"Fear no more the midnight. Fear no more the sea.
Close your eyes, regret nothing
You're safe with me."
-Emilie Autumn, "Across the Sky"
"How did you know?" Remus asks, wringing his hands, his face pinched and pained.
"You might be our golden boy of books," Sirius says lightly, "but you're not the only clever one, mate. Eventually, we put two and two together. The time of the month. Every month. Like clockwork."
Remus slumps, visibly deflating. Sirius is unsure how to react. Remus has always been the quieter one, almost timid, but this is unusual even for him. He's never seen Remus look so defeated.
"I suppose you lot will ask to have me removed from the dormitory now, huh?" Remus sighs, and Sirius is certain that he sees tears clinging to the other boy's lashes when he blinks.
"Why would we do that?"
"I'm a werewolf."
"And I'm a Black. You can't help who you are."
Remus laughs, but the sound is dry, bitter, and without humor. "But being a Black doesn't make people hate you on principle."
"Sometimes it does."
Remus looks up, shaking his head. Doubt is lined over his handsome face, and Sirius wants to shake him. Instead, Sirius moves closer, pulling the other boy into his arms. "You've been alone for a long time, haven't you, Remus?"
Remus nods, body tense. "Whenever people began to realize something was... different about me, my family would move away. I was never allowed to get close to anyone to make it easier on me when we left."
"Is that why you're so quiet? You're afraid to get close because it always means leaving them behind?"
Another nod.
Sirius wonders what it must be like for Remus. Such a lonely life.
"I'm not leaving you. None of us are. You don't have to run anymore."
"Sirius-"
"You belong with us."
"You can't mean that," Remus murmurs, trying to pull away, but Sirius tightens his grip.
"I do. Whether you bark at the moon or not, you're still a Marauder. We'll keep you safe."