Author's note: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. You know I'm not her because #transrights.

Hogwarts: Assignment #3, Dark Lady Task #5 Write about someone recovering from an illness or injury

Dedication: Bex and Elizabeth for asking so nicely

Warnings: Canon illness

Here Now

Kingsley wasn't even sure if he should knock at the door. He knew that Remus was in the bedroom he'd taken over in Grimmauld Place, sleeping off the effects of the full moon, and according to Mad-Eye Sirius was up there with him—so he knew that it wasn't so much that Remus wasn't seeing anybody yet, but… well, Kingsley wondered if he'd want to see him.

Eventually worry and concern about Remus took the lead of his emotions. He knocked on the door softly before turning the doorknob, trying to be as slow and steady as he could to avoid it squeaking, and opened the bedroom door.

Remus kept quite a tidy space; there were a handful of books lining a bookshelf and little else in the bedroom. Kingsley supposed that was because Remus didn't have much to begin with, which meant that the room he'd moved into was still a somber space filled with the original antique furniture that the Black's had filled it with. He did see a first aid kit on the ancient vanity and a glass of water on the bedside table, which was good. A single and very lonely looking sweater had been discarded and left on the floor.

Meanwhile, Remus was slumped on the bed. His eyes were shut and his hair was messy, and Remus seemed even hollower and more frail than he had the day before. Maybe it was because he was bare-chested, so Kingsley saw the way his ribs and collarbone jutted out and the various scratches and wounds on his pale skin jumped out tenfold. One of his arms—the right one, which was most often hurt during his transformations and never seemed to heal properly—was close to his chest, protectively. He was laying on his other one, completely spent.

Sirius, curled up in the shaggy black dog form, was resting protectively against Remus' stomach. He looked up when Kingsley cracked the door open and looked inside. Sirius got up and Remus moaned in his sleep, which the dog quickly remediated with a few friendly licks to his cheeks that got Remus back to sleep. Once that was settled, Sirius jumped down from the bed and returned to his human form. He was wearing soft cotton pants and an open black robe, showing off the tattoos on his chest and his own nooks and crannies. Why was it that the two people Kingsley worried about so frequently anyways looked so damned breakable?

"Hey," Sirius said quietly when he reached the door. He gave Kingsley a quick kiss on the cheek which Kingsley reciprocated, though his eyes couldn't quite leave Remus.

"How is he?" Kingsley asked, concern ebbing into his voice—and not in a small way.

"I've seen him look worse," Sirius asked, looking over his shoulder again. "But he's sleeping now, and that'll help him in the long run."

Kingsley nodded and chewed on his lip some more, anxiety simmering in the pit of his stomach. He had known Remus Lupin was a werewolf for some time now. He had known this before he had fallen into bed with Kingsley and Sirius. He had known this even before he had strictly sat down at the first Order of the Phoenix meeting and met Remus. But this was the first time that Kingsley had seen the lunar calendar in the Auror office change as it always did and begun to worry and fret. The fretting was thoroughly unpleasant and unnerving.

"Did he put something on those cuts?" Kingsley asked.

"It's best for him to get to sleep and rest properly," Sirius said. "If he doesn't do that, the healing spells tend not to work. Trust me; he's done this before."

"I…" Kingsley swallowed hard. "I haven't."

Sirius gave him a clumsy little smile and then took Kingsley's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I know," Sirius said. "It's hard to see him like this."

"I just… I just feel like there has to be a way to help," Kingsley said.

"That's very optimistic and proactive of you, Mr Auror," Sirius said, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.

"I know I'm new to this—this transformation recovery effort, but I want him to be well," Kingsley said defensively. Sirius peeled himself from the doorframe and tugged on Kingsley's hand.

"Get in, then," Sirius said.

"What?" Kingsley asked.

"He says that the worst parts of his transformations are waking up alone after," Sirius said. "When he's surrounded with other people, he comes back to himself more quickly after. That's why Padfoot was spending the day here—that and to stop him from doing anything stupid like go up to get his own glass of water."

Kingsley suddenly felt awkward, standing in the doorway.

"Well?" Sirius said. "Get in bed, if you want to help. Not an offer you hear everyday, anyways."

He turned around and went back to the bed, pausing for a moment to check Remus' temperature with the back of his hand. He then walked to the dresser and poured water from the porcelain basin there onto a washcloth, which he wrung out before putting on Remus' forehead and smoothing down his greying hair. He looked over his shoulder to Kingsley and pushed a strand of hair behind his ear, arching an eyebrow.

"Do you need a map to get there?" Sirius asked.

"I just…" Kingsley swallowed and then stepped out of his shoes, lining them by the door. He put his braids up in a bun with the elastic around his wrist so that they wouldn't get away and took off his belt to make himself softer.

Sirius watched him and smiled.

"What?" Kingsley asked, self-consciously.

"Nothing," Sirius said. "I just didn't think I'd like sharing you until I saw how good you are to Remus."

Kingsley paused.

"I don't know what I'm doing here," Kingsley said. "I don't—I haven't known him as long as you do, I don't know the ins and outs of what makes him feel better and healthier, I don't…"

"Shh," Sirius said. He cupped Kingsley's cheek in his hand. "That doesn't matter. You're here now."

"I… I am," Kingsley said. He was here, in a house that wasn't meant to exist, with an outlaw and a werewolf. His mother would be so proud.

"There," Sirius said with a smile. "Now come here, before he wakes up."

The bed was smaller than would be ideal, as they had discovered some time ago now, but Kingsley circled it so that he could crawl in behind Remus. He lay over the sheets and gently, to make sure he didn't hit any of the previous night's injuries, he put an arm around Remus' waist. Remus slept on. Sirius smiled one last time before going back to his dog form and gently hopping onto the bed, the bounce of the mattress under his four paws only making Remus stir the slightest. Kingsley shushed him and he settled back into the mattress, so Sirius curled up against Remus' chest.

Remus stirred again when Padfoot's soft fur brushed his arm.

"Sirius?" he asked in a groggy, disjointed mumble.

"He's here," Kingsley promised. "But it's me. Kingsley."

"Kingsley," Remus repeated before dozing off once more.

Shipping War

Ship: Starry Storms (Kingsley Shacklebolt/Remus Lupin/Sirius Black)

List: Summer Medium 2 (Cuddling/Snuggling)

WC: 1201