“James it’s ok to be sad.” Remus has walked into the dorm, unexpectedly as he had been skipping class but the full moon was approaching and his joints were aching and maybe just a quick nap would allow him to go to his afternoon classes.
What he hadn’t expected to find was one James Potter, looking absolutely out of place in their own dorm. He was having a moment, that much was obvious, and Remus was never sure how to handle such things, because he rarely understood emotion as it was. But there was something in the look on James face that told Remus that he needed someone, or something right now.
“Remus? What? No! I’m fine! See!” He tried to smile, the sides of his face flirting up fainting before pulling back down. He looked down at the floor between them, embarrassed.
“James.” Remus took a timid step forward. Comforting his friends was not something that was really in his wheelhouse, considering he was typically the one that needed the support. “It is ok to be sad. whatever you’re thinking about right now, it is ok to be sad or mad or unhappy about it.”
James let out a heaving sob and Remus pulled him into a tight hug. He continued sobbing, the tears soaking through Remus’ jumper.
“I’m so sacred Remus.”
“I know James.”
“I don’t think they have a lot of time left.”
Ah, so this is what this is about. Everyone knew James parents were older. They had struggled for so long to have a child, and now it seemed as if, now that James was practically grown, they could relax into their age a bit more. Go slower. Remus knew the two of them were recently ill, but was it worse than James had let them know? He had chuckled about it after receiving a letter earlier in the week, besides, everyone believed the potters were indestructible as ever.
“Did you hear from them again James?”
“No, the first letter just got me thinking.”
“Why don’t we send them a letter? You know how much Mr Potter loves to hear about Quidditch, and Mrs Potter of your grades?” Remus knew he could call them by their first names, but they felt clunky in his mouth still. He wasn’t part of the good parent club, and was still working on associating the potters with the softness they were allowed to convey. “Maybe it will put yours, and their minds at ease, hm?”
James nodded, still clinging tightly to Remus jumper. Remus half lowered them to the ground. Maybe it was better to let James just cry it out. Write a letter later, show as much love for his aging parents while he still can, but for now maybe James, unbreakable and witty James, could just feel all of the emotions he had been pushing back for so long in the privacy of their dorm.
“What’s your favorite memory of them James?”