I don't own the Harry Potter Franchise, but I wish I did. Hope you enjoy this little one-shot. If you do, please review!
"Up, up, up, you great lump!" Sirius demanded. I peaked out of the blankets that were draped over me. Sunlight streamed through the small opening that betrayed me to the world beyond my bed, filling my makeshift tent with yellow light.
I could see Sirius's knee through the little opening. He was standing at the edge of my bed. Suddenly he bent down and peered in at me. I shut my eyes instantly and turned my head away.
He sighed and I found myself surprised that he didn't just pull back the covers on me. Perhaps he at least respects me that much, I thought.
"It's been DAYS since you've left that bed. This isn't healthy," he stated. He sounded like an overexcited doctor.
Ignoring him, I pulled the warm blankets closer around me, closing the gap. My tent darkened but the edges were still glowing from the daylight. I took a deep breath and sucked in the smell of the linens. A trace of Sirius met my nose as well, and I couldn't help but sigh.
"Please, Remus," he said softly, clearly trying another approach. "If not to be with me…please just get out of bed. Go take a walk around the lake. Go watch James play quidditch. Just do something. I can't stand to see you like this."
You can't actually see me, I thought to myself as I traced my finger over a wrinkle in the sheet.
"Won't you please tell me what's wrong?" he begged. I felt the bed dip as he sat on the edge. I curled as far away from him as I could and held my breath. He placed his hand on my shoulder, through the blankets of course, and squeezed it firmly.
"You're not just hurting yourself you know," he said mournfully. He rose from the bed and trudged to the door. "Wish you'd trust me," Sirius added before leaving the room.
I listened as his footsteps disappeared down the stairs. I wasn't hurting myself, I thought, I was protecting myself. I made a dash to the bathroom, before hurrying back to the safety of my blankets.
As night fell, I lit my wand and read a book under the covers. I heard Peter settle into his bed. He whispered goodnight to me and I whispered it back.
James and Sirius came up nearly half an hour later. Sirius spoke in sad whispers that I couldn't make out. James it seemed was trying to soothe him. They both soon settled into their own beds without much fanfare.
I lay awake that night listening to the sounds of the others falling into slumber. Once silence had again fallen in the room, I couldn't help but feel overcome by loneliness. This wasn't the kind of loneliness one felt when he had no one to turn to; this was the loneliness of self-isolation. A worse loneliness by far.
I wanted to cry.
"Sirius," I hissed into the dark, angry with myself for being weak and secretly praying he was sound asleep and wouldn't respond.
"Moony?" he whispered back.
He climbed out of his bed, springs squeaking loudly. He knelt beside my bed and asked, "Are you okay?"
I lifted a corner of the blanket, welcoming him under the covers, my face buried in the pillow. Sirius crawled into the cave of my bed and I dropped the blanket over him. His fingers combed through the hair on the back of my head.
Slowly, I turned to him. "Lumos," I whispered and suddenly the tent of blankets was alight and I was met with Sirius's concerned and caring eyes. He searched mine imploringly and then he saw it. His eyes focused in and his breathing stoped for a few beats.
"Oh, Moony," he whispered. His fingers reached up and traced the thick mauve scar that now cut across my face, from the edge of my nose, across my cheek and under my jaw.
"Is this why you've been hiding out in bed?" he asked.
"Obviously," I muttered angrily, and extinguished my wand, burying my face back in the pillow. He wrapped an arm around my back and ran his fingers against the fine hairs on my neck.
"It's really not so bad," he added.
"Don't lie…it's awful," I mumbled. I could hear my voice crack.
"Remus!" Sirius whispered, laughing quietly in shock. "Since when do you care so much about appearances?"
"Since I'm suddenly the ugly crazy circus freak with the ten inch scar across his face," I hissed, turning to him once more.
"Remus you are not an ugly circus freak. You are crazy though, I'll give you that. Did you really stay in bed for three full days because of a scar on your face?"
"What will people say?"
"Most people will be polite about it and not ask questions. There may be a few who ask what happened."
"And what do I tell those few? I scratched the shit out of my face because I'm a werewolf?"
Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes, lightly tracing the scar again with his pinky. "Obviously not, there are a million excuses for how you got that scar. Peeves dropped a mirror on your head…You had an accident with a unicorn doing extra credit for magical creatures…you got into a fight with a whomping willow…know what's good about that one?"
"What?" I asked, not even bothering to think about it.
"Scares people away from the willow just a little bit more."
"Whatever," I breathed.
"Moony," Sirius said sweetly, cupping the side of my face with this hand. "No one is going to think any different of you because of this scar. Everyone knows how amazing you are. If they think anything of it…it will probably be that you're secretly a bit of a badass. Who doesn't want an image like that?"
I laughed despite myself and I could see his smile glowing through the darkness.
"Will you please get out of bed tomorrow and come with me to Hogsmead?" he begged.
Sighing, I replied, "I dunno. I'll get out of bed. I s'pose I should show Pete and James. But…I don't know if I'm ready to show the world."
"Well I guess that will at least be an improvement. But I will be hounding you to accompany me and the guys. We haven't seen Madame Rosmerta in ages and you know I love how you blush when you see her."
I felt myself blush at the mention of the adorable barmaid and shoved Sirius in the shoulder. "She's the last person I want to have see my scar…"
"Oh, Moony…Does it hurt?"
"Not at all. Only mentally I guess."
"I can't believe that's the best Pomfrey could do," Sirius said, lighting his wand and examining the scar up close.
"You should have seen it before she set to work on me. You could see my cheek bone apparently."
"Christ," Sirius whispered. "I'm so sorry we weren't there Moony."
"S'not your fault," I argued. I always hated when he and the others blamed their absence for my injuries.
"Like Hell it's not. If I could manage to control my temper with Professor Dumbledore the three of us wouldn't have landed in detention and we would have prevented you from scratching the Hell out of your face and sentencing yourself to three days under covers."
"You know I hate it when you blame yourself."
"Well I'm going to absolutely die of guilt if you spend another day in this room!" Sirius whined dramatically.
I laughed quietly, "Well played."
"Why, thank you!" Sirius replied cheekily. "Really, though, Moony. It's not so bad and you're being really daft about this whole thing. Who cares about a bloody scar on your face? No one."
"I know…you're right."
"I'm always right," he boasted and ruffled my hair.
"It's just – embarrassing. Everyone's going to want to hear what happened to me…you know how this school gets."
"It's true…But you know…I love attention. So if I'm with you and people get asking about the scar I will turn their attention from you to me. It's actually a win-win situation."
I laughed at his arrogance.
"Really though…I still think you are the sexiest werewolf in all the land," he said, following up the remark with a sweet kiss. I had missed those lips and kissed back with full force. He pulled away and planted a kiss in the middle of the scar.
"Thanks," I whispered, truly grateful to Sirius for pulling me out of my grief.
"Anytime…I just want my Moony back."
"I will be…tomorrow. Now leave me to my cave!" I declared, feeling magnificently lighter in spirit.
Sirius laughed and planted one more kiss on my lips before he slipped out from the covers. He noisily climbed into his and settles under the covers.
"Night scarface," he whispered from across the room, laughter in his voice.
"Bastard," I whisper back, but can't help the soft laugh that escapes my throat. "Night."