It’s dark in the room of requirements. The only light source is a fake moon in the middle of the ceiling that illuminates the outlines of the furniture in the room.
There’s an arm slung loosely around Remus’ chest and he can feel Regulus breathe behind him. Carefully, as to not wake the boy, he turns around to face him. His black curls lay around his head like a dark halo, and a few stray curls are scattered across his face.
Remus gently brushes them aside. Regulus smacks his lips and cuddles closer to him, and Remus gladly wraps his arm around the other boy’s waist.
He closes his eyes again and drifts back into a dreamless sleep.
When he wakes for the second time, it’s bright outside. The sun is shining through the window, and the sun rays catch on Regulus’ pale skin, making it glow golden.
“Good morning, Reg,” Remus whispers. Regulus lifts his hand to wipe at his eyes and opens them.
“Good morning. Sleep well?” He asks, voice rough due to him just waking up. Remus nods.
He actually sleeps so much better in Regulus’ presence, and he has told him countless times.
It’s a Saturday, so they don’t have to get up immediately, and they make use of their morning by cuddling some more. When the sun is high up in the sky, announcing it is probably noon already, Remus goes to get some coffee for the both of them, while Regulus continues lazing about in bed.
It is only when Remus returns, Regulus gets up as well and they sit down on the edge of the bed together.
They sip their coffees in silence.
“I think we should go back to our dorms soon, I’m sure they’re all wondering where we are already,” Regulus breaks the silence after he finishes his cup.
“Yeah. I took the map so they shouldn’t see us leave together, but just to be safe. I wish we could spend more time together like this,” Remus sighs.
“I know, I do too. But Sirius would kill us if he ever found out. We can’t have that.”
Remus nods and they leave the room together. They part ways at the end of the hallway, giving each other a short nod and a smile and start their ways to their respective common rooms.
When Remus enters the dorm, the other three boys look up at him. They’re all huddled around the window, Sirius is chain smoking. He can tell from the pile of cigarette butts on the ground next to Sirius’ foot.
“Where were you?” Sirius asks, stubbing out his cigarette and flicking the butt away.
“I took a walk, you know how my knee is acting up and walking helps it a little?” Remus answers, shrugging off his robe and changing into something more comfortable.
Sirius hums in response, and jumps off the windowsill.
“Are we going to Hogsmeade today?” Peter asks, presumably trying to shift the conversation, to get rid of the awkward tension.
Luckily Sirius accepts this change, and they start talking about when and where they’re going to go. Remus is about to excuse himself, tell them that he can’t go, when James interjects. “You’re coming too, Moony, right?” And if he declines now, they will get suspicious so he agrees.
He hopes Regulus forgives him if he doesn’t show up tonight, because he’s pretty sure that their Hogsmeade trip will end at the three broomsticks, where they will get drunk and then he absolutely can’t leave their dorm.
They start to get ready for Hogsmeade about twenty minutes later.
Once they reach the three broomsticks, Sirius orders for them and they squeeze into a booth in the back of the pub.
They drink their butter beers and talk about the upcoming holidays, each of them choosing to stay at Hogwarts, and they keep ordering butter beers. At one point, where they’re all tipsy already and sick of butter beer, they switch over to firewhiskey.
They don’t leave the pub until midnight. When they reach the common room, they try —and fail— to be quiet, so as to not wake the rest of the students. Luckily no one comes out to investigate the noises.
As soon as they’re in the dorm, they fall into their respective beds, on the verge of falling asleep. While he’s laying there, Remus changes his mind about not seeing Regulus today. He gets up again, and walks out of the dorm. He doesn’t notice the door takes longer to close than usual, and he doesn’t hear the footsteps following behind him.
When he reaches the room of requirements, the door appears, showing that Regulus is there already. Slipping inside, he closes the door and walks over to the bed to get comfortable next to Regulus.
He’s in quite a bit of pain now, but he manages with the help of Regulus to fall asleep, and he sleeps through the entire night.
When he comes back to the dorm again in the morning, he finds only Sirius in it. They greet each other, and Remus can feel Sirius stare at him.
Remus flicks him a questioning look, but Sirius doesn’t respond. He lays down on his bed, his hip and back are killing him and he pulls the curtains closed.
Tonight is going to be a full moon, and he dreads it. It’s usually manageable with the Marauders with him, but he feels off about tonight. Something is going to happen, but he can’t pinpoint what exactly.
He’s been in pain since last evening when he showed up at the room of requirements. Regulus helped him a bit, massaged his back and had him sleep in a more comfortable position than cuddling. Remus is so grateful for Regulus.
He spends the day in bed, trying to manage his pain and sleeping. Sleeping is a bit difficult, the pain is keeping him awake and it’s too bright, even with the curtains closed.
When it’s time for dinner, Sirius accompanies him to the infirmary. Ms Pomfrey gives him a few pain potions, which he is very happy to accept, even if they taste a bit bitter, and leads him to the shrieking shack while the rest of the students are in the great hall. He tries to get comfortable on the mattress, there for him in the shack.
Of course he isn’t able to, he’s in too much pain to move by now, and the moon will rise soon. After making sure he’s going to be okay, or as okay as the situation allows, Pomfrey leaves him to be alone. Dinner should be over soon, so he hopes the Marauders will turn up any minute.
When he starts to transform, they’re still not there. Remus would be worried, if he wasn’t in this much pain. He can feel his bones crack and shift, and when his skin starts stretching, the door opens carefully.
Assuming that it’s the rest of his friend group, he looks up.
It’s not any of them. It’s not even Pomfrey who might have come back for something. No. It’s Severus fucking Snape. They stare at each other for a beat, before they both start screaming. One in pain, one in terror.
That’s the last sound he hears before the wolf takes over.
~
He wakes again in the infirmary, Pomfrey is shuffling around him frantically, and he only has two seconds to wake up properly before the pain sets in. Pomfrey is holding a vial of something to his lips immediately, and he dutifully swallows the potion.
“I’m so sorry, Remus,” she tells him and he scrunches his brows together in confusion.
It takes a moment for the memories to come back.
Him in the shack. Waiting for the Marauders. Starting to transform. Severus Snape being there. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He abruptly sits up, and the world goes black again.
“Remus! Can you hear me? Remus!”
Blinking his eyes slowly, he comes to again. Pomfrey looks relieved as he opens his eyes.
“You need to move slow. You have a few really deep wounds, and I don’t want you to overwork your body. Please,” she adds, a concerned frown on her face. It fades to something softer when he starts to cry.
She hugs him, something she hasn’t done since second year. He cries into her shoulder for the good part of an hour, unable to stop sobbing. When he detaches himself from her, he’s still sniffling but his sobs have subsided.
Ms Pomfrey gets up from his bed and turns to face him. He can see the thoughts spin around her mind, she looks unsure of what to say, so he prompts her.
“Please tell me what happened,” he whispers, and it’s surprising to him that she even heard him.
But she doesn’t argue. She just sits back down, takes his hands into hers and starts explaining.
“Severus managed to get into the shack. He came into the room you were in just as you started transforming, and you attacked him after you did. He was dragged out by someone, and I found him almost bled out when I came to fetch you. But Remus, I know you. This is not your fault. I know you can’t control what the wolf does, and I know you never would have willingly done this. It’s not your fault, do you hear me?”
He stares at the ceiling, trying to blink back tears. He feels numb.
“How did he get into the shack?” he asks quietly. Remus thinks he knows already, he has this dreadful feeling in his chest, and he hopes that Pomfrey will tell him something different than his guts do.
He had this same feeling the day before the full moon as well. In his mind, he keeps repeating one sentence.
Please not him, please, let my feeling be wrong.
Please not him, please, let my feeling be wrong.
Please not him, please, let my feeling be wrong.
Ms Pomfrey takes a deep breath and Remus tries to brace himself.
“Sirius Black told him how to get in. Severus told me this,” she says.
No amount of time to brace himself would have been enough. His chest constricts, and he starts breathing rapidly.
Another vial is being held to his mouth and he swallows the liquid inside. It’s surprisingly sweet.
He starts being able to breathe properly again, and he places a hand on his chest to feel it rise and fall. Pomfrey looks at him in silence for a minute and when he nods at her, giving her the sign that she can leave, she does.
Remus drifts back to sleep a few minutes after.
When he wakes for the third time this day, Regulus is by his side. It’s obvious that he’s been crying.
Careful, as to not hurt himself more, Remus shifts over to the side of the bed and pats the mattress, motioning for Regulus to lay down. He does without hesitation.
“Why have you been crying, my love?” Remus asks, making new tears well up in Regulus’ eyes. He wipes them with his thumb when they spill over, and presses a kiss to Regulus’ temple.
“I’m sorry, you shouldn’t- I should be the one comforting you, you’re the one who got hurt the most,” Regulus says.
Remus' face contorts to an expression of pain.
“Yes, but I’m okay for now. What happened to you?”
“Sirius found out. He came up to me two days ago after dinner. Said that I’m an asshole for being with you and that you don’t deserve to be with me. Or other way around, I can’t remember.”
“Two days ago? Why didn’t you say anything yesterday morning?” Remus asks, confused, but then it dawns on him. “I’ve been here for two days?”
Regulus nods. Shit.
They lay there, cuddled up to each other for a bit, and Remus breathes in Regulus’ smell deeply. Pomfrey pulls the curtains back to check on them every once in a while, but she doesn’t say anything to them about Regulus being in the infirmary bed. It’s usually not permitted, but Pomfrey has always had a soft spot for Remus, so he has some privileges while in her care.
At one point the infirmary doors open again, and Sirius’ loud voice halls through the infirmary. Ms Pomfrey shushes him, but he ignores her.
“I need to see Remus. Where is he?”
There’s footsteps, and Pomfrey speaks up again. “You can’t see Mr Lupin at this time. Please leave the infirmary. Mr Black, I will not repeat myself.”
It’s quiet, but only for a second. “Remus! I know you’re here!”
They can hear Ms Pomfrey cast a spell, and the infirmary doors open and close, and then it’s quiet for good. The curtains open once again, and Ms Pomfrey apologizes. Remus gives her a tight smile and she leaves again.
~
He had to stay in the infirmary for three more days. Severus had gotten out a day before him, but didn’t want to talk to Remus when he asked to.
Regulus accompanies him to walk back to his dorm. When they pass a couple of boys, one with long blond hair and the other with short brown hair dressed all in black, holding hands, Regulus slowly slips his hand into Remus’. He looks up, surprised, but Regulus only smiles at him.
They reach the dorm and Remus takes a deep breath before opening the door. The three boys in there pause, Sirius’ eyes darken and he turns his whole body towards them.
Remus clenches his jaw and feels Regulus grip his hand a little tighter.
“You told Snape how to get in the shack.” Remus doesn’t have the capacity to word it as a question. It’s unnecessary, anyway, because he knows. Pomfrey had told him.
“Yes,” Sirius confirms. Remus has to use all his strength to not punch him in the face right this second.
James and Peter turn towards Sirius, a look of shock on their faces.
“You did what?!” They shout simultaneously. Sirius just shrugs and tilts his head.
“It was just a prank. He knows what for,” he nods at Remus. This is when James and Peter notice Regulus being there, notice their interlocked hands. Remus stares at the three of them.
“Sirius what the fuck? You told us he didn’t want us there! You fucking sent Snape to the shack? Are you mad?” James explodes, and Remus is so grateful that he’s on his side.
Regulus squeezes his hand three times, and Remus repeats it.
“It was a prank! How many times do I have to say this? It was funny! I wanted to get back at Remus for fucking my little brother!” He looks at Remus as he says the last part and Remus throws all his composure out the window. Letting go of Regulus’ hand, he starts walking towards Sirius, fist already pulled back, ready to take a swing. Slender arms wrap around his body, holding him back and James also reaches an arm out, pressing it against his chest.
“Sirius, leave. Now. I’m going to let him go in two seconds,” Regulus snarls and Sirius scrambles.
The door falls shut and all of them sink down on the floor.
James is sitting with his back against his bed, Peter is in the middle of the room, and Remus and Regulus are by the door, holding on to each other. They take a few minutes to calm down.
“We’re going to report this to McGonagall, right?” James speaks up.
“If Snape hasn’t already, yeah,” Remus confirms.