Ephitymia

Being best friends with James has its disadvantages. Don't get him wrong, he loves James and is really happy that his friend is the new quidditch captain, but he doesn't really like quidditch. Much less having to go through an entire match almost every week. This game though, ohh this game he was very much looking forward to it. It was the first one of the season that Gryffindor was playing against Slytherin, the first game Remus is attending that Sirius Black is playing as a beater. And against James wishes, Remus would make everything in his power to sabotage Black, not being above knocking him off his broom.

Since their first day, Sirius and Remus didn't get along well. And even if Remus wasn't an aggressive person, Black was the only who could make him act as the blood hungry werewolf he worked so hard to avoid at all costs. So, basically, Remus wolf loved him. Not in a caring way, not, in a freedom way. When Sirius was near, the cage he is kept in every day in Remus' subconscious, loosens a little bit. Not enough to make him roam free, but enough to take a bit of control, and that makes him waggle his tail.

The game in general, as usual to be honest, was in background for him today. Usually, he would sit there, look at James, get bored, distracted, comment something with Peter or Lily, and right back to James. But not today, today he just had eyes for Sirius Black. May James forgive him. And although he didn't want to admit, he never would, even under torture, Sirius was the best beater in both houses, so it was a bit entertaining. He obviously couldn’t talk about the others, even though time to time James showed his concerns about Ravenclaw's beater, Cornelius. But now, observing how Sirius' arm muscles moved and the strength he had to use to throw a bludge with ease, Remus couldn't stop wandering how a one on one would be with him now. Okay, that he has werewolf strength and picked a thing or two back home with the excuse as self-defence, but a boy can dream. And one of his best’s dreams were when he beats Sirius Black to a pulp, the other boy being a fair match, but losing anyway. The force he saw Sirius' muscle displaying was the only thing that he knew about what a beater needed to be a good one. He probably shouldn't make conclusions based on nothing.

"And Captain James Potter has the Quaffle. Oh, it's a rough moment for Slytherin's beaters and keepers. James Potter being the best chaser that step foot in Hogwarts since..." and oh, there it is. Remus chance. With all eyes in James, no one would notice him, and with him in possession of the quaffle, the older Black would certainly aim at James. Giving the greatest excuse Remus could ask to give James later. Without think too much about it, Remus took his opportunity. Black flood right next to him and without giving a thought, he hexed him with Rictusempra, knowing that a more offensive spell would be too obvious. Everyone knew about their quarrel.

"Woah, something is happening to Sirius Black. He is laughing and squirming, he must have remembered something really funny right now" incredulous with this train of thought, Remus was glad that the narrator was a fellow gryffindor, probably covering him. He laughed a little but had to hide it. "Oh no! All the squirming made Black loose his balance and fall of his broom. The game will be delayed to confirm if he is okay. That was a nasty fall, with a height like that who knows what could happen?"

Feeling smug, Remus couldn't care about Sirius wellbeing. He didn't really care about hurting Sirius the same way the other didn't care about hurting him. But when James looked at him with a frown, Remus couldn't not feel guilty about ruining his friend's game. He knew it was an important match for him, the first one against their biggest rival since James took the lead. He didn't want Black to fall, not at all, just to lose his opportunity to throw a bludger directly into James. And if he fell in the process? Well, Remus was fine if it. After all, falling while playing quidditch was normal. 

Everyone was in awe, waiting for Madam Hooch confirmation that Sirius was fine and the game would be on again, but that didn't happen. Madam Hooch levitate an unconscious Sirius out of the pitch and probably took him to the hospital wing. He should've considered the height. Well, what was done was done.

"Wow, that must've hurt" Peter said. Remus only now remembering his friend was if him the whole time. "I wonder what made he laugh that way to make him fall like that."

"Who knows? Guy is a total freak" Peter gave him a side glance and nodded. He didn't like Sirius either, even though he didn't have such strong feelings as Remus. Sirius Black made everything in his power to make Remus' life a living hell, only targeting him. He still had nightmares for the time Sirius forged a letter from his father telling him that his mother had killed herself, just so he could catch Remus out of guard and petrified him. The other left him for hours in the artifact room till James found him, crying about his much alive and safe mother.

Remus wasn't innocent either. It was war and both sides attacked time to time. This time, it was Remus'.

The quidditch stand started filling out. The game ended and being postponed to another day. Remus would be sure to sabotage him again, but this time making sure the game wouldn't be cancelled. He didn't want to face James’s wrath and have to go to more matches without being necessary. Even though he liked the idea of ruining Sirius Black reputation for being a flying disaster.

Out of the stand, a very angry James Potter was running after him, and without saying a word, he grabbed him by the hand and started dragging him somewhere.

"Where are we going?"

"To the hospital wing" he said without looking at Remus. The students that crossed their path jumping out of their way, otherwise, they would be run by a furious James Potter.

"Why?"

"You are going to apologize" Remus halted. “I don't know what you did Remus, but this is getting out of hand. You could have..."

"You could've killed him" he whispered getting closer to Remus, looking at him for the first time.

"Well, I didn't" James looked so affronted by that, that Remus instantly shut his mouth. "And to be honest, if quidditch is so dangerous like that it should be banned, don't you think?"

He said the wrong thing. James squinted his eyes, and his face was so red that if Remus looked really close, he could see smoke coming out of his ears. Even though Remus was stronger, James was not a weak fellow, and the force he was using to grab Remus was cutting off his blood circulation.

"If you don't apologize, I'm telling McGonagall."

"You wouldn't" Remus looked affronted now. After everything Sirius has done to him, James would seriously take his side? It was not his fault that Sirius fell, I just made him laugh! What a crime!

"I would, you can be certain that I would" he adjusted his glasses and Remus wished James stopped looking at him like that. Remus didn't want James to be angry at him. He knew James was against whatever was going own between him and Sirius, but to rat him out to McGonagall? He must be very disappointed. "Not only about you, but about what he has done either. This has gone too far. Can you imagine what he would do if he so much as sniffed that you know what? You are lucky one of our professors seemed to obliviate Severus and that Sirius doesn't give a shit about him, otherwise, Merlin knows what would happen."

James was right. Remus knows it. Showing defeat, James looked smug at him and started dragging him again. He didn't know what he would tell Sirius, but a truce did seem to be the easiest way out of James fury.  Peter tagged along, probably wanting to watch Remus humiliating himself. James shoved him inside the hospital wing and made sure he's going to Sirius bed, where a worried Regulus, and a very much awake Sirius were talking.

"Hm, hi" both brothers looked at him, and Regulus glared at Remus. Sirius looked exhausted, even though he didn't do anything besides fall headfirst to the ground.

"What do you want, Lupin?" spoke Regulus. Normally the younger brother wouldn't get himself involved in their fight. Maintaining a good relationship with Remus besides everything, since they both were in the same study group, he also agreed that Sirius was being petty. It seems that his brother's fall really scared him this time.

"Hm" without knowing what to say, Remus stayed still looking at them till James poked him as an incentive. Looking at his friend with desperate eyes, pleading for a mercy that James didn't want to give him.

He took a deep breath and said "I came here to apologize."

"Oh, really? That's new." Sirius replied this time. Remus wanted to punch his stupid grin out of his face. Regulus looked at him suspiciously, but didn't say anything, giving him a chance to explain himself.

"Well, that's news to me too, but James here made me do it, so..." James flicked his ear and he flinched, rolling his eyes as his apology didn't come out as good enough to his friend. "I'm sorry. I wasn't my intention to make you fall of your broom, I just wanted to distract you and make you giggle a little as revenge for the anteoculatia."

"It was a really powerful spell, Mr. Lupin, that's why he lost his balance" Madam Pomfrey said, ambushing him out of nowhere. He should've expected that. "Unfortunately, I will need to tell the head of your house about it, and you are lucky Mr. Black didn't want to tell his parents."

"Oh, Poppy. Can't you spare me this time?" he pleaded. Madam Pomfrey was like a second mother to him by the point. Getting scolded by her have almost the same effect as the real deal, and he didn't like disappointing her. He knew nothing good could come out of apologizing.

"Don't, Poppy me. I'm really disappointed" Sirius laughed at him and suddenly everything felt worse. "Don't think you are out of this too, Mr. Black. Now that I know you are the one who hexed Remus, I will tell your head of house as well."

"But Poppy, he almost killed me!"

"I didn't" he replied before Sirius could even finish his sentence.

"You seem pretty fine to me now, Mr. Black. I know what he did was reckless, and he will be punished for it, but what you did wasn't fine too. I will leave this matter to both heads of your houses, and next time I see each other I hope this nonsense has stopped." with a final glance both boys shut their mouths and pouted, as if mirroring each other. "Well, Mr. Potter, as the must sane one, could you please call Mrs. McGonagall for me? And take Mr. Pettigrew with you, this is a hospital wing, not a common room."

"Sure thing, Poppy. Come on, Pete." James left with Peter and Madam Pomfrey left them alone for the time being, busy with another student.

"See what you have done?" Sirius whispered angrily. Remus looked at him with indifference and rolled his eyes. He hoped Sirius would at least be with a headache.

"Sirius, not now" Regulus stopped him. Sirius glared at both and shut his mouth, looking at everything, but them. For a day that had started perfectly, Remus couldn't wait for it to end.