Languish
Tuesday, November 2, 1971.
“Hey, Remus, do you know what tomorrow is?” James asked Remus as soon as he woke up.
“What is it this time, James?”
“It’s Sirius’ birthday tomorrow, idiot!” Remus’ face paled. He forgot, he’s been too busy trying to keep the exhaustion at bay. Shit, he’ll probably be in the hospital wing all day tomorrow, too.
“You forgot.”
“I forgot…”
“It’s okay, Pete and I planned a whole thing! We’ll give you partial credit for it.”
“Cheers, James. Fancy breakfast?”
The boys walked down to the Great Hall for an early breakfast. About ten or fifteen minutes later, Sirius and Peter join them. Sirius seems very put out.
“What’s the matter, Sirius?” Remus asked, concerned.
“My birthday’s tomorrow.”
“Yeah, it is, care telling us why you’re upset?”
“My birthday’s tomorrow, and I have to spend it with my cousins. I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with family on my birthdays once I got here, especially since I’m in Gryffindor. Dearest Narcissa told me just now that she expects tomorrow for tea.”
“Oh, no!” exclaimed James. “We had a whole surprise laid out and ready!”
“It’s okay, James, I appreciate the effort. I suppose my other cousins will be there too, but at least my parent’s refuse to come speak to me here.”
“Tough luck, man, how about we throw a party for you on Saturday?”
“That sounds good, thanks James.”
After that, breakfast passed as usual, if a bit more quietly than normal. James got Sirius’ spirits back up by jabbering on about Quidditch, and Peter listened intently, throwing in ‘yes’ and ‘yeah’ and ‘ooh’ in when appropriate. Then Lily Evans walked up.
“Lupin, are you feeling alright?” she asked, not suspiciously at all.
“Fine, Evans, why do you ask?” Remus asked.
“Yeah, Evans, why do you ask?” teased Sirius.
She hesitated a moment, glancing around at the other three boys and narrowing her eyes questioningly at Remus. He gently shook his head.
“No reason… you’re looking a little pale is all. Sorry,” she said, and went back to where she was seated, an empty section of Gryffindor table.
“Y’know, Remus, she’s right, you are looking a bit peaky,” Sirius piped up.
“Not feeling great, but I’m fine, really,” Remus responded. “Let’s get going, it’s always best to get to Herbology early.”
“Why?” asked Peter, confused as always.
“So we don’t get cracked pots,” responded all three boys at once, and down they went to Herbology.
After Herbology, Remus was feeling worse for wear. Professor Sprout pulled him aside after class and offered to excuse him from the rest of his classes that day, being what day it was. Remus, of course, declined, and wandered after his friends.
“Sirius, my boy, how should we spend our free period?” James asked gleefully, clearly trying to brighten Sirius’ spirits.
“I couldn’t tell you, James,” Sirius responded, morosely.
“Hmm… Remus?”
“You three can do anything you like, I’m going to the library to do this homework.”
“Remus, we were just assigned that!” exclaimed Peter.
“Right, well, I’m not surprised,” stated Sirius, suddenly out of his slump. “I’m going to do my homework too. Just the stuff due for History of Magic next period though,” he joked, though Remus knew that he had long finished that work.
Nonetheless, the pair traipsed to the library, and Remus did the Herbology homework assigned last period. Sirius, however, did not pull any work out of his bag, and instead sat in silence at the table. Remus did not mind this, and assumed that it had something to do with the birthday ‘festivities’ he would have to participate in tomorrow. He attempted to be a comforting presence for his friend. After swiftly finishing his homework, there was still about half an hour of their free period.
“Sirius.”
“Hmm?” Sirius grumbled sleepily.
“Do you want to talk about it? Or would you rather sit in silence with me?”
Sirius’ breathing quickened slightly.
“Silence, gotcha.” Remus leaned back in his chair and they sat like that until it was time for the next class.
After the dull lesson, Remus noted that his current state was deteriorating, but was far more worried about the foul mood of his friend. Sirius did not speak at all during the class, nor did he participate in the Marauders’ usual note-passing. He sat next to Remus at lunch instead of James, and though they exchanged a couple of glances. Remus gathered that they had worked out a silent understanding, though Peter continued frantically glancing at Sirius at any silent moment. James did a perfect job at distracting Peter, though, with various conversations that Remus did not care to join in on.
Sirius was not eating. Remus put a serving of shepherd’s pie on his plate, earning him a slight glare.
“Eat,” Remus said, gently yet firm.
“Not hungry,” Sirius replied. No sooner than he finished his sentence, his stomach growled, and Remus raised his eyebrows. “Fine, but you first.”
Sighing, Remus helped himself to some shepherd’s pie as well, and the two boys ate their lunch, both too stubborn to lose the unspoken challenge.
The day continued on in a much similar manner, with Remus doing his best to care for his friend despite his wounded mood, and Sirius countering every attempt with ‘you first’. Ultimately, neither of them starved to death nor neglected their other needs. By the last free period of the day, just before dinner, Sirius was focusing on his schoolwork and replying, albeit shortly, to James.
Finally satisfied that Sirius was at least mostly okay, Remus’ attention could no longer be taken from the immense pain he was enduring. He suddenly regretted eating lunch as he covered his mouth with his hand and gripped the edge of the table. James and Peter didn’t notice this, but Sirius nudged him gently.
“Go on,” whispered Sirius, “I’ll take good notes for Astronomy and do my best with your notes tomorrow.”
Remus looked at him, confused and scared that he knew his secret, but Sirius only nudged him up and told James where he was going when he asked. Remus had no time to question him, as he really was about to hurl from the neglected pain, and went to the hospital wing as quickly as he could bear. When he got there, Madam Pomfrey took one look at him and rushed over, pain relief potion in her hand. He drank it, but it helped very little. They began their trek towards the willow.
“I’m scared, Madam Pomfrey. It's going to be really, really bad tonight,” he almost whimpered.
“And I’ll be here to fix you up when it’s all over, I always am, dear. I just wish there was more I could do to help you.”
Remus shook his head. “I’m just so scared. It already hurts.” At this point they were in the Shrieking Shack, and it was almost fully dark. The kind mediwitch wrapped him in a hug and held him for a moment, before Remus shooed her away as his transformation was beginning.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When he awoke, it was to throbbing aches all over his body.
“Lupin?” a voice whispered, and it took a couple of seconds for him to recognize it as Evans’.
“Mister Lupin!” Madam Pomfrey exclaimed quietly, and produced a goblet of water for him to drink from. He gratefully accepted and drained it, placing it gingerly back on his bedside. Sitting up, with Madam Pomfrey graciously placing numerous pillows behind him, he turned his head to see Lily Evans sitting in the chair next to his bed.
“Hello, Evans,” he said blearily, “what’re you doing here?”
“Your friend, Black, asked me to take notes for you today before breakfast. He also wanted to give you his notes from yesterday’s Astronomy lesson, so here’s everything you missed,” she said, and dumped quite the stack of parchment on Remus’ bedside. “That being said, how are you?”
“I don’t know, you tell me,” Remus said, and turned to Madam Pomfrey. “Any new scars this time?” Madam Pomfrey’s eyes shifted towards Evans, and Remus nodded.
“Somehow, nothing of the sort. I really was expecting much worse, especially with… how you were yesterday before your transformation.”
“So what was the damage?” he asked.
“Dislocated shoulder, several broken bones, but those were easy enough to remedy.”
“Lupin, you were particularly exhausted and in pain yesterday, right? Only, I kept noticing you looked rather worse for wear than the last two this time.” Remus nodded. “Maybe the pain subdued the wolf in a way? I know that damage afflicted to the wolf form is afflicted to the human form, so maybe the pain transferred over to the wolf form?”
“Maybe. When did you learn all this, Evans?”
“I’m smart, Lupin, please get that through your skull.”
“Sorry, my skull’s a little busy aching at the moment,” Remus jokingly replied, to which Evans chuckled.
“I’ll be leaving you, it’s just about time for dinner now.”
“Dinner? Already? I missed Sirius’ birthday!”
“If it’s any consolation, he’s been absent all day, nobody’s seen him. Potter says it’s something about his cousins.”
“Oh, well I suppose that does make me feel a little better. Cheers, Evans.”
She nods and exits the hospital wing, leaving Remus alone with Madam Pomfrey.
“Professor McGonagall told me she knew, but I didn’t know she cared for you like that, dear. Anything going on there?” she asked, holding back a sly grin.
“Goodness, no, we don’t even talk much,” Remus responded, and put his head back against the pillows behind him, closing his eyes momentarily. “Is there any way I could get my textbooks? I’ve missed a whole day and want to get going on it all.” Madam Pomfrey tutted at him, but he heard her heels clicking as she went and retrieved his books for him.
“Here you are, but I can’t say I condone this. I don’t want you to overwork yourself, so as soon as you get tired, you’re to stop and take a rest, do you hear me?”
“Yes, Madam Pomfrey, of course,” he responded, and began going over the notes Evans had brought him, starting with Sirius’ Astronomy notes from last night. He wondered, momentarily, if the students had heard him, but quickly shook the thought from his mind. Time to work. After about an hour, Madam Pomfrey came back up to him.
“Are you sure you aren’t hungry, dear? I know you weren’t feeling well last night, but you really should eat…” At the mention of food, Remus’ stomach growled, but his throat tightened.
“I still don’t feel great, maybe something light?” he asked, and the mediwitch summoned ginger tea and chicken broth.
“Try that, dear, and if you keep it down I’ll get you some more.”
Remus thanked her, then continued his work and sipped on his tea and broth. After another half hour or so, when Remus was about to start his homework, the doors to the hospital wing creaked open, and in came James and Peter to see him.
“Crikey, Remus, that’s a boatload of work you’ve got there! Evans really went overboard, didn’t she?”
“No, these are perfect, it’s everything I missed. How was your guys’ days?”
“We missed you and Sirius all day!” whined Peter, to which James nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, it was really dull without you two. I think when Sirius is freed from his cousins that he might have to take a peek at those notes too,” said James, and sat on the edge of his bed. “How’re you feeling? You looked like you were about to hurl yesterday.”
“Stomach bug again, this school is a petri dish. Slept all day, though, and I’m feeling a little better.”
“Glad you’re feeling better, mate. We tried to visit you earlier but Madam Pomfrey shooed us away. I think she’s got a soft spot for you,” James joked, waggling his eyebrows.
“Ha ha, very funny,” Remus retorted, and attempted to start his Astronomy work. James, however, had different plans.
“Anyway, for Sirius’ party on Saturday, I’m thinking we borrow Wolpart’s radio again, set up some games of exploding snap and such, and grab a bunch of snacks, what do you think?”
“Sounds good, James. I can probably snag some food from the kitchens, I think the house-elves like me. A ton of sweets, I presume?”
“Absolutely right, Remus! I can ask around with the older students if they have anything fun from Zonko’s we can mess around with. Anything for our Sirius, we gotta cheer him up about his birthday.”
“Oh, absolutely. He’ll have a blast, I know it.” Remus paused for a moment, then continued. “D’ya think he’ll have to do this every year? I mean, spend all day with his cousins that he doesn’t even like that much?”
“That’s how it looks to me, at the very least he’ll probably have to until Narcissa leaves Hogwarts. I dunno, though, I hope his family relaxes a bit with it. I haven’t seen him all day!”
“Yeah… listen, guys, it was good to talk to you, but I really have to do this work, so I’m kicking you out, okay? I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow.”
“You’re so weird, you always do your homework right away,” teased James, and Remus threw him a half-hearted glare. “Okay, okay, we’ll see you. C’mon, Pete,” he said, and left him in blissful silence.