The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Falling Apart

Falling Apart

"Remus, hey."

Remus looked up as Peter came into the dormitory looking rather frazzled and disappointed. He'd rather fancied the idea of James needing him and when Lily had arrived back to the meeting room to inform the Order that James was back and not in need of their help, he'd felt a bit useless. Top if off with how sad worried he was feeling about poor Maryrose and he was downright depressed...

Remus however looked quite guilty indeed. He swallowed a big lump of chocolate he'd been inhaling and he confessed, "Wormtail, I, er, borrowed a couple of your Honeydukes." He had a wrapper on his lap and a half bar still in his fist.

"Don't worry about it," Peter replied, and he scrambled over and climbed onto his bed and flopped down into the pillows. "You hear about what Prongs has done?" he asked, looking over at Remus.

"Bits of it," Remus muttered around a full mouth of chocolate.

Peter slid his hands up under his head. "Pretty brilliant, isn't he? Prongs, I mean? I'm bloody proud of him. Wish I was even half as brave as he is."

"You're at least half as brave," Remus said.

Peter snorted.

Remus broke off more of the chocolate and shoved it in his mouth. "Bloody hell there's not enough chocolate in all the world," he murmured.

Peter looked over, "So... what'sa matter with Sirius?"

Remus looked quite nervous at the question and he chewed thoughtfully a moment, folding the wrapper over the remaining chocolate and putting the bar on his nightstand. He swallowed finally, a great lump that could be seen travelling down his throat, and he said, "I'm not exactly sure, but it's in the vein of very severe depression, I reckon." He looked down at his lap and picked up the empty Honeydukes wrapper, folding it neatly into an origami crane as he spoke. "He thinks he has a dementor inside of him, that's what he said. I tried to tell him that's not how dementors work, but he insisted it's there." Remus stared at the paper crane a moment, turning it over in his fingers, "I know what it's like having a monster inside... It's not a comfortable feeling."

Peter looked over, "I reckon not." He paused, then, "So... who cut him though?"

Remus flushed. "He's done it himself," he said quietly.

Peter stared at Remus in disbelief. "Done it himself?" he asked, "Is he mental?" Then, realizing how spot on he might really be with that, his face folded into a frown and he said, "Surely not Sirius, I mean he's always so happy..."

Remus shrugged.

The door opened and they both looked over as James came in the door and went straight to his bed, tore back the duvet, climbed in, and pulled the blankets clear over his head without so much as removing his trainers. He lay there like a great maroon lump.

Peter looked to Remus, who shrugged again. "James?" Rey called, "You alright, mate?"

"Sod off," came the voice from under the covers.

"Blimey," whispered Peter.

Remus sighed. Why were they all falling apart?

They sat in silence a few minutes, trying to decide what to say to James, when suddenly the door opened again and there was Sirius. Remus leaped out of bed. "Bloody hell, what're you doing here?" he demanded, "You're meant to be healing! Your chest isn't going to mend itself!" he paused, "Well it is but not if you don't rest it!"