His body slammed back against the wall, and he slumped to the ground,
breathing hard. He couldn't have just seen that. There was no way. They
were just studying or something, though why Sirius would be studying
with Severus was a mystery. But it was a better explanation than what
he thought...
Remus forced himself to peek around the corner again. No. No. He had been right the first time. Studying did not involve kissing, and it definitely didn't involve hands going into places like that. He felt sick. He felt beyond sick. When had this happened? What had he missed? He pushed himself away from it and fell back against the wall with a thump.
He heard the soft murmurs in the room behind him stop, followed by footsteps. He looked up to see Sirius looking down at him with a grim expression. "Should have known we couldn't keep this under wraps for long," he said softly.
Remus just shook his head, too numb still to speak. Severus appeared behind Sirius and glanced down at the scene. Remus turned his head, but still heard Severus mutter "Tonight, by the Forbidden Forest, then?" before he hurried off. Remus looked back up at the face of his friend.
"Okay," Sirius began, sitting down on the floor. "I know it's, well, unexpected, but--"
"Unexpected?" Remus spat, finding that his voice had returned with Severus gone. "Unexpected? I'd say this is bloody unexpected! I come up to the dormitory to get a book, and I walk in on you and--that--him with your hands up each other's robes! What the hell are you thinking?"
Sirius sighed. "It wasn't a matter of thinking, really. It just happened."
"How long has this been going on?"
"I don't know, two, three weeks, maybe? That's not important, though. I wasn't sure how to tell all of you, and this isn't the way I would have chosen. But, look, Moony, this is...this isn't some little casual thing, okay? I mean, if I wanted that..." Sirius trailed off at the look in Remus's eyes.
"Go on," Remus said, his voice now steady. "Go on and say it. If you wanted that, you'd have come to me."
"That wasn't..." Sirius trailed off. Remus knew better. He knew it was exactly what Sirius was going to say.
"Fuck you," Remus muttered. Sirius's eyebrows raised, but he didn't speak. "Fuck you, and your greasy little boyfriend. Go ahead. You can have him."
"Moony...look, we've got class in a few minutes. Why don't you and Severus and I, and Prongs and Wormtail too, why don't we sit down and talk about this later tonight?"
"Because," Remus growled, "tonight is not exactly a good time for me."
Sirius looked stricken. "I'm so sorry. I forgot."
"And you're not even going to be coming with me tonight, are you?" Sirius didn't answer. "No, you'll be off shagging Severus, not a thought for anyone else, right?"
"We made plans already, Moony."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Remus snapped, his voice raising again. "I would have thought you had plans before that. Same time next month, right, Sirius? Fuck it. Forget you. I don't care what happens with you and Snivellus--I don't care what happens to you at all. I don't want to see you again. Ever."
"I don't think we can--"
"Get away from me. I'm not going to class. It's time for me to be 'sick' anyways, isn't it? Just get out."
Sirius looked at him sadly, then walked away.
Remus felt his entire body start to shake. What was he going to do? What could he possibly-- And then the shaking stopped. He smiled. No, he'd see Sirius and Severus again. One last time. He'd make up some excuse to Prongs and Wormtail, that was it. The whole thing would be very simple.
He wasn't going to the Shrieking Shack that night.
Remus forced himself to peek around the corner again. No. No. He had been right the first time. Studying did not involve kissing, and it definitely didn't involve hands going into places like that. He felt sick. He felt beyond sick. When had this happened? What had he missed? He pushed himself away from it and fell back against the wall with a thump.
He heard the soft murmurs in the room behind him stop, followed by footsteps. He looked up to see Sirius looking down at him with a grim expression. "Should have known we couldn't keep this under wraps for long," he said softly.
Remus just shook his head, too numb still to speak. Severus appeared behind Sirius and glanced down at the scene. Remus turned his head, but still heard Severus mutter "Tonight, by the Forbidden Forest, then?" before he hurried off. Remus looked back up at the face of his friend.
"Okay," Sirius began, sitting down on the floor. "I know it's, well, unexpected, but--"
"Unexpected?" Remus spat, finding that his voice had returned with Severus gone. "Unexpected? I'd say this is bloody unexpected! I come up to the dormitory to get a book, and I walk in on you and--that--him with your hands up each other's robes! What the hell are you thinking?"
Sirius sighed. "It wasn't a matter of thinking, really. It just happened."
"How long has this been going on?"
"I don't know, two, three weeks, maybe? That's not important, though. I wasn't sure how to tell all of you, and this isn't the way I would have chosen. But, look, Moony, this is...this isn't some little casual thing, okay? I mean, if I wanted that..." Sirius trailed off at the look in Remus's eyes.
"Go on," Remus said, his voice now steady. "Go on and say it. If you wanted that, you'd have come to me."
"That wasn't..." Sirius trailed off. Remus knew better. He knew it was exactly what Sirius was going to say.
"Fuck you," Remus muttered. Sirius's eyebrows raised, but he didn't speak. "Fuck you, and your greasy little boyfriend. Go ahead. You can have him."
"Moony...look, we've got class in a few minutes. Why don't you and Severus and I, and Prongs and Wormtail too, why don't we sit down and talk about this later tonight?"
"Because," Remus growled, "tonight is not exactly a good time for me."
Sirius looked stricken. "I'm so sorry. I forgot."
"And you're not even going to be coming with me tonight, are you?" Sirius didn't answer. "No, you'll be off shagging Severus, not a thought for anyone else, right?"
"We made plans already, Moony."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Remus snapped, his voice raising again. "I would have thought you had plans before that. Same time next month, right, Sirius? Fuck it. Forget you. I don't care what happens with you and Snivellus--I don't care what happens to you at all. I don't want to see you again. Ever."
"I don't think we can--"
"Get away from me. I'm not going to class. It's time for me to be 'sick' anyways, isn't it? Just get out."
Sirius looked at him sadly, then walked away.
Remus felt his entire body start to shake. What was he going to do? What could he possibly-- And then the shaking stopped. He smiled. No, he'd see Sirius and Severus again. One last time. He'd make up some excuse to Prongs and Wormtail, that was it. The whole thing would be very simple.
He wasn't going to the Shrieking Shack that night.