Remus comes back and he looks like shit.
It is past midnight when I open the door. Blood drips down his pale face and he is gripping the doorway unusually hard, is if that is all that is keeping him from toppling over. His patched robes are covered with dark liquid that I presume is blood and his leg is trembling.
"Shit," I say looking at him.
He smiles wanly. "Can you help me in? I don't know how much longer I can stand here."
His voice snaps me out of my shock. "Of course, of course. I don't know why I was just standing there like that." I put his arm around my shoulder and guide him inside. I can feel his ribs prominently through his robes and my hands are covered with blood. His leg shakes violently.
"Do you want me to levitate you instead?" I ask him. "What happened?"
"No, it's alright," he says grimacing in pain. "Levitation makes me nauseated. I can make it to the kitchen. I'll tell you later."
I nod and attempt to lug him silently past where my mother's portrait was sleeping. There is a moment when Remus knocks into that stupid troll's leg, but he catches it before it can fall down and make a racket.
"Close call," he whispers. I look at him and instantly know he is in a lot of pain. His face is pallid and a thin sheen of sweat covers his face.
Before he can protest, I sweep my arm under his legs and lift him up, bridal style.
"Sirius!" Remus hisses. "Put me down. You'll drop me."
"I'd never drop you, Moony," I argue quietly. "Do you really have such little faith in my strong manly arms?"
Remus snorts with ill-disguised laughter and I am offended.
"The last time you said that was back in 7th year. I vaguely recall you dropped me off a broom not even thirty seconds later. Luckily, Pete was under me, so I had a bit of a human cushion as I fell," whispers Remus as I tiptoe past the mummified house elf heads to the kitchen.
"Really," I murmur. "I don't remember that actually. And that was only one time! Look how well I'm carrying you now!"
"Sirius Black, you are my savior," mocks Remus. "Every night I dream about you sweeping me into your manly arms and snogging me thoroughly. I would die without you near."
"I-I," I sputter and Remus dissolves into mad giggling until he winces.
"Ow. Ow," he says as his face scrunches up in pain. He grips his side with his hands.
"Alright?" I ask worriedly. "We're almost there."
He nods and closes his eyes as I rush to deposit him on the kitchen table.
"Why are you putting me on the table, Sirius?" Remus asks.
"It's just temporary, until I heal the worst of your wounds," I say as I rush about gathering healing potions. "Then we can get you cleaned up and put to bed."
I slather some of the gooey potions on his head wound and mutter incantations as I watch the skin knit itself together. I carefully cut off his robe to put dittany on his side wound. Remus winces with pain and I kiss his check.
"Alright there, babe?" I ask.
"Yes, I'm alright," Remus pauses and smirks, "Babe."
"Shut up," I say gently as I examine his leg wound. "You are awfully feisty today."
"Took a potion so I could have the strength to travel here," Remus says grinning at me. "It'll wear off in a while. Side effect is that it makes me bold, bolsters my courage."
"Hmmm," I murmur. "James took it once before. It doesn't seem like it has affected you as much as it affected him."
"Didn't take a lot of the potion," Remus says wincing as I put dittany on his leg. "And I would like to think that I naturally have a calmer disposition than James. I don't think James would have needed the potion, as he acts like he's on it all the time. So do you." Remus grinned at me again.
"I may act rash, but I am a trembling coward inside," I say smothering another wound with potion.
"Nonsense," says Remus. "You are very brave." I grunt noncommittally, but my heart skips a beat.
"What did James do on the potion?" Remus asks. He looks a lot better now that I have healed the worst of his wounds.
"He ran down the street starkers," I recall with a laugh. "In front of Lily. Which affirmed her view that he was an idiot. This was before they dated."
I look at Remus and his lips are quirked up in a smile; his eyes are bright and mischievous. "He was a right genius, wasn't he, our Prongs?"
I laugh, "Yeah." Remus has closed his eyes.
"I think it's starting to wear off," he says with a yawn.
"Let's get you cleaned up, then," I say and pick him up again. He leans his head into my chest and I breath in his shampoo. Even when he is all beat up and bloody, Remus still manages to smell clean.
I take him to the bathroom and set him on the floor as I start the bath. I make sure the water isn't too hot. I turn around and Remus's head has slumped against his shoulder and his face looks grey with exhaustion.
"Remus," I say and I kiss him on the cheek. "Let me help you out of your robes."
I detangle long limbs from frayed bloodied robes, revealing a scarred wiry body. I help Remus up, and oogle his rather perfect arse as he steps into the bath. I get a washcloth and begin to wipe the dirt and crusted blood off of his body. He sighs as I wipe his face with the towel. I feel ashamed that even though he is tired and beat up, the only thing on my mind is that he is so damn sexy.
He is asleep when I finally finish. I kiss him on the forehead before shaking him gently.
"Moony. I'm going to help you out of the bath, alright?"
Remus grumbles and squints at me, before closing his eyes again. I decide to let him rest; I levitate him out of the bath and wrap him in a fluffly grey towel. I carefully float him out of the doorway, down the hall, and into his room before placing him on the bed. I arrange the blankets so that they cover him and with a moments thought, slip in besides him.
"Goodnight, Moony," I say as I wrap my arms around him. A knot of tension in my heart loosens, and I am comforted by his steady breathing before I fall asleep.
