Chapter 5
//cw: vomit//
the day after remus was discharged from the hospital wing was awkward to say the least. the unresolved tension of the fractured relationship began to wear down the other friendships.
“just talk to him; you’re clearly miserable” lily said in the library as she and remus pored over the same book.
the werewolf ignored her, merely continuing to stare blankly at the words before him.
“what even happened to you two anyway?”
remus finished the conclusion to his essay before finally looking up at the redhead. she’d put her quill down and was resting her chin in the palm of her hand, looking across the desk and waiting expectantly for an answer.
“he wasn’t there for the full moon - when i really needed him, he wasn’t there.”
“talk to him, remus” lily repeated. “it’ll do everyone the world of good.”
remus rolled his eyes: “fine.”
all the way back to gryffindor dorm, remus practised what he was going to say. he perched on the edge of his bed, waiting for sirius to show up. his eyes flew up as he heard the door open, but he sighed when only james came in.
“where’s sirius?” remus asked the sweaty gryffindor quidditch captain.
“oh why? you talking to him again?”
“prongs.”
“he’s still out flying; didn’t want to come in yet. i don’t imagine he’ll be longer than half an hour.”
remus nodded slowly. his eyes followed james into the bathroom and he closed them when he heard the sound of the shower. his leg began bouncing uncontrollably and he stood up, heading down to the common room.
he sat down on the faded red sofa, tucking his knees up under his chin with his back to the portrait hole. he raised his head from his book every so often, watching the clock on the mantle piece near midnight. eventually remus was the only person left in the common room.
just as his head began to dip, remus heard the portrait hole open. he ears were still sensitive after the moon and he twisted his body to come face to face with sirius.
“you’ve been out ages; james came in almost five hours ago.”
“i know” sirius said bluntly. “shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“couldn’t sleep” remus mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “i was cold.”
“of course you were” sirius commented with a roll of his eyes.
despite feeling slightly targeted, remus let the smile that was tugging at the corners of his lips take over. sirius sneezed suddenly, breaking the silence. remus watched him pull the sleeves of the quidditch jumper further down over his hands.
“are you cold?”
“no” sirius said defiantly, running the back of his hand across his nose. he stepped further into the room, pausing against the back of the sofa. he heard remus breathe out shakily as he nestled his chin between remus’ curls.
“moons?”
remus tilted his chin up, making eye contact with the beater.
“yeah?”
“can i show you something?”
remus nodded, patting the empty half of the sofa next to him. sirius sat down tentatively, his back to the werewolf. he pulled his jumper off, revealing the long scar that ran the length of his back.
remus inhaled, before reaching out to gently run a finger along the uneven skin. without saying anything, remus wrapped his arms around sirius, pulling him against his body as he leant back. sirius arranged a couple of blankets over them before resting his head on remus’ chest, the fight forgotten.
without a top on, sirius woke up cold. the fire had died hours ago and the blankets had slipped off the sofa, leaving his bare chest exposed. he sat up between remus’ legs, shivering slightly.
remus groaned as the sound of the whole of gryffindor tower started waking up. he stood up and stretched, pushing his curls out of the way of his eyes. sirius looked up at his boyfriend, blinking tiredly.
“are you ill?” remus asked, kneeling down next to where sirius was still curled up on the sofa. he extended his hand, feeling sirius’ forehead. “you’re boiling; come on.”
sirius shook his head, pulling the blankets further over his body. remus looked down at him exasperatedly as he merely wrapped his arms around remus’ neck.
“fuck me” remus muttered, as he scooped his boyfriend up, still wrapped in the blanket.
sirius turned his head, pressing his lips into remus’ neck.
“not literally” remus said as he carefully carried sirius up the spiralling stairs of gryffindor tower. he lay sirius down on his bed before getting a glass of water.
“you’ve finally showed up!” james said, staring across the dorm at his best friend. “i’m so pleased.”
despite the fact that it would have been more sensible to try and conserve energy, sirius yanked the pillow he was leaning on out from behind his back and launched it across the room.
“moony” james shouted, “control your boyfriend.”
remus reentered the room with a glass of water and some paracetamol tablets. he looked between the two boys with a raised eyebrow.
“i’m not even going to try.”
sirius grinned smugly as james offered him a middle finger. he winced slightly as the tablets got caught in his throat.
“just try and get some rest, okay?”
“i’m fi-” sirius interrupted himself with a loud sneeze. “okay maybe i’m not fine.”
remus stood up and made to follow the other boys down to breakfast before he was stopped by sirius holding onto his sleeve.
“will you stay?”
remus looked down at the boy in front of him whose pale cheeks looked especially gaunt as his hair fell loosely around his face.
“i’ll come back at lunch” remus said. “just try and sleep.”
sirius huffed as the dormitory door closed behind his boyfriend. he rolled over, away from where the bright sunlight was streaming through the windows.
on his way back from the bathroom a few hours later, sirius stopped by remus’ bed. rummaging through his boyfriend’s wardrobe, sirius pulled one of remus’ jumpers over his head, smiling as he was enveloped by the smell.
he froze as he heard the door open and refused to turn around when remus spoke.
“is that my jumper?” remus asked, setting down a bowl of soup on sirius’ bedside table.
“maybe” sirius mumbled, spinning around like a ballerina. he promptly lost his balance and ran into the bathroom, the quick movement having caused a small amount of sick to leave the gryffindor beater’s body.
remus sat on the tiled floor next to his boyfriend whose open mouth was resting on the toilet seat. sirius stood up slowly before flushing the toilet and allowing remus to lead him back to bed.
“how come you’re wearing my jumper?” remus asked.
“i was lonely and it smelt like you” sirius said quietly, not quite making eye contact.
“okay” remus said. he looked at sirius was fiddling with the hem of the jumper. “i brought you some soup.”
sirius looked up, opening his mouth expectantly.
“really?” remus sighed.
sirius nodded, his mouth still open.
“OUCH MOONY! are you trying to kill me?”
remus struggled to keep a straight face while sirius fanned his tongue, panting loudly.
“you finished?” remus asked, holding out another spoonful of soup.
sirius accepted it, glaring at his boyfriend.
“please will you stay?”
remus paused in the doorway, the desperation in sirius’ voice palpable.
“i want to, love but i can’t. lily’s already pissed at you because she got partnered with james for charms because you weren’t there.”
“i’m matchmaking” sirius said simply.
“from your bed?” remus questioned.
“mhmm. she’s absolutely failing to hide her feelings.”
“well james hasn’t noticed.”
“well obviously not. james is the world’s most oblivious person ever. also, i don’t think he likes her anymore. he hasn’t said a single thing about her and we’ve been back at school for almost three weeks.”
remus laughed as he pulled the duvet up over his boyfriend’s body.
“i’ll see you soon.”
as he leant down for a kiss, remus watched sirius’ eyes close and open as contact wasn’t made.
“what?”
“i don’t want your germs” remus said, standing up straight and picking up the used soup bowl.
“HEY!”
remus closed the door behind him, somewhat pleased with the annoyance he’d caused. he smiled to himself as he left gryffindor tower, although the prospect of having to go back and deal with an even grumpier sirius later caused his smile to shrink slightly.