you came? you called.
The exam was frankly horrible, James thinks. There was not a single question he was sure about, but he prays to all the gods he’ll pass.
He’s walking out of the classroom just a few feet before Sirius when he notices a familiar coat leaning against the walls. “Remus?”
The boy turns around to meet James’ eyes, Sirius’ scarf tugged up to reach the bridge of his nose and only show his eyes. “James,” he sighs when he recognized him. His breath moves the scarf down and Remus doesn’t realize it before it’s too late. James’ eyes go wide when he can see the bloody bandages covering Remus’ injured nose.
“Oh my god, what happened? Are you okay?” he immediately rushes to the boy he met not even a day ago with such worry in his eyes.
Remus waves his hand as tries to hitch the scarf back up to cover his face, but doesn’t get the chance to before James is right in front of him, examining his nose. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” he reassures James.
“How did it happen?” the boy asks again.
“I got mugged on my way to school, but it’s really no big deal, don’t worry about it,” Remus still insists. Before James can say more, Sirius appears in the door with a disappointed expression that changes into worry as soon as he seen Remus. This is exactly what Remus wanted to avoid.
“Remus, what did you do?” he asks.
“I was just saying, I got mugged, but it’s no big deal so don’t make it one,” Remus explains again. “How was the exam? I’m mad that I missed it,” he changes the topic.
“It was shit, I have no idea what any of the right answers were,” Sirius admits, “how did you get mugged?” he doesn’t let Remus escape the uncomfortable conversation.
“I was just on my way to school and a few guys jumped me. They took some cash and a worthless ring, nothing serious. I was at the nurse, she said I’m fine, so nothing to worry about,” Remus lies. Well, a little bit, she did say she thinks there’s nothing big going on. The colour of lies depends on the context, but this doesn’t hurt anyone.
To be honest, Remus would love to tell somebody what’s happening at home. But those are useless imaginations, because he knows he never will. He knows he can’t. He’d probably be dead before anyone could help, and then it’s just for nothing. This is one of those things Remus has to deal with by himself. Objectively, he knows what’s happening isn’t right, and that he doesn’t deserve it, but a burnt child loves the fire, and what if he does deserve it? What if this is exactly what he’s worth, nothing more, nothing less. Those thoughts only prove his point, it’s his problem that he caused and one that he will solve by himself. If this is what he’s worth then he definitely doesn’t deserve any help.
“Fine, but if you need anything, call us, okay?” Sirius gives up. Remus just nods before going into the classroom to plead for a make up exam. He wishes the now uncovered bandaged nose and bruises under his eyes that are slowly but surely forming will be his wingmen in his attempt.
…
After all classes, Remus decides to go home and not stay at the library some more, seeing what it caused yesterday. He thinks about Severus mad again, and fear spikes up in his chest. But there’s no reason anything should happen, right?
Wrong.
The boy makes it to the train station to find a tall figure standing near the entrance. Remus wouldn’t be sure who it is if it weren’t for the dark dog perked up on the person’s side.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asks when Remus gets close enough to hear. Nobody’s around, only the sound of wind playing with the fresh snow and chasing it through the streets.
“I’m going… home,” Remus says. “I just finished class, so-“
“Oh, you just finished?” Severus lifts his eyebrows. “Who did you tell?”
“No one, I swear I-“ Remus puts his hands up.
“Then why the fuck is your nose bandaged? Hm?”
Remus touches his face as if he just found out, he completely forgot to cover his face, not expecting his boyfriend here. “I went to the nurse, but I said nothing about you,” he explains.
“Yeah, sure,” Severus scoffs, “the nurse. Stop playing with me, I know it was that boy.”
Chills run down Remus’ spine. “What boy?”
“Don’t act like I’m dumb, whore. The one you cheated on me with yesterday, you don’t remember? How many were there before him?” Severus starts yelling, but there’s nobody to hear him but Remus. If anything happens now, it won’t matter that they’re in public. Does a tree make sound when there’s nobody to hear it?
“I swear that’s not what happened, Sev,” Remus assures him with no success.
“So now I’m a liar?” He asks and Remus’ mind collapses, he has no idea what to say to avoid what’s surely about to happen. He can feel the panic tightening his chest and watering his eyes and taking his voice. However hard he tries, he can’t get a word out, and it seems to anger Severus even more, until it’s not just harsh words and accusations.
Until it’s a harsh punch right in his injured nose. Remus cries out as his hands fly up to his face. There’s way more blood than there was yesterday, and the pain is more of a deeper ache, burning up his face.
“You just can’t face the consequences of your actions,” Severus continues. “how special do you think you are that you can do something so horrible and then ignore it? How do you expect me to ignore it? Do you even have any idea how much you hurt me with your shit?” another hit, a knee to Remus’ stomach, causing the boy to fold on himself. “I do everything for you, I’m the only one that is willing do deal with everything that’s broken in you, and this is how you pay back?”
More and more hits come, and Remus falls to his knees. His thoughts are scrambled, but he knows one thing. He remembers a crumpled tissue in his pocket. That’s what gets him to stand up, and although his legs burn and his bones ache, he springs up and starts sprinting away. He doesn’t care about what he’ll do when he gets tired and Severus will catch up, he just pulls out his phone and keeps stumbling forward as his shaky hands type the barely legible number in his phone.
The line rings once, and Remus hopes someone will pick up.
Twice, please, somebody.
Three times, he can hear loud barking behind his back, closer and closer…
Four times, and god, Remus needs someone to pick up.
The fifth ring starts and before it can end, a slightly glitchy voice sounds through. “Hello?”
Remus breathes out heavily, so relieved even though he is still running for his life.
///
Sirius can hear his phone ringing, but his hair is dripping wet from the shower and he’s wearing just trousers. He manages to pick it up before the sound stops.
“Hello?” he asks, but he can’t hear anything. Well, not at first. The only sound from the other end of the line is heavy breathing, grunts and groans. “Hello?”
“Sirius?” the voice says, a strange mix of relief and fear in the tone. And tears, to be honest.
“Yeah, that’s me. Who’s this?” Sirius is confused. He doesn’t give his number to many people, only his close friends. Oh, and-
“Remus! Sorry, it’s Remus. Sorry for calling, but this is kind of the only number I had,” he pants. “where are you?”
“I’m at the dorm,” Sirius responds, “why? What’s going on?” he can’t even imagine what would be happening.
“I-“ Remus’ voice hitches, “I’m going from the train station back to campus. Can you come here? Please?” Remus asks, yelping when he trips and pain twinges in his back. “please!”
Sirius’ mind goes into organized panic mode as he shrugs on a coat and slips into shoes, grabbing keys and a pocket knife. He doesn’t know what’s happening and what he could need it for, but Remus sounded terrified and Sirius can’t imagine what could cause the boy to be like that. He thinks about the boy’s broken nose and if this is connected. Oh god, was he jumped again?
Only when he makes it outside does he realize that the combat boots he took were Peter’s and that he isn’t wearing a shirt under his open coat. Nevertheless, he sprints in the direction he knows the train station to be, the phone still to his ear.
“Remus! Remus, I’m coming, okay? Tell me what’s wrong,” he tries to persuade him despite Sirius’ heavy breathing and racing mind.
“It’s- I went home, I- he was here, waiting- I think, and I- I don’t know,” Remus wheezes, the blood from his nose freezing on his skin, but his face still feels on fire.
“Who’s he?” Sirius asks, confused as ever.
“He’s behind me,” Remus ignores the question, “Sirius!” he shrieks when he hears Severus’ heavy footsteps behind him.
“I’m right there!” Sirius tries to assure the boy, and, honestly, himself as well. “I’m on my way.” Sirius feels a pang of relief when he turns on the road and sees a boy running against him. He wills his legs to be stronger and run faster.
The relief is very short-lived as Sirius notices the tall man further down the road and a grown Doberman a few steps behind Remus. Its barks almost deafen Sirius.
“Sirius!” Remus yells as he notices him. Chills run down Sirius’ spine when he sees the blood on Remus’ face. The boy is close, Sirius can almost reach out his hand and touch him. Only a few steps, only a little bit, and-
Remus shrieks as he goes down to his knees and front-first to the ground.
///
Remus’ legs burn as he forces himself to run faster. He can see Sirius clearly now, no time to question his outfit with a heavy coat on bare skin. Their breaths create clouds immediately dissolved as they run through them, closer and closer and Remus is almost relieved-
When a force hits his back and knocks him to his knees and to the ground. His cheek feels almost skinned and freezing hands ripped by the small rocks and pebbles on the road. But more importantly, there’s a heavy weight on his back that moves off only to jump on him again. Remus turns around on his back and is met with a mouth wide open full of sharp dog teeth and paws with long claws.
“Remus!” Sirius calls, but he isn’t anywhere near him. Why isn’t he here? Wasn’t he so close? He surely could’ve gotten here already, why wouldn’t he? “Fuck off! Remus!” that leaves the boy even more confused.
But there’s not much time for that when the dog bites down on Remus’ hand. He screams out, doing everything he can to get away from under the dog, but just can’t manage to. The sharp claws whip through the air and land on Remus’ cheek, dragging down. He screams even more, his mouth full of blood and eyes blurry. “Sirius!”
The claws move again and again and teeth leave marks on Remus’ exposed skin. The dog that barks bites as well, apparently. It’s only when Remus manages to free one of his legs and kick the dog’s side, successfully pushing him off. Remus gets up on his legs quickly and backs away from the growling dog while carefully looking to the side to know where his boyfriend is. Also, why Sirius left him all alone in that. Did he just realize Remus’ isn’t worth it?
The boy turns around and his eyes go wide when he sees Severus on top of Sirius with his hands wrapped around Sirius’ bare neck. Sirius kicks his legs and tries to push the arms away, but can’t do anything with the lack of oxygen and his eyes rolling back.
“Sirius!”
///
Sirius genuinely thought this was it. His body feels weak and chest tight, his mind is all floaty with no air. The thumbs dig into his neck and make him gasp like a fish without water.
He almost doesn’t register his name being called, he can’t help anyone right now, don’t they see? Sirius gives all his remaining energy to surge his fist forward and hit the man mounting over him. It wasn’t half bad, his rings definitely left a mark, but it only angried the man more, making him tighten his hold and cause Sirius to gag hashly. He knew what his last resort was, and against his wishes, it has come to it. He pulls out the pocketknife hid away in his coat and opens the blade with one hand, the other on the man’s wrists. But, as expected, Sirius didn’t have enough strength to cause any harm with the knife as it ends up in the guy’s hands easily. Fuck.
///
This was his fault, Remus was sure. He caused this, and now the one actually nice person he got to know was getting hurt and possibly killed purely because of him.
And Remus is simply not going to let that happen.
Despite the throbbing burning pain in his face and on his body, he rushes to the pair, delivering a few hard kicks to Severus’ stomach and face. The element of surprise plays in Remus’ favour and he manages to get his boyfriend off Sirius. Before he has the chance to get up, Remus fights against the struggling man and manages to punch him a few more times, receiving some hits himself. He hears Sirius gasping and choking as he adjusts to being able to take air in again, and his hears hurts when he realizes he can’t help him in any way right now.
The punch that knocks Severus out doesn’t come from his boyfriend, though, it’s Sirius’ fist that almost breaks his nose and knocks him down to the ground. The moment he sees he doesn’t have to defend them anymore, the boy falls down to the ground and pants hard, every other breath choked on and gasped out. He only stays like that for a moment, though, and shifts all his focus to Remus. the moment of calm gives Remus' nose the opportunity to throb with pain again, reminding him of what happened just yesterday.
Because Severus wasn’t truly knocked out. He was mounting over Remus, the pocket knife in hand. Sirius didn’t wait for anything before he surged towards the two and after a bit of fight pulling the knife out of the man’s cold hands and immediately using it. He buries the blade in Severus’ thigh, eliciting a howl of pain. He falls back and doesn’t make any effort to attack again, so Remus releases a deep breath and turns to Sirius who was heavily panting because of his swollen throat.
Remus sits on the cold ground, staring at Sirius and monitoring his every move so he can be sure he’ll be okay. “Remus,” Sirius croaks out, his voice completely gone from the abuse of his throat. He’s by his side immediately as he notices the bloody scratches going down Remus’ face and neck, a few barely missing his eyes. “Oh my god, Remus,” he gasps, scanning the boy’s wounds and bruises.
“I’m okay,” Remus shakes his head, he’s not the one that was being choked just a moment ago. “I’m okay.”
“No, you’re-“ Sirius doesn’t have any words to say, especially when he sees the tears welling up in Remus’ eyes, however much he blinks to chase them away. Also, when he sees the blood coating Remus’ hands. Where did that come from? “Remus? Did he cut you anywhere?” Sirius asks as calmly as he can, but still touches the other’s stomach and chest for any more blood. But wherever he touches gets stained red and he becomes worried.
“I’m okay,” Remus still repeats, partly for Sirius, partly for himself. “I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m-“ his breath hitches with a soft sob, “Okay, I’m okay,” the boy repeats as the tears continue coming at bigger and bigger volumes. It freaks Sirius out, but at the same time gives him a clear mission. Take care of Remus crying in his arms, muttering the words over and over as a way to calm down or stim. “Sirius?” he asks between the tears. He pulls away from the older, and now his whole chest is soaked in blood. Sirius immediately puts his hands on Remus’, trying to find out what’s wrong as fast as he could. That’s when Remus whispers, “I don’t think that’s mine, Sirius.”