Cage | Chapter 3
A Harry Potter Fanfiction By Majokai Yukiko
Pairing: Remus + Sirius
Warning: Slash. [Pre-slash actually…they are still too young.]
This is an amateur effort and does not intend to infringe on the rights of J K Rowling, Scholastic Books and their associates.
A/N: I love you guys! I really do! My classmates just joked about how ecstatic I look after I checked my mail during lunch that day. But really, those reviews make my day! Keep them coming!
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Chapter 3: The First Full MoonRemus Lupin felt tears prick at his eyes. He would not cry. He had not cried since his first full moon after the attack, he would certainly not cry over wayward loyalties right now. He had given all his tears to the moon, or so he thought.
He kept running, not bothering to look at where he was going. Instinct told him to run, as far from Hogwarts as possible. Run and hide somewhere where he would know no one and no one would know him, somewhere where him being a werewolf would not matter, somewhere where the full moon would never come. Somewhere like death.
Somebody crashed into him when he turned a corner. Remus was about to mutter a halfhearted apology and leave when strong hands grabbed onto the sides of his arms firmly but gently. A familiar voice spoke up.
"Remus? You okay? Why are you crying?"
Sirius Black vaguely considered picking up his Daily Prophet from the floor where he had dropped it. He was only halfway through the crossword after all. But Remus' tear-stricken face demanded for him to ignore everything except for the smaller boy.
His protective instinct flared high and strong within him. It was a feeling that Sirius never thought he possessed. He had never felt the need to protect anything, all thanks to his upbringing and the peers he had been raised with. Selfish bastards like Malfoy and Snape never deserved to be protected, they were meant to be made use of. That was the Blacks' definition of friend.
All these changed when he met Remus. The shy young boy with intelligence and hidden strength shining through those soft amber eyes; Remus was the epitome of hidden vulnerability. Sirius was not sure at first. But after last night…he realized what those eyes were trying to tell him all these while.
They were pleading for help.
"Remus? What happened?"
How dare he?! Remus silently yelled, staring at Sirius' handsome face with anger and disgust. After all that he had done, after that horrible betrayal, Sirius Black still dared to ask him what was wrong?
"You happened." Remus spat bitterly, the fury grew in his chest as he took in the bewildered look on Sirius' face. Who was the boy trying to kid? Did he really think Remus as gullible?
The tears that he was trying so hard to control now flowed freely down his cheeks. It was so easy, so easy to believe that the other boy had truly cared about him. A part of him had actually wanted to believe in Sirius.
"Me? What did I do?"
"SIRIUS!" James Potter ran up towards the duo with a red tint along his cheeks, probably caused by his hurried sprint from the tower. "Good to find you two here. You can't believe what that creep of a Malfoy did…Remus? Remus, are you listening?"
Sirius loosened his hold on his friend, now sincerely worried over Remus' strange behavior. What was wrong with him today? The black haired boy thought, looking at James for help. But the bespectacled boy could only shrugged helplessly, watching Remus carefully from the corner of his eyes. He had an idea what was going on. But that would have to wait.
"Remus…" Sirius reached out, wondering if he should wipe the tears from Remus' face, tears that were already turning the boy's eyes and nose into an awful shade of red.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Remus angrily slapped the hand away and pushed Sirius out of his way, running and disappearing down the corridors.
Sirius watched silently, deep blue eyes glazed over briefly with hurt and looked at James again.
"You were saying…?" He asked, picking up the Prophet and continued his way to the Great Hall with his friend.
***
"He did WHAT?" Sirius bellowed. The Great Hall fell into an uncomfortable silence. All eyes were on the Gryffindor Table, more accurately, at the Black heir, who was standing upright with his fists clenched tightly at his side.
James nodded solemnly, tossing a look at the Slytherin table, where Lucius Malfoy were, looking at them with a fearful expression in his eyes.
Not so brave now huh? Sirius thought to himself, too noticing Malfoy's expression. As Sirius leisurely strolled towards the Slytherin table with purposeful strides… everybody in the Hall turned to watch. They had never saw the two Heirs stood up against each other before. This promised to be a good show.
"Hey, Lucius," Sirius started casually. It would have been an innocent hello, if anyone had not known better. But the glint in Sirius' eyes spoke of unspeakable danger and barely concealed violence.
The Blacks were never known for pacifism.
Lucius gulped and tried to smile at his old friend. He had seen the "Black heir" persona coming in play once or twice, but he had never been on the other side of the river when he happened. For some reason, being caught under Black's eyes, the pale boy suddenly felt the urge to run. Very fast, and hopefully, very far.
"I always knew you were an insufferable arrogant bastard, but I never knew you to be a liar too." Sirius pulled out the empty chair beside Malfoy and sat down on it. A terrified Crabbe, who had run with his tail between his legs when Sirius first began walking over, had left the chair empty.
"Now, dear James Potter over there," he waved mindlessly in the direction of the Gryffindor table, and then leant an arm on the chair, a smirk dancing on his lips. "He just told me that little Quibbler story of yours this morning. Now, what makes you think, that I, Sirius Black, will nominate Lupin for the Quidditch team? Or did you just made that out from the empty air in your head?"
Lucius had always been pale. But now, he was blanched. He knew the consequences if he said the truth, but Sirius' dark eyes were practically daring him to even try lying in his face. He swallowed another imaginary lump in his throat and nodded.
"Ah…good to know that you still tell the truth more often. Isn't it easier to be honest? Make use of all that limited amount of brain cells you have on something else, dear friend." Sirius stood up and patted Malfoy heartily on his back before walking back to his place.
Lucius sat still, not daring to move, not daring to breathe. He was that close to a very painful and ugly death. Although Sirius had barely laid a finger on him, the darkness that seemed to radiate from the boy's very soul had frightened him to the core.
His robes suddenly felt very heavy, a foul smell emaciating from them. Lucius looked down, and blushed bright red.
He had wet his pants.
***
Sirius spent the entire day looking over his shoulder in class, checking out the empty seat across the aisle from him over and over again. He had wished, by his will alone, he could get Remus Lupin to reappear in the classroom and smiled at him, the way he had always done so when Sirius glanced over and tossed him a note.
But Remus was not there.
The first two lessons passed by without any sight of the boy. Sirius could have dismissed it as a sulking fit at work. But when the full moon rose above and the bed beside his was still untouched, the dark haired boy was frantic.
"Where could he go?" Sirius paced about.
Walk. Walk. Turn. Walk.
Walk. Walk. Turn. Walk.
Walk. Walk…
Sirius threw his hands up in defeat and groaned. What was Remus' problem anyway? Even if he had been the one who had nominated him for the tryouts, he should know that it would have been useless. First Years could not play for the house team.
And it was not like Sirius to not know what Remus feel about flying.
He remembered their first lesson with Madam Hooch well enough. The brunette was quivering as he mounted the broom, afraid to kick off. Even when he was in the air, he was clutching onto his broom so hard that Sirius was afraid of the handle snapping.
Remus was afraid of heights. What sort of friend Sirius was if he had sabotaged the boy in such a despicable way?
"That's it." Sirius glanced at his wristwatch and hurried out of the common room.
***
The night air was extremely cold. Or perhaps it was just his imagination. A summer night could never be that cold, could it?
Sirius pulled his robe closer to himself and made his way closer to the Forbidden Forest. That was the only place in the school grounds that he had not searched. It was also the perfect place for somebody to hide if he did not want to be found.
A wolf howled into the night.
Sirius shivered and quickened his steps, which proved to be a big mistake as he tripped over something and landed flat on his face. The wolf's howl grew louder.
Suddenly, a tree branch came swooping down at him, sweeping young Sirius Black out of its way. The tree was alive! It was livid, more like it, as Sirius watched the branches waved menacingly at him, looking more dangerous against the shadows of the night.
Another branch came for him. Sirius would have screamed, if he had not had the breath knocked out of him. Before he lost consciousness, the boy swore he had seen something behind and between those branches.
It was a pair of animalistic golden eyes.
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End of Chapter 3
Continue to Chapter 4