Cage | Chapter 5

A Harry Potter Fanfiction By Majokai Yukiko

Pairing: Remus + Sirius

Warning: Pre-slash

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: Nope, I'm not a Star Trek fan. I'm just from Singapore. Singapore schools actually do call their Hospital Wing the Sick Bay…^^ I never realized the term is usually used on ships.

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Chapter 5: The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

Autumn came and went, soon followed by winter. In this short time, Remus' mother had fallen ill for five times, with an interval of twenty-eight days between each. He was running out of excuses as to why he had to disappear from school every month. Remus was also tired of fabricating lies, explaining why he always looked a little worse for wear after each visit.

Understanding his limitations, Remus made it a point to distance himself from his friends, especially Sirius, who had been hounding him with unasked-for concern after every full moon. Except for lessons and mealtimes, Remus would exclude himself from his friends' midnight escapades around the castle. He preferred to remain in the dorms and read the books he had loaned out from the library.

Ever since that incident that had landed Sirius in the Hospital Wing followed by Severus Snape's ill received Howler, all the books Remus had borrowed had been of similar nature. He wanted to know: what made the Black Heir so important to the community?

All these times I had deluded myself into thinking that staying away from them would make it hurt less when they know what I am. Look at what I have been doing during those staying-away time. Remus thought sardonically to himself, looking around the dormitory at his friends make plans for the kitchen raid that night.

Or the Marauders, as they prefer to call themselves.

"All right! Let's put it up: who's going?" James called out, retrieving his Invisibility Cloak from his trunk. The boy said that it was a gift from his father. For his 'supper-hunt', as he so aptly put it.

"Not me." Remus replied, already crawling into bed with a book in his hand.

James nodded. "So it will be the usual: Peter, Sirius and…'

"Count me out this time, James."

Everybody else looked up with a shocked expression on their faces, especially Peter, who was having some problems scraping his jaws from off the floor.

"But…why? You…you never missed out on our trips, Sirius." Peter sputtered, glancing nervously over at Remus and James for support.

Sirius Black lounged comfortably into the couch, looking unbelievably at ease in his muggle clothing and munching on a Cadbury. The Marauders often used to wonder how Sirius, being the Heir to one of the most high-nosed wizarding family around, had access to an almost unhealthy amount of muggle items. Sirius had only shrugged and explained that his family lived close to muggle London when they asked.

"Just tired," the black haired waved dismissively with one hand, the other playing casually with the ends of his hair, which the boy was trying to grow out.

"You sure? We can always get Snivellus here to nurse you back to health," James snickered. "That would be good entertainment too."

"HELL NO!" Sirius almost jumped out of his chair at the audacity of James' suggestion. "He may shock me straight in cardiac arrest with his ugly face."

James laughed louder, grabbed Peter and urged the smaller boy towards the portrait hole. "We'll have fun without you then. Don't expect takeouts!"

The dormitory was silent. At least it was for a moment until Sirius got up from the couch to plop himself unceremoniously on Remus' bed.

"Why don't you just ask me?" Sirius asked suddenly.

"Ask you about?"

Sirius pointed to the book in Remus' hands and sighed. "You have been trying to find out about the Blacks, haven't you?"

Remus, for a while, considered burying his face so deep into the book that he might disappear in it forever, wanting to hide from Sirius' scrutinizing glance. After some valiant attempts, Remus finally lowered his book and blushed.

"So I've been found out." He answered guiltily. "How?"

"Not difficult, Remus." Sirius gestured towards the bookshelves. " 'History of Magic', 'Rise and Fall of Pureblood Families', 'Wizards' Customs and Traditions'…really, Remus, who could stand such dry reading for five whole months?"

Remus blushed even brighter.

Sirius grabbed a pillow from his bed and sat down cross-legged, his arms wrung tight around the soft cushion. He propped his head up with the pillow and stared straight into Remus' eyes.

"You could have ask anyone about this Heir business. James, Peter, hell…even Arthur will know something about it."

"You know what makes the Blacks and the Malfoys rich as they are?" Remus shook his head and frowned at the sudden look of cynicism on Sirius' face.

"Dark arts," Sirius snorted. "Such wealth can never be brought about with nouveau riche. It is gotten from generations after generations of sinful dabbling with the Dark Arts. But why do we still continue even though we now have enough money to live out a few centuries in luxury?"

"Greed." Remus guessed, only managing to incite the dark haired boy into maniacal laughter.

"If only it was that simple." Sirius clasped his hand around the ring hanging from his neck, feeling the weight of its significance on his shoulders. "They are waiting," he continued, using 'they' as if he had no wish to be part of the camp. "For a messiah that will cleanse out what they considered to be the filth of the community: mudbloods, squibs, half-breeds…" and he trailed off, lost in his own thoughts.

Finally, Sirius broke out of his reverie and reached out a hand at Remus with a strange but helpless expression on his face. Amber eyes blinked. Remus felt the impulse like no other to hold Sirius hand and rescue the boy out of the darkness that was his name.

Light caught onto the cufflinks on Sirius' sleeves and glinted. Remus flinched, instinctively moving away from the other boy.

Silver…the wolf in him hissed dangerously.

"Never mind…" Sirius murmured and went to sleep.

On his own bed.

Remus waited for his friend's breathing to even out before he dared risk a glance.

"Sorry," he whispered with genuine regret in his voice. He put his book down on the bedside table and turned out the lights.

***

Christmas came and Christmas went. It was back in school for the Marauders after more than a week of season's break.

Remus knocked into James and Peter at the castle gate. There was a look of anxiety on their faces.

"Where's Sirius?" Remus asked immediately, noticing the significant absence of the boy. James bit on his lower lip and grabbed Remus' arm urgently.

"Come with me," James ordered.

***

End of Chapter 5

Continue to Chapter 6