Obsidian & Bronze {Fred Weasley}

10. The downfall of Peter Pettigrew

"Please can we bring those giving statements to the stand" A large, balding man called from his place behind a staggeringly tall podium on the opposite end of the room.

It was taking every strand of sanity within me to keep my composure, to not allow my mind to grind down the last of my coherent thoughts to mush.

My body burnt, a painful kind of heat that tore at my chest as my heart beat rapidly, the pattern of which, lacking basic consistency. I knew had I not been sitting down, I would no longer have been capable of supporting my own weight, and even perched on the edge of my seat, my body still ached with an unbearable depth I couldn't escape.

I wasn't sure how I got here, seeming as though it was just moments ago I had been handed that newspaper article, when in fact it was days.

But regardless I was most definitely here, sitting in The Ministry Of Magic, in a court that would soon occupy not only myself, but Remus, Peter Pettigrew, the boy I kissed four days ago and Sirius. That was definitely a combination of people I never could have anticipated to one day end up in the same room.

Fred insisted on coming with me to display his support, and I obliged on the basis that the others were not clued in on his whereabouts. I knew that they would grow suspicious should the others find out Fred had accompanied me here and I didn't necessarily need added pressure, in whatever form that may be.

My leg was bouncing rapidly as the room waited in heavy silence, Fred's hand had found my thigh and squeezed gently, encouraging me to relax.

This would have been a comforting gesture, one I could have appreciated had we both been sensible human-beings that were able to speak about our emotions, but alas we were not, and therefore we had not spoken about the kiss, or even openly acknowledged there was something here that was more than "mildly flirtatious, platonic friendship"

Nonetheless, I smiled up at him gently, allowing him to recognize my appreciation for his efforts and swiftly turned my attention back to the centre of the room.

Pettigrew had already made his case, if you can call a grown man breaking down into tears in a courtroom full of ministry officials and a judge a case, and was dismissed back into custody whilst they waited for the following statements.

Time crept by in miniscule increments, each tick of the clock induced another increase of nausea, and my vision was becoming clouded from the sheer override of emotions.

And just when I thought I couldn't hold my own anymore, in walked the only person I knew would be able to delicately bring me down from this high, and avoid the crash I would inevitably face otherwise.

Remus.

His eyes were noticeably tired and sunken in, and his blistered hands trembled as he held a piece of fine parchment in his shaking fingers. His skin was sickly and pale, fully drained of any reminisce of life and I couldn't help but fixate on the last button on his frayed navy cardigan that was done up wrong.

Remus was told by Tonks he would have to present a statement should Peter be found, a statement in which he addressed the facts and vouched for Sirius's innocence, and should the court recognise Peters guilt, another hearing would take place in which the court will decided, in the nicest way possible, if Azkaban fucked Sirus up to much to return the the real world.

"Please state your name for the record" The balding man spoke slowly, carefully articulating his words as Remus approached the podium.

"Remus John Lupin" He croaked out shyly, using a tone I would never have recognised to belong to Remus.

The judge gave a curt nod in Remus's direction indicating for him to begin, before placing a small pair of gold-framed spectacles on the end of his nose and holding his quill poised and ready to begin writing.