Hey people, I'm taking out the whole Remus telling Sirius he loves him! I haven't spent nearly enough time on pining Remus, and I really do enjoy writing pining Remus!
I don't think I gave Sirius long enough either, so you'll need to re-read the end of chapter 13 & pretty much all of 14 if you read them before MARCH 16TH around 17:00 GMT
Sorry for the inconvenience, I just really hated the way this was going! It didn't feel right with me and it just didn't fit in.
Thanks for, reading, reviewing, favouriting me, favouriting the story and adding it to your alerts. Apologising again for the inconvenience!
He woke up in an unfamiliar bed but to a familiar smell of cleaning fluids coupled with the alien scent of tinned food. He could hear the distant sound of people and could feel someone clasping his hand. He felt the bristles of a beard and the sond of a man breathing thickly. He opened his eyes to see his father, holding Remus's hand to his face. Remus promptly snatched it away.
"Where am I?" he snapped – feeling a very sharp pain in his chest, he clutched at the spot where it hurt. He felt tis same sharp pain everytime he breathed in
"St. Mungo's"
"What did I do to myself this time?"
"Broken leg, some head trauma, that's been sorted. You broke one of your ribs and punctured your lung during the transfomation, your body was deprived of oxygen for a few hours and you were in a coma. You almost died Remus" said his father despondently
"Oh. How disappointing it must be for you John, that your bent embarrassing half breed of a son lived" replied Remus sardonically, his father had his gaze fixed to the floor "Where's mum?"
"She fainted when you slipped into the coma... she's lying in the bed across from yours" he stood up and pulled back the hanging around Remus's hospital bed. There lay his mother opposite him, she opened her penetratingly blue eyes at the sound of the curtain being drawn back
"Remus! You're alright!" she squeeked, before she could finish, Remus turned to his father
"Get out John"
"Remus... I'd like to speak to you before I-"
"Get out" his father looked over to his wife for support, she stared straight through him, shaking her head
"Right... the doctors will want to know that this batch of Awakening draft worked" he left the room, shoulders hunched
"He told me what he said to you Remus" said his mum, she got off her bed and walked daintily over to Remus's bed
"So you know I'm..."
"Yes, I know. To be honest darling, I always suspected you were"
"You did?" she smiled her tiny smile and nodded
"You were always very clean... if you ever saw a shirtless man – you would stare for slightly too long... oh and last year I found a letter from a boy named... Cunningham, I believe, apologising for pushing you into sleeping with him"
"Christ all mighty" he said, blushing, his mother giggled
"I was worried at first. But I soon got over it. It was terrible of your dad to say the things he said"
"But he said them anyway"
"I want you to know, I've never thought you were an embarrassment sweet heart. I've always been very proud of you"
"Thanks mum."
"Your father always had such high expectations for you, he just pinned all of his abandonned hopes and dreams on you. He was sure you were going to be a famous auror or something like that"
"I suppose the ministry won't employ werewolves" he sighed, his mum shook her head and stroked his hair "I wouldn't want to do that anyway. I might be teacher... but I don't suppose hogwarts would employ a werewolf either"
"You never know" she smiled, lying
*
Sirius, Remus punctured a lung, in coma. Mum told me, going to St. Mungo's to visit him – James
Sirius felt a little flutter in his chest. He wondered if his Mother would notcie if he wen't to St. Mungo's. She wasn't due to check on him for atleast another day.
*
James skidded into Remus's room, his mother in tow.
"Is he alright is he awake did he come out of the coma yet or is he still unconcoius I'm scared did you fix his lung because I heard those are tricky" he grabled as he ran to Remus's bed. Almost knocking a very petite woman who bore striking resemblance to Remus, presumably his mum, down to the ground.
"Could you say that again with some punctuation please?" laughed Remus
"Sorry madam" he apologised, he turned back to Remus "You're alright!"
"James, I told you he was alright when I brought you here" said James's mum amused
"Well, you know how the floo network messes with my head" he smiled shyly at Remus's mother "Hello Mrs. Lupin"
"Hello James. Does your son know of Remus's... condition, Healer Potter?" she said softly sounding almost terrified
"He does. Please call me Dorea"
"He didn't tell us Mrs. Lupin I swear to Merlin! Me and Sirius worked it out for ourselves"
"I believe you James. As long as you promise not to let another soul find out, I don't mind. Oh and please call me Rhea, Dorea" said Remus's mum quietly. James wondered if she was always so timid
"I think it should be a good idea to leave our boys alone, don't you agree Rhea?"
"Yes... if you need me Remus just call" said Mrs. Lupin shuffling daintily behind James's mum. Mrs. Lupin was tiny, James wondered if she could do anything that wasn't dainty or quiet.
"Your mum doesn't half look like you Rem! It's like looking in a fucking mirror! Apart from the height, the eyes and the hair. And the tits of course" Remus snorted "Not that I was looking at your mum's tits or anything"
"Do you think you could get your foot further in your mouth? I stil see some ankle there" quipped Remus, James blushed
"I sent a letter to Sirius telling him you were in hospital, but he's-"
"-locked in his room again. I know"
"I wasn't sure if you'd want to see him anyway"
"Why not?"
"Well... he kissed you"
"It didn't bother me that much!" he laughed "I'm the gay one, remember?"
"Oh yeah. I suppose. Did they get your lung sorted?"
"Yeah, they healed it while I was comatose. They said it'll hurt for a while though" he said clutching his side
"Shame... Oh fuck!" James said smacking his head
"What?"
"I forgot to send a letter to Peter" he scowled "Shit"
"Don't tell him this" Remus smiled crookedly "but I really couldn't give shit"
"Neither could I honestly. I just feel sorry for him, he follows us round and we..." James was interupted by a loud squeak and a small crash. James and Remus turned around to see Sirius with his face pressed up against the little window in the door of Remus's room. He shouted what might have been "Rem, James!" but this was muffled by the thickness of the door. He entered the room and quickly ran to Remus's side, almost knocking James down. He was so red and out of breath, it was as if he'd ran the entire distance from Grimmauld Place to St. Mungo's, rather than flown, evident, as he had his broom clutched in his right hand.
"You're not in a coma! That's brilliant" he panted "I'm going to have" he took a deep breath "a lie down... if that's okay" Sirius climbed onto the bed closest to Remus's "Why is this room empty? Apart from you?"
"Isn't it obvious Sirius" said Remus quietly
"No" said Sirius blankly. James felt his stomach twist into a knot, his mother had explained to him why Remus was alone before he got into the room
"I was still in werewolf form when my parents brought me in. No one wants to share a room with a werewolf. Human form or not"
"oh" mumbled Sirius guiltily "how could they bring you in when you were still a werewolf?"
"They used floo powder to get me straight into the ER" said Remus with a look on his
"No I meant, how could they get near you?"
"The moon was disappearing, I regain more control as it goes away. I was unconcious when mum found me, she came to check on me because I'd been silent for almost an hour. When she found me, I was near unconscious" James giggled
"As if that tiny little woman is dealing with a near concious werewolf!"
"My Dad brought me in" He said coldly
"Is he the big guy with the beard hanging round outside your room?" asked Sirius
"What colour was his hair?" asked Remus, James walked to the door and looked out of the small window
"sort of blondy brown, same as yours really" he replied
"That's him" he rolled his eyes
"Why isn't he with your mum?"
"She isn't very happy with him at the moment" he grumbled "I'm not very happy with him at the moment"
"What did he do?" asked Sirius
"He kept asking me prying questions I was clearly answering evasively. He coudn't take the hint I didn't want to answer any more questions because I've just gotten over a hole in a lung and really can't be arsed to indulge his incessant curiosity today"
"Sorry" said Sirius peevishly. There was a silence, swiftly broken by James
"So Sirius, how did you escape the infamous clutches of Walburga Black?"
"Broke my window open and flew here" he said casually
"Won't your mum notice a broken window and a missing son?"
"The window? probably, me? Probably not; if Reg is there. I'm only planning on staying an hour. She'll be annoyed about the window, but I can blame that on passing muggle children. As long as she doesn't know I've been out, there's nothing to worry about" He said, tossing his long hair back, his t-shirt clinging to his sweaty frame, the red had faded from his face and he had his breath back. James looked over to Remus, who was staring at Sirius with a glazed look in his eye. James cleared his throat, Sirius ignored him and Remus jerked into a sitting position. A few heads passed by the room, peering absent mindedly through the small window at the trio. James had begun to wander around the room as Sirius regailed him and Remus with details of his daring escape from Grimmauld Place. As James strolled toward the window, his eyes caught those of a passer-by. They were familiar, dark cold and empty looking. As soon as James realised those eyes were placed either side of a large hooked nose and framed by greasy, black, curtain like hair, he flung open the door
"Sticking that huge nose of yours in places it doesn't belong again Snivellous?"
"This is a public building, I will look where I want" scowled Snape, flipping his greasy curtains out of his eyes
"You weren't looking though were you Snivelly, you were being nosy. Pun intended" said Sirius getting up to join James "While we're being nosy, what are you doing here anyway?"
"My pare..." he mumbled "they're... It's nothing to do with you, what are you doing here? Visiting your boyfriend?" he spat at Sirius
"Which one, James or Remus" He sniggered, putting an arm around James
"You're cheating on me!?" said James full of mock outrage
"I was going to break up with you anyway, Rem's the one for me" he giggled
"Strange that you'd joke about that" sneered Snape
"What? You're asking for it now Snivelly" scoffed Sirius
"I saw you and Lupin down by the lake on the last day of term" he laughed "disgusting" Sirius grabbed Snape by his shirt and pulled him into the room, he held the skinnier boy up against the wall
"You didn't see anything" snarled Sirius, dropping Snape, then shoving him and shoving him again
"Touchy subject?" Snape smirked
"Oh for God's sake Sirius I'm too tired for this today" barked Remus impatiently, Sirius turned around instantly, an apologetic look on his face
"What are you doing here?" Snape asked Remus, sneering callously "I thought it was mummy dearest who was ill"
"Get the fuck out Snape" Sirius shoved him again
"Another touchy subject?" he sneered again "You boys are awfully sensetive" Snape shoved Sirius back, though Sirius, being quite strong, had managed to knock Snape back a few steps, Snape's feeble arms had barely even gotten Sirius to move a shoulder.
"ugh, don't touch me Snivelly, I like this shirt and grease" He pushed Snape "is an absolute" and again "bitch" and again "to get out"
"Sirius, please" groaned Remus, massaging his forehead. Sirius shoved Snape out into the corridor and slammed the door on his face
"Oily little tit" said Sirius his eyes narrowed, James checked out the small window, to make sure Snape had gone "What's wrong Remus?" wondered Sirius his eyes relaxing and eyebrows contracting into a concerned furrow. James turned around, Remus had his head in his hands. "What is it mate?" asked Sirius again
"Nothing... it's nothing. My chest is hurting, could you get healer"
"I'll get my mum" said James, making a speedy exit
*
Remus couldn't stand it when they picked on Severus. It reminded him so much of how Malfoy used to treat him, that a moment ago, when Sirius had Severus up against the wall, he could almost see Sirius with a mop of floppy white blonde hair and Severus staring up at him with a pair of big gold eyes. Though it was undeniable that Snape was often "asking for it", and Remus never had really done anything to deserve his harassment, it was when James and Sirius attacked him for not washing his hair, or for being nosy, or simply for existing that it hit Remus so hard.
"James will be back in a minute okay Remus?" said Sirius, sounding amusingly paternal
"Okay" originally, his chest pain had been feigned, Remus had been holding his head in his hand with despair, but his chest really was hurting now, the dry cough he had had now returned with a vengance.
"Merlins beard Rem, that cough sounds awful" said Sirius anxiously, placing a warm comforting hand on his back
"It's not to bad, the healers said the healing process with a puntured lung" he paused to cough "was a bit longer and they'd need to keep me over night, but I didn't think they meant it, I thought it was just because they never miss an oppourtunity to watch me recover after a transformation"
"Why's that?" asked Sirius, curiosity remaining unspoiled by his apprehension
"Usually, people who get bitten as young as I did don't survive their bite or their first few transformations, because I'm not dead yet, I've become something of a medical phenomenon. My usual Healer has even written a few paper's on me" Remus smirked, Sirius looked as though he wasn't sure whether he wanted to smile as well, or if he wanted to carry on being worried. James re-entered with both Remus's mother and his own. Dorea Potter had trotted over to Remus, brandishing her wand and about six multi purpose medicinal potions.
"Why Remus, who is this dazzling creature?" schmoozed Sirius charmingly, as Sirius couldn't do anything without being charming, taking his mother's hand and kissing it
"I'm his mother and judging by that opening line, you'll be the Sirius Black" she said in her tiny voice as she gave a minute uneven smile
"That I am Mrs. Lupin" he said smiling back at her "Remus, why didn't you tell me your mum was such a divine looking woman?"
"You can stop now Sirius, you've made a good first impression" chuckled Remus as Mrs. Potter poured a few potions onto his chest before mixing a few into a mug for Remus to drink from. He took the concoction and drunk it in one mouthful, he quickly gagged after doing this.
"What the hell was that?" he sputtered as his guests giggled at him "It tasted like vomit"
"It was anti-inflammatory potion mixed with pain blocking tonic, of course it tasted like vomit. I'm sorry it's so foul Remus, but it's the best thing for you." Said Mrs. Potter shrugging she tapped his chest with her wand, which emmitted a warm yellow wave of light "You should be alright for now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of patients to tend to. Please write Rhea, it's been such a long time since we last saw each other" She picked up her potions and left the room again.
"Dad went to work" said his mother, almost in a whisper "I'm going to speak to him tomorow"
"Alright" Remus moped, his mum ran her hands through his hair and kissed him quickly on the forehead. A motherly display of affection that James had the tact to ignore
"Aww" said Sirius blatantly "I wish my mother was like you Mrs. Lupin" she blushed
"Imagine how she would feel if she heard you say that Sirius" she said
"She would be..." he scratched his chin "hmm... Thankful, I imagine"
"No, no mother could ever be thankful to here something like that"
"You've never met Walburga Black, have you Mrs. Lupin?" piped James
"Oh! You're Walburga Black's son. I did once, when I was a small child. I went to her wedding, my mother is very distantly related to her..."
"Well, can you remember what she was like?"
"One never really does forget a woman like that" she said forebodingly
*
"SIRIUS" she screamed just as he flew through the the large broken window, dropping a large stone from his pocket onto the floor as he dimounted his broom and stored it in his armoir "SIRIUS BLACK, I DEMAND AN ANSWER"
"Alright mother, I'm here, I was taking a nap"
"Oh really. Once, I ask for you nicely, second time I shout, thrid time I am forced to demand an answer and then and only then do you reply. This is unnacceptable Sirius"
"I was sleeping mother, I'm sorry. I need to speak to you anyway"
"What about? I also need to discuss something with you, I shall open the door, you shall not make any attempt to escape"
"Fine" she unlocked the door and entere his room.
"WHY IS OUR ANTIQUE STAINED GLASS WINDOW BROKEN?" She howled
"That's what I wanted to talk about, some muggle children threw a stone at the window!" Sirius held the stone up to her face
"Filthy muggle scum" she growled as she pulled out her wand "Repearo" the peices of the window flew back into place "You weren't hurt by them, were you?"
"No mother, the glass didn't scatter far enough to hit me"
"Strange, that most of the glass seemed to have fallen outdoors. As if it were broken from in here"
"I had to kick a lot of it outside, so I could get through to my bathroom."
"I see" she raised her eyebrow haughtily. Then again, everything that Walburga Black did and every look she gave was haughty. She had the classic look of a Black woman, handsomely beautiful, dark hair, strong jaw and high cheek bones, heavily hooded eyes. The only Black women that Sirius knew who didn't look like this were his cousins Andromeda, who had much softer features and light brown hair, and Narcissa, who was blonde and was significantly pointier and more feminine looking than the other women.
"What did you want to speak to me about mother?"
"Your father"
"Is he here?" asked Sirius curiously. He was not fond of his father, but, as he was often away on buisness, his appearances in Grimmauld Place were quite rare and frequently unnanounced. Sirius would often be surprised to fnd him skulking around in the library or mumbling a few new deffensive spells around the house
"Yes. Your father would like me to release you from your room. He says that your friendship with the half blood-"
"Remus"
"The half blood is unnacceptable. But he also says that this is simply a rebellious phase and that you will come round soon. He also says I am to stop depriving our heir of food, as it may make you look scrawny, and a Black is not to be seen as scrawny"
"okay... can I go then?"
"Yes. On the condition that no trace of your mud blood friends is ever to be seen in this house"
"I don't think that'll be any trouble" he grunted "who'd want to come here anyway" he said when he was out of ear shot of his mother.
Sirius wandered the corridors of his house for a while, before realising he'd much rather be in his room anyway
