Letters

little_bird

Story Summary:
A series of letters by different characters...

Chapter 15 - Passing Notes

Chapter Summary:
Sirius and James amuse themselves in History of Magic.
Posted:
02/12/2008
Hits:
1,945


James chewed the end of his quill. History of Magic might have been interesting if the teacher did more than read from notes that were already centuries old. He looked around the room. Evans was industriously taking notes. James snorted contemptuously. It wasn't that fascinating.

Sirius was barely conscious, his heavy-lidded eyes mere slits. Peter sat with his head propped on one hand, idly swinging his feet - they didn't reach the floor. Remus had given up trying to pay attention, and laid his head on his crossed arms, breathing deeply. James frowned. He scribbled a note on his notes and elbowed Sirius in the ribs sharply. Remus doesn't look very well, does he?

Sirius turned his head to look at Remus. The portion of his face that was visible was pale and his eyes looked bruised. No. Wonder if he picked something up when he went to visit his mother?

James read Sirius' note, and gave Remus another look. Maybe, but if he was feeling that peaky, don't you think he would have gone to see Madam Pomfrey?

Sirius had to turn a laugh into a cough. Did you just use the word 'peaky'?

James scowled. Yes. What about it?

Sirius smirked. The last time I heard anyone use the word 'peaky', my great-aunt was visiting, and she's about a hundred years old!

James rolled his eyes. Get a grip on yourself.

Sirius grinned. Where?

James gave Sirius a narrow-eyed look. Could we get back on topic?

Sirius sighed. The eternal question of what's-wrong-with-Remus?

James shrugged. Yep.

Sirius gave Remus a thoughtful look. What do we know about Remus?

James chewed the end of his quill again. He leaves once a month to go visit his mother. He likes to read. Really good at DADA. Spends at least part of the month looking peaky. And don't say it!

Sirius gave Remus another long, thoughtful look. Did you get a look at his back when we were getting dressed this morning?

James frowned. Nope. Your bed is between mine and Remus'. What's on his back?

Sirius sighed. A great gash from his left shoulder to right hip. He shuddered, thinking about the scar it would probably leave.

James looked at Sirius in shock. You don't think his parents...? Smack him around or anything, do you?

Sirius hastily scribbled a reply. No!

James gave Sirius a skeptical look. And how would you know, Mr. Smart-Arse?

Sirius bit his lip. Because I've seen it before in my family. Remus is hiding something, but it's not abuse from his parents. He shoved his hair from his face. They do love him, even they don't believe he hung the moon, like yours do, you prat.

The bell rang signaling the end of class. With a grateful sigh, James and Sirius crammed their books into their bags. Remus hadn't moved, so they went to shake him awake, so he could go to Charms.

******

The next several days passed peacefully, James and Sirius nearly forgetting about Remus' problem. Until one evening after dinner. James was in the process of breezing through their Transfiguration homework, when Sirius nudged him in the ribs. 'Hey, did you see where Remus went after dinner? He's not here.'

James gave Sirius a look over the rims of his glasses. 'He might be in the dormitory, gumby.'

'Oh, right.' Sirius ran to the staircase and a few minutes later came pelting back down. 'He's not there, either.'

'Then he's probably in the library.' James rolled up his Transfiguration homework and pulled out his Potions textbook. Slughorn was having them look up the uses of some of the more uncommon ingredients they were using in class. James privately felt it was mere busywork, but his Potions grade wasn't as good as it could be, so he grudgingly began looking up the herbs on the list in his Herbology text. 'Sirius, please, I've got to get this done now. I've got a game Saturday, and all this is due Monday.'

Sirius sulked off to the library. He peered in every hidden nook and cranny looking for his friend.

Remus was nowhere to be found.

******

James stood in the bathroom brushing his teeth the next morning. Last night had been a lovely night. Full moon, clear sky...

Full moon...

Without bothering to spit the mouthful of toothpaste in his mouth into the sink, James raced back to his dormitory. Ignoring the burning sensation of mint in his mouth, he grabbed his pocket calendar from his schoolbag. He spat the toothpaste into the fireplace and scribbled a star on the day. He flipped back to the last month. Remus had been gone the last full moon, too.

James bounced into Sirius' bed. 'Hey, Sirius, wake up!' He jumped up and down until Sirius woke up. 'I know what's wrong with Remus!' he shouted triumphantly.

'You couldn't wait until after I've had my morning coffee?' grumbled Sirius.

'Nope.' James folded himself into a ball on the foot of Sirius' disordered bed.

'So, spit it out, now that I'm awake.'

James looked around the room. The only other occupant, Peter, was already downstairs. Regardless, he leaned closer to Sirius. 'He's a werewolf,' James whispered.

Sirius blinked. Once. 'Werewolf? You're barking, chum.'

'No. He's always gone at the full moon. He's got loads of inexplicable cuts and scrapes every month. What would be the harm in asking?'

Sirius scratched his chest, considering. 'Gosh, I don't know... Maybe he'll go off the deep end, and take a header from the Astronomy Tower when we tell him we think he's a werewolf?' he asked sarcastically.

James sat quietly for a moment. 'Well, then, we'll just have to convince him it doesn't matter to us, won't we?' James was fiercely protective of Remus. He and Sirius were the two brothers he never had, and he was damned if anything happened to Remus. Sirius, oddly, was still silent. 'Won't we?' repeated James, demandingly.

Sirius inhaled deeply. Could he feel the same way about Remus? The Blacks had very deeply ingrained ideas about who was worthy to associate with the family, and a werewolf was not on the list. He picked at a loose thread on his pajamas. All his life, he bucked his family's expectations. And it wasn't as if knowing this about Remus would change who he was. 'Right,' said softly. 'We will.'

******

A few days after Remus came back from where ever he went, James and Sirius crowded on either side of him for History of Magic. Evans looked over her shoulder at Remus' squeak of surprise, and scowled at the trio three rows behind her. Sirius grinned laconically at her, while James waved cheerfully. 'What are the two of you playing at?' Remus asked tiredly.

'Nothing,' answered James innocently. He pulled his things for class out of his bag, and arranged them on the desk.

It didn't take long for Professor Binns' droning voice to put most of the class into a stupor. James scribbled a note to Remus and shoved the parchment to him. We know where you go every month.

Remus felt the blood drain from his already pale face. What do you mean? he wrote back.

Sirius slid the parchment from under Remus' fingers. We know you don't go to visit your ill mother each month.

Remus quill fell from his nerveless fingers. He felt dizzy. His pulse raced and the blood roared in his ears. His breath came in shallow pants. -I don't know what you're talking about, he wrote casually. You must have the contents of a dustbin for brains.

James frowned. You leave the school every month at the full moon. We know all about your "furry little problem".

Remus nearly choked. Furry little problem? That wasn't exactly how Remus thought about it.

Sirius grabbed the parchment. And we don't care! You're still our mate.

James took the parchment again. -What can we do to help? he asked simply.

Remus shook his head and shrugged. Dunno.

Sirius sighed and scribbled, Don't worry. We'll think of something.