Tuesday October 25th, 1988

Sirius' POV

I wake up at 5 in the morning, Friday, hearing Remus groaning in pain, crying in his sleep. I sigh, truly hating when he gets like this. I've seen this many times before, this happens to him about once a month, even at the beginning of first year. Then he disappears for a day or so to see his mum, as Dumbledore supposedly allows him to visit her once a month because of how sick she is. He isn't exactly in the best condition himself, though.

"That's it.", I mumble, grabbing James' Invisibility Cloak, pulling it around me, and walking right out of Gryffindor Tower. I keep going until I get into the Teacher's Hall, and knock right on Professor McGonagall's door. She answers within a minute.

"Mr. Black? What's going on?"

"Do you have any pain potion for Remus?", I knew it probably would have been better to go to our Potions professor, Slughorn, but I trusted her more than him. And it's nothing personal, it's just… it's Remus. She only nods, not seeming to need an explanation as to what's wrong with him.

"Of course, wait here a moment and put that thing back on.", she whispers, and I nod, throwing the cloak over my head once more. She closes her door, I hear shuffling, and then she opens it back up, handing me a purple container. "Get back to the dorms, now, and if you're late to my lesson, Mr. Black-"

"I wouldn't dream of it.", I reply, and she rolls her eyes, and shoos me off. I get to the dorms within 5 minutes, to find my friends still asleep, but Remus still has his face masked with pain. I gently tap his shoulder and he jumps up. "Easy, mate."

"Sirius?", he asks, sleepily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, but take this.", I hand him the potion. He looks at me, bewildered. "Pain potion, love."

"Thanks.", he smiles, and takes a sip of it. "Did you really go all the way to Slughorn to get this?"

"No, of course not. McGonagall.", I answer, and he nods. I wrap an arm around him. "You can go back to bed if you want, I just wanted you to take that."

"Might as well take a shower before you and James fight over it.", he replies, and I chuckle softly. He raises himself up, and hugs me. "Thank you for getting the potion. It actually helped."

"No problem at all.", I reply, and he heads to the shower. I walk around the room, making sure that James' quills are all there, as the twit loses them everyday. I check to make sure Peter's homework is in his bag. He use to leave it all the time last year, earning countless detentions. And then I make sure Remus has a good sweater, as some of his have tears in them. He's so careful, I can't imagine what causes all that damage. Oh well. I'll order him some from the Owl Post, like James and I do occasionally, and then slip it into his clothes and pretend we have no idea what it is or how it got there. After I make sure everything with my friends is okay, I check the mirror. Nothing from Reg. He still didn't say what Bellatrix told him, and I find the strange urge to know burning inside me. She hasn't tormented me since last year, when I really snapped because in the middle of a spell, she aimed it for Peter, and James went to deflect it, but couldn't in time, and ended up injured. I saw red and the next thing I know, McGonagall and Flitwick had to pull me and Remus out of the scene. I've never seen Remus angry, and Merlin, I never want to again. But, I guess we'd done damage, and Bellatrix never said another word to me since.

"Mate, what are you doing up again?", James' tired voice asks, and I turn around and see him sitting up, rubbing his eyes, and reaching for his glasses on his bedside.

"Remus was in pain again, and I borrowed the cloak to get him some pain potion. He's in the shower now.", my best friend nods.

"So… I've been thinking…"

"About?"

"Well, I know how you had to leave your house this summer and come to mine because of everything going on.", he begins, and I sit by him on his bed to show him I was listening. "Mum and Dad loved you, and they know how the Blacks are. And in my last owl to them, I mentioned Regulus."

"And?"

"They wouldn't mind if you just moved in with us. Both of you."

"I'm not so sure, James."

"Why not?"

"I love your parents, and you're like my brother. But, my parents wouldn't give up both of their sons without a fight. If you or one of the others got hurt because of me, again-"

"What happened last year wasn't your fault and you bloody well know that.", he cuts me off, firmly. "I know it's a big decision, and you'll have to talk to Regulus about it, but just promise me you'll think about it."

"I will.", I reply, and that's the end of that conversation. We wait for Peter to wake up, and Remus to get out of the shower, and then we all get ready for our day.

"So, are we going to prank Bellatrix or what?", Peter asks, as we walk down the hall. I nod.

"Most definitely.", James and I share an evil smirk and Remus rolls his eyes.

"Merlin help us."

"Have some faith in us, Reems.", James replies. "Okay, so here's the plan.", we all lean in, even Remus, who stands directly beside me and James. "I have two color bombs here, red and gold. I also have the Invisibility Cloak. Now, Sirius, I know how you are about us being around the bitch, but I think the Invisibility Cloak will protect me just fine. No one will see me."

"I know… but still.", I say, warily. I didn't trust Bellatrix enough, but I did trust James and that cloak.

"So what do you need us to do?"

"Act like I'm sick. Tell them I can't even come out from the dorms. Everyone might get suspicious and expect something when they see I'm not with you guys."

"Yes, seems they've all learned about the tricks we can pull.", Remus comments, and we all laugh. "So, you're sick, in the dorms, and we just head to breakfast?"

"Yes."

"Wouldn't work.", I comment. They all look at me. "Face it, if we walked in there at all without James, and the rumor spreads he's sick, they would know something's up. We wouldn't want to draw anymore attention to ourselves."

"Fair enough, but if we all skip then they'll know it's us.", James replies. "I guess we're just going to get her in the hallway then. Close off her normal route to class, then hit her with it under the Invisibility Cloak?"

"Yeah, let's do that.", we all head to breakfast, where Regulus is chatting with his friends. I smile, and Remus speaks up.

"What is your family owl doing here, Sirius?", I look up, and sure enough, the Black family owl lands right in front of me, with a shining red envelope. A howler. Merlin help me.

"What in the name of hell?"

"What would it be about now?"

"Mate… just get it over with.", I nod, and open the envelope, and hear my mother's retched voice scream at the top of her lungs. Like every time, I close my eyes, and pray for it to be over.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK, YOU NO GOOD EXCUSE OF A SON! YOU AND YOUR BROTHER BEING IN THE GRYFFINDOR HOUSE IS SOMETHING I CAN DEAL WITH, BUT WHY IS YOUR COUSIN INFORMING ME YOU HAVE A MUDBLOOD BOYFRIEND?! YOU ARE DISGRACING OUR FAMILY NAME MORE AND MORE EVERYDAY! YOU WILL EITHER CHOSE HIM OR US, AND THAT'S THE END OF THAT!"

The Howler ends just as another letter falls out.

You have one week to send me an owl claiming you have come to your senses and you will stop seeing your little Mudblood boyfriend or it's curtains for both of you. Don't even think about lying to me, either, because Bellatrix has the strict orders of watching you and him. And believe me when I say, Sirius Orion, that I will hurt that boy beyond words.

Everyone is staring, and Bellatrix has a smirk on her face. Remus grabs my hand, squeezing it to pull me back into reality, and I glare at my cousin. How did she find out? Remus and I haven't come out to anyone. I have little time to think about that, though, as the gaping stares of confusion become too much, and overwhelmed, I run out the door. My friends and brother follow, and the silence that surrounds me tells me that everyone is watching me as I dart through the hall. The moment I exit, I hear mumbles, but no trace of laughter. The letter is still in my hand, crumbled now. I try to head to the dorms until I feel someone grab my shoulder. I spin around, tears in my eyes and ready to scream, until I see Remus. Standing behind him, distancing themselves just in case that's the best thing to do, is Peter, James, and Regulus.

"Sirius?", I throw myself in his arms, and cry on his shoulder. I don't know why I'm crying. Mother threatened to disown me? Humiliated not only me but Remus? Or is it because I just brought him in more danger? "Hey, it's alright. It's alright."

"It isn't… it really isn't.", I allow him to hold me, feeling one arm wrapped around my back, and one hand playing with my hair.

"Sirius. Listen to me, mate, if anyone has a problem with either one of you, they can take it up with me. I'm going to find out how Bellatrix found out about you guys and I swear to Merlin she won't be getting away with this!", James snaps, and I don't reply. Instead I just allow myself to be engulfed by my boyfriend, and feel the comfort of my friends and brother.

"Siri, don't let her bring you down. You never have before, so why now?"

"You're not alone, Sirius."

"You have us."

"I don't know if that's much of a comfort, guys.", Remus replies to James and Peter, and we all share a much needed laugh. "Nonetheless, you're stuck with us, Sirius, now and forever."

"That… is a blessing and a curse rolled into one.", I sigh. "I told McGonagall I wouldn't skip her class… but I honestly don't think I can face anyone right now."

"I think she'll understand if you and Remus just skip today. Everyone in Hogwarts knows you two are together now. She won't say anything about it. Peter and I will go to make sure no one says anything about the situation.", James says, and I nod.

"Thanks, mate, you're the best.", he smiles, and I look over at Reg. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll stop by your dorm once I get the chance. Don't worry about anything today, you two just stay and relax.", he answers, with a smile, and I nod.

"Thank you, guys.", Remus grabs my hand and leads me back to the dorms, and we sit down in our beds. "I'm sorry, you know."

"What for?"

"Don't bullshit me, Remus."

"In order for you to be sorry, you have to have done something wrong, Sirius. You've done nothing wrong.", he states, simply, and brings out his favorite book. "I don't want you to stress about any of this. And you woke up earlier than normal, so why don't you rest up?"

"What about you?"

"I think I'll just relax is all.", he answers, and I look at him, and for some reason, I find myself unable to look away. I knew I was bisexual when I first came here, and knew I found both boys and girls attractive. But Remus… he was different. I found him attractive, yes, but not just physically. He was the kind of person who could make everything in hell good. I knew I loved him when I woke up the first month of us rooming together and saw that he was gone and I tore the room and Common Room apart searching for him. James and Peter had to get up and keep me in the dorm. Once Remus returned mid afternoon the next day, I made him promise not to ever leave without telling us again. I've never worried over someone I didn't know like that. That's how I knew. I was in love with Remus Lupin.

"Alright… are you okay with people knowing about us?"

"Yes.", he answers, without hesitation, which causes relief to flow through my body. "Are you?"

"Of course."

"Then, we have nothing to worry about. I'm not afraid of your mother, or of every student knowing about us.", he assures me, and then he grabs his side in pain.

"Remus?", I get up in a hurry, and hit the side of the desk rushing to him, and a book on magical creatures falls out, and the page about werewolves opens up lazily. I dart to Remus, though, and wrap an arm around him, and help him adjust. "What's hurting?"

"Everything.", he answers, for once, weakly. He looks at me, defeated, and I've never felt more helpless in all my life. "I… I just need rest. I still have to see Mum tonight."

"Remus, you're not in the condition to travel.", I argue, as I wrap a blanket around him, thinking that rest could be the best thing for him. He leans back on his pillow.

"I can't help it, Sirius, she's sick.", I sigh.

"Then at least rest for now.", I reply, and then go to pick up the book, but something about it catches my eye. Werewolves. I skim over it.

"W-what are you reading?"

"Remus…", I look at him with disbelief, reading over the article. Full moons, and how your in pain the entire week before, the scars. "Are you…?", I didn't need to finish, because when I turned around, I saw tears pouring down his face.