This chapter has some of the gore that I mentioned in the description. It's not horrifically graphic but I just thought I'd do a warning.
Behind him, Remus heard James let out a muffled gasp. He didn't blame him. After living in Godric's Hollow, he also was horrified by quite how bad the shack looked.
"It's cosy." James offered.
Remus' "living room" consisted of two wooden chairs and a table. The bare floorboards, although scrupulously clean, were rotting in some parts.
He let out a mirthless chuckle at James' attempt at optimism, and led them into the kitchen.
This room was even smaller than the living room, with only a fridge and a couple of cupboards. The floor tiles were cracked, and the paint was peeling.
"The shower's through there." Remus said, indicating a door off to the side of the kitchen.
They walked back through the living room, then through another door, into the bedroom.
Sirius suddenly understood why Remus was sleeping curled up in a ball. This room was so tiny, the only bed that would fit was too small even for Sirius who was 6 inches smaller than his 6'2 friend. The only other piece of furniture was a battered looking wardrobe.
Remus had begun to angrily "accio" his modest collection of jumpers and trousers into one of the boxes James had just conjured, when he felt Sirius' hand on his shoulder.
"What is it?" He barked.
"Calm down Remus, and come outside with me."
"Why?"
"You're getting yourself into a state. Prongs can make a start without us."
Remus stomped out of the hut, followed by Sirius who was rolling his eyes at his friend's antics.
-
"Well?"
"Stop being so dramatic Moons, neither of us care a jot that you lived here."
"You're aghast. I'm not stupid. James literally let out a gasp of horror when I opened the door!"
Sirius knew Remus well enough to know that sympathy would only make him feel worse. His proud friend was obviously very stressed so he tried to mollify him by getting him to talk.
"Why do you live here Moony?"
"Because I'm poor."
"A flat would cost way less, and be warmer."
"Werewolves can't live in flats." He spun away from Sirius. "I've got one more room to show you."
Sirius followed him back into the shack, to a door shimmering with magic. Remus opened it wide, and turned to Sirius with a glare.
It wasn't really a room so much as a shallow pit, dug straight into the bare earth. There were so many bloodstains it almost glowed red. The ceiling was so low Sirius couldn't actually stand up straight. He knew from experience that the further the wolf could run, the less it would bite; it must have gone mad in this cramped space. Heaven knows what wounds Remus was hiding under his many layers.
"I bought the field so I'd have no neighbours to hear me scream. I live in a shack because I couldn't afford a house with a basement so I had to dig one myself. I didn't want either of you to see any of this but now you have and you'll pity me!"
"Do you pity James?"
"What?" Much to Sirius' relief, Remus had finally stopped shouting.
"Do you pity James?" He repeated.
"Of course I do; his wife was murdered 3 days ago."
"Do you pity me, for my family?"
"I guess."
"And so we are allowed to feel sorry for you Remus, so stop having a hissy fit every time we do so."
Now he'd finished his outburst, the werewolf was looking a bit shamefaced.
"Why don't you just grab the essentials: clothes, toothbrush, razor etc, then we'll go back?"
Remus nodded and fled to the bathroom.
-
Sirius returned to the bedroom, where James was amusing Harry with his wand, having already packed Remus' scant collection of clothes.
"I think we're going to call it a day." He informed James.
"You don't say." He replied with a chuckle. "That meltdown could've given Harry a run for his money."
-
The two of them apparated back to Godric's Hollow and proceeded to make lunch. About 10 minutes later a loud crack signified Remus' arrival but he didn't emerge into the kitchen, having presumably gone to skulk upstairs.
"Believe it or not, he was all humble and wise last night." Sirius told James, referring to their absent friend.
"What do you mean?"
"I tried to apologise for teasing him so much and he wasn't having any of it, kept saying it was his fault."
"Maybe we should add "It's not your fault Moony!" to the family rules."
"I'm done." Sirius announced, skilfully accioing his plate into the sink. "I'm going to talk to him."
"Don't you think I should do it?" James asked.
"I think he's probably a bit embarrassed but if things go south it's your turn."
-
Sirius found Remus on the bathroom floor, bending himself into a knot to try and inspect one of the many wounds littering his back.
"It looks clean Moony."
Remus turned round at his voice.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, all red and scabby, just like you want it."
Remus managed a small smile.
"Is it bad?" Sirius asked.
"Some of the worst ones I ever got, but it's been three weeks now so they're mostly on the mend."
"How long have you been transforming in that…" Sirius trailed off, unable to think of a positive description of Remus' pit.
"Hole in the ground? Four months. Before that I stayed at my parents' house but I'm stronger than I used to be. My first transformation after my mum died, I broke out the room and smashed up the house; if it hadn't almost been sunrise I don't know what would've happened. I couldn't stay after that."
Sirius dropped down to the floor and hugged Remus.
"Thanks Padfoot. Is Prongs upset with me?"
"I don't think so. In fact he's been making a list of things we would need to make a safe room."
"Really?"
"He's already transfigured my helmet into a hard hat for Harry."
-
It was almost 11pm when Remus realised. He could tell from the shuffling sounds coming from the darkness to his right that Sirius was still awake. He was probably staring at the ceiling with tears in his eyes, wondering whether they'd forgotten or if they simply didn't care.
Remus had actually forgotten. And, in addition, he'd spent the best part of the morning shouting at Sirius. A party would have been out of the question of course, but a couple of presents couldn't have been disrespectful. However there was one part of the celebration that required no planning.
"Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Padfoot,
Happy Birthday to you."
Sirius didn't stir. Remus miserably concluded that he must have been asleep and so he'd missed Remus' attempt to make up for his behaviour.
Sirius had been on the verge of sleep and by the end of Remus' song he had fallen into a deep slumber. But he had drifted off with a smile on his face.
I wrote this a couple of months ago but I suddenly realised that this day should have been Sirius' Birthday, although he probably wouldn't have really celebrated. This chapter was actually written originally without any arguments, until I reread the scene in Deathly Hallows where Remus tries to join the trio and, when Harry refuses, ends up kicking a chair and blasting Harry into a wall. So I decided to rewrite this as a bit more confrontational.