The Other One | Sirius Black

Chapter 61 - On edge

"Hey, what's the matter with you and Katherine?" Sirius asked Jo at the end of the Order meeting. Remus noticed their dark-skinned friend had been the first to leave the room. Her girlfriend trailed behind her.

"Nothing." Joanna lied, transfixed by the pattern of the tiles on the floor.

"I know what you're trying to do and it won't work the way you want it to." Remus chimed in beside her on the couch, raising his eyebrow. He had played that game. He was the master at it.

"What's she trying to do?" Sirius asked, grasping tighter onto Jo's hand. Remus didn't say it, but clingy didn't look too good on Sirius.

"I'm right here y'know," Jo stated, unclasping herself from Sirius.

Lupin pointed at Padfoot, "Pushing them away. You're too stubborn so it didn't work on you. I'm warning you, it won't work on any one of us either."

"I'm not... I messed up, didn't I?" Jo smacked her palm on her forehead.

"Considering Kate hasn't talked to you all week. And Marlene hasn't come by to drop off any of her failed pie creations, you probably did," Sirius sighed.

Remus reached behind Jo to swat Sirius who scowled.

She chose to ignore them and explained, "I told them they should go to New York. That way they would be safer."

"But we've already talked about this, Jo. There's power in numbers," Sirius countered.

A slight blush crept up on her cheeks.

"I know but...." She didn't finish.

Remus gave her a knowing glance and squeezed her shoulder. He knew what she meant by it. He had felt that way before. When he first met the lads. When he couldn't wrap his head around having people wanting to be his friends. He felt love for all of them. And that meant he also had something to lose.

Remus persisted, "Let them sulk it out, and then apologize. I'm sure they'll forgive you."

"It's not the first time, though," she pointed out. Remus remembered his birthday lunch at the Potter house. James had been talking to him and Sirius about teaching the baby quidditch as soon as they learned how to walk when Jo lashed out at her best friend and stormed out. It vaguely reminded him of when he and Sirius fought in sixth year.

Sirius quipped, "Let's hope this time it sticks." Remus winced.

Jo rolled her eyes before standing up from her seat.

"Where are you going? I was only joking." He reached her in two long strides

"I know. I actually have a mission with Peter. You didn't think I actually took offense to that, did you?" A smile spread across her face.

"I never know with you these days," A nervous laugh escaped his lips but she was already halfway out the door.

"You do realize that sounded a bit loaded," Remus exclaimed while Sirius walked back to his spot on the sofa.

Sirius shook his head, "It wasn't." Seemed like they were all playing the game.

"Then what do you mean you never know with her these days?" The words escaped his mouth before he could stop.

"Bollocks, Moony. You've been awfully nosy about everyone these days. Did your parents ever teach you not to meddle in other people's business?"

"I've clearly touched on a sore subject. My apologies." I'm an idiot, he thought.

"It's not a sore subject because it's nothing at all. The subject doesn't exist so quit it."

"Alright... I have to go anyway. See you at home."

"Yeah yeah." Sirius brushed him off. His nose was already buried in the latest edition of Seeker Weekly. There was a letter poking out of it and scribbles all over in James's handwriting. If only he were here.

Something was clearly bothering his friend, but Remus didn't know why Sirius wasn't confiding in him anymore. Ever since he accepted being Secret Keeper... Remus shook away the thought. He knew Sirius. They'd been mates for almost nine years. This war was just getting to his head.

Moody's door swung open before Remus could knock it. The mangled-up wizard looked up from his desk as the werewolf walked in.

"Whatcha got for me Lupin?"

"Nothing, sir. I was wondering if you've got anything for me, actually."

"Want to go back to all the fun, eh? I don't blame you," the auror chuckled.

Remus scratched the back of his neck. He didn't find it fun. But he wanted to be useful. And he didn't want to be thinking about Sirius. Going back with the wolves didn't require thinking.

"For now, everything seems to be quiet. No major attacks. Ministry has been placing some anti-werewolf decrees, though. Must be tough."

"Err... Yes, sir." Remus agreed. This wasn't new. The Ministry had always been against monsters like him. But what else was Moody supposed to say? No one ever knew.

"Sit tight, Lupin. I'll let you know when we've got something. Now go, I need to join Potter and Pettigrew in Leeds." Moody hobbled around his desk, beckoning Remus out. As the door shut, he could hear a pop come from the inside as Moody disapparated.

So much for trying to be useful and distracted, he grumbled.

"Moody kick you out?" Gideon chortled from where he was sitting at the table. He was playing wizard's chess with Fabian.

"Seems like it. Just left for Leeds," Remus answered while Fabian's queen smashed Gideon's knight to bits.

"Pettigrew's been on a roll lately. Surprised I was, he's doing bloody well," Fabian claimed with a smug grin on his face.

"Yeah. Can't say it's a bad thing, though." Remus noted.

"Merlin knows we need it," Gideon added. His hearty laugh was cut short when Fabian's queen slashed Gideon's rook.

"You arse," Gideon mumbled beneath his breath.

Remus giggled, "I'll leave you to it. Wouldn't want to get between you two."

He heard a simultaneous 'bye' as he made his way through headquarters.

Don't want to get any more awkward, thanks, he thought as he passed by Kate and Marlene taking inventory in the makeshift apothecary in the kitchen. They would probably make him pick a side and he would end up becoming the mediator of their New York debate. Sirius had certainly loved him for that.

Everyone was on edge, Remus observed. He couldn't possibly imagine how James and Lily felt, especially with a child now. Harry didn't deserve to be in this mess. He was barely teething and already involved in Voldemort's demise.

Blimey, being an adult was no fun. A rabid creature was gnawing at his stomach. It was a heavy, uncontrollable rascal. It had made itself at home, sloshing around and making Remus feel all sorts of terrible. As if the full moon wasn't enough, he now had this pit. What's worse is he didn't know how to get rid of it. Nothing was working. Nothing was fine. 

A/N: A bit short but I was too excited not to include Remus again. Oh, how the paranoia grows!