Spectacles

It's enough, Sirius says plaintively. It's more than enough. His hand taps the table. Remus can tell he's afraid that he's said this, afraid that maybe now it's not okay, because the words are out in the open.

They are sleeping outside. Even though Remus protested quite fervently earlier, he does admit that it is awful nice to sleep out here now, under the stars and the under a canopy of leafy branches that trick him into thinking he is in a rainforest. A bird in the distance sounds like a toucan and Remus pretends that this place is a tropical paradise, complete with a wild river (the still pond) and wild animals (James, Sirius, and Peter).

Sirius always tells Remus he is like a naked tree, free from leaves, because Remus is so thin and always cold. Remus agrees with him: life would be simpler if he were a tree.

Sirius is terribly clumsy sometimes and awful at keeping his porridge in the bowl where it belongs. The porridge that belonged in his bowl has slipped out, somehow, onto the crisp slacks that cover legs belonging to a certain R.J. Lupin (the embroidery on the pocket told Sirius so), who has a pale face but kind eyes.

Remus won't sleep, because Remus keeps the Night Watch. He hopes no one will notice the dark bags under his eyes, because then they will begin to worry, and this isn't about Remus.