October 26th, 2007
October 26th, 2007 11:36 PM
It was late at night, the time when most people were fast asleep in their beds and the roads were clear. Canvey Island was always pretty quiet, well as quiet as small towns can be. There were of course people who were awake at such times, kids sneaking out or getting ready for parties, and young people getting ready to go to clubs or drive around. Marlene was one of those people, she had snuck out for a sleepover- something sweet and simple with her friends, she would be back before her parents ever knew.
She was the first to arrive at Peter's house, it didn't take long with them being neighbours, just a few minutes walk apart from the rustic little spot where only they lived. She had brought the movie she had rented the previous night, holding it up happily as Peter let her in. It was all turning out to be a normal night- it should've been a normal night. They were just in the living room, sitting on the couch laughing about something Marlene can't even remember when it all started.
With that fucking phone call.
They had both heard it, but Peter was the one who answered, throwing a shrug tatMarlene as he got up and picked it up. “Hello?” Peter asked as he walked back to the couch, sitting back down next to Marlene so she could hear.
“Hello?” The voice from the phone asked, Marlene couldn't recognise it.
It seemed Peter didn't either, his brow furrowed in confusion as he looked at Marlene, “Yes?” Peter asked hesitantly.
“Who is this?” The voice asked.
“Who were you trying to reach?”
“What number is this?”
Peter chuckled awkwardly “Uhm what number were you trying to reach?”
“I don't know.”
Marlene mouthed “what?” at Peter, who shrugged. “Well, you go the wrong number. Bye.”
“Fucking weird.” Marlene laughed, “Now I know Lily is bringing Nightmare on Elm street but we watch it every time we meet, so I think-”
Marlene never got to tell Peter what she thought, she never even got to tell him about the new movie she had picked out because the phone rang again. She will never not regret picking up that phone.
She groaned when she heard the phone ring, it annoyed her, “Hello?” she answered.
“I’m sorry, I must have called the wrong number.”
“Twice?” She asked, Peter had gotten up motioning to the kitchen where he had left their popcorn, Marlene nodded at him telling him to go, she could deal with some prick on the phone alone. “Why’d you call again?”
“To apologise.” The voice answered.
Marlene couldn't help but roll her eyes, “You're forgiven. Bye.”.
“Wait- don't hang up!” The voice rushed out as Marlene's finger hovered over the button, she sighed, slowly dropping her hand and bringing the phone back to her ear.
“What do you want?” Marlene hissed.
“I just want to talk to you,” They said, humour in their voice.
“There's plenty of people you can call for that. Bye.” Marlene didn't hesitate that time, hanging the phone up swiftly and pushing herself off the couch, walking into the kitchen where Peter was making popcorn over the stove.
“He hang up?” Peter asked, turning to look at Marlene.
Marlene hummed, “Sounds like a fucking creep. Said he wanted to ‘talk to me’.”
“Weird.” Peter mumbled as he turned back to the popcorn.
Marlene leaned against the counter, pulling her BlackBerry from the back pocket of her jeans to see if Lily had texted her yet, and then it rang. Not her phone, but the landline.
“You have to be fucking kidding me.” Marlene groaned as she shoved her phone back into her pocket, pulling the landline back to her ear as she answered. “What?”.
“Why don't you want to talk to me?”
Marlene rolled her eyes at the question, and she could hear Peter mumble ‘weirdo’ under his breath. “Who is this?”
“You tell me your name, and I’ll tell you mine.” They said teasingly.
“Sirius is that you? If this is a prank you and peter set up it's not fucking funny, it's annoying.”
The voice laughed shortly, “Not Sirius” they said in a singsong voice. Peter’s popcorn had just popped, the noise nearly making Marlene jump. “What was that?”.
“Popcorn.” Marlene sighed.
“You're making popcorn?”
“Yes.” Marlene replied, “That is what I said.”
The voice hummed, “I only eat popcorn in the movies.”
“Good for you. We’re trying to watch one but some asshole keeps calling.”.
“What movie?”
God they just couldn't get the hint could they?
“Some scary movie.” They could've picked one already if this person would stop fucking calling.
“You like scary movies?”
“No clearly not, I'm watching them because I'm a masochist.”. Marlene could see Peter shaking his head in silent laughter, she couldn't help but smile as she turned away to lean over the counter.
“Snarky. Do you have a favourite scary movie?”.
“No. Bye.”. She said shortly, this guy gave her the creeps.
“Oh cmon, be polite. Don't hang up. You have to have a favourite scary movie.” The voice cooed.
“I don't,” Marlene said disinterestedly.
“Does any come to mind?”
Marlene was silent for a moment, there was a knife block in front of her and she absent-mindedly ran her fingers over them. There were six. “Halloween, I guess. The one with the guy in the white mask who walks around and stalks babysitters. Hey, sounds like you.”.
“You don't even know me.” The voice chuckled.
“Maybe not but you have stalkerish vibes, not letting me hang up and all.” Marlene turned away from the knives, leaving Peter to finish the popcorn as she made her way back into the living room, she noticed the lock on the door open. Peter never left his doors unlocked. She locked it as she passed, not sparing another thought after that. The voice on the phone laughed.
“You can hang up, but I can't promise anything good will happen if you do.”.
“See? stalkerish.” She mumbled as she made her way to her purse, she was making the executive decision on the movie seeing as she had to deal with the creep on the phone.
The voice hummed, “Do you have a boyfriend?”
Marlene once again rolled her eyes, holding her tape close as she walked to the tv. “No, I'm too busy with your mum.” She said happily as she kneeled down to the VCR player, ejecting the tape that had been in it before.
“Your funny, what did you say your name was?”.
“I didn't,” Marlene mumbled, fiddling with the tape case
“Well, what is it?”
“Why do you want to know my name?” she asked as she finally got the tape out, ready to put it in the VCR.
“Because I want to know who I am looking at.”.
It took Marlene a second for the words to register, and slowly- oh, so slowly, she straightened up, still holding onto her tape. “What did you say?” the second she said it she could hear something clatter in the kitchen, a part of her wanted to call out to Peter but she found herself frozen. Somewhere outside, she could hear a dog barking.
“I want to know who I'm talking to.”.
“That's not what you said.” Marlene let the tape fall from her hand, fuck the movie- she quickly stood up, looking around the room eyes landing on the glass patio door. Her heart skipped a beat at the idea of someone looking at her through it and she quickly turned the patio light on, seeing no one- it didn't comfort her.
“What do you think I said?” The voice asked as she stared out into the darkness that the small patio light couldn't reach. Anyone could be there. “What? Hello?”.
“Sirius- James, whichever one of you it is this isn't fucking funny, and I dont know how you roped Peter into this but I’m not falling for it. Bye.”.
“Don't hang up on me.”
Marlene didn't waste a second after she hung up, checking the lock and flinging the blinds shut on the patio door. She could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage as she left the living room, nearly running into the kitchen in search of Peter.
The popcorn was there, still popping on the stove but Peter was not. “Pete?” she whispered, half afraid of who might answer. Then the phone rang- again. It always rang again. “Shit.” Marlene whispered, her hand shaking as she answered, “What?”.
“I told you not to hang up on me.”
“What the fuck do you want?” She asked, for a moment she considered grabbing one of the five knives from the block, but she hesitated. This had to be some stupid joke. It had to be.
“I just want to talk.”
“Find someone else.” hangs up. “Peter? Where did you go?” She called as she slowly made her way out of the kitchen, and then it rang. Of course, it fucking rang. And she answered. “Listen, asshole-”
“No you listen you little bitch, you hang up on me again and I’ll gut you like a pig do you understand?”
Marlene froze, and there she stood in the hallway of her best friend's house realising this might not be a joke, someone could be watching her. And she had no idea where her best friend was. And something was seriously wrong.
And the voice laughed.
He laugh almost hysterically as if this was the funniest thing in the world.
“Is this some kind of joke?”
“More of a game really.” For a mere second, Marlene was reminded of Peter, “can you handle that….Marlene?” And that's what sets her in action, the second they said her name she ran. Through the kitchen to the front door, locking it. Her heart beating so fast she was scared it might stop as she looked out the small window on the door, searching for something. Someone.
“Can you see me?” They asked, a smile evident in their voice.
“I'm calling the police.”
That only made the voice laugh, “They won't make it in time. We’re out in the middle of nowhere.”
And Marlene knew he was right, she had always called Peter her neighbour, but then again their houses weren't next to each other. They were a good five minutes away from each other. She wondered if her sister would hear her if she screamed loud enough. “What do you want?”’
“To see what your insides look like.”
Marlene had never hung up a phone quicker, pulling herself away from the window. Her fear had turned into a bitter feeling of anger as she kicked the door in front of her, her mind could barely process what was happening as her eyes watered. “Peter!? Where the fuck are you?” she yelled into the empty hallway, her voice echoing, never getting a response. She felt a bit like a trapped animal, her eyes wide as she searched the room for something to protect herself, she settled on the fire poker that sat as decoration, she didn't even know if their fireplace worked, she had never seen it in use. The second her hands grabbed it the doorbell screamed out, and she dropped it, “Who the fuck is there?” She called out, she could feel the tears on her cheeks now, the phone rang again and her tears fell faster.
“You should never ask whos there, don't you watch scary movies?” The voice asked as Marlene closed her eyes, trying to rid of the tears as she leaned down to grab the iron fire poker holding it like a lifeline. “It's a death wish. you might as well just come out here to investigate a strange noise or something.”.
“Look, you've had your fun, right? So I think you better just leave, or else.” She tried her hardest to keep her voice from shaking, straightening up and walking backwards until she collided with the wall.
“Or else what.” The voice asked tauntingly as if she was a child.
Marlene looked down at the fire poker in her hand, her fist tightening around it. “Or else I'm going to take this fucking fire poker and bash your head in!”.
“Aren't you brave?”
“I swear to god, I’ll do it!”
“Sure.”
“I swear it,” Marlene holds it up almost like it's a baseball bat, balancing the phone on her shoulder, “I'll beat the shit out of you.”.
“I'm getting scared.”
“So just fucking leave!”
“Ok, me and Peter will just go.”
Marlene's heart sunk, and slowly she lowered her hands, raising one back to hold onto the phone, “Peter?”.
“Turn on the patio lights.”
Marlene ran, she left the front entrance and ran to get back to the living room. She had spent half her life in this living room, she had learnt how to braid hair in this living room from Peter's sister. She had watched her first movie in this living room. She had seen this living room at least once a week for the past 10 years, but standing there, ripping the curtains open from the patio doors and turning on the lights, she felt like a stranger.
She was nearly hyperventilating when she saw him, Peter. Her best friend. Basically, her brother, lying on the floor. She couldn't tell if he was dead or alive, his head was covered in blood, and it ran down his face, and Marlene felt sick. She heard someone scream his name, and it must've been her, but she didn't even feel alive anymore. She felt like she was watching this all like it was a movie. “Where the fuck are you?”
“Guess.”
Peter’s eyes fluttered, and Marlene almost felt relief, but he was still out there with god knows who. His eyes looked around before he registered he was lying on the ground, and Marlene watched as he tried to push himself up with his arms and failed. His head bleeding more and more.
“Please don't hurt him,” Marlene begged, she so badly wanted to go out and save him, to do something, but she stayed behind the door. Like she had said, she had no clue who else was out there.
“That all depends on you”
“Why are you doing this?”
“I want to play a game!”
“No..” Marlene cried, the whole situation making her sick
“Then he dies,” The voice said, asif it was as simple as that.
“No! No, ok!” Marlene hit the glass that separated her from the backyard, the phone in her hand making a small crack, her breathing staggering as she sobbed.
“Which is it?”
“Please don't hurt him.”
Marlene's grip on her fire poker tightened as she stared at her best friend, his eyes just barely opened, but staring right at her. She itched to hit something with the fire poker, but a part of her was scared she couldn't do it, she was shaking too hard to even try.
“Which is it?” the voice asked again, their voice harder now.
“I'll play your stupid fucking game!” Marlene spat out.
“Good. Turn off the light.”
Marlene didn't want to, Peter had closed his eyes. He was just barely breathing, and she was scared if she turned off the lights that would be the last time she ever saw him breathing. But what else could she do? He had a chance if she turned the lights off. So, she did, sliding to the floor behind the tv right after, her sobs raking through her entire body.
She looked out at the living room, where she and Peter had started their night picking a movie and waiting on their friends. She looked out at the living room where she had practically grown up. She looked out at the living room and was scared it might be the last place she’ll ever see.
“Here's how we play, I ask a question and if you get it right Peter lives.”
“Please don't do this.”
“C'mon it'll be fun!”
“Please.”
“It's an easy category!”
“ Please ” Marlene begs, please, please, please.
“Movie trivia, here's a warm-up question.” The voice sang “Name the killer in Halloween.”.
Marlene's head was reeling, she tried to see Peter from the window but couldn't, and god she should know this. It's an easy question, she had watched the movie with Peter for fucks sake., but she can't remember. She can't remember. She can't remember and she can't breathe.
“C'mon it's your favourite scary movie, remember? White mask, stalks the babysitter-”
“I know! I fucking know!” Marlene cries out, frustrated, “Fuck! Please. I can't-”
“What's his name? C'mon Pete’s counting on you.” The voice taunts.
And then it hits her, and she all but screams the answer, “Micheal! Micheal Myers.” and she finally breathes.
“Yes! Knew you could do it, now for the real question.”
Marlene wants to scream, “No! What the fuck is wrong with you?” she snarls down the phone.
“Oh, but you're doing so well! We can't stop now.”
“Just leave us alone.” She begs as she pulls herself up from the ground, using the fire poker almost like a walking stick.
“Answer the question. same category,”
“Please stop.” She has her arm on the wall, she feels like she is about to pass out, she needs to look out the door, she needs to know he's still out there- but she's scared to move any further.
“Name the killer in Friday the 13th.” The voice asks
And this one Marlene knows, she says it instantly as she pushes herself forward to the door, straining her eyes in the darkness to find Peters form on the ground- and yes he's still there.
“Jason! Jason Vorheys!”
“Wrong.”
And her heart stops.
“No, it's not! No, it fucking isn't- it was Jason. I saw that movie 20 goddamn times!” Marlene screams down the receiver, fighting the urge to run out to Peter because he's right there he is so close, and if she could just-
“Then you should know Jason’s mother, Mrs Vorheys was the original killer. Jason didn't kill up until the sequel. I'm afraid that was the wrong answer.”
“That... That's not fucking fair!” Marlene wants this to stop. She wants it to be a bad dream.
“Lucky for you there's a bonus question, but poor Pete.. He’s out.”.
And oh, Marlene doesn't watch, she can't. She slides down the glass door and closes her eyes, she wants to cover her ears but she just can't seem to figure out how to drop the phone. She may not see it but she can hear the scuffle of shoes as someone walks on the concrete by the pool, and she can hear Peter gasp and his shoes frantically moving on the ground as if he's trying to crawl away, and then the scream. Marlene will never forget the scream. On the phone, she can hear the voice curse, and drop his phone, but only for a moment.
There's silence, for a long time. No taunts from the voice, no nothing. She could only hear her own sobs and her heartbeat in her ears, and when she dares to peek outside the window, Peter isn't there. There is only a smear of blood. And she can't decide if that's a blessing or a curse.
She wants to run, she wants to leave forever and never look back. She looks to the door just across from the patio one, through the living room and hallway and she can't help but wonder if she could make it there before the voice can.
“Hey final question, you ready?” The voice finally speaks up, and it makes her jump. Peter’s gone, and at this point, all of her fear is becoming anger. She's done. She’s so fucking done. She wants to slam the phone into the ground until it's nothing more than spare parts. But she doesn't, sometimes she wishes she did.
“Fuck you. Just leave me alone!”
“Answer the question and I will.” Marlen can hear him chuckle, “what door am I at?”
“..What?”
“There are two main doors to Peters's house, the front door and the patio door. You answer correctly you live. Very simple.” Marlene stares down at the fire poker in her hand, and she wonders how hard she would have to hit someone for it to hurt.
“Please stop, I can't.”
The end of the fire poker is sharp, if she tried hard enough she could poke someone's eye out.
“Your call.” the voice answers, and not even a second later a chair flies through the patio door and Marlene runs. She runs and runs the same path she had so many times that night. She runs straight into the kitchen where smoke is filling the air and the popcorn is on fire, and fuck Peter isn't there- Peter’s gone . How can Peter be gone?
And then her phone vibrates in her pocket. And she remembers Lily.
Oh, Lily.
Lilys is on her way here. For a sleepover.
Marlene knows she should keep running, she knows she shouldn't stop in the kitchen but she does, and she fishes her phone out of her pocket, snapping it open as she quickly goes to find Lily's contact, frantically pressing the call button. The second the call gets through Marlene is going to the front door, trying to undo the locks with her shaky hands. “Please, Please, Please, Please Lily.” She begs as the phone rings, and rings and rings, quickly losing hope.
Lily answers on the fifth ring.
“Hey, sorry I'm on my way! James had to find his glasses.” Lily's tone is apologetic, she hates being late. It's something she and Peter had in common. Marlene lets out a sob.
“Please hurry! Please someone is trying to fucking kill me. Peter’s- fuck!” And she knows she sounds crazy, and it doesn't sound possible but it is, someone is trying to fucking kill her and for some reason one of the only things she can think of is that she had promised to go camping with Dorcas and now she's never going to get the chance.
“Marlene? Marlene!? Are you ok?”
And Marlene finally gets the locks to give way and she is so tired and she just wants to go home, she wishes she had never snuck out, she wishes she wasn't so scared. “Lily- just. Please get here! Please .”. She hangs up the phone and wrenches the door open, she doesn't care anymore how loud it is, she wants out. She can't stand to be in that house for a second more, she needs out and needs never to look back. And she plans to do just that as she stumbles outside, ready to run- but a hand grabs onto her and she screams. Her entire life flashes before her eyes, and she realises just how little she has lived and how badly she wants to.
“Shh! Marlene, please stop!”
And that voice makes her stop screaming, her eyes growing wide as her body relaxes and the hand on her arm lets go, she looks up and sees him.
“Peter?” She whispers.
He doesn't look good but he's breathing. The blood has dyed his light blonde hair a red so dark it looks like Lily's, and his face is pale. God, it's so fucking pale. He has his arm clutching a stab wound on his abdomen and he is bent over himself, too weak to stand up straight. His breathing is hollow, but it's breathing and that's all Marlene needs.
She hugs him before she can stop herself, he breathes out a pained sigh, but she can't not hold him because fuck he's alive. He’s alive. He's alive . “Fuck, oh god. We have to go, I called James and Lily- she’s almost here I-”
“Is that them?” Peter asks, barely opening his mouth, pointing behind her.
Marlene turns and just up the road she can see hints of car lights, and she feels herself breathe for what feels like the first time. “Thank god, yes, ok Peter, we- we have to go. Can you run?”.
Marlene already knows the answer by looking at him, every second he is getting paler and paler, he is wobbling where he stands and she can see the blood dripping down from his fingertips from where he held himself. “That's- that's ok. I’m here. I’ll help.” She can feel a lump in her throat as she throws Peter’s arm around her shoulder, and she keeps her eyes on the headlights as they draw nearer and nearer. Slowly she and Peter start making their way to the front of the house. All they need is to cross the garden, and then the length of the house to get to the driveway. Easy. Close. They are so so close .
They are just at the corner of the house, and she can hear the squeal of Lily's tires as she takes the turn to get into the driveway, they are just out of her reach. They are on the edge of freedom when Marlene feels Peter tense up and hears him gasp, and she knows. Instantly she knows. And she is so mad because they are so close, they are so close to being safe. Marlene turns and she sees it, the long white mask, and black robes. She watches as they withdraw the knife from Peter’s back, and she watches as Peter’s hand slides off her shoulders and he falls to his knees.
And she wants to stay, she does, because she loves Peter. But then she hears gravel under tires, and turns to run because she wants to live.
She wants to live.
And he grabs her ponytail and she thinks she won't.
A gloved hand puts itself around her mouth, and she can feel the knife on her throat, and she can see Lily just up ahead, the light in her car turned on. She can see James and Lily fighting with their seatbelts in their haste to come out, and she can see Lily dial a number on her phone and hold it to her ear, and she can feel her owone vibrating in her pocket- and she was so close.
She is so close.
She wants to live.
She wants to go fucking camping with Dorcas.
So without sparing a moment to think she tightens her hand around the cold metal she had been holding onto for what feels like forever and she wrenches forward, ignoring the sting as the knife cuts her skin, turns and hits the son of a bitch in the head as hard as she can.
And they let go.
And she runs.
She runs so fast and James and Lily are finally out of the car, and she can hear herself screaming at them, she knows she can't be making sense with how hard she is sobbing, but Lily holds her anyways. Marlene all but begs them to get back into the car, and they listen, instantly locking the doors. She feels like she's numb, she thinks she might be in shock. She watches as James uses Lily's phone to call the police, and then Lily is asking where Peter is and Marlene starts crying even harder, because fuck they were so close, weren't they?
And then it all becomes a giant fucking mess.
Well, more so than before.
James watches as Marlene cries, his voice breaking as he asks where Peter is, and then he's trying to leave the car, but both Marlene and Lily hold onto him, begging him not to. And James tries to argue, but he never gets a chance to do it, because the storm lights come on.
And there's Peter.
Lying on the ground, every part of him that they can see soaked in blood, and a knife sticking out from his back.
And then James is screaming, and trying to get out of the car, but it's locked. Marlene just can't look away. Not even when the storm lights turn off and everything goes dark. When the lights go off, everyone gets quiet. The only sounds are sirens drawing closer and closer. Everyone is waiting, and none of them knknowshat for.
Then the lights are back on, and Peter isn't there.
And for a second Marlene wants to laugh, because it is so ridiculous that this night started with watching a movie.
She just wanted to watch a fucking movie.
*
October 26th, 2007 11:12 PM
School had always been something that made Remus proud. He had always been that kid who finished first on a test, and got the best grades, but it had never come naturally, he had worked his ass off to get good grades. His parents had always been really proud of him for it, every report card on the fridge kind of proud. They were his main motivator to get the best grades, and maybe that's why, on that night, he had struggled so badly. So badly that he stayed home to study.
The trouble with his grades had been an ongoing battle for months, six to be exact. It had all started with a trip to the grocery store, and ‘malfunctioning’ breaks, and it ended with a funeral and a home no longer occupied by the brightness of Hope Lupin.
He hadn't had much motivation for his grades after that.
But soon enough they were all going to have to send in their applications for Uni in, and with a little less than a year left of Sixth-Form he felt greatly behind where he thought he would be at this point. And so he stayed home. He fucking stayed home.
Sometimes he wonders what would've happened if he hadn't, what would change- if anything at all.
He had been staring at his computer for hours, hardly taking in the information he was reading. He had to keep going back to reread certain sentences. He had been holed up in his room nearly the whole day, taking a break every so often to push his chair away from the desk and spin it, just for something to do that wasn't mind-numbingly boring.
He had been studying for about two hours when he heard it, a slight tapping coming from his window. He had ignored it for a while, chalking it up to a tree or something, but when he heard what sounded like a scrap of shoes on side-panelling he got up- I mean it was the only logical thing to do when you had your window open and you heard what sounded like a fucking person. He wasn't in the mood to die with a 4 in Chemistry.
He pushed away from his desk, nearly tripping on his bag when it got caught in the wheels of his chair. He peered out into the darkness from the window, seeing nothing, and was ready to close it.
“Boo!”
Remus stayed there, frozen in front of his window, and there he was.
“Sirius, you asshole.” Remus felt himself finally breathe when his boyfriend's smiling face came into view, a huge grin on his face. “What are you doing?”
“I missed you, also you should really work on your reaction. Fight or flight response Moons, you can't just stand there and do nothing, that's how people die in movies.” Sirius raised his eyebrows at the other boy, who was staring at him unimpressed.
“I think it's funny you think I’d want to survive a horror movie.” Remus considered closing the window on him.
Sirius seemed to sense his willingness to leave him out there as he inched closer to the window, Remus was starting to wonder how he got up there in the first place, he was on the second story. “Gonna let me in?” Sirius asked, turning his head to the side in a way that reminded Remus a bit of a dog.
Remus was a cat person.
“Sorry, my dad told me I shouldn't let strays in, they get too comfortable and then they never leave.” Remus smiled at him, closing the window, leaving Sirius half on the roof and half holding onto his window, his smile falling just a bit. Remus wouldn't leave him out there forever. Probably. Maybe.
“Moony?” Sirius's voice was muffled from the window, and Remus fought the smile on his face, as he turned to walk back to his desk, “ Moony let me in .” he whined.
It didn't help his case.
Despite his best judgement Remus sighed and turned back to his window, opening it. “What do you want.” He asked, moving aside to let Sirius crawl in. Sirius looked nice, but he always did. He wore a short white shirt he had cut up, it was too big on him and showed off his collarbones. straight blue jeans, and a black belt. Remus noticed he had on the old pair of Doc Martens that used to belong to Monty, it was a birthday gift from the previous year. Effortlessly beautiful. He was such an asshole.
“Can't believe you were going to lock me out,” Sirius said as he turned to close the window, Remus sat on his bed, laying back and throwing his arms over his face to hide his grin. When Sirius turned back he could feel his eyes on him, and hear his smile in his voice, “Is that what you sleep in?”.
Remus moved one of his arms a bit, letting an eye crack open to look at himself. He was only wearing plaid pyjama bottoms, “It was hot.” he shrugged, closing his eye.
“Not complaining, only realising how you've been holding back on us at sleepovers.”
“Shut up, should've left you outside.” Remus mumbled, “You really can't be here, dads downstairs.”
“Please,” Sirius sighed, looking around the room before his eyes settled on Remus, a gleam in his eyes, “Lyall loves me.”
“Not when you sneak into my bedroom, he doesn't.”.
Then there was a knock on the door and Remus scrambled up from the bed looking at Sirius who was just staring back with a smile that was not at all apologetic, the door opened slightly and Remus was suddenly thankful that he put the handle of his closet door in front of his bedrooms door handle. “One second,” He shouted to his dad as he gave Sirius a look that he hoped translated ‘hide yourself, you fucking prick.’.
“Remus?” Lyall Lupins' soft voice called from the small crack in Remus’ door, “Are you alright?”.
Remus looked through the crack to see his dad’s concerned expression, he tried to smile, “Fine, dad.”
“I heard you yell.” Lyall didn't look convinced, his eyebrows creasing in worry. It made him look older than 36, but nowadays he was always looking older and worn down. Haunted. It made Remus worry. He had always been proud of his parents, they had always been younger than his friend's parents, but he found they understood his problems much better. Now Lyall and Remus’ problems were the same, and neither knew how to help the other.
“Must be your dementia or something acting up.” Remus shrugged.
Lyall shook his head and chuckled, “You're not funny.”.
“Yet you laugh.”.
“Just open the door,” Lyall raises his eyebrow at his son, a familiar motion that Remus often found himself doing.
“Really, Dad it's fine-” Remus tried, but his closet door was already closed and his dad was already opening his bedroom door further and all Remus could hope was that Sirius was not standing in the middle of his room.
Remus turned to look at his room, his windows were closed and the only sign of Sirius was the small scuff of dirt on his windowsill, other than that his room looked perfectly normal. Beside him, his dad hummed, taking in his room and then turning to look at Remus.
Remus simply stared back.
“I’m leaving, Aunt Diana is driving me to the airport. The conference is going to last all weekend, and I’ll be home by Tuesday.” Lyall once again looked worried, he hadn't left Remus alone since it happened. “I put cash in an envelope on the table, it should be enough if you want take away. Lily will be taking you to school, right?”.
Remus nodded, “Yes, dad.”
“You’ll be ok?” He asked.
“Yep, promise. I’ll even call every day. You should be going now, though. Lack of sleep gives you grey hairs.” Remus said, leading his dad out of his room.
Lyall gave him a flat look, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair, “Goodnight, Remus, love you.”.
“Love you too, Dad.” Remus said, hastily closing his door, and listening to his dad's retreating footsteps. When he heard his dad’s door close, he let out a sigh, “Ok, where the fuck are you?”.
Sirius didn't waste a second popping up from where he had shoved himself between Remus’ bed and wall, his hair falling into his face as he smiled at Remus adoringly, his head tilted to the side. Remus couldn't help but smile at how ridiculous he was. “Oops?” Sirius whispered, obviously not sorry.
“Sirius, what are you doing here?” Remus asked, leaning on his door as Sirius stood up.
‘Well, it occurred to me that I’ve never snuck into your room from your window, and we really can have that- I have a reputation to uphold.” Sirius had reached Remus now, grabbing hands and pulling his away from the door, “So I decided to just check it off my bucket list now.”.
Remus followed, pulling himself forward towards his bed, “Well great now that it's out of your system, you can leave.”.
Sirius rolled his eyes, sitting on the edge of Remus's bed leaving Remus standing in front of him as he traced the veins on his hand, “Y’know I was home, and James had left and Reggie wouldn’t answer my calls, so I put the TV on and guess what they were playing?” Sirius asked, completely ignoring Remus.
“Please, enlighten me.”
“The wolfman! It made me think of you, so I just had to visit.”
“Did it, now?”
“Mhm, so now here I am.” Sirius sounded so pleased with himself.
“Well, I was trying to do homework you know.” Remus cocked his eyebrow at the boy, squeezing his hand.
“Yeah, you did mention that.”
“Speaking of, you’re supposed to be out. With James.”
“I'd rather be here with you,” Sirius said, stopping his tracing to look up at Remus. The look in his eye so sincere.
Remus let the words sit in the air for a while, the only sound was their breathing. With Sirius holding his hand he wasn't really that eager to send him away, he never truly was. “Fine,” Remus sighed, squeezing Sirius's hand once more before dropping it, “you can stay until I finish my homework.”
“Works for me,” Sirius said, leaning back on the bed.
“This is not an invitation to stay the night.”
“No of course not, I could never disrespect our pure Moony like that.”
“Shut up,” Remus mumbled while he sat back on his chair, turning to his computer, hiding his grin with his hand.
It was all going well, it truly should've been a perfect night. It was a cute image, something so sweet about it. Sirius was on Remus’ bed, just watching him study, while Remus pointedly ignored the fact that Sirius was watching him and tried to work on his studying. At one point Sirius had gotten bored, leaving his spot on the bed to wrap his arms around Remus’ shoulders. Remus allowed it for a while, the gesture grounding, but incredibly distracting. Then Sirius kissed his head. And his neck. And his cheek. And really what was Remus meant to do other than turn to his boyfriend with a Look that he completely ignored in favour of actually kissing Remus? Really he couldn't do anything else but kiss back. Remus did end up shooing him away, eventually banishing him back to the bed until Remus was done, and Sirius listened, a goofy grin on his face. Remus was even more determined to finish his studying, purely out of spite of making Sirius wait longer.
He studied for an hour more, Sirius falling asleep on his bed as he did. He hadn't planned to stop studying for some time, but Sirius's phone had ringed. And Remus couldn't study after that, not after he heard.
Sirius grumbled when he woke up, groaning as he fumbled to drag his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open, “Fuck..” He rubbed at his eyes, shoving his hair out of his face as Remus spun his chair around to watch, “Hello?”
And in an instant everything changed, Sirius sat straight up as if ice water had been poured over him and Remus was instantly worried. “James? James, what's wrong?”.
“Sirius, what's going on?” Remus asked, leaning forward from his chair.
Sirius pulled away from the phone for a moment, Remus had never seen him look so scared, “I don't know, he's crying.” Remus instantly was out of his chair, crawling onto the bed next to Sirius so he could hear the call. “James? Are you ok?”.
“ It's Peter… Someone.. ” James' voice cracked, his breaths staggering as he gasped for air, “ Peter’s dead .”