II. OVERWHELMING
Sirius stole back into the castle around midnight. He felt guilty for taking James's cloak, but he danced beneath it from joy. He loved Remus, could remember their first sparse words the werewolf had said to him...
Sirius was unpacking his trunk, frightened out of his skull by this school but unwilling to show it. There were three other people in their first-year dorm: a lanky, tousle-haired boy named James Potter; a plump, small-eyed boy named Peter Pettigrew; and the ashen-faced boy he had yet to meet.
He approached the boy slowly, then stuck out his hand. "Sirius Black," he said.
The waxen-faced boy glanced at him, caught Sirius's eye, and looked away. "Remus Lupin," he whispered with a quick handshake.
"Nervous?"
"I'm all right," Remus said, a muscle twitching in his cheek. Sirius sighed. The boy looked at him: their eyes intertwined. Sirius thought he could see to the depths of the ocean in Remus's eyes.
Lupin would say that their first meeting wasn't quite as auspicious as Sirius would make it out to be. He remembered being frightened of the slightest shadow in the dormitory, and Sirius was clearly larger than a shadow.
"From our first meeting," Remus would say, the edges of a laugh caught in his voice," I was overwhelmed."
***
James collided with the invisible figure. "Damn it," he murmured. "Sirius, is that you?"
Sirius's head, then torso, then legs became visible. His face was red but he grinned broadly. "Sorry."
"You about killed me," James said, folding his cloak over his arm, which seemed to disappear. "Why are you wandering around so late at night?"
"Why are you?" questioned Sirius. He squirmed. If James knew...
"Can't sleep," James said.
"Me either," Sirius said quickly.
"Okay," James said slowly. "Let's head back to the common. Where's Remus?"
"I don't know!" Sirius said. "Why are you asking me? I'm not his keeper."
"Don't get so defensive. I was only asking." James's eyes glittered. "You act like you've got some big secret."
"Well, I don't," Sirius said.
James sputtered a laugh. "Could've fooled me."
***
When Remus returned to school, his health seemed to be waning like the moon. Sirius was so concerned he forced Remus into visiting the hospital wing.
The nurse took his temperature. "Normal," she said. "How do you feel?"
"I'm okay," Remus whispered.
"You look like crap," Sirius said.
"Take this potion," she said, shoving a goblet of Pepper-Up Potion towards the boy. Remus, with a grimace towards Sirius, drank it with difficulty. The potion caused Remus to smoke between the ears. He looked like a burning haystack.
Sirius laughed. "I like that look on you."
"Shut it," Remus said, smirking.
Sirius stole back into the castle around midnight. He felt guilty for taking James's cloak, but he danced beneath it from joy. He loved Remus, could remember their first sparse words the werewolf had said to him...
Sirius was unpacking his trunk, frightened out of his skull by this school but unwilling to show it. There were three other people in their first-year dorm: a lanky, tousle-haired boy named James Potter; a plump, small-eyed boy named Peter Pettigrew; and the ashen-faced boy he had yet to meet.
He approached the boy slowly, then stuck out his hand. "Sirius Black," he said.
The waxen-faced boy glanced at him, caught Sirius's eye, and looked away. "Remus Lupin," he whispered with a quick handshake.
"Nervous?"
"I'm all right," Remus said, a muscle twitching in his cheek. Sirius sighed. The boy looked at him: their eyes intertwined. Sirius thought he could see to the depths of the ocean in Remus's eyes.
Lupin would say that their first meeting wasn't quite as auspicious as Sirius would make it out to be. He remembered being frightened of the slightest shadow in the dormitory, and Sirius was clearly larger than a shadow.
"From our first meeting," Remus would say, the edges of a laugh caught in his voice," I was overwhelmed."
***
James collided with the invisible figure. "Damn it," he murmured. "Sirius, is that you?"
Sirius's head, then torso, then legs became visible. His face was red but he grinned broadly. "Sorry."
"You about killed me," James said, folding his cloak over his arm, which seemed to disappear. "Why are you wandering around so late at night?"
"Why are you?" questioned Sirius. He squirmed. If James knew...
"Can't sleep," James said.
"Me either," Sirius said quickly.
"Okay," James said slowly. "Let's head back to the common. Where's Remus?"
"I don't know!" Sirius said. "Why are you asking me? I'm not his keeper."
"Don't get so defensive. I was only asking." James's eyes glittered. "You act like you've got some big secret."
"Well, I don't," Sirius said.
James sputtered a laugh. "Could've fooled me."
***
When Remus returned to school, his health seemed to be waning like the moon. Sirius was so concerned he forced Remus into visiting the hospital wing.
The nurse took his temperature. "Normal," she said. "How do you feel?"
"I'm okay," Remus whispered.
"You look like crap," Sirius said.
"Take this potion," she said, shoving a goblet of Pepper-Up Potion towards the boy. Remus, with a grimace towards Sirius, drank it with difficulty. The potion caused Remus to smoke between the ears. He looked like a burning haystack.
Sirius laughed. "I like that look on you."
"Shut it," Remus said, smirking.