A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been a looooonng time, but I actually have a few chapters in the works right now for this fic, haven't given up yet! I hope you like it :)

Chapter 4: Sirius

The first breakfast after the full moon was a fairly typical experience for the Marauders, marked by all of their lack of sleep adventuring the night away. Remus would, having been just reluctantly released from the hospital wing, be moving slowly, eating little, and mostly just trying to avoid face-planting into the silver serving platters. Peter would inevitably have his plate arranged with a stack of toast, a stack of sausage, a pile of eggs, and a pool of beans at the center; he would then go about eating his carefully maintained breakfast in a rhythmic circle through each food, only letting his attention leave the plate when James or Sirius did something of particular note, which happened often. James would be half asleep, needing at least one full cup of tea and precisely 6 pieces of bacon before accumulating sufficient energy to face the day. Sirius, on the other hand, would be awake. He was very much accustomed to little sleep and he knew that the rest of his friends were at their most vulnerable at these particular once-monthly breakfasts. So, he would have little food on his plate and most of his attention focused outward, on the rest of the students in the Great Hall and their activities towards his friends.

This particular morning was only slightly different than every other post-moon morning, and that was in the way that Lily Evans was talking to a new girl with dark bushy hair and an expression on her face like she couldn't believe who she was talking to. Sirius pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes as he watched the two girls approach the Gryffindor table. There was something familiar about the girl's expression, almost the same combination of fear and amazement she'd had when looking at him earlier that morning. Very strange.

"What's your problem, Black?" Evans grunted as she dropped her bag next to Remus's seat and diagonally across from Sirius. "Having trouble seeking out your next conquest?"

"Not particularly," Sirius quickly rearranged his own features into cool ignorance. "Though if you're interested I know a guy."

"Morning, Lily-flower," James's head had perked up the minute Lily appeared in his line of vision. He quickly ate bacon slices number 5 and 6 in the hopes that he would be awake enough to engage in conversation with her for longer than 2 minutes.

"Gross, chew your food, Potter," Evans curled her lip and rolled her eyes. "This is Hermione Kingsley, she'll be joining our year from Beauxbatons, please don't be horrendous to her."

"We would never!" James proclaimed, forgetting there was still bacon in his mouth, and spraying Peter, who sat directly across from him.

"Oi, I'm trying to eat here!" Peter whined, flicking a forkful of eggs towards James.

"Oh come on, Pete, I hate eggs!" James moaned, looking forlornly at his plate, which still had more bacon and some toast on it. "I can't eat anything now! And you've got eggs in my tea!"

"Then say it, don't spray it," Peter muttered focusing back on his beans.

Sirius rolled his eyes and exchanged his own egg-free plate and tea for James's, as he saw Remus putting a hand to his temple and his eyes squeezing closed. "Shut it and eat, both of you, Moony's ill."

"Sorry, mate," James and Peter quickly apologized as they noticed the grimace on Remus's face.

"Hmm," Remus sighed and edged his still half-full mug of tea away from him with a closed fist.

"You should eat something, Remus," Lily looked at his pale, pinched face carefully, choosing to ignore the outburst between Peter and James.

"Not hungry," he murmured softly, not bothering to lift his head. "Maybe later."

"Ease off, Evans," Sirius warned, the tightening of Remus's jaw meant that he was probably close to vomiting. Even though chocolate was Remus's favorite post-moon snack, it did not agree at all with his still slightly wolf-y stomach. Lily frowned but left it alone and turned back to Hermione.

"This is why I usually sit a bit farther down the table. Now, what classes are on your schedule?"

Normally, Sirius would pay more attention to the conversation happening between Lily and Hermione, but as he watched Remus's body tense up again when Peter burped, smelling of his concoction of beans, sausage, eggs, and toast, he quickly stood from his own seat and rounded the end of the table.

"Loo, Rem?" he asked quietly, already pulling the thinner boy's arm around his shoulders. Remus merely nodded and allowed Sirius to lead him quickly away from the table.

They made it to the nearest boys bathroom before the small amount of toast, chocolate, and tea that was in Remus's stomach made a repeat appearance. Sirius listened to Remus heaving as he leaned against the sink, ready to ward off any other boys that might enter the bathroom. He would do anything for Remus. After that horrible mistake last year, Sirius knew in his own mind that he was still making amends, still trying to forgive himself. Before last year all of the boys had taken turns looking after post-moon Remus; now, it was just Sirius. He'd claimed responsibility, he loved Remus and he needed to show the other boy that he had grown beyond the crazy person he'd been last year.

Remus himself had reluctantly forgiven Sirius only a couple months after the incident, after catching only a brief glimpse of the pressure all of the Black family and most of Slytherin House had been putting on the older boy. He did have to admit that he liked the familiarity of having the same person near after full moons, especially that being someone who could read him so well that he never had to speak up when he was feeling truly ill. James could be easily distracted by Lily and Peter's attention could likewise be more focused on his food, but when Sirius was keeping an eye on him, Remus knew he'd never have to fight to get his attention if he needed help. Sirius was focused and somehow he always knew what to do; even if Remus did know that it stemmed from his guilt about The Incident, he couldn't help being comforted by the other boy's careful attention.

When the heaving finished, Sirius pushed open the stall door and helped Remus back to his feet and over to the sink to wash his face, hands, and gargle some water.

"If we stopped giving you chocolate, this wouldn't happen so often," Sirius offered as Remus spat out the chalky tasting water.

"Don't you dare," Remus glared at the grey-eyed boy through the mirror. Sirius's gaze was laughing though.

" 'Course we'd never do that to you, Moony," Sirius handed him a couple paper towels. Remus snorted and shook his head as he wiped off his face with shaking hands.

"Was that Hermione sitting with Lily? The Hermione we met this morning?" Remus asked, running a hand through his hair and examining his teeth in the mirror.

"Yep."

"I should have been nicer," Remus sighed.

"You're sick, Remus, even a new girl understands that. She did see you in the hospital wing this morning. And she's not going to put it together," Sirius responded, he knew Remus's real fear was that she would guess that he was a werewolf, not that he'd been rude.

"She might, she seems smart," Remus argued back, though his heart wasn't really in it.

"Not gonna happen," Sirius reassured him, glancing at the clock. "Ready to head back?"

"Yeah, Pete should be done eating by now."

Sirius hmmed absentmindedly. "We may as well just get to class, sit in the front row by the windows, James and Pete can sit all the way in back."

"Ugh, yeah, good idea."

"I'm going to nip back into the Great Hall and grab our bags," Sirius said, as soon as he'd assured himself that Remus could walk alright on his own.

"Sirius?" Remus called to him just as the door was about to close.

"Yeah?" Sirius poked his head back into the boy's bathroom.

"Thanks."

Sirius only gave a soft smile in return to the slight brunet, and then left again.

"Remus alright?" James asked as soon as Sirius reappeared. Peter, Lily, and, surprisingly, Hermione looked anxious as well.

"Yeah, just a bit ill, we're headed early to Charms. You and Pete sit all the way back, right?"

"Sure, you and Remus gonna sit by the window?" James replied, nodding to Sirius's request.

"Yeah," Sirius replied, shouldering his bag, while Peter handed him Remus's from the other side of the table. "Thanks, Pete."

"Tell him we'll see him in Charms," Lily said, concern in her face and her voice.

"I hope he feels better," Hermione added, giving Sirius pause as he could have sworn there was a knowing look in her eyes, but it was gone as soon as he started to scrutinize it.

"Will do," Sirius responded to all of them, turning away from the table to leave the Hall now that he had both bags. "See you in a bit."

Maybe Hermione had guessed something. How though? Sirius didn't know. No point in worrying Remus just yet, he decided, as he walked quickly back through the corridor to rejoin the young werewolf.