Remus knew for a fact that Sirius Orion Black was the love of his life. He knew it in his bones.
He knew it in fifth year when he saw him hug a first year Slytherin, terrified of her houses bad reputation. He knew it when he wrapped an arm around a second year who had missed his baby brother’s birthday because he couldn’t go home.
He knew for sure that he was irreversibly in love with him when his heart stopped when Sirius threw his head back in laughter over something James said.
He knew it when he still loved him after the prank. He knew it when he tearfully explained how he was trying to protect them because Snape had already figured out his secret and was planning on exposing him, because how else was he supposed to get rid of a threat? He knew it when his heart shattered at his sobs when he ended things between them.
He knew it when to this day, a whole summer later, Sirius still apologized.
He knew it when his heart broke when he saw a Sixth Year Ravenclaw boardline grooming a broken Sirius last year, and Sirius, so desperate for a friend when he was all alone, getting cruel letters from his parents, his little brother getting further and further away from him, sitting alone in class and meals, didn’t see what was happening.
And yet Remus did nothing. He was to cowardly to approach Sirius and help him. And James, despite his love for Sirius, sided with Remus and didn’t speak to him. Peter was trying to figure out who to speak to, his best mate or Remus? Obviously Sirius was wrong, but he was in danger. But would Remus be mad at him too if he spoke to Sirius?
And so by the end of the year, Sirius and Duncan were a thing. There was something in his gut, something other than jealousy, that told him this was bad. They had started out happy, they’d sit cuddling in the Great Hall, owl each other constantly over the summer. But then when they forgave Sirius, Duncan always had to know who he was with. He didn’t like when Sirius was with Remus or James or Lily. He always said that Remus was going to try and win him back, that James and Lily didn’t like them together. Or god forbid Sirius look to his baby brother, he’d lose his mind over how he missed him.
“Why do people date the wrong people?” He asked Lily as he looked at the ‘happy’ couple. Sirius was sitting more still than he’d ever seen him, while Duncan was behind him, hands gripping his shoulders. Sirius had a forced smile on his face while he reached up and held his right hand.
“We accept the love we think we deserve,” Lily said with a sad smile on her face. “He’ll get out eventually, he always does. We just have to be ready to support him when he’s out.”
And he knew she was right. He’d try to speak to Sirius so many times about how he was in an abusive relationship, but every time he tried, Duncan would show up and Sirius would flinch. The Gryffindor Common Room wasn’t even safe, Duncan’s friends would watch Sirius like a hawk. Marlene tried to get him alone, but someone always had an eye on him.
Sirius was becoming more an more isolated. He always walked like he’d been punched in the gut. He stopped complaining about the uniforms, which he’d always said were too hot. He hadn’t worn any of the band tee-shirts that he’d stolen from Remus. In fact, Remus hadn’t seen him wear anything but long sleeves in a long time.
He gathered his pajamas and shower stuff and walked to the bathroom. He was vaguely aware of the dormitory door creaking but put it off to James or Peter coming in for Exploding Snap cards.
”Remus?”
Holy shit, it was Sirius. He’d thought he was with Duncan or one if his friends. But here he was. Why did he sounded… broken? He stepped back into the dorm and gasped. Sirius had a huge black eye and busted lip. His cheeks were a bright red.
“Oh, darling. Did Duncan do this?” He asked as he gently put his hands on his arms. His heart shattered even more when Sirius flinched. He’d never been afraid when Remus touched him, not even after he ran away.
“Hey,” he said, holding his chin between his thumb and index finger, forcing him to look at him. “It’s okay, just tell me what happened.”
That’s when finally, finally, Sirius let go. He sobbed as he threw himself into Remus’s arms. Remus just wrapped his arms around him and stroked his hair.
”It’s okay, darling, he won’t hurt you anymore.” He whispered.
That was when, unfortunately or fortunately he still didn’t know, James, Peter, and Lily walked into the dorm.
“Sirius, mate, what happened?” James asked as he dropped a pile of chocolate frogs on his bed before he joined them.
”Was this Duncan?” Peter asked bluntly, guiding him and Remus onto Remus’s bed.
“Oh, I’ll kill him,” Lily muttered.
“Guys, lay off,” Remus mouthed over his head. Sirius was getting more and more stiff with each comment.
”Sorry, Pads, we just want to know if yours alright,” James said, sitting on the bed with one leg tucked under his bum.
“Not really,” He squeaked from where his face was pressed into Remus’s chest.
“Padfoot, love, is this… all he did or is there more?” Remus asked.
”Arm,” He said.
”Arm? Sweetie can I see the arm?” Lily asked gently. He worldlessly stuck out his right arm, covered from his sweater. Lily gently tugged it out and gasped when she saw it was swollen and covered in green and purple bruises.
”Oh he is a dead man walking,” Remus said, carding his fingers through Sirius’s hair when he whimpered.
“Sirius, we really should get you to Madam Pomfrey,” Lily said.
“N-no, no one else can know, he’ll be so mad.”
”Don’t be afraid of what he’ll do if he finds out, be afraid of what he’ll do if you stay. C’mon, we’ll get Professor McGonagall. She won’t let anything happen to you,” James said sagely.
“We won’t let anything happen to you, not anymore,” Remus said, pulling back to look Sirius in the face. “I promise.”
Sirius searched his eyes as if looking for the lie.
”Okay,” He finally whispered, and Remus stood up, wrapped an arm around him, and gently lead him to the hospital wing with James, Peter and Lily running to get McGonagall.
They ended up in the hospital wing for hours, the two professors ended up taking a report down of everything that Duncan had done to Sirius. McGonagall had wanted him expelled, but Dumbledore refused. He didn’t want to ruin his future for something he had done when he was young and stupid. Remus didn’t want Duncan anywhere near Sirius and was livid when he found out that he wouldn’t be expelled, though he unfortunately had to settle for Duncan not being allowed to be in any of the same classes, and the HufflePuff and Ravenclaw tables had been switched so they couldn’t interact in anyway. Marlene, Mary, Dorcas, and Lily would flank him on the way to charms, Care of Magical Creatures, and Potions. Remus, James, and Peter would do the same on the way to Defense, Transfiguration, and Divination.
McGonagall and Flitwick thankfully turned a blind eye to the stinging hexes thrown Duncan’s way. If he was missing from a few meals, the gang was none the wiser.
As for Sirius and Remus? They ended up getting back together a few months later during a party in the Gryffindor Common Room after a game of spin the bottle.
It had started with a kiss, which turned into a heavy make out season, which ended up with… you know.
They’d been cuddling after, Sirius resting his head on Remus’s bare chest as Remus trailed his fingers up and down his arm.
”Remy?” Sirius had asked.
”Yeah?”
”Why did you help me before? I mean, I betrayed you.”
Remus had pressed his lips into Sirius’s hair. “Because, Sirius, I am irreversiblely, stupidly in love with you, and you are the love of my life.”