NOTE TO ALL: Guys, I warned that the story is going to get a little darker, well this chapter you will see what I mean. If you felt bad for Remus in the last chapter, you may end up feeling bad for Sirius here. Lol, you'll see what I mean. Remember, it is all for a reason P
Kilikapele: I'm glad you're caught up in the story, thank you for you reviews again. Well, hope you enjoy these chapters P
Lizzy-Evans: Yes, Remus is adorable lol. I love him so much D Thank you for your review. Thank you also for the stories that you mentioned, I will definitaley read them as soon as I catch up on some school work. Thank you!!!!!
Audrey G. Black: Isa, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapters. I'm glad too that you thought the song was appropriate, I wasn't sure how people would take to a song in it. Well thanking you for the review, hope you enjoy the rest lol.
Werewolves are human too: Lol!! Aww Sirius will love him in the end, story wouldn't be as emotional i it was now though, so sorry lol, there's a small wait P Lol, I don't like Remus being hurt, but somehow, evilly, it was fun to write (only because I know it will be okay for him though lol).
Elfeh/Elwen of Imladris (lol!): Omg, I love you by the way lol. You know, every time I go to update, I wonder what you specifically will think of my chapters! Lol, you're the person I probably hope most to please, I love your constructive criticism D. I was reading on your link thing and noticed you seem to be a very big lord of the rings fan lol..(understatement??) and I think it's great. I was addicted to LOTR for a while. Mainly Legolas (ah he is so smooth :P). And all the cool names, God, Tolkien is so meticulous, amazing, I'm sure you know lol. Hope you enjoy my next chapters lol, like I said, it gets quite serious. Thank you for your continued reviews. Love ya P
MyOwnShukuun: I'm glad you like my story, I hope the rest lives up to what you want lol. Well, thank you for your review.
Moony-38: Lol, you're gonna hate me after the next chapter or so when you see what else Remus has to go through! Lol! Sorry, it was so much fun to write. Well, I couldn't let Sirius do that typical "I love you back" straight away or like that, things have to happen to make him see first lol. I have no idea what you guys are going to think of this lol, but trust me, it was needed!!
Peegchica: Thank you for reviewing my story, I hope you enjoy the next chapters.
JuliansGirl: Thanks for the review. I'm happy when peopl have a strong reaction to the story. Ah, and cliffhangers, so much fun P Lol, don't be TOO angry at Sirius, he has his reasons you know lol. Hope you enjoy the next chapters.
Ganjalief: Did I not write a reply o you? Omg, I don't think I did, I'm so sorry lol. Somehow I got everyone elses review as an e-mail and only saw yours when i looked at the review page S. Well, thank you for reviewing my story anyway. I hope you enjoy my next chapters. Lol, Sirius without a shirt, had to be done P. XxX
Chapter 10: A Vicious Attack
It was with much apprehension that James returned to Hogwarts. It was now very late into the 29th, but he'd let Sirius know he couldn't get back the day before as planned. Wondering how things had progressed over the last few days, as Sirius had been refusing to speak of anything to him since he first told him of the kiss, James stood outside the portrait door to the Gryffindor Common Room.
Finally stepping inside, he saw it was empty but for the fire in the grate. Nobody was in the Dorm either as he brought his holiday stuff up, and it was so odd to have the place to himself, he didn't like it. Hoping to see one of them soon, he dashed back downstairs and smiled as he saw Sirius had come in and rested by the fire.
Smiling, Sirius said, "How was your holiday then?" And James was surprised by how calm he appeared to be, especially after they'd really spoken last.
"It was really good. Nearly got stuck at home for even longer though, 'cos Aunt Maisy really wasn't taking the hint to leave and mum didn't want me to leave until all the family were away. But I managed to convince old Maisy that she really should go..." he finished mischievously and Sirius laughed.
"What did you do?" He sniggered and James was really glad to see that he didn't seem different in any way for what had been going on. He gave his best 'innocent I am' look before falling into a chair, grinning, "Know how she's like, this old prude?" Sirius nodded and leaned forward, waiting, "Well, I might have told her that us in the Potters' household like to invite people over for a nice naked frolic in the house on the night of the full moon, and that we really insisted she join us if she was staying..."
Sirius was laughing merrily, his face bright and fair and James could tell he hadn't laughed for days. "Imagine she'd said yes!" Sirius laughed and James cringed at the thought.
"Euch!" He replied, "Well, her face. I won't forget it..how shocked..disgusted...it was hilarious! Her bags were packed before I could even say 'flash' and she gave this look to my mum on the way out as if to say, 'I won't be coming back here'. Which is a good thing really...Ha! Mum knew I'd done summot, but I kinda thought it'd be better not to say..She actually seemed quite relieved though, so didn't try to do much finding out." As he ended, he looked up, seriously at Sirius.
"By any chance, do you know where Remus is?" He had expected that would remove Sirius' smile, but it didn't. Sirius seemed unaffected, indifferent.
"Yeah, Madam Pomfrey took him away about ten minutes before you came in. I saw them leave, they passed me on the way" Sirius said casually.
James was all the more concerned for it, "Have you two spoke then?" Sirius made no hint of being awkward about it or any other emotion at all.
"Nah, not really spoken in a while" he said offhandedly. James scrutinized his countenance and his face. Nothing was giving away any feelings of the turmoil he must have been going through.
"Sirius, have you been avoiding each other?" And Sirius raised his eyebrows as though the idea was strange, why would they, his face seemed to ask.
"Not at all! No, we've been sitting in here quite a lot actually. Sure, maybe we haven't said a word to each other all the while, but no..not avoiding" he said in his normal lighthearted way, but the words to Jamie were underlined with a sardonic flare.
"Sirius, how can you be so casual about this? Do I need to remind you what happened at Christmas" Sirius smirked, "Or what you said? "This is the end of us. The Marauders". Your words, Sirius".
Sirius shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "I know what happened and I know what I said, Jamie. Understandably, I think, I was a bit upset. Over it now though. I'm glad you're back, but I shouldn't have told you to come. You didn't really think the Marauders would end because of something so small, did you?" Jamie couldn't really believe what he was hearing. The worst of it was that Sirius was trying to sound as though he believed it and to any outsider, it would have come off. But James knew him that bit better and shook his head in incredulity.
"Sirius, I'm not even gonna answer that properly! You know fine well this isn't something 'small'. I know it isn't that to you and it certainly isn't to Remus", he said almost defensively. Sirius' face had been blank as he said it.
"He'll get over it," he said, tiniest quaver in his voice, "he'll realise he doesn't really feel like that, that it's silly. I'm only Sirius and he'll see that soon". James knew that Sirius wanted to believe what he was saying, but knew that he didn't.
"Sirius," he quietly began, shaking his head slowly, "you know that isn't true. He knows you're Sirius. It's Sirius, you, he lo--"
"Don't finish that word, Jamie" Sirius interrupted as James was saying 'loves.' James checked his bright eyes and saw that panic sat at the very edge of Sirius. Fine, if Sirius wants to pretend nothing went on, that's up to him, I suppose, thought James. Sirius stood up and stretched, looked down at Jamie and said, "You coming then? About time we headed down--"
"You're going?" James thought he was there to keep Remus company because Sirius wasn't going. After all, Sirius had said 'As long as you're back before the full moon on the 29th.' Sirius looked at him as though he'd said something incredibly stupid.
"Of course I'm going. God, you act as though something big's just happened here..." But James heard the sarcasm. It wasn't plain, but it was there. I see passed the bravado, Sirius, James thought as he walked down behind him, neither wearing the invisibility cloak for it was unlikely they would bump into anyone when the school was so empty, And I don't think it'll work much longer.
Bathed in the accursed moonlight, James and Sirius ran across Hogwarts lawn towards the Whomping Willow. With no Peter to freeze the knot in the tree for them, Sirius prodded it with a long branch. The night air was chill and unmoving. A shiver ran over James and it wasn't from the cold night. He couldn't explain it, but something didn't feel right. It was like when you know someone is standing behind you without looking and the hair on your arms and neck stand on end, the way you feel when instinct tries to warn you something bad is going to happen. Sirius gave him a funny look at the bottom of the tunnel.
"Does something not seem right to you, or is it just me?" He asked and James furrowed his brows.
"Isn't just you Padfoot. I don't like this. Maybe we should leave this tonight" James said as they walked forward, the closer they walked to the Shack, the stronger the uneasiness grew. Some scent of danger blasted its way into both of their hearts as they tensely approached the end of the tunnel. Sirius hadn't answered and James knew he wouldn't leave Remus alone anyway. They transformed a little way before the bend in the tunnel.
The unseen imperilment was disquieting and James, now in stag form, Prongs, nudged Padfoot with his antlers, just to show him he still wanted to go back. As he did so, a slow, menacing growl arose from Moony in the Shack, seeming to confirm for Prongs that they would turn back, but Padfoot shrugged him off and turned the bend. Feeling some fear of the ominous growl, he followed Sirius. It was so strange to be scared of the growl he'd heard so many times before. It hadn't bothered him since back when they first heard it, not sure if they would be accepted by Moony. But his senses were screaming at him that this was different.
Padfoot was just in front of them as they entered the wreck of the Shrieking Shack and faced Moony, the wolf, once more. Standing back as normal, Prongs watched as Padfoot inched closer to Moony, ready to face him off then submit, as usual.
The wolf's teeth were bared, inch-long teeth, razor sharp. He was low to the ground and uncomfortably reminded Jamie of a crouching tiger, stalking its prey. The prey being Sirius. But Padfoot went more confidently on, even as the wolf growled his warning to stay away. Never had Moony looked this threatening in the pre-pack ritual before. Or ever.
Intensity stole over the room and Moony and Padfoot began to circle in a glaring match, Moony's changed yellow eyes boring into the pale blue ones that were still Sirius', unlike the wolf. Still growling, a loathing displayed deep in those yellow eyes. A loathing? Prongs wondered anxiously. No, this was normally a ritual to prove the dominance of the wolf to his pack, not a hate game. Both he and Padfoot could easily feel the anger of the wolf. It wasn't going right at all. If Remus wasn't still angry at Sirius, the wolf certainly was.
They came to a halt, and James felt useless. Padfoot was about to lower his head in submission when Prongs felt a powerful dread. It wasn't unjustified. As the large dog bowed down, up sprang the coiled form of the wolf, leaping straight for him in a vicious dive. Unable to react quick enough, the dog was caught unawares and yelped as it crashed to the floor under the weight of the wolf, teeth sinking into his throat. Prongs was startled, but not as much as Sirius was.
As a stag, he couldn't really have done much here, but he charged forward and butted the wolf with his antlers, just to give Padfoot time to get up. The wolf was barely moved and glared up, teeth dripping blood, Sirius' blood, James panicked. The wolf didn't attack him as he thought it might. Padfoot had managed to get up, but the wolf sensed the diversionary tactics and as Sirius bounded off farther into the room, the wolf chased after him, his quarrel with the dog, not the stag.
Prongs turned around in time to see Padfoot and Moony rear up on hind legs, face to face and slash each other with their claws. Padfoot weighed more than the smaller wolf so got the better this once and knocked the wolf onto it's back. But just as Jamie thought Padfoot would run off again, he ran forward, over Moony, almost as though he'd regretted defending himself, and unexpectedly to the dog, it bit him on his belly. Padfoot leaped forward to get away, but in his distress, bashed into a table and falling amongst the rubble, was vulnerable to the wolf. Prongs tried to distract the wolf again, to give Sirius time to get back up, but the wolf was more cunning this time and landed on Padfoot, teeth ripping clumps out of him in his almost cornered fighting space.
Prongs went over, nudging at Moony, terrified whilst trying, but even more so for Padfoot. The wolf didn't take the slightest interest in him as he shook his head, mouthful of Sirius almost coming right off, but making it even more painful for staying attached as it forced his nose to bang repeatedly off the wall. The flesh finally tore from him, but it gave him time to dodge sideways over the table and away from Moony. Prongs noted horrorstruck that Padfoot was limping and blood dripped as he ran. He tried to communicate his distress to the wolf, to no end for as soon as the beast dropped his prize, he leaped over a sofa, high, landing on Padfoot once more.
I've got to get us out of here, James finally realised, scanning the room for something that would trap the wolf and allow he and Sirius to make an escape.
Looking over, they were now rolling over with each other in a painful recreation of a crocodile's death roll. Padfoot would get in the occasional blow, but the alarming fact was that the wolf had the upper hand. Padfoot was soaked in his own blood and Moony was covered in the same thing, none of it his own. Each time Padfoot escaped it, the monster lunged after him again, ripping at his limbs and body and face, clawing at him.
Prongs had no way of stopping it, he kept trying to force the wolf off of the dog, but his antlers made no difference. If it stalled it for a moment, it was only a moment. A short moment and Sirius is going to die if I don't find us a way out, James knew, still searching around the room. The horrible noise through the room was mostly Sirius' howling and yelpings of pain.
The wolf continued his hideous attacks as James saw it. A way. It was more than risky, but it was all he could think to do. He would have to, briefly, turn human while the wolf was far from him. He had to use his wand. It was a terrifying prospect, but he must, he had to save Sirius and this was the only thing that came into his panic-stricken mind. Whilst being bitten in animagus form would only earn him a nasty wound, being bitten in human form would earn him what Remus had been stuck with. It would make him a werewolf. It could be but for a few seconds or the wolf would get him.
Gathering his nerves and wit, James closed his stag eyes and breathed deeply. Opening them again, he found that the fight was being continued in the far corner of the room. Now or never, he thought. He did it.
James stood, human. Previous attempts to distract the wolf had failed but this time, the wolf smelt the human, and whipped around, running straight away at him. Briefly, he spotted Padfoot in the background bark in fear and in attempt to bring the wolf back. Sirius wouldn't want James to risk his life like this. In the seconds he had before the wolf's teeth would descend upon him, James plunged into his robes as fast as possible in trepidation and his hand grasped his wand. The wolf was halfway there as he raised it level, jumped up on the sofa and leaped over from it, covering most of the distance. James roared, Khorde bindan as the wolf vaulted more furniture and as it made its last advance, it tumbled to the ground face first, front legs bound tightly in ropes.
Instantly, he transformed back into the stag and ran to Padfoot, it wouldn't be long before the rope manacles would be chewed through and the wolf would be after them again. Padfoot had seen the plan and they both sprinted as fast as they could from the Shack and into the tunnel. Padfoot wasn't going so fast and Prongs worriedly kept glancing at him as they made distance between themselves and the wolf. He saw that he was losing a lot of blood as they ran and that more than one of his legs were injured so he could barely put them down, the front left paw, hardly touching the ground if at all.
Halfway through the tunnel, the terror was refreshed as they heard a distant growl. Moony was loose and coming after them, well, Sirius anyway. James could only hope to get out of the Willow and it to move again before the wolf could get there and he knew they weren't going as fast as the wolf would be going. Padfoot really was injured badly.
The growling haunted them, ever getting louder, when finally, relief came from seeing the opening of the tree. Looking back, Prongs was shocked to see that Moony was now in view, at the furthest back part of the tunnel they could see. They ran up the slope and Prongs let Padfoot through first. He panicked as the growling came even closer and he didn't dare to look back. He had to become human again to fit through that space normally, but he couldn't risk it so he squeezed tightly as he could at the entrance. He thought for one disastrous second that he wasn't going to get through, but was then outside. He pressed the knot quickly and the tree became like marble, still. He and Padfoot quickly dashed passed the tree and turned back, begging the tree to move again.
Yellow eyes protruded from the opening and then the wolf's head. Horror at what would happen if the wolf made it out struck them both full force and more of the wolf was out of the tree. This was it. The wolf made to dart from the tree and was all of a sudden stopped. It yelped out in agony as the tree mercilessly swung a heavy branch, battering into its side. One more attempt to dodge out and the wolf was hit again. Yapping, the wolf finally gave up and went as quickly as it could go back into the tree. The wolf didn't know about the knot in the tree. Remus did, but that monster was not Remus. They had escaped it.
James transformed once more into a human, relieved for the tree's existence more than he could express. He lay back on the grass for a moment, grateful. Then, with stinging recollection, he thought of Padfoot and turned to see Sirius, transformed back on the grass...bleeding freely.
James gave a cry of shock as he saw Sirius lying, unmoving, passed out on the grass. It was dark, but his blood shone black in the moonlight and he was drenched in it. His skin; not one centimeter didn't have a red covering. His face was scraped badly, his arms lay, limp at his sides, his robes sodden in the blood.
"Sirius! Sirius, wake up!" He shouted at him, terrified and shaking him slightly, trying not to hurt him more, "Oh God, oh God." It struck him suddenly that Sirius might die. That his best friend in the world might never speak again, his laugh never to be heard, his jokes never shared, their pranks never pulled, never again see his beautiful face...He broke down in tears over Sirius' immobile body and tried to think what to do. Standing up shakily, he conjured up a stretcher beneath Sirius and he moved as swiftly as he could on his trembling legs.
He headed straight for the hospital wing, now at a run, up the stone steps into the school, through the never-ending corridors, Sirius lay out before him, still as the night air had been. It seemed he was moving in slow motion and that every second passing was killing Sirius.
He burst into the Ward and Madam Pomfrey came charging out of her office, about to angrily challenge the person who almost broke the door down, when her eyes fell on Sirius and widened in undiluted shock.
"Sirius?" She whispered in question, looking up at James...
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Remus wiped his face in the futile attempt to rid himself of tears. James set his hand on his shoulder in comfort, even though he too was sobbing uncontrollably. Many of the surrounding people's eyes were on them and Remus glanced around the packed Hall, anything to help avoid looking to the front.
He saw not one single dry face in the crowd as all either stared at him, or hung their head in sorrow. His head ached as though everyone was bashing it with bricks and his breathing was dejected. On his left, was James, then Peter and on his right was a whole host of teachers, Dumbledore directly beside him, eyes puffy red and tearstained. They were in the front row. At the very end of the row, sat Sirius' mother, black veil cast across her face and his father clinging to her. They didn't even care, Remus bitterly thought, but his heart compressed even more. All the mourning students sat behind, in blurs because his eyes were filled with more tears.
Distantly he heard some voice saying, "All rise" and vaguely he felt himself trying.
Complete grief grabbed his heart in an iron-fist and he forced himself to look forward. He caught sight of the hundreds of wreaths and posies that lined the walls. 'Good-bye Sirius' said one, 'BEST FRIEND' read one he recognised as the Marauders' for him. For Sirius. Their best friend. The beautiful, wonderful, kind, caring, altruistic Sirius. Not enough words in the world were sufficient enough for him. And he was gone forever. Nobody would ever witness his face light up or his eyes glint mischievously as he hatched a plan ever again. No-one could ever hear that bark of laughter, his witty remarks, his sensual voice, anything...
As his eyes followed the wide trail of them, he collapsed entirely as at the front of the Hall, right in the centre, a large, black glossed coffin sat, silver paneling accentuating the long plain box in which Sirius Black lay in his last public appearance in the world of men and wizards. As he almost hit the ground, James and Dumbledore gripped his arms from each side, "Let it out," Dumbledore whispering softly as they steadied him.
James pulled him into a bone-crushing hug and they stood there, balanced against one another, unrestrained weeping, soaking each other in grief. A soft, balladic tune began and reminded Remus painfully of the one he had heard at Christmas as Sirius had lain asleep on the bed. But it was too distant to hear it correctly. Breaking apart to sit down, Remus looked up to a stand and saw Melanie Brown, poor countenance, hunched over on the lectern, whimpering, then clearing her throat to read from some tear-soaked piece of paper. Her voice came small, but clear over the Hall and Remus listened carefully. She had loved Sirius too after all.
'Angels of the Sky,' she announced as its name and cleared her throat again before continuing.
'Infinite shades of blue canvas Flecked with splashes, white Dotted minute with sparkles Dashed colour of the night
Cross-hatched in blues and yellows A patch of speedy light A scattered blend of beauty A rugged and glorious sight
Azure trickles moistened teardrops From artists heavenly domain The pearls of wisdom capture love Destined forever to remain
A gust of air set rushing A sigh of hope and regret A human blast of longing Of love one can't forget
A falling wealth of purity Of beauty once beheld A renewal of protection All broken hearts be quelled
A flash of blinding fury A rip of torn up guilt A shouting rumble of aching To strike 'neath nature's quilt
Unbroken blue returns And all those who then die The storm will pass them over To be angels of the sky'
Remus thought it was beautiful. Each verse seemed to describe the sky as a basic meaning, but it was complexly reflecting on Sirius, the emotions of his death and where he now was. For the first time he felt truly sorry for Melanie as she ran down from the rostrum, hand over her face as she ran from the Hall. Her friend, Nat ran after her, crying too. Then, beside him, James stood up, shaking, a piece of paper in his own hand. He walked up to stand where Mel had just run from, preparing to give the last eulogy of his best friend of sixteen years.
It took him his time, standing looking darkly at the coffin. He met his eyes with Remus and Remus nodded his head in blind encouragement for him to go on.
'Where in the world has anybody met a Sirius but here? Someone with the name, maybe, but nobody so amazing our Sirius Black. I'll never forget the time..."
Remus woke up suddenly, tears rolling down his face and he panicked as he didn't know where he was. His vision became clear and as it did, he saw James standing above him. As he took a deep intake of breath his heart became a million times lighter with relief. It had been a nightmare, that was all. The worst nightmare possible, but just a nightmare.
Yet, even as he felt this blast of relief, he realised that James was red-eyed and had been crying for hours it seemed. He wasn't now, but it was so plain to see and Remus' heart jolted in his chest as the terrifying thought that the nightmare was real.
"Where is Sirius?" He cried out, causing James to jump. James looked at him sullenly, biting a nail distractedly.
"James, please I just had this horrible nightmare I was at his funeral and now you're scaring me! Is he dead?" Remus vented, his mind deeply troubled.
James looked alarmed at this and quickly put his mind to rest, "NO!" Remus sighed deeply, exhaling a "Thank God" as he did so.
But James was still looking nervously at him, "But he nearly died," he whispered, beginning to cry at the thought. Remus looked at him. Oh God.
"How? How is he now? What happened? Where is he?" Remus was gibbering and James told him to calm down.
"He's okay now" and James sat down beside Remus and slowly delved into the tale of what had happened in the Shrieking Shack, making sure to keep reminding Remus it was the wolf, not him who had attacked Sirius.
Remus was physically sick when James ended his story. He felt ill that he, the wolf, had been capable of hurting Sirius that seriously. At all. Guilt drove him to despair and he looked blankly at James, "Where is he?"
James looked down at the bed sheets, hesitating, "He's...he's here." Like a fool, Remus looked around himself, but James quickly added, "No. Not beside you, in the ward, at the top".
Remus looked up to the top of the ward and the bed closest to the door had the curtain pulled fully around it, barring his eyes' view. He sat up in his bed, ready to get up, but James put a hand on his chest to put him back again, "But I've got to see him!" He protested.
James shook his head, "Look, he's asleep. And...I don't want you to see him just now." Remus felt angry and hurt, was James thinking he'd hurt Sirius or something?
"James, I wouldn't ever hurt him deliberately! I know we had fallen out, but I'd never lay a finger--"
"Don't be an idiot. I don't want you to see him in the state he's in. It isn't good" James said.
"How bad?" Remus whispered.
James looked down, "Madam Pomfrey healed all the broken bones, cuts and wounds. It's just bruising left. They'll leave quickly, don't worry, she made sure he had a quick reacting recovery, but I don't want you to see just now. Make you feel even worse."
Remus wiped his eyes defiantly, "Look, I know what it's like to see a ton of bruises. I know what it's like to wear them, never mind see them. I need to see him Prongs." He was desperate and James could see it.
"Fine, but we're not waking him up. He needs to rest and he's lost so much blood--"
"Oh, you're awake, Remus! Stand back James, please," Madam Pomfrey said, approaching them. "You have a few more cuts than you've had in ages. Must have been a bad transformation..." She doesn't know? He raised his eyebrows in question to James.
"Is it okay if Remus sees Sirius, Madam? We won't wake him, I was just telling Remus about him and the only thing that's gonna put his mind to rest is seeing him". Madam Pomfrey looked to Remus in sympathy.
"Yes, of course. As soon as I've made sure you're okay, Mr. Lupin" she said, checking him all over, probing weird lights into his eyes, weird tools in his ears. She spoke during it, "Did Mr. Potter tell you how he came in in such a mess then?" Remus shook his head, he wanted to hear what story she'd been given. "No, thought not. Whilst you were having a terrible time of it in the Shack, he and Sirius went sneaking into Hogsmeade. Not pleased, were you James having to reveal the secret passageway you used?" James shook his head mournfully as Remus looked at him in surprise.
"I know, no more sneaking there from the gargoyle at Hufflepuff's Common Room. Don't know how we're going to get all those sweets now..." James carried on. Remus would have laughed, as they knew numerous ways into Hogsmeade, but he could only feel the guilt. He'd almost killed his friend, nearly got them caught for being animagi and it was his fault they would get falsely into trouble for sneaking into the village when they hadn't gone and he would get into no trouble at all.
"...Attacked by some creature in the night. James didn't see it properly apparently, so he can't say what it was, and Sirius? Well, for the short time he awoke this morning all we found out was that he'd suffered some memory loss. He remembers some things, like going to the village but large parts of his time are lost. Not even just from last night, patches of blankness from a while ago, gone. It'll all come back in it's own time, but there's nothing we can do about that just now..." Pomfrey jumbled on.
"So can I go see him then?" He asked once she'd finished both rambling and checking him over. She smiled in pity, "Yes. You seem fine. You can leave the Hospital Wing when you're ready now. Go on, get dressed" she said and left him with James.
"Sneaking into Hogsmeade?" He asked as he got ready and James grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
"Best I could come up with. Moony, I spoke to Sirius when he was awake. He does remember the attack, but he really has lost some of his memory. He doesn't remember anything from Christmas." He said it with a grin. Remus wasn't sure what to think at first.
"What--he can't remember me...kissing him?" He said eventually. James shook his head with a smile.
"Nothing at all from then," he said, smug.
Remus frowned, "But he'll remember in time...Madam Pomfrey said it will all come back to him and then it'll be like finding it out all over again..."
"I'd of thought this would be good news! It gives you time to be normal with him again, brace yourself properly for when he remembers. Like old times..." James seemed annoyed that Remus hadn't been pleased by this information, so he felt he should smile and seem happier than he was. Well, it does mean I don't have to avoid talking to him now and wondering if he'll be thinking 'get away from me, gayboy.' Even if it is only for a while, he thought. Though, deep down, he knew he was discrediting Sirius something awful. Sirius had no problems with gay guys, just with people who happened to be his best friend trying to kiss him...
Seeing Sirius' beautiful face covered in dark purple contusions was one of the worst things Remus ever saw, knowing he'd caused them. Utter shame and disgust at his lycanthropy were what he felt. Sirius was still beautiful, purple or not and Remus thanked God that he was okay and had no lasting damage.
James and Remus spent the whole day there with him, just watching him, both having recently feared he was gone forever and comforted more than anyone could have guessed to watch his chest rise and fall steadily. They didn't want to leave but for Madam Pomfrey literally dragging them out of the door. Dumbledore had visited and Remus thought he'd question James, but he asked nothing except from 'How is Sirius doing now.' Remus had the strangest feeling that Dumbledore knew more than he was letting on, but let it go. As they left the Hospital Wing, Remus gave one last glance over Sirius, loving him more than ever.
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