"Roberto's laid eggs!" James exclaimed, beckoning his roommates over to the makeshift moth cage they'd assembled in a corner of their dorm. He pointed to a bundle of tiny yellow eggs nestled atop the leaf of a privet plant; for the first time since Evan Rosier had spiked his pumpkin juice the week before, he looked genuinely happy. "I always knew he was my favorite!"
"I don't know if Roberto's a he considering he just laid eggs," Sirius pointed out. He grinned at James, finding his sudden happiness contagious. James's smiles were one of his favorite things in the world.
"Why did you give all the moths boy names, James?" Peter wondered.
James frowned, considering. "Perhaps that wasn't the best idea."
The door to their room opened, and in stepped Remus, a letter clutched in his hand and all the color drained from his face. Sirius's heart clenched at the sight of him.
"Remus?" James asked, his smile vanishing. "Did something happen?" The three Marauders stood, their moths forgotten behind them.
Remus glanced down at his letter. "I just got this from my dad," he said; his voice was barely loud enough for Sirius to make out. "It's…it's my mum. She's sick."
Before the Marauders had discovered his lycanthropy, Remus had always used his fake-sick mother as his excuse for his unexplained disappearances. But this time, it was no lie; Sirius caught the glint of dried tears against Remus's cheeks, and his fingers were trembling like they always did when he was agitated. Remus collapsed against his bed, burying his head in his hands.
With a silent glance between them, the other Marauders went to sit beside him, James rubbing a hand across Remus's back. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked quietly.
Remus shook his head without looking up. "It's a cancer of the brain," he said hoarsely. Even his words were shaking a little. "The Muggle doctors can't operate on it, and any treatments we could give her from our world would just make things worse. I know we were all planning to go to your place for Christmas this year, James, but my dad says I need to go home to see her…he doesn't know how much times she has left, but it sounds like it's not very much."
Sirius felt a lump forming in his throat. It hurt him to see Remus in pain like this—Remus, who'd already had to deal with more pain than most people faced in their entire lifetime. It just wasn't fair. Why him, of all people?
"We can go with you, Re," Sirius said quietly. "If you want us there, to…to help, or just be there, or whatever else you need."
"Yeah," Peter agreed quickly. "You know I've always wanted to see where you live, Remus."
Remus finally lifted his head. "Thanks, you guys," he murmured. "I…I really appreciate it. But you don't have to."
"If you want us to come with you, we'll come with you," James insisted. "Don't worry about my parents—they'll understand." He drew his hand in a slow circle over Remus's shoulder blades. "Be honest, Re. Do you want us to come?"
Remus drew in a breath through his nose. "I think so," he admitted at last. "I know I'm going to have to be strong for my dad, but I'm not sure if I can pretend…." He broke down into a sob against James, who pulled him close and let him nestle against his neck. Sirius rested his chin on Remus's shoulder, biting his lip.
"We'll be strong for you," said Peter. "So you don't have to worry about it."
"We're best friends, Re," Sirius murmured, willing Remus to understand. Even after all these years of protecting his secret and hospital wing visits and hexing everyone they caught whispering about his scars, Remus still didn't seem to get how the Marauders would have his back through anything. "No, scratch that—we're family. You three are the only real family I've got, and I'll be damned before I leave any of you alone with…with sick mums or furry little problems or whatever else we have to deal with."
Remus sniffed, wiping his nose on the sleeve of his robes and glancing up to meet Sirius's eyes. "I love you guys," he said softly.
James kissed the top of his head. "We love you too, mate. And Sirius is right—the Marauders deal with our problems together. Even this."
"Especially this," said Sirius.
The four of them pressed together and sat with Remus for the rest of the day, silent and warm and still, until the sky out their windows filled with stars and they all fell asleep in a giant pile of teenage boys.
