That night, Remus does not sleep. He lays with Sirius until the other boy is far away and dreaming before climbing out of bed and making his way to the window.

It wouldn't be long before they find Sirius. If they had already raided James and Peter's home, it would be a matter of time before they tracked down the final Marauder. Maybe they're out there now, making their way slowly along. Maybe his father's low profile and reluctance to interact with neighbors due to his son's lycanthropy will be enough to buy them some time.

Remus sits on the window sill, eyes fixed upon the darkness beyond the glass.

They would come for Sirius as he's always known they would. If they catch him, there is no telling what they will do to him.

The worst part is that Remus knows that it's his fault. He'd crafted the plan. He'd talked James and Peter into helping. He'd seen it through. Even though he'd known that he would be putting his, his friends', his family's, and his boyfriend's lives in danger, he hadn't for second thought about backing down.

Remus laughs dryly. "Now the Gryffindor spirit manifests," he muses to himself, cheek pressing against the glass.

His eyes grow heavy, like he might fall asleep like that. Slowly, he begins to nod off, but a cry in the darkness jerks him back to reality in an instant. "Sirius?"

Remus rushes to the bed, watching helplessly as Sirius tries to fight off some invisible assailant. "Sirius, wake up," Remus urges, leaning down and gripping his boyfriend's shoulders. "Siri-"

His words are cut off as Sirius bolts upright, his forehead crashing against Remus' mouth. Remus can taste the faint, coppery taste of blood where is lip has split.

"Remus? What the hell were you doing?"

"Trying to wake you! You were having a nightmare," Remus says, wincing as he carefully presses a finger to his damaged lip.

"Oh."

The room is too dark, lit only by faint moonlight through the window, but Remus is certain he sees color creep into Sirius' cheeks.

"What were you dreaming about?" Remus asks, crawling into bed beside him and drawing the blankets over them.

"I don't remember."

"You're a terrible liar."

Sirius gives what might be a laugh, but it's too strained to feel familiar. "Actually, I'm a terrific liar. You're just immune to my bull shit."

"Funny," Remus says dryly. "But you know you're not going to get out of the question that easily, right?"

Sirius sighs and sinks back into the mattress. He grips his pillow, pulling out from behind his head so that he can cover his eyes with it. "Can we just leave it at I don't want to talk about it, Moony?"

Remus still doesn't know how to react to Sirius sounding so vulnerable. It's so foreign. All the years he's known him, his boyfriend's name has always been synonymous with strong, with untouchable. It's so easy to forget that he's still human, that he has his demons.

Curling closer, Remus rests his head upon Sirius' bare chest, listening to his still rapid heartbeat. Whatever he saw behind his eyelids has left him shaken. "You know you can tell me, right?" Remus whispers.

"I know. But I don't know how to talk about it," Sirius sighs, his arms wrapping around Remus. "I've always been told not to. 'Be a good boy, Sirius. Remember, Black matters are for Black members only.'"

"They really said that?"

"Yup."

Remus stares up at the ceiling, swallowing dryly as he tries to figure out how to ask what he wants to know. Deciding the blunt approach works best with Sirius, he nuzzles against him. "They hurt you, didn't they?"

"Why would you think that?"

"It sounds like the sort of things they'd say to cover up abuse, doesn't it? Telling you not to talk about it. Making you keep it inside and forcing you to think that it's bad to talk about what goes on in your household. I mean, you're sixteen, and even now I can tell that you-"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, they hurt me."

At first, Remus thinks Sirius sounds too casual about it. Then he realizes that it's the reluctance that makes him so dismissive.

"I'm sorry," Remus says quietly, kissing Sirius' chest. "I shouldn't have pried."

"Probably not. Maybe I'll tell you one day. When I know what to say."

"That's good enough for me."

.

Remus thinks he hears a door open. He instinctively onto Sirius more tightly. Even in sleep, he cannot let go.

.

"Remus, dear," Hope calls when the boys make their way towards the door, "can I get you to help me with breakfast."

"We were just-"

"Please," she says, her voice a little more firm now.

Remus has only heard that tone a few times in his life, and he knows that there's no denying his mother of her request. "Catch up with you later," he says softly, turning and walking into the kitchen. "You remember I'm a nightmare when it comes to cooking, right?" He keeps his tone light, trying to read his mother's expression.

Hope keeps her back to him as she fries a thick cut of bacon. "You can just set the table."

Remus frowns to himself, but he does as he is told. He can't shake the sudden oncoming nerves as grabs a stack of plates from the cupboard and begins placing them on the table. His mother never asks for help in the kitchen. She's always said that her family has managed to cook for generations without any magical assistance.

"Is something bothering you, Mum?" he asks when the final plate is in its place.

"Not bothering me, not," she says, transferring the bacon onto a tray beside a medley of other foods. "I just want you to be honest with me."

Remus steels himself, prepared for the worst. He isn't sure what she thinks he might be tempted to lie to her about, and he has to grip the back of a chair to keep his nerves in check. "All right. What about?"

"Do you love Sirius?" she asks, blushing awkwardly.

"I-" Her question catches him off guard, and Remus can't go any further for several moments. He stares at her, blinking back his confusion as he tries to find the right words. "Of course. He's my best mate, Mum."

"That's not what I meant, Remus," she says gently, undoing her apron and hanging it back on the nail jutting from the wall over the stove. "You said you'd be honest."

She runs her fingers through his hair the way she had when he was a little boy and nervous about something- usually a new home or the full moon.

"Yes," he says at last. "Were we that obvious?"

Hope laughs, kissing his forehead. "No, actually. I came into your room this morning to collect dirty clothes, and I saw you two sleeping closely together like you were-" She clears her throat, color returning to her cheeks. "-intimate."

Remus mirrors her blush and pulls away with a groan. "We didn't do anything," he assures her quickly, scrubbing his hands over his face. "Sirius had a nightmare, and I-"

"You don't have to explain. I don't care who you want to be with, as long as you're happy," she says. "That's what all parents want."

"Will Dad want that?"

"Yes," Hope answers without hesitation. "And you love Sirius, right? You're sure that you love him?"

"I am," Remus confirms, nodding.

She rests her hands on his shoulders. "Then you fight for him, Remus Lupin," she says, her voice leaving no room for her son to protest. "And don't give up."