Note: God, I don't think I've had this much angst in a fic since... I don't even know. Oo;; They're so damn sensitive...
The remainder of the day was like escorting a mute about – Remus greatly disliked the fact that he, an innocent bystander, was given the task of explaining exactly WHY Sirius refused to speak. Well, to be quite correct, he explained exactly why in rather fictitious sense: to blatantly tell that Sirius's voice was changing actually ruined the entire point of his not speaking, after all.
"Christ," Lupin muttered to himself as he and Sirius trudged into the library as the evening drew on. "James and Snape are going to duel... Not to down James, but Snape – well, he knows more hexes than..." He searched silently for someone whom Snape was more versed in the Dark Arts than. "More than anyone I know of," he finished. Sirius shrugged, turning a cheek the instant James was mentioned.
"O, please," Remus said, rolling his eyes. "I swear – he's just pissed because we won't tell him something. That's exactly what YOU'D do," he pointed out, but Sirius refused to listen. With a sigh, Remus dropped the subject and sat down at a lengthy table. Sirius selected a book from one of the numerous shelves and sat down opposite him, raised the book high over his face, and pretended to ignore him.
The single most unexpected person to sit down at their table – well, with the exception of 'Dangerous' Dai Llewellyn – did so without much ado. She smiled breezily and pulled up a book. Remus cocked an eyebrow dubiously as he found himself opposite Lily Evans. Sirius looked up momentarily, saw who it was, and promptly scribbled 'Traitor' on his chalkboard.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked, ignoring Sirius.
"Er... Sure –" Remus began, but caught the deadly stare of one Master James S. Potter, Esquire, from across the library. Peter stood next to him, looking sheepish, and James made a number of rather explicit gestures. "Actually," Lupin said, "I think Sirius and I have to be off – see you, Lily –" Without any further ado, Remus dragged Sirius by the sleeve out of the library.
'What are you doing?' Sirius scrawled across the chalkboard. 'We can piss James off!'
"What, and never speak to him again?" replied Remus exasperatedly. "I for one don't intend to be at war with James for the rest of my life, thank you so very much. But hanging around with Lily is a good way to start. Not something I want to do." He checked his watch. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some – er, things to care to." Lupin began to stride away quickly down the hall towards the Hospital Wing.
Sirius began to cry 'Wait up!', but thought better of it and bolted after his friend. 'What's up?' he wrote. 'What "things"?'
"None of your business," Remus responded sharply, his voice nearly an inhumane snarl. Sirius, taken aback, stepped away in mock-fear. Remus rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't be stupid – I just... Have to go." With that, he strode away again, leaving Sirius alone in the corridor.
"What are they up to?"
James leaned against the pillar, allowing Peter to take a peek down the corridor. Invisible behind the marble barrier, James and Peter watched the minor dispute between Sirius and Remus. James wrinkled his nose. "Where's Remus off to...?" he mused aloud quietly.
"Why's that matter?" piped Peter; his voice suddenly caused James to realise that he DID care what they did, in spite of himself. He scowled, eager to suppress any such sentiments.
"It doesn't," James replied, sniffing haughtily. "Hell, they can have ALL the secrets they want. I'M off for a duel." He strode imperiously in the opposite direction, ignoring the feeling of Sirius's gaze at the back of his head.
"James –" Peter began, looking forlornly back at Sirius: should James continue with this little squabble, HE would be obliged to be James's second. Against Snape. Not fun, for someone who was failing Defence class. Fatally so, it would seem.
Master Potter ignored Peter's plea and continued to march down the corridor. Peter took one last glance back at Sirius, mouth agape at this clear snub, and followed reluctantly behind.
Faced with no other decision, Sirius sped down the hall after Remus. 'PLEEEEEASE!' the chalkboard proclaimed. 'Let me come with you!'
Remus glared at Sirius. "No."
'I have to come!' Sirius wrote. 'I have to! James and Peter will think –'
"Since when do you care what they think?" Remus returned, turning away. "Now, go away. I have to get some stuff taken care of."
'What stuff?' demanded Sirius. 'What sort of things?'
"None of your business, sort of things." Remus scowled. "Really – you're being daft. I can't tell you."
Sirius stopped in his tracks, an expression of sudden realisation and disgust spreading across his features. He quickly wrote something on the chalkboard, shoved both board and stick of chalk into Remus's hands, and stalked away. Remus glanced down at the letters and frowned. "Sirius," he began, but the retreating Gryffindor simply raised a silencing hand as he left.
Lupin sighed, letting the board fall as he relaxed his arm, lowering it into the gentle sway as he walked slowly in the opposite direction, towards the Hospital Wing. Why did this condition of his have to complicate everything?