Title: Seven Days
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Sirius/Remus
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all characters and settings therein are the property of J.K. Rowling.
Summary: Remus has fallen under the effects of a magical coma. Only his true love can awaken him. Who is this person? Will the other Marauders find them before it is too late?
Chapter Two:
"It's been three days," James said, yawning widely. None of them were getting much sleep. They barely left the Hospital Wing except to go back to the library. "Three days and not one fucking clue."
"Language, James," Lily said absently, her eyes moving from the journal in front of her to the large tome to her right. "And that's not entirely true. I've almost gotten this entry translated, and from the looks of things, it's a dream." She flushed. "A rather steamy one at that."
James grinned. "So who's our little lycan got his eyes on, eh? That brunette from Ravenclaw?"
Sirius felt another pang of jealousy. It had been happening more often as they worked. He didn't understand it. He didn't fancy Remus. At least . . . he didn't think he did. "Hey, Prongs, mate. Why don't you let Lily figure that one out and you keep working on your journal?"
"What's with you, Sirius? You've been so moody these last few days," Lily said. "Part of it I can understand, but..." Her eyes widened slightly. "You're jealous." He shook his head. "Don't even try that, Black. You are. You can't stand the thought of someone else being with Remus."
James and Peter were staring at the two of them, their eyes moving back and forth, waiting for Sirius' response. It was like a tennis match, only with words instead of a little yellow ball.
Sirius looked down at his hands, his thoughts racing. "So what," he muttered. "It's not like there's anything I can do about it. He has to bond with his true love. Otherwise it's forfeit, remember?"
Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, I remember quite well, thank you. But did you ever think that maybe you're it? That you can save him?"
"I'm trying to save him," Sirius half-shouted, looking up, angry. "By translating these sodding journals! Besides," he sighed, "There's no way that Moony is my true love."
"Why not, Pads?" Peter asked softly. "You've always been the one that worried about him the most."
"And," James added, "You actually stay awake in class and take his notes while he's in here every month."
Sirius shook his head. "Just because I love him, doesn't mean that he feels the same. Or that the bond would work if we tried."
"Fine. Forget we said anything," Lily said, glaring at him for a second before returning to her work. Sirius shook his head again and did the same.
It was about half an hour later that James cried out in triumph. The other three turned to look at him, hope gleaming in their eyes. "Listen to this:
December 22, 1975
It's strange how I seem to notice the little things
about him. The way that one strand of hair falls
into his face. And, when it does, he chews on it
slightly before pushing it back behind his ear.
Or how he bites his nails when he's nervous.
I especially love his eyes, though. The way
they turn a dark silver when he's feeling
particularly mischievous; dark and murky
when he's angry; they are so dynamic and,
unlike the rest of his horrid family, they show
every emotion.
I shouldn't even be thinking about this. He's
my best friend. My male best friend. As if I'm
not abnormal enough being what I am. Now I
have to add pouf to the list, too. Let's just hope
I can pretend everything is fine.
-RJL
Everyone was silent. Lily had a goofy smile on her face, and James and Peter were staring at Sirius, who was wide-eyed with disbelief. "No," he mumbled, shaking his head. "That's not possible."
"Oh, why not?" Lily asked, narrowing her eyes in a glare. "Just because you're afraid, it doesn't mean that it's not true."
"I'm not afraid."
"Yeah, you are, mate," James said softly. "You've always been afraid of happiness. True happiness, I mean. Not the kind you get from pranking."
Sirius was still shaking his head. He stood up and walked quickly out of the Hospital Wing, before taking off at a run for the Entrance Hall. He ignored everyone, only focusing on getting out. And fast. He pushed the large oak doors open and headed for the lake. He stopped at the shore and sat down, trying to catch his breath. His thoughts raced. Moony fancied him. Hell, probably loved him.
But were they meant to be together? That was the question that kept coming up. Some loves never compared to the real thing. What if this was just a passing thing? Would Remus still love him in a year? Ten? Fifty? Sirius knew he would always feel the same, but he couldn't know for sure about his friend. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair and sighed. He didn't hear the footsteps come up behind him.
"Sirius. You have to get back there," James said, sitting down. "For Remus."
Sirius growled low in his throat, reminding James of his animagus form. "I'm sick and fucking tired of everyone telling me what I need to do. Don't you think I want him to wake up? To get better?"
"From the way you're acting, I'm not so sure," James retorted. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You know you can fix this, yet you refuse to. Why?"
"Who's to say that Remus will feel the same forever? That he won't find someone else that will make him happier?"
"The fact that I've seen the way he looks at you," James said, his glare softening. "When Moony chooses something, he doesn't give it up without a fight."
A small smile lifted the corners of Sirius' mouth. But it was gone so fast that James was sure he imagined it. "He doesn't look at me any different than you do."
"That's a crock and you know it."
Sirius sighed and stood. "Fine. I'll go back. We'll try the ritual. But if it doesn't work, I'm out of options."
"So that's it," James said, standing as well. "If it doesn't work you'll just leave him to die?"
"Forget it." Sirius turned on his heel and ran back to the castle. He took his time on the way to the Hospital Wing, letting his thoughts swirl in his head until all he saw was Remus. A life with him. Loving him. Bonding with him. As he opened the doors to the main room, he asked, "How long will the bonding take?"
Lily looked up and smiled widely at him. "All of two hours. But," her smile faded, "The potion that you both need to drink will take four days to brew. The final ingredient must be added on the morning of a full moon." At Sirius' horrified look, she added quickly, "As long as we get everything done by the time the moon rises, he should be fine."
Sirius let out the air in his lungs with a long 'whoosh'. "That's a big risk."
"Yes," Peter agreed, "But it will be worth it. We promise."
"We can only hope, Pete," James said, coming into the room. "We can only hope."
A/N: I just want to say thank you to everyone that reviewed! You guys rock my socks off! The next chapter will be the final one, so stay tuned! .:huggles:.
Also, check the homepage link in my profile. If you have a LiveJournal, you can check there for updates, deleted/NC-17 scenes, and the like. Hint hint.