Remus' entire body ached as he manages to open one of his eyes. His vision is extremely blurry and his head hurts on the most extreme level possible. He could hear Madam Pomfrey muttering the spells to open the door to where he currently lay. He could only figure out the outline of the hospital nurse as she began her monthly procedures.

She mutters another spell to gently lift his body and place him on the stretcher which was also magically levitated to take their patients directly to the infirmary.

Remus' vision was slightly getting better now. He could make out the Sun rising behind the branches of the Willow as the first ray falls on his face. He squints his eyes away from it and looks towards the highest tower. He eyes scan the dark sky behind it. Remus always appreciated the beauty of nature in such ways, how the sky is split into two different shades before the Sun takes over and how one could still see a little silhouette of the moon and even the stars. He spots the Orion constellation and traces the path along the belt of the hunter, there, still shining in its full glory was the brightest star of the sky. His lips part into a tiny smile even when his muscles are aching. He always found a certain kind of solace in looking at Sirius, the star, the morning after his transformations. It made the pain somewhat bearable.

Apparently, werewolves do not have remembrance of the night before.

Madam Pomfrey walks beside the stretcher as they move uphill the Hogwarts grounds and are almost nearing the castle. The sky has completely turned into a light shade of blue now. Little droplets of dew crown the grass and a drop splatters loudly on the ground from a leaf nearby. The smell of wet mud is lingering in the air.

Remus takes a deep breath and takes it all in. It feels like the calm after the storm has passed away. The calm after a war is over. He tilts his neck once again towards the Astronomy Tower and spots a figure looking his way. He is even dreaming of Sirius in the most absurd ways now. Of course, it's not him, he can't even wake up on time for breakfast, he doesn't even know he's a werewolf. Something stirs in his head at this thought but he pushes it away. Last night was just like the rest.

The figure suddenly disappears and Remus is left wishing it was indeed Sirius. They reach the hospital and his monthly treatment begins.

Sirius may have come to conclusions quite quickly. He may also have made the mistake of running so fast after being up the whole night and that too on a nearly empty stomach.

So now as he stands in front of the hospital door, fingers clenched in a fist stopped midway on knocking. He had seen the transformation. He had heard the screams. He didn't know if he wanted to go look at him the morning after.

According to the Black tradition, he had also brought a box of chocolates with him. So, why were the second thoughts occurring to him now? Why the cold feet now? He takes a deep breath and moves his wrist to knock.

For a moment, he stands there contemplating his decision. Nobody had come to answer the door.

He knocks again, this time with a little more vigour.

He hears the sound of footsteps shuffling and the door opens up a little wide enough for the hospital's nurse's head to pop out of it.

'How may I help you, Mr Black?'

'I.. um... I'm here to see Remus'.

'Remus?'

Sirius watches her eyebrows scrunch in confusion and could literally see her racking her brains for a lie. He knew this look too well. The sudden, short-lived look of terror that went through her did not go unnoticed by him.

'Yes, Remus'.

'Then, perhaps you should look in the Hufflepuff dormitories and not here. That's where Mr Lupin is'.

'I know about him'.

Madam Pomfrey's expressions remain unchanged if it were not for the quick eye to spot her hands shaking, her eyes pointed and eyebrows deeply furrowed. Her lips had arranged themselves into the tightest smile that would make McGonagall proud.

'And may I ask what intriguing information about Mr. Lupin has finally been successful in waking Sirius Black up at such an ungodly hour?'

'I know... what he is'.

Madam Pomfrey's eyes were piercing through him. Sirius felt thoroughly exposed at this look. It almost made him say 'werewolf' but the walls have ears and he needs to be careful from now on. Knowing such a big secret and not being able to share it all would not bode well for anyone.

'You are not permitted to enter the hospital wing without any injury. Visiting hours began after lunch and since the hospital is devoid of patients at the moment, I see no reason fit enough to let you in'.

She was beginning to check Sirius' patience now. He should've simply stormed inside. Being a gentleman does no good. He doesn't want to finish last.

'Remus is not well after...events of last night and I simply want to see if he's doing okay and lay this box of chocolate beside his bed. It would hardly take more than a half of an hour'.

His posture straightens, his back arches backwards and he cringes from the inside of how much of a Black he sounds.

Pomfrey ponders for a moment. Her eyes continue to scan Black and the box he's holding.

'I'll allow it'.

A sigh of relief passes through Sirius and he takes a step forward before Pomfrey opens the door completely and he slightly jumps looking at the blood on her white robes. He could feel the bile rising. The blood on her robes triggered certain memories and he had to bring his hand to the doorframe to steady himself.

'Are you okay, Mr Black?'

'Yes, yes. Where exactly is he?'

'The last bed next to the window. He's sleeping so make no noise'.

Sirius glances at the bed and could see a figure lying through the translucent covers curtaining it. He slowly moves towards it.

All the empty beds in a hospital in the early hours of the morning were haunting him. As if all the beds were a warning for him to leave and forget his stupid crush. There was plenty of fish in the sea.

He looks at the floor and finds it a little too clean for his liking. The white beds, white covers, white curtains, white floor were creeping their way towards him. They reminded of the unfortunate of a house he had to call home.

He hurries towards Remus' bed and finds it completely illuminated by the sunlight that was coming in from the transparent window. The window had several patterns made over them that left an array of designs over Remus' sleeping face. A series of seven dots were plastered on his right cheek as he was lying towards his left. The scars on his face connected the dots leaving behind an outline worthy of a constellation.

The white sheets were placed on his chest and left very little to one's imagination as Sirius' eyes began to rake over Remus' entire body. A deep crimson blush crept through him as he studies the boy in front of him. The sunlight also left little patterns of rainbows on his shoulders making the sleeping boy even more beautiful, if possible.

Sirius had no intention of talking, he could barely talk to without making a fool of himself two days ago and yet they feel like years apart. Who knew pranks can be such eventful?

Sirius simply wanted to keep his chocolate box next to the snapdragons on the bedside and be back to his dorm.

Snapdragons?

Snapdragons.

He picks up the bouquet and assesses it. No name, no-slip, not even a 'wishing you strength' card pasted anywhere. What is the point of giving anyone a get well soon flower without any signature? What an idiot.

Sirius proudly smirks over earning a single more point over this apparent secret admirer of Remus and then looks at his own box.

He was just lucky that he found a quill, inkpot and a journal on the bedside table along with a weird looking metal thin tube lying with it. He grabs the journal and completely overlooks the 'Private: Do not read' written over it. A buzz passes through him. The journal was probably secured with magic but it still opened when he ran his fingers over the title.

He tears a page from the back and dips the quill in the inkpot

'S'

'I'

'R'.

'Sirius?'

Sirius jumps as his name is called and ruins the slip he was writing his name on. The 'r' extended and left a squishy mess behind.

Remus was staring at him with wide eyes and sheet clenched tightly between his knuckles.

Sirius is suddenly reminded of the last time he was caught lurking with Remus' stuff and how well that had ended.

'Hi, Remus! Sleep well?'

'What are you doing here?'

'Me? Oh, I am well too, thank you for asking'.

'What are you-how do-what?'

Sirius was internally cheering at himself for carrying this conversation forward. His doubts had also mysteriously disappeared.

'How are you feeling now?'

'Sirius, d-do you know?'

A look of terror flashes through Remus and he looks visibly shaken. The last time he had been accidentally outed as a werewolf was his sheer luck and things had been fine. But Lily is not Sirius. Never is and never will be.

'I do'.

Two mere words could ever startle someone and leaving them shivering in broad sunlight was a sight Sirius never thought he would get to see. So, before the werewolf could act in impulse, Sirius puts a reassuring hand on his exposed shoulder, the only one that is not bandaged and gently smiles at him.

The same buzz passes through him again. He quickly withdraws it and both the boys look suddenly away blushing red.

'Remus, I know and I'm okay with it. I'm sorry if I had ever said or hinted that maybe I was not but I say this and truly mean it, I'm completely alright with the entire situation'.

'you don't hate me?'

'Why would I hate you for something you can't control?'.

Lily's voice echoes in his mind and he makes a mental note to thank her.

'I don't know. The entire wizarding world does'.

'When have I ever acted as the entire wizarding world?'

Remus chuckles slightly at Sirius' remark and Sirius beams back at him. Laughing Remus was a sight to behold.

Their eyes meet and the laughter suddenly dies down. Has the room always been this quiet?

'Here's a box of chocolate I-uh I brought for you'.

'You didn't have to do that'.

'Sorry, it's a Black tradition'.

'What?'

'You can't visit someone with a thoughtful well wish without a sweet in your hand. It's a pretty old tradition'.

'It is'.

Sirius wanted to ask who brought him the flowers but since his conversations skills had reached their peak and the confidence was slowly draining, it was better to just not be so intrusive.

He also wanted to ask Remus out. Now that he was in terms with the whole werewolf situation, it would and should be the next move. He couldn't let the first kiss go in vain. But something was stopping him. The thought of being a boy and also being with a boy did not scare him as much as the thought of being with a werewolf did. He decided to think about this later.

So, to fill in the awkward silence, he passes a smile to Remus and asks:

'I hope we can be friends?'

Remus takes a minute to respond. The smile never leaves his face and Sirius could swear he saw a look of slight disappoint in them. His eyes didn't crinkle like they did when Remus smiled happily. There was no dimple beneath them either.

'Yes, I'd like that'.

'Yes'.

Remus nods at him and Sirius takes this as a cue to leave. He puts the box on the bedside table, bides his goodbyes and leaves as quietly as he came in.

Remus picks up the box and a note falls on the ground.