Murder Most Foul
Peter had already warned him, when Remus was told.
Murder.
'Most foul', he finished wryly, wondering why in these situations only, he seemed to develop a strange sense of humor - and a bad one, at that. But it was desperate times, and the desperate measures had already been carried out.
He didn't quite believe it when Peter told him. Didn't even believe it when someone from the Order - he couldn't remember who - turned up on his doorstep in tears, and told him James and Lily were dead. It wasn't true - no, it certainly wasn't true, because Sirius was their secret-keeper and he'd sooner pull out his own fingernails than rat out James - no, that was wrong. Sirius would sooner die than betray his best friend.
He apparated to James' house, just outside, on the street - masses of people were all around. Muggles and wizards alike. All of them crying, screaming - gasping at the shock and the horror. Remus almost ignored the bodies of his best friend and his wife. He regarded them with a detatched sort of curiosity - because it was too distorted a view to see James lying broken on the floor, just feet from where the house was. It was wrong to see beautiful, vibrant Lily in tatters. It would be worse, somehow, to see their inevitably dead son.
Peter and Sirius were nowhere. Sirius was bitter from a stupid fight - something about money and sleep and music - but they'd both known, ultimately, that it was really about getting too serious, for the middle of a war. If they were different, they'd have married, and been done with it - but that wasn't possible. They chose distance, instead. Separation.
Part of Remus wanted to apologise. Part of him hoped they never got it together again, even though he couldn't stand anyone else but Sirius.
The huge motorbike roared up, on the ground - out of consideration for the muggles. It was Hagrid, though, instead of the vehicle's usual rider, and Remus even mistook the half-giant for Sirius, wanting so dearly for the man who was now sobbing uncontrollably, bent over the ashen bodies, to be his friend. The half-giant had accepted their deaths with ease.
It was then that Sirius Black really appeared. He did so in such a way that reminded Remus so much of triumphant returns from the quidditch pitch - all eyes turned to Sirius, gazes rapt with awe.
But the cheering was absent.
Sirius himself was almost absent, and the ragged figure scanned the crowd. He looked at Remus for a startling second, and narrowed his eyes, eyebrows furrowed, as if it was beyond belief for him to be there. Peter was nowhere to be seen.
Remus watched in silence - much like everyone else - as Sirius crossed slowly to the resting bodies. He pried Lily's arms apart, and Remus thought to stop him - but halted himself when Sirius pulled out a bundle they'd never noticed before.
Remus pushed to the front of the crowd, and stood stock still as Sirius regarded him slowly.
The bundle did not move - a pale, baby-arm stuck out from the wrapping, and so horrific was the scene that only then did Remus feel tears and reality crashing down over his eyes. He covered his mouth.
Sirius passed the bundle to Hagrid, turned around, and crouched beside James, his back shaking as if his spine would collapse. If he'd been watching, he'd have recognised tears coursing their way over Sirius' face and onto the bodies of the people he loved - but his mind flipped over in those bare seconds, and he was taken over by an emotion he usually only experienced close to the moon.
He ran at Sirius, wand raised, and as if sensing it, Sirius turned. The crowd had begun to dissipate, leaving only Wizard mourners - but it wouldn't have mattered either way. Sirius stood quickly, shouted a curse at Remus - and then his eyes widened and he swayed a little on the spot.
He apparated away, and so never heard Remus' scream.
"He killed them! That bastard killed the Potters!"
Remus was crying, lurching to the floor, wand arm still outstretched, as the crowd bubbled and fizzed over, their outrage tangible - members of the Order started to slowly wade out of the crowd, questioning Remus. Because, after all - he would know.
Sirius' feeble curse hit Remus and he was barely stunned.
Hagrid stood up. His huge fists were shaking. He walked over to Remus and presented him with the bundle, voice colder than Remus had ever heard before.
"He didn' get all of 'em."