The Marauders: Year Three | #Wattys2016

The Fallout

The Fallout

Over the next week, Sirius served the two detentions he'd already been given - one for Professor Veigler along with James, and one for Madam Hooch, alone. He also earned himself no less than two more, hexing snickering Slytherins in the corridors when they saw the four Marauders walking along shoulder-to-shoulder. "Mr. Black, that better not be your wand I see you waving about," Professor McGonagall said, eyeing Sirius as she passed by him on the staircase.

If Sirius was having a rough go of the fallback caused by the rumors being spread about, it was nothing compared to what Remus was going through. At least Sirius was loud and quick-witted and not afraid to draw his wand to defend himself. Remus was far more soft-spoken and wanted nothing more than to go unnoticed. So instead, when he found himself being elbowed in the hall and hearing whispered slurs as he walked along the corridors, he simply turned scarlet red and sought the fastest way to escape.

If being picked on rather relentlessly was not enough, Remus was also feeling as lonely had he had yet felt since coming to Hogwarts. Sirius, in his attempts to fend off the attacks, had stopped taking all of the care he'd had with Remus previously, often staying several paces ahead of him, goofing off with James. Remus tripped on the stairs twice that week. He spent the nights curled under his blankets, his eyes squeezed shut, trying to sleep through the pains that wrecked his body as the full moon of December slowly approached.

Mostly, Remus just kept his head down, flinching away any time somebody came too close, afraid he was about to be picked on.

"Watch it, Pillow-Biter," muttered Evan Rosier, shoving past Remus roughly as he stepped into the Potions classroom.

Peter caught Remus from behind and pushed him upright so he wouldn't fall. Peter wasn't exactly having it easy, either. He'd been pushed out by both Remus and Sirius for the most part as they both blamed him for the origination of the rumors. After all, none of it would have happened if Peter had taken a bit more care in thinking through the things he was saying.

The only one relatively unscathed - and not caring a lick about what any of the Slytherins did attempt to say to him - was James. "Sirius got you both in his pockets, Potter?" teased a Ravenclaw on the way across the grounds to Care for Magical Creatures.

James had only laughed and shoved his glasses up his nose, "Jealous of my boytoy, Turin?" he asked, grinning and grabbing Sirius's hand - only to have Sirius throw his hand away.

"Stop that, will you, we're trying to set them right, not cause more rumors!" Sirius said hotly.

"What're you doing out here?" Lily asked, sitting beside Remus on the stairs outside of the Gryffindor common room. It was after dark and technically he was breaking the rules of being in the corridor after hours. Lily had noticed he was missing as the other three Gryffindor boys had laughed by the fire.

Remus had a stack of books beside him and one spread across his lap. "It's just easier out here is all," he replied. Granted, most of the Gryffindors were sticking up for Remus and Sirius with as much passion as Sirius was. Frank Longbottom had even been given a detention one day for fighting in one of his glasses when Grant Crabbe had made a remark. But sometimes the support was just as hard to take as the hatred and Remus just wanted to get away from it all.

Lily leaned back against the stairs, looking up at the window high above in the top of Gryffindor tower. The stars twinkled against the black backdrop of the sky. She listened in silence as Remus turned a page or two, the paper of his book rustling, and his breathing steady and solid. She rolled to her side, propping her head up with her palm then, watching him.