Remus was sat on his bed, barely reading his book. He was bored but had nothing else to do, Sirius and James were at practice, Regulus had homework, and Peter was... well he didn’t know where Peter was, but he was probably busy too.
Just as he thought that, Peter walked through the door. He was rubbing his eyes near frantic. Something was definitely wrong.
Remus sat up, “Hey, you alright?” he asks from his bed, not that far from Peter’s own where he was stood with his back to Remus. Peter drops his head into one of his hands, his shoulders start shaking with his ragged breathing, the crying starting back up. He just wanted to forget about it all, but of course Remus was there to help, as always.
Remus was up immediately, walking over to Peter, setting a hand on his shoulder as he spoke, “Hey hey, what’s going on?” Remus asked, concern covering his face.
Peter shook his head, “It’s nothing Moons, I’m fine. I’ve got it.” He’s now rubbing rougher at his eyes, frustrated at the fact he let Remus see him cry.
Remus softly grabs Peter’s arms, pulling his hands away from his eyes, “Peter, you can’t keep doing that. You don’t have to talk to me, but you need to talk to someone. I can see you’re not ok,” Remus gets to the point. Remus is instinctively rubbing circles on Peter’s shoulder with his thumb. Peter won’t admit how much it helps.
Peter’s eyes meet Remus’, it nearly breaks Remus’ heart to look at, red and still teary, sadness dulling them. He pulls Peter into a hug, not being able to see the other so upset. He rubs Peter’s back as he starts to cry harder into his shoulder, grasping onto Remus.
Remus just holds him, letting him sob into him while whispering reassurance, “I got you Wormy. It’ll be ok. It’s all ok. Let it out love,” never stopping the outpour of affection. This is exactly what Peter needed, they both had known it, but had been too scared to be the one to bring up what they both knew.
Eventually Peter pulled back, shoulders slumped, exhausted by the emotions. Remus wiped his tears for him, making sure to be gentle with him. Remus sat them both on Peter’s bed.
“Do you have something you want to share? It’s ok if you don’t want to right now though. I’ll always be here,” Remus starts, trying to gently approach the subject.
Peter takes in a deep breath, squeezing his eyes closed before deciding to just get it out there, “I think I need to regress. I feel it sometimes but I didn’t wanna believe it, but I think it could help me,” he rushed out.
Remus smiled, letting out a sigh, “Darling, we love you so so much. You don’t have to hide that. Prongs would probably love having a little friend too,” he smiles more from seeing Peter finally smile back at him, “Do you want to get some comfy clothes on and color?” Remus offers.
Peter nods his head with a bright smile. He gets his sweater vest off fairly easily, only fumbling a little before going to find his t-shirt that was too big for him and shorts. Remus went to grab a few coloring books and crayons. When he returned he saw Peter struggling with his shirt buttons.
“Here love, let me help,” Remus offered, helping with the buttons. Peter couldn’t help remembering all the times he so desperately had wished someone would help him when he was still scared of letting anyone know he regressed.
When Remus was done he ruffled Peter’s hair, “There you go Wormy,” he said before turning to put away his previously forgotten book, giving Peter time to change.
Peter managed to change before crawling on his bed, grabbing a pillow in his lap to hold tightly, fumbling hands picking a coloring book.
Remus returned, “Do you want me to sit with you love?” he asked politely. Peter nodded, scooting over before pointing to where Remus could sit.
“You’re not very talkative are you darling?” Remus mentioned, meaning to be light hearted.
Peter ducked his head mumbling, “Sorry,” as he looked through the books with less energy.
“Aw baby, it’s ok. I don’t mind at all. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.” Remus clarified. As he spoke, he snaked a hand into Peter’s hair, lightly playing with it. Peter seemed to enjoy the contact, slightly pushing his head towards Remus’ hand, making the other smile.
Remus noticed the boy didn’t have a stuffed animal to hold, still cuddling his pillow, “Hey Wormy?” Remus began, continuing after Peter looked up at him, “Do you want a plushie?” The question was met with wide eyes and a nodding little as Peter turned his whole body towards Remus, giving him his full attention.
“Ok. Well, what does our little guy want? Any animal at all love.” Remus offers with a wide smile. Peter thinks for a moment, looking upwards, fidgeting as he does.
Eventually Peter decides, smiling and wiggling in his spot before whispering, “Bear,” Remus giggled with Peter at that. Peter had told them a story of a stuffed bear he had as a child that never left his side, but as his attention was being grabbed by more big kid toys he had lost it.
“Ok darling, one bear comin’ right up,” Remus said as he grabbed his wand, quickly conjuring a brown stuffed bear wearing a sweater that looked like Peter’s favorite. Peter gasped, reaching out to grab it, holding it tight to his chest.
Peter gave Remus a hug, bear squished between them. Remus kissed the top of his head before letting go. Both boys were happy as ever, smiles and giggles were all they could manage.
Peter soon got to work coloring a butterfly after picking a coloring book with big coloring spaces meant for smaller kids. Remus picked one of the adult coloring books, continuing one he had been coloring when he had helped James regress.
Remus looked up to sharpen one of his colored pencils when he noticed Peter chewing on his bear’s ear. He gently pulled the bear from Peter’s mouth before speaking softly, “Aw love, don’t chew on that, it’ll hurt your teeth. Do you want a pacifier or a teether?” Remus offered the alternatives, holding up his hands to represent each option knowing if Peter was nonverbal he’d need a way to answer.
Peter pointed to the hand meaning pacifier. Remus notes that his movements were slowing, probably getting tired.
“Alright darling, do you have a color preference?” Remus asked, pointing to the crayons to give Peter another way to answer. He grabbed a blue crayon, showing it to Remus a lot closer to his face than necessary, making Remus laugh, Peter soon joining.
Remus conjured up a blue pacifier for Peter, adding a little part that says “Wormy” on it in lettering that looked like building blocks. Peter nearly bounces up and down upon seeing it, pointing to it and showing Remus as if he wasn’t the one who got it for him. Remus just nodded along saying, “Yea I see love!”, with nothing but adoration in his voice.
Peter slipped the soother in before wrapping his arm back around his bear and continuing work on his butterfly. Remus idly played with his hair while he did so.
Soon, a sleepy eyed Peter showed Remus his butterfly coloring page, a wide smile behind his paci.
“Oh my goodness darling! You did so good! It’s so pretty,” Remus said following a dramatic gasp. Peter giggled, wiggling where he sat.
Peter tapped Remus’ knee with a slightly embarrassed look on his face before pointing up to their board on the wall with various coloring pages pinned to it.
“Such a good idea love! Here, I’ll put it up right now,” Remus offered, delicately taking the paper, being careful with it, treating it like the treasure it was.
As Remus returned to the bed he saw Peter trying to keep his eyes open. He checked the clock seeing it was later than he thought.
“Ready for bed little guy?” Remus asked as he ran a hand through Peter’s hair. Peter barely processed what was being said to him. He was regressing further. Remus suspected something like that might happen after Peter ignored his regression for so long.
Remus kept speaking soothingly, “It’s ok little love. You’re just a baby right now aren’t you?” he wasn’t expecting a reply knowing Peter was so small right now, just more so making sure he felt loved.
“Let’s get you laid down baby,” Remus spoke as he helped Peter get under the covers, making sure his bear was tucked in his arms. Peter felt like his body was made of bricks and his head filled with clouds, but in such a different way than before. This way was only pure and soft, too little to care about anything beyond laying down with his bear and lightly chewing his pacifier.
Remus cleaned up the books and crayons on the other side of the bed before he made his way back over to Peter’s side, kissing his forehead before whispering, “Goodnight little love. I’ll be here when you wake up,” he knew Peter had probably drifted off by now but he still felt the need to reassure.
Remus quietly opens his desk drawer looking for the previously pocketed coloring page from the a couple days prior. He went to put it up on the board as well before realizing it was a caterpillar on a tree watching another butterfly. Remus quietly laughed to himself, right in front of their faces, as always.
Not long after Remus settled back in his own bed with his book he heard the other two dorm inhabiters barreling down the hallway, laughing and bantering. Remus cast a quick temporary deafening spell over Peter’s bed so the two tornados didn’t wake the sleeping boy.
“Moony! My sweet! My love, my light! How’re you?,” Sirius barrels in first, kissing Remus’ cheek. Remus shushes him, pointing towards the sleeping little.
Sirius gasps, eyes going wide and a large grin breaking, “Prongs! Get over here!” Sirius whisper yells to James.
James stumbles over, tired from practice, “What? Did you draw on his face again or- Oh he’s adorable,” James cut himself off as soon as he laid eyes on Peter.