Eclipsed

As the music thumped and laughter echoed through the common room, James found himself drawn towards  Marlene like a moth to a flame. For first time ever, James was at a Gryffindor party alone; despite the moon having been a couple days ago, Remus claimed that he wasn't up for a party and Sirius had decided to keep him company up in the dorm, while Peter had been chatting up a Fourth Year girl, Clarissa Lima, all night long. James been halfheartedly making conversation with some of his teammates, but when he saw Marlene coming down the stairs, he knew that it was finally his time to make his move on her- without his friends around, there was nobody to distract or dissuade him from his goal, or most notably, to embarrass him in the process. 

James and Marlene been dancing around each other all term, taking the long way back to the castle after Quidditch and sitting together at most meals, their playful banter and shy glances hinting at something more beneath the surface. While he still had lingering feelings for Lily deep down, their recent argument really cemented to James how wrong they were for each other, and he was fully determined to fully leave his silly crush on her behind. Besides, he kept telling himself, Marlene actually seemed to enjoy his company, and he truly enjoyed hers. They had loads to talk about, and she was quite pretty, especially tonight. Like most of the witches at the party, she was wearing a combination of muggle and wixen-wear, her light lilac robes flowing loosely around her body, worn open and over a short denim dress and tall black boots. 

He caught her eye from across the room, and with a grin, he made his way through the crowd to her side.The music playing that evening was a new Wizarding pop group, The Phoenix Players, and their heavy bass lines vibrated the floor, everyone shouting and dancing to the beat.  "Hey, Marlene," he said, leaning in close to be heard over the music. 

Marlene smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Hey, James,” she shouted over the music, “having a good time?"

James nodded, his heart pounding with anticipation. "Yeah, but I can think of one way it could be even better."

Marlene arched an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Oh? And how do you propose we make that happen?"

James shrugged, a cocky smile spreading across his face as he casually adjusted his hair. “Well, I think that you and I, we’ve been having a pretty great time together this term, haven’t we?”

Marlene’s already flushed cheeks seemed to glow under the dim lights as her smile widened. “I suppose we have been,” she replied, her voice tinged with flirtation.

“And you'd agree then, that great is better than good?" James grinned, and she laughed.

"Well of course," she answered, a happy blush coloring her cheeks. "Great is exponentially better than good."

"What do you say, then?” James reached for her hand, his fingers barely brushing hers but igniting a spark nonetheless. “You wanna go out with me, Marley? Like, be my girlfriend?”

Her breath caught, but Marlene’s response was certain. “Yeah, James,” she said softly. “I’d love to.”

“Great,” James said, eyes wide, his voice much breathier than he’d wanted it to be, and they both laughed. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, relishing the warmth of her cheeks beneath his touch. “You’re great.”

With a surge of courage, Marlene rose onto her toes and kissed him. The taste of elderflower wine lingered on her lips, but James didn’t mind. In that moment, the world seemed to fade away as they shared their first kiss, James’s heart racing with excitement. As they broke apart, the cheers and catcalls of their teammates brought them back to reality.

Drunk on alcohol and the thrill of the moment, James pulled Marlene into another kiss, ignoring the disapproving glare from Lily across the room. With a giddy laugh, Marlene took his hand, and together they made their way to the center of the makeshift dance floor, celebrating not just the end of term, but the beginning of something new and exciting between them as well. 

Being home for break was a mix of relief and longing; while James cherished the time with his parents and Peter, being away from Marlene made him feel a strange sort of loneliness he hadn’t experienced before, even in the absence of Sirius or Remus or Pete.

The inconvent, or more accurately phrased, annoying nature of the new couple's constant owling prompted Effie to suggest that James take Marlene out during the break, and maybe even inviting her to the Potter New Year’s Eve celebration instead of exhausting the Potter family's owl. Thrilled by the idea, the two quickly set a date, though Marlene would need to ask permission from her parents first. The anticipation of their upcoming outing replaced the flood of letters, heightening the excitement.

Since the Potters didn’t celebrate it, Christmas Eve crept up on them; it was just like any other day. James spent most of the daylight hours flying- now that he had set an end date to his Quidditch career, something his parents had been both relieved and heartbroken over, he was determined to make the most of all the time he had left with the game. With Peter away visiting cousins, and Effie forbidding Fleamont to set foot anywhere near a broom, James was stuck practicing on his own, using a charmed Quaffle in a way one would use a boomerang: after James sent it soaring through the hoop, it would make its way back into his hands, ready for the next drill. 

As darkness fell, Effie called him inside, promising his favorite masoor dal and a special treat of samosas for dinner. After eating, they settled in the living room, enjoying the cozy fireplace and the lyrical tunes of the elder Potters’ favorite records playing softly in the background. Fleamont dozed off in his armchair, while Effie and James indulged in their respective reading materials- she’d been pleased to hear about some of the new spells he’d been working on with Felicity, and had begun to use scriptio sonoro herself when she wanted to read her romance novels but also “just wanted to relax.”

Just as Fleamont produced a shockingly loud snore, the fireplace sputtered, shocking the man into consciousness, and after a moment, Sirius tumbled out unceremoniously, covered in soot and clearly injured. He crumpled to the floor, nearly unconscious, and James had just managed to leap off the couch and pull him out of the way when a second later, his trunk followed, arriving just as raucously as its owner had. 

“Padfoot!” James exclaimed, kneeling on the floor and holding Sirius’ body up. He was bleeding from his nose and mouth, and the side of his face looked incredibly swollen. As Fleamont woke himself up and tried to figure out what he’d missed, Effie made her way over to the two boys, taking Sirius from James’ arms and cradling his torso over her lap similarly to the way one would hold a baby. 

“Sirius, love, are you with us?” She asked him, pushing up her glasses and going right into healer mode. He seemed to be breathing, albeit shallowly, and besides the blood and swelling on his face there were no open wounds or marks on his body. “Jamie, darling, please pass me my wand?” James popped up and went to retrieve it, narrowly avoiding clipping his hip on the side table as he raced around the living room. 

Meanwhile, Fleamont had gotten up, and moved the trunk out of the fireplace’s vicinity and was inspecting a note which seemed to have come attached, only pausing to polish his own glasses before taking a closer look.

”Beta, who could R.A.B. be?” he asked James, still peering curiously at the little white piece of parchment.

”I would assume Regulus? Sirius’ brother.” James handed his mother her wand and hovered over her shoulder as she began casting diagnostic spells and siphoning blood off of Sirius’ face. James felt his own chest tightening as he watched her work, delicately yet efficiently. 

Fleamont hummed, “Interesting…” 

Before James could inquire further, Effie took charge, issuing instructions to both him and Fleamont.

“James, please go get a washcloth and my healer’s kit from beneath the kitchen sink. Monty, reset the wards; I don’t think we want any other unexpected visitors this evening.”

Following her lead, James and Fleamont went off to complete their assigned duties, and when they finally reconvened in the living room, Sirius had been levitated onto the couch, a thick quilt cushioning him. Despite Effie’s ministrations, his face still bore signs of injury, with visible swelling around the left side of his jaw and dark bruises forming beneath both eyes. 

Effie carefully applied bruise salve from her healer’s kit, soothing the tender areas around Sirius’s eyes and jaw. Sirius winced, even in his unconscious state, prompting Effie to cast an additional diagnostic spell to assess what she could’ve missed the first time around.

“Epiksey,” Effie murmured, casting a mending spell around the jaw that caused Sirius to jolt awake, disoriented and in pain. He seemed unable, or unwilling to open his mouth, and tears welled up in his eyes as Effie attempted to comfort him. James and Fleamont, watching from the doorway, felt helpless, yet unwilling to leave the room.

“I know it hurts, love, I know,” Effie reassured him, holding Sirius awkwardly so as to not put any pressure on the side of his face, “but you’ve got to try to open up a little bit for me.” She began to coax both a healing potion and a sleeping draught into his barely parted lips. “You’ll feel much better afterwards, I promise.” 

Caught between the shock and the empathetic pain of witnessing his Sirius in that state, James hadn’t realized tears were streaming down his own face until his father gently led him away from the doorway. With trembling hands, James removed his glasses to wipe his tears, his emotions in turmoil.

“He’ll be okay, Beta, don’t worry,” Fleamont attempted to reassure his son, though the sound of Sirius’s sobs from the other room cast a shadow of doubt over his words. “Your mum was one of the best at Mungo’s A&E you know,” he added, bustling about the kitchen to prepare chai. James sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the living room where Effie tended to Sirius, while Fleamont’s rambling on provided a small semblance of comfort.

Lost in his thoughts, James barely registered Fleamont handing him a steaming mug. The warmth of the spiced drink provided a soothing sensation as it settled in his stomach, momentarily easing the tension that gripped him. They sat silently together at the table for what seemed like hours, but in reality, was really only about thirty minutes, until Effie came through the doors, healer’s kit in hand. 

“Well, he should be okay for now,” she said wearily, returning her kit to its place below the sink. “Getting him to open his mouth was just about the hardest thing I’ve done in years… not only was his jaw broken, but he’d been confounded or something, because I swear he didn’t understand a thing I was saying.” She took a seat next to James, gratefully accepting a mug of chai from her husband. “We can’t let him go back there, Monty,” She told him, and her husband nodded in agreement. 

“We can’t,” he agreed, “especially from what it says in this note.” Fleamont laid the crumpled piece of parchment on the table, and the three Potters craned their necks over it to read. 

He’s better off with you. Don’t send him back if you want him alive. 

-

R.A.B.

p.s. any mention of this and I'll never be seen again either. 

“Well…” Effie trailed off, the drink between her hands growing colder by the second. “I guess that settles it.” 

“Settles what?” James asked, looking over at his father for any indication of what his mother was on about, but Fleamont was just staring at her, as he often did, with a big, lovesick smile on his face. 

“How do you feel about a new brother, Beta?” 

Sirius woke up the following morning with a throbbing ache radiating throughout his entire body. Opening his eyes felt like a Herculean task, and once that was done, he couldn’t begin to imagine moving anything else. Besides, he wasn’t exactly sure where he was; the warm light flooding the room was unlike anything possible inside the rooms of Grimmauld Place, the townhouse that had become more like a prison every time he visited, if the amount of time he spent locked in the cellar was any indication.

Thinking about that wasn’t possible anyhow, since the only thing Sirius seemed capable of doing at the moment was focusing on the pain, and becoming increasingly aware of his own halting breaths and hot tears beginning to drip down the sides of his face. 

Suddenly, a brown face with dark hair and comically thick glasses came into his periphery, before leaving and returning with two additional brown, bespectacled faces looming in the edges of his vision. 

The Potters!

While he was still crying and confused, seeing the Potters was always a good thing. Even when their faces looked nervous and James' was all puffy and definitely looked like he’d been crying, seeing the Potters meant that he would be safe to feel how he felt, without fear of repercussion from Kreatcher or from Mother. With that sudden realization, it was as if his body decided to release the tension he didn’t even know he was holding, and he began to cry in earnest. 

Mrs. Potter’s face came closer right away, her hair piled up inside a scarf as she often wore it, the soft lines of her face pulling up as she smiled gently at him, brushing a soft hand over his buzzed hair. 

“Hello love." She wiped away a tear threatening to spill over the side of his face. "You aren’t feeling well, are you now?” She brushed her hand over his head again, and Sirius felt James’ hand grab his own on the other side. “I know it’s hard, but do you think you could try to tell us what happened? We need to know so that you can get better as soon as you can.” 

Sirius struggled to gather his thoughts amidst the brain fog and the ache he felt throughout his body, especially on his face, but he managed to summon the strength to speak, his voice strained and barely audible.

"I... I refused the marriage," Sirius gasped out, his words punctuated by shallow breaths. 

“Marriage?” Effie repeated, confused. “As in an arranged marriage?” 

Sirius nodded, almost imperceptibly, and James squeezed his hand in a show of support. 

"Mother... she was furious…” Sirius said, closing his eyes and swallowing thickly before continuing. “She slammed me against the wall… and… and held me… Crucio..."

Effie's eyes widened in horror, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. Fleamont's expression darkened with anger, his jaw clenched in silent fury. James sat frozen, stunned to hear about the abuse inflicted upon his friend.

Sirius' voice trailed off as he relived the harrowing ordeal, the memory seared behind his eyes like a brand. The intensity of his mother's rage, fueled by her twisted sense of pride and tradition, not to mention the fact that he’d inexplicably told them all that he was... that he was queer. That alone had probably been the main thing that caused her to nearly kill him.

He didn't tell the Potters that last bit though. He couldn't begin to consider telling anyone else just yet.

"Merlin's beard, Sirius," Fleamont muttered, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "Effie, call St. Mungo's immediately."

Effie nodded, her eyes burning with held-in tears as she stood to leave the room and fetch the Floo powder. 

Sirius struggled to sit up, his body protesting with every movement. Despite the searing pain coursing through him, he shook his head weakly, his voice hoarse as he spoke.

"No... no hospital," Sirius rasped, his eyes pleading with the Potters. "They’ll try to send me back... I can't go back there... I won't."

Effie paused. As a healer, she wanted to take him to the hospital right away, but as a person, and as a mother, she wasn’t sure what the right thing to do would be for the traumatized young man sitting in front of her. Fleamont exchanged a worried glance with his wife before turning back to Sirius, his expression grave but determined.

"Alright, Sirius," Fleamont said softly, his tone gentle yet resolute. "We won't force you to go to the hospital. But we need to make sure you're getting the proper care here."

Effie nodded in agreement. "We'll do everything we can to help you, darling," she told him with a smile, already thinking of the different colleagues she would have to consult with to ensure that he’d be okay.

Sirius managed a weak nod of gratitude, his eyes welling with tears at the Potters' unwavering kindness. "Thank you," Sirius whispered, his voice barely audible. "I... I don't know what I'd do without you."

Fleamont's eyes softened as he came towards the bed and patted Sirius's leg reassuringly. "You'll never have to find out, Sirius," he vowed, his voice filled with conviction. "You're family, if you want to be. We’ll take care of you, son."

A wave of gratitude washed over Sirius as he looked into the faces of the Potters, his new family. There would be time to digest these new feelings later, but Effie handed him a potion and he drank it, feeling the effects of dreamless sleep wash over him almost immediately. However, as he was on the brink of sleep, an urgent thought popped into his head. 

“But… Reg…” he started to say, but James shushed him almost immediately. 

“Let’s worry about that later, alright, mate? Just worry about feeling better now, okay?” 

While not completely satiated with that response, Sirius nodded, and closed his eyes, falling asleep quickly and peacefully. 

While Sirius slept, James sent the Potter family owl out to deliver a message to Remus and to Peter, notifying them of Sirius’ new residence and asking for them to come visit as soon as they could. 

Peter's response arrived almost immediately, sharing the disappointing news that that his mother wouldn’t permit him to leave his family during the Christmas holiday, but he promised to return as soon as he could to help keep Sirius in good spirits as he recovered. On the other hand, Remus arrived unannounced just two days later, surprising Effie early on Boxing Day by stepping through the Floo with the Potter’s owl under one arm and a container of homemade baked goods in the other.

“Good morning,” Remus greeted her, his cheeks flushing as Effie wrapped her morning robe more tightly around herself. “I hope I’m not intruding. I just received James’ letter asking us to come by, and since your owl seemed so tired I thought I might just come and…" He seemed to suddenly become aware of himself, and awkwardly took a step back. "But I can come back another time, if you prefer.” His words tumbled out in a rush, clearly embarrassed.

Effie smiled warmly, putting him at ease. “You’re always welcome here, Remus,” she assured him, accepting both the owl and biscuits from his outstretched arms. “These look delightful. Did you make them yourself?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Remus replied, kicking off his shoes and following her into the kitchen, where Fleamont was already seated with a cup of tea. “I mean, no, well, not me exactly, but my mum. They’re her special Christmas scones—nutmeg and vanilla, I believe.”

“They smell heavenly,” Effie remarked, arranging the scones on a plate. “Let’s enjoy them with a cup of tea while we wait for the boys to wake up, shall we?”

“Alright,” he replied, and greeted Fleamont before taking a seat next to him. “How is Sirius doing?” he asked, gratefully taking the cup from Effie and giving his hands something to do other than pick at his cuticles. “James made it sound like he was doing very poorly when he arrived the other night.” 

Effie and Fleamont exchanged a glance before Effie replied, choosing her words carefully to alleviate Remus' apparent anxiety over the matter. “He wasn’t in great shape when he arrived, but he’s been resting, and it seems he’s on the road to recovery. He should be back to his usual self by the time you return to school.”

Remus breathed a sigh of relief, taking comfort in Effie’s words. “That’s a relief to hear,” he admitted, sipping his tea. “Thank you for the tea—it’s very good.”

“Of course, darling. James told us you have quite the sweet tooth, although from how slim you are I would’ve never believed it,” Effie laughed, and Fleamont shook his head, laughing. 

“As if you don’t have your own beanpole-esque teenage son, darling,” he teased, and as if on cue, James came stumbling through the shuddered doors of the kitchen. 

“What are you saying about me?” he yawned, before turning to sit and realizing Remus was sitting in his usual seat.  

“Moony!” James exclaimed, suddenly quite awake and enveloping Remus in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. Sirius will be thrilled to see you.”

Remus blushed, returning the hug. “I’m sure he was doing just fine with you all for company, though,” he told James modestly before looking down at the floor. “I think I had to see for myself that he was okay though.” 

“Let’s go now then,” James said, grabbing Remus’ arm and starting to pull him back out of the kitchen, but Effie quickly intervened.

“Let him sleep,” she advised gently, and James and Remus reluctantly agreed. 

Hours passed, marked by the soft ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner and the occasional creak of floorboards as the Potters and Remus moved about the house, entertaining themselves with board games, records, and a couple more strong cups of sweet tea. 

As evening approached, the tip of Effie’s wand flickered, signaling to her that Sirius had woken up. 

Effie went into the living room to let the boys know, and they put away their game quickly, eager to see their friend. 

“He’ll be glad to see you,” she said to Remus, and with a brief nod, Remus followed James toward the staircase, their footsteps echoing softly through the halls. 

Remus and James reached the doorway of Sirius's room, and Remus's heart raced as he prepared himself to see Sirius again, his thoughts filled with concern and affection for his friend.

Pushing open the door, they were met with the sight of Sirius propped up in bed, his eyes brightening at their arrival. Despite the lingering signs of his ordeal—bruises fading on his face and a faint weariness in his face—Sirius was clearly happy to see him.

"Hey Moons," he said as he caught sight of Remus, his eyes lighting up with unmistakable affection. "I didn't expect to see you here so soon."

Remus felt a rush of warmth at the sight of Sirius, his heart swelling with relief. At James’ urging he crossed the room, approaching the bed and taking a seat on the soft edge near his feet, a familiar image but reversed, as it was usually the other way around. 

"How could I stay away?" Remus admitted, his eyes meeting Sirius'. "I needed to make sure you were okay."

Sirius's expression softened at Remus's words, a tender warmth filling the space between them. "I'm already feeling better now that you're here," he confessed with his best attempt at a smile. 

Remus’ hand itched towards Sirius’ but James’ voice burst through their bubble. 

“Moony, I think you'll be our good luck charm,” he joked, coming to join him on the end of the bed and slinging an arm around Remus' bony shoulders. “Sirius is hardly mopey with you around, isn’t that right, Padfoot?” 

Sirius gave Remus an odd little look before flickering his gaze back over to James. “I guess you’re right,” he replied. “How could you be mopey with Remus around?” 

Remus shrugged. “I manage to mope around with myself fairly often… but I guess I’ve always been rather skilled when it comes to sulking.” 

Sirius rolled his eyes. “Oh, don’t remind me!” He joked, and with that the seal of tension was broken, Sirius’ spirits lifted as he spent the evening with his friends. 

While Remus did have to return home that evening, he returned to keep his friend company while James went on his date with Marlene, and again for the New Year’s Eve Party, where the Marauders, and Marlene, shared their first official midnight champagne toast together.

As they journeyed back to King’s Cross for the new term, though, Sirius couldn’t shake the weight of what had happened to him. Despite feeling physically prepared, the emotional toll of leaving his family and their toxic influence behind felt inescapable. While he was definitely still struggling to come to terms with it all, Sirius hoped that having the Potters support would help make things seem not so bad anymore.