Chapter 2
A/N: Originally the fic was only going to be two chapters long. I would tell the story of the reunion between Remus and Sirius from Remus's PoV and stop before the full moon-thing. I was, however, encouraged to go on with the story, and so I have. Therefore, the full moon was last night, and not tonight. The first two chapters will follow Jo's storyline closely, but from chapter 3 it will be my plot.
He hadn't looked at the map since that day when he saw Wormtail on it. He couldn't bring himself to do so, just couldn't. Not even when Sirius had broken into the Gryffindor tower and woken up Ronald Weasley, he gave it a tap with his wand. What the hell was he supposed to do? He didn't know whether to believe that Sirius was innocent or not. He had seen Pettigrew on the map, and the map never lied, so far he had no troubles. But Peter might have a reason to hide. Remus didn't find it realistic, but it was a possibility. And if Sirius actually was innocent, then how would he, Remus, ever know, and how could Sirius be so? And what could he do about it? He couldn't contact the man he loved.
His heart hurt, and the tears he didn't spill in the daytime, wetted his pillow in the night. Hope, grief and anger fought a battle in his inside, leaving the doubt in his old wound, which had been ripped up.
It was evening. Remus sat in his office, drinking a recovering potion. The full moon had been last night, and even if he wasn't too well, he had convinced Madam Pomfrey to let him out of the hospital wing. From his window he could see the Whomping Willow, and he suddenly wanted to look at the map. Just one more time. With a shiver he tapped it, and buried his nose in it's secrets.
Sinking into his memories, he first thought that it was imagination. Near the Whomping Willow he saw the names Sirius Black, Ronald Weasley and Peter Pettigrew. He sprang to his feet, and hurried to the window. A big, black dog was moving towards the tree, dragging a boy behind it. The boy it was dragging seemed to be Ron Weasley. Remus watched, unable to move an inch, how the dog he believed to be Sirius Black, dragged Ron down to the tunnel, he saw the Willow unfreeze and Harry and Hermione fight to get past it. He didn't wait to see them make it. Suddenly he realised that the three youngsters thought Sirius was guilty, and Sirius might not be to friendly either. He might be the only person in the castle who had seen the scene, and he was definitely the only one who knew that Sirius was innocent. For some reason he didn't doubt it anymore.
Remus ran as fast as he could through the castle. Near the tree he found a stick to freeze the Willow, and he hurried through the corridors hoping that he would reach his goal early enough to stop a disaster. He heard voices and drew his wand.
"Expelliarmus!" he shouted. Harry's as well as some other wands flew through the air and he caught them. Right before him, he saw Sirius, and his heart bled for the man he loved. Sirius lay on the floor, skinny and bleeding. To his surprise he saw Hermione's cat protecting his former boyfriends chest.
"Where is he Sirius?"
The man slowly raised his arm and pointed at Ron. Remus nodded. He had expected this.
"But then… Why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless… Unless he was the one… Unless you switched… Without telling me?"
Very slowly, Sirius nodded. His eyes fixed on Remus, to make him believe.
"Professor Lupin," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's going…?"
But Remus didn't hear him. He walked straight to Sirius, pulled him from the floor, and hugged him.
"I've missed you," Sirius whispered in his ear, so low that the others couldn't hear it. Remus felt how every bit of doubt he must have had left in his body disappeared. Sirius had missed him, and that was all that mattered. And when Sirius's lips touched his ear, he had to fight hard, not to cry.
"I've missed you too, Padfoot. I've missed you terribly!"
And Remus knew that everything would be alright. He heard Harry and Hermione's protests and he knew that he and Sirius owed them an explanation, but they could deal with it. With Sirius by his side he could deal with everything.
A/N: I've seen a few writers on this site calling the authors note for authors rambling and I suppose they're right. I really don't have anything to say except that I love feedback!! Comments, critism, proposals…
