Something constricted over his face, pinching his nose shut and clasping down too close to his mouth, the edges of it just below his eyes and on the curve of his jaw, something pointed digging just beneath his chin on one side.* He breathed in the dusty scent right onto his tongue, there was no natural lighting in the gloom for him to see what was happening.
"Guys!" Remus squeaked at once, his hands scrambling over nothing of value as he reached up to try pulling it off. "Guys!?" There was a muzzle on his face, somebody had slapped a muzzle back on him!
"Somebody get me out of this thing!" He was already howling like an animal, he could hear the desperation in his own voice and he didn't care as his skin pulled and stretched and it wouldn't come off! This was no cruel prank, even Sirius would never do something like this as a joke.
"Sirius!? James?! Help!" He couldn't even back away as whatever it was held him in place by his face, and there was screaming all around him now. He couldn't even tell if it was his own. "Padfoot! Prongs! Pete?! Somebody!"
He could still breathe, it was neither tightening nor loosening, but that was somehow worse as his eyes adjusted to nothing. He forced them to remain open. They were not in the dimly lit hospital! He'd rather black out than live like this though. There was nothing but blank wall in front of him, he couldn't feel a single one of them around him, his breath was hot and kept blasting right back into his mouth with no escape. "Sirius! Sirius!" His nails were scraping dangerously against the ridges of his eyes, determined to rip it off by any means necessary.
Peter wasn't sure if those cursed robes once thrown out of Grimmauld place had been sent here, or if they weren't one a kind, but he wasn't getting the air to ask as the material wrapped tight around his throat. He gasped and spluttered in disgust, hearing the shouts and cries around him, but instinctively tried to vanish with a little pop that thankfully worked. Scampering a few feet away to be sure as they fell back harmlessly to the rack, he changed back and yelled in fright, spinning on the spot with no idea where to begin.
Regulus was hanging onto the handle of a black cabinet and stumbling dangerously, about to fall into something that seemed to have no true back and no telling what it would do.
James had tried the same trick, but Prongs's hooves slid uselessly on the ground as it held tight, so he changed back and lashed his hand onto an already trembling case full of jewelry that was about to topple him as the black cord wound tighter up his leg and tried to continue pulling him back towards a dangerously whirling device that glinted of metal even in the non lighting. He tried desperately to go for his wand while being torn in two, but didn't seem to be making much progress.
Sirius couldn't dare try the same, wrestling with a panther that had him ruthlessly pinned to the ground by its claws digging into his chest. Only a hastily thrown up shield charm was keeping his neck safe, and the glistening fangs shoved his wand's barrier a little lower to the ground every time.
Remus was losing his shit, he hadn't even gone for his wand to get out of that thing keeping him in place, it was too dark for even his sharp eyes to see exactly what it was.
A splattering of blood suddenly came from above and he looked up to see Frank yelling as a broom slammed him repeatedly into the ceiling, he'd bet anything he was incapable of letting go. He couldn't even spot the other two to know the horrors they were in.
Lashing out his hand to grab the back of Regulus' robes, he verbally threw a spell wildly at James while issuing a silent apology. It worked as it should, the severing charm cut straight through down to the bone, releasing him and a howl of pain as Regulus got his feet back under him.
All Prongs seemed to notice was that he was free and he immediately took in the same situation. Feeling guilty as hell for prioritizing, but Remus was screaming his lungs out so he was definitely more alive than Longbottom not even doing that anymore, Peter turned to Regulus and said, "mind your head."
He needed no further instruction as he once again over extended his magic, shooting Regulus up to the ceiling with far too much vigor. His arms had come up to cover his head on instinct, so when he found himself next to Longbottom he reached over to yank him off without any further hesitation as Peter tried to lower them back to the ground. The broom fell to the floor with an innocent clatter now that its rider was free.
"No James!" Sirius called calmly and clearly from where he was still wrestling with the cursed item like it wasn't salivating to rip his head off, hands straining to keep his shield up on the thin wood, every muscle visible in his arms and covered in sweat, a small puddle of blood pooling along his sides from the rivulets of cuts because of those hind claws. "Get Remus out!"
Moony had stopped calling for help and was now just screaming incoherently. Heeding Sirius by instinct alone, he changed course and rushed over to slash his wand through the air like a whip as he cried, "relashio!"
It worked thankfully, the bony hand fell away, the fingers uncurling with an ugly crackling noise. Remus finally staggered back clutching at his mouth and gasping in relief. James put a tentative hand on his arm in case he still lashed out in fear, watching closely to see the bloody scratches under his eyes in case that thing had done any worse to him, but Remus turned and held onto his arm still fighting back tears, his knees shaking as he held painfully onto James' elbow while he got his breath back. The few salty ones that leaked out must have stung terribly as they mingled with the blood, but he didn't let go to brush them away.
Prongs tried to be as reassuring as he could while he started dragging Moony back towards a still struggling Sirius, still limping as heavily as Remus' weak appendages. Peter was by Sirius' side now, but none of the spells he used were working anywhere past causing stuffing to fly as the creature continued.
There was a terrible look on Wormtail's face for whatever he was about to blast next to get that thing away, and James desperately tried, "finite," first despite his friend trying to cut off circulation to his arm.
The mock animal went still, and then zapped back to a plush sized toy. The desperation was still in Peter's eyes as he went towards the back, but James seized him and pushed him towards Regulus hovering over an unconscious Frank. "Walk him through some healing charms Pete."
Sirius struggled to his feet but was managing it well enough, so James sorrowfully wrenched his arm free and transferred a still hyperventilating Moony to him, hating to turn his back on the pair as Sirius tried to follow but couldn't as Remus latched onto his back and Padfoot groaned in pain. James was already rushing to the back alone despite leaving a thick trail of blood.
The moment he stepped through the curtain he heard the problem and snapped back to Prongs, which thankfully saved his human ears from the tinkling trance of music holding Evans and Alice in place, blood already starting to dribble from inside their ears. Their eyes were wide and glassy, and he huffed in frustration he could see nothing to turn off. Perhaps an intruder alarm, or something irreparable had broken upon their landing.
He stepped farther in, turned clumsily on the spot, and began nudging the two gently out with his horns while trying to favor three legs. They started moving, thankfully, but slow stumbling steps that made his limb feel like he was trailing a log behind him now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off. He feared that numbness, it could not be a good thing.
As the two stepped back into the rest of the store, it visibly started to wear off, and he changed back, collapsing to the ground in cold flashes of pain, using what little breath he had left to cast a healing charm. He passed out before he could see the bone, muscles, tendons, and flesh knit back together.
Lily and Alice screamed in tandem at the sight before them, burning their already ringing ears. Alice vaulted over the counter like it wasn't there to get to Frank and Lily dropped to her knees in a puddle of Potter's blood. She pushed his pants leg aside and saw he'd reduced it down to a deep cut instead, still oozing.
"He okay?" Sirius demanded from above her, turning a bit gray but holding his wand steady, clearly ready to use it on him if he didn't pass out first. Once again his chest was desecrated by multiple scratch marks, Lupin hanging onto his arms for life, as he watched her every move like that was no hamper at all.
"I got the rest," she promised. "He'll live."
Sirius released an erratic laugh that terrified her as she got her arms under his limp form and began dragging him out of the darkening pool for her own sanity, only managing a few feet where the counter stopped before she sat down beside him in exhaustion, the six of them sizing each other up and just taking in their next precious breath.
"So, who wants to find the book?" Regulus whispered into the following silence.
Sirius' laughter increased, his arms going behind him to hold Lupin in place as his eyes stayed on Potter.
"Stop that," she scolded in exhaustion. He didn't until she got wearily to her feet and used shaking fingers to prod gently along his chest, causing him to hiss in pain and eyes to finally flinch onto her properly. He gently pushed her hand back and finally turned his wand on himself, but stopped quickly and put it away.
He hadn't managed to get them all, and her hands trembled terribly as she got the last few to close while trying desperately to ignore the nausea of seeing the blood flow while he watched her with a steadfast expression.
She tried to go around him to Lupin who was still shaking and gasping, but Sirius crowded him against the wall and tightened his grip with a reproachful look as he jabbed his head at Frank instead. Lupin was taller, she could see the damage under his eyes, his nose was swollen, red, and dripping blood, but he didn't seem an immediate concern as he kept his face tipped towards the ceiling and kept breathing, so that wasn't a fight she was going to pick as she did so.
Pettigrew had walked Regulus through it for the most part, oddly as she'd expect him to do it himself, but he'd only gotten the worst of it and Lily tried her best to help the rest through. She still worried they hadn't done enough when Frank still lay passed out and looked pleadingly back at Potter and Black, who weren't in a position to help anyone in their state.
With a mental slap, she reminded herself she could do this! She wasn't going to let Frank suffer brain damage now! Fumbling desperately with the straps of her bag, she knew for a fact she could do at least one quick potion to help any internal swelling go down. Her hands continued trembling though as she started crushing ingredients on the filthy floor, worried about contamination, her mind starting to fog over as she kept wondering what if she did it wrong, what if she made this worse too?
Alice took her hand, her own flew to her shining amber eyes. "What can I do?" She demanded.
Her first instinct was still to push her away, to not let her guard down now, she could do this herself; but Severus' biting insult flashed through her mind to stop her. She was more than just a mudblood, she did deserve to be here! She pushed the empty cauldron towards Alice and told her in a remarkably steady voice, "start filling this with water, slowly. Only a cup at a time, I'll tell you when to stop."
She still patiently went through every step in her mind before she did it to double check herself, but the potion came out the exact right color as she ladled out the first spoonful and gently eased it into his mouth.
Peter got the nicked Weasley's potion kit out of Alice's bag and went back over to Prongs, nearly tipping the entirety but one drop of that blood restorative into his mouth before wearily handing it to Sirius.
"Thanks," Padfoot did not sound like he meant that as he tapped it, took a sip of his own, and pocketed it, but Peter nodded all the same as he hovered awkwardly.
"I'm sorry," he told them sincerely, though he wasn't sure how much Remus was listening.
"You should be," Sirius clearly meant that, and Peter winced. "Hell Peter, you nearly cut his leg off, what were you-"
"Guys," James groaned from their feet. They glanced down to see he looked every color of awful, but he was blinking dazedly up at them.
Sirius tried to bend down on instinct so he didn't have to crane his neck so far, but Moony still refused to let go and Sirius was starting to look a little flustered as the realization kept hitting him he couldn't help both at once. He was far more angry at himself than he'd ever let anyone see. Only this damning fact had stopped him from telling Evans to back off in the first place.
James didn't seem to want much help anyways, pushing Peter's hands away until he was leaning comfortably against the wall so he could see every corner properly, but he still had no energy to use the most minor of spells. Even his voice came out rough, but kind as he looked at Peter and said, "thanks mate. Everyone's okay, that's the important part." Frank was starting to stir as well, and the girls were dabbing a bit of that potion as far into their own ears as they reasonably could.
"I am sorry," Peter still insisted, but James waved him off with a faint smile.
Sirius was done being nice though. "James didn't try to cut Remus' face off to-"
"He did good Sirius," James repeated firmly now, frowning up at him as best he could from the floor, but he knew Sirius could hear it at the very least. "Who knows what the hell anyone else would do, grab the book? Freeze up? Can't you just be grateful?"
Prongs really meant that, and Sirius watched him sadly as he realized he didn't feel the same. It was the principle of the matter, the instinctive magic he'd heard each of them use underneath Remus' pleas for help. There was a fracture now when he looked at Peter he decided he was done trying to fix for James' sake.
During those three weeks he hadn't been speaking to any of them, Peter had never crossed his mind. Going back to Grimmauld hadn't even crossed his mind, he'd considered living in the Forbidden Forest for the summer without a second thought to Regulus. Only because of all of this mess was he even making more of an effort to involve himself with him, but he'd spent every waking hour wishing he could talk to James again, trying to pretend Remus had just over reacted and would want to come talk to him any day now, forcing himself to respect Moony's wishes and not start the conversation.
He'd been in the wrong, and he knew that now, he still felt the guilt of those actions every time he looked at Remus. He'd done Peter wrong by viciously over reacting to this future, but he'd tried what he could to make amends for that. He didn't hate Peter or Regulus, but he was done trying to make it more.
"Sorry," Peter whispered one last time.
"Yeah, so am I," Sirius stated, but there was something wrong with the delivery. There was a sincerity in there that did not lean towards an apology Peter suddenly flat knew he didn't want to know the meaning of.
James swallowed at the following silence and said, "Maybe I'll try losing an eye next, get out of here looking like Moody!"
Sirius got a grudging laugh and played along like nothing had happened. "First Harry, now him, you trying to mimic everyone in this future mate?"
"Just the cool people," he grinned.
Peter sighed in relief when Regulus summoned the book to get them out of this place and went quickly back over to him. James watched him go with a deep ache of loss as he gingerly stepped over the thick blood still covering most of the floor.
"Silver and Opals," Regulus said clearly and more calmly than Sirius would have given him credit for, as traumatized as he still looked glancing around at every single thing and even the floorboards like they were still going to be attacked any moment inside the rest of Borgin and Burkes. He hadn't been able to see what Regulus survived, but guessed it as he particularly kept eyeing that black wardrobe.
Both Black boys had been in here on multiple occasions well enough they recognized the store now that their eyes had adjusted to the gloom and Evans had lit her wand tip for light. It glinted repeatedly off the metal fan still spinning lazily, the edges razor sharp as a blade and brushing a pleasant breeze across them all, its cord like a dead snake not stopping the movement. Sirius couldn't tear his eyes away from its progress, never ceasing the whole chapter.
Peter was back over here, so Regulus felt safe enough to keep his eyes mostly focused on Harry's speculation as he did a silent one of his own. They were all flinching away from the jewelry case and wondering if they were finally going to hear what Malfoy had bought from this very place, and who it was going to be used on.
Katie Bell, unintentionally, as she'd been the delivery but not the target before it went wrong. Regulus took in every detail he could even as terrifying as it was to describe the sequence of events. All of them spent a very long time checking every spot in here with only their eyes to make sure that necklace wasn't available now, and even still never looked at anything for too long in fear it would curse them next.
Sirius was still practically supporting all of his weight as Remus continued to lean into his back, hands holding tight to his upper arms as if restraining Sirius from doing something instead of himself, which was falling to the floor, face still turned away to breathe in freely even as his fingers held tight. Sirius had to fight the urge to offer him a piggyback ride his knees were still shaking so bad.
"Hey, Remus," Sirius forced his hands to stay in place at his side, letting Remus cling to him in whatever way he wanted in front of the others. Keeping his voice soft and gentle, if James heard he wasn't giving it much notice as he continued listening in worry as McGonagall was caught up to speed, and Malfoy's detention ruined his only suspect. "If you're so worried about being distant, then why not knock it off? Nobody's holding any of this against you."
It was maybe a little hysterical, the laugh that came out of him. That Sirius decided to try talking to him like nothing had happened in between.
Remus let his forehead rest against the back of his shoulder now, he couldn't smell the sweat and blood through his burning nose but he could feel it. Finally his lungs began to even out as he pressed a kiss where none could see as he soaked in his meaning. What Peter had done was the ultimate betrayal of this future and James was still trying to work with him. Ironically Sirius was also reassuring him of the fear Padfoot knew nothing about. Sirius wouldn't go anywhere even if Remus did confess his crush.
He was still reluctant to do so, traitorously letting his mind play him now that he could pretend this was going to last forever, there was nothing in these environments to stop him keeping Sirius to himself. He'd have to tell Sirius when they got back to school, he still knew himself well enough he might murder the first person who made a pass at Sirius in front of him, or Sirius himself, and not be able to explain himself. He had time to do that though, ages of this book left plus the next, and possibly even more if they kept cycling through Harry's life.
It was probably the delirium in him that suddenly found he never wanted it to end.
HPHPHPHP
*If you would like to feel what Remus went through, pinch your nose with either hand using thumb and forefinger, the latter of which and middle finger will rest under your eye, while your ring finger and pinky would sit below your jaw digging in. Now imagine that as a skeleton holding on and not letting go while your other hand tries pulling that off.
The one inspiration I take from the movies, and it's that creepy thing. I cringe every time the scene's coming even though I know it is, and it just grabs Harry's wrist!