Remus
There had been a lot of footsteps in the building. Remus glanced upwards at the ceiling when another set of footsteps walked there. He recognised a few from the Death Eaters who had captured him, though he wasn’t sure who they were.
A wet cough left his lips and he wiped his mouth, ignoring the sting of the fresh cuts on his face. He didn’t know how much time had passed since he’d been captured but he did know that it had to be at least a few weeks. He could feel the pull of the moon in his bones, the aching and the hunger that came with it.
It didn’t really matter anyway. Remus knew he couldn’t get out on his own. He’d tried and failed and he had the fresh curse marks to prove it.
Remus straightened up, ears straining to follow that particular set of footsteps. They came closer and closer to his cell, down the hallway, down the stairs and around the corner until they stopped. Right outside of his cell.
An involuntary shudder raked through his body and his muscled tensed. Everything within him screamed at him to run, to get away from that man. But there was nowhere he could go.
The door opened, the hinges whining loudly and Remus suppressed a cringe. A waft of silver made Remus’ senses blaze.
“Get up, filthy animal,” the voice spoke. The man was merely a silhouette in the doorframe but Remus’ limbs trembled. That man meant more pain, more agony and Remus was terrified.
Despite the pain and the fear coursing through his body, Remus heaved himself upright. If he didn’t, he would just be cursed. He’d been hit by the Imperio curse enough times now that he knew he hated it. He already lost himself once a month and hated that he now felt like that even more regularly.
The familiar feeling of dark magic grabbing hold of him washed over him as the man waved his wand. A red streak of magic flashed out of the tip and invisible robes bound Remus’ arms to the side of his body. His lips were sealed shut and he was unable to open them.
He gulped, eyes wide as he stood there, frozen.
The silver bars opened and Remus felt a tug, forcing him to move out of the cell and closer to the man.
The man’s face was covered by his mask, his eyes seemed pitch black and Remus lowered his eyes instinctively. He’d seen those eyes filled with fire and hatred before curses were sent his way and they haunted his dreams.
“Walk,” the man ordered, his wand pointing at Remus.
An invisible force urged his feet to move forward. Remus tried to resist but the magic was stronger and the two of them moved through the dark hallways.
Remus’ heart was beating profusely in his chest with every step he took. The dark magic that clung to the mansion’s walls was thicker tonight. It was pulsing, thriving on the dozens of souls within its walls. He could taste it, dark and sour on his tongue. The air was thick, the smell of sulphur clung to it and it made his stomach churn.
As soon as they entered the room, which Remus had deemed the Room of Evil because it was always crawling with Death Eaters, he knew he was in trouble. It was, indeed, filled with Death Eaters, though they weren’t sitting down this time. They were standing in a large semi-circle, and most of them had masks covering each of their faces.
Remus recognised a handful of unmasked Death Eaters and he felt his skin crawl. Barty Crouch Jr and Evan Rosier stood on the left side of the circle. Crouch was smirking, a sadistic twinkle in his eyes. The last time Remus had seen them had been at Hogwarts, after Sirius and James had hexed them for saying something insulting to Lily.
Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy were on the right side of Remus. Malfoy had a bored expression on his face while Snape regarded him with a sneer.
Voldemort was nowhere to be seen, but Remus didn’t doubt he would show himself eventually.
He was pushed into the middle of the circle and the man lifted the magic hold he had on Remus, the rope disappeared and his lips were released.
Remus plastered his most annoyed glare on his face as he glanced around.
Each of the Death Eaters had their wands out, some wiggling their fingers around it in anticipation.
“Oh, goody, the whole gang’s here,” he said, raising his chin. He didn’t know where the sudden confidence came from, he just knew that he wasn’t going to show them how terrified he was.
Barty stepped forwards, his tongue slipping out of his mouth in that creepy way it’d done since his third year. “I’m going to enjoy knocking you down, Lupin,” he grinned, raising his wand.
“Now, now, Barty. All in due time,” Lucius Malfoy spoke up. “You know what the Dark Lord has said.”
Barty’s wand crackled but he stepped back, eyes shooting daggers at Malfoy.
Remus raised an eyebrow at that and Barty sneered.
The air crackled with magic and Remus smelled it before it hit him. It was dark, like there was something rotting. The curse hit him square in the chest and he gasped, dropping to his knees.
Remus didn’t remember much after that.
*
He was aware that he was being moved. Two pairs of hands gripped his arms and he was dragged away, his feet not moving on their own. He let his head hang, a moan of pain escaping his lips.
“He’s awake,” a voice chuckled from next to him. “Let’s show him where he belongs.”
A door opened and Remus could barely lift his head to peer inside. The room was dark and cold, the smell of blood and bones filling his nostrils. As he was dragged further into the room, he shuddered. The stench of silver burned into his lungs, it was so overwhelming that it made his eyes water. Instinctively, he tried to hold his breath. It was all he could smell, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight as he was dragged closer to the source.
In the corner of the room stood a large cage. It wasn’t difficult to discern that it was made completely out of silver.
“No,” Remus whispered, shaking his head. There was no energy left in him to struggle, but that didn’t mean he didn’t try.
The men holding him simply let him fall to the floor.
Remus grunted, the cut on his cheek reopening from the small stones on the floor. He eyed the cage with wide eyes. If they put him in there, oh merlin, please don’t let them put him in there.
“No?” one of the men laughed, the sound loud to his ears. “This is where you belong, animal.” The man spat on the floor, directly in front of Remus’ face. “Dumbledore should have kept you in one from the start.”
A whimper left his lips when the man delivered a swift kick to his ribs. He couldn’t do much more than cover his head with his arms, trying to curl in on himself to shield his body from the beating.
The silver burned into his skin when he was thrown inside the cage. He hissed in pain, eyes fluttering shut as the cage was locked. He didn’t move, he couldn’t move. He was completely cut off from his senses, everything burned as the silver stench filled his nostrils and filled his lungs. It consumed him and it was too much.
He dug his palms into his eyes, tears rolling down his cheek. It burned. The sheer amount of silver around was enough to render him completely useless. All he could feel and smell was silver. He couldn’t see past the silver bars, the stench of it burning his eyes. It hurt so bad. It was worse than the cruciatus curse, worse than the moon, even. Remus didn’t know if he could take it.
*
“Oi, Moony! Wait up, mate!” James Potter called out.
Remus turned, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched his friend struggle to catch up. He was carrying four bookbags along with his broom, his quidditch outfit and what Remus recognised was one of Lily’s glass orbs from Divination.
“You are aware that Lily’s class is on the other side of the school, right?” Remus asked when James came to a stop beside him.
His glasses had fogged up and his cheeks were red from the sprint up the hill. His black hair looked even messier than usual, strands sticking up in every direction.
“She asked me to take it back to the common room since I was heading that way. And then Marls and Mary asked me to take theirs back as well. ” James grinned, obviously happy to help his girlfriend out.
Remus snorted. “You just had practice and you have Muggle Studies in fifteen. The common room is not in your way.”
“Ah, see, plenty of time .” James wiggled his eyebrows and they fell into step. “I am flattered to find out you know my schedule.”
“Well, someone has to,” Remus retorted, bumping against his friend.
James cursed when Mary’s bookbag slipped from his shoulder and the glass ball seemed to fall out of his hand. He barely managed to hold on, the bag swinging from his arm.
“Bollocks,” he groaned, stopping to pull the bag on his shoulder again before he fell into step beside Remus again. “I have most classes with one of you guys anyway.”
“You’d be lost without us, Prongs.”
“Ah, yes I would, Moony, yes I would.”
They made their way up the stairs leading to the entrance to the common room, where they found Peter on the stairs.
“Wormy-boy!” James greeted making the smaller boy look up.
“You look like a, what are they called? Those Muggle animals that carry things?” Peter asked, his eyebrows raised as he took in James’ packed arms.
“A donkey?”
“Yes, thank you Moony. You look like a donkey, Prongs.” Peter nodded, smirking. “How kind of you to take my bag up as well.” He tugged his bag from his shoulder, looping it around James’ neck.
“Prick.” James straightened his back under the extra weight. “Why don’t I carry yours too, Moony?” he asked sarcastically.
“Well, if you’re offering,” Remus smirked, hanging his bag on James’ arm.
James sighed, hanging his head. “Why did I ask.”
Peter and Remus shared a smile before the portrait opened. A group of second-years stepped out, glancing at them before sending confused looks to James.
“Nothing to see here, ladies,” Peter said, eyes twinkling. “Just your average donkey doing his job.”
The girls giggled, their cheeks pink as they scurried off.
“What are you doing out here anyway, Pete?” Remus asked as they watched James struggle through the portrait hole without dropping anything.
“Padfoot is playing Bowie again in the dorm and he tossed me out after I threatened to burn his record. I tried to go back in but he just kept sending jinxes my way,” Peter admitted. “I realise now that that was my own fault.”
“Never touch his records,” Remus grimaced. He knew how Sirius could get about his most precious belongings. He’d been on the receiving end of that wrath multiple times. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Thanks, Moony! I’m going down to the kitchens now, though. I’m starving.” He sent one last look at James, whose glass ball was threatening to fall again, before he turned and went down the stairs.
A crash sounded, followed by a cry from James, making Remus spin around in alarm.
James looked up, eyes wide. “Moony,” he pouted, glancing back down at the glass ball, which was now in pieces on the floor.
“Sorry Prongs, I’d rather not be dragged into Lily’s wrath,” Remus chuckled, walking past him. He patted his back before continuing into the common room.
“Wanker!” James called from behind him and Remus lifted his hand to flip him off with a laugh.
The sounds of Bowie’s Moonage Daydream blasted through the dorm room, Remus could hear it on the stairs up. The owner of the record lay in the middle of the room on the floor.
Remus made his way over, laying down wordlessly next to him. Their hands brushed against each other and he linked their fingers together.
“Bowie, hmm?” Remus asked when the song finished.
The intro of Starman started playing as Sirius turned his head to look at him.
“Yeah,” he replied, blue eyes distant. “Seemed like the best option to fix such a sour day.”
Remus smiled. “He does make things better,” he agreed, turning his head back when Sirius looked back at the ceiling.
Soft sparks danced across it, spelling out figures that Remus recognised as constellations. A certain star burned brighter than the rest. He understood what had Sirius so down.
“Saw Regulus today, hmm?” he asked, his voice soft. He let the question hang in the air, knowing Sirius didn’t always want to talk about his brother.
“He’s joined them,” Sirius gritted out after a few minutes of silence. The sparks on the ceiling blazed with Sirius’ magic. “Mother has finally done it. She’s ruined him.”
Ah. Remus let out a small sigh. This has had Sirius upset for a long time now, it seemed inevitable with the company Regulus seemed to enjoy. Though Remus had hoped Regulus would choose a different path.
“I’m sorry, Pads,” he replied, tightening his grip on Sirius’ hand.
Sirius got the message and rolled over, resting his head on Remus’ chest.
“I really thought I could get him to leave,” he admitted.
Remus rested his free hand on his head, fingers tangling themselves in the dark black hair.
“He came to me, a few weeks ago. Just after term started again. Asked me why I left,” Sirius sighed sadly. “I turned him away.”
He clutched Remus’ robes in his fist. “I should have listened to him. Should have helped him get out of that house. He reached out and I ignored him.”
“It’s not your fault, Sirius,” Remus mumbled, glancing down at the boy on his chest.
“Of course it is!” Sirius lifted his head and Remus cupped the back of his head on instinct, fingers massaging his scalp in an effort to calm him down. “I should have taken him with me that night. I should have forced him to come with me, to get out of that blasted house! This would have never happened had I done that!”
He shook his head, eyes wide and shining with tears. “It’s my fault he joined them. He must have thought he had no other choice, they would have killed him if he said no. I took that choice away from him when I turned him away.”
A sob left his lips. “It’s my fault, Moony. It’s my fault Reggie is a Death Eater.”
Remus held him as he cried. Nothing was said between the two of them for hours. They just laid there after Sirius exhausted himself.
All Remus could think about was “why, why Regulus, why?” Hadn’t the Black brothers suffered enough already?