A/N: Thanks everyone who gave me animal ideas, you shall see eventually which I chose, not yet though. In the meantime here's this chapter. I got inspiration for the part towards the end from my other fic 'Wands Out'. Anyway, on with the fic!

CHAPTER 7- LOVESICK

Harry read and read, his eyes occasionally drooping, but he stayed awake knowing that this would probably be his only opportunity to revise undisturbed for as long as a month. From now on, Harry told himself, he would revise in secrecy. If Remus found out he would probably find a way to stop him, and that was exactly what Harry didn't want.

After countless numbers of hours, Harry had managed to read his way through about half of the book. He had ruthlessly skipped sections such as 'Are you sure you want to become an animagus?' and 'The international registry of animagi'. Almost right away he had found himself facing an outline of the procedures, which included (in roughly this order); study, a potion (Harry groaned), more study, another potion, yet more study, and finally a rather long and complicated spell which would induce animagus transformation.

As Harry reached the end of yet another chapter, he focused again on the real world as he stretched his tired muscles. Giving an almighty yawn, he stopped his actions when he noticed something different about the room. When did it become light? He got up and walked towards the window, where as he suspected the light shone through clear as the dawning day. Above the undulating horizon could be seen the spectacular pinks and oranges of a just-risen sun in what looked to be an almost cloudless sky.

It was at that point that Harry realised just what this meant.

"Remus!" he exclaimed quietly.

Without a second's further thought, Harry ran from the room and to the front door. He rattled hopelessly on the handle, which refused to yield; the door was locked. Harry swore loudly.

Anyone else might have given up at this point, but Harry was determined to be by Remus' side, whatever state he might be in.

Harry looked for keys to no avail, he pulled at the door, he swore at the door, he kicked the door, he even pleaded with the door but it would not open.

Harry could feel his emotions rising; frustration, anger, helplessness. And above all he wanted to be with Remus.

"Alohamora!" he shouted finally, and the door sprung open helpfully. Harry took a moment to be impressed with himself before he fled the house with a muttered 'thank you' at the door, grabbing an old battered cloak from the porch as an afterthought on his way out.

Facing the vast moors before him, Harry noticed again the hopelessness of his situation. Remus could be anywhere within a few miles radius. Harry ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Why couldn't anything just be easy? He took a deep breath and started walking, not caring how long it might take him. Forgetting about the pain or tiredness of his muscles, Harry found himself going faster and faster until he took to the search at almost a run.

Perhaps his feet had just coincidentally found the right direction; perhaps there were higher forces in play. Harry pushed back the reminder of the journey on his broom only days earlier to concentrate on more important matters, as he sprinted to close the distance between himself and a huddled figure. He fell to his knees beside the fallen man.

Harry saw the scratches first, long jagged cuts in the beautiful man's skin. Then the closed eyelids, then the deathly pale complexion, then the shredded robes, the rough edges stained with blood. All painful reminders that this would have been Remus' first full moon spent alone in over two years, and the wolf had turned to self-harm to keep itself occupied. Harry reminded himself of his earlier promise; Remus would never have to spend another moment alone as long as Harry could help it.

Harry rested the man's head in his lap and stroked the hair back tenderly from his face. He rested a hand on the man's cheek and whispered soothing words, which went unheard.

"Remus," Harry whispered, giving the man's shoulder a slight shake, but he didn't wake. Harry didn't want to wake him, but he didn't see how he would manage to get the man back to the house.

With his good arm, Harry pulled Remus up into a sitting position. The man was light but it was no easy feat. Harry pulled his other arm out of the makeshift sling. It was still slightly sore, and seemed to have lost some of the nerve response, but it would help to have use of both his arms. He looped his arms around Remus' torso and pulled him up from the ground with all the strength he could muster. Harry thought Remus probably wouldn't have woken even if there were an earthquake. He brought the man's arm around his own shoulders.

Harry was tired and sore but Remus meant more to him than that. He had no idea how he managed to do it, but an immeasurable amount of time later Harry found himself back at the house, having carried the werewolf all the way. He gently lowered the man to the soft carpet floor of the hallway, and almost collapsed himself. Instead he wiped the sweat from his brow and made his way up the stairs. Once upstairs Harry found a medicine cabinet containing neatly labelled bottles. He grabbed a pepper-up potion and a healing potion (the last one, he noted) and made his way back down the stairs.

"Bloody underage magic rule," Harry muttered under his breath as he propped Remus up again. This would all be so much easier if he was able to use magic.

"Remus?" he tried again to wake his former professor. "Remus!"

He shrugged; he didn't think it would work anyway. He remembered that the first time he ever met Remus the man had been sleeping. He smiled fondly.

"Well if this doesn't work," Harry uttered, talking to himself again.

He unstoppered the pepper-up potion and poured a little into Remus' mouth while pinching his nose. The outcome was exactly what Harry had hoped for.

Remus swallowed the potion, and groaned as steam began to issue from his ears. He opened his eyes groggily. His unfocused eyes then settled on Harry.

"Sirius?" he slurred quietly, looking slightly confused. Harry felt his eyes prickle a bit. Last full moon it would have been…

"No," Harry choked out eventually, smoothing the man's hair back from his face. "It's me, Harry."

"Harry, 'f course it is," Remus said, sounding more alert as his eyes focused. "I'm sorry…"

"No, don't be!" Harry protested immediately, without caring what Remus was supposedly sorry for.

"Sorry you had to see me like this," Remus continued.

"I'm not. Well I am but-" Harry fumbled for the correct words. "I'm not sorry that I'm here for you."

Remus gazed at Harry with eyes that, although bloodshot, held a wealth of emotions. "And I'm here for you," he said earnestly. "Whatever that's worth."

"More than you'll ever know."

There was silence, and Harry realised his left hand was rested on Remus' cheek. He bashfully removed it and used it instead to try to pick up the healing potion. However, his fingers weren't quite cooperating and it was hard to get a grip, the bottle slipping from his weak grasp each time he tried. Once he noticed that Remus was watching, he gave up and used his right hand to pick up the bottle instead.

"Umm, here. Thought you might need this," he said, handing the bottle to Remus who tiredly accepted it and propped himself up against the nearest wall, glancing at Harry's arm suspiciously.

"Thanks," he said, downing the potion. "How's your arm?"

"Er it doesn't hurt much at all any more it's just a bit harder to move is all," Harry answered uncomfortably.

"That's what I was afraid of," Remus answered tiredly. "It might never heal properly."

Harry winced. He had had the same thought himself but hadn't wanted to believe it. He changed the subject.

"Does that happen often?" he asked, pointing cautiously at the long jagged cuts adorning Remus. Remus looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Used to. And- and I suppose it will now… Now that…"

"Yeah I understand," interrupted Harry gently. "You don't have to explain. Anyway… I thought I should wake you up. Don't think I could carry you up the stairs anyway."

Remus' head snapped up to look at Harry once more and Harry realised his slip, too late to take it back now.

"Carried…? You carried me here?" Remus asked, shocked.

Harry nodded bashfully. Remus looked as though he might reprimand Harry, but then his face softened.

"Harry I… thank you."

Harry blushed. "Well I guess you should sleep now," he said.

He stood up and helped Remus up. Five minutes later they were up the stairs and in Remus' bedroom, Harry having tucked Remus in despite the older man's objections.

"'Night, mum," Remus teased.

Harry laughed, and then yawned widely without thinking. He looked back at Remus to see him watching Harry suspiciously. His thought processes were almost visible in his expression.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" he asked finally.

"Yes!" Harry lied quickly, before crumbling under the knowing gaze. "Well not exactly…"

Remus sighed, shaking his head and yawning himself. "Yawns are infectious you know…"

Harry half-smiled. "Sorry."

Remus looked at Harry with that indecipherable expression on his face. Harry even thought for a fleeting moment that it might be the same expression he must have used himself while regarding Remus lately, but he brushed the thought aside as wishful thinking. He reasoned that whatever it was about Remus that turned him into a lovesick loon couldn't possibly be affecting Remus as well- things just weren't ever that easy, were they?

Remus was now looking between Harry and the spacious double bed he was lying on. He looked back at Harry one last time then shifted over in the bed, gesturing to the space by means of an invitation.

Harry thought he had been frozen in time. He nodded numbly and lay down in the offered space, not trusting himself to speak. Remus nevertheless seemed to understand he was thankful, and smiled. He had that indecipherable expression back on his face again.

"'Night Harry," he whispered.

Remus fell asleep almost as soon as he closed his eyes, overcome by post-moon exhaustion. Harry stayed awake a little longer. He turned to face the sleeping werewolf, and reached out to touch the peaceful expression on the man's face.

"I love you," Harry whispered quietly, almost inaudibly. Of course he received no reply, just the sounds of the man's steady breathing.

Harry fell asleep soon after, overcome by exhaustion himself.

Remus had a dream while he was sleeping. He dreamt that Harry told him "I love you". In the dream Remus responded.

"I love you, Harry."

A/N: It's the mush! I can't stop! I have mush fever! Well you know what that means, soon I'll have to give in to the mush's demands and just let them be together… Well that is assuming they actually GET together in this fic… Muahaha! Oh and before anyone asks, no Remus wasn't romantically involved with Sirius in this fic, he just misses him :( I also wrote a short what-if ficlet inspired by this chapter, called 'Werewolves Mate For Life', if you are curious. It takes this story in a direction I chose not to.