Fic: A Moon In The Life
Title: A Moon In The Life
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Rating: PG
Warnings: none really
Genre(s): Hurt/Comfort I guess
Word Count: 6227
Summary: One moon in the remaining Marauders' lives.
Prompt: yellow/picture
Author's Note: Written for team AU for rs_games a while ago. Betaed by lonestarfruit
James
James walked carefully, one foot in front of the other with the utmost care that no noise would be made. He kept his eyes trained forward, ready to take anything the forest might throw at him. It might not be as dense or dark as the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts but it had its fair share of creepy patches where the trees were too close together for moonlight to beam through and the tree roots coming out of the ground were just as dangerous as the ones back at school.
"I don't see why we were the ones who had to go," Sirius grumbled, kicking aside a rock as he went.
Unfortunately, Sirius wasn't as aware of the dangers as James was. He'd heard the same statement, phrased ten different ways, at least twenty times in the past half hour, along with random stomping, whining and kicking of trees. He honestly didn't know how Remus could live with Sirius and not go insane.
"It's not like they don't know who we are," Sirius went on.
Of course, one could argue that Remus was already insane for having taken up with Sirius in the first place. Honestly, James would have told him to shut up by now, possibly resorting to silencio after the third time Sirius complained, but he was asking the same question himself.
"And still, they send us out to capture a werewolf. A werewolf I ask you!"
This time Sirius was looking at James, probably expecting an answer.
"Shameful," James said absently. He was more focused on the clearing they were approaching. It was just about visible up ahead, flickers of light coming through the trees that were gradually spaced further and further apart. They'd be able to see better once they got there. Of course, they would also be more visible. James lifted his wand and edged forward carefully. He pricked his ears as the barely-there sound of what could be a low growl reached him. James studied the ground before them. It rose slightly, uneven and craggy, before dipping into the clearing. If they were quiet and approached slowly, they might be able to use the height advantage and spot the werewolf before he spotted them.
"We could be chasing criminals, devious minds set upon corrupting the world! But no; no, it makes so much sense to send us-the best friend and the boyfriend of a known werewolf-after another werewolf, in the middle of the forest where he can't hurt anyone anyway, just because someone thought he may have heard a...was that a growl?"
"Nice of you to join us in our mission, Sirius," James said dryly. "Yes, it was a growl. In fact I wonder why we haven't been attacked yet with all the racket you've been making."
Sirius had the good grace to look embarrassed. He raised his own wand and quietly approached the clearing. James contemplated pointing out the leaves stuck in Sirius' hair but another growl kept him silent. The further they moved, the lower the growl’s timbre. By the time they reached the break in the trees, it had reached a level of menace that made James' hair stand on end. Still, he kept his wand hand steady and carefully peeked through the leaves into the clearing.
There was a shocked pause as the two friends stared at the sight before them. There was, indeed, a werewolf baring his teeth at them. But he wasn't moving to attack. He was, in fact, standing perfectly still.
"How long do you think it took before he knew not to move?" Sirius asked, horrified.
"I don't know. I don't...do you think he did this to himself?"
The werewolf was bound to a tree. Shackles of silver were fit around his neck and hind legs, connected to a chain that was wrapped around the tree. James and Sirius had seen Remus try one thing after another to keep everyone safe when they were unable to join him on the full moon but he hadn't done anything like this, if only because Sirius had a fit the one time he suggested it.
The arguments Remus used to try to convince Sirius came rushing to James' ears. James knew that the fur would protect a werewolf from silver, so long as it didn't come into contact with his skin. He knew that if he kept perfectly still, he wouldn't be harmed by the shackles. The way this one was shackled, any move would cause the silver to be pressed against him.
James couldn't imagine anyone letting someone do this to them.
Sirius still hadn't responded to James' question. James was about to scold him for drifting off again but when he turned around to do so, safe in the knowledge that the werewolf couldn't reach them, he saw unmitigated horror on Sirius' face.
"Remus was going to...fuck," Sirius whispered, eyes still trained on the shackled werewolf.
"Come on," James said, suddenly very tired, "we'll wait until morning and talk to him then."
He expected Sirius to protest, demand that they leave and come back once the sun was already shining. Remus always came first with Sirius and if there was a chance they could be there for tonight...but there was no reply. He turned to Sirius once more.
"Yeah..." Sirius replied belatedly, barely able to take his eyes off the creature.
They settled down at the very edge of the clearing at the root of a tree, where they could see both the werewolf and the surrounding area. The war had mad James wary of surprise attacks and he wanted to be able to see the whole clearing. The werewolf remained perfectly still, watching them with singular intensity, his lip curled into the growl, revealing sharp incisors. The longer they sat there, unmoving, the more the growl subsided until the teeth were finally covered again.
By the time the moon set, James had reached the zen phase of staking. His eyes were tracking the target, his body was ready to respond at a moment's notice, but he was relaxed, taking deep breaths and focusing on nothing in particular.
That was when it started: the awful howling that snapped both Sirius and James out of their zone.
"What the hell?" James asked, scrabbling to his feet.
"It's the moon," Sirius pointed out. His eyes never left the werewolf as it stretched and contorted, hissing when the clearly inadvertent movements brought his skin in contact with the silver. As the last sliver of the moon disappeared over the horizon, the shackles loosened and dropped, leaving a human lying in their midst.
James and Sirius just stood there, staring at the man, until, with a pained moan, he pulled himself to a sitting position. The moment he set eyes on them, their auror badges pinned to their robes, he panicked.
"I didn't hurt anyone!" he protested, scrambling back towards the tree. Away from them. He was almost painfully thin, James noted, the silver wounds starkly red against his pale skin.
James stepped forward but the man shrank back, pressing against the bark.
"Did I?" he asked, and James could just about see the horror that flooded him at the thought.
James couldn't seem to get any words out; he could only lift his hand in a useless gesture.
"You didn't hurt anyone," Sirius affirmed, in the quiet, gentle voice he only used for Harry, and for Remus after the full moon. "People heard the howling and we were sent to investigate."
As he talked, Sirius slowly approached the man. His wand was aimed at the ground, though James knew how fast it could move if the man threatened them. No threats were forthcoming however. The man simply leaned back against the tree and exhaled. Finally snapping out of his own head, James followed close behind Sirius. The closer they got, the clearer James could see the scars around the werewolf's wrists and neck.
"What's your name?" Sirius asked. James wondered when Sirius had taken charge of the mission. He was probably more used to this than James, who helped Remus every full moon but couldn't abandon his family to nurse him back to health after it.
"Robert."
His voice broke and it was only then that James realised this wasn't a man. It was a teenager, no older than seventeen. His step faltered. He knew, of course, that people could get bitten when they were young, but other than Remus the only werewolves he'd seen were older men and women, bitten on a mission or for revenge. He'd only been a child himself when they found out about Remus. Now that he was older, now that he could truly understand how damn young this child was...It terrified him. He had to fight the urge to apparate to his parents' and check on Harry.
"I'm Sirius, this is James," Sirius was saying. "We're here to help."
The boy's grimace showed clearly how much he believed them.
"You'll take me to the Ministry," he said, more in resignation than accusation.
"We'll take you to St. Mungo’s first," James replied. The kid needed help before getting through the registration procedure.
Robert reared back at that and James received a glare from Sirius.
"You'll get help," Sirius took over again. "I have a friend there, his name's Remus. He's like you."
"He's a werewolf?"
James nodded in tandem with Sirius.
"A-and they didn't kill him?"
"Why would they kill him?"
Sirius' tone was mild.
"He's like me," Robert whispered, head downcast.
"Who told you they kill werewolves?"
It was James who asked the question. Sirius was too busy trying to keep hold of his temper. If there was one thing guaranteed to get Sirius to lose it, it was werewolf issues. Remus himself was less indignant about the situation than Sirius, who would yell at anyone who dared insinuate anything about Remus.
"Fenrir." The whisper was barely audible now. "He cast me out, because I can't...I didn't want to bite her, she was only a baby," Robert's voice rose as he spoke, "and he said, if the Ministry catch me..."
Yeah, that should do it, James thought as, right on cue, Sirius practically roared and stalked away. Robert looked frightened again and this time it was James' turn to fix things.
"Don't mind him," he said with a practiced eye roll. Sirius and James always could play off each other, even when there was no actual plan involved. "Remus says he has compulsion issues," it was good to remind the boy that they were friends with a werewolf, "as in, he can't stop himself from throwing a tantrum."
"Why's he screaming at the heavens?"
James sat down next to the boy so they could both watch Sirius rant. This was 'good auror, bad auror' gone Black. To his credit, Robert only moved a little away.
"He's been trying to catch Fenrir Greyback since we were your age," James explained. "He was the one who bit Remus and Sirius is a little overprotective."
"Oh."
"You should see him when his godson gets a scrape. He once cursed the swing set when Harry fell off and skinned his knee."
There, that should make Sirius funny enough for the kid to relax. And James didn't even have to lie. They watched for a few more moments.
"How did you get the chains on?" James asked casually.
Robert tensed, but Sirius chose that moment to stupefy a hedge and he relaxed almost immediately.
"It's a simple charm. My mum taught it to me before...I was going to Hogwarts and I wanted to be sure I'd wake up on time. So, time delay charm, to have the bed tilt me out if I didn't hear the alarm." He never took his eyes off Sirius, though there was a wistful smile gracing his features. "I never got to use it like that."
"Well, it was creative using it like this," James pointed out. "Our Remus would be proud. A little unimpressed with the silver, though."
This got the boy to look at him. His eyes were wide and a rather boring brown, James thought. He'd almost expected the amber flecks Remus' own eyes had, as if that was an indication of the beast within. He'd said as much once and Remus had nearly fallen off his chair, laughing. Apparently all the Lupins had that colour eyes.
"It was the only way I could be sure!"
"I know, I know," James reached out a hand, gently placed it on the Robert's shoulder. "You shouldn't have had to do that though. And that's another reason why my dear friend is yelling. I should get him to stop before the clearing grows to twice its size," he sighed. "Sirius, come on we have to go," he said, loud enough for Sirius to hear.
The swearing immediately stopped, though it took a few steadying breaths before Sirius could calm down enough to walk over to them. When he arrived he had a smile firmly pasted on his face.
"Shall we then?" he asked, ever the gentleman.
"He'll buy you ice cream next, Harry always gets ice cream," James muttered to Robert.
Robert smiled and James had to congratulate himself and Sirius once again for their cunning plan. Or rather, their cunning non-plan.
Remus
It took him some time to realise the moon had set. He'd grown too soft; too used to having Sirius, James and Peter around and now it took longer to wake up when he was alone. Remus lay perfectly still on his back and tried to catalogue the aches and pains. His arm was broken, he determined, thankfully not his right arm, he'd still be able to apparate to the hospital. It was always worse when he lost the use of his wand arm, he'd have to depend on someone to take him and there wasn't always someone there. Not anymore.
Sirius, James and Peter. Except now it was Sirius and James; Lily if she wasn't pregnant and if she could get someone to mind Harry. It'd been two years since they'd found out about Peter's treachery and still Remus thought he could ask him for things. The night before he'd very nearly said 'Don't worry, Pete will take me to the hospital in the morning'. He'd started out the sentence and then had to suddenly make up an ending.
"Don't worry, p-perhaps it won't be so bad."
Sirius had scoffed and James had looked at him in that odd, perceptive way he did sometimes when he understood something you didn't expect him to. He'd proceeded to distract Sirius and drag him off on their mission, for which Remus was grateful. He couldn't fool Sirius for long. James had been the best way to get him out before Remus had to lock himself in the basement.
He tried to move again, but his stomach rebelled and he gave it up as a lost cause. Maybe in five more minutes. His ankle felt sprained, he decided, and there was a wet feeling on his left thigh which probably meant he'd slashed himself again.
When they'd bought the house, Sirius had sworn Remus would spent as little time in the basement as possible. Remus had been grateful for the promise, but with James and Sirius being partners he knew there'd be times when he would be left alone on the full moon. Lily wasn't an animagus and even if she had been, Harry and now Helena needed her. Knowing that, Remus had ignored Sirius' complaints, sulking and pouting and werewolf-proofed the basement immediately. He put a high shelf for his wand and clothes and bars on the high window that looked out in the garden. He put padding charms on the walls so that at least he wouldn't hurt himself banging on the bricks. The room wasn't cheerful by any means but at least it was functional.
One more attempt and this time he managed to sit up without retching. His thigh was indeed bleeding and his ankle had swollen to twice its regular size. There were scratches all over his chest but thankfully, no other teeth marks. He'd be in and out this time, no need for anything other than a dose of skelegro and a good healing charm.
The part he hated the most about being alone wasn't the day after the moon, it was the afternoon before. Sitting in the basement, naked and always feeling exposed while he waited for the moon to rise and the beast to emerge. Being hurt and trying to gather the stregth to reach hospital, that was something everyone had felt in the war. At least in that he wasn't alone.
The wand was easy to reach with human arms, all he had to do was stretch up and feel along the shelf until his hand closed around the wood. Now that there was no one to see, he winced freely as he felt his muscles pull and strain, the throb on his thigh growing hot until he finally found his wand. After that, all he had to do was accio his robe and do a small healing charm so his wounds wouldn't tear even more open as he apparated.
He wondered how Sirius was doing. It must be a drawn out thing if he hadn't come yet. Even on the nights he was absent, Sirius would arrive with the sunrise more often than not. Remus refused to even entertain the idea that Sirius could be hurt. He needed to know Sirius was alright because if he let himself doubt, for even a moment, he would stay in the basement and never move again. Over-dramatic, yes, but Sirius was the kind of man who inspired Remus to such declarations, even if he never said them out loud. The last thing Sirius Black needed was an ego boost.
Sirius was fine and Remus had to get to the hospital, otherwise he'd never hear the end of it.
In the end, the apparition didn't jar him too much and his regular doctor was on call so he was treated with a modicum of care.
Unregistered werewolves were not allowed anywhere near the main floors of the hospital. After their evaluation and if they were classed as 'non-threatening when in human form', then they would be entitled to care, just like everyone else. Remus had been lucky enough to merit that class, seeing as he'd been a bona fide war hero. Even then any healing was delivered grudgingly by most doctors. Sirius used to come with Remus when he needed help but he had heard the comments they made at Remus' face, about sub-humans and child molesters. Remus had stayed calm through the return insults and the classic Black threats but after the assault charge he banned Sirius from the examination room. Sirius had turned around and promptly bribed the Hostpital Board into assigning one of the few non-prejudiced doctors to Remus. He may have abdicated the Black throne, but he was still a Black and what a Black wanted, a Black got.
Healed and free for the day, Remus did the only thing he wanted to do, other than see Sirius. He went to pick up Harry. The little boy was the one person who could make all of them smile just by being there.
Harry was in his usual state. Despite his grandmother's determined attention, he still looked a bit of a mess. He was the spitting image of his father, complete with the dishevelment that followed James around like flies on a horse. Harry seemed biologically unable to stand still and he ended up in some kind of trouble more often than not. Even now, as he run towards Remus, the hem of his robes had mud splattered on it and there was a broken toy wand clutched in his tiny fist.
Within the first five minutes Remus heard all about Lily having a baby and Harry's thoughts on the baby's name. Remus found out that Harry was distinctly unimpressed at not being allowed to touch his baby sister. Apparently she was in a 'special room where only mummies are allowed to go'. Remus kept his amusement private at the affronted look Harry was sporting. Despite the startling resemblance to James, Harry's expressions always reminded Remus of Lily. He hoped James was smart enough to keep Harry away from his sister for a little while yet. Harry was a good little boy but he did drop things that bored him and really, how interesting was a newborn when you came down to it?
Sirius
By the time they took Robert's official witness statement, got him treated and registered, it was nearly noon. They had to take Robert's official statement, get him treated and register him with the Ministry. Sirius' mind raced through ways to help the kid as they went through the motions, even as he worried about Remus dealing with the full moon aftermath by himself. He wanted to go see for himself that Remus was fine but he owed it to Robert to do his best by him and so he would.
"Look, Susan, you know I'll get my way in the end so why don't you just give in now and sign the damn form," he said with as much patience as he could gather after the day he'd had. After three years as an auror, you’d think Social Services would know better than to argue with him.
Susan glared at him but Sirius stood his ground. Susan always glared at him, but she also always gave in.
"I just want to make sure the kid's okay, you know that, so let me have visitation rights and we'll call it closed! It's only one year and it's not like anybody cares enough to object!"
"Yes, fine but you know the rules, Black, he stays at the Ministry for the full moon and you can't get him a wand without proper training first."
"Yeah, yeah," Sirius replied but still he was smiling as he leaned back and closed the connection.
"Can we go now?" James demanded, the moment the floo was shut.
"Sure," Sirius shrugged. He stretched up to relieve the kinks in his back then promptly apparated away. If he knew Remus half as well as he thought he did, he knew he'd find him staring at Helena with Harry as company.
"I knew I'd find you here," he said the moment he caught sight of Remus, looking calmly at Helena. And sure enough there was Harry, nose sticking to the glass partition.
Remus startled then smiled at him. Sirius always swore he'd never get tired of that smile. He took stock of Remus' stance, taking in the slight tilt towards the left, the way he held his arm close to his body, the tell tale smear of chocolate on his shirt collar. It hadn't been good, Sirius surmised, but then it hadn't been unbearable either. He'd have to check more thoroughly later but for now it was enough to know that Remus was mostly okay.
"Hello," Remus said mildly, dragging Sirius' attention back to his face.
Sirius mirrored his smile and kissed Remus quickly before Harry could turn around and see them.
"I take it the mission was a success then?"
The smile fell right off Sirius' face. He launched into a whispered explanation of what had happened, only stopping when Harry demanded his attention. Once his godson was sufficiently distracted, Sirius picked up the story again.
"He had silver shackles around his neck and feet," Sirius said, the horror still with him, "and he'd put them there himself. Because he didn't know how else to stop himself hurting anyone. And he'd used a charm, Remus, James said his mother had taught him a time spell for when he got to Hogwarts."
"You brought him here, then?" Remus asked.
Sirius hated that Remus had to ask. He hated that no matter how many times they helped a werewolf, Remus always had a second of uncertainty about their reactions. That second was what Peter had built upon when he'd tried to convince Sirius that Remus was a spy. That damn second had very nearly ruined all their lives and Sirius couldn't even blame Remus for it because he couldn't help himself any more than Sirius could stop being a Black.
"We got him help, of course we did," Sirius replied, unable to keep the hint of reproach from his voice, "we wouldn't leave him like that. Bloody Ministry and their bloody procedures. I'll check on him tomorrow."
"I know you will," Remus smiled again but this one was tinged with sadness. Sirius was suddenly very frustrated at the world. How the hell were they supposed to make things better when nobody let them? They'd fought a war for a better place. Where the hell was it, then? Where was the place where he could finally live in peace with Remus, without worrying about what would come hurtling at them next?
"He's only a boy, barely sixteen. He should have been in school," Sirius said.
He felt Remus pull him close and relaxed into the embrace, letting his lover calm him down with soothing words. Remus' scent, somehow woody even though he'd spent the moon in a cage, calmed him down as much as his words did. They couldn't help everyone but they could help this one person and Remus himself would make sure Robert got his OWLs. That would have to do for today.
"She's not doing anything," Harry suddenly complained.
Sirius stepped back to look at Harry and couldn't help but smile. His godson was absolutely adorable, even if he was dressed like a Hufflepuff today. He would have to have words with Mrs Potter, he decided, she was already trying to influence the sorting by making Harry like yellow. Sirius automatically reached out to straighten Harry's glasses and push his hair off his face. Harry could stand perfectly still and still somehow get dishevelled.
"She's only little," Remus said, "she'll grow up to play with you soon enough."
Harry didn't look convinced.
"I promise, poppet," Sirius added, grinning down at Harry. He'd make sure Harry got a stuffed lion for his birthday. That should score a point for Gryffindor.
"We'll see," Harry said distrustfully.
He sounded exactly like his mother after James protested innocence over a prank. Sirius looked at Remus who must have had exactly the same thought because he was grinning like a loon. He leaned in for a second kiss but unfortunately for them, Harry caught them at it.
"Hey! Stop that!"
Oh dear God in heaven save him from five-year-olds with an aversion to kissing. Sirius sighed and leaned his forehead against Remus'. It had been amusing at first, having Harry be the kissing police, but now all he wanted to do was kiss his boyfriend and not have one of his godson's constant ‘Stop that!’s.
"Harry, I love you like a son but please, please let me kiss my Remus."
"No," Harry said firmly.
At first he thought the answering snicker came from Remus but no, he just looked amused. Remus knew better than to laugh when Sirius was trying to sneak a kiss. His gaze moved further down the corridor. It looked like James had decided to visit his daughter and he, apparently, did not know better.
"Hey, Harry, there's your dad. Why don't you go tell him all about what Helena did while you were watching," Sirius said, with no small amount of glee as Harry was already launching himself at his father, full of complaints about how his little sister didn't do anything but lie there.
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Rating: PG
Warnings: none really
Genre(s): Hurt/Comfort I guess
Word Count: 6227
Summary: One moon in the remaining Marauders' lives.
Prompt: yellow/picture
Author's Note: Written for team AU for rs_games a while ago. Betaed by lonestarfruit
James
James walked carefully, one foot in front of the other with the utmost care that no noise would be made. He kept his eyes trained forward, ready to take anything the forest might throw at him. It might not be as dense or dark as the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts but it had its fair share of creepy patches where the trees were too close together for moonlight to beam through and the tree roots coming out of the ground were just as dangerous as the ones back at school.
"I don't see why we were the ones who had to go," Sirius grumbled, kicking aside a rock as he went.
Unfortunately, Sirius wasn't as aware of the dangers as James was. He'd heard the same statement, phrased ten different ways, at least twenty times in the past half hour, along with random stomping, whining and kicking of trees. He honestly didn't know how Remus could live with Sirius and not go insane.
"It's not like they don't know who we are," Sirius went on.
Of course, one could argue that Remus was already insane for having taken up with Sirius in the first place. Honestly, James would have told him to shut up by now, possibly resorting to silencio after the third time Sirius complained, but he was asking the same question himself.
"And still, they send us out to capture a werewolf. A werewolf I ask you!"
This time Sirius was looking at James, probably expecting an answer.
"Shameful," James said absently. He was more focused on the clearing they were approaching. It was just about visible up ahead, flickers of light coming through the trees that were gradually spaced further and further apart. They'd be able to see better once they got there. Of course, they would also be more visible. James lifted his wand and edged forward carefully. He pricked his ears as the barely-there sound of what could be a low growl reached him. James studied the ground before them. It rose slightly, uneven and craggy, before dipping into the clearing. If they were quiet and approached slowly, they might be able to use the height advantage and spot the werewolf before he spotted them.
"We could be chasing criminals, devious minds set upon corrupting the world! But no; no, it makes so much sense to send us-the best friend and the boyfriend of a known werewolf-after another werewolf, in the middle of the forest where he can't hurt anyone anyway, just because someone thought he may have heard a...was that a growl?"
"Nice of you to join us in our mission, Sirius," James said dryly. "Yes, it was a growl. In fact I wonder why we haven't been attacked yet with all the racket you've been making."
Sirius had the good grace to look embarrassed. He raised his own wand and quietly approached the clearing. James contemplated pointing out the leaves stuck in Sirius' hair but another growl kept him silent. The further they moved, the lower the growl’s timbre. By the time they reached the break in the trees, it had reached a level of menace that made James' hair stand on end. Still, he kept his wand hand steady and carefully peeked through the leaves into the clearing.
There was a shocked pause as the two friends stared at the sight before them. There was, indeed, a werewolf baring his teeth at them. But he wasn't moving to attack. He was, in fact, standing perfectly still.
"How long do you think it took before he knew not to move?" Sirius asked, horrified.
"I don't know. I don't...do you think he did this to himself?"
The werewolf was bound to a tree. Shackles of silver were fit around his neck and hind legs, connected to a chain that was wrapped around the tree. James and Sirius had seen Remus try one thing after another to keep everyone safe when they were unable to join him on the full moon but he hadn't done anything like this, if only because Sirius had a fit the one time he suggested it.
The arguments Remus used to try to convince Sirius came rushing to James' ears. James knew that the fur would protect a werewolf from silver, so long as it didn't come into contact with his skin. He knew that if he kept perfectly still, he wouldn't be harmed by the shackles. The way this one was shackled, any move would cause the silver to be pressed against him.
James couldn't imagine anyone letting someone do this to them.
Sirius still hadn't responded to James' question. James was about to scold him for drifting off again but when he turned around to do so, safe in the knowledge that the werewolf couldn't reach them, he saw unmitigated horror on Sirius' face.
"Remus was going to...fuck," Sirius whispered, eyes still trained on the shackled werewolf.
"Come on," James said, suddenly very tired, "we'll wait until morning and talk to him then."
He expected Sirius to protest, demand that they leave and come back once the sun was already shining. Remus always came first with Sirius and if there was a chance they could be there for tonight...but there was no reply. He turned to Sirius once more.
"Yeah..." Sirius replied belatedly, barely able to take his eyes off the creature.
They settled down at the very edge of the clearing at the root of a tree, where they could see both the werewolf and the surrounding area. The war had mad James wary of surprise attacks and he wanted to be able to see the whole clearing. The werewolf remained perfectly still, watching them with singular intensity, his lip curled into the growl, revealing sharp incisors. The longer they sat there, unmoving, the more the growl subsided until the teeth were finally covered again.
By the time the moon set, James had reached the zen phase of staking. His eyes were tracking the target, his body was ready to respond at a moment's notice, but he was relaxed, taking deep breaths and focusing on nothing in particular.
That was when it started: the awful howling that snapped both Sirius and James out of their zone.
"What the hell?" James asked, scrabbling to his feet.
"It's the moon," Sirius pointed out. His eyes never left the werewolf as it stretched and contorted, hissing when the clearly inadvertent movements brought his skin in contact with the silver. As the last sliver of the moon disappeared over the horizon, the shackles loosened and dropped, leaving a human lying in their midst.
James and Sirius just stood there, staring at the man, until, with a pained moan, he pulled himself to a sitting position. The moment he set eyes on them, their auror badges pinned to their robes, he panicked.
"I didn't hurt anyone!" he protested, scrambling back towards the tree. Away from them. He was almost painfully thin, James noted, the silver wounds starkly red against his pale skin.
James stepped forward but the man shrank back, pressing against the bark.
"Did I?" he asked, and James could just about see the horror that flooded him at the thought.
James couldn't seem to get any words out; he could only lift his hand in a useless gesture.
"You didn't hurt anyone," Sirius affirmed, in the quiet, gentle voice he only used for Harry, and for Remus after the full moon. "People heard the howling and we were sent to investigate."
As he talked, Sirius slowly approached the man. His wand was aimed at the ground, though James knew how fast it could move if the man threatened them. No threats were forthcoming however. The man simply leaned back against the tree and exhaled. Finally snapping out of his own head, James followed close behind Sirius. The closer they got, the clearer James could see the scars around the werewolf's wrists and neck.
"What's your name?" Sirius asked. James wondered when Sirius had taken charge of the mission. He was probably more used to this than James, who helped Remus every full moon but couldn't abandon his family to nurse him back to health after it.
"Robert."
His voice broke and it was only then that James realised this wasn't a man. It was a teenager, no older than seventeen. His step faltered. He knew, of course, that people could get bitten when they were young, but other than Remus the only werewolves he'd seen were older men and women, bitten on a mission or for revenge. He'd only been a child himself when they found out about Remus. Now that he was older, now that he could truly understand how damn young this child was...It terrified him. He had to fight the urge to apparate to his parents' and check on Harry.
"I'm Sirius, this is James," Sirius was saying. "We're here to help."
The boy's grimace showed clearly how much he believed them.
"You'll take me to the Ministry," he said, more in resignation than accusation.
"We'll take you to St. Mungo’s first," James replied. The kid needed help before getting through the registration procedure.
Robert reared back at that and James received a glare from Sirius.
"You'll get help," Sirius took over again. "I have a friend there, his name's Remus. He's like you."
"He's a werewolf?"
James nodded in tandem with Sirius.
"A-and they didn't kill him?"
"Why would they kill him?"
Sirius' tone was mild.
"He's like me," Robert whispered, head downcast.
"Who told you they kill werewolves?"
It was James who asked the question. Sirius was too busy trying to keep hold of his temper. If there was one thing guaranteed to get Sirius to lose it, it was werewolf issues. Remus himself was less indignant about the situation than Sirius, who would yell at anyone who dared insinuate anything about Remus.
"Fenrir." The whisper was barely audible now. "He cast me out, because I can't...I didn't want to bite her, she was only a baby," Robert's voice rose as he spoke, "and he said, if the Ministry catch me..."
Yeah, that should do it, James thought as, right on cue, Sirius practically roared and stalked away. Robert looked frightened again and this time it was James' turn to fix things.
"Don't mind him," he said with a practiced eye roll. Sirius and James always could play off each other, even when there was no actual plan involved. "Remus says he has compulsion issues," it was good to remind the boy that they were friends with a werewolf, "as in, he can't stop himself from throwing a tantrum."
"Why's he screaming at the heavens?"
James sat down next to the boy so they could both watch Sirius rant. This was 'good auror, bad auror' gone Black. To his credit, Robert only moved a little away.
"He's been trying to catch Fenrir Greyback since we were your age," James explained. "He was the one who bit Remus and Sirius is a little overprotective."
"Oh."
"You should see him when his godson gets a scrape. He once cursed the swing set when Harry fell off and skinned his knee."
There, that should make Sirius funny enough for the kid to relax. And James didn't even have to lie. They watched for a few more moments.
"How did you get the chains on?" James asked casually.
Robert tensed, but Sirius chose that moment to stupefy a hedge and he relaxed almost immediately.
"It's a simple charm. My mum taught it to me before...I was going to Hogwarts and I wanted to be sure I'd wake up on time. So, time delay charm, to have the bed tilt me out if I didn't hear the alarm." He never took his eyes off Sirius, though there was a wistful smile gracing his features. "I never got to use it like that."
"Well, it was creative using it like this," James pointed out. "Our Remus would be proud. A little unimpressed with the silver, though."
This got the boy to look at him. His eyes were wide and a rather boring brown, James thought. He'd almost expected the amber flecks Remus' own eyes had, as if that was an indication of the beast within. He'd said as much once and Remus had nearly fallen off his chair, laughing. Apparently all the Lupins had that colour eyes.
"It was the only way I could be sure!"
"I know, I know," James reached out a hand, gently placed it on the Robert's shoulder. "You shouldn't have had to do that though. And that's another reason why my dear friend is yelling. I should get him to stop before the clearing grows to twice its size," he sighed. "Sirius, come on we have to go," he said, loud enough for Sirius to hear.
The swearing immediately stopped, though it took a few steadying breaths before Sirius could calm down enough to walk over to them. When he arrived he had a smile firmly pasted on his face.
"Shall we then?" he asked, ever the gentleman.
"He'll buy you ice cream next, Harry always gets ice cream," James muttered to Robert.
Robert smiled and James had to congratulate himself and Sirius once again for their cunning plan. Or rather, their cunning non-plan.
Remus
It took him some time to realise the moon had set. He'd grown too soft; too used to having Sirius, James and Peter around and now it took longer to wake up when he was alone. Remus lay perfectly still on his back and tried to catalogue the aches and pains. His arm was broken, he determined, thankfully not his right arm, he'd still be able to apparate to the hospital. It was always worse when he lost the use of his wand arm, he'd have to depend on someone to take him and there wasn't always someone there. Not anymore.
Sirius, James and Peter. Except now it was Sirius and James; Lily if she wasn't pregnant and if she could get someone to mind Harry. It'd been two years since they'd found out about Peter's treachery and still Remus thought he could ask him for things. The night before he'd very nearly said 'Don't worry, Pete will take me to the hospital in the morning'. He'd started out the sentence and then had to suddenly make up an ending.
"Don't worry, p-perhaps it won't be so bad."
Sirius had scoffed and James had looked at him in that odd, perceptive way he did sometimes when he understood something you didn't expect him to. He'd proceeded to distract Sirius and drag him off on their mission, for which Remus was grateful. He couldn't fool Sirius for long. James had been the best way to get him out before Remus had to lock himself in the basement.
He tried to move again, but his stomach rebelled and he gave it up as a lost cause. Maybe in five more minutes. His ankle felt sprained, he decided, and there was a wet feeling on his left thigh which probably meant he'd slashed himself again.
When they'd bought the house, Sirius had sworn Remus would spent as little time in the basement as possible. Remus had been grateful for the promise, but with James and Sirius being partners he knew there'd be times when he would be left alone on the full moon. Lily wasn't an animagus and even if she had been, Harry and now Helena needed her. Knowing that, Remus had ignored Sirius' complaints, sulking and pouting and werewolf-proofed the basement immediately. He put a high shelf for his wand and clothes and bars on the high window that looked out in the garden. He put padding charms on the walls so that at least he wouldn't hurt himself banging on the bricks. The room wasn't cheerful by any means but at least it was functional.
One more attempt and this time he managed to sit up without retching. His thigh was indeed bleeding and his ankle had swollen to twice its regular size. There were scratches all over his chest but thankfully, no other teeth marks. He'd be in and out this time, no need for anything other than a dose of skelegro and a good healing charm.
The part he hated the most about being alone wasn't the day after the moon, it was the afternoon before. Sitting in the basement, naked and always feeling exposed while he waited for the moon to rise and the beast to emerge. Being hurt and trying to gather the stregth to reach hospital, that was something everyone had felt in the war. At least in that he wasn't alone.
The wand was easy to reach with human arms, all he had to do was stretch up and feel along the shelf until his hand closed around the wood. Now that there was no one to see, he winced freely as he felt his muscles pull and strain, the throb on his thigh growing hot until he finally found his wand. After that, all he had to do was accio his robe and do a small healing charm so his wounds wouldn't tear even more open as he apparated.
He wondered how Sirius was doing. It must be a drawn out thing if he hadn't come yet. Even on the nights he was absent, Sirius would arrive with the sunrise more often than not. Remus refused to even entertain the idea that Sirius could be hurt. He needed to know Sirius was alright because if he let himself doubt, for even a moment, he would stay in the basement and never move again. Over-dramatic, yes, but Sirius was the kind of man who inspired Remus to such declarations, even if he never said them out loud. The last thing Sirius Black needed was an ego boost.
Sirius was fine and Remus had to get to the hospital, otherwise he'd never hear the end of it.
In the end, the apparition didn't jar him too much and his regular doctor was on call so he was treated with a modicum of care.
Unregistered werewolves were not allowed anywhere near the main floors of the hospital. After their evaluation and if they were classed as 'non-threatening when in human form', then they would be entitled to care, just like everyone else. Remus had been lucky enough to merit that class, seeing as he'd been a bona fide war hero. Even then any healing was delivered grudgingly by most doctors. Sirius used to come with Remus when he needed help but he had heard the comments they made at Remus' face, about sub-humans and child molesters. Remus had stayed calm through the return insults and the classic Black threats but after the assault charge he banned Sirius from the examination room. Sirius had turned around and promptly bribed the Hostpital Board into assigning one of the few non-prejudiced doctors to Remus. He may have abdicated the Black throne, but he was still a Black and what a Black wanted, a Black got.
Healed and free for the day, Remus did the only thing he wanted to do, other than see Sirius. He went to pick up Harry. The little boy was the one person who could make all of them smile just by being there.
Harry was in his usual state. Despite his grandmother's determined attention, he still looked a bit of a mess. He was the spitting image of his father, complete with the dishevelment that followed James around like flies on a horse. Harry seemed biologically unable to stand still and he ended up in some kind of trouble more often than not. Even now, as he run towards Remus, the hem of his robes had mud splattered on it and there was a broken toy wand clutched in his tiny fist.
Within the first five minutes Remus heard all about Lily having a baby and Harry's thoughts on the baby's name. Remus found out that Harry was distinctly unimpressed at not being allowed to touch his baby sister. Apparently she was in a 'special room where only mummies are allowed to go'. Remus kept his amusement private at the affronted look Harry was sporting. Despite the startling resemblance to James, Harry's expressions always reminded Remus of Lily. He hoped James was smart enough to keep Harry away from his sister for a little while yet. Harry was a good little boy but he did drop things that bored him and really, how interesting was a newborn when you came down to it?
Sirius
By the time they took Robert's official witness statement, got him treated and registered, it was nearly noon. They had to take Robert's official statement, get him treated and register him with the Ministry. Sirius' mind raced through ways to help the kid as they went through the motions, even as he worried about Remus dealing with the full moon aftermath by himself. He wanted to go see for himself that Remus was fine but he owed it to Robert to do his best by him and so he would.
"Look, Susan, you know I'll get my way in the end so why don't you just give in now and sign the damn form," he said with as much patience as he could gather after the day he'd had. After three years as an auror, you’d think Social Services would know better than to argue with him.
Susan glared at him but Sirius stood his ground. Susan always glared at him, but she also always gave in.
"I just want to make sure the kid's okay, you know that, so let me have visitation rights and we'll call it closed! It's only one year and it's not like anybody cares enough to object!"
"Yes, fine but you know the rules, Black, he stays at the Ministry for the full moon and you can't get him a wand without proper training first."
"Yeah, yeah," Sirius replied but still he was smiling as he leaned back and closed the connection.
"Can we go now?" James demanded, the moment the floo was shut.
"Sure," Sirius shrugged. He stretched up to relieve the kinks in his back then promptly apparated away. If he knew Remus half as well as he thought he did, he knew he'd find him staring at Helena with Harry as company.
"I knew I'd find you here," he said the moment he caught sight of Remus, looking calmly at Helena. And sure enough there was Harry, nose sticking to the glass partition.
Remus startled then smiled at him. Sirius always swore he'd never get tired of that smile. He took stock of Remus' stance, taking in the slight tilt towards the left, the way he held his arm close to his body, the tell tale smear of chocolate on his shirt collar. It hadn't been good, Sirius surmised, but then it hadn't been unbearable either. He'd have to check more thoroughly later but for now it was enough to know that Remus was mostly okay.
"Hello," Remus said mildly, dragging Sirius' attention back to his face.
Sirius mirrored his smile and kissed Remus quickly before Harry could turn around and see them.
"I take it the mission was a success then?"
The smile fell right off Sirius' face. He launched into a whispered explanation of what had happened, only stopping when Harry demanded his attention. Once his godson was sufficiently distracted, Sirius picked up the story again.
"He had silver shackles around his neck and feet," Sirius said, the horror still with him, "and he'd put them there himself. Because he didn't know how else to stop himself hurting anyone. And he'd used a charm, Remus, James said his mother had taught him a time spell for when he got to Hogwarts."
"You brought him here, then?" Remus asked.
Sirius hated that Remus had to ask. He hated that no matter how many times they helped a werewolf, Remus always had a second of uncertainty about their reactions. That second was what Peter had built upon when he'd tried to convince Sirius that Remus was a spy. That damn second had very nearly ruined all their lives and Sirius couldn't even blame Remus for it because he couldn't help himself any more than Sirius could stop being a Black.
"We got him help, of course we did," Sirius replied, unable to keep the hint of reproach from his voice, "we wouldn't leave him like that. Bloody Ministry and their bloody procedures. I'll check on him tomorrow."
"I know you will," Remus smiled again but this one was tinged with sadness. Sirius was suddenly very frustrated at the world. How the hell were they supposed to make things better when nobody let them? They'd fought a war for a better place. Where the hell was it, then? Where was the place where he could finally live in peace with Remus, without worrying about what would come hurtling at them next?
"He's only a boy, barely sixteen. He should have been in school," Sirius said.
He felt Remus pull him close and relaxed into the embrace, letting his lover calm him down with soothing words. Remus' scent, somehow woody even though he'd spent the moon in a cage, calmed him down as much as his words did. They couldn't help everyone but they could help this one person and Remus himself would make sure Robert got his OWLs. That would have to do for today.
"She's not doing anything," Harry suddenly complained.
Sirius stepped back to look at Harry and couldn't help but smile. His godson was absolutely adorable, even if he was dressed like a Hufflepuff today. He would have to have words with Mrs Potter, he decided, she was already trying to influence the sorting by making Harry like yellow. Sirius automatically reached out to straighten Harry's glasses and push his hair off his face. Harry could stand perfectly still and still somehow get dishevelled.
"She's only little," Remus said, "she'll grow up to play with you soon enough."
Harry didn't look convinced.
"I promise, poppet," Sirius added, grinning down at Harry. He'd make sure Harry got a stuffed lion for his birthday. That should score a point for Gryffindor.
"We'll see," Harry said distrustfully.
He sounded exactly like his mother after James protested innocence over a prank. Sirius looked at Remus who must have had exactly the same thought because he was grinning like a loon. He leaned in for a second kiss but unfortunately for them, Harry caught them at it.
"Hey! Stop that!"
Oh dear God in heaven save him from five-year-olds with an aversion to kissing. Sirius sighed and leaned his forehead against Remus'. It had been amusing at first, having Harry be the kissing police, but now all he wanted to do was kiss his boyfriend and not have one of his godson's constant ‘Stop that!’s.
"Harry, I love you like a son but please, please let me kiss my Remus."
"No," Harry said firmly.
At first he thought the answering snicker came from Remus but no, he just looked amused. Remus knew better than to laugh when Sirius was trying to sneak a kiss. His gaze moved further down the corridor. It looked like James had decided to visit his daughter and he, apparently, did not know better.
"Hey, Harry, there's your dad. Why don't you go tell him all about what Helena did while you were watching," Sirius said, with no small amount of glee as Harry was already launching himself at his father, full of complaints about how his little sister didn't do anything but lie there.