Eclipsed

Sirius woke with a groan, Remus’ worn, flannel sheets pressing into his cheek. Sunlight slanted in through the dormitory window, and he glanced over to find Remus fast asleep beside him, a peaceful expression on the normally stoic face. A soft snore escaped his lips, and a ghost of a smile crept across Sirius's face.

He felt dehydrated and stiff, the events of yesterday crashing back into his mind like a tidal wave. The burden of Regulus's illness, the weight of his family's neglect, all came rushing back.

With a sigh, Sirius shifted, the movement stirring Remus. He blinked sleepily, his amber eyes meeting Sirius's.

"Morning, Padfoot," Remus mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "Feeling any better?"

Sirius let out a short laugh, the sound devoid of humor. "I mean, I’m fine..."

Remus immediately picked up on the shift in his mood, and blinked a few times, waking himself up as quickly as he could. "What's going on, darling?"

Sirius sighed again. “I only want to say this once.” 

He tiptoed over to James' bed and nudged him with his foot. James, ever the dramatic sleeper, stirred dramatically, throwing an arm over his head and muttering something about "giant squid attacks."

Sirius smirked. "Come on, Prongs," he said, his voice slightly hoarse. "Time to greet the day."

James groaned. "Alright, alright," he mumbled, blinking sleepily. "I’m up, but this better be worth it.”

Sirius moved on to Peter, who’d fallen asleep with a cookie in hand. Things with Clarissa must’ve not gone very well. "Morning, Wormtail," Sirius greeted him, and Peter mumbled a reply, crumbs scattering down his front. Ironically not fond of rats, Sirius muttered a quick evanesco, clearing the crumbs and waking up Peter in the process. 

“What’s this all about then?” James asked, sitting up against his headboard and facing Sirius’ direction, looking very young and very different without his glasses on. 

Sitting back on Remus’ bed, and taking a deep breath, Sirius uncorked the dam of emotions he'd kept bottled up the night before. He spilled everything – Madam Pomfrey's revelation about Regulus's illness, his anger towards his parents, his fear for Regulus's future.

"They just... ignored it?" Remus asked, his voice calm and measured.

"Basically," Sirius said, bitterness creeping into his voice. "And now, he's stopped taking his treatment and who knows what will happen. Madam Pomfrey said… well, it doesn’t matter"

A tense silence descended upon the dormitory. Sirius looked at his friends, desperate for any shred of hope.

"So that's why he was gone all term! Who would’ve guessed it…" James suddenly exclaimed, his horrible acting on full display. Having suspected already that James knew more than he’d let on from his conversation with Pandora, Sirius shot him a withering look, forgetting that James couldn’t see it. 

Peter, ever the optimist, piped up, "Maybe there's something we can do, Sirius. A rare herb, perhaps? I remember my grandmother mentioning one that could help with magical exhaustion…"

Sirius clung to the sliver of hope Peter offered. "Do you remember what it was called, Pete?"

Peter shook his head, a frown creasing his forehead. "Not exactly, but I can try and find out. Maybe Madam Pomfrey…"

Sirius cut him off with a sigh. "That’s not helpful Pete. Thanks for nothing."

“Wait, Sirius,” Peter rebutted, undeterred, "it’s just a matter of research and–” 

"It's a chronic illness, Peter. There's no cure."

Suddenly, Remus spoke up, his voice quiet but firm. "Sirius," he said, "I understand your worry. But… remember, I also have a chronic illness, and an untreatable one at that."

Sirius looked at him, momentarily taken aback. "But Moony…"

A faint smile touched Remus's lips. "Living with lycanthropy isn't always easy, Sirius, you know that, you see me go through it every month. But with the right support system, with a network of people who understand and help… well, my quality of life is still pretty good."

Sirius stared at him, a new perspective slowly dawning. His anger towards his parents sharpened. They could have provided Regulus with that support system. They could have helped him manage his illness and have a decent childhood. The bitterness turned to a burning rage.

"It's not fair!" he roared, slamming his fist on the mattress, scaring Remus and causing James to reach for his wand. "They knew! They could have helped him all this time, but they just… ignored it and let him suffer!"

His friends watched him cycle through the stages of grief in a matter of seconds, beginning with anger and ending with acceptance. Remus reached out and placed a comforting hand on Sirius's arm as he tried to make a break for the door of the dormitory. 

“Breathe, alright? It doesn’t help to have you falling apart too."

Sirius took a deep breath, and in that time, Peter and James made their way over to him as well. 

There was nothing Sirius could do to help Regulus. He wanted a drink, he needed it, but Remus’ hand on his back, Peter’s soft hands holding his, and James’ arm around his shoulder grounded him at that moment, holding him in place and away from the temptations in the Room of Requirement. 

By the time March rolled around, the crisp chill of winter had softened, replaced by the promise of spring in the air. The Hogwarts grounds, once blanketed in snow, now revealed patches of emerald green peeking through the thawing earth. 

Peter, ever the loyal friend, had finally managed to move on from his messy breakup with Clarissa, however navigating singlehood during Valentine's Day, as the only single Marauder, had been a different story. 

Though Remus and Sirius had offered to include him in their plans, Peter had politely declined. The thought of a "homosexual holiday," as Sirius had jokingly phrased it, was not something he’d been interested in partaking in. In all honesty, he’d only been hoping to avoid watching his two best friends be romantic while he was still in the throes of heartbreak, but Remus and Sirius, never ones to miss an opportunity for amusement, had spent the next few weeks tormenting him playfully. Innuendos flew across the dormitory like rogue bludgers, and every harmless handhold or brush of shoulders between the two homosexuals in question became an opportunity for lewd commentary in Peter's direction. Peter, the butt of their jokes, could only shake his head in exasperation, a faint blush dusting his cheeks.

Meanwhile, Remus's birthday in early March had been a low-key affair, a stark contrast to the usual boisterous celebrations the Marauders were known for. Remus, usually brimming with quiet energy, had seemed inexplicably lethargic lately. The January and February full moons, despite having been relatively painless, considering, appeared to have taken a greater toll on him than usual. Lily and James, ever perceptive, had organized a small gathering in the Gryffindor common room. It was a simple affair, a warm fire crackling in the hearth and a small table laden with homemade treats courtesy of the house elves, who Remus had always been exceptionally kind towards. 

Their efforts were rewarded with a trickle of students throughout the evening – mostly close friends and those who Remus regularly tutored. They brought small tokens of appreciation: a box of Honeydukes Finest, a set of finely sharpened quills, a well-worn book with an intriguing inscription. Remus, touched by the gestures, accepted them with a shy smile and a heartfelt "thank you."

The party ended uncharacteristically early, when the birthday boy headed up to bed an hour or so before midnight. As they watched him climb the stairs up towards the dorm, Sirius leaned in conspiratorially towards James, his brow furrowed. "Should we be worried, do you think, about Moony? He seems off, right?” 

James, ever the optimist, patted Sirius's shoulder with a casual shrug. "Don't worry, Padfoot," he reassured him, perhaps a bit too quickly. "Remus cycles, you know that. Some months are good, some not so good. He’ll be back to his normal self soon enough.” 

Sirius wasn't entirely convinced. "Yeah, but this feels different," he argued, his voice laced with worry. "He barely touched his cake, and he loves chocolate cake, I know he does..."

James chuckled. "Look, Sirius," he said, "I understand. Regulus' situation has you on edge, and maybe you're projecting a bit onto Remus. We all have our off days, right?"

Sirius, ever defensive, bristled at first. "No, it's different," he started to argue, but James held up a hand, stopping him.

"Just hear me out," James continued, his voice softening. "Remus knows his limits. He's been dealing with this his whole life. A few bad days here and there doesn't mean anything's terribly wrong. Remember how he kicked Mulciber's butt last week during Defense Against the Dark Arts? Seemed pretty energetic to me."

A reluctant chuckle escaped Sirius's lips. The image of Remus, usually mild-mannered, disarming Mulciber easily did bring a smile to his face. He had a point.

"Yeah, well, you know how I get," Sirius admitted, wringing his hands in his lap. "Overprotective, I guess." 

"Exactly," James said, a sympathetic smile spreading across his face. "You're just a good boyfriend, Sirius. But you can't suffocate Remus with worry. He needs his space, too."

Sirius sighed, a wave of guilt washing over him. James was right. He loved Remus fiercely, and his protectiveness sometimes went overboard. He didn't want to push Remus away or make him feel suffocated.

"Alright, alright," he conceded, raising his hands in mock surrender. "You win, Prongs. Butterbeer on me next time, yeah?” 

James grinned. "Now you're talking, Padfoot!” 

Sirius returned the grin, a newfound lightness replacing his earlier worry. Maybe Remus was just fine. He was. Everyone was fine, and everything was okay. 

The full moon fell the night before they were set to go home for Spring Break. The following morning, all four Marauders made their way to the train, completely exhausted from an evening roaming the Forbidden Forest and corralling a nearly full-grown werewolf back to the Shrieking Shack before moonset. 

The rhythmic rumble of the Hogwarts Express lulled most of the compartment's occupants into a post-moon drowsiness. Remus, who had transformed back only hours earlier, seemed to be the champion sleeper. Despite the lingering aches that followed a full moon, exhaustion won out, and he'd drifted off almost instantly, laying horizontally across the bench with his head in Sirius’ lap, sleeping soundly through the entire journey. This fact didn't escape the girls when Lily, Mary, and Marlene stopped by to wish the boys a happy holiday break.

"Bless his heart," Lily chuckled, peering over James' shoulder at Remus' peacefully slumbering form. "He looks like he could sleep for a week."

“If you all can keep quiet, he probably will,” Sirius snipped, a bit grumpy himself from a lack of sleep. “He definitely needs it.” 

Remus, thankfully, remained oblivious, his slumber undisturbed. 

"Speaking of restful breaks," James interjected, eager to change the subject, "you're all invited to my place on Monday. My parents are letting me have some people over for my birthday."

A collective smile lit up the girls' faces. "Fantastic!" Mary exclaimed, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "We wouldn't miss it for the world, would we, Marly?"

Marlene, ever the composed one, simply nodded. "Right," she agreed. "It'll be nice to see your parents again, James."

Their words held a subtle weight, a reminder of the past. James and Marlene's breakup hadn't been pretty, filled with hurt words and simmering resentment. But time, as it often did, had a way of healing wounds. They had slowly rebuilt their friendship over the past year, navigating the awkwardness with a newfound maturity. Now, they could confidently say they were friends again, a comfortable camaraderie replacing the past tension, and Marlene hadn’t had a negative word to say about Lily and James’ new relationship. 

A comfortable silence settled once more, punctuated only by the rhythmic clickety-clack of the train on the tracks. After a couple hours had passed the train slowed, signaling a return to King’s Cross. James, Lily, and Peter set about collecting the belongings strewn about the compartment, while Sirius tackled a sleeping Remus. 

"Remus," Sirius nudged him gently. "We're here, mate. Time to wake up."

Remus stirred, groaning softly as he stretched. "Ugh, Pads," he mumbled, his voice hoarse. "Five more minutes…"

Sirius chuckled, nudging him again. "No chance, mate. We don't want to miss the platform getting mobbed."

Remus finally opened his eyes, a grimace twisting his face. "Honestly, Sirius," he rasped, wincing slightly as he attempted to sit up.

Sirius noticed the slight hitch in Remus's movement. "Everything alright, love?" he asked, his healer-in-training hat on in an instant.

"Just a bit of hip pain," Remus admitted, rubbing the joint gingerly. “Nothing to worry about.” 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sirius pressed, his gaze lingering on Remus's pale face.

Remus, ever stoic, rolled his eyes. "Absolutely fine, Padfoot. Just a bit stiff. Now, are you going to help me up, or are you planning to keep smothering me here?"

Sirius smirked, and  helped Remus to his feet, a wince escaping the werewolf as he put weight on his sore hip. "Easy there," Sirius said, his voice laced with concern. "Did you manage to take some pain potion before we left?"

"Yes, mum, '' Remus joked, before letting Sirius hoist him up. 

James reached for Lily, who placed his hand in the crook of her elbow. "Lead the way, darling," he said, and with Peter, Remus, and Sirius following the pair, they made their way off the train and onto the bustling platform. 

Upon seeing the crowd of people, and the look on Remus’ face, Lily took charge of the situation. "Sirius, why don't you help Remus find his dad, and find us later? I’m gonna go with James and Peter to say hi to the Potters, and we’ll meet you there.” 

Sirius agreed, and Lily reached over to give Remus a quick hug. “See you Monday, alright?” 

“See you Monday, Lily,” Remus replied, and with a quick goodbye to the other two boys, Remus and Sirius set off to find Lyall, while James, Lily, and Peter headed towards the Potters and Pettigrew’s usual meeting point. 

With Lily guiding him, they inched their way through the bustling crowd, Peter trailing close behind. The air crackled with excited chatter, the comforting aroma of stale steam and soot in the air. James stumbled slightly, his foot catching on an uneven step. Lily's grip tightened on his arm, steadying him.

"Careful there, James," she teased gently.

"Easy for you to say," he grumbled playfully. 

Finally, they emerged from the station's main concourse into the less congested arrivals area. And there, amidst the throng, stood Mr. and Mrs. Potter, looking like a picture of relieved joy. Beside them stood a woman with worry etched on her face – Mrs. Pettigrew, Peter's mother.

'PETEY!" 

"Mum!" Peter called out, rushing towards her with a gap-toothed grin.

Lily halted James and turned him towards the voices. "There you are, James," she said, her voice warm. "Your parents and Mrs. Pettigrew are right here."

James's heart swelled with a mixture of relief and excitement. "Thanks, Lily," he said, his voice sincere. "See you Monday, right?"

Lily gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, a familiar blush creeping up her cheeks. "Take care, James, and nice to see you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. See you Monday!"

With a final wave, she turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving James with his family.

A wave of warmth washed over him as he embraced his parents. Their hugs were tighter, their smiles wider than usual. He could sense their unspoken relief to have him home safe and sound.

But as he pulled away from his father, a pang of concern struck him. Mr. Potter, usually tall and robust, seemed thinner and frailer than James remembered. His normally booming voice sounded softer, almost strained.

"Beta, good to have you home," Fleamont said, his hand resting on James' shoulder. "You've grown taller, haven't you?"

"Perhaps a bit, Dad," he replied, forcing a smile. “How’ve you been feeling?” 

“He’s been doing a lot better, isn’t that right, Monty?” Effie said quickly, grabbing James’ hand. “You have gotten taller, darling- your trousers have gotten too short again.” 

“Merlin's beard," he muttered, tugging self-consciously at the offending garment. "I must have grown again, Mum." James ran a hand through his hair, an embarrassed grin forming on his face. “I guess I’ll have to blame Sirius for not telling me sooner.” 

A bark of Sirius's familiar laugh echoed through the arrivals area, cutting through the joyful chaos of the station. "Took you long enough, Padfoot," James called out, his voice laced with a hint of playful impatience.

"Sorry, Prongs," Sirius replied, materializing beside them with a flourish and a disarming grin. "A sleepy Moony is a clingy Moony, as you know."

A wry smile touched James' lips. He knew Remus's post-transformation exhaustion all too well. "Well, don't worry," he said, "Lyall and Hope will make sure he gets a proper rest at home."

Effie reached over and gave Sirius a huge hug. "Sirius, darling, glad to see you" she said, her voice laced with a teasing lilt. "Didn't you notice James' trousers are practically becoming capris? You should have warned him!"

Sirius feigned innocence, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "My apologies, Mum," he drawled. "I was too busy dodging Myrtle in the corridors to pay attention to James; poor fashion sense."

James rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 

"Alright, enough chit-chat," Mrs. Potter said, her voice firm but laced with affection. "Let's get home before it gets dark. Apparition platform, then?"

"Sounds good, Mum," James agreed, a hint of a smile returning to his face. "Lead the way."

The five of them started weaving their way through the bustling station, James holding tightly onto Sirius’ arm, following Effie and Fleamont’s lead. Once they’d arrived, Fleamont reached for Sirius, who’d offered to apparate with the older wizard so that he could catch him if he stumbled when they landed, while Effie reached for James’ hand, who was technically not allowed to apparate alone due to his visual impairment.

"Alright, James," Effie said, her voice relaxed. "Apparate with me?"

He reached out and firmly grasped her arm, the familiar warmth a grounding presence. Sirius, ever the good friend, winked at him. "See you at home, Prongs!” 

With a whispered "hold on tight," Effie grasped James’ arm just as tight. For a brief, disorienting moment, James felt like he was being squeezed through a very tight tube. Then, just as abruptly, the sensation ceased, and he felt himself stumble before his mother’s arms caught his shoulders, fighting to keep him upright. He straightened himself out before smiling as the familiar scents and sounds overtook him. 

"Welcome home, Jamie," Effie said, her voice filled with love.

James grinned, a genuine smile splitting his face. "Thanks, Mum.” 

Together, they stepped through the gate, Sirius and Fleamont closely behind, and the Pettigrews headed down the road to their own home. 

A week off sounded divine.