Some Day | Wolfstar

Seventeen

Remus blinked his eyes open, and gently moved Sirius away. "Why's your wand pointed at me?" He asked. His lips had a small tingle on them. Did he kiss me?

No... but almost... I think.

"It's not. I was going to put it in my hair." Sirius proceeded to tie his hair back, and slipped the wand through it. He kept his eyes focused somewhere behind Remus.

"We should go, Remus. You need rest." Sirius stood up. Remus grabbed his wand, and led the way.

"Nox!" He put the light at the tip of his wand out before crawling out from the opening and into the school corridor. Remus walked slowly. He felt dizzy and sick, and his whole body was weeping in pain.

Sirius wrapped a gentle arm around his waist, supporting his weight as they walked towards their dormitory. The Fat Lady was asleep. Sirius gently tapped her frame. She opened her eyes, face red with anger, but immediately melted into a large smile upon seeing Sirius.

Sirius could flirt with a tree and charm it if he wanted to.

"Dear, dear, so late?"

"Yes... had some business."

"Password?"

"Polyjuice Potion. Good night!" Sirius said softly. He helped Remus inside and slipped in behind him. The portrait fell back in place. They quickly went upstairs into their dormitory.

Sirius helped Remus on to the bed. He disappeared for a second, and Remus listened to him rummaging through his trunk. He came back with a small vial in his hands. "Sleeping draught," he murmured, uncorking it. Remus took it with a soft thanks and helped himself to a small amount.

"Keep it with you," Sirius said. "You need it more than I do." Remus watched him get into his own bed, not even bothered with changing. They only had three or four hours to sleep, and he doubted Sirius would sleep even half of that.

Remus felt himself grow drowsy, and closed his eyes. Something made him uneasy, something he couldn't point out what. But the potion worked its magic too quick for him to ponder it, as he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

Sirius could've afforded to have some of that sleeping draught. He couldn't come to terms with he'd done. Erased Remus' memory just to avoid a conversation? It didn't sound like the nicest thing to have done.

The guilt was eating up at him, but not just because of what he'd done to Remus.

He thought back to the two months he'd spent at 12, Grimmauld Place - the Black Mansion. He should've known something was different with Regulus. Especially when Regulus only stayed at home the first three days.

But Sirius had had other obstacles. His mother was had been as merciless as ever. She'd refused to talk to him at all. Had taken one look at him, and scoffed in disgust. Regulus had looked away, unable to watch his beloved mother turn her nose up at her own son.

When Orion Black asked him to spend the vacation at home, what had made Sirius agree? What had he been thinking? That they'd welcome their firstborn with open arms? Orion Black had hardly stayed at home. Along with Regulus, he too had disappeared three days into the vacation.

Sirius shivered to think that they must've left to work on Nigrae radicae. Or whatever other Dark magic they were messing with.

Hearing Remus groan next to him, he snapped out of his deep thoughts, only to see Remus stretch in his sleep. He remembered their proximity at the cellar of Honeyduke's mere minutes ago. Sirius wished they could've kissed. He wondered what Remus tasted like.

Probably chocolate. Unless he brushed his teeth. In that case, peppermint.

Somewhere between his last coherent thoughts and the earliest rays of the autumn sun, he fell into a fitful, broken sleep.

***

The next day was awful. James kept glancing at Remus and Sirius, worried for the both of them. Remus briefly explained how he'd found Sirius at Honeyduke's, but Sirius didn't look to be in a very agreeable mood. Something told James that Remus' impending transformation was not the only thing bothering him. But there was no time to ask about it.

Sirius himself was too bust fretting over Remus. They took the same lessons, and Sirius refused to move from Remus' side all day. He carried Remus' books for him, held his arm while they walked, kept up a steady supply of fine quality chocolate, and even helped him at Potions.

None of that, or the incessant pain settling into his bones kept Remus from noticing how pale and tired Sirius himself looked.

Peter, oblivious to a large part of their problems, attributed the worry - fest to the full moon that would soon appear.

All four boys went to the Whomping Willow as soon as lessons were over. By now, Remus was sweating, his eyes were dulled with pain, and he could barely talk out of nervousness. Once a month for more than a decade, he had gone through this. But that didn't mean it was any easier.

Sirius looked at James after Remus had gone in. Peter had already started walking back. "I want to go in," Sirius said. James wanted to protest, but Sirius looked so distraught that he couldn't find it in himself to prevent.

"Turn yourself before Remus turns into a wolf, okay? Please be careful, Pads. One werewolf is enough on our plates." James gave a cheeky grin at the end, which spread on to Sirius' face a small, sweet smile.

James watched as his best friend disappeared into the tunnel. He turned back and quickly ran to Peter. "Where did Padfoot go?" He asked, his pale yellow hair glistening golden in the setting sun. James looked back at the tree once more.

"Where do you think?" He laughed. Peter took a while to realise what he meant, and frowned. "Will he be okay?"

"As much as I'd love for Moony to bite our dearest Padfoot, it won't happen tonight." James started walking, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

Peter frowned, confused. "Oh," he whispered when he realised what James was alluding to. His face turned a deep scarlet.

"Yes, Wormtail. Oh. Now come on. I'm starving."

***

Remus was pleasantly surprised when Sirius walked into his room in the Shack. Sirius shrugged as he flopped down on the bed. "Can't go without looking at my face for a couple hours?" Remus asked, turning away from the window where he'd been looking at the road.

"It is quite pretty," Sirius agreed, smiling.

"Pretty? Right." Remus rolled his eyes. He took a piece of chocolate from his pocket, and broke it in two. Sirius took his half, muttering a thanks.

A moment later, he asked, "Don't you believe me?"

"No, not really." Remus laughed. Sirius shrugged. "That's too bad. I think it's very pretty."

"I feel a little emasculated." Remus munched on his chocolate. Sirius burst out laughing. "Please don't be. You're manly enough."

"Just enough?"

"Oh no, very manly. The manliest. As manly as it gets, really." Sirius grinned, earning a smack on the back of his head. "You're an idiot, Pads. A real idiot."