You know, readers, I got the strangest idea that some of you thought I was going to kill Sirius. Now why would I do that?

Big thanks to Yukirei, Polkat, Give the World for Mr. Black, Demus, Ambika-san, Erfaciel, Aidenfire, ddz008, Fade to Black, Gwen Potter, Nine1, anon, BigBlackDog, The Demonic Duo, Cecil the Chicky, madkornfan, Icewing, fuzzyfishbowl, nightpearl, Rachel Molko, Vela-chan, ScullyCat Marie, Skittles1, Lady DeathAngel, luv_babuy, CelestialDrgn, JadeWerewolf, Gypsy Lupin-Black and a massive thank you to LittlePowSquishy for reviewing every chapter in a row.

~Sirius' POV, Thursday 15th October~

I wake up suddenly from a very deep sleep. Is that the distant boom of thunder I can hear? And the pitter-patter of rain against a window? 

I groan loudly. I think my head has split in two. It aches terribly and even with my eyes closed the brightly lit room is painful. I scrunch my eyes up tighter against the brightness. Where am I? Why do I hurt so much? Where is Remus? Curiosity gets the better of my desire for darkness and I peek at my surroundings.

"Arrrrrghhhhhhh! Shit! Oh God!" I shriek when I see two huge eyes peering at me, inches away from my own face.

"Easy mate- it's only me," soothes James moving further away.

"Bloody hell, James! I never want you that close to me again!"

James looks a bit affronted. "Sorry. It's just that you groaned a minute ago and that's the first sign of life we've had from you since the accident."

What accident? What's going on? I start to question James. "Where am I?"

"The hospital ward."

"What happened to me?"

"A bludger knocked you off your broom after the quidditch match." James looks quite distressed. "I tried to reach you but you just kept falling. Then you hit the ground with this awful 'thud'… It was terrible."

"Don't worry, mate. I'm okay," I reassure James. Then I ask the most important question. "Where's Remus?"

"Remus has hardly left your side. Peter and I have had to drag him away from your bedside to make him eat and sleep. Oh, and he had to leave to go to lessons of course, except for today, which was the day after the full moon. But he's scarcely said a word to anyone and he's been miserable as sin. Right now, however, he's walking outside. I reckon he's trying to drown himself in the rain."

Poor Remus, having to go through another full moon without me. Then I realise what else James said. Lessons! James said Remus had been to his lessons! What day is it? When was the full moon? 

James sees my puzzled look. "It's Thursday 15th. You've been unconscious for five days."

"Bloody hell," I say for the second time. Five days of my life have passed me by!

Peter enters the hospital ward, looks at me awkwardly and eventually says, "I'll just go and get Remus…" Then he leaves without another word.

James shrugs. "Don't worry about Peter. He doesn't seem to have a problem with Remus or your relationship. I guess he just doesn't know how to behave around you anymore. You're not the same as you used to be- with all this glam rock and being gay- and Peter finds it hard to adapt to changes."

I laugh. "That was a very good analogy except for one thing: I really don't give a damn about how Peter's feeling. I have you and I have Remus, and that's all that matters."

James shakes his head. "I know you don't mean that, Sirius. We're the Marauders and there are four of us."

"You're right; I didn't mean that," I say eventually as I remember the promises we made in our first year at Hogwarts. From the look on James face I can tell that he is also remembering the time when the four of us became the legendary Marauders. Everything is silent as we both are lost in solemn memories.

~Flashback~

"We'll call ourselves the Marauders," declares James.

"All for one and one for all," adds Remus, quoting The Three Musketeers.

"Brothers," suggests Peter tentatively.

"Forever," I finish. "And what shall our first task be?"

James laughs evilly. "I think a bit of Slytherin-tormenting is in order!"

I begin to cackle evilly alongside James. Peter tries an evil cackle but fails miserably. Remus just smiles faintly.

~End Flashback~

Remus dashes into the room and skids across the floor, just managing to stop himself falling by grabbing James' outstretched hand. "Sirius! Sirius! Oh Mon Dieu! Oh God!"

James nods to me, smiles gently at Remus and leaves the hospital wing. "What the hell have you been doing?" I ask Remus fiercely.

"Walking," answers Remus lamely. His hair is dripping water onto the floor and a few dark strands are plastered across his ghostly-white face. A huge drop of water drips off the end of his nose. His waterlogged robes are hanging loosely over his slight body, which is shivering uncontrollably. His dark eyeliner is smudged by the rain, or maybe by tears, I can't tell which.

"Silly werewolf," I berate and Remus climbs onto my hospital bed and hugs me tightly, burying his face in my neck. He really is sopping wet but I don't care about the water, which is soaking through my bedclothes and dripping down my chest. "Darling wolf…"

Remus is talking desperately in my ear. "The headmaster said you'd wake up soon but two days passed, and then three, and the fourth- and I thought maybe he was wrong, and that perhaps you'd never wake. I know it's stupid, Padfoot, but I couldn't help it. I saw you fall from your broom and I heard you hit the ground and- Oh God. It was bloody awful. And you just lay there, like you were in some sort of enchanted sleep and-"

"Shut up, Remus," I say gently and he obeys. "I'm never leaving you. Never leaving you, you understand?"

Remus clings to me desperately for a moment then releases me. "I wish I could say the same to you," he says bitterly. "Damn beauxbatons!"

"Don't be stupid. People who have loved us never really leave us. Never."

~Friday 16th October~

I've already managed to charm my hair to change colour depending on the light. Right now, it has a slightly violet tinge and I'm sat experimentally charming my nails to make them black and glittery. I look up eagerly as Peter, James and Remus walk through the door. "How are you?" asks James.

"Bored," I reply. "If I have to spend another day stuck in bed in the hospital ward then-"

Remus cuts me off. "You're not well and you're not leaving that bed until you are."

I laugh and the three boys pull up seats and sit round my bed. Peter sits furthest away. "How's your day been, Wormtail?" I ask, remembering James' words about there being four Marauders.

Peter looks glad to be included in the conversation. "I hate Professor Death," he says enthusiastically.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT SLYTHERIN-LOVING BITCH!" blurts out James before I can ask Peter what she's done now. "She's given Remus detention for every night for the next two weeks!"

"What did you do to deserve two weeks of detention?" I ask Remus, who shrugs innocently. 

"Remus put a wet-start firework in Professor Death's cauldron so that it went off when she was demonstrating how to brew truth potions. It was very- messy. Then she tried everybody in the class with the second batch of truth potion until she got to Remus and he confessed to planting the firework, under the influence of truth potion, of course," says James. I think I can detect admiration in his voice.

"Remus!" I exclaim. "You're a prefect!"

Remus laughs reluctantly. "I don't know why I did it. She was just beginning to get on my nerves."

"We'll get revenge, won't we, Marauders?" I say and the other three cheer. "It's been too long since the Marauders pulled a really good prank."

There is a few minutes silence during which we all plan revenge on Professor Death. "There is some good news, though," says James eventually.

"Yes?" I inquire.

"There is going to be a Halloween costume ball on Saturday 30th. You're supposed to go in fancy dress!"

"James is very excited because Lily Evans has agreed to go with him," adds Peter.

"Lily Evans! I guess if you really like her…" I say.

"I do!" cries James defensively. "Anyway, I've got to go to quidditch practice now. Are you coming Peter?" he asks looking pointedly at Remus and I, and then back at Peter.

"Yes, I'm coming," says Peter, taking the hint. The two of them leave the hospital ward and as soon as they're gone Remus pounces on me. He kisses me fiercely and when we break apart there's an almost feral look in his eyes. The wolf is coming out. "I've been wanting to kiss you like that for so long," he says hungrily, then a blush creeps up his cheeks and he becomes quiet Remus Lupin again.

"I've been wanting to be kissed like that all day," I reply and get another slower, softer kiss in return. God almighty, I love this boy! 

   ~~~

Anybody seen the film 'Pirates of the Caribbean'? Well, think Jack Sparrow's (Johnny Depp) kohl-lined eyes- think Sirius Black. Oh, and do click on the review button…