DISCLMAIMER: None of the characters of Harry Potter belong to me.
NOTE TO ALL: You might start forgiving me toward the end of this chapter guys, it can only get better for them from here. Soory about the worry lol. I wanted to write a story mainly about the love Remus and Sirius would eventually sahre. But I didn't want that to be it, I wanted to push their emotions more and more and I'm afraid I had to have them going through pain, to make it more significant for when they do get together. I tried hints in previous chapter of the Fucirels though Phoebe before they played Truth/Dare. I hope it was not too obscure guys S.
Chapter 14: Passed the Secrets
James kept up with Sirius at a steady pace behind him. They had just entered Hogsmeade and were heading for The Fonne at the furthest side of the village. Without warning, Sirius transformed into his animagus dog-form, Padfoot.
James copied him straight away. It was good thinking, they'd reach The Fonne much quicker.
As they stopped outside The Fonne, they transformed back.
"Sirius, how are we getting in? I mean, The Fonne's shut on a Monday." Even as James said it, Sirius pulled his knife out of his robes and slid it down the door next to the handle. It clicked open and James held him back. "Sirius, we don't know what's happening -- "
"Jamie, I'm gonna take a look as Padfoot. See if I can see Remus." James nodded and Sirius left him, going in as the dog.
It was a few minutes before he returned, but it seemed like forever to James.
"What is it?" James asked in alarm as Sirius stood once more, a human, in front of him, face ashen in colour. "Did you see him?"
"No, but I saw Marissa. And both the Reficuls." James gasped. Once he was over the shock, he took a long look at Sirius. No longer was he the crying wreck he'd been in the Dorm, he was alert and ready.
"Then where's Remus?" He asked. "They've... Kidnapped him?" James was beginning to work out what was happening.
"Yes," said Sirius, "and I think he must be in the back room. It's the only place left. They're in the club."
They knew what they had to do, and Sirius did not hesitate. He slowly pushed the door open again and James walked in behind them, wands out now and pointed towards the stairs.
James felt really nervous and wondered if Sirius felt the same. Sirius moved quickly and quietly. Reaching the stairs, they had a quick look up to see if anyone stood there, but nobody was there. Jamie was shaking, but held his wand steady. If they had this wrong, they were about to attack two teachers and an innocent girl for no reason...
Staying as low to the ground as possible, they reached the top step and peeped around the banister. Standing at the bar was Marissa, on the punter side, and over at the door was Mr and Miss Reficul. James looked at Sirius and saw a flash shoot from his wand.
When he looked back, Marissa lay on the ground and Sirius was running out from beside him as both Reficuls turned around.
"Sirius! Potter!" Mr Reficul exclaimed as they seen them. Next moment, he'd seen Marissa on the floor and his hand shot to his robes, seeking his wand.
James stood rooted to the spot. He couldn't take his eyes off of Sirius. He was so angry and frightening as he drew his own wand, quicker than either of his professors and disarmed them easily of their wands.
Both wands landed into his outstretched hand with precision and he advanced on the teachers, waves of fury flying from him. James finally moved and came level with him. Algen and Selina backed against the wall, terrified, but still self righteous.
"Well, Sirius," began their potions teacher. "You're more like Phoebe than I thought."
"Phoebe who?" Sirius snarled at him, confused by the statement. Reficul smiled kindly now.
"My youngest sister, Sirius. You knew her very well." Reficul said. Sirius was getting even angrier.
"I don't know any other Reficul but you two," he replied, nodding at them. But Reficul shook his head solemnly.
"Not now. But you did." Sirius stood back a minute, in shock.
"But the only Phoebe I ever knew was Phoebe Fucirel ... " Reficul nodded.
"Sirius --" James began, bringing Sirius out of his thoughts. He tightened his grip on his wand and moved towards the professor.
"Where's Remus?" Sirius demanded and suddenly an odd grin spread over both of the professors' faces.
Selina Reficul piped up, "Ah, Sirius. It's unfortunate that It had to be your friend and all, but I'm afraid we've had to poison him. You'll never guess what with --"
James covered his eyes as there was a blinding flash. When he opened them, Sirius was standing over their teachers, wand by his side, red sparks fizzing at the tip.
Sirius turned to James, "I want you to round them up and we'll take them up to the castle. I'll get Remus ... "
"Sirius, I don't understand," said James, "does this mean they're really called Fucirel, not Reficul." Sirius looked gravely at him and James took it as a yes. Sirius went into the back room as James conjured stretchers for the three kidnappers.
When he had done so, Sirius came out with his own, and on it, Remus lay, unconscious. Sirius was sheet white.
"You better get him to the castle, Siri," said James, "I'll be right behind you with them."
"Take them to Dumbledore, he'll deal with them, then meet me down in the Hospital Wing."
With that, Sirius ran off, down the stairs, Remus laid out deathly pale before him.
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Sirius didn't stop running until he reached the Ward. He burst into the room much like James had done with him after his attack earlier that month and Madam Pomfrey bustled out to see what the commotion was.
"Sirius!" She said, "What happened to Remus?" She asked as she led them down to a bed.
"I don't know, some sort of poisoning." He replied, now feeling the panic again. They lay Remus down on the bed. "It was Mr and Miss Reficul." Madam Pomfrey exclaimed at this. When she calmed herself, she asked,
"Sirius, do you know what kind of poisoning? I could treat him much more quickly if I knew."
Sirius stuck his hand into his robes pocket and pulled out a leaf. He had luckily thought of taking it when he went in to get Remus, who was barely breathing at all. When he had seen what was left of the plant on the worktop, he'd realized it must have been what had poisoned Remus.
Madam Pomfrey took it from him and began her inspection of it. "This is from the Aconite plant! It's Aconite Poisoning! Oh dear..." She said, looking stricken.
Sirius worriedly looked down at Remus on the bed whilst Madam Pomfrey ran into her office. He looked so innocent and sweet. Sirius felt a tear start down his face.
When she returned, she brought with her another plant. She began making a decoction of the plant and Sirius asked her what it was.
"This is an emetic Sirius. It's the plant, Viola Calculata. It should make Remus sick and he'll vomit up most of the poison." Sirius helped her sit Remus up in the bed and she tilted his head back, opened his mouth and poured some of the decoction in.
As Sirius held him up, she brought a basin from beneath the bed and sat it beside Remus. She then helped Sirius tilt Remus over the basin, head directly above it.
As though Remus was coming back to life from the dead, he suddenly lunged forward and was violently sick in the basin.
He opened his eyes in terror on the bed and started. When he saw Sirius, it seemed to calm him and he drifted back off to sleep, Sirius carefully pushing him back to lie on the bed again.
"Madam, will he be okay," Sirius asked, turning his head from Remus. Madam Pomfrey sighed.
"Sirius, he should be fine. I wish to speak to Dumbledore before I tell you the particulars first, if you don't mind. But Remus is no longer in any immediate danger, he should be breathing properly now. Dumbledore has been informed, hasn't he?"
"Yes.Thank you," said Sirius as he watched the nurse walk back to her office. Sirius pulled a chair over beside the bed and sat beside Remus. It was odd, but Sirius saw Remus was smiling in his sleep.
Sirius wiped away his tears as he sat watching Remus. He looked different somehow. Remus was never so into pranks or anything he and James found so amusing, but Sirius had never seen Remus look so innocent.
I couldn't have took it if I'd lost you, thought Sirius as frightening possibilities of what might have happened to Remus streamed through his head. Some knot had formed in his stomach at the horror of images that passed in his mind. I couldn't live without you as a friend either.
Some minutes passed like this before the Wing door opened, causing him to jump. It was James. Jamie rushed towards them and stopped at the bed, looking from Remus to Sirius.
Breathlessly, James said, "How is he? Will he be okay?" Before Sirius could answer, Madam Pomfrey walked down to see who had come in. She frowned.
"I thought it would be Dumbledore," she said. James repeated his questions, but before he got any answers, there Dumbledore appeared at the doorway, Professor McGonagall at his side. The walked calmly down.
"How is Remus, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked with a glance at the three friends.
"Oh, Dumbledore! I think I should tell you separately first. Then we could tell James and Sirius -- "
"And Peter. Minerva, will you fetch Peter for me, he ought to hear about Remus too." McGonagall went immediately. "There, Poppy. No, I think we should all hear at once. If anyone has a right to hear about Remus, it's his three closest friends."
Pomfrey clucked in disapproval. Impatiently, James frowned at Remus, not knowing he was out of danger. Sirius told him quietly, putting his hand on his shoulder and standing up beside him, "He'll be fine. He woke up when he was being sick. He's gonna be all right."
As Peter came in and saw Remus on the bed, he gasped and said, "I'm sorry I fell asleep. How is --"
"He'll be okay," interrupted Pomfrey. Professor McGonagall said she'd wait up in Dumbledore's office and left. Madam Pomfrey began straight away.
"Remus is over the worst. It was Aconite poisoning Professor. Terrible thing -- was it really Professor Reficul and her brother?"
"Yes, Poppy. Fucirel is their real names, and it was three of them. Apparently wrongly avenging their sister, Phoebe --"
"The girl hit by the Whomping Willow?" Pomfrey cried, shocked. Dumbledore nodded and urged her to go on.
"Oh, my goodness. Well, Remus was given an emetic and has vomited up the most part of the poison. The rest will only come in time, I'm afraid. It's in his blood stream now.
"I don't expect it all to be gone for at least a month," Sirius cursed loudly. Pomfrey frowned and continued. "He'll have to be sick every day. But I'll give him a decoction of Hollyhock, that should soothe his throat. He'll get better as the month passes, the first week should be the worst. Now, Headmaster, I advise he stays in the building this Full Moon. Horrible it should be so soon ..."
"I'll arrange a room for him. I expect he'll be very weak this Full Moon?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, very. But he'll manage it. Like I said, we did get most of the poison. It's luck he was brought here so quick, I'm not sure he'd have been strong enough to survive his transformation had he more poison in the blood."
"Thank you, Poppy." Madam Pomfrey went back up to her office, muttering how terrible it was that 'Professors of all people' caused it.
"What's gonna happen to the Reficu -- Fucirels," asked James.
"Well, James, Millicent Bagnold, Minister for Magic, is questioning them just now under a truth potion. That will reveal all. I dare say, Marissa will be imprisoned for attempted murder, Selina will be for the same and the added conviction of being an accomplice for another murder -- Professor Melbourne -- and Algen for murder and attempted murder. All three face a long time in Azkaban. It really is a horrible business.
"Millicent is to decide when the trial is in front of the Wizengamot. I'm afraid you, Sirius and James, will be required. It will not be until Remus is well enough anyway. Until then, I think the Fucirels will be held in Azkaban.
"I will have to exercise a greater caution into whom I hire at this school. Well, I shall leave you with Remus now. I think you would like some time with him."
As he was leaving, Madam Pomfrey came out of her office, "Oh, you're leaving Headmaster?"
"I am, Poppy. These gentlemen," he said, gesturing at them, "are allowed to keep whichever visiting times they like, so long as their own health does not suffer in the process."
"But shouldn't they go to classes? They have end of year exams -- "
"They will be excused from their exams. I don't think they could possibly concentrate if they were in class, so they shall not sit exams, same as Remus. I have no doubt as to their having ability to have passed anyway. Good bye," Dumbledore said, then acquitted the room.
Pomfrey did not look at all pleased. She said in a reproving manner, " Perhaps you will surely get bored visiting often over an entire month..."
The Marauders assured her to the contrary, saying they'd be there as often as they could. Pomfrey stalked off to her office and never came back until nightfall, where she exercised her permission from Dumbledore to make them leave if it affected their health.
"If you don't sleep, you shall be unwell too ..."
That night, Sirius found it was impossible for him to sleep. James and Peter had long been asleep, but he kept thinking of all that had happened. It was no use, he'd have to see Remus.
Sirius quietly took James' invisibility cloak from his trunk and putting it on, he left the Dorm. He didn't bother with the Map or his wand, instead he, by memory, found his way through the dark school until he reached the Hospital Wing.
He quietly opened the door in case Madam Pomfrey heard him. He met darkness. With no light in her office, he figured she wasn't around. He went over to Remus' bed and found him sleeping soundly. He sat beside Remus on the bed and removed the Cloak.
Sirius looked down on his soft, pale skin, shimmering white in the moonlight that fell across from the window.
His eyelashes were closed against his delicate skin, caressing his soft features. Sirius quite wondered how this was the first time he'd really noticed how Remus looked. He supposed that of course he'd want to take in all that he could now; he'd nearly lost him.
Remus' lean frame made a perfect embossment in the bed sheets and Sirius just listened to his gentle breathing as he watched Remus' chest rise and fall. Remus had always been so gentle. And unselfish.
It was hard for Sirius to believe Remus had loved him for the best part of six years and not said a word. He was sure he'd never have been able to keep something so huge to himself if it had been the other way around. He didn't think he'd have found out if Remus could have helped it. To keep so big a secret from a best mate!
Sirius felt ashamed as Remus lay there, looking so innocent. When Sirius had found out Remus was in love with somebody and wouldn't tell him who, he guiltily remembered being annoyed and hurt that Remus couldn't trust him with his secret. Yet, as soon as he did find out, he freaked. He'd assured Remus whoever he loved would understand, not shun him like he'd thought. Whilst Remus had tried for six years to keep a secret to prevent ruining their friendship, Sirius had blown it in one night.
Instead of comforting Remus as he should have, he'd panicked instead. There had been one major reason why Sirius had acted the way he did. It was not selfish, though Sirius would not credit himself so much as to believe it as being selfless. So modest. Remus knew him better than anybody; anyone except James. So how could he feel so strongly about him?
Sirius had never shown it. His friends had never really known it, but Sirius had little self worth. He couldn't understand why somebody so fantastic as Remus could fall for him. He wasn't special enough. And if Sirius had spoken to anyone about this, they'd have been shocked and told him it was the most stupid thing they'd ever heard. They'd probably say it was the opposite.
If he'd been in love with Remus, he'd have gone out with him. But Remus deserved somebody who was prepared to love him as he loved them, and Sirius had already found he was incapable of that. Anyway, Sirius could never stick to a relationship. He couldn't have Remus as one of those people he went out with for some weeks then dump him. They could never have stayed friends after that. Little did he know Remus would do anything in the World for just one moment of really being with him.
He knew that he and Remus would eventually have to talk about all this. James had been right, that was exactly what they needed to do, not fall out.
Sirius picked up Remus' cold hand in his own, trying to make it warm. We'll work it out Moony, he thought, even if it kills me.
Remus suddenly stirred and his eyes opened. He squeezed Sirius' hand and turned his head to see who it was.
"Sirius?" He said unsurely, his voice a little weak. Sirius smiled warmly at him and held his hand tighter.
"I'm here Remy," he softly replied. Remus untensed and relaxed, he too with a smile. Remus then rushed into a speech.
"I thought it was some sort of dream. I'd been panicking I was never gonna see you again and I remembered the photos on the watch. One minute I was calling the alarm when I thought of it, the next thing, my wish comes true and you're there. I think I was sick? And now you're here again. I'm sorry, Sirius."
"For what," Sirius asked in confusion.
"For talking about longing to see you ... And for being in love with you," Remus said hesitantly. Sirius didn't really know what to say. For the first time, Remus had told him he loved him: something he'd been dreading the thought of. But now he'd heard it from Remus, he was touched.
"Don't be sorry, Remy. You shouldn't have to apologise for liking somebody more than they expected. Thank you."
"You're thanking me?" Remus asked quickly.
"Yeah, for caring that much. I acted like an arsehole, made us fall out with each other."
"Sirius? We'll never stop being mates will we?" Remus asked. Sirius looked seriously at him.
"We couldn't if we tried. You should sleep, you know. You're meant to rest," said Sirius.
Remus retorted, "Huh! Says you who wanders about beyond permitted hours beneath Jamie's cloak! You need sleep too."
Sirius smiled again, truly glad that Remus was there.
"So you know they were Phoebe's family then," Remus asked darkly. Sirius nodded.
"You know they were wrong don't you? They had no right to hurt you. You weren't to blame for Phoebe. They just needed somebody to take it out on."
"I know. I believed you when you told me it wasn't my fault. It was the first time I'd even considered it, because I thought you believed it was my fault," said Remus.
"What! Never! You thought that all along? I've never blamed you. Guess you saw right through Marissa then. You didn't like her at all. I'm never going out with anybody again without knowing their entire history," said Sirius.
"No! Marissa seemed nice in the club," he became quieter as he continued, "I only didn't like her because I was jealous. She got to dance with you like that and take you home. It's hard to see stuff like that." Remus couldn't meet his eyes as he told him, scared of how he'd react.
"I'm sorry I've made you feel so bad." Sirius, before all this, would have tried to prevent Remus from saying something like that. Now, he was only annoyed at himself.
"It's hardly your fault! It's selfish of me to expect you to stay single just 'cos I can't have you. Sirius, I know we're going to have to talk about this. But can it wait until later? When I'm out of here? I don't want us to be weird with each other."
"Remus, that's fine. And when we do talk about it, we'll be fine with each other. I'm just ashamed of how I was with you. I should never have contacted James about it before we spoke. And I can't believe I pretended I'd lost the memory. I only did it so we could go back to normal."
"That's okay. I was kind of glad. It meant we could talk again. You were being the same with me as before and I had no reason to feel so embarassed around you."
Although both of them needed rest, it was a long time before they parted. It was just as it had always been with them, but that little better. Events had brought them closer and they now had no secrets to hide from each other.
Both slept soundly after the visit, at quite a distance apart within the castle, yet both never having ever felt so close.
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