In the Shadows
Chapter 2

Harry and Remus Lupin had come back to Number 12, Grimmauld Place.
They didn't really talk to each other.
They should have because they shared the same sadness, the same pain caused by the same reason.
They simply couldn't.
It seemed they would loose their well-kept control over the grief they both felt for the friend and father figure who went through the veil.
But control was something they never really had.
Just grief.
It wasn't easy at all for Harry to find out that crying was a way of walking through the shadows. That tears could wash away and ease the pain. At least a little.
Now, it was Remus turn.

The stonewalls of the empty room sent icy shivers over his skin. He heard the creaking from the wooden floor. It sounded like the shadows would talk to him. Whispers from the dead, agonizing and painful.
Remus was in the drawing room where Sirius had spent most of his time when he was alone and everybody else was gone.
A few rare times Remus had managed to join his friend. Share some value hours with him, talking and remembering. For thirteen years they haven't seen each other. It was almost naturally that they tried to make up for the lost time.
The thought of Sirius gone forever brought tears to his eyes.
He wiped them away with his hand, angry about his friends' recklessness.
The last words he'd said were still in Remus ears.
"Come on, you can do better than that!"
His inner eye still saw the face of his friend.
The laughter seemed to be frozen in his features but Sirius eyes were wide from the shock when he was hit square in the chest.
A heavy sigh escaped Remus when he sat down on the chair in front of the desk. He put his hands flat on the wooden surface, trying to erase the shivers running through them.
He failed.
A silver tear ran down his cheek, dangling for the split of a second from his chin before it fell like a lonely raindrop onto the desk besides his long fingers.
His eyes searched the room for something familiar, something that might belong to his friend but couldn't see anything from where he sat.
Remus opened the drawer, once locked and inhabited by the Boggart. Now it was almost empty except for a worn book clad in leather. Golden letters were glued neatly on top of it forming two words. The color faded already and a few of them peeled off slowly.
Tears spilled from his eyes and clouded his view. Again, he wiped them away.
'The Marauders.'
He took the book out and laid it down between his hands. For a moment he hesitated to open it but then he simply did. He couldn't consider not doing it.
The first side. Four names were written on it in four different handwritings.
Moony, Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail.
Gone. All of them like dust in the wind. He almost hated himself for being the only one left.
On the other hand he needed to be here, to be alive. He had to watch out for Harry, take Sirius part at his side if he wanted to or not. For James and Lily and Sirius' sake.

He looked at the next pages. His friends were looking back at him, winking an eye or waving madly.
The pictures were taken at Hogwarts. In the Common room, their dormitories, in class or even in the forbidden Forrest. They never cared that they were not allowed to go there.
But most of the pictures were made in Hogsmeade. The village was their playground.
He couldn't recall how many countless times they had sneaked out of the castle, walking through the tunnels right into Honeydukes or the Shrieking Shack.
The haunted Castle. Didn't they take a picture of it?
Quickly, Remus turned the pages to find the picture. He wasn't even sure if Sirius had put it in here but he was lucky.
For a moment he could just stare at it. A big lump formed in his throat and he felt unable to breathe.
The sun had fallen slowly over the broken towers of the castle. The last dying rays of sunlight had bathed the gray walls in brilliant highlights, spreading their wings like loving arms of a mother over the two young man standing in front of it.
A soft breeze had caught a few strands of Sirius long black hair and they were blowing in his own, much younger face, mingling with his short, blond hair.
Remus saw how terribly he had looked. He remembered how tired he'd felt and that he could barely stand on his own two feet.
Sirius arm was wrapped around his shoulders and he could still feel, how he was pulled tight against his friend so he wouldn't fall down.
Smiles spread over both of their faces. His own tired and grateful for the support. Sirius smile was broad and charming as always.
Even in the picture it looked like Sirius meant it to.
'I will take care of you, no matter what!'

It was a morning after full Moon. Another night as a Werewolf.
He remembered how scared he was the first few times when the silver orb rose in the evening.
His blood was boiling with an unknown desire. His skin was itching and burning and all he wanted to do was run. Run and hide from his friends, not really knowing why.
So he ran, through the secret tunnels leading from Hogwarts into the Shrieking Shack.
There, alone in the darkening rooms, the full moon shining silver and bright into the windows, his transformation began.
Oh, how it had hurt.
He wanted to scratch and bite himself, a low growl rising in his slender chest until he was fully changed into the wolf he became every four weeks.
He wasn't scared anymore when he finally howled at the Moon.
He was a dangerous beast ready to kill, no matter if it was an animal or not.
Just a tiny part, a leftover from his human side told him not to harm humans. This part of his soul told him to stay where he was, away from the village.
With every passing minute in this cursed night, with every inch the moon was wandering around the velvet sky, it became harder for Remus to simply do nothing.
He needed to still his hunger. He wanted to pierce his teeth through delicate skin and taste fresh blood.
A low snarl filled the air constantly, speaking of the danger behind these walls, bidding every living creature to stay away.
It was the only sound in the quiet night until something else joined the warning.
Footsteps.
Far away at first, slowly growing louder with every step the person came closer and closer to the hidden beast.
The tall, lonely figure of a young man came into the Werewolf's view, seen even in the dim rays of moonlight cutting like knifes through the black night. The long hair swayed like a curtain around his broad shoulders and his eyes shone like black stars in his face.
The animal hissed at him full of anger, ready to jump and sink his teeth into the skin around his neck.
The small part in his soul that was still human told him not to.
The dark eyes watching the animal were wide and full of fear. But there was something else in them. Something that was familiar to the beast. Something that he had seen before, a long time ago as it seemed, when he was still human.
The intention to take care of his friend.
"I am not going away."
A loud howl was the response.
"I will not leave you alone."
The wolf stepped closer, his head pulled between strong shoulders.
"I am not scared, Remus!"
He knew, his voice was shivering and that he'd told a lie but Sirius eyes never left the eyes of his friend.
A dangerous growl escaped the broad chest. Moony stepped even closer.
Sirius leaned his head to the side. A small grin spread over his face, chasing the fear slowly out of his eyes.
"You think, we haven't noticed what was going on with you? That you left us always at full moon, telling us stupid excuses, being all weak when you came back?"
Moony showed his long, sharp teeth, hissing franticly.
"You think we would leave you alone in your pain?"
Sharp nails dug through the dirt, setting a whimpering howl free.
"I found a way to take care of you."
He smiled very happy, ignoring the fact that his friend was not nearly human at this moment.
"Watch me!"
He took his wand from his pocket and waved it around his head, uttering a spell Remus couldn't understand in his state. To his surprise, the tall figure that was Sirius Black a minute ago changed in front of his animal eyes into a huge, black dog with glowing eyes.
Immediately, the dangerous growling subsided. Moony sank graceful to his knees, lying down on the stone floor his head on his front paws, fully calm now.
Padfoot came closer, trailing a wet tongue over the wolf's ears before he laid down close beside him. He put his large head on Remus' shoulders, sighing deeply before he closed his eyes.
They stayed in this position until the morning dawned in bright orange colors and Remus body had changed back….

A weary hand wiped over tired eyes. Remus felt like he'd awaken from deep slumber.
Silent tears were all over his cheeks, leaving silver paths of grief behind.
Who would be at his side now that Sirius was gone? Who would take care of him and made sure that he would not hurt anyone as soon as the full moon stood high in the sky?
He cast a last look on the picture before he closed the book.
He didn't know how long he had sat here thinking about that special night. All he knew was that he had to go and look for Harry now.
Remus walked through the quiet house. With every room he found empty he felt lonelier. Where did he go?
"Harry? Harry where are you?"
No answer.
He climbed up the stairs to the third floor, calling out again for the boy. Only this time, he got an answer.
"Here. In the attic."
Harry's voice sounded heavy from crying. The sound let Remus hurry up to the dark room under the roof where he found Harry sitting in front of a large canvas. Tears running out of his eyes had painted fine, white lines on his dirty face.
Falling down on his knees, Remus swept Harry tight in a warm embrace. He pulled the shivering body as close as possibly. He felt the boy pushing his wet face against his shoulder, relaxing slightly in his arms.
His soft little cries finally subsided and he lifted his head. For a moment he stared into Remus face before he backed up, an embarrassed look in his eyes.
"I am fine."
He muttered through clenched teeth.
Remus shook his head in disbelieve, a sad smile on his face.
"No, your not. You can't be."
Harry pulled his knees high up to his chin.
"Why not?"
Angry, hurt and refusing any comfort his father's friend offered.
"Because I am not."
Harry saw tears start to dwell in Remus eyes.
"What…"
With big eyes he looked at his former teacher. Harry's head spun around when he heard the voice from the painting.
"He is missing me as much as you do, Harry."
For the first time since he came into the attic, Remus focused on the canvas behind Harry.
He saw that it was a painting.
He recognized the young man on it even when the color was faded and tears blurred his view. They streamed freely now over his face.
His friend looked exactly the way he had the night in the Shrieking Shack. The way, he would always remember him.
Remus nodded.
"Yes."
And his head fell down while his arms came up, shielding his face from Sirius knowing, sad brown eyes.
He wished they could spend just one more night side by side.
He wished that he could see his friend transform once more into Padfoot, the large black dog.
That he could feel for one last time the caring strength he received whenever they were walking together through the shadows of the night.

Harry got up to walk on silent feet out of the room, anxious not to disturb Remus. He was almost out of the door when he heard his Godfather speaking.
It was Sirius voice now that sounded all choked up and teary.
"I will miss you, too."
Careful he pulled the heavy wooden door shut behind him. He had the feeling that they would come to late to the Burrow. They needed to take care of a painting hidden for years first.

The End

Or?