Tick, tock. Time is passing. Too quickly, not fast enough. Tick, tock. The Gryffindor Common Room empties around him bit by tortuous bit. Sirius and James and Peter have all gone to bed. They had yawned exhaustedly and tried to persuade him to come with and leave his books behind; he had claimed five more minutes. That had been twenty minutes ago, but no one had come for him. Tick, tock. Time to go. His movements were heavy; Remus was already feeling nauseous. The school was quiet, his footsteps were loud. Madame Pomfrey was ahead, keeping her distance. Tick, tock.