Chapter Twelve: Too Late or Just in Time?

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A quick note: Sorry if this has taken a while, I had it all written out and somehow it all got deleted. And then I ignored it for a few days because I was really happy with it and it all disappeared. Anyways this is the last chapter, I think unless I do an epilogue.

Somewhere in the future Sirius will look back on this moment and think about how great it was, but also how he was an absolute idiot. As soon as he discovered the door he should have called Kingsley, or one of the others. But he didn't. He decided to do it alone because Remus was his best friend, his oldest friend, and he owed it to the man to save him. So with his wand out and ready to strike he pulled open the door. To find...

An unconscious form slump against his legs. Sirius looked down and saw that the lump was in fact the unconscious werewolf they had all spent nearly half the night looking for. He breathed a huge sigh of relief and then a wave of panic washed over him. Remus wasn't moving and it seemed to Sirius that he wasn't breathing either. He quickly crouched down to the level of the werewolf and he checked for a pulse. Five seconds went by and he couldn't find it. Sirius felt around and he still couldn't find one, nothing to tell him that he was alive.
"C'mon Rem don't do this to me." He muttered to himself, he was hoping to Merlin or any other God who was on duty up there to not make him suffer the loss of Remus.

Wait there!! It was extremely faint but it was there, Sirius hoped he wasn't imagining it. He had a quick look at the werewolf and he realised that he probably shouldn't wake him, he had no idea what injuries he had and he didn't want to make them worse. If he was passed out then he must be in quite a bit of pain, you can't take a werewolf out easily. Sirius smiled at himself a little, Remus had spoken those words to him years ago... But now was no time for reminiscing, he had to get the man out of there.

***
"God I feel like shit." Remus muttered to himself as he slowly awoke. He didn't need to open his eyes to know that he was no longer in that basement for he could feel the uncomfortable form of a Hogwarts infirmary bed underneath him and he could smell the distict smell of the infirmary. He cracked one eye open and was greeted with a white ceiling, the second eye joined the first and he had to blink a few times at the harsh light. He hadn't seen a light so bright in what felt like years. Then there was a loud bang to his left.

Harry was sat there looking stunned. Remus offered a small grin, in fact he was internally laughing at the boy's shocked expression.
"Oh my God! Remus you're awake!" Harry shouted. He jumped up from what Remus was sure was a very uncomfortable wooden chair. The man on the bed instinctively put his arms out and Harry wasted no time in launching himself straight into them.
"Well I'm happy to seen you too." He chuckled , but he noticed that Harry didn't laugh. "What are you that surprised to see me?" He asked frowning a little. However he was surprised that it wasn't Harry that answered.
"Actually Mr Lupin, we are." Remus turned to see Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall standing at the end of the bed. Remus found himself holding onto Harry tighter in the presence of the two Professors.
"Minerva, Albus." He greeted carefully. The headmaster walked around and sat in the chair Harry had vacated a moment ago. It was odd to see as the number of times Remus had been in the hospital wing, Dumbledore had never once sat down.
"Remus we both adults so I think I can be honest" Remus thought it best to just nod and say nothing. "We had all thought that because you had been missing for so long that there was little chance of us finding your body let alone you alive." He stopped letting it sink in. "With the moon being so close we thought that if the information Sirius had gathered was wrong, we would have to call off the search for you." Remus nodded, he knew that Dumbledore was speaking the truth. In the state he was in he probably wouldn't have survived the first change of the night. Then he suddenly realised that Harry hadn't moved since he had launched himself at Remus.
"Thank you Albus." Remus said and looked down at Harry again, he looked back up at the professors, "I'm a little tired, I think i might just get some rest if that's okay?" He decided to try and get rid of them before talking to Harry. Minerva seemed to get the message.
"Yes come on Albus, Remus needs his rest. Remus, Poppy has just stepped out for a moment but no doubt she'll come and speak with you as soon as she can." Remus nodded and they left.

As soon as the doors had closed Remus sat up as much as he could with a lap full of Harry.
"C'mon what's the matter, hmm?" He asked gently. Harry didn't look up from Remus' chest instead he mumbled,
"I nearly lost you, I could have lost you." Harry said quietly, his voice shaking which just intensified the fact that he was terrified. Remus felt something clench deep inside of him, but the problem was he had no idea how to comfort him properly. He figured if he just stayed there, held Harry tightly and whispered to him that he was okay, he was alive, they were together. And most importantly, the fact that they would stay together, no matter what happens. They would both heal in time.

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