Some Day | Wolfstar

Sixteen

The Shrieking Shack was empty.

James couldn't believe it. They had no way of knowing where Sirius was. For all they knew, he could be sleeping in their dorm. But James knew that was about as probable as Regulus having woken up and drinking tea with Dumbledore in his office.

Anxious, he turned to Remus for comfort. Remus looked pale, almost white. James dropped the broomstick and launched forward to catch him as he collapsed forward.

He gently guided Remus to the floor. His skin was burning. One more night until the full moon.

"Remus, hey," James brushed his hair out of his eyes. "We need to go back. We'll go back right now, okay? Sirius must be fine. He knows how to take care of himself. Come on." He helped the taller boy stand up.

Remus muttered a soft apology, but James didn't care. It was so unfair. It was so unfair how the best people were always thrown into the worst situations.

They got back to their dorm safe and undiscovered. James supported Remus to his bed, and helped him lie down.

"Just rest, Moony. Everything  will turn out okay."

***

Remus couldn't sleep. He had less than a day until he'd have to turn into a werewolf, less than a day until all that pain. But that was not his biggest worry.

Where are you, Sirius? Where are you?

He shivered to think of what had happened in the morning. Sirius clinging on to him, gasping for air... He never wanted to see his best friend like that again.

Not inside the school...

Remus shot up. His back screamed in protest, but with wobbly legs, he stumbled downstairs. He ran as fast as he could in the dark despite the burning in his muscles.

"Dissendium!" He tapped the statue of the one-eyed witch. It moved, revealing a small opening in the floor. Remus heaved himself in, and heard the statue move back.

"Lumos," he whispered, and his wand lit up. Panting, Remus crawled out of the tight passageway. He was now in the cellar of Honeyduke's, the sweet shop at Hogsmeade.

He didn't like the eerie silence.

"Remus? Is that you?"

Remus didn't know if he'd ever felt such a great degree of relief. He turned around, where Sirius was curled up next to a a pile of large crates.

Sirius wasted no time in getting to his feet. He had thought isolating himself would do him good, but he had been wrong. He saw how Remus was barely on his two feet, how he was almost swaying due to lack of steadiness.

They moved towards each other with no conscious thoughts in their minds but the unbearable ache to touch the other. Sirius didn't know which one of them was supporting the other. They were both weak, tired and relieved. They just clung on to each other without speaking.

Remus was the first to pull away. They sat down where Sirius had been sitting. Remus placed his wand on the floor. "Why did you leave the school, Sirius? You could've told us. You could've told Peter. We were so worried. Thank Merlin none of the teachers noticed."

Sirius sighed. "I just wanted to be alone for a while, Remus. I went to the Shack-"

"We looked for you there."

"I knew you would. So I sneaked in here. And then I just... fell asleep.  I only woke up when I heard you." Sirius scooted closer, and laid his head on Remus' shoulder. As if by reflex, Remus' arm found its way around his lean frame. Remus smelled of the best things, chocolate and old parchment and peppermint oil which he always dabbed on his clothes.