Orbus

- - - Orbus - - -

Chapter 2: Uneventful Morning

Remus awoke, suffering the effects of intense sunlight upon his face. He mumbled with discomfort, reaching to his arm which was bandaged. As dreams faded and reality came into focus, he recalled the painful events of the cruel transformation. After James had left, the werewolf became infuriated, attacking the only thing possible, itself.

"Remus."

"Sirius?" Remus groaned as he opened his eyes slowly, apprehensively.

"How you feeling?" Sirius asked jokingly. The answer was obvious. "I don't think I've ever seen you suffer such a terrible transformation. You've ripped your arm and have got some cuts on your face."

"I clawed my face?"

"No..." Sirius hesitated a moment. "...I bit you."

"Thank you," Remus snickered, feeling light headed at the effort of laughter.

"It was a struggle getting that creature under control. You fought me, Remus."

"Sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"Don't apologize for something beyond your control. Your worst habit is apologizing."

"I'm sorry," he repeated, rolling his eyes as Sirius' comment was enforced by further evidence.

"Have some chocolate," Sirius insisted, offering the sweet.

"Thank you," he replied. Remus bit into the chocolate without hesitation, eager to feel the replenishing effects.

"Hello?" someone shouted, walking throughout Remus' modest house.

"Upstairs, Peter!" Sirius yelled in response. After hearing Peter's footsteps falter (Remus' house had a terribly crooked staircase), there was a pleasant whistling as he walked through the hallway and into Remus' bedroom.

"Sirius! So good to see you!" Peter exclaimed as the two shook hands excitedly.

"Wasn't expecting to see you," Sirius chuckled.

"Wanted to make sure Remus was alright. That was terrible weather we had last night..." he paused, noticing Remus's condition appeared poor. "What..."

"Don't know what happened." Sirius answered in anticipation of the question.

"Sirius bit me!" Remus snickered, pointing at one of many cuts on his face.

"You put up a good fight for a creature as gentle as a werewolf, Remus," Sirius responded, his comment dripping with sarcasm. "Have you had breakfast, Peter?"

"Just toast. I could do with some bacon or sausage."

"I haven't got much food..." Remus interrupted.

"Not to worry," Sirius assured him as he stood and wrapped his cloak over his shoulders. "I'll stock your cupboards with some essentials."

"Thank you."

"Peter can make some tea and coffee, and you, Remus, need to get yourself cleaned up."

"Yes mother," Peter and Remus replied in unison. They looked at one another, impressed that they still maintained the skill for mind-reading sarcastic comments. Rolling his eyes, Sirius left. Peter followed orders and without using magic, prepared tea and coffee.

Remus stood in front of a mirror, looking at his reflection and feeling ashamed for his terrible behavior. He used a damp rag and wiped the dry blood from his face. As he climbed down the stairs, the railing supporting his weak body, there was a knock on the door. Moving as quickly as he could, he descended the stairs and opened the door.

"James!"

"Hello, Remus..." he trailed off, noticing the abrasions on his face and the bandage on his arm that had not been there when he last saw him. "I left you last night..." he mumbled as Remus shook his head.

"Had a bad transformation. It's nobody's fault," he assured James, patting him on the back and leading him inside.

"Certainly there was something I could have done," James insisted.

"Have breakfast with us. Peter's in the kitchen and Sirius is due back soon with some food."

"Peter's here as well?" James asked excitedly. His fears the night before were becoming a dream come true. As if by fate this uneventful morning James, Peter, Sirius, and Remus were together. It had been months, three months, since they had last spent time as a whole and under the terrible circumstances of the death of Peter's father.

"Hello James," Peter chuckled, now using his wand to carry the hot tea kettle from the stove to the tabletop.

"I should have known you'd be here for Remus," James replied. When it wasn't Peter who was with Remus during transformations, he always checked on his condition when the sun rose.

"Not to worry about Remus. It was Sirius who bit him and gave him those gashes on the face."

"Sirius! Who was more out of control last night?" James asked jokingly as the three sat at the kitchen table.

"Has Sirius ever been under control?" Peter snickered as he heard a pop. Sirius had Apparated in the study with several bags of food.

"I've got Chocolate Frogs, Sugar Quills..." he announced as he walked into the kitchen.

"You expect us to eat sweets for breakfast?" Peter asked in disbelief.

"I said I was going for essentials. I've got some whiskey as well," he snickered, looking at the faces of Remus, James, and Peter all green in color. "I'm only joking. I've got eggs, bread, I had canned vegetables but threw them in order to distract a Muggle so I could Apparate away."

"Haven't you lot got to work? There are no holidays marked on my calendar today." Remus asked, feeling that the company was too good to be true.

"I've made up a holiday for myself. It's take care of Remus and spend time with your wife and son day." James joked as laughter erupted from Peter, Remus, and Sirius.

"I work the hours I choose." Peter explained, looking to Sirius for his excuse.

"Well, Dumbledore hasn't got any work for us. It's a good thing he hasn't got us busy." Sirius answered. Without Voldemort making trouble, work was pleasantly scarce. "I better get to work on this feast before breakfast becomes a late night snack." he chuckled.

Conversation was steady with talk of the past and the old days. James, Peter, Sirius, and Remus would all agree that the weather could have been as violent and cruel as the raging storm had been the night before, yet it would still be a beautiful day.

Predicting the future was much like forecasting the weather, both were based on the facts of the past and the conditions of the present. After seeing the sun shine so brilliantly, who would want to ruin the enjoyment with a prediction of an impending storm, its clouds growing dark, looming larger, and its force unknown.

After spending time with friends, loyal and benevolent, who would be foolish enough to destroy the rapture with a prediction a traitor who would betray and deceive? Remus, James, Sirius, and Peter could not predict they would never again be together, four for four.