Chapter 3
Sirius fell to his knees. It only took a moment for Remus to reach him and wrap his arms around him.
Remus watched the cottage go and it was like a piece of himself was going with it. He forced himself to look away and focus on Sirius, who was crying. He kissed the top of his head, and ran a hand down his back.
“It’s going to be okay.” He promised.
Sirius grabbed the arm that Remus had wrapped around his chest and pulled it close against himself. He didn’t respond. He just sat and stared at the wood drifting in the water.
Remus didn’t know what to do. Of course he mourned the cottage, but what truly broke his heart was the look of utter devastation on Sirius’ face.
So he sat there, holding Sirius in the pouring rain.
Once the last remnants of the cottage were swept out of sight, he took Sirius’ face in his hands and tried to wipe his face, but he couldn’t. It immediately got wet again. He pulled Sirius in close and realized he was shaking.
“Sirius.” He murmured.
Sirius buried his face into his shoulder. Tears pricked Remus’ eyes.
“Sirius,” He said again, pulling back so he could look at his face. “We need to find someplace dry to stay.”
Sirius stared at him blankly.
“How about we head into town?”
Sirius blinked and furrowed his eyebrows. “James?”
“Yes” Remus said, desperate to give him something to hold onto. “We will go see James. He will help us.”
Remus stood and held his hand out to Sirius. He took it and shakily got to his feet. He started to lead him towards Balius but Sirius stopped and pulled away.
Sirius walked over to Padfoot and knelt down before her. He pressed his forehead to hers and whispered. She barked. Sirius stood, scratched her ears and turned his back to her. He walked past Remus and mounted Balius.
“She’s going to take care of the animals.” He rasped.
Remus nodded. He slung Sirius’ mandolin over his shoulder and prayed the case would keep it dry. Then he placed one foot in the stirrup of Xanthus’ saddle and swung his leg over. Wordlessly, they turned north—towards the even darker clouds—and set off.
*
They arrived in Hogsmeade as it was getting dark. Sirius sat astride Balius, keeping pace with Remus and Xanthus, and longing for their home. They had put so much into that place, years of building and perfecting it, planting the garden and building the stable. Now, in less than one day, all of it was gone. His heart ached, but he found it more bearable as they neared The Three Broomsticks.
They hadn’t spoken since they left Raspberry Hill. Remus kept glancing over at Sirius, but he couldn’t bring himself to look back. Instead, he just stared straight ahead, forcing himself to leave it behind.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. They had spent so long creating their home. Sirius had never really stopped, always finding something new to make or improve. He had even hand crafted most of their furniture. He was particularly proud of their dining table.
They reached the main road into town and Remus dismounted. He held a hand out to Sirius. He looked down at it for a long moment. He gripped the saddle horn and dismounted, then took Remus’ hand and squeezed.
They walked the horses down the main street until they reached The Three Broomsticks.Then went around the back of the inn to the stable.
“Pete!” Remus smiled politely at the stable master.
“Oh hey, Remus.” Peter said, smiling back. He carried a pan of grain to the nearest stable and dropped it in front of a large draft horse. Dust billowed up from where the pan landed.
Sirius could have sworn the smile became a bit strained when Peter saw him.
“What brings you in tonight? We weren’t expecting you.” Peter asked.
Sirius blinked at him and gestured to the sky. “The storm.”
“Oh, right.” Peter’s smile was definitely strained.
“Hey,” Remus cut in. “Why don’t you go inside and say hi to James, I’ll be right behind you.”
Sirius lingered for a moment, squinting at Peter before leaving.
The path from the stable to the inn was dark, and the wet gravel crunched under his feet. He followed it around the side of the inn, light and muffled music seeped out of the windows.
Once he was at the door, he reached for the handle but paused. His hand was shaking. He looked back towards the stable, thinking he should wait for Remus, but cheers from inside quickly turned his attention back to the inn. He swiped furiously at his face, trying to clear the tears and took a deep breath. He opened the door.
The warmth hit him the second he stepped inside. There was a gentle fireplace in the lobby, and a thin blonde woman looked up at him from behind the counter.
“Sirius!” She said, grinning and waving him over. “Where’s Remus?”
“Hi Rosmerta.” The corners of his lips twitched. He approached the desk. “He’s still in the stables. He sent me ahead.”
She nodded. “How long are you planning on staying?”
Sirius paused, he didn’t know how to answer. They had nowhere else to go. “We’re, uh, playing it by ear.”
“No problem, so maybe just one night to start?”
“Let’s make it two.”
Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch of coin.
“Alright.” Rosmerta looked down at her books. “10 silver pieces.”
Sirius pulled out the coin and set each piece of the desk as he counted. Once he finished Rosmerta swept them away and disappeared into the back room. She returned a moment later holding two heavy keys.
“Okay, so you're going to be in room 6. Go up to the third floor and it’s the second door on the left.” She handed one of the keys over. “I’ll hold onto this one for Remus.”
Sirius murmured his thanks and pockets the keys. He reached the bottom of the stairs and paused. He looked up at them, thinking about going upstairs to wait for Remus. Music drifted out of the tavern, and it sounded so inviting. He looked towards it. He heard laughter followed by a loud cheer.
He didn’t want to be alone. Remus would find him easily, he always did.
Sirius entered the tavern and is almost swept away by the sudden change in atmosphere. The tavern was crowded and loud, a band played on the stage, and hardly anyone was without a pint in their hand.
And there he was, standing behind the bar with a smile on his face and a rag slung over his shoulder and pouring a dark beer from a tap, a stout most likely, and handed it to a gentleman at the bar, foam sloshing over the rim.
James looked up and saw Sirius. His smile widened into a grin and he shouted over the music, waving Sirius over.
Sirius pushed through the crowd, and rounded the bar counter. They crashed into a hug.
“I’ve missed you so much.” Sirius said.
James laughed. “I’ve missed you, too.” He started to pull away but Sirius clung tighter, crushing their bodies together.
James shook him off. “Is everything alright?” He held Sirius at an arm's length, searching his face. “Where’s Remus, is he-”
“He’s okay.” Sirius quickly interjected. “He’s just out with Pete.”
Relief flooded James’. “But then… what’s wrong?”
“Hey, Barboy!” Someone shouted.
They both looked over, and Sirius was rudely reminded that they weren’t the only ones in the room. He pushed down the urge to tell James everything.
“I’ll tell you later.” Sirius promised. He nudged him a little. “Go, do your job.”
“I need another drink!” The same man shouted, holding up his empty mug.
James gave him one last glance and turned around. He rushed behind the bar with a spring in his step and said good naturedly, “Calm down Frank. Another thirty seconds isn’t going to kill you.”
The man, Frank, just pushed his mug across the bar. “Yeah, but it might kill you.”
James threw back his head and laughed. He seemed so happy that Sirius couldn’t help but smile. He took a seat on the bar stool next to Frank. “Yeah, and you better get one over here too, Barboy.”
Frank threw his head back laughing.
“I’ll have you both know I’m in charge. Appointed by Rosmerta herself.” James said smugly.
“Sure you are.” Sirius shot back. “And I own the place.”
James stuck out his tongue and set down two beer mugs with a thump.
“Cheers.” Sirius grabbed it quickly and knocked it against Frank’s mug. Then he started to drink.
*
“What’s the matter with him?” Peter asked the moment Sirius had left the stable.
Remus sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He looked at Peter and sat next to him. “He’s upset.”
“Clearly.”
Remus side-eyed him. “And so am I.”
Peter shifted uncomfortably. A rat peaked out of his breast pocket and scrambled out. It scurried up his shoulder and down his arm, disappearing into the hay.
“Sorry.” He muttered.
“Our house is ruined.” Remus said, breathing the words to life. There was no pretending or denying now, their cottage was gone and it would be forever.
Peter shook his head not understanding, “What?”
“The river flooded. Swept it away.”
“Oh.” Peter sucked in a breath. “I'm so sorry.”
Remus shrugged. “I’m mostly worried about Sirius.”
Peter looked at him and furrowed his brows. “You’re allowed to feel sad too, Remus.”
“I do—”
“No, I mean you’re allowed to feel sad for yourself.”
Remus turned away. He felt hot, and irritated that Peter would insinuate that he wasn’t. That house had been his and Sirius’ everything. And it had been ripped away faster than they built it.
“I need to go meet up with Sirius.” Remus stood.
Peter hopped up. “I’m sorry Remus. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Remus looked down at the much shorter man and saw desperation. Peter was only trying to look out for him. His rat poked out from under the hay and scurried across Peter’s feet before running up his pant leg.
“How’s Scabbers doing?”
Peter tilted his head in surprise. “Oh, he’s alright."
Remus was torn between relief that the subject was changed and the unease that Scabbers gave him. He wasn’t usually bothered by rats, but something about that one gave him the creeps.
He liked Peter though, truely. He’d still been a good friend over the years, and was always welcoming to Remus. Especially when Sirius and James run off to do whatever it is they do, which usually involves getting them into trouble.
“I’ll tell you what,” Peter said. “I just have to make one last round to check on the horses, then I’m off for the night. Stick around and I’ll help you carry Sirius’s things.
Remus agreed. He followed Peter to each of the stalls and watched as he went in and made sure each horse was comfortable. Some took longer than others, especially when he had to refill their hay nets or scoop out their dirty bedding, but Remus liked it.
He found the horses peaceful. He was keenly aware that any one of them could kill him with one well-placed kick, but he took comfort in the fact they didn’t. They had no inclination to hurt him, or anyone for that matter, unless they were scared.
The first time he met Xanthus, Sirius had bought her and Balius as a housewarming gift to themselves, and Remus was sure she was going to hate him. He thought that she would sense that he was different from other humans and reject him. She didn’t, instead she had come right up to him and nudged him without a hint of fear. Remus had immediately liked her.
Despite this, it had still taken a week for Sirius to convince him to get in the saddle, and once he did, he had just sat there, without moving, for ten minutes before dismounting. It took several more times of that before he was even willing to move at a walk. Now, he felt at ease in Xanthus’ saddle, but she was the only one he would ride. Not even Balius.
Sirius on the other hand, took off at a lope barely a second after mounting him. Remus had thought he looked beautiful, but was also rather irritated that he left him behind.
Xanthus and Balius were the last horses that Pete checked on. Remus unsaddled Xanthus for him while Peter took care of Balius. Scabbers jumped off of Peter’s shoulder and ran across Balius’ back. Balius shook his back, like he was trying to swat a fly, but Scabbers held tight, digging his claws in. Balius shook harder and Scabbers fell to the ground. He quickly scurried back up Pete’s pant leg.
Pete stared. “I can’t believe he just did that.”
Remus shrugged, and then grunted as he heaved the saddle off Xanthus’ back. He carried it to the saddle rack and set it down with a thud. He turned around to see Peter shaking Scabbers out of his pant leg.
“Why would you do that?” Peter scolded the rat.
Scabbers stood on his hind legs and squeaked.
Peter shook his head. He looked at Remus. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”
“It’s fine. Balius will survive.”
Balius’ eyes were already closed, but Remus couldn’t tell if he was actually sleeping or not.
“Come on. Let’s head in.” Remus said. “I can’t wait to put on some dry clothes.
So, Remus picked up his pack, and Peter picked up Sirius’. The moment they stepped out from under the shelter, Remus realized just how hard it was still raining. It hadn’t eased, if anything it had gotten worse.
“This storm really is something, isn’t it?”
Peter nodded. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It's almost as if—”
He stopped abruptly.
“As if what?” Remus asked.
He didn’t answer, he just looked at Remus with wide eyes.
Remus raised his eyebrows. “Do you know something?”
“No.” He said quickly.
Remus stared him down. He knew Pete was lying, but it was cold, and he was soaked to the bone. It was a conversation that could wait for another time.
Remus took a deep breath, stifling his growing irritation. “Let’s just go inside, yeah?”
Peter nodded and followed him to the front door.
Once inside, Remus stopped by the front desk and Rosmerta, who was delighted to see him, gave him the key to their room. He and Peter took their packs up the stairs.
The room was small, just one bed pressed against the corner of the room, and a small desk with a lamp on top of it. The communal bathrooms were at the end of the hall.
Remus set his pack down next to the desk with a thump, then gently leaned the mandolin—still dry and safe in its case—against the desk. Peter sets Sirius’ pack next to the other one.
They stood in silence for a moment and Remus felt guilt creeping in. It wasn’t Peter’s fault that Sirius was being a prick, which was to be expected given the current circumstances, but Peter didn’t deserve to be at the receiving end of it. He certainly didn’t deserve to be snapped at when he was only trying to help Remus.
“I’m sorry Peter,” Remus said. “Sirius and I have been so wrapped up in our own struggles that we haven’t checked in on you. How are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m alright. James has been chasing a blonde girl in town and making a fool of himself.” He laughed slightly” It’s very amusing.”
Remus nodded. “Typical.”
“And everythings the same with me, just taking it one day at a time.”
“I suppose that’s all anyone can do.”
Peter stood up suddenly, and extended a hand out to Remus. “Come on,” he says. “Let’s see what those two idiots are up to.”
Remus took Peter’s hand.
They went downstairs and as they passed the front desk Rosmerta called out to them.
“Remus, you better get your man before he breaks something.”
“What?” Remus tips his head, lost.
“You’ll see.” She grumbled. “But I’m telling you now, you break it, you buy it.”
Remus followed Peter into the tavern and immediately understood. Sirius was standing on the bar, a beer mug in one hand, and loudly singing a drinking song. The band played with him, the lead singer struggling not to laugh. A tall man with short brown hair, was up on the bar next to Sirius, also singing.
James, of course, was standing behind the bar, grinning like there is nothing he would like more than to join them. He noticed Remus before Sirius did and waved. He shouted something up at Sirius, but Remus couldn’t make it out from across the bustling tavern.
Sirius raised his mug towards Remus. He jumped off the bar, sloshing beer over the rim.
Remus felt like he was hit with emotional whiplash. Less than an hour before, Sirius had been sadder than he’d ever seen him. Expect maybe when he ran away from his parents, but even then he was mostly just angry.
Remus can’t help but wonder if it's the alcohol… or if it’s simply James.
Once he reached the bar, he placed his hand on Sirius’ arm and guided him to a seat.
Remus pulled out a barstool next to Sirius, and Peter sat on the other side of him. The man who was on the bar hopped down and sat on the other side of Sirius.
“Frank, this is Remus.” James gestured between Remus and the man on the other side of Sirius. “Remus, Frank.”
“Hi,” Remus said awkwardly. He racked his brain for something to say. Luckily, James saved him by sliding to large beers in front of him and Peter.
“Drink up.”
Remus raised the mug, “Cheers,” He chugged the entire mug.
“Holy shit.” Sirius said, staring at Remus.
“I need to catch up to you, don’t I?”
“I’ve never agreed more,” Peter said. He picked up his mug and drank deeply.
It wasn’t long before the three of them—four including Frank—were drunk, especially with James keeping a steady flow of drinks coming.
Hours passed, and slowly the tavern cleared out. None of them realized how late it was until the band was packing up and the lead singer was approaching the bar.
“Pandora!” James shouted.
Peter nudged Remus. “That’s her.” He muttered under his breath.
Remus was a bit buzzed, but he could see why James liked her. She was beautiful in an ethereal way, with long curly white hair, and rosy cheeks. She seemed to have a glow around her.
She nodded at him. “Give me one of those.”
He handed her a pint. She tapped it on the table before raising it and saying “Cheers, boys.” She drained the mug, set it down and looked at Frank.
“We better get you home to Alice,” She said. She hooked an arm under Frank’s elbow and helped him to his feet. He swayed a little, but quickly regained his balance. He waved a quick goodbye.
Pandora turned around and left, hauling Frank with her, without another word to James.
“Isn’t she dreamy?” James sighed.
“Uh. . . sure?” Remus replied.
Sirius laughed. “You know, I always pictured you with a red head.”
James looked at him, and cocked his head. “What makes you say that?”
“I dunno. Just seems right.”
“And I think you’ve had enough to drink.” James snatched his mug. Sirius protested and reached after it. “Besides, I have to shut down the bar before Rosmerta gets on my case.”
He made a sweep around the room, pushing the chairs under the table and picking up any dirty dishes along the way.
As he was washing the dishes he looked at Sirius. “So what was it you were waiting to tell me?”
Peter looked startled, “He doesn’t know?”
“You know?” Sirius said incredulously. He looked at Remus.
Remus shrugged.
“Way to air out my business.” He slurred slightly.
“It’s our business, remember? Peter is my friend, and yours too.”
“Oh, right.”
James set down the mug he was washing “Hold on a second, I don’t like being the only one—”
“Our house is destroyed.” Sirius cut in, his voice flat.
James shook his head. “What?”
“Gone, destroyed, dead.”
Sirius was more drunk than Remus had initially realized, and he knew there was no way this could play out in a positive way. “Maybe this is a conversation for when we’re all sober.”
Wrong thing to say.
“So you can tell Peter but I can’t tell my best friend?”
Remus looked at James for help.
“You know, I think Remus might be right on this one.” James said. “I can wait until tomorrow, but I do want you to know that I care, okay?”
Sirius nodded, always willing to go along with whatever James said. James walked around the bar. He stopped in front of Sirius and wrapped him in a hug.
“Now, why don’t you go upstairs and get some sleep.” He continued. “I’ll see you first thing in the morning and you can tell me everything.”
Sirius agreed and left. Remus hung back for a moment.
“I’m sorry.” He muttered to Peter.
Peter didn’t respond, so Remus followed after Sirius. He was almost out of the tavern and into the inn when he heard James say, softly enough that only a werewolf could hear it, “He doesn’t hate you Pete, he’s just upset. You know how he gets.”
*
“Okay, steady.”
“I’m not even drunk.”
“Sure you’re not.”
“I’m Siriusly not drunk.”
“Oh, you’re definitely drunk”
Sirius laughed, because, okay, maybe Remus had a point. He had stopped making Sirius jokes at sixteen. But that didn’t mean he didn’t occasionally pull them back out, even if it was exclusively something Drunk Sirius did.
Remus shushed him. “You are going to wake people up.”
Remus had one arm around Sirius’ waist, slowly helping him up the stairs. Sirius was positive he could have made it up by himself, but he liked the way that Remus held onto him. It made him feel steadier, and less alone.
Because that’s what they were now. Alone. Houseless.
Sirius shook his head. He was not thinking about that. Not tonight. Instead, he reached his hand up and poked Remus’ nose.
“Stop that.” Remus hissed.
Sirius did it again.
Remus threw his head back. He gave Sirius one last tug and they reached the top of the stairs. Remus pulled him down the hall. He stopped outside the room and fumbled with the key. Sirius tried to take it from him, wanting to stay out just a little.
Remus batted his hand away. “You are unbelievable.”
Sirius looked at him and could have sworn Remus was glowing. He leaned in really close and whispered, “And you’re the moon.”
Remus frowned. Sirius didn’t know why that made him sad, so he decided to sing.
Oh Remus, Oh Remus
You are glowing like the moon
Remus reached to cover his mouth but Sirius dodged.
And I don’t care if you don’t know it
But you are just as gorgeous too.
Satisfaction crept over Sirius as Remus’ eyes turned glassy. Remus shook his head and Sirius wished he had his mandolin, his magic wasn’t as strong without it.
“Oh my god,” Remus pushed open the door, “Get in the room.”
Sirius did, and immediately spotted his mandolin propped up against the wall. He went straight for it, picking it up and undoing the latch on the case.
“Oh no you don’t” Remus snatched it out of his hands.
Sirius pouted “Why not?”
“First of all, you’ll get us kicked out of the inn, and we do not want Rosmerta on our bad side. Second, and more importantly, you’ll rip your stitches out.”
Sirius frowned at his bandaged hand. He couldn’t believe that it was only yesterday, but after today, yesterday felt like a lifetime ago.
He nodded. “Okay, good point.”
Remus playfully swatted Sirius on the shoulder, clearly in a better mood now that they were inside. “Now you’ve come to your senses.”
Sirius stuck out his tongue, and followed Remus to the bathroom. They brushed their teeth in a comfortable silence.
A few minutes later they were laying in bed with the lights out when Sirius broke the silence.
“I think Peter hates me.”
“I think you’re drunk.” Remus replied.
“Maybe.” Sirius laughed.
“Definitely. And you need to go to sleep.”
Sirius couldn’t argue with that, so he rolled over and buried his face in Remus’ neck. He draped one arm across his stomach. He closed his eyes, but was wide awake. He slid his hand down Remus’s stomach, reaching for his waistband.
“Sirius.” Remus snatched his hand away “Go to sleep.”
“Okay, Moony,” He said. Sirius intertwined his fingers with Remus, happy for this sense of normalcy, and went to sleep.
*
The following morning the tavern was serving breakfast. Remus sat at the bar, patiently waiting for their food to come out. Sirius sat next to him, hunched over the bar with his head in his arms. Remus rubbed him on the back.
Rosmerta walked out from the kitchen, the door swinging behind her. She carried a tray with two plates.
She tapped the counter. “Hey,” she said, stern but not unkind. “Head off my counter.”
Sirius sat up. His face was very pale, and he groaned slightly.
“And if you are going to puke,” She added. “Make sure you take it outside.”
Sirius nodded. Remus wished he could take his hangover away, but a part of him also felt it was only fair that Sirius had to deal with the consequences of his own actions.
“Good.” Rosmerta slid one plate in front of each of them. “Now that we are all on the same page, dig in.”
It was possibly the most delicious looking meal that Remus had ever seen. Scrambled eggs were piled on half the plate, and the other half was stacked with bacon, sausage, and toast. Remus immediately picked up his butter knife, and a jar of strawberry jam that was already on the bar. He slathered his toast with it, and took a huge bite.
“Oh my god, that’s good.” Remus sighed.
He looked over at Sirius, who had his head in his hands and his eyes closed.
Remus nudged him.
He groaned.
“You’ll feel better if you eat.” Remus said, speaking softly to not provoke the headache that Sirius surely had.
“I’m serious.” Remus said, “You have to eat. It’s the only way you will feel better.”
Sirius reluctantly grabbed his fork and picked at his eggs. Remus watched him until he took a bite. Then, satisfied that Sirius was going to eat, dug in.
It was mouth-wateringly good. Remus could eat Rosmerta’s cooking every day of his life and never grow tired of it. Once he cleared his plate, he returned his attention to Sirius. He had eaten half of his eggs, and was nibbling at a piece of bacon.
“Don’t you feel better already?” Remus asked.
Sirius shrugged.
“Are you going to eat that?” Remus pointed to the sausage with his fork.
He scrunched up his face and shook his head.
Remus speared the sausage and took a bite. “So, what’s the plan for the day?’ He asked, not expecting a reply.
“Er. . . James?” Sirius finally looked up at Remus, his hair falling away from his face, and squinting his normally strikingly blue eyes.
“Yeah, okay.” Remus suppressed a laugh. He didn’t know what else he expected. As long as James was around, Sirius would never plan on anything else. If Remus hadn’t been friends with the two of them for years before he and Sirius started dating, he might have been jealous. The brotherly bond they carried for each other was unlike any Remus had ever seen. “We should check in with Peter too.”
Sirius grunted in response.
Remus lowered his voice, and leaned in close to Sirius. “I know that you're hungover, but seriously what is your problem with Pete?”
Sirius side-eyed him.
“No, really.” Remus continued. “You’ve been weird around him since we got here. I know you’re grieving, we both are, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to be an asshole.”
“He’s the one who’s being weird with me.” Sirius complained.
“How?”
“Just in the stable last night, he was. . . different.”
“I think you were the one acting differently, and I get it. Really, I do, but can’t you just put a little effort in?”
“Fine.” Sirius snapped. He tossed his fork onto his plate with a clang. A few people looked over, but no one said anything. Sirius kicked his stool back and walked out of the tavern.
*
Sirius burst through the door of the communal bathroom, feeling hot and sweaty all over. He ripped off his shirt, and knelt in front of the toilet. Then, he retched.
He was vaguely aware of the door opening behind him, but was far too focused on the task at hand to care. A moment later, someone pulled his hair back.
When he was done, he flushed the toilet and rested his arm on the seat of the toilet. He leaned his head against his forearm.
His body cooled and his head stopped spinning. He finally became aware of Remus standing behind him, rubbing his back with gentle circles.
“It’s alright.” Remus murmured. “Let it all out.”
Sirius whipped his head up and vomited again. He groaned and heard Remus walk away, but couldn’t bring himself to look up and see why. Then the faucet ran for a moment and the footsteps returned. Remus crouched next to him and handed him a warm damp towel.
Sirius muttered a thanks and took it. He slowly wiped his face and after a few moments he felt more alert, albeit still tired. He got to his feet, and Remus took his hand and led him out of the bathroom.
*
Remus tucked Sirius into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin, kissing his forehead and turning out the light. Soft natural light peaked through the shutters of the window, illuminating Sirius’s face and casting a halo on his shiny black hair.
He hated seeing Sirius so down, both emotionally and physically, but Remus still could not figure out what his issue with Peter was. Maybe Pete was surprised when he saw them, but Remus thought he had been perfectly cordial.
He left Sirius to rest and went back down to the main floor. James was in the lobby chatting with Rosmerta, casually leaning against the front desk. He looked up at Remus and smiled at him.
“How’s it going?”
Remus smiled back, fiddling with the bottom of his oversized brown sweater. “I’m alright. ”
“Where’s Sirius?”
“Sleeping. He’s… not doing the best.”
James laughs. “Yeah, neither is Pete. I probably shouldn’t have served them so much.”
Rosmerta looked up sharply. “James Potter, are you overserving in my tavern?”
“I would never do such a thing.” James lied easily.
“Good. I have a reputation to keep.” She spun around and disappeared into the back room.
James grinned at Remus. “Yeah, as the rowdiest tavern in the region.”
Remus furrowed his brows. “Are you going to get in trouble?”
“Nah. She’s just cranky in the mornings. Once the evening rolls around, she doesn’t care as long as people keep coming in and there’s no bar fights.”
A smile tugged at Remus’ lips. It reminded him of their last couple years in school, when the four of them would sneak out to come into town. They would stay in The Three Broomsticks Tavern until it was almost light out. The bartenders at the time, Fabian and Gideon, pretended they didn’t know they were still students, even if they were only a few years older.
There was one time, on the day before the start of their last year of school, that they had all traveled there a day early to celebrate Pete’s seventeenth birthday. James and Sirius had bought so many rounds of firewhiskey that Rosmerta caught Pete vomiting in the rose bushes at dawn. Remus had never heard her yell as loud as she did at Fabian and Gideon that day, before chasing the four of them out. It was a miracle that she hired James and Peter later on.
“Plus,” James said, interrupting Remus’ reminiscing. “She could never get rid of me. She likes me too much.”
“I think you’re full of yourself.”
James shrugged. “You’re probably right. But then who would keep Frank company?”
Remus raised his eyebrows “The fellow from last night?”
“Yeah. He was pretty sloshed when you met him, but he’s a good guy. He and his wife are new in town, but he apparently has a lot of practice at a place called the Hog’s Head. He’s filled in for me once or twice. Reckon he’ll be here full time soon enough.”
“Oh, right.” Remus looked around. There was an empty couch next to the fireplace, and after the full moon and several hours riding horseback, his hip was killing him. “What do you say we grab a seat over there?”
“Oh yeah, man. Of course.”
Remus couldn’t remember the last time he and James had talked, just the two of them, and he had forgotten how nice it was. James had a comforting presence like no other, and like a warm day with a slight breeze, it made Remus want to stay there forever, basking in the sun.
“There’s something I need to tell you.” James said, snatching that comfort away.
Remus turned to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s nothing wrong. . . it’s just something you deserve to know.” James looked down at his hands. “There’s been some rumors.”
Remus’ heart pounded. He didn’t like the look on James’ face. It reminded him of the time Sirius had. . . no, he wasn’t going to blame Sirius. It reminded him of the time the entire school had nearly found out he was a werewolf. “About me?”
“Oh god no. Nothing like that.” James looked up at him, alarmed. “I’m sorry Remus, I shouldn’t have scared you like that. It’s just, I was thinking about waiting until Sirius was up to tell you, but I thought maybe it would be best if I told you first.”
“James. What is it?”
He sighed. “There have been rumors about a powerful wizard up north. One that has been taking his temper out on the weather. I didn’t want to tell Sirius because—”
“Because he would go racing off to fight him.” Remus finished.
“Yeah. I didn’t want him to do anything reckless. Especially because we don’t know if this wizard even exists. But at the same time, it’s not easing up.”
Remus glanced out the window. It was still raining just as hard as the night before. Unlike Remus, Sirius was prone to acting before thinking. That’s why they worked so well together, Remus always took the time to consider the options, just as he did now.
“What are you thinking?” James asked, cautiously.
“I’m thinking we need to find this wizard.”