HOWL | REMUS LUPIN

TWELVE

- CHAPTER 12 -

❝What kind of soup wormtail?❞

The Potter Manor, summer break.

AS EXPECTED, Remus was the first one to arrive at the Potter manor. When he first read the letter from Phoenyx, he had gone into a frenzy. Worriedly, he packed whatever he could find and went straight to the manor for his best mate.

Immediately after opening the door, Phoenyx melted into the arms of Remus Lupin. Even though the situation wasn't the best, she had still missed Remus the absolute most.

"Come, James is with them right now," Phoenyx said with a small smile.

Walking in, Remus could hear the chatter of his two friends very clearly. It had been a few hours since the boys had arrived. So, naturally, Remus assumed he was starting to feel a lot better.

"Moony!" Sirius said happily.

Hugging his best mate and truly looking at him up close, he couldn't help but feel that just like every other day, Sirius was trying his best to bottle up his emotions.

Sirius was breaking apart but on the outside, he wasn't showing any signs of it at all.

Exchanging pleasantries with Euphemia and Fleamont, the boy sat down right next to Phoenyx Potter.

Looking at the two, Euphemia smiled. Phoenyx had always talked very highly of Remus and she knew he was absolutely perfect for her little daughter.

She had met him before, on various occasions. But ever since Phoenyx admitted her feelings towards her boy, Euphemia had been waiting to see the boy again with a new perspective.

While watching Sirius, Phoenyx gave a worried glance to her mother. Even though they did not know of it, James and Sirius were very much alike.

Just like James would, Sirius was trying to ignore everything that had happened and was trying his best to lighten up everyones mood instead of caring about his own self.

Just like James, Sirius was very very selfless when it was about the people he loved and cherished.

"Sirius, my dear, you can talk to us you know? You're both just as much of sons to us as James is and we are very worried about you," Euphemia said while taking Sirius in her arms.

At first, Sirius froze into the arms of Euphemia Potter. And then, after a few seconds, Sirius Black finally broke free.

Letting the tears fall down his face, he held the woman tightly against him, hoping that she wouldn't fade away and be a result of his own little imaginations.

"Its okay son, its okay. You're here now, you're safe," Euphemia said while cradling the young boy.

James, Remus, Regulus and Phoenyx looked at the two with tearful eyes. They knew that Sirius was yearning to have moments like these. Moments where he'd be able to hug his mother tightly against his chest after long and horrible days.

Although Euphemia wasn't his mother, for a second, just for a moment, Sirius couldn't help but imagine that the person holding him was his own, was his mother Walburga.

He had dreamt years and years about having a loving family. Whenever he'd see parents take care of their kids with so much love and attention, he'd always think he was doing something wrong.

Was it the way i looked? Was it what i did? What i said?

Was it that all along, his parents didn't want him alive, but dead instead?

"You're both our family now pads, you belong to this house as much as we all do," James said while taking his brother into his arms.

Sirius felt like he was in heaven. What did he ever do in his life to deserve such amazing friends?

By his side, Regulus watched their interactions with hesitation. He knew that deep down, he wanted to be held by someone too. Even though he had a cold exterior, he still wanted to be comforted by someone. Anyone.

"Cmere Reggie," came the voice of James Potter.

And at that moment, Regulus Black had almost broken down.

"Sorry i'm late! i was eating food when i read the letter and i accidentally dropped the soup all over myself!" said Peter Pettigrew with a flushed look.

"What kind of soup wormtail?"

"Well, the soupy kind."