Sirius's Remedy
“Why are we in the Prefect bathroom?” Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, you’re a prefect,” Sirius shot back with a grin.
Remus rolled his eyes. “Correct, but I’ve never used it.”
Sirius smirked, pushing the door open and striding inside. “Well, I use it.”
“You’re not even—” Remus started, then shook his head. “You know what? Never mind. I shouldn’t even be surprised.”
Sirius bypassed him, heading straight for the bath. He flicked his wand, and with a series of loud splashes, all the faucets turned on, flooding the enormous basin. It wasn’t a bath so much as a small swimming pool, the water rising nearly two and a half metres deep.
“Sirius, what the hell—?” Remus began, but Sirius was already adding a swirl of potions to the water. A fragrant, calming aroma filled the air.
“Lavender, peppermint, chamomile…” Sirius said smugly. “It’s a whole spa experience.”
“Alright…” Remus began, a sceptical frown on his face. “Sirius, what exactly—”
“Trust the process, Mister Moons,” Sirius called over his shoulder, his grin widening as the scent of lavender intensified.
Remus blinked at the bath, still unsure. “What’s the plan here? You’re not suggesting—”
“Clothes off,” Sirius interrupted, unbuttoning his shirt as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Huh?” Remus gawked.
“Come on, let’s get in,” Sirius said, loosening his tie and casually shedding his robes.
“I’m not getting in there.” Remus shook his head, backing away. “No way.”
Sirius wasn’t fazed. He kept going, yanking off his jumper and tossing it carelessly across the room. “Don’t give me that. Do you trust me?”
“I—” Remus hesitated, eyes darting to the floor, where the stone tiles seemed far more interesting than Sirius's intense stare. He shrugged, a small sigh escaping his lips. “Of course I do.”
“Great!” Sirius grinned, grabbing Remus's wrist and pulling him towards the pool. “Trust me, you’ll feel so much better!”
“Wait—Sirius!” Remus protested, but the momentum carried him closer to the water.
“Bloody hell, Moony,” Sirius muttered, tugging off yet another layer of clothing. “How many jumpers are you wearing?”
“Sirius,” Remus groaned, his face flushed. “Just… hold on a minute.” But at the same time, he no longer resisted, slowly beginning to peel off his clothes until he was left in just his undershirt and pants.
Sirius paused for a moment, stepping back as his breath caught. He took in the sight of Remus—his lean frame, sharp angles, and the silver scars scattered across his skin.
Remus, sensing the change in atmosphere, crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes flicking to the floor. It was an awkward attempt at hiding his scars, but they covered almost every inch of his body, a map of pain that Sirius had never fully understood.
Sirius cleared his throat, trying to shift focus. “Alright, I’m going in,” he said, stepping into the water. “You coming, or what?”
Remus muttered something under his breath, too quiet for Sirius to catch.
“What was that, Moony?” Sirius asked.
“I’m not a great swimmer,” Remus mumbled, voice barely above a whisper. “I actually don’t really know how to swim at all.”
“Nonsense,” Sirius replied with a confident wave of his hand. “Of course, you know how to swim. We swim in the lake all the time!”
Remus lowered his gaze, shaking his head. “No, Sirius, you swim in the lake. I always just sat on the shore.”
Sirius blinked, a slow realisation dawned on him. He racked his brain for memories of the lake trips they’d taken, but now that he thought about it—Remus had never joined them.
“Oh,” Sirius said, his voice softening. “Sorry, Moony. I guess I never realised…”
Remus scrubbed a hand over his face. “After my attack, my family… they didn’t want to draw attention to me. A little kid covered in scars doesn’t exactly give them the best reputation.” He took a shaky breath, a bitter edge creeping into his voice. “I spent a lot of time inside before coming to Hogwarts.”
Sirius’s gaze dropped to the water. He wasn’t sure what to say, so he didn’t say anything at all. Instead, he gestured toward the shallower side of the pool. “The water here is only about 1.5 metres deep. If you stay on this side, you’ll be able to stand.”
Remus looked at him sceptically. “Alright, but… I still don’t understand why you decided to bring me here in the first place.”
Sirius took a deep breath, his tone more serious now. “You’re in pain, Moony,” he said, as though it were obvious—because it was.
Over the years, Sirius had learned to recognize the subtle signs: Remus’s knuckles trembling from arthritis, the way he favoured his right leg before a full moon, how his posture would shift when his body started protesting. It was never anything Remus said aloud, but Sirius noticed it all the same.
The truth was, whether he intended to or not, Sirius kept a close eye on him. At first, it had been about figuring out whether Remus was a werewolf, but that excuse didn’t hold anymore. These days, Remus was all that Sirius could think about, even when they weren’t together.
“The bath should help,” Sirius explained softly. “I read somewhere that swimming can relieve pressure on your joints. A muggle thing, I think… they say it helps old people.”
Remus shot him a deadpan look. “So, you think I’m a grandpa now?”
Sirius floundered, his face flushing. “No! I— of course you’re not ancient!”
Remus raised an eyebrow but then gave a small, half-smile. “It’s alright, Sirius. I’m just teasing.”
Sirius exhaled in relief. “Right… well, you’ve tried nearly every potion Pomfrey could think of, so why not try the muggle way for once?”
“The muggle way?” Remus asked, amused..
“Yeah.” Sirius nodded. “Couldn’t hurt to try.”
Remus stared at the bath, considering it. After a long, tense silence, he finally shrugged. “Why not?”
Sirius’s face lit up with a grin. He reached out, gingerly taking Remus’s hand. “Alright, Moony, I won’t let you drown.”
“You better not,” Remus said with a nervous laugh, but he followed Sirius into the water, his feet sinking into the warm, soothing depths.
—---
Carefully, Remus lowered himself into the warm water, feeling the soothing heat spread across his body. It was nice, and though he would never admit it out loud, it felt kind of relaxing.
Sirius had been right. The water didn’t come close to his head, but it rose just to his chest. It felt safe, yet he still couldn’t shake the nervous flutter in his stomach.
“How do you feel?” Sirius grinned, a touch of uncertainty in his voice. “Not too hot, is it?”
“No,” Remus reassured him, offering a small smile. “It’s perfect. Seriously.”
“You mean Sirius-ly ?” Sirius shot back, his grin widening, and Remus couldn’t help but roll his eyes. At fifteen, Sirius still made obnoxious jokes about his name.
“Ha-ha,” Remus replied dryly, his tone more fond than he let on.
Sirius took a deep breath, clearly trying to shake off the awkwardness. “Okay,” he said, gathering himself. “Let’s try some of that muggle stuff.”
Remus raised an eyebrow. “What do you have in mind?”
Sirius hesitated before asking, his tone tentative but full of hope. “Do you know how to float on your back?”
Remus flushed, his cheeks turning a bit pink. “I… I’m not sure. I’ve never really tried.”
Sirius’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly masked it with a shrug. “No, that’s okay! I’ll show you. Just watch, and then you can give it a go.”
He leaned back into the water, his body sinking slightly as he demonstrated the floating technique. “Just keep your back level with your hips,” he explained, his voice calm and steady. “And your feet too. That’ll help keep you from sinking.”
Remus tried to focus on the instructions, but his attention kept drifting to Sirius. The way his long, ebony hair floated around his head, fanning out like a dark halo in the water. In the soft light of the pool, the strands almost looked blue.
“Remus?” Sirius’s voice snapped him out of his trance. “You listening?”
“Oh… right.” Remus blinked, shaking his head as if to clear it. He quickly tried to mimic the position, but it didn’t go well. In his awkward attempt, he flailed and sank straight into the water, swallowing a gulp of lavender-scented liquid. His heart raced as he floundered beneath the surface, panic rising in his chest.
I can stand up. I know I can stand up. Where’s the floor?
A wave of panic hit. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t find his bearings. His mind was spiraling, the water suddenly too deep, too overwhelming
Strong arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him up to the surface. Remus gasped, coughing as his feet finally found solid ground beneath him. He stumbled a bit, caught in the embrace, before sinking against the person who had saved him, struggling to catch his breath.
For a moment, everything felt like chaos, but it was quickly replaced by a strange warmth. When he realised it was Sirius holding him, the heat in his face returned, flooding his skin with embarrassment.
“Oh… I’m sorry,” Remus muttered, his voice thick with discomfort as he gently tried to pull away, feeling like an idiot.
“Hey, hey, no need to apologize,” Sirius said quickly, his voice laced with panic. “I should’ve known. You said you didn’t know how to swim.”
Remus waved off the apology, his face burning. He just wanted to get out of the water and forget it ever happened. He started to make his way toward the edge when Sirius called after him.
“Wait, Remus, don’t leave yet! I have another idea.”
Remus stopped, feeling the familiar weight of guilt. Sirius just wanted to help. After a brief hesitation, he sighed, relenting. “Alright, I’ll stay.”
“I’ll keep a hold on you,” Sirius coaxed, his voice gentle now. “Come back to me.”
Reluctantly, Remus turned and drifted back toward him. The tension in his chest was still there, but he could feel a quiet resolve in Sirius’s steady grip on his arm.
“I’ve got you,” Sirius said softly, guiding Remus into a lying position on his back in the water. “Just lean back. I’ll make sure you don’t sink. Stay here in my arms.”
Remus hesitated for a moment, feeling vulnerable and more than a little self-conscious. “Don’t you dare drop me, Black,” he muttered, half-joking, half-serious.
Sirius looked down at him, his usual grin spreading across his face. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Moony.”
Remus gave a small, self-conscious laugh, and, though he felt awkward at first, he finally let himself lean back into the water, supported by Sirius’s arms. The sensation of weightlessness was strange at first—his body stiff, unsure—but as he relaxed, the tension in his joints began to ease, the pain that usually haunted him starting to melt away.
A quiet sigh of relief slipped from his lips without meaning to. The sensation was almost surreal. His body felt lighter, freer, and for the first time in months, the pain in his knees and hips didn’t gnaw at him relentlessly.
He closed his eyes, letting the peace wash over him. The only thing that existed now was the soft lapping of water, the gentle pressure of Sirius’s arms around him, and the scent of lavender in the air.
“Feeling relaxed, Moony?” Sirius’s voice was teasing, but it was kind. It wasn’t a taunt, but a gentle, quiet curiosity.
Remus didn’t answer right away. His throat was tight, as though the very relief he felt was almost too much. He breathed out slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Yeah…”
The feeling of floating—of being held without any pressure or expectation—eased something deep inside him. He couldn't remember the last time his body hadn’t felt like a battleground. Even in bed, trying to sleep, he couldn’t escape the pressure, the constant strain of his bones and joints. But here, in Sirius’s arms, with the warm water lifting the weight of the world off him, it was different.
And then, out of nowhere, a wave of emotion hit him so suddenly, so forcefully, that he couldn’t stop it. His eyes fluttered open, and he felt the sting of tears.
“Hey…” Sirius said softly, his tone full of concern. “Moony, are you okay?”
Remus blinked, his mind swimming, trying to make sense of the sudden rush of emotions. “What?” He opened his eyes again, confused and blinking away the blurriness, but his vision was still clouded.
Sirius’s voice was gentle, almost apologetic. “You’re crying, love.”
The word love stopped Remus cold. That was new.
“Oh…” He swallowed hard, embarrassed, realising for the first time that his eyes were wet with tears. “Sorry, I—”
“Are you in pain?” Sirius asked quietly, his voice laced with worry.
“No,” Remus rasped, the words feeling foreign in his mouth. He shook his head, trying to explain the unfamiliar feeling in his chest. “It’s… it’s not pain. It’s just—relief, Sirius. I just… I haven’t felt like this in a long time. I didn’t even know it was possible to feel this good.”
Sirius’s expression softened, and he gave Remus a reassuring smile. “Alright, Moony,” he said quietly. “We can stay as long as you need.”
And they did. Time seemed to slow as they remained there in the warm water, Sirius holding Remus as he floated, the gentle rhythm of their breathing syncing in a quiet, unspoken understanding.
For Remus, it didn’t matter where they were or what was happening around them. He didn’t care about his exams or the impending full moon that would turn his body inside out in just a few days. For once, all that mattered was the feeling of peace that surrounded him, the tender warmth of his best friend’s arms, and the absence of pain that had always defined his existence. With a small sigh, Remus finally allowed himself to drift, his body floating effortlessly, his mind shutting down as he sank deeper into the peaceful embrace of the water and the comforting arms of the one person who made him feel, for just a moment, truly whole.