The Last Marauder

Dusk

When they entered the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey came towards them.

"How is he doing?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"He is comatose. There's nothing more I can do for him. It all depends on when he wakes up and in what state his mind is in. The longer he remains in that coma, the smaller his chances become. I really cannot tell you anything more Sirius. It's up to his body now if he wakes up again."

"I want to stay with him."

"Sure."

Harry and Sirius stepped beside Remus' bed and sat down. Lupin looked pale and he had become very thin. His bruises were mended at the hex marks on his chest had nearly vanished. Madam Pomfrey had removed the beard he had grown in order to heal the wounds on his face.

Harry looked at his godfather and fear shot through him. He could guess that Sirius had been euphoric when he discovered that Remus was alive, but if he would loose him once more...

Sirius took one of Remus' hands and held it tightly. He didn't realize that Harry was there anymore.

"Remus? Remus if you can hear me, please wake up. Please."

Remus didn't react. Harry took up Remus' other hand and watched him closely.

"Remus? Please! Please stay with me. Moony, I need you. You know that I always get myself into trouble if you're not there, I really need you. I can't go on without you, I can't bear loosing you, not again. Moony, please come back to me!"

Sirius started crying silently, repeating his pleas over and over again through his sobs. Harry let go of Remus' hand and stepped over towards his godfather. He put his arms around him from behind and buried his face in the bend of his neck, whispering comforting words. Sirius was tense and didn't seem to relax, not even a little. But he raised his free hand and buried it in Harry's hair.

Harry closed his eyes and after some minutes realized that he started drifting off.

"Harry? Come on, lay down on the bed. You've been through a lot, you need sleep. I'll have Madam Pomfrey look after you later."

Sirius gently pushed him onto the bed on Remus' side and pulled a blanket over him before he continued his watch over his friend. Despite all his efforts, Harry soon fell asleep.

Sirius kept talking to Remus in a low voice, he recalled stories from their past while he held tightly onto the other's hand. With his free hand he stroked over Remus' cheek and hair but he received no sign that his friend realized his presence. Nevertheless, he continued this for hours.

Shortly after dusk, Madam Pomfrey approached him.

"Sirius?"

Slowly, Sirius turned his gaze away from Remus and looked at the nurse.

"I have looked after Harry. He's exhausted, that's all, no lasting harm has been done. I've given him a potion for the after-effects of the Cruciatus Curse."

Sirius nodded.

"Thank you."

Just as he was about to turn around again, Madam Pomfrey spoke once more.

"Sirius, Harry has told me that you have been injured, and you have been under the Cruciatus as well. Let me have a look at your wounds."

Sirius shook his head.

"I'm fine Madam Pomfrey, I'll heal. The important thing now is that Remus wakes up. I have to be there for him."

"Correct. And you won't be able to do so if you're too weak because nobody has tended your injuries. No contradictions, the sooner you let me have a look at you the sooner you can take up your vigil here again."

Sirius sighed and reluctantly rose from his chair. He followed the nurse towards another bed in the ward and she gestured him to take off his robe.

"So you're fine Sirius? That bruises speak a different language, your side must be hurting badly."

"No, I really didn't feel it."

That was true, until Madam Pomfrey had started examining him, he had completely forgotten about his bruised side. 'Maybe the adrenaline', Sirius thought to himself.

"Here, drink this. It's against the effects of the curse."

Madam Pomfrey handed him a goblet and Sirius quickly drank its content. He had decided to get through this as quick as possible, arguing with the nurse didn't promise to be successful anyway.

Madam Pomfrey realized the impatience of her patient and she too decided to end this check up as soon as possible, otherwise Sirius would probably run to Remus' bed in the middle of the treatment. Inwardly, his strong compassion and concern for Remus made her smile. If anybody had earned to have such a devoted friend, than it surely was Remus.

She quickly healed Sirius' cracked rib and the other bruises and gave him a Pepper-Up-Potion before Sirius returned to his chair next to Remus' bed. He took his friend's hand again and continued his pleas.

He sat like that for hours. He held Remus' hand, stroke his hair and spoke to him in a low voice. For long hours he begged his friend to wake up, he told him how sorry he was about everything that had happened, he told him how much Remus was still needed here. But no sign indicated that his pleas were heard, the only movement from the still form on the hospital bed was the slow and flat rise and fall of Remus' chest.

Sirius sighed deeply.

"Please Moony. Loosing you once has nearly killed me. If I have to go through this again I'll go insane. I just kept on because of Harry. I need to be there for him, but if I have to bury you once more I will break. Come back to me, please. You're all that I have left. I love you Moony, please don't leave me."

Remus didn't react and Sirius let his head fall to his chest and started crying again. His friend wouldn't come back. Remus would die and it was all his fault. How could he have believed that he had died two months ago? Shouldn't he have felt that he was still alive? Shouldn't he have gone searching for him, shouldn't he have done everything in and even beyond his powers to try and find him? But no, he had gotten lost in his self pity while Moony had been tortured by that rat Malfoy. He didn't even dare to imagine what pain his friend must have been going through, just because he had believed in his death. It was all his fault and now he would loose Remus once again as a punishment. Sirius sighed and continued sobbing until late in the night.