Light burned across Remus' closed eyes and he so didn't want to open them. There was a soft weight against his side, Sirius. In Sirius's drunken state he hadn't want to let go of Remus and who was he to disappoint his fellow marauder? James and Peter hadn't cared but that was because they thought everything about this situation was innocent. He supposed it was on Sirius' side.

He heard Sirius groan next to him and the sound vibrated against his body. Remus took in a sharp breath and held himself as still as possible.

'Oh god,' Sirius moaned. 'Who hexed me?'

'You hexed yourself mate,' James remarked. 'With the cunning use of firewhiskey.'

'Moony?' Sirius questioned, probably realising he was attached to another body. Remus could open his eyes and join in on the conversation but perhaps he would hear something interesting if he stayed asleep.

'Yes, you wouldn't let him go, something about him being comfy,' James said. There was a long silence in which Remus worried over whether his cheeks were blushing or not.

'He is, it's not very fair of him. Oh god Prongs there's dragons in my head, can you get me a cuppa?'

'No. There is nothing in this new flat of yours but you and firewhiskey and none of us are allowed to use magic.'

'Shop round the corner,' Sirius grumbled. 'Muggle money in my pants.'

'You're still wearing them,' James pointed out. Remus felt Sirius wiggle next to him, and decided it was about time he admitted to being awake before other parts of him admitted other things. He fluttered his eyes open in what he imagined was the way he usually woke up.

'Good morning,' he mumbled. James was standing at the bottom of the bed looking both tired and unimpressed.

'Sure it's a good morning for you, you got the bed,' James complained.

'And a cuddly Sirius teddy bear,' Sirius added. Remus had to actively attempt not to blush again. He tried to move out of his entanglement with Sirius.

'Stop moving it hurts,' Sirius complained. Remus sighed and once again accepted his uncomfortable fate. He wasn't sure if he loved or hated the situation and he swore there was someone in the clouds laughing at him right at that moment. 'Prongs, here.' Sirius wafted some notes in the direction of James who looked at them oddly.

'Paper?' James asked as he took the money into his hands.

'Muggle money,' Remus confirmed. A soft snore emitted from Peter on the floor.

'They really use paper? What value is paper?' James questioned.

'It's like an I.O.U,' Remus informed.

'Please just go. I need tea,' Sirius complained.

'Best get him some paracetamol while you're there, it's muggle medicine,' Remus suggested.

James nodded. He must have decided he didn't want to go to the shop alone because he gave Peter a kick in the side. He sat up and looked around confused.

'Come on Wormtail we are going foraging for tea and breakfast.'

'Why not ask the houselves?' he grumbled rubbing sleep from his watery eyes.

'Because we are in a muggle flat in London without the ability to use magic. So come on,' James hefted him to his feet. 'Be back in a pixie minute.'

As James and Peter left Remus suddenly felt very uncomfortable and very aware of Sirius's breath on his shoulder. He wondered how Sirius was feeling. His favourite uncle had died and his mother had said god knows what to him.

'You ok?' Remus asked.

'Dragons in my head,' Sirius mumbled.

'I mean –'

'I know what you mean,' Sirius said. His tone had become suddenly dark and for a moment Remus could fully see how powerful his friend was. He shivered involuntarily. Sirius slowly disentangled himself and sat up resting his head on his knees. 'I hate her.'

'I know,' Remus said, because he didn't know what else to say.

'She wanted to drown me when I was born, and she's refusing to give him a funeral because he left all his money to me.'

'Oh.'

'I know he probably wouldn't care either way. But I hate that she would be so callous, that it's my fault' Sirius grumbled into his knees. Remus felt his chest squeeze. 'I…' Sirius started but couldn't finish. 'Don't tell Prongs or Wormtail about this.'

'I won't,' Remus admitted but couldn't see why. Surely they would only care? But maybe that was the problem. 'And it's not your fault you know.'

'You know sometimes. Sometimes I wish I could hate muggles and muggle-borns like they do,' he took a deep breath. 'I want to see them the way my family does, even though I know it's wrong, because then I would be one of them.'

'But you can't.'

'Because then I would be one of them,' Sirius finished. He kept his head buried in his knees. Remus reached out tentatively, his fingers shaking as he placed them on Sirius' shoulder. Sirius lifted his head to look at him, his dark grey eyes shining. Remus was pulled toward him, captivated by those eyes. For a single moment he completely understood all of Sirius' pain and it made him want to be sick.

They stayed like that, longer than they should have and they probably would have stayed there longer if James and Peter hadn't arrived back at that moment.

'I see you managed to move. Did Remus finally get fed up of being your cushion?' James asked. Remus couldn't think never mind speak. His mind was up in the air like a tornado.

'Complaining of pins and needles the big girl's blouse that he is,' Sirius whined and then turned to wink at Remus. Remus offered a small smile in response. 'Tea now.'

James sighed dramatically but went about it anyway. Remus smiled. He was glad, if nothing else this horrific situation had made them all remember there were things more important than who Lily took to a party, as friends or otherwise. James had always known they were only friends but it had never made much of a difference because she still hadn't chosen him.

'Oh your girlfriend's all worried about you.' James informed.

'Huh?'

'The hufflepuff,' Peter helped happily, and didn't at all think it was inappropriate Sirius couldn't keep track.

'Didn't I break up with her?' Sirius asked.

'No, no you didn't,' James confirmed. 'In fact I think she was rather miserable you didn't see her before running off home. Poor deluded thing.' The flat had thankfully come with a kettle so the conversation was momentarily paused as it hissed angrily.

'My uncle had died, why would I go talk to her?' Sirius asked. Though Remus could understand it, part of him hadn't liked the idea of Sirius running off to deal with it by himself without talking to them first either.

'Well you should probably dump her,' James stated as he poured the hot water into kettle. The steam billowed up from the mugs. James was right, Sirius didn't really care about Rosie at all and Remus ignored that little slither of happiness that had appeared inside of him. He was moving on. He was moving on with Rowan. Even if that look in Sirius's eyes had made him want to wrap his around him and hold on to him until he believed someone loved him exactly as he was. The problem was Sirius just wouldn't accept that from him.

Once James had finished sorting out the mugs of tea him and Peter brought them over to the bed and they sat in the four corners.

'What do you want to do?' James asked Sirius.

'We'll go back to Hogwarts today,' Sirius said. It didn't surprise anyone. 'Could do with being able to use magic again.'

'Why?' Peter asked. Sirius was quiet for a moment, taking a very deliberate sip of tea.

'I don't like not being able to use it. It's like not having a hand don't you think.'

'Mmm,' James agreed. Remus sighed, he didn't like the implications behind any of that. They were up to something.

'Leave off of Snape,' Remus said suddenly. 'I mean it. I don't want him finding about me anymore than you do. But this isn't the way to go about it. Prongs you're lucky you didn't completely ruin your chances with Lily.'

Sirius was about to object but thankfully James' obsessive love won over Sirius' obsessive hate.

'I think I have. She won't look at me,' James grumbled.

'She's just mad. I was thinking,' Remus said quietly. 'What if I told her?'

'Are you mad?' Sirius yelped. 'She's best friends with Snivellus.'

'I trust her. I think she'd know not to tell him, and it would mean she'd know why Prongs did all that.'

'I appreciate it Moony, but I won't put you on the line, if we're meant to be it'll sort itself out.'

'Prongs has swallowed a romance novel,' Sirius grumbled. Remus nodded but couldn't help feel James' love was doomed. 'How are we getting back to Hogwarts anyway?'

'Portkey,' James smiled happily. 'Donated by one Professor Dumbledore.'

'Excellent,' Sirius smiled. 'When's it go off?'

'Every day at midday,' he said. 'So oh, in an hour if we want to go back today. Oh and he said you could have the rest of the week off even if you returned.'

'Great, plenty of time to go put that regurgitation charm on the toilets in honour of Alphard.' Remus groaned and Peter looked suddenly very happy. For all his knowing this would end in detention at least Sirius was acting slightly more like himself. He wasn't going to remind him of what night it was. He wasn't going to remind any of them. They were all tired and Sirius needed them right now more than he did. That was only conformed by them going back to Hogwarts.

They sat in silence as they finished their tea, Peter actually went back to sleep, which Remus had to say was quite impressive. Sirius just stared into his empty mug and James struggled for something to say.

James got out a sock from his pocket and laid it in the middle of the bed.

'Grab onto it. It's about time,' James said.

'A sock?' Sirius asked at the same time as he held onto the toe. James shoved Peter awake and he also grabbed hold. They waited. Then came the wrenching from the stomach. They landed on the floor of their dorm in a big and untidy heap.

'Oh god not good for hangover,' Sirius grumbled rolling on the floor like he was in agony.

Remus rolled his eyes. 'I er, better go tell someone we're back,' he said and headed out the dorm. The common room was empty which meant everyone would still be in lessons or in the library. Lunch would be soon. The hallways were just as bleak as the common room.

'Remus,' a voice called from behind him. He turned to see Rowan standing there a pile of books in her hands. 'Where have you been?'

'Oh sorry, Sirius' uncle died and we had to go see him.' Rowan frowned at him.

'Why did you? Surely that's a family matter,' she said.

'Well Sirius and his family don't get on. We had to go or he would have been left on his own.'

'You didn't mention anything,' she said.

'Well it all happened pretty fast,' that was a lie. Plus he could have sent an owl once he was there and she knew that as well as he did.

'You know Remus. I want to make this work, 'cause I really like you. But you need to decide if you do as well because I don't have time to waste,' she said and walked past him. He tried to work out just where that outburst had come from but he just couldn't place it. Women really were crazy. Shaking his head he went back to walking toward Dumbledore's office.

'Ah Lupin,' McGonagall announced coming down herself from his office. 'I take it you are all back.'

'Yes Professor,' he said.

'Excellent and all but Black will be returning to lessons this week.'

'Yes.'

'I'll tell Dumbledore, I think I left my quill up there anyway. Will Sirius be ok for the moon tonight?' she asked.

'I don't know,' Remus answered. Though he did know, Sirius would be there right alongside him without fail. That was just how Sirius was. Remus didn't know if he wanted Sirius there though. McGonagall nodded and turned on her heels to return to Dumbledore's office.

As she moved aware he saw a figure further down the corridor. It was unmistakable as he moved forward. Snape, and there was a gleam in his eye. His lip curled and Remus ran.

He didn't look back to see whether Snape was following he just kept going till he was back in the dorm. He closed the door behind him and lay against it.

'You're back!' Sirius called, 'Prongs and Wormtail have gone to pilfer us some food for lunch.'

Remus didn't answer. He stood there trying to focus on his breathing. He slid to the floor.

'Moony? What the hell happened to you? You like you just saw Filch naked.'

'Snape knows,' Remus looked up to Sirius. 'He knows I'm a werewolf.'

'How?'

'He overheard me and McGonagall, she only made a reference to the moon, but he knows, I saw it in his eyes.' Remus's skin was hot and clammy. He needed not to be like this in front of Sirius, Sirius who had just lost his uncle, but he couldn't move, he was struggling to breathe.

Sirius knelt in front of Remus and grabbed his face roughly.

'Don't worry. I'm going to sort this out.'

'Sirius,' Remus started.

'I will not let anyone hurt you. I won't let him hurt you.' Sirius pulled him into his arms and held him. Remus could feel Sirius' heart beat. Remus needed to say something, but he couldn't, he was shaking. He leant his head into Sirius' shoulder and clutched at his arms.

'I'll make this ok.'

Sirius got up and walked out.

It wasn't until Remus could finally breathe that he realised that he had sent Sirius after Snape with all the pent up rage of his family.