Hey hey guys! :D So it's technically Tuesday because it's a quarter after midnight XD But it's better than Wednesday evening, right?
So, I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas! Or if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope that your holiday was awesome, or that you're just enjoying the free days off from school or work ;D
Suddenly my work hours are cut down to like two days a week where it was five before Christmas, because that's just how retail goes. Good news is, that means I have more time to write. Bad news is, I'm just about to the point where I'd planned to take a break in writing XD Oh well.
Speaking of progress, I'm on chapter 42 now and there are some big things happening. I can't wait for you guys to read it! Of course, that will be long, long from now XD And right now it's pretty rough. It needs a nice thorough polishing when I get closer to posting. But for now it's good building blocks.
IMPORTANT: Also, I got into the RP I was talking about last time! I'm so happy! I'm playing Sirius and if you want to read what me and the other fabulous RPers are doing, you can check out foundationsrp on tumblr. Actually, while you're at it, check out mischief-managed-suckers on tumblr as well, which is a cosplay blog from the MMWP era in which I am playing Regulus :D There's some amazing cosplayers on there and you can ask anyone and everyone questions! Sorry to shamelessly plug but I'd love it if you guys checked those two blogs out :D
Kam, I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story so much. And I'm glad that you can feel the strong bond I've been trying to create between our boys. It's good to know when what I want to convey is coming through ^^
Anyway, since I won't see you again until 2016, Happy New Year! :D Love ya!
~SXS
FOR WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMER, PLEASE SEE FIRST CHAPTER AN. THANKS!
December 31st had rolled around faster than either of the boys expected and Remus was all in a tizzy. He didn't want Sirius to have to listen to his howling and hear him rampaging in the basement all night. He had been lucky that he wasn't scared off by his revelation in the first place, but actually hearing the wolf was bound to change that. "Are you sure you don't want to send an owl to James and see if you can stay with him?" he asked Sirius for what must have been the hundredth time.
In response Sirius turned to him and grabbed his shoulders, forcing Remus to look into his eyes. "Rem, stop it. I'm not going anywhere, okay? I don't want to have to wait until we're back at school to see that you're okay." Blue-gray sincerity stared into amber worry. He was more concerned about his friend's condition than he'd thought he'd be, and he knew that if he left he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it. It was better just to stick around so he got all the news first hand.
Remus examined his face for a moment before his shoulders drooped. "Alright. Fine. But you have to promise that you won't try to see me tomorrow morning."
Sirius frowned. "Why not?"
"It's embarrassing," Remus said, scratching his cheek with one finger. "I don't want you to see me that way." The haunted look he gave his friend with these words stopped him from arguing any further.
"Okay, I promise." But deep down, he knew that it was a lie. He couldn't not see Remus. It would be the same thing as not visiting a friend in the hospital. He'll never know the difference anyway, he thought, remembering what little Remus had told him about his post-moon condition. He'll be out cold until tomorrow night.
The two spent the day trying not to think about the inevitable. Sirius had thought that the time would drag since they weren't really doing anything but it had been quite the opposite. He had actually finished all of the homework he had been assigned for the break (after Remus reminded him that he would likely get detention if he didn't) and when he looked up it was already nightfall.
Remus had barely moved from his spot on his bed for the last hour, trying to distract himself with the book he was reading, but Sirius could see that he hadn't even made it past the first page. When he sensed his friend watching, his head whipped around, eyes large and round, glinting gold. For the first time since finding out, Sirius could see the wolf hiding inside him.
It took a few seconds, but Remus's eyes eventually focused and his feral expression disappeared. "S-Sorry…S'close…" He stood unsteadily and Sirius realized that he was shaking violently. He swayed on the spot.
"Jeeze, Rem, are you okay?" He jumped up to grab the werewolf's trembling arm and put it around his shoulders to hold him up. Remus slumped against him with his full weight and almost knocked both of them over.
"I-i-it's-z-z-z n-n-normal," was all he could manage through his chattering teeth.
Just then his parents came in looking somber. John lifted his son up in his arms and he curled into the embrace, still shivering. Frida smoothed back his hair and kissed his forehead. They acted as though Sirius wasn't there and took the shaking Remus out of the room. He followed right behind without hesitation as they made their way towards the basement. When Frida realized he was trailing them, however, she turned back and put a hand on his arm to stop him.
"You should go back to bed and try to get to sleep before the transformation," she urged him gently. Sirius looked past her to where John was still carrying Remus, disappearing down the second flight of stairs. She gave his arm a squeeze to bring back his attention. "It's for the best." She guided him back up to the second floor.
Sirius felt slightly numb as he made his way back to Remus's room. Though he laid down in the sleeping bag on the floor, sleep would not come to him. Instead, he sat up and tried to read a book to distract himself, but he found himself doing exactly what Remus had been before: staring blankly and absorbing nothing.
Now the time seemed to drag, until there was suddenly a scream that wrenched his heart. It was bloodcurdling and filled with agony and so loud that he didn't hear Frida and John ascending the stairs.
"Sirius?" Frida said coming in. His head snapped up to her and he realized his mouth was hanging open and his eyes were a little moist.
"He's alright, lad. He'll be alright..." John said, but he didn't sound like he believed it.
"I'm so sorry you had to be here for this, dear." Frida gave him a sympathetic look before turning away as tears welled in her eyes. John wrapped an arm around his wife and the two of them left for their own bedroom. Sirius couldn't imagine how upsetting it must have been for them every month to listen to their son go through this torment.
After a few moments, the screaming died down and turned into howling. Then scratching, whimpering, and how were those walls so thin?! He could hear the wolf almost as clearly as if he were in the room with it.
Eventually it seemed the wolf had calmed down a bit and Sirius tried to get to sleep while it was quiet and escape into ignorance. But the only sleep he could manage was fitful and filled with dreams of watching Remus being attacked by a giant beast and not being able to do anything about it.
Finally, when morning had come, the wolf sounds had ceased. The house sounded eerily quiet but it only lasted a minute before he heard the sound of pounding footsteps running downstairs. Seemingly seconds later, they were rushing back up and there was a whimpering sound, more human than the one from the night, accompanying them.
Sirius guessed that Frida and John had taken him into their own room, seeing as they didn't even bother to come near Remus's. He suddenly felt awkward and out of place just sitting in a bedroom that didn't belong to him, listening to sounds coming from down the hall that he shouldn't have been involved in. It seemed almost like he was intruding, and he felt guilty again for ever having accepted Remus's offer to come for the week, even if though hadn't known better. Remus had really sacrificed a lot just so that he could have a place to go for the holiday. His heart swelled in his chest at the thought.
After a few minutes, he couldn't sit there anymore. Sirius tiptoed down the hallway to Mr. and Mrs. Lupin's room and peered around the door frame.
Remus was tucked up in bed, looking like hell. He was fidgeting and moaning and whimpering. His face was scratched up and so were his arms; deep, long gashes that Sirius felt stupid to have believed were the result of a skin condition. The rest of him was covered, but he was sure it was no better. Frida and John were anxiously bending over him, muttering different healing spells and bandaging him where they could. Sirius now understood why his friend hadn't wanted him to see this. It was not only unnerving but depressing, and too private for him who had only known Remus for a few months.
Sirius watched silently from the door as the pair of them administered whatever kind of help they could to their son. Eventually, Remus had settled into what seemed more like sleep than the fidgety state he was in before, and they knew they had done all they could. Frida sat on the edge of the bed, continually smoothing back Remus's hair to be sure he relaxed.
John turned to leave the room and as he looked to the doorway he noticed the little spy standing there. His tired eyes opened wider. "Sirius? How long have you been there, lad?"
"A while...May I come in?" It was Frida who answered with a nod. Sirius timidly made his way over to the bed. The closer he got to Remus, the more detail he could see in his injuries and he tried to be brave and not get queasy from the sight of them.
"Would you like something to eat? I was just going to make some coffee for us," John asked as he was leaving.
"No, I'm alright, thank you."
The boy climbed up onto the queen sized bed next to his companion. He found his stomach was cooperating and not making a big deal at seeing the wounds, but his heart was doing weird things. He felt like he wanted to cry. It wasn't fair that Remus should have to go through this every month, but the fact that he did made him the bravest person he knew.
The day passed in silent vigil of Remus. Frida hadn't left her son's side nor had Sirius left his other. He did get hungry after a while and John brought him up some of the leftovers from their dinner the night before. Finally, about the same time as he had been taken away the night before, Remus started to stir.
He rolled over a little then stiffened as if pain had shot through him. Then he opened his eyes to slits. "Remus? How are you feeling, sweetheart? What hurts?" Frida asked, smoothing his hair yet again.
"Mum," was his raspy reply. "Ask every time. Always the same." He smiled weakly and Sirius noticed that Frida's eyes were just a little bit shinier than they had been the moment before.
"I'll go get you some pain potion." She kissed him on the forehead and left the room. It was only after she was gone that Remus turned his head to the other side and saw Sirius sitting there. He closed his eyes but only momentarily while his brain caught up. Then they flew open into amber orbs of terror.
"S-Sirius!" Remus pulled the bed covers up over his head and disappeared. There was a groaning sound; the sudden movement had caused pain to sear in his muscles. "I told you not to come!"
Up until then, Sirius had forgotten that Remus hadn't wanted him there. "It doesn't matter now. I've been here all day."
Remus poked his head out a little and then fully pulled the blankets back down. "Why? Now you probably think I'm freaky or scary."
"If I really thought you were that freaky then I wouldn't still be here. But it was scary." Remus looked horrified. "I'm not scared of you, Rem. I'm scared for you." His friend didn't have to ask what he meant by that. Anyone who knew about his secret, his parents and the rest of his family that knew about magic, were scared for him. They waited with baited breath after every full moon to see if he had survived to live another month. "There has to be a way to make it better."
"There isn't," Remus said bitterly. "No spells, no potions, nothing. Believe me, my parents have looked. I've looked."
Sirius shook his head. "Magic is evolving and changing every day. Maybe there's nothing now, but in the future who knows." Remus wasn't convinced but the fact that Sirius was hopeful was enough to make him grin.
"You tell me when it happens. I'll be busy chewing myself up locked in the Shrieking Shack," he said dryly. Sirius pursed his lips, wishing he could say something but knowing there was no reassurance he could give. "It's alright, Sirius. I've dealt with this for six years so far. I can deal for a while longer."
Sirius could see that Remus was looking pretty exhausted and didn't want to talk about it anymore, so he just nodded. Suddenly the exhaustion of his restless night and watchful worrying of the day caught up to him and his eyelids felt heavy.
"I think I'm just gonna close my eyes for a bit," he said, lying down next to Remus. "If you don't mind."
"Not at all. I was just about to pass out myself." Sirius chuckled and settled himself next to his friend, closing his eyes. Just as he was drifting off, he felt something push against his shoulder. He opened his eyes again to find Remus's tawny head resting there and didn't dare move it.
Seeing his friend in such a frail state made a strong protectiveness develop in the pureblood boy. He shifted closer so that Remus could have more of his shoulder and closed his eyes again. As he fell into sleep he made a silent vow. He was going to find a way to help him; he wasn't going to let him suffer forever.
When Frida returned with the pain potion, she found the boys fast asleep and snuggled close together, Remus with his face in the crook of Sirius's neck, Sirius with an arm around his back and chin in Remus's hair. She smiled warmly and couldn't bear to wake them, tiptoeing back out of the room and closing the door.
.:~I~S~S~:.
The next morning, the smell of bacon wafted up the stairs and into the noses of the sleeping boys. The two opened their eyes to find themselves curled around each other. When they realized they were in a compromising position, they jumped apart and sat up, laughing awkwardly.
"Uh, let's go get breakfast," Remus said, not looking into Sirius's eyes. The other boy made a noise of assent and the two got out of the bed, deciding not to talk about how they'd wound up sleeping together (and that it had felt rather nice). Frida and John were already sitting at the kitchen table. There was a plate of freshly cooked bacon, one of eggs, and a pot of porridge.
"Is anyone else going to have any?" Sirius asked, taking the whole pot as if to keep it for himself.
"Yes! Give me that." Remus pulled the pot out of his hands and scooped half of it for himself, then poured a mountain of chocolate chips on top. Sirius poured out the rest for himself and dug in.
After stirring in his chocolate chips, Remus started to pile bacon and eggs onto his plate before finally eating. "Not hungry, are you, Rem?" Sirius teased.
"This happens after every moon," John explained. "After all, he doesn't eat for about two days."
"Would you like some porridge with your chocolate chips, dear?" Frida asked following Sirius's lead.
"Waf ith thith, pick on Remuth day?" Remus said through a mouthful of everything, not slowing down his eating.
Frida giggled. "Chew your food before you swallow, dear. Now boys, when you're done I want you to go upstairs and make sure you have everything you need for school."
"Yes, Mum," both of them said, then Remus looked at Sirius with a wry smile.
He grinned in response. "Hey, if I'm going to be spending more holidays here I might as well make myself at home, right?" John thought it was kind of funny but Frida's smile wasn't as strong. She felt a sudden rush of motherly affection for him and also the urge to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Black about their unfair treatment of their son.
When Remus had finally stuffed himself to maximum capacity, he and Sirius went back up to Remus's room to pack their things for the trip back to Hogwarts. Sirius hadn't taken off the locket from his brother, but did store the note at the bottom of his trunk.
"I guess I'll keep the sleeping bag in my closet so that it's already up here for next time," Remus said.
"Might as well. I doubt that my parents will be ready for my reappearance by spring." Sirius paused thoughtfully. "I'll have to get your parents something for Easter if I can manage it."
"As long as you don't try to sneak back into Hogsmeade to do it. I'm sure my parents wouldn't want you to get in trouble any more than I would." Remus gave him a stern warning look that immediately reminded Sirius of McGonagall.
"Oh, come on, Rem. You know, I can always make a chocolate run while I'm there..." This changed his friend's look from teacher-like to child-like as he remembered the amazing taste of the Honeydukes bar. His resolve broke like a twig underfoot.
"Alright fine. But then I'm going to get enough chocolate over the summer so that you don't have to go back again until we can legally go into Hogsmeade. And you should probably see if James will let you use the invisibility cloak."
Sirius looked at him dumbstruck, then smacked his forehead with his palm. "Why didn't I think of that before? That would have been so much easier than crawling underneath everyone. I nearly lost my little finger to Hagrid's foot!"
Once they were packed and ready to go, the four of them lined up in front of the fireplace to Floo to King's Cross Station. Platform 9 ¾ was just as busy as it had been the first day of term, and Sirius and Remus looked eagerly for their friends in the crowd. They soon spotted a shock of messy black hair that they knew belonged to James.
"Oi, James!" Sirius called. The boy turned and so did Peter who was standing with him. They waved and Remus and Sirius waved back.
"Go and be with your friends, hun," Frida said. Remus turned back to his mother and gave her a hug. She kissed the top of his head and then he went to hug John.
Sirius stood by watching his friend say goodbye to his parents. "I'll see you for Easter," Remus said after pulling away from his father. They turned to go but before Sirius could take a step, Frida called his name.
She opened her arms offering an embrace. Sirius was surprised and a little hesitant at first, but Frida pulled him into her before he could move. "Thank you for being so good to our Remus."
"You're welcome back anytime, son," John added, squatting down next to the two of them. Sirius pulled away from Frida and looked at both her and her husband. He felt warmth spread through him and he smiled.
"Thank you." With one last shake of John's hand, he turned to catch up with Remus and the others.
"Seems you've blended in well with Remus's family," James commented when he came into earshot.
"Better than being in my family," he said. "So did you get your broom?"
"And my own set of Quidditch balls. Best Christmas ever!" The two dark-haired boys high-fived. "Did you get anything?"
"Nah, but that's just what I expected. They haven't gotten me a present in three years." But Sirius's hand did go unconsciously to his chest where the locket from Regulus was hiding under his shirt. Only Remus knew it was there, and the fact Sirius hadn't said anything about it gave him a silent hint that he didn't want James and Peter to know. Still, Sirius looked at him, asking with his eyes to keep it secret and Remus nodded subtly.
James was about to say something when suddenly they heard footsteps running toward them and someone calling out, "Anjan wait!" A moment later Anjanette had appeared next to them.
"Happy New Year, all," she said. A man who was following behind her ran up to the group with a cat in his arms. When he arrived, he bent over breathing heavily and let the cat drop to the ground. He was rather tall with sandy blonde hair and deep blue eyes.
"Anjan...You forgot...Harlie," he said between breaths. The cat curled around Anjanette's legs, purring loudly. It was fluffy with long calico colored fur and a bushy tail. It's green eyes were bright and looked just as observant as its owners.
"You know I don't like that name," she said while stroking the cat.
"Sorry. It's better than Annie or Jannie, right?" James and Sirius snickered at the nicknames. She looked at them with one quirked eyebrow before turning to her dad and smiling.
"Thanks for bringing Harlie," she said.
"Not a problem. Now don't forget to write and make sure that Harlie is well fed. We'll see you for Easter." Her father bent down and kissed the top of her head. "Goodbye!" Anjanette waved as he returned to the barrier where her mother was waiting.
"Pft. Anjan," James said, chuckling again.
"You'd do well not to call me that, James, unless you want your head to become a balloon," she calmly said.
"I'd listen to her if I were you, mate," Sirius warned. "She's a whiz at charms and stuff like that." James, having seen her exceptional performance in Professor Flitwick's class himself, eyed the girl warily and his laughter stopped.
"Let's get on the train before it starts to pull away," Remus said, exchanging a grin with Sirius. The group of five headed toward the end of the train to take the same compartment that they had on both their journeys so far.
They settled into their same seats, this time with the addition of Harlie in Anjanette's lap. Peter, who was sitting next to her, seemed apprehensive of the feline.
"She doesn't bite," Anjanette said. "Unless you do something wrong." He gulped, not seeming reassured. The Ravenclaw gave a rare smirk of amusement.
"Did you just get her for Christmas?" Remus asked.
"No. Had to see what my Housemates were like first before I could bring her. Harlie doesn't exactly get along with everyone." The cat poked her head up when her name was said and meowed. "Yes, you can be very bad," Anjanette said and scratched her behind the ears.
"Bet she's part Kneazle," James said.
"Kneazle?" Peter repeated, the name making him even more fearful.
"It's an animal that's really good at telling if someone's trustworthy or not," he explained. "They're pretty much just like cats otherwise, but a lot smarter."
Anjanette looked down at her pet, continuing to stroke her fur. "We did get her from my uncle so it's possible she could be magical. I'll have to ask him." The conversation then turned and went to more talk of the holiday break. But it quickly evolved, as it often would with the Gryffindor boys, to what kinds of pranks they could pull in the new term.
"We have to actually start solidly planning something," James said. "So far all we've done is talk."
"You're right. Let's prank the Slytherins," Sirius suggested.
"I've got a better idea. Let's just prank one Slytherin: Snivellus," James said, a mischievous glint in his hazel eyes.
"Why didn't I think of that? Let's hex him until he turns into the slimy slug that he is!" Remus looked to Anjanette who was sitting across from him and shook his head. She just shrugged. He knew that she was right; there was nothing they could say that would stop them.
"I want to do something to his hair," Peter contributed.
"Brilliant, Pete! Let's make his hair into a slug!" James said.
"It's got enough grease." Sirius, James, and Peter were overcome with giggles. When their chortling subsided, James looked at Anjanette who had pulled out a book and was silently reading.
"Hey, Anjan, you-" he started but didn't get to finish his sentence. In the next second and without looking up, Anjanette's wand was out and pointed at him. She muttered a spell and it shot him directly in the nose.
James's head suddenly began to inflate and grow translucent. As it got bigger it started to make squeaky sounds and his features flattened out so it looked like his hair and face were painted on. When the top of his head hit the ceiling, it stopped growing. There was a stunned silence for about thirty seconds before Sirius, Remus, and Peter burst out in roars of laughter.
"N-n-now it ma-...matches his ego!" Sirius managed to say through his laughter, doubling over and falling to the floor.
"What? How? What did you do?!" James cried in horror. His voice sounded as if he had inhaled an entire tank of helium which only increased the laughter of his friends.
"I did warn you," Anjanette said, still looking at her book but smirking.
"P-p-please change him back! My stomach!" Sirius said trying to stop his laughing. He would calm slightly, but every glance at James would start his hysterics again.
"Yes, fix me!" James demanded, though his chipmunky voice could hardly be taken seriously.
"You won't call me Anjan anymore?"
"Yes! Just undo the spell!"
"Untie the knot on your chin." James tried to look at his chin and fumbled with the knot there. Once he got it open, air started gushing out with a squeaky raspberry sound. His head started to go back to its proper size again, and the hole where the air was coming out melted back into his skin.
As Sirius, Remus, and Peter continued to chuckle, James grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Seems a bit much just for a stupid nickname."
"It was for that and a little more. I just needed an excuse." She looked up at him with a twinkle in her violet eyes and he pouted.
"That was really good, Anjanette," Peter said. "You should be the one to do the prank on Snivellus."
"Yeah!" Sirius agreed. "You can be an honorary Gryffindor prankster. What do you say?"
"Can't be done."
"What? Of course it can!"
"No, I think what she means is that you can't charm his hair. It's more of a potion kind of thing," Remus explained. Anjanette nodded her agreement while continuing to read. "And that means you'll have to research to find the potion and brew it."
"Unicorn turds! I hate researching," Sirius whined but a second later, he ginned, getting an idea. He turned to Remus and gave him the best puppy-dog eyes he could muster. "Reeeeemyyyyyy!"
"No, Sirius. I don't want to be involved in your silly prank." Sirius continued to give him the eyes and added a protruding lower lip. The werewolf felt his resolve weakening.
"Pleeeeeease?" The dark-haired boy clasped his hands together and leaned in close to Remus. All resistance left him and he put a hand to his forehead.
"Oh, alright. I'll look into it. Anjanette, would you be willing to help?" he asked. He figured that having two people would make the process go faster, especially someone who read as avidly as he did himself.
"Guess so," she said with a shrug.
"Excellent!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. "This is going to be awesome!"
"Sweet revenge for Snivelly trying to steal my Evans away." The bespectacled boy looked out across the hall at the compartment where Lily and Severus were sitting. He caught the Slytherin's eye and the two shared a sneer.
At the word revenge, Sirius suddenly got another idea, and a wicked grin spread across his features. Only Remus noticed it as James was still sneering with Peter behind him making faces, and Anjanette was engrossed in her book. Sirius didn't say anything about it, but he was certain he'd be hearing about it later.
.:~I~S~S~:.
When Remus had been thinking later, he hadn't been thinking nearly midnight.
"Rem! Psssst, Remus! Are you awake?" came a voice from the dark. Remus, who was still very tired from the events of the full moon and had been about to fall asleep, opened his eyes and stared groggily across the room at Sirius's bed. His friend's head was floating through the curtains.
"I am now, thanks."
"Oh, sorry. But I just wanted to tell you that I had a great idea on the train," he said. Sirius looked across the room to make sure that James and Peter were sound asleep, then looked back at Remus and said, "Let's prank James too." The mischievous glint in his eyes was visible even in the dim moonlight.
"Why?"
"Payback for being a prick in the beginning of the year." Remus thought back to the nearly four months in which James was nothing but rude and judgmental to the two of them. He also thought about the fact that Peeves now called him 'Loopy Lupin' every time he saw him, and he knew there was only one person who could have started that. Perhaps a little revenge was in order.
"Alright. I'm in."
"I knew you would be. Night, Rem." Sirius's head popped back into the curtain and he disappeared.
"Night, Siri." Remus laid back down again and closed his eyes, his tired body and mind settling back into the comfort of his dorm room bed, and almost instantly drifting away.
