1993 - moonlight on the river, everybody dies.
Remus’ invitation from Dumbledore ushered in a new chapter in the story of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.
The year 1993 found Remus amidst the hallowed halls of Hogwarts, where he had taken up the noble mantle of teaching.
Despite the unrelenting passage of time, Remus carried the weight of Sirius's absence like a phantom limb. As Remus stood before his class, his eyes scanned the faces of young witches and wizards, eager to impart the wisdom that life had bestowed upon him. The echoes of Sirius's laughter played in the recesses of his memory, a bittersweet melody that accompanied him through the years.
Being back in Hogwarts brought back memories that Remus had thought were lost to time. Little did Remus know that the winds of fate were shifting. In the depths of Azkaban, Sirius Black, wrongly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, was about to embark on an unexpected journey.
A series of events unfolded, leading to his long-awaited escape from the desolation that had held him captive. News of Sirius's escape rippled through the wizarding world like a shockwave. For Remus, it was as if the walls of Hogwarts trembled with the promise of an impending reunion. Emotions long suppressed surged to the surface, a turbulent sea of hope and fear. Days turned into weeks, and Remus found himself consumed by anticipation after the moment he had read the *Daily Prophet* and seen the article detailing Black’s escape.
He grappled with the conflicting currents of joy at the prospect of seeing Sirius again and the fear of what the world held for them beyond the castle walls. Finally, it happened. The Daily Prophet’s headline the next day jumped out to Remus like it was in neon.
“JAILBIRD BLACK PROVEN INNOCENT! PETTIGREW STILL AT LARGE!”
Remus opened the newspaper quickly, reading the article in it’s entirety. Sirius was free.
Then, one crisp autumn evening, as the leaves whispered secrets in the Hogwarts courtyard, a familiar face appeared on the horizon. Sirius Black, disheveled and worn but unbroken, stood before the gates of the school that had once been their shared sanctuary.
Remus, teaching in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, felt a jolt in the very core of his being. He excused himself from the class, his heart pounding in rhythm with the footsteps echoing in the corridor. His walk broke into a run and his shabby brown robes fluttered in the breeze. When he saw a familiar face, he stopped dead.
In the hallowed halls of Hogwarts, Remus and Sirius found themselves face to face once more. Years of separation melted away as they stood in the embrace of the castle that had witnessed the entirety of their intertwined lives.
"Remus," Sirius whispered, the weight of their shared history in his eyes.
"Sirius," Remus replied, a mix of disbelief and regret flooding his voice.
Sirius could only give a breathy chuckle.
Remus pulled away, eyes damp. “You look like shit.” He said with one of his crooked grins.
Sirius looked down, face falling. “Yeah… I… I know.”
Remus looked him up and down with a worried expression. This clearly wasn’t the same Sirius as before. The old Sirius would have fired back with a sharp remark, or punched him in the shoulder. This Sirius was different. A shell of who he used to be.
Remus tilted Sirius's face up with gentle fingers, his expression softening. "But you're here, Sirius. That's what matters." Sirius managed a small, appreciative smile, the weight of his years in Azkaban evident in his tired eyes. "Missed you, Moony. Missed this place."
Remus nodded, a lump forming in his throat. "I missed you too. It hasn't been the same without you." He couldn't help but glance around the familiar surroundings, as if seeking the ghosts of their youth. Of stolen kisses and lingering touches, hiding from a world that didn’t understand, of the longing and fear.
It was easy to see the regret on both of their faces.
Sirius looked over. “How’ve Mary and Marlene been? Lovely girls, they were.” he smiled good-naturedly.
Remus looked down at his shoes.
Sirius’ eyes glittered with realization. “Both of them?” He said, mouth opened slightly.
Remus shook his head. “Just Marlene. Jaz too, their whole family. It’s been years since I spoke to Mary.” he said quietly.
Sirius’ hand went to his mouth, and he made a quiet, strangled noise. “Shit. Death eaters?” He asked quietly.
Remus nodded.
Sirius nudged his head to the side and began walking, and Remus followed, walking beside him. The two friends walked together through the corridors, their footsteps echoing the passage of time. Sirius observed the changes in the castle, the new faces, the echoes of a world that had moved on without him. Remus, however, couldn't help but notice the subtle differences in Sirius. The lines etched on his face spoke of hardships, and the haunted look in his eyes betrayed the scars that couldn't be seen. His beard was scraggly, and he seemed weaker, softer.
The next day, Remus sat in his office. A knock on the door disrupted Remus's thoughts. He opened it to find Sirius standing in the doorway, a tension in the air that mirrored the strained atmosphere between them.
"Can we talk, Moony?" Sirius's voice was hesitant, as if testing the waters. Remus nodded, stepping aside to let Sirius in. The room felt smaller with both of them in it, the air heavy with unspoken words. They sat on opposite ends of a worn-out sofa, the silence threatening to suffocate them, asphyxiating like a lethifold.
"I never wanted to hurt you," Sirius began, his eyes avoiding Remus's gaze.
Remus sighed, the pain etched across his face. "You can't just say sorry, Sirius, and expect everything to be okay. Azkaban changed you, and I don't know if I can..." His voice trailed off, the words too painful to articulate.
Sirius ran a hand through his unkempt hair, frustration evident in his eyes. "I know I'm not the same, Remus. Merlin, I wish I could be, but the darkness... it's always there, lurking." Remus's gaze hardened. "I thought I could help you find the light again, but I feel like I'm losing you. The Sirius I knew, the one I loved... he's slipping away. You aren’t… you."
Tension hung in the air, thick and suffocating. The moon outside seemed to mock them, a constant reminder of the beast within Remus and the demons that tormented Sirius. "I can't lose you, Remus," Sirius whispered, his eyes pleading. Remus looked away, the ache in his chest becoming unbearable. "Maybe we're already lost."
The words lingered, heavy and final.
The room echoed with the sound of a heart breaking, a fracture in a bond that had once seemed unbreakable. Remus rose from the sofa, the photograph clutched tightly in his hand. "I need time, Sirius," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I need to figure out if we can find our way back." Silence settled between them like a shroud, and as Remus left the room, the door closed with a hollow finality.
The moon cast its indifferent light, witnessing the unraveling of a love that had weathered wars but couldn't withstand the scars of Azkaban.