Remus was having a bad day. His eye was swollen, his feet ached and his mouth tasted like dirt. It had been a particularly difficult full moon the day before and though he should have been used to it by now he was feeling a lot less than fine. And on top of that they were having their photographs taken today. There were a few things he hated as much as being photographed. Cabbage, for example. But cabbage he could avoid (or hide under the potatoes until the dinner was over), while the school demanded that every student had to be photographed at least once a year. He kicked a rock on the ground, before he hurried to catch up with Peter.
James and Sirius was walking a few steps in front of them, having given up on trying to get Remus to tell them what the hell happened to his eye last night, and were now talking happily about quidditch.
Remus didn't try to become a part of the conversation. He knew he was just a sidekick, someone they dragged around with them as audience for their next prank, and he didn't really mind. Not as much as Peter, at least.
As they arrived into the great hall they were divided into groups, 15 or so students for each camera. Remus ended up in the same group as Sirius, with James and Peter by a camera in the other end of the room. This made him a bit nervous, seeing as he didn't really know how to talk to Sirius. Sure, they were part of the same gang of friends, and when the others were around it was fine. But when it was just the two of them, he would always realize how little he actually knew Sirius.
So they stood in silence for a while, feeling a bit awkward. Remus was reaching up to scratch his swollen eye under the band aid when he realized that he was being watched. He arched an eyebrow towards Sirius, who quickly averted his eyes.
"It's getting worse every time, isn't it?" Sirius said quietly. It took Remus some moments before he realized that Sirius was talking about his eye and the other damages he usually sustained during a full moon. Remus decided not to answer. Because that would be too obvious of a lie.
"Look, I get it. You really can't talk about it. It's fine. Just… let us know if there's anything we can do, all right?" He continued, looking a bit uncomfortable with what he was saying.
Remus stared at him, unsure if he was being serious.
"We just don't like seeing our friend being hurt, you know?" He said, then smiled, ruffled Remus' hair before turning to find that it was his time to be photographed.
Remus was having a bad day. His eye was swollen, his feet ached and his mouth tasted like dirt.
But Sirius Black had called him a friend.
And for the rest of the afternoon, he just couldn't stop smiling.