The Marauders Year Five Part 2 #Wattys2017

Who Will Stop the Rain?

Who Will Stop the Rain?

"I've packed four chocolate bars," Peter said, looking up from his bag, "Do you reckon that's enough?"

"It's only one night," said James from where he knelt, bent over his school trunk, searching for his favorite Gryffindor jumper once again, really wishing he could find it - it was worn just right and softer than his newer ones, therefore more comfortable for full moon nights. "Four is one each, and most of the time we're out there we aren't even going to be humans. Do you seriously think we'd need more than that?"

Peter hesitated, then scrambled into his stash to find more because yes, he did reckon he'd need more than that.

"It's one and a third each," Sirius said, "Seeing as the three of you can split the fourth one between you. I'm not going."

James looked up, having reached the bottom of his trunk with no luck of finding the jumper. He sighed. "Sirius, you can't just not go."

Sirius was lying across his bed, "I can. And I will. Or won't. Whatever the right word is. You lot go, keep Remus company, keep Remus safe. I - I can't."

"He'd want you there," Peter said desperately. He was discreetly shoving two additional bars into his bag so that everyone would have two each. He could make do with two bars if he had to. He grabbed an old, stretched out sock he'd found in the bottom of his trunk, too, and shoved that in - he'd found it earlier in the week and thought what a nice nesting tool it would make and, in rat form, he had been working on making a little nest in a hole in the wall by the couch for when they slept in the Shrieking Shack.

"I don't think he would, Wormtail," Sirius said sadly. "I've ruined everything for him, haven't I? With Newt and Tina having to leave..."

Because of the incident with the Erumpent last month, it had become rather public knowledge that Newt Scamander had been staying somewhere in the vicinity of Hogwarts or Hogsmeade and, in the name of staying hidden from the Ministry for Magic, they'd decided to go to America and hide out with Queenie, Tina's sister, in New York for a time. This meant, of course, that Remus wouldn't be continuing on with Bradley's werewolf lessons (at least for now) and that he'd be transforming, as usual, in the Shrieking Shack - whose front wall had been repaired by magic, but the exploded trees in the yard were still laying across the grass, left to decompose on their own. It also meant that, unless Newt Scamander was cleared by the Ministry for Magic soon, Remus would have to find a new place to stay over summer holiday.

"I doubt very much whether I'm welcome in that Shack," Sirius said sadly.

Peter looked at James.

"Well..." James sighed, "You know how to find us if you decide to come out."

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. Do I ever." He lay there for a moment in silence as they finished packing their sacks and finally, James and Peter headed for the door.

"Last chance, mate," James said.

"Bye."

"I left you some licorice wands on the desk," Peter offered.

"Thanks."

"Cheerio, mate," James said and he stepped out the door, followed by Peter, who looked back over his shoulder at Sirius's form as he scrambled after James into the stairwell, pulling shut the door behind him.

Sirius lay there for several long moments in silence, feeling the beating of his heart in his chest cavity as he breathed long and steady, eyes closed. He glanced at the window - it was getting dark, nearly dinner, but he wasn't hungry. Food seemed pointless. He sat up and rolled, bending to reach beneath the bed and pulled out the guitar from underneath. He'd been practicing still, getting a bit better, his fingers callusing a little 'round the ends where he held the strings. He propped the thing up on his knee and he stared out the window at the full moon as he slowly brought his fingers across the strings, making the guitar squeal a little bit as he played the chords.