In which Sirius becomes angry at Remus. (As usual.)
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"How you could associate with that thing is utterly beyond me. I mean, I can't see – "
"It's no business of yours, and he's not a 'thing.'" Remus smiled to himself, sure of his winning the battle. "Anyhow, you're just upset that I've befriended someone who doesn't worship at the altar of Sirius Black."
"Not true." Sirius was boiling with anger. "It just upsets me to see my best friend –"
"James is your best friend." Remus tried as hard as he was able to channel his love into rage. Perhaps then ... "Everyone knows that." James grew pale as Sirius glanced towards the other two Marauders. James slowly backed behind Peter.
"I – wow." Sirius struggled with a variety of words before formulating a clear statement. "How can you say that? After all we've –"
"I'm just one of your devotees, Sirius. It's quite obvious to me. You treat me horribly. At least James has been elevated to mindless disciple. I suppose he –"
"What are you talking about? Sirius leaned over his friend, menacing. "I don't know what that slimy git has been telling you, but –"
"Severus hasn't been telling me anything!" Remus shouted, looking away from Sirius, intent on holding onto his anger. His three friends shifted silently. "He's just ... made me realize things I couldn't articulate before."
"What do you mean?" Sirius loomed closer, losing control of the situation and about to impose his ever-reliable appeal onto the unwanting werewolf.
"I'm not ... like you." Remus admitted. Sirius' eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean, you're not like me?"
"It's not just you, Sirius. I mean ... all of you. I'm not comfortable around you any more. We've ... grown apart."
"What?" Sirius went wild with anger, grabbing his friend and shaking his roughly as the others watched. "What do you mean 'grown apart?' Explain yourself, Remus, or I'll ... I'll ..." Remus blinked back tears as Sirius finally threw him back into the chair where he had been sitting.
"Sirius." James started, wanting to calm his friend.
"Shut the fuck up, James!" Sirius shrieked. James retreated back to his corner. "I want to hear his explanation."
"I don't have one. I don't." He inhaled deeply. Either he would make a break here, or remain silent, allowing things to fall back into their place. He made a choice. "I don't want to be friends with you any more."
"You ... you traitor!" Sirius grabbed Remus again, dragging him to his feet. "We've been through hell for you, bastard! When have we ever done you wrong? When have – you little asshole! You little pansy –" Remus shocked even himself by throwing a blind punch into Sirius' nose, so hard he could feel something break. Sirius backed away, blood streaming from his nose. "We turned animagus for you, we, we ..."
"I've ... got to leave now." Remus ran towards the door, passed a stunned James Potter and horrified Peter Pettigrew. "I'm sorry."
"What ... just happened?" Sirius asked meekly.
"I don't know." James replied quietly, rushing for a handkerchief, and balling it up. "Here." Peter regarded the floor with intense interest.
"Can you believe that?" Sirius recovered some of his pride, wiping the blood from his face. "That Snivellus would have the nerve ..."
"Sirius ..." James stood back, intent on avoiding the reaction that had sent Remus running. "Maybe it wasn't Severus."
"Oh, fuck you James." Sirius looked at James apprehensively. "What do you mean?"
"It's ... you know he doesn't enjoy ... what we enjoy ... sometimes. We can get," James swallowed, unwilling to admit his faults, "out of hand. Every once and a while."
"Yeah." Peter added softly. "That is true."
"So, what? You think we should give in to that sniveling –"
"To Remus." James snapped. "To Remus."
"Fine." Sirius conceded. "I'll talk to him. Later. When he comes back. Now can somebody take me to the fucking infirmary?"
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Like, OMG! Yes, there will be actual slash in the next chapter.
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"How you could associate with that thing is utterly beyond me. I mean, I can't see – "
"It's no business of yours, and he's not a 'thing.'" Remus smiled to himself, sure of his winning the battle. "Anyhow, you're just upset that I've befriended someone who doesn't worship at the altar of Sirius Black."
"Not true." Sirius was boiling with anger. "It just upsets me to see my best friend –"
"James is your best friend." Remus tried as hard as he was able to channel his love into rage. Perhaps then ... "Everyone knows that." James grew pale as Sirius glanced towards the other two Marauders. James slowly backed behind Peter.
"I – wow." Sirius struggled with a variety of words before formulating a clear statement. "How can you say that? After all we've –"
"I'm just one of your devotees, Sirius. It's quite obvious to me. You treat me horribly. At least James has been elevated to mindless disciple. I suppose he –"
"What are you talking about? Sirius leaned over his friend, menacing. "I don't know what that slimy git has been telling you, but –"
"Severus hasn't been telling me anything!" Remus shouted, looking away from Sirius, intent on holding onto his anger. His three friends shifted silently. "He's just ... made me realize things I couldn't articulate before."
"What do you mean?" Sirius loomed closer, losing control of the situation and about to impose his ever-reliable appeal onto the unwanting werewolf.
"I'm not ... like you." Remus admitted. Sirius' eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean, you're not like me?"
"It's not just you, Sirius. I mean ... all of you. I'm not comfortable around you any more. We've ... grown apart."
"What?" Sirius went wild with anger, grabbing his friend and shaking his roughly as the others watched. "What do you mean 'grown apart?' Explain yourself, Remus, or I'll ... I'll ..." Remus blinked back tears as Sirius finally threw him back into the chair where he had been sitting.
"Sirius." James started, wanting to calm his friend.
"Shut the fuck up, James!" Sirius shrieked. James retreated back to his corner. "I want to hear his explanation."
"I don't have one. I don't." He inhaled deeply. Either he would make a break here, or remain silent, allowing things to fall back into their place. He made a choice. "I don't want to be friends with you any more."
"You ... you traitor!" Sirius grabbed Remus again, dragging him to his feet. "We've been through hell for you, bastard! When have we ever done you wrong? When have – you little asshole! You little pansy –" Remus shocked even himself by throwing a blind punch into Sirius' nose, so hard he could feel something break. Sirius backed away, blood streaming from his nose. "We turned animagus for you, we, we ..."
"I've ... got to leave now." Remus ran towards the door, passed a stunned James Potter and horrified Peter Pettigrew. "I'm sorry."
"What ... just happened?" Sirius asked meekly.
"I don't know." James replied quietly, rushing for a handkerchief, and balling it up. "Here." Peter regarded the floor with intense interest.
"Can you believe that?" Sirius recovered some of his pride, wiping the blood from his face. "That Snivellus would have the nerve ..."
"Sirius ..." James stood back, intent on avoiding the reaction that had sent Remus running. "Maybe it wasn't Severus."
"Oh, fuck you James." Sirius looked at James apprehensively. "What do you mean?"
"It's ... you know he doesn't enjoy ... what we enjoy ... sometimes. We can get," James swallowed, unwilling to admit his faults, "out of hand. Every once and a while."
"Yeah." Peter added softly. "That is true."
"So, what? You think we should give in to that sniveling –"
"To Remus." James snapped. "To Remus."
"Fine." Sirius conceded. "I'll talk to him. Later. When he comes back. Now can somebody take me to the fucking infirmary?"
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Like, OMG! Yes, there will be actual slash in the next chapter.