unusual name. You think Remus is normal?"
Sirius withdrew his gaze from the window and smirked. "Fair point."
'Or you never know, you could be walking around with about a hundred middle names like Professor Dumbledore."
"Point taken, Remus, thanks," he said, rolling his eyes. But he didn't sound annoyed.
Remus glanced at him sideways, studying his profile. Dark hair, tousled and untidy, straight noise and an expression, for all his irritability and reserve during the past few days, that was still resolute and unyielding. Sirius, he thought, carried an air of unflinching resilience, like he could withstand a hundred storms and could fight every battle that came his way. Remus wished he felt even half as confident about himself.
"What's the time?" Sirius asked, stretching his legs, oblivious to Remus' thoughts.
He shrugged. "One? Two?"
"Don't you want to sleep?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. We have lessons tomorrow morning."
Remus groaned. "Don't remind me. Maybe I'll skive off Transfiguration."
"You? Skive off Transfiguration?" said Sirius in mock horror. "What is the world coming to?"
Remus grinned. "I'd willingly skip Transfiguration," said Sirius idly, his eyes flickering to Remus. . "Not just tomorrow, for the rest of the year."
"I'm sure Professor McGonagall would be thrilled to hear you say that," said Remus drily. "And I thought you liked Transfiguration."
"Oh, I do," said Sirius. "It's just, what with having achieved an Outstanding on my OWL and being an Animagus, what can that class teach me, really?"
"Of course, I forgot," said Remus, shaking his head in amusement. Setting down his glass, he got to his feet, intending to try and snatch a few hours of sleep before they had to get up. "Night, Padfoot," he said, looking at Sirius who was leaning against his pillows. "You should try and get some sleep too," he added.
Advice in any form was another thing that he knew Sirius hated but to his surprise, Sirius simply rolled his eyes and actually did what he'd asked, tugging down his pillow and settling down. "If you say so, Mr. Prefect." He met Remus' incredulous gaze with a faint smile. "Night."
Remus sat down heavily on his own bed and winced as he drew his legs up. "Maybe I really will skive off Transfiguration," he said aloud, as he slid gingerly between the covers.
"You know, Remus, I'm holding you to that promise," Sirius mumbled from his right. Remus grinned and he was still grinning as he buried his head in his pillow, the gentle breeze slowly lulling him into sleep.