*awkwardly clears throat* So um... I never actually intended to kill off Remus... I just wanted to know how you all would react. I would like to apologize for even suggesting the possibility of Remus' demise. It won't happen in this fic, don't worry.

Now, then, stuff's about to happen so relax, read and review!

Remus rolled over in his bed, checking the clock on his bedside table. It was only five in the morning. He'd hardly slept despite being tired from the past few days. It was as though some unknown force were keeping him awake.

Knowing he wouldn't get any more sleep, he sat up and stretched. He pulled on his robe and quietly slipped out of his room. Perhaps a glass of water would do him some good. A cup of tea wouldn't hurt either.

He had just reached the edge of the landing when he felt something strange, and he turned around, peering up the stairs that led to Harry's and Sirius' rooms.

Magic, Remus thought. Harry must be performing accidental magic again - perhaps the result of a nightmare?

All thoughts of tea were abandoned in that moment as Remus quietly slipped upstairs to the next floor. He made straight for his Harry's door, wand at the ready in case it was heated or locked again, and stopped short, turning to the room on the left.

The magic he sensed was coming from Sirius' room, not Harry's.

"What in Merlin's name?" Remus muttered. He performed a spell on Sirius' door, and found the entire room surrounded by a silencing charm. Why? He wondered, unlocking the door and opening it quietly.

What he saw was heart-wrenching. Sirius lay on his bed, trembling and crying out in his sleep, trapped in what was obviously a nightmare.

Remembering the last time he'd woken his friend from a nightmare, Remus decided to tread carefully, making his way to the side of Sirius' bed, and reaching out. He stroked Sirius' hair. "Padfoot, wake up." He whispered.

He cleared his throat so he could speak a little louder, shaking him. "Come on, Pads, open your eyes."

Sirius bolted upright, a scream in his throat. He didn't move for a moment, staring straight ahead, breathing hard, his mind obviously processing that he was safe and sound in his room.

"Padfoot?" Remus said tentatively, his hand still on Sirius' arm.

Sirius stiffened, turning to his friend. "W-what? What are you doing in here?"

"You were having a nightmare." Remus said. "Sirius, how long has this been going on? You had a silencing charm on your door, so don't try telling me this is the first time."

Sirius shook his head. "I'm fine, Moony. It was just a nightmare."

"You and I both know that they are not just nightmares. You're reliving memories of your childhood and your time in Azkaban." Remus said. "What I don't understand is why you were trying to hide it from me."

Sirius only sighed, checking the time on his clock. 5:09 AM.

"Sirius, please talk to me." Remus placed his other hand on his friend's cheek and gave him a pleading look.

"I didn't want you to worry." Sirius explained. "Or wake up Harry."

"You're my family, Pads. I'm going to worry no matter what you do. I understand not wanting to worry Harry, though."

"I've tried those Dreamless Sleep potions Poppy gave us." Sirius said, not meeting Remus' eyes. "They didn't work. In fact, I think they made the nightmares worse."

"What about those nights at Hogwarts? You slept fine then." Remus noted. "What was different?"

Sirius shrugged. Remus could tell that Sirius was holding something back.

"Sirius, I can't help you if you don't let me."

"I never asked you to." Sirius said sharply.

Remus opened his mouth and closed it, not knowing what to say to that.

Sirius pulled his arm away. "If I'd wanted your help, I wouldn't have put up a silencing charm. Please, Remus, just let me be."

"Padfoot, I-"

"I'm fine. Just go, please."

Remus stood and left the room, shutting the door a little too hard. He made his way downstairs a little less quietly than before. Shaking, he put on the kettle.

A short while later, he retired to the library with a strong cup of tea and an old book about the origins of magic. It was hard to read with the tears in his eyes and his hands shaking as they turned the pages though.

Eventually, he heard Harry clamber down the stairs, obviously looking for breakfast. Remus stood up to go make some, until he heard a heavier set of footsteps. He froze, hand inches from the doorknob.

"How does cereal sound, Prongslet?" called Sirius, sounding cheerful, though Remus could hear something else in his voice. The footsteps moved closer. He heard the door across the hall open and close. Then they moved towards the library. He knew Sirius was just outside the door, as though considering whether or not to open it.

But neither wizard gathered the courage before Harry shouted in delight at the prospect of his favorite cereal - corn flakes and colorful marshmallows. The footsteps faded away as Sirius joined Harry in the kitchen.

Remus leaned his head on the door. Some Gryffindor he was. He sighed and returned to his chair by the fire, hoping Harry didn't miss him anytime soon. Sirius would come up with some excuse as to why he hadn't made breakfast.

He just couldn't bear to face Sirius right now, not after their fight this morning.

He picked up his book and continued from where he'd left off, pausing now and then to take a sip of tea or to stare at the fire.

It wasn't long before he heard the floo upstairs, signaling that Narcissa and Draco had arrived. He could hear her introduce Draco to Harry, followed by the sounds of little feet running up the stairs.

And then Narcissa asked about Remus, and he stood and slipped to the back of the library, hidden amongst the shelves. He fell to the floor, hugging his knees to his chest, and burying his face in his arms.

What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he walk upstairs and say hello? He was missing Harry's first meeting with Draco - a boy that could become a very good friend - all because he was too much of a coward to look at Sirius again.

The dining room was empty, just like the drawing room and all the other rooms upstairs. He moved towards the library and froze. Perhaps it was his canine abilities, but Sirius thought he could sense Remus on the other side of the door. He wondered what state the werewolf was in.

Back in their Hogwarts days, Remus had had a hard time identifying and discussing his feelings. Whenever he was upset or scared, James and Sirius had always found him in the library, often with Lily at his side.

There she would sit, patting Remus on the back and listening to his woes, glaring at James and Sirius, as though it were all their fault that Remus was upset (it usually wasn't).

But this time, it was Sirius' words and actions that made Remus hide in the library. And there was no Lily for Remus to talk to. No James for Sirius to get advice from. No one. Sirius had only one option. If he wanted to get through this with Remus, then he would have to tell him the truth.

A long talk would have to wait, however, as his attentions were needed by a hungry seven-year-old.

After breakfast, Sirius helped Harry clean his bedroom and the drawing room, just as he thought Remus would want. Narcissa and Draco arrived just as Harry was finishing his arrangement of dinosaurs and dragons on his dresser.

Narcissa introduced Draco to Harry, who immediately invited the pale blonde up to his room. As the two of them bolted out of the room, Narcissa asked that dreaded question.

"Where is Remus? I thought he would be here as well." Narcissa looked around, as though she thought he might be hiding behind the window drapes.

"He's not feeling well today," said Sirius quickly. Narcissa gave him an odd look, but she didn't force the issue.

Harry waited patiently while Draco scrutinized his room. The slightly taller boy stopped in front of his dresser.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing.

"That's a tyrannosaurus rex," said Harry.

"A what?"

"You know, a type of dinosaur," Harry explained, holding up a book about dinosaurs that Remus had bought him.

Draco still looked confused, so Harry opened the book to the introduction and read it aloud.

"These creatures existed before people? Before wizards?" Draco asked in disbelief.

Harry shrugged. "That's what my teacher said, and the book says so, too."

Draco studied the triceratops figurine. "They look a bit like dragons. Do you think dragons and dinosaurs are related?"

"Maybe," said Harry. "I don't know much about dragons, except what I read in fairy tales."

Draco didn't know what a fairy tale was, so Harry had to explain that, too.

"Well, I know all about dragons," said Draco, a little pompously. "They're magical and they breathe fire. What can dinosaurs do?"

Harry thought about this. "Um… the T-rex can run fast, and the brachiosaurus has the longest neck anyone has ever seen. It can reach tall trees."

Draco wasn't impressed, until Harry opened his book again and showed him all the facts about the prehistoric creatures.

"Maybe dragons are just dinosaurs with magic," said Draco. "And that's why they survived when all the others didn't."

"And dinosaurs came before people," said Harry. "So what if they were the first magical creatures?"

Draco shrugged. "My father says that wizards have been around a long time, and the pureblood families have been around the longest."

Harry wasn't sure what a pureblood was, but was saved from having to say anything when Draco suddenly jumped up.

"I know!" he cried. "Let's have a Dinosaur-Dragon war!"

"Alright!" cried Harry. "Let's do it!"

Sirius and Narcissa chatted idly about politics and their children for awhile, until Narcissa checked the clock and sighed. She called Draco downstairs, explaining that his magical preparatory tutor would be arriving shortly at the manor.

Draco looked very annoyed that he was leaving, but the adults said that the boys would play again soon. After promising to write to each other with the help of their owls, the two new friends bid farewell.

Sirius sent Harry upstairs to wash up for lunch, and then stuck his head into the fireplace, floo-calling McGonagall. She was more than willing to take Harry for the afternoon, despite the short notice. Sirius thanked her and pulled himself out of the fire.

After lunch, McGonagall arrived and Harry happily went with her. He was much more open to going places without his uncles now, especially to somewhere as wonderful as Hogwarts.

Sirius sighed once they were gone and went downstairs to retrieve the tray of tea and biscuits he'd made. A moment later he stood outside the door of the library. This was it. He needed to do this.

He took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Remus?"

He had no idea how long he was there, but it must have been a while, because even at the back of the library, Remus could hear the floo roar to life as Narcissa and Draco left.

He told himself to move, to get up and say hello to Harry, at least, but his body didn't listen to him.

The floo flared once more, and Remus looked up. A few moments later he heard it again. Who was here? He wondered.

He strained his werewolf hearing to listen. But there were no voices. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him, and he managed to stand up and walk to the front of the library.

Just before he emerged from the shelves, he heard the door creak open. He paused, hidden in a section about ghosts.

"Remus?" Sirius' voice called.

Once again, his courage seemed to fail him. He couldn't move.

"Remus, I know you're in here." Sirius said softly. There was a noise - like metal meeting wood, and Remus sniffed the air. Tea and biscuits?

Realizing he hadn't eaten anything and that he should take up Sirius' offer of food, he made his way to the firelight.

Sirius looked up, relieved.

"I thought I would have to search the whole library for you." he said, obviously trying to lighten the atmosphere. "I sent Harry to Minerva for a few hours so we could… talk."

Remus said nothing, but he sat down in his chair and picked up a cup of tea. It was Earl Grey, his favorite, and Sirius' least favorite. He glanced down at the plate of chocolate digestives, another favorite of his.

"Is this a peace offering?" Remus asked, startling Sirius out of what might have been deep thoughts.

"An apology, actually." Sirius said quietly. "I shouldn't have pushed you away this morning. You were trying to help, and I was being stubborn."

They were silent for a few minutes while Remus munched on the biscuits.

"I'm sorry, too." Remus said. "For hiding in here all day. You had to take care of Harry and deal with Narcissa all by yourself."

Sirius shrugged."Narcissa wasn't bad. I think she realized something was going on between us."

"What, though?" Remus asked, suddenly sounding desperate. "What is going on? Why did you try to hide the fact that you were still having nightmares about your past, Sirius? What is it you won't tell me?"

Sirius took a sip of tea and cringed, having forgotten it wasn't a kind he liked. After a moment of recovery, he looked up at his friend.

"I'm not having nightmares about my past, Remus." Sirius said.

Remus waited, so Sirius went on.

"Every night, it's the same dream. It starts out alright - happy and all, and then it turns bad. I've been having it ever since we moved into Grimmauld Place with Harry."

"I don't understand," said Remus. "Is it something to do with living here again?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Something to do with Harry?"

Sirius sobbed. "No, Remus… it's you… My dream… my nightmare… is you."

I have this strange feeling that all of the Remus haters are going to emerge from the dark depths of darkness and inscribe their dark thoughts from their dark minds about him.

I mean, really, what were you guys expecting Remus to do? Stand up for himself? Against the only true friend he has left? No. He's going to hide in a place where he feels safe and comfortable. A place that's more his domain than Sirius', and the kitchen wouldn't have made sense because it's not as private. The rest of the house, in Remus' eyes, is Sirius'. This Remus is as canon as I could possibly get.