![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fox_confessorTitle: These Four Kings (6/7)
Author: Dani (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
escribo)
Word Count: 3615
Rating: PG
(Pairings: in the future will be remus/sirius, lily/james)
Timeline: May 10 (Wednesday) 1972
Summary: Sirius discovers a secret
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended. I've not made nor seek any profit.
one/ two/ three/ four/ five
That it wasn't the first time it had happened made Remus almost philosophical about it, or as philosophical as a twelve year old werewolf was capable of being. He knew the three Slytherins who had him cornered in an empty classroom, even though they weren't in his year. They'd dumped out his bag, ripped his parchments and crushed his quills beneath their shoes, warning him not to say anything. Two of them then held him down whilst a third hit him, trying to get him to say he was filth, a half breed, trying to make him cry. He didn't. He never did.
Later--much later--the castle was strangely quiet when Remus finally ventured from his hiding place and made his careful way back to the Gryffindor tower. He held his left arm tight against his chest, his hand throbbing, and the remains of his bag were wrapped around his belongings and tucked beneath his other arm. It took him three tries to remember the password, the fat lady sleepily telling him try again, dear before he got it right. There was no one in the common room except a pair of seventh years snogging on the couch closest to the fire who didn't even look up as Remus struggled to climb through the portrait. It was a small relief to think that the other boys would be asleep, that no one would actually see him like this. He could clean up, crawl beneath the sheets of his bed, and sink into sleep without having to talk to anyone or having to answer questions, and the last thing he wanted to do was answer questions. Remus eased the door open to the dormitory he shared with James, Sirius, and Peter, and knew immediately that it wasn't going to be that easy.
The other boys were on the floor in front of James' bed, their backs to the door. Peter raised up on his knees, his hands cupped one on top of the other, and Remus knew they were playing Exploding Snap, at least James' version of it, which involved a lot more explosions. Peter was laughing, his sandy hair stuck up like James' in the morning and his face covered in soot, nothing like it had been when Remus had seen him earlier. Remus bit his lip, measuring the distance between where he stood just at the threshold to their room and his bed, wondering if he could get into it and behind his curtains before James or Sirius saw him. He only managed one step before Peter spotted him, his round face going pale again and his mouth falling open in surprise. James and Sirius turned to see what he was looking at.
"I'm all right," Remus said instinctively as he looked away from Peter and took a sideways step to his bed, but he wasn't quick enough. James and Sirius had scrambled to their feet and moved to flank him.
"What happened?" Sirius asked as he reached for Remus' bag, the contents spilling to the floor.
"I fell."
"We never believe you when you tell us that," James said and Remus looked up at him sharply. He pushed past James to go to his bed and put what was left of his bag down without saying a word.
"Tell us who hurt you," Sirius said, and they were closer now, James and Sirius, and Remus had no where else to go.
"No one hurt me."
"Why do you keep protecting them?"
"I'm not protecting anyone."
Sirius reached for Remus' arm, which Remus still held tight against his chest, and Sirius pulled it closer to him, his fingers gentle around Remus' wrist. They both looked down to where Remus' swollen and purple fingers twisted in awkward directions and Remus squeezed his eyes shut. "Your fingers are broken."
"Fell."
"You have a black eye and your lip is busted." James crossed his arms over his chest. "And your stuff is ruined, your books and your quills. Where's your wand?"
Remus drew his wand out from an inside pocket of his robe and held it up with shaky fingers before he tossed it down next to his bag on his bed.
"Tell me who did this," Sirius said quietly. "Tell me who hurt you, Remus."
"It was nobody, Sirius. Just leave it, yeah?"
"Why?" Sirius leaned in closer, his hair falling over his eyes, and Remus wanted to look away from the concern he saw in Sirius' eyes, knowing that could tip him over into the tears that the Slytherins couldn't force from him. He took a shaky breath and a step back, only to run into James, who steadied him with hands on shoulders. "Why won't you tell me?"
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?" James asked.
"It'll make it worse."
"We'll protect you, Remus. We can protect you."
"You can't."
"We made a promise, remember? We'll find a way."
"They won't go after you, right? They'll--" Remus stopped and looked over his shoulder. James followed the path of his eyes to where Peter silently stood, his hands still clasped one over the other.
"Peter?" James asked, his face twisting in confusion. "Has someone been after you, too?"
"No," Peter said, looking down at his feet.
"They just threaten him," Remus said. He took a deep, shuddering breath and turned to Sirius, spreading the fingers of his unhurt hand wide. "Look. I can take it, right? Nobody has made me cry. Not even the Lestranges. If they come after me, they'll leave Peter alone. I've kept the pact."
"I didn't break it, Remus," Peter whined.
"No one said you did, Peter."
"What do you mean?" James took a step toward Peter. "What's he talking about, Peter?"
"It was Mulciber and his brother," Peter said in a rush, opening his hand to look down at the dice in his sweaty palm. "And someone else, I don't know their name. He's in fourth year, I think."
"Peter--" Remus' voice sounded like a warning.
Peter looked up, his cheeks a mottled red and his eyes small and scared. "They said that if I said anything that I would be next."
"When?" Sirius took a step forward so that he was standing between Remus and Peter, his finger still wrapped tight around Remus' wrist as though he thought that Remus might still try to run away.
"Tonight. Before dinner. Remus said he would take care of it. He told me to go."
"Tell me exactly what happened." James demanded, taking another step until he was standing nearly toe to toe with Peter.
Peter dropped the dice in his hand, causing a tiny explosion at their feet, and he began to rub his hands together as if washing in an invisible sink. "I forgot my book in Charms and Remus went with me to get it. The Mulcibers caught us. Remus told them to leave me alone but Stuart said that I owed him from Potions the other day. From when I knocked into him in the hall when we were leaving. Remus said that he would take it. He told me to leave."
"So you just left them to it," Sirius spit out.
"No! They pushed me from the room and I stood there. I thought I'd go get one of the professors or Mr. Filch or someone but then that tall boy came and they started in on Remus about his robes and his books, saying that he must be--"
"Don't, Peter," Remus begged, not wanting to hear it again.
"That he must be here on charity. They asked me if I was a pureblood and I told them I was and they asked if I knew what Remus was."
"And what did you tell them?" James asked.
"I said I knew his dad is a wizard and that his mum is a muggle. And then he asked me what my mum was and I told them she's a witch."
"And then what happened?"
"Nothing. Remus told me to go. I went down to dinner."
"And you didn't tell us?" Sirius voice was flat and hard, his eyes sparking.
Peter took a step back, stumbling a bit and catching himself against James' bed. "Remus told me to go. What would you have done?"
"Don't be mad at him," Remus said, pulling his hand from Sirius' grip and turning back to his bed. "He couldn't have done anything. They would have beat him."
"Like they did you."
"I can take it."
"You should have told, Peter." James took off his glasses and polished the lenses on his shirt tail before putting them back on. He studied Peter for a minute, the room quiet, and Peter couldn't look at James, couldn't look at any of them. Finally, James turned his back on Peter and reached for Remus. "Right. We'll go down to the infirmary and then we're going to McGonagall."
"No. I don't want to go tonight." Remus sidestepped James and went to his trunk, lifting the lid to dig out his pajamas. "I'm tired. I just want to go to bed."
"Your hand is broken."
"It's not that bad. I'll go in the morning." He kept his back to them, not wanting to see pity from them but then missed the look that he later knew must have passed between James and Sirius. Sirius came to him, put his hand on his shoulder, and Remus stood up straight, still holding his arm against his chest. "I don't want to go," he whispered.
Sirius didn't say anything else but squeezed his shoulder gently and Remus slumped a bit, defeated. He dropped his pajamas and walked out with Sirius without another word.
***
In the infirmary, Madame Pomfrey tsked over Remus when she saw him and shooed Sirius away as she drew a screen around the bed. Sirius just stood there, listening as Madame Pomfrey talked in quiet tones to Remus. He knew he should have gone when he was told. He told himself that he hated to leave Remus alone when he'd been so reluctant to come in the first place, and that was true, but he was also curious as to what Remus would say, how he would explain this.
"This will hurt a bit," Sirius heard Madame Pomfrey say to Remus and then Remus' whispered I know. It's all right. A murmured spell a second later and then came the sound of bones grinding against each other and a sound like all the air had been let out of Remus, though he didn't cry out.
"Better?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"No."
"I worry about the boys rough housing with you," Madame Pomfrey said, and Sirius shifted his feet, twisting his lips in his effort to keep quiet. "Lift up your shirt and let me see the wound on your back. It hasn't had time to heal properly."
"It's fine. It doesn't hurt."
"I'll be the judge of that, Mr. Lupin. Up." There was silence then, and Sirius took a careful step closer. "It looks all right but I want you to stay here overnight."
"I'm all right. I'd really just like to go back to my room."
"You'll stay here and I'll talk to Professor McGonagall as well. She'll have to have a talk with Potter and Black. You need rest, Remus, and those boys are entirely too wild--"
"They didn't do this!" Remus' voice raised a bit in panic and maybe a little horror at the idea that Madame Pomfrey would suggest that he and James would beat Remus up. Sirius was a little indignant, too. They had never hurt anyone, unless they deserved it, and Remus never had.
"Then tell me who did."
"Just some older boys. I didn't know them."
"Surely you saw the color of their ties."
"I didn't pay attention."
"It's fine if you don't want to talk to me. Perhaps you'd rather tell the Headmaster? Or we could owl your father if you would feel safer talking to him?"
"Please don't tell my dad!" There was real panic in Remus' voice now and Sirius thought again about his and James' ongoing debate. There were still times when he thought that Remus' parents were like his own, when he saw something in Remus' eyes that reminded him of his younger brother, Regulus. It was easier to believe than the alternative, than James' alternative.
"I'll talk to Professor McGonagall," Remus said. "Tomorrow, all right?"
"I'll follow up, Remus. We don't tolerate this behavior, and I especially won't stand for someone bullying you. You go through enough without having your classmates adding to it. This last time was bad, right? Worse than before."
"I'm all right," Remus said urgently, pleading with Madame Pomfrey to understand it seemed, and Sirius wondered what was getting worse, what Remus went through. He thought again of James' whispered confession, of what he suspected, and Sirius rubbed his suddenly sweaty hands against his jeans.
"May I please go back to my room. I'd rather sleep there."
Madame Pomfrey took a deep breath, sounding as though she was trying to collect herself. "I suppose you've seen me enough for one month, yes?"
"Enough of the infirmary," Remus said diplomatically, and Sirius could imagine Remus' expression, the one he used when getting them out of trouble in class or with Madame Pince when she caught them rifling through the stacks.
"You may leave in the morning, Remus. Now, change, and I'll bring you some warm milk to help you sleep." Madame Pomfrey came around the screen and stopped when she saw Sirius standing a few beds down, looking simultaneously guilty and worried. "Sirius Black," she said, her voice high with surprise. She took a step back, her hand fluttering to rest on her chest as if he'd been a ghost, and Sirius felt as though he'd been caught stealing.
Sirius swallowed hard, the flash of fear in Madame Pomfrey's eyes gone as quick as it had come, confirming something inside him, and he shifted on his feet. "May Remus come back with me?"
"I think it best if he stay here for tonight."
"May I see him?"
"In the morning, Mr. Black."
"Please? I really need to see him."
Madame Pomfrey sighed, letting her hands fall to her side. "For a few minutes, Mr. Black, but you’ll have to leave when I come back."
Sirius nodded, then stepped around the screen to find Remus where he sat on the edge of the bed, twisting his still bruised fingers together.
"She’s making me stay tonight," Remus said, not looking up at where Sirius stood at the foot of the bed.
"I heard."
"And I have to talk to Professor McGonagall tomorrow."
Sirius sat down on the bed and crossed his arms over his thin chest. "I’ll go with if you want."
Remus shook his head no and they sat quietly, Sirius knowing what he needed to ask but not quite sure how to go about it. He knew Remus would tell him whatever he wanted to know if Sirius pushed, just like Regulus had always confided in him. There were lines that could be crossed though, he knew, and he worried sometimes what would happen. It was quiet in the infirmary, and Sirius wondered if Remus would be there alone all night. Wondered how many nights he'd spent alone there, since Sirius was suddenly quite sure that Remus had never had to go home, that his mother had never been ill. That Remus' parents had never hurt him.
Sirius cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. "Madame Pomfrey asked you if it was getting worse. Are you sick?"
"I’m not diseased," Remus whispered miserably. "It’s not a disease."
"What isn't?"
"The scars."
"And your back? Madame Pomfrey said you had a wound."
Remus nodded, looking quite despondent. "You won't catch anything from me."
"I didn't think I would." Sirius ran his hand through his hair and crossed his arms back over his chest. "Is that what they said to you? Mulciber and--
"Yeah, like Severus did in Potions."
"I’ll make them stop."
"Sirius."
"James and I." Sirius turned to look at Remus, at the bruise that circled his eye, at the way he worried his lip between his teeth. "Madame Pomfrey asked if you’d had enough of the infirmary for the month. What did she mean?"
Remus shook his head and didn’t answer.
"You don’t trust me?"
"I do but I can’t tell you," Remus whispered. "You’ll hate me if I do. You and James and Peter."
"No we won’t. You can’t have done anything too bad. You’re eleven and you spend most of your time in the library."
Remus gave a miserable smile that was gone as quick it had come. "Twelve. My birthday was month before last."
"When?"
"March 10th."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Remus shrugged. "I’ve never had friends before."
"You have too many secrets, Remus."
Remus nodded then bent at the waist, covering his face with his hands. Sirius put his hand on Remus’ back and took a deep breath, not knowing what else to say and was saved from doing so when Madame Pomfrey came back a moment later. She put her hand on Sirius' shoulder and he looked up at her, taking some comfort at the kindness he found in her eyes.
"Straight back with you, Mr. Black," she said, setting a goblet of steaming milk on the table near the bed. "Mr. Lupin needs rest. You can come for him in the morning."
Sirius rubbed his hand over Remus’ back, patted his shoulder and got up, Madame Pomfrey leading him from the room. He looked back once and saw Remus looking back at him, his face pale and pinched with worry. Sirius had had secrets, too, and hated keeping them. It'd been a relief when he'd met James and discovered that James wouldn't hate him even after he'd found out about his family, about the things his family did and believed. He forced a lopsided smile to his lips and half raised his hand to Remus, wanting to tell him it would be all right, even if James turned out to be right, but then Madame Pomfrey was closing the door and Sirius was alone in the dark hall, turning to head back to his room.
May 11 (Thursday) 1972
Early the next morning, Remus was ready to leave the infirmary and go down to breakfast before he went back to his dormitory to change into his uniform. Outside the door, he found Sirius, James and Peter waiting for him, Sirius holding his book bag where they'd repaired what they could.
"I’m sorry, Remus," Peter said, taking a step forward when James put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and gave him a shove.
Remus flicked his gaze from Peter's black eye to Sirius before he whispered, "It’s all right, Peter."
"It’s not," James said. "But it’s not going to happen again. We protect each other."
"No matter what," Sirius added.
"To the death," Peter said, looking solemn enough that Remus laughed out loud, slapping a hand over his mouth when Peter looked up surprised. They all laughed then, things set right between them.
On the way to the Great Hall, Remus began to think that maybe everything would go back to normal when Sirius slung his arm over Remus’ shoulder and they walked four abreast. James kept up a running commentary about how fourth years Gideon and Fabian Prewitt were caught out of bounds after curfew the night before talking a Hufflepuff prefect into believing they were sleep walking rather than raiding the kitchens and who knew you could even raid the kitchens. It was only a little strange that before they sat down at the table, Sirius pushed Peter to go around to the other side and sit next to James and pulled Remus to sit next to him. Sirius and James had always sat next to each other at meals since the beginning of school. Finally, it was when James pulled a small, poorly wrapped gift from his bag and put it on the table in front of Remus that Remus knew at least one of his secrets was no longer his, but discovered he didn't mind too much.
"It’s from all of us," James said.
Remus picked it up the package and held it in his hands, turning it over and over.
"You’re meant to open it." James grinned at Remus as he pushed his glasses further up onto his nose and then leaned forward on his elbows.
"With as much glee as possible," Sirius added.
"Glee?" Remus repeated, sparing a smirk in Sirius' direction, before he turned his attention back to the gift. He'd never had one before, not from a friend and certainly not from three friends. He slipped his fingers into the seam of the paper and carefully pulled away the Sellotape. "But what's it for?"
"Your birthday, of course," Sirius said as he, too, grinned at Remus.
"It won’t explode will it?"
"Open it," Sirius urged.
"But what is it?"
Sirius leaned closer and James and Peter leaned in, too. "It's for when your mum is sick and you have to go home. It's so you won't have to be alone."
Remus stared down at the present in his hands and didn't dare look up, afraid of his emotions finally spilling over. As if reading his mind, James sat up, cleared his throat and tapped his fork onto his goblet. "Lads. This business with the Slytherins cannot stand. I have a plan."
continued...
Author: Dani (
escribo)Word Count: 3615
Rating: PG
(Pairings: in the future will be remus/sirius, lily/james)
Timeline: May 10 (Wednesday) 1972
Summary: Sirius discovers a secret
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended. I've not made nor seek any profit.
one/ two/ three/ four/ five
That it wasn't the first time it had happened made Remus almost philosophical about it, or as philosophical as a twelve year old werewolf was capable of being. He knew the three Slytherins who had him cornered in an empty classroom, even though they weren't in his year. They'd dumped out his bag, ripped his parchments and crushed his quills beneath their shoes, warning him not to say anything. Two of them then held him down whilst a third hit him, trying to get him to say he was filth, a half breed, trying to make him cry. He didn't. He never did.
Later--much later--the castle was strangely quiet when Remus finally ventured from his hiding place and made his careful way back to the Gryffindor tower. He held his left arm tight against his chest, his hand throbbing, and the remains of his bag were wrapped around his belongings and tucked beneath his other arm. It took him three tries to remember the password, the fat lady sleepily telling him try again, dear before he got it right. There was no one in the common room except a pair of seventh years snogging on the couch closest to the fire who didn't even look up as Remus struggled to climb through the portrait. It was a small relief to think that the other boys would be asleep, that no one would actually see him like this. He could clean up, crawl beneath the sheets of his bed, and sink into sleep without having to talk to anyone or having to answer questions, and the last thing he wanted to do was answer questions. Remus eased the door open to the dormitory he shared with James, Sirius, and Peter, and knew immediately that it wasn't going to be that easy.
The other boys were on the floor in front of James' bed, their backs to the door. Peter raised up on his knees, his hands cupped one on top of the other, and Remus knew they were playing Exploding Snap, at least James' version of it, which involved a lot more explosions. Peter was laughing, his sandy hair stuck up like James' in the morning and his face covered in soot, nothing like it had been when Remus had seen him earlier. Remus bit his lip, measuring the distance between where he stood just at the threshold to their room and his bed, wondering if he could get into it and behind his curtains before James or Sirius saw him. He only managed one step before Peter spotted him, his round face going pale again and his mouth falling open in surprise. James and Sirius turned to see what he was looking at.
"I'm all right," Remus said instinctively as he looked away from Peter and took a sideways step to his bed, but he wasn't quick enough. James and Sirius had scrambled to their feet and moved to flank him.
"What happened?" Sirius asked as he reached for Remus' bag, the contents spilling to the floor.
"I fell."
"We never believe you when you tell us that," James said and Remus looked up at him sharply. He pushed past James to go to his bed and put what was left of his bag down without saying a word.
"Tell us who hurt you," Sirius said, and they were closer now, James and Sirius, and Remus had no where else to go.
"No one hurt me."
"Why do you keep protecting them?"
"I'm not protecting anyone."
Sirius reached for Remus' arm, which Remus still held tight against his chest, and Sirius pulled it closer to him, his fingers gentle around Remus' wrist. They both looked down to where Remus' swollen and purple fingers twisted in awkward directions and Remus squeezed his eyes shut. "Your fingers are broken."
"Fell."
"You have a black eye and your lip is busted." James crossed his arms over his chest. "And your stuff is ruined, your books and your quills. Where's your wand?"
Remus drew his wand out from an inside pocket of his robe and held it up with shaky fingers before he tossed it down next to his bag on his bed.
"Tell me who did this," Sirius said quietly. "Tell me who hurt you, Remus."
"It was nobody, Sirius. Just leave it, yeah?"
"Why?" Sirius leaned in closer, his hair falling over his eyes, and Remus wanted to look away from the concern he saw in Sirius' eyes, knowing that could tip him over into the tears that the Slytherins couldn't force from him. He took a shaky breath and a step back, only to run into James, who steadied him with hands on shoulders. "Why won't you tell me?"
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?" James asked.
"It'll make it worse."
"We'll protect you, Remus. We can protect you."
"You can't."
"We made a promise, remember? We'll find a way."
"They won't go after you, right? They'll--" Remus stopped and looked over his shoulder. James followed the path of his eyes to where Peter silently stood, his hands still clasped one over the other.
"Peter?" James asked, his face twisting in confusion. "Has someone been after you, too?"
"No," Peter said, looking down at his feet.
"They just threaten him," Remus said. He took a deep, shuddering breath and turned to Sirius, spreading the fingers of his unhurt hand wide. "Look. I can take it, right? Nobody has made me cry. Not even the Lestranges. If they come after me, they'll leave Peter alone. I've kept the pact."
"I didn't break it, Remus," Peter whined.
"No one said you did, Peter."
"What do you mean?" James took a step toward Peter. "What's he talking about, Peter?"
"It was Mulciber and his brother," Peter said in a rush, opening his hand to look down at the dice in his sweaty palm. "And someone else, I don't know their name. He's in fourth year, I think."
"Peter--" Remus' voice sounded like a warning.
Peter looked up, his cheeks a mottled red and his eyes small and scared. "They said that if I said anything that I would be next."
"When?" Sirius took a step forward so that he was standing between Remus and Peter, his finger still wrapped tight around Remus' wrist as though he thought that Remus might still try to run away.
"Tonight. Before dinner. Remus said he would take care of it. He told me to go."
"Tell me exactly what happened." James demanded, taking another step until he was standing nearly toe to toe with Peter.
Peter dropped the dice in his hand, causing a tiny explosion at their feet, and he began to rub his hands together as if washing in an invisible sink. "I forgot my book in Charms and Remus went with me to get it. The Mulcibers caught us. Remus told them to leave me alone but Stuart said that I owed him from Potions the other day. From when I knocked into him in the hall when we were leaving. Remus said that he would take it. He told me to leave."
"So you just left them to it," Sirius spit out.
"No! They pushed me from the room and I stood there. I thought I'd go get one of the professors or Mr. Filch or someone but then that tall boy came and they started in on Remus about his robes and his books, saying that he must be--"
"Don't, Peter," Remus begged, not wanting to hear it again.
"That he must be here on charity. They asked me if I was a pureblood and I told them I was and they asked if I knew what Remus was."
"And what did you tell them?" James asked.
"I said I knew his dad is a wizard and that his mum is a muggle. And then he asked me what my mum was and I told them she's a witch."
"And then what happened?"
"Nothing. Remus told me to go. I went down to dinner."
"And you didn't tell us?" Sirius voice was flat and hard, his eyes sparking.
Peter took a step back, stumbling a bit and catching himself against James' bed. "Remus told me to go. What would you have done?"
"Don't be mad at him," Remus said, pulling his hand from Sirius' grip and turning back to his bed. "He couldn't have done anything. They would have beat him."
"Like they did you."
"I can take it."
"You should have told, Peter." James took off his glasses and polished the lenses on his shirt tail before putting them back on. He studied Peter for a minute, the room quiet, and Peter couldn't look at James, couldn't look at any of them. Finally, James turned his back on Peter and reached for Remus. "Right. We'll go down to the infirmary and then we're going to McGonagall."
"No. I don't want to go tonight." Remus sidestepped James and went to his trunk, lifting the lid to dig out his pajamas. "I'm tired. I just want to go to bed."
"Your hand is broken."
"It's not that bad. I'll go in the morning." He kept his back to them, not wanting to see pity from them but then missed the look that he later knew must have passed between James and Sirius. Sirius came to him, put his hand on his shoulder, and Remus stood up straight, still holding his arm against his chest. "I don't want to go," he whispered.
Sirius didn't say anything else but squeezed his shoulder gently and Remus slumped a bit, defeated. He dropped his pajamas and walked out with Sirius without another word.
***
In the infirmary, Madame Pomfrey tsked over Remus when she saw him and shooed Sirius away as she drew a screen around the bed. Sirius just stood there, listening as Madame Pomfrey talked in quiet tones to Remus. He knew he should have gone when he was told. He told himself that he hated to leave Remus alone when he'd been so reluctant to come in the first place, and that was true, but he was also curious as to what Remus would say, how he would explain this.
"This will hurt a bit," Sirius heard Madame Pomfrey say to Remus and then Remus' whispered I know. It's all right. A murmured spell a second later and then came the sound of bones grinding against each other and a sound like all the air had been let out of Remus, though he didn't cry out.
"Better?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Do you want to tell me what happened?"
"No."
"I worry about the boys rough housing with you," Madame Pomfrey said, and Sirius shifted his feet, twisting his lips in his effort to keep quiet. "Lift up your shirt and let me see the wound on your back. It hasn't had time to heal properly."
"It's fine. It doesn't hurt."
"I'll be the judge of that, Mr. Lupin. Up." There was silence then, and Sirius took a careful step closer. "It looks all right but I want you to stay here overnight."
"I'm all right. I'd really just like to go back to my room."
"You'll stay here and I'll talk to Professor McGonagall as well. She'll have to have a talk with Potter and Black. You need rest, Remus, and those boys are entirely too wild--"
"They didn't do this!" Remus' voice raised a bit in panic and maybe a little horror at the idea that Madame Pomfrey would suggest that he and James would beat Remus up. Sirius was a little indignant, too. They had never hurt anyone, unless they deserved it, and Remus never had.
"Then tell me who did."
"Just some older boys. I didn't know them."
"Surely you saw the color of their ties."
"I didn't pay attention."
"It's fine if you don't want to talk to me. Perhaps you'd rather tell the Headmaster? Or we could owl your father if you would feel safer talking to him?"
"Please don't tell my dad!" There was real panic in Remus' voice now and Sirius thought again about his and James' ongoing debate. There were still times when he thought that Remus' parents were like his own, when he saw something in Remus' eyes that reminded him of his younger brother, Regulus. It was easier to believe than the alternative, than James' alternative.
"I'll talk to Professor McGonagall," Remus said. "Tomorrow, all right?"
"I'll follow up, Remus. We don't tolerate this behavior, and I especially won't stand for someone bullying you. You go through enough without having your classmates adding to it. This last time was bad, right? Worse than before."
"I'm all right," Remus said urgently, pleading with Madame Pomfrey to understand it seemed, and Sirius wondered what was getting worse, what Remus went through. He thought again of James' whispered confession, of what he suspected, and Sirius rubbed his suddenly sweaty hands against his jeans.
"May I please go back to my room. I'd rather sleep there."
Madame Pomfrey took a deep breath, sounding as though she was trying to collect herself. "I suppose you've seen me enough for one month, yes?"
"Enough of the infirmary," Remus said diplomatically, and Sirius could imagine Remus' expression, the one he used when getting them out of trouble in class or with Madame Pince when she caught them rifling through the stacks.
"You may leave in the morning, Remus. Now, change, and I'll bring you some warm milk to help you sleep." Madame Pomfrey came around the screen and stopped when she saw Sirius standing a few beds down, looking simultaneously guilty and worried. "Sirius Black," she said, her voice high with surprise. She took a step back, her hand fluttering to rest on her chest as if he'd been a ghost, and Sirius felt as though he'd been caught stealing.
Sirius swallowed hard, the flash of fear in Madame Pomfrey's eyes gone as quick as it had come, confirming something inside him, and he shifted on his feet. "May Remus come back with me?"
"I think it best if he stay here for tonight."
"May I see him?"
"In the morning, Mr. Black."
"Please? I really need to see him."
Madame Pomfrey sighed, letting her hands fall to her side. "For a few minutes, Mr. Black, but you’ll have to leave when I come back."
Sirius nodded, then stepped around the screen to find Remus where he sat on the edge of the bed, twisting his still bruised fingers together.
"She’s making me stay tonight," Remus said, not looking up at where Sirius stood at the foot of the bed.
"I heard."
"And I have to talk to Professor McGonagall tomorrow."
Sirius sat down on the bed and crossed his arms over his thin chest. "I’ll go with if you want."
Remus shook his head no and they sat quietly, Sirius knowing what he needed to ask but not quite sure how to go about it. He knew Remus would tell him whatever he wanted to know if Sirius pushed, just like Regulus had always confided in him. There were lines that could be crossed though, he knew, and he worried sometimes what would happen. It was quiet in the infirmary, and Sirius wondered if Remus would be there alone all night. Wondered how many nights he'd spent alone there, since Sirius was suddenly quite sure that Remus had never had to go home, that his mother had never been ill. That Remus' parents had never hurt him.
Sirius cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. "Madame Pomfrey asked you if it was getting worse. Are you sick?"
"I’m not diseased," Remus whispered miserably. "It’s not a disease."
"What isn't?"
"The scars."
"And your back? Madame Pomfrey said you had a wound."
Remus nodded, looking quite despondent. "You won't catch anything from me."
"I didn't think I would." Sirius ran his hand through his hair and crossed his arms back over his chest. "Is that what they said to you? Mulciber and--
"Yeah, like Severus did in Potions."
"I’ll make them stop."
"Sirius."
"James and I." Sirius turned to look at Remus, at the bruise that circled his eye, at the way he worried his lip between his teeth. "Madame Pomfrey asked if you’d had enough of the infirmary for the month. What did she mean?"
Remus shook his head and didn’t answer.
"You don’t trust me?"
"I do but I can’t tell you," Remus whispered. "You’ll hate me if I do. You and James and Peter."
"No we won’t. You can’t have done anything too bad. You’re eleven and you spend most of your time in the library."
Remus gave a miserable smile that was gone as quick it had come. "Twelve. My birthday was month before last."
"When?"
"March 10th."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
Remus shrugged. "I’ve never had friends before."
"You have too many secrets, Remus."
Remus nodded then bent at the waist, covering his face with his hands. Sirius put his hand on Remus’ back and took a deep breath, not knowing what else to say and was saved from doing so when Madame Pomfrey came back a moment later. She put her hand on Sirius' shoulder and he looked up at her, taking some comfort at the kindness he found in her eyes.
"Straight back with you, Mr. Black," she said, setting a goblet of steaming milk on the table near the bed. "Mr. Lupin needs rest. You can come for him in the morning."
Sirius rubbed his hand over Remus’ back, patted his shoulder and got up, Madame Pomfrey leading him from the room. He looked back once and saw Remus looking back at him, his face pale and pinched with worry. Sirius had had secrets, too, and hated keeping them. It'd been a relief when he'd met James and discovered that James wouldn't hate him even after he'd found out about his family, about the things his family did and believed. He forced a lopsided smile to his lips and half raised his hand to Remus, wanting to tell him it would be all right, even if James turned out to be right, but then Madame Pomfrey was closing the door and Sirius was alone in the dark hall, turning to head back to his room.
May 11 (Thursday) 1972
Early the next morning, Remus was ready to leave the infirmary and go down to breakfast before he went back to his dormitory to change into his uniform. Outside the door, he found Sirius, James and Peter waiting for him, Sirius holding his book bag where they'd repaired what they could.
"I’m sorry, Remus," Peter said, taking a step forward when James put his hand on Peter’s shoulder and gave him a shove.
Remus flicked his gaze from Peter's black eye to Sirius before he whispered, "It’s all right, Peter."
"It’s not," James said. "But it’s not going to happen again. We protect each other."
"No matter what," Sirius added.
"To the death," Peter said, looking solemn enough that Remus laughed out loud, slapping a hand over his mouth when Peter looked up surprised. They all laughed then, things set right between them.
On the way to the Great Hall, Remus began to think that maybe everything would go back to normal when Sirius slung his arm over Remus’ shoulder and they walked four abreast. James kept up a running commentary about how fourth years Gideon and Fabian Prewitt were caught out of bounds after curfew the night before talking a Hufflepuff prefect into believing they were sleep walking rather than raiding the kitchens and who knew you could even raid the kitchens. It was only a little strange that before they sat down at the table, Sirius pushed Peter to go around to the other side and sit next to James and pulled Remus to sit next to him. Sirius and James had always sat next to each other at meals since the beginning of school. Finally, it was when James pulled a small, poorly wrapped gift from his bag and put it on the table in front of Remus that Remus knew at least one of his secrets was no longer his, but discovered he didn't mind too much.
"It’s from all of us," James said.
Remus picked it up the package and held it in his hands, turning it over and over.
"You’re meant to open it." James grinned at Remus as he pushed his glasses further up onto his nose and then leaned forward on his elbows.
"With as much glee as possible," Sirius added.
"Glee?" Remus repeated, sparing a smirk in Sirius' direction, before he turned his attention back to the gift. He'd never had one before, not from a friend and certainly not from three friends. He slipped his fingers into the seam of the paper and carefully pulled away the Sellotape. "But what's it for?"
"Your birthday, of course," Sirius said as he, too, grinned at Remus.
"It won’t explode will it?"
"Open it," Sirius urged.
"But what is it?"
Sirius leaned closer and James and Peter leaned in, too. "It's for when your mum is sick and you have to go home. It's so you won't have to be alone."
Remus stared down at the present in his hands and didn't dare look up, afraid of his emotions finally spilling over. As if reading his mind, James sat up, cleared his throat and tapped his fork onto his goblet. "Lads. This business with the Slytherins cannot stand. I have a plan."
Tags:
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
no subject
more response tk
Later: You are building this up, each of the pieces on top of the previous, until it's all inevitable. Wonderful. I'm sad to be so close to the end.
no subject
<3
no subject
no subject
Anyway! Thank you! And that's a really good resolution. I will admit to being guilt to being very bad about commenting, even on stories I really like. I shall resolve to be better, too.
no subject
no subject
no subject
Love love love love~ I've been away from fanfiction for a week and a half and this was exactly what I had been hoping for when I came back. <3
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject