The story of Us
Chapter 9
It was November 1981, and Remus still vividly recalls Sirius's Release. The dimly lit courtroom is filled with murmurs as Sirius emerges from the shadows. His face, a stark contrast to his former self, is pale, gaunt, and haunted by the unspeakable horrors of Azkaban. The Ministry has just announced his release, with Petunia Evans Dankworth, Severus Snape, and Lucius Malfoy quietly observing from the sidelines. Remus, standing at the back, feels his heart race as he witnesses his old friend's long-awaited freedom.
Sirius, barely audible, his voice trembling with relief, "I—I can’t believe this is real. I’m free. Remus... I'm actually free." His voice, filled with relief, echoes in the room, a testament to his long-awaited freedom.
Remus said softly, tears brimming, “You're free.”
Sirius turns to Remus, his eyes hollow from his ordeal. He takes a few steps forward, and Remus, with a heart full of joy and a deep sense of their unbreakable bond, closes the gap, pulling him into a warm and tight embrace.
Later, at Remus's home, Sirius and Remus discuss their past, present, and the man they once trusted. Their conversation is filled with a mix of relief, anger, and sadness as they navigate the complexities of their shared history.
Sirius and Remus sit by the fireplace. The crackling flames cast shadows on their faces, reflecting the profound weight of their experiences. Sirius cradles a cup of tea, staring into the fire, while Remus, his eyes filled with deep concern, watches him intently, both of them carrying the burden of their shared past.
Remus and Sirius were at Remus's flat, a modest living room dimly lit by a crackling fire. Sirius had recently been released from Azkaban, his gaunt face showing the toll of his brief imprisonment. Remus sat beside him, his eyes heavy with concern, but there was a hint of quiet joy in their reunion. The tension in the room is palpable, a heavy weight that hangs in the air as they begin to unpack their feelings about Dumbledore.
Sirius's voice was rough, eyes never leaving the fire, "Do you think Dumbledore knew? About me... about Azkaban... and still didn’t say a word?"
Remus was hesitant, choosing his words carefully, "I don’t know. But I’ve been asking myself the same thing over and over. He... he could have done more."
Sirius, feeling angry now, set down his cup with a clatter, "More? He could have saved me, Moony! I was his man, wasn’t I? James, Lily, me—didn't we matter to him?"
Remus gently, reaching out, "We mattered to each other. That’s what counts now."
Sirius exhales sharply, biting back more words, his knuckles white as he grips the armrest of his chair.
"I thought Dumbledore would come for me, Remus. After everything... After James and Lily..." He pauses, struggling to find the words. "But he didn't. Not once. Not a letter, not a word to the Ministry. He left me there."
Remus as gently as he could. “Sighing “…."I know, Sirius. I kept thinking he had a plan... that he was waiting for the right moment to intervene. But it never came." He looks down at his hands, visibly conflicted. "Maybe we gave him too much credit."
Sirius with growing frustration. "He knew. He had to know I wasn’t the Secret Keeper. And still... Azkaban." His voice cracks at the mention of the prison, the memories clearly too raw. "I trusted him, Remus. And he did nothing."
Remus softly shifted closer to Sirius as if trying to soothe his pain. He placed a hand on his knee. "I trusted him, too. He gave me a life when no one else would. But now... I don’t know what to think. He let us all fall apart—James, Lily, Peter, you."
Sirius, his voice a bitter whisper. "I was a pawn, Remus. We all were. And James and Lily... He knew about the prophecy and still did nothing to protect them properly."
He clenches his fists, his voice shaking with anger. "He put Harry with Petunia and her family... with no warning, no help. Did he even care what happened to any of us?"
Remus nods, a mix of sadness and anger in his voice. "I don’t know anymore. I used to think he cared. That we mattered to him beyond the war. But now I see it... James, Lily, all of us... we were just pieces in his game. A means to an end."
Sirius looks at Remus, his grey eyes hollow but full of the unspoken bond they share. For a moment, they just sit there, the weight of their disillusionment hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break.
By 1984, the cracks in their once-unshakable faith in Dumbledore had grown wider. By now, Sirius and Remus had spent years piecing together the truth about the war, the secrets Dumbledore kept, and the lives lost because of them.
Sirius was pacing, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Dumbledore didn’t just let me rot in that hellhole, Remus. He let Harry—James’s son—be raised by Petunia. I know her better now, but if Petunia had not been who she was, things could have gone so terribly wrong. And he did it all because it suited his grand plan."
Remus is calm, though his voice trembles slightly. "I’m starting to see that now. The way he kept me on the fringes... always dangling something just out of reach. Like I was a useful... pet. A werewolf to keep the wolves in line."
Sirius was snarling. "He used us, Remus. We were pawns in his bloody chess game. And for what? His ‘greater good’?"
Remus looks at Sirius for a long time before nodding. The weight of betrayal sits heavy between them, unspoken yet palpable.
It was an evening afternoon as Sirius was leaning against the window, staring out into the city. "Have you noticed, Moony? We’ve come so far from who we were, but Dumbledore hasn’t. He’s still the same—manipulating everything from behind the scenes."
Remus calmly sipping tea at the table, watching Sirius. "People like him don’t change. They can’t." He sighs, setting his cup down. "I used to think he saw me as more than a werewolf... that I mattered, somehow. But every offer he made, every small gesture—it was never about me. It was about what I could do for him."
Sirius nodded, stepping away from the window. "It was never about us, Remus. Or Harry. It’s all about power." He shakes his head, bitterness creeping into his voice. "And we were too blind to see it."
Remus had a sadness that had now become familiar. "Maybe. But we know better now." He looks up, meeting Sirius’s gaze with quiet resolve. "We’ll protect Harry. We’ll make sure he’s never used the way we were."
Sirius walks over, sitting beside Remus. "We will. Dumbledore won’t control his future, not like he did ours." He hesitates for a moment, then places his hand over Remus's. "I won’t let him."
Remus smiled slightly, the warmth of their bond clear. Squeezing Sirius’s hand. "Neither will I."
1988
Late evening at 12 Grimmauld Place, Sirius and Remus are in a quiet moment together, sitting on the couch in their shared home. Their disillusionment with Dumbledore has brought them closer, making them rely on each other more than ever.
Sirius leaned his head on Remus’s shoulder, his voice soft. "You know... I used to think we were fighting for something noble. For a cause. But now, I think the only thing worth fighting for is us... and Harry."
Remus stroked Sirius’s hair gently, his voice filled with affection. "You're right. It’s not about Dumbledore or the war anymore. It’s about family. And we’re building something real, something worth protecting."
Sirius smiling slightly, his tension easing as he leans into Remus’s touch. "Family. You, me... Harry. That’s all that matters now."
Remus whispered, his lips brushing Sirius’s hair. "We’ll keep him safe. And we’ll keep each other safe, too." He pulls Sirius closer, their bond stronger than ever.
Sirius with a soft chuckle. "I love you, Remus."
Remus smiled, his heart swelling with warmth. "I love you too, Sirius. Always." And in that moment, they know they’ll face whatever comes together.
Their love and trust in each other, tested through war, betrayal, and disillusionment, become the foundation for the future they build, one where they protect Harry and one another from the manipulations of those who seek to use them.