Little Padfoot

Regulus

An invisibility cloak. Of course, the little band of terrors had one.

“You better not share our trade secrets after this,” James chuckled as he passed the cloak to Regulus.

Regulus scoffed. “No promises.”

He threw the cloak over himself, earning a wow from Sirius as he presumably vanished. He yanked on Remus’ hand, excitedly pointing at the spot Regulus had disappeared from. “Did you see? He disappeared!”

Regulus rolled his eyes. You’d think a magical child would be less impressed by magic.

He made sure the cloak was covering every part of himself, including the bag he’d quickly put a few things in after establishing he’d be staying in Gryffindor tower, then started making his way to the door. It wasn’t difficult to keep himself concealed, and he was already starting to trace back some ‘mysterious incidents’ to the boys. They were definitely behind the biting armchairs in the Slytherin common room last year.

“Can I have a turn?” Sirus asked, still pointing at Regulus. Or at least, the spot he thought Regulus was in, unable to tell he’d moved from it.

James chuckled and picked up the outstretched hand, working with Remus to lift him up and spin him toward the door. Sirius giggled happily as he swung through the air, kicking his legs.

“Once we’re back to the dorm you can have all the turns you want.”

“Again, again!” Sirius laughed, jumping up in the air. James and Remus snickered, but indulged him, pulling him up and letting him kick around.

Regulus looked away. He and Sirius had never done things like that as kids. It wasn’t proper.

“Come on guys,” Peter said, pushing open the door. He had a little bag over his shoulder filled with things a five-year-old might need for a night. Clothes, a water bottle, snacks, a couple more transfigured toys to go along with his little dog, who Sirius had very creatively decided to name ‘Blacky’.

Regulus slipped out first, then followed the others up to Gryffindor tower. He’d suggested they go while the rest of the school was at dinner to make the trip a little easier on Sirius. Hogwarts being Hogwarts, it was likely half the school already knew and they didn’t want Sirius getting overwhelmed by the attention he’d undoubtedly receive.

Had he been turned into an eight-year-old, he probably would’ve loved it. But as of now, he was yet to grow into his attention seeking bones. Though watching him smile and laugh as James and Remus played with him, Regulus wondered if he would’ve turned out that way if he hadn’t spent his whole childhood trying to earn his love.

“Ringtail Possum,” Remus announced as they approached the Gryffindor tower entrance, but The Fat Lady didn’t swing open straight away. Instead, she cooed and babbled at likely the first child she’d seen in hundreds of years.

“Ohhh isn’t he just the sweetest little thing.”

At her words, Sirius stopped laughing and his behind Remus’ legs, which only encouraged her baby talk.

“So precious,” she squealed. “Who would’ve thought Mr Black was such an adorable little boy.”

“Yes well, we would like to go inside,” James said.

She glared at him and put her hands on her hips.

I’m glad the Barron portrait isn’t like this.

“You know a please wouldn’t kill you every once in a while,” she frowned, before her face lit up. “Oh get the boy to say it. It would be-”

“Ringtail Possum!” Remus said firmly, earning himself a scowl.

“Merlin, no need to be so demanding. I was just asking,” the portrait muttered, but this time did swing open to reveal a short tunnel.

Regulus walked closely behind them, and the tunnel opened up in a large circular room with several staircases leading up and down to what he assumed were different dorm rooms. It was very red, with random bits of gold scattered around like a toddler had designed the place. It suited Gryffindor perfectly.

The common room was mostly empty, though there were a few students sitting around, meaning he had to keep the cloak on as they made their way up a stairwell to the sixth-year dorm.

Peter went first, then Remus, followed very closely by Sirius, then James and Regulus. The first three sat straight down in the middle of the room and began unpacking the night bag, while Regulus took off the cloak, dropping his bad on the floor.

“Nice to see you again,” James grinned holding out his arms. “Enjoy being invisible? Cause any mischief while you were under there?”

“Yes, during the short walk from the hospital wing, I managed to plant several traps specifically designed to target Gryffindors that ask stupid questions.” He tossed James the bundled-up fabric. “You may want to watch out.”

James laughed, and Regulus allowed himself a little smirk.

“I’m assuming that one is my brothers?” he said more than asked, pointing at the bed with the most mess surrounding it. Clothes were kicked under the bed, parchment was strewn about, and his bookshelves seemed to hold more records than books.

“You would be correct,” James said as he flopped onto the marginally more organised bed beside it. “Feel free to fix it while you’re here.”

“I think my being here is cleaning up enough of his mess as it is.”

“Good point, he did make a big mistake.”

“Weren’t you part of the problem?”

“I prefer the title creative advisor.”

Regulus snorted. Of course, you do.

The rest of the room was styled in the same horrible way downstairs was, though he had to admit the fact they had windows up here was jealously inducing. He would kill to see the sky from his dorm. He was tempted to go sit in one of the alcoves and look up at the constellations right now, but a child’s voice pulled him out of that fantasy pretty quickly.

“Reggie, look at Blacky. He has a brother like me.”

Regulus was glad he already had the excuse of smiling from his conversation with James, because there was no way he would’ve been able to hold off when he saw Sirius. He was holding up Blacky in one hand and a little black cat in the other. He wasn’t quite sure if Sirius actually realised they were different animals, but he decided to play along.

“Wow,” he exclaimed, or at least tried to. “Does he have a name?”

 “Umm…” Sirius scrunched up his face, and looked around the room, but stopped when his gaze landed on the alcove Regulus had just been eyeing off. “Starry,” he announced through a smile.

Merlin, that is a terrible name

He shared a look with Remus and Peter, who was biting back laughs, clearly on the same page as him about the name. He did his best to work his amused expressed into one that hopefully looked more impressed.

“That’s a really great name.”

Peter snorted and Remus shoved him, Sirius didn’t notice though.

“Do you want to play racing with them?”

He held the cat out for him to take.

“Err sure. I guess. How does this game work?”

He crouched down on one kee and took the fluffy cat toy in his hand, as Sirius jumped to his feet and started- Dear Merlin - running around the room with the toy above his head.

“Like this,” he shouted as he jumped, ducked and weaved. “Can’t catch meeee, I’m winningggg.”

Regulus was not unfit, quite the opposite really. He was on the quidditch team. He liked going on walks and did quite a bit of duelling practice. He was quick, agile and in good health. But as he watched Sirius clambering over beds, he was out of breath just thinking about doing the same thing.

“Oh, I’m not sure if I can play that game. Why don’t we just… um… play naptime?”

“You’re just scared of losing,” Sirius laughed as he jumped on James’ bed, clearly over the stranger danger fright he’d been having earlier.

“Yeh, Reg.” James sat up on his elbows, wearing a shit eating grin. “You’re just scared of losing.”

I’ll show you scared of losing

Regulus pulled out his wand and pointed it at the cat in his other hand.

“Wingardium Leviosa,” he whispered and let go of his hold on it. Then he pointed his wand at Sirius and it went flying toward him.

“Oi! That’s cheating,” he cried as Regulus hovered it just in front of him.

“Are you sure you aren’t just scared of losing?”

Sirius narrowed his eyes. He dropped Blacky and made a jump for Starry, but Regulus was faster and jerked it out of his reach.

“Hey!”

“What’s wrong? Can’t you get it?”

“I can get it.” He grumbled and made another leap for it. He was close, but it jerked away from him right as his hand was about to reach it. “No! I was close!”

Regulus hovered the cat just in front of Sirius’ face.

“Come and get it,” he teased, and as Sirius tried, he made it bounce in his face then jump on his head. “He’s getting away. You gotta catch him.”

He made Starry dart across to the other side of the room and Sirius, face full of determination chased after it. It was rather entertaining. Sirius was a good sport too, laughing and giggling when he got close, but missed at the last second. It was also a much better solution than him running around like an idiot.

The game eventually evolved into Sirius being chased by the floating cat toy instead, trying to stop it from landing on his head. Every time it did, Sirius would just burst in giggles and run off in the opposite direction. And it wasn’t just Sirius laughing. They all were, even Regulus.

“Remus, save me,” Sirius squeaked, jumping off Peters bed as Regulus made the cat speed behind him. He barely gave Remus a chance to register what was going on before he crashed into his lap, just about bowling him over. “Starry is getting me.”

Remus took it in his stride though.

“Alright, alright. I’ve got you,” he laughed as Sirius twisted around, making himself comfortable.

Just he did, Regulus pointed his wand at the pair and it dove toward them. Sirius squealed, putting his hands out, but Remus swatted the cat back before it got too close. “Ahhh… stay away Starry.”

I don’t think so

Regulus swerved the cat, relining him up for another attack.

“I think Starry’s coming back,” he teased as he made it dive again. But it didn’t reach its targets, knocked off course and sent tumbling to the ground. “Oi, what was-”

He looked up to see James, smirking, pointing his wand at another levitating stuffed toy, a little brown stag.

Sirius laughed, pointing up at the animal. “I win, I win.”

“You didn’t win,” Regulus scoffed, getting the cat back in the air. “Potter cheated.”

“As the official umpire of this match,” Peter called out. “I say best of three, one point to James.”

James smirked, circling the deer around the room. “Can’t argue with that authority,” he shrugged.

“Again! Again!” Sirius clapped his hands together. “Go… um…” His eyes shifted from the stag to the cat lifting off the ground. “Reggie, make Starry win now.”

“Traitor!” James shouted.

“Can’t argue with that authority, Potter,” Regulus replied, grinning completely and entirely innocently. James rolled his eyes and Peter decided to turn full quidditch commentator.

“Alright men, I want a nice clean match today. Good tackles and strong flying please. No more injuries this season.”

Regulus scoffed and was tempted to make a scathing remark about maturity, but decided against it as his brother’s cheers filled the room. Cheers for him.

“Go Reggie! Win! Beat James!”

He let the corners of his mouth turn up. Well… one round wouldn’t hurt. He couldn’t disappoint his brother.

“On my count!”

James looked him dead in the eye, way too seriously for what this was, but Regulus returned the look. He wasn’t going to lose. Even if it was just a childish game too amuse a toddler. Besides, that toddler wanted him to win, and he wasn’t going to let down a toddler.

“Three.”

James winked and made a show off lifting up his wand.

“Two.”

Regulus barely refrained from rolling his eyes.

“One GO!”

The toys flew through the air and crashed head on. Regulus held his wand firm, refusing to let Starry get knocked down again. James was equally as competitive, not letting the stag surrender as they rammed each other over and over.

“Star-ry! Star-ry!”

“You really going to disappoint your best friend? He seems pretty intent on me winning here.”

James responded by twisting the stag up and diving back at the cat. Regulus, with his seeker instincts dodged easily, earning a scowl from his competitor and a cheer from the crowd.

“Oooh and Potter misses, Black easily predicting his attack plan.”

Maybe Regulus was having fun. Maybe.

He flicked his wand up, sending Starry into the stag trying to recover. It was knocked up, and James’ wand jerked as the spell wavered. Regulus didn’t hesitate though. He sped his toy up, then dove, ramming into the out-of-control toy and-

Thud.

“We have a winner! Starry the cat is the ultimate champion!”

“YAYYY!” Sirius jumped up and plucked the toy straight out of the air. “Star-ry! Star-ry! Star-ry!”

He held  it over his head like a trophy he’d just won and began parading around the arm as he chanted.

“What happened to best of three?” James complained and Peter shrugged. “Can’t bothered and I want a shower. Umpires rules sorry Prongs.”

“Traitors! The lot of you!”

Everyone laughed, as James crossed his arms, but even he was wearing a slight grin. It was a weird little thing. A bit crooked, pulling up more on the left than the right. Despite being barely a smile, his hazel eyes were crinkled up in the corners behind his glasses. There were even hints of a few dimples that would probably become more pronounced if he smiled properly. Regulus tried picturing what that would look like.

Before he could register what he was even doing though, a loud THUD knocked him out of his head.

He tore around to the source of the noise and his heart skipped a beat.

Sirius was on the ground and Peter was standing above him, looking very surprised, and guilty, as Sirius’ face screwed up and looked like he was about to burst into tears.

Shit…

Regulus jumped to his feet, dashing over to where Sirius trying to sit up, and starting to breath rapidly. The way one might sound while trying to stop themselves from crying out.

“Oh no, no. It’s fine. I’m sorry. Um. Fuck.” Peter looked at him with a panicked expression. “I didn’t even see him. I was just trying to get my shower stuff. He just ran straight into me.”

“I’m sorry…” Sirius muttered, tears streaming down his face.

Regulus winced and crouched down, gently resting a hand on Sirius’ shoulder. He was shaking, and he looked pretty much the same as he had back in the hospital wing. Merlin. How did their parents see this and decide to inflict more pain?

“Are you alright?”

Rather than answer, Sirius curled up, wrapping his arms around himself and pressing his face into his knees. The action muffled the crying, but Regulus could see a big graze painting his elbow where he must’ve hit the ground. It looked nasty.

“Does that hurt?” he asked, pulling out his wand in anticipation of a loud yes. But no such answer came, in fact, Sirius shook his head.

“Are you sure? I can heal it for you.”

Sirus nodded, curling up tighter and Regulus swallowed as he realised what was likely happening. By five, Sirius would already be well-adjusted to punishments. Well-adjusted to handling the pain on his own too. This had probably never happened before, someone offering to help.

Regulus’ throat tightened, but he ignored it.

“Sirius, you aren’t in trouble. It was just an accident.”

Sirius sucked in a shuddering breath. “I-I’m not?”

Regulus heart shattered at his quiet voice, so different to the one he’d had a minute ago.

“No. You’re not in trouble, and I can heal it if you want me too.”

“But… but P-Peter said…”

Behind them, Peter winced. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. It was an accident. I’m sorry, I was just surprised.”

Regulus strained to remember what Sirius used to do when he was upset. A hug? Reassure him? Make him laugh? Distract him? A sick feeling worked through him. Sirius had done so much for him…

And I did barely a thing…

He blinked back a tear and rubbed his brother’s shoulder softly.

“See? Peter isn’t mad at you. No one is going to hurt you.”

Sirius sniffled and tilted his face up. Not much, but enough to see his eyes, like he was checking to see if he should trust them or not. They were bloodshot and glassy, unsure and untrusting.

“Should we take him to Pomfrey?” James suggested and Regulus shook his head. would be over now too, there was no way moving him through the castle in this state would be a good idea. He was good with healing charms when he needed to be.

Regulus sighed and shuffled so he was seated.

“Do you need a… hug?” he offered.

Sirius tipped his head back a little more, revealing his red cheeks and trembling lower lip. His brow furrowed and he eyed him nervously.

Regulus opened his arms up and had to force a smile because this was the opposite of a happy sight. In his own mind, he was spiralling down a rabbit hole of all the times he’d needed Sirius as a kid, and how he’d assumed Sirius never needed him. How he’d assumed Sirius was just stronger and braver. How he hadn’t noticed.

All the fun he’d just had was slipping away.

“It’s alright. Only if you want too though.”

He was probably hoping he did. Might ease the guilt currently building up.

Sirius looked him up and down, still sniffing and breathing heavily. He hesitated, but after a second uncurled from the ball he’d worked himself into and crawled toward Regulus. He pressed his face in Regulus robes, muffling the sound of his sobs.

His arms were too short to fully wrap around Regulus, but Regulus easily wrapped his around the boy. And the moment he did, Sirius broke down. Not in the strange sobs he’d been doing, but real crying. Body shaking uncontrollably. Loud pained . For a second, he panicked that he’d done something wrong, but Sirius made no effort to pull away. Instead, he gripped him tighter.

Nausea twisted his stomach and Regulus bit down on the inside of his cheek, so hard metallic filled his mouth.

He hugged his brother back.

“It’s alright,” he whispered. To both of them.

How long had it been since someone held Sirius like this?

It’s fine. He’s fine. He lived. He has James and Remus and Peter now. This was the past. It was over.

It was hard to believe that with a five-year-old version of Sirius crying in his arms right now.

They sat there for quite a while. The boys around them quietly having their showers and getting ready for bed. He wondered if they were having similar realisations. The pained glances they were shooting him indicated they might. Eventually, Sirius did stop crying. Though not because he had calmed down or begun to feel better. He’d worn himself out and cried himself to sleep.

When he was sure Sirius was out, he looked up at Remus. He’d sat down to heal Sirius’ graze after his shower, then never got back up.

“Do you think you could watch him for a bit? So, I can shower too?”

 “Yeh sure,” Remus replied. “Do you think we should just put him in his bed or?”

Regulus shrugged, “Doubt he’ll care much.”

“Probably not.”

Remus stood up, and helped Regulus very carefully get to his feet too without Sirius waking up. Then they passed him over and Regulus thanked Merlin he was such a heavy sleeper. He barely seemed to notice the switch and snuggled up to Remus. Where he was supposed to be. With someone present day Sirius actually liked.

That thought was a mistake.

He muttered a “thanks”, and like he was racing against time, picked up his bag and locked himself in the bathroom without glancing back.

Fuck.

Regulus dropped his bag and slammed his back against the door, sucking in a sharp breath as he screwed up his eyes and clenched his teeth.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

His throat squeezed and his chest squeezed harder.

Was that what they’d been like? Is that really what their parents had seen and decided to curse? Is that how Sirius had lived?

And I didn’t do a thing to help.

Regulus balled his fists and fought with every ounce of strength he had, to try keep his eyes dry. Because it was in the past. This shit didn’t matter. It was over and there was nothing he could do. They’d managed. They’d survived. He was surviving.

It’s fine.

He opened his eyes and glared down at his bag, blinking rapidly to keep them clear. He knew he shouldn’t, but he didn’t care.

Fuck it.

Regulus slid to the floor and opened the zipper.

He’d started doing it years ago. Not often. Just every now and then when he really needed it. It wasn’t like he did it every day. Not even every week. Once a month, if that. He didn’t have a problem. He could stop whenever he wanted, he just didn’t want to.

His dug through his clothes until his fingers wrapped around the potions scalpel he’d tossed in just in case. He pulled it out, and quickly rolled up his left robe sleeve. Lines of varying thickness littered his skin. Most were pale, old and healed. A few were pink, but none were red. It’d been a while. He didn’t have a problem.

That’s what he told himself.

Regulus itched the scratch. Not deeply and only twice. Just enough to see red beads form and drip down his wrist. It did what he needed it to do. His breathing went back to normal. His thoughts got quiet enough to ignore.

He watched the colours painting his skin. Using his thumb to press the wounds and force out more if the flow stopped. It was relaxing, like meditation. Admittedly a more fucked up version that he wouldn’t recommend to anyone. But Walburga and Orion had covered him in scars anyway. At least these ones were his choice.

He wiped the blade on his robes and hid it back in his bag. Then he undressed to shower like nothing had happened.

---

Sirius

“You are disgusting.”

Red light. Pain. Horrible pain.

“We give you shelter. We feed you. We raise you. And you dare decide to follow this lifestyle?”

More pain. All over his body. All over his mind.

“I will not have you ruining this families name.”

Sirius’ eyes fluttered open, his breathing fast and heart racing from his dream. He didn’t understand it, but it felt so real. He could almost feel the bad red curses now.

It took Sirius a minute to remember where he was, and at first, he panicked. All the red from his nightmare was here too. His blanket was red. His roof was red. Where was he? He rubbed his eyes and sat up.

There was a person lying across the end of the bed with his nose in a book.

Remus. Sirius relaxed. That’s right. He was with grown up Reg and his big friends. At Hogwarts. Not with mum and dad. He was safe. That’s what Reg said. But where was Reg? The last thing he remembered was sitting with him after he fell over.

He frowned. Had he left him here? He’d promised to stay…

“Remus?” he said, and the boy on the end of his boy looked up from his book and smiled. It made his tummy feel funny. A nice funny. He liked Remus. “Did Reg leave?”

Remus’ closed his book and shook his head.

“He’s just having a shower; he’ll be back in a few minutes. Are you alright?”

Sirius thought about his nightmare.

“I’m not sleepy anymore…”

“Oh…um…” He looked around the dorm room, then his face lit up. “Hey Pete, you still got that copy of Beedle the Bard handy?”

“Yeh it’s on my shelf. Just summon it.”

Remus pulled out his wand and waved it, saying some words before a little book flew across the room into his hand. It was a very faded blue and looked old. Which he figured made sense since all these people were old.

“Would you like me to read you something? My favourite was ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ at your age, but I’m fairly certain you haven’t heard that one before.”

Sirius looked at the book curiously. He hadn’t heard of whatever book Remus had said, but he liked the idea of reading. His mum read for him and Reg sometimes.

He nodded and Remus sat up.

“Alright then,” he flicked through a few pages, then stopped. “How does ‘The fountain of fair fortune’, sound?”

“Ok.” Sirius was pretty sure he’d heard that one before somewhere. Not from his mum, but maybe Andy or Cissa when they came over.

Remus held up the book and started.

As he spoke, the people in the pictures acted out the scenes. Asha, Altheda, Amata and Sir Luckless, all working together, jumping from one page to the next as the story progressed. They walked down a steep and thorny path, confronted a giant and tricked him into letting them through, and had found their way past a magical barrier to the fountain.

Sirius found himself giggling a few times when Sir Luckless stumbled over his own feet. He also thought Asha’s pet worm was silly. Why didn’t she have proper pet? Like a real Blacky and a real Starry?

“And together they walked back through the darkness to the castle, escorted by the cheering crowd. The end.”

Remus closed the book and Sirius stared at it; his nightmare long forgotten. That was the best story ever.

“That wasn’t even scary!” he said in awe.

Remus frowned, “Scary? What books are scary?”

Sirius crawled closer, reaching for the blue book, more focused on that then his words. “Like The Mudblood Monsters or The Big, Bad Beasts.”

He sat himself next to Remus, who was suddenly very still and grabbed the book out of his hand. Opening the pages and looking at all the pictures, waving at the people and animals.

“Sirius what… what did you just say?”

Sirius looked up at Remus and frowned. His face was pale, and his mouth was pulled tight. He looked upset. Why was he upset? He was just saying the scary books.

“The scary books.”

Remus swallowed. “What scary books?”

Sirius tilted his head. Wasn’t Remus a grown up? He should know these things.

“Well, in Mudblood Monsters, the mudbloods try trap wizard kids and eat them to get magic. And in Bad Beasts, giants and werewolves steal kids out of bed in the middle of the night to kill them.”

Remus face didn’t look any happier when Sirius finished talked. If anything, it looked sadder. His jaw was hanging open and his eyes looked a little shiny. Maybe he was scared of those stories too? Like little Reggie was?

Sirius closed the blue book and put it next to him, using both hands to hold Remus’ big one.

“It’s ok,” he said, like he did to his brother. “They’re just stories. You have a wand to stop monsters. The mudbloods can’t get you, and the beasts won’t either.”

His reassurances didn’t seem to have the desired effect though. Remus eyes looked even shinier than before, so much so he was using his other hand to wipe them.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, trying to hold Remus’ hand a bit better. He didn’t like seeing Remus sad. It made him sad too.

Remus breathed in deeply and shook his head.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” he said, but Sirius didn’t believe him.

“You don’t look fine. Why are you crying?”

Remus sighed and tried to smile, but it wasn’t a very good one.

“I’m just… surprised by those books. I didn’t know you’d heard stories like them before.”

“Oh… did your mum and dad not read those ones?”

“No,” Remus coughed. “No, they definitely didn’t.”

Ohhhh.

So that was why he was sad. This was his first time hearing them. No wonder he didn’t look happy, they were a bit scary.

“Well… it’s still ok. Mudbloods can't get-”

“Sirius, you shouldn’t say that word. It’s not very nice.”

Sirius scrunched up his face.

“What word? Mudbloods?”

“Yes, that one.”

Huh?

Sirius hadn't heard that before. Everyone said mudbloods. Books, his mum and dad, his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, his cousins. And besides. Why would he want to be nice to them? They eat wizards to steal magic.

“How is it a bad word? They’re all evil anyway.”

Remus eyes widened and he swallowed nervously.

“Sirius, that isn’t true. Muggleborns are just normal people.”

“What’s a muggleborn?”

Remus pursed his lips and it looked like he was trying to decide something tricky.

“Well… remember that bad word? Muggleborn is a nicer name for magical people with muggle parents.”

Sirius nodded but didn’t really understand why they needed two names. Or why one had to be nice. But he figured if Remus was his big friend he should probably do what he said. Maybe he’d learn in the future the reasons why.

“Do the bad beasts have other names too? Like giants and werewolves?”

Remus breathed in another deep breath and shut his eyes. Then shook his head.

“No. Same names for… them.”

“Are you sure you’re ok?”

Remus nodded his head but didn’t say anything. So, Sirius let go of Remus’ hand, and instead leaned forwards and wrapped his arms around his body. Hugs always made Regulus feel better, and the hug Regulus gave him before had helped.

It only took a second for Sirius to feel Remus hugging him too. He hoped Remus would feel happier soon.