Meet You On The Other Side
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Remus is close to death, after being impaled on Peter's silver hand. He is reminded of things past and times long since forgotten, on his way to the other side.
Authors Note: I wrote this story quite a while ago, actually while I was on exchange a year ago. I was quite home sick, and so my mood was a little melancholy. This story is supposed to be sad...and there is a lot of death, so if that bothers you, I would leave now. Other than that...read and enjoy!
I feel hot metal pierce my chest, searing the skin like tissue paper. It burrows into my body like a mole, searching for it's desired destination.
I scream but nothing comes out. The metal hand glistens with my blood as it delves deeper. I feel my mind slowly slipping, back to long forgotten places and people. Back to what was once known. My life.
A young man comes swaggering up to me. He would be eleven, my age, although he carries an air of maturity only found in people older. He is followed by two people. One has ruffled brown hair, glasses and an indifferent look on his face. The other is small and plump, trying hard to stay in the shadows.
The young man, who has long black hair falling in his eyes, pushes it back and smiles at me. "The name's Sirius. Sirius Black. And what do I call you, pale face?"
I am stunned. No one has bothered to speak to me since I got here, which granted, I wanted. But it seemed nice to converse with people again.
"R-Remus Lupin. Gryffindor House. First grade."
Sirius laughed. "Well, Remus Lupin, Gryffindor House, first grade, we are going to have some fun. Out of the whole school, you will not find a person better at having fun than me. Want to come?"
It was at this time that the small, plump boy decided now was the time for action. "Oh, James! Sirius! I know how to have fun! I really do! Let me come!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Should we, James?"
The other boy, who I gathered was called James, didn't reply at first. "it's up to you, mate," he said, after a few minutes.
Sirius turned to plump boy and said, "You can come but make sure you don't pee your pants like last time."
The plump boy blushed and nodded. Sirius turned back to me. "So, are you in?"
Friends! I was too excited about having friends to think about what their idea of fun was. "S-Sure."
Pity.
I slip back to reality to hear a scream. No, it is not me... it is someone else. Someone familiar.
"Remus! No!"
I can't see who it is, but I know the voice. Someone close to me... a friend.
The metal claw closes around it's desired organ, my heart. It wrenches it, pulls it, yet keeps it in my body. Possibly, to torture me more.
The pain becomes too much, and I begin to slip again.
"Shhh! He's coming!"
The stairs outside our room are dark and I can't see anything. I can hear people moving around in my room. Maybe Peter can't find his bed again.
I open the door to darkness. That's strange. If someone was in here, a light would be lit. I take out my wand and light one of the lamps, to hear a tremendous uproar.
"Surprise!"
I jump. I wasn't expecting anything. Sirius jumps out from behind my bed and catches me in a manly hug. "Happy Birthday, mate. How old are you now? 60? 70?"
We all laugh and gather around the cake that James has snuck in. "Dig in. It's your birthday."
Sometimes it really shows how good your friends are.
The claw is yanked out of my chest. I collapse to the ground but not before someone catches me. I am in such a position that black hair is falling in my eyes.
"S-S-Sirius?"
"Yeah, mate. I'm here." It's faint as a whisper but there.
"W-W-What h-happened?" I honestly can't remember. all I remember is the cold silver claw clamping around my heart. And the pain.
Sirius sighs, almost inaudibly. "Peter used his hand on you. But you're going to be fine. Fine. Dandy. Just peachy."
I'm going to die. I can tell, not just by the way I feel, but by the way Sirius is trying to comfort me. Too many words for the same thing.
I can hear crying. Through the hair, I see Peter. He is gazing as his hand, blood coving every inch and he is balling his eyes out. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He keeps repeating. It is this repetition that lulls me back into memories.
I hear the knocking at the door, which is strange for this time of night. You would think a man in his early twenties would have more visitors. You would be wrong.
I open the door to Sirius. His black hair is slick with sweat and sticking to his forehead. He pushes his way into my house and slams the door before sliding to the ground, back to the closed door. He is sobbing.
I sit down next to him and place my arm around his shoulders. "It's ok, mate. Tell me what happened."
Sirius looks at me, eyes pleading. "They're dead, Remus. All gone. Passed. Obliviated."
My arm drops. Surely, that means Harry too. "And what of Harry?"
That is when I notice the bundle in his arms. I move to take if from him, but he clutches it to him.
"No! He is all I have left. I am going to look after him. Come away with us! We'll run and go some place else."
I look at him as if he is insane. "You can't look after a child! You wouldn't know the first thing about caring for him. Give him to Dumbledore, he'll help."
Sirius pulled back the sheets, revealing Harry, who was now sporting a hearty scar on his forehead.
"My MERLIN! What happened to his head?"
"I don't know. It was like that when I found him."
I sigh. If only Sirius could be as mature as he looks sometimes.
"Remus! Remus! Mate, come on, wake up! Wake up, mate! Don't be gone! You are all I have left! No James, no Harry, no Peter! NO ONE! Come on, Moony! Come on, mate!"
He is screaming and shaking me, like I was a bag of meat and not a person.
"I'm here, Padfoot. Merlin, I was just resting my eyes. it is exhausting just lying here waiting for death."
Sirius looks at me as if I am insane. "But you aren't dying! You are just injured. As soon as I can, I am going to get you to St. Mungo's and they will heal you. They will."
He is shaking his head, insanely, like after Azkaban this was the final straw. I sigh. I hate to see him like this.
"Padfoot, Peter's hand is made of silver. I am a werewolf. Nothing can be done. Not unless a miracle happens and they think of a cure for lycanthropy in the next ten seconds. But you'll be fine. And you have Harry. He hasn't gone anywhere. He loves you to bits." As I say this, a coppery taste springs to my mouth. Obviously, Voldemort or Peter himself cast a charm to prolong my suffering. I cough and the copper tang springs forth in all it's glory, covering Sirius in red.
It is like Sirius needed to see this to see I was really dying. He looks at the blood covering his chest and stands up. He looks forcefully in the direction of Peter.
"Peter, you scumbag! You bastard! First you kill James and Lily, now Remus! Come here! COME HERE!"
As my breathing goes shaky I hear a crackle and a scream. Then I fade back into dreams.
"Remus! Wake up! Wake up, Remus! They're coming!"
I turn over and see black hair and eyes staring at me. "What? I'm tired. Come back in the morning." I turn back over.
"Remus! You can't sleep! He's coming! Voldemort is coming!"
the name wakes me up while sending shivers down my spine. "Are you sure?" I ask as I jump out of bed. "Are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes!" He screams. "I've woken Harry, now come on!"
This was the final battle. The last showdown. Who would win, I can't say. Hopefully, us. I get dressed and we leave, readying ourselves for the battle. And for death.
My eyes open to bright light. And I hear sobbing.
"Peter, stop crying! I'm dying and you killed me. I'm over it, why can't you be?"
the sobbing just gets harder. There are words mingled in the crying. I try hard to listen.
"I killed him. I killed him. I killed him. I killed Peter. Peter killed Remus. I am all alone. All alone...all alone...all alone...all alone..." Sirius.
"Sirius, I'm here! I'm not dead!" Yet. But I didn't say it. "Sirius, listen to me!"
But his crying was too loud. I could feel myself slipping, but this time not to memories. This time was for real. I tried to hold on, hang on to life.
My eyes started fading, going grey. The sobbing was the only thing I can hear.
Suddenly, there was a bang, like a gunshot. And he wasn't crying anymore.
And I let go. Slipped away, to meet up on the other side.
THE END