Those Ocean Eyes

Chapter 14

"You boys can wait here for Remus if you want, but he'll come in the morning." Madam Pomfrey said, smiling cheerily.

"In the morning?" Peter asked the question they all wanted the answer to.

"Where is Remus John Lupin?" Sirius demanded.

"Well, he's transforming, of course! Didn't he tell you it's a full moon tonight?" Madam Pomfrey looked at their confused faces with an equally confused one.

"Transforming??" James said, shocked.

Sirius's jaw dropped.

"You don't mean-? Remus??"

"Oh dear." Madam Pomfrey got up quickly. "I didn't realize-I thought-"

Sirius just kept repeating,

"Remus?? OUR Remus??"

James looked shocked, and was unmoving. Peter was rocking in his seat, white as a sheet.

"We have to help him! I've heard they're in so much pain!" Sirius said hysterically.

"There's nothing we can do, Sirius." James said slowly.

"But what if there were? And- oh no, the scars, James! He told me he gave them to himself- I didn't realize- oh, no!" Sirius dropped, deflated, on one of the hospital wing beds.

Madam Pomfrey came back out of her office.

"The best thing we can do is wait, boys. I promise you he's going to be okay." She said in a soothing voice.

"No, it's not! He's so fragile! He just likes books and sweaters and chocolate and-" Sirius hid his head in his hands, shaking uncontrollably, trying not to let sobs seep out from his mouth.

"He's tough, Sirius. He had scars since before he came to Hogwarts, he's been dealing with it for a long while." James said calmly.

"James, can you believe- it's Remus! Our Remus!"

"He has always been what he is. And that's okay." Peter whispered quietly.

"Yes! Yes, Pete. See? He's still our Remus. Not any different." James smiled softly as Sirius's sobs subsided slowly.

"It'll all be okay, Remus." Sirius said shakily. "I know it will."

                                 ~~~

Remus limped into the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey, a fresh cut on his forehead and calf. He wasn't even sure how the wolf could reach those parts so easily to cut so deep.

He stopped and stared in shock at his friends, who were all tired looking and messy haired.

"Hey-"

"Remus, before you say anything, I just want to let you know we still love you and don't care about the whole...furry little problem." James said softly.

"Oh my god. You know?" Remus was still bleeding openly.

"Yeah. It was pretty easy to-" Sirius started bragging, of course.

"Madam Pomfrey accidentally let it slip." James said, cutting off Sirius's lie.

"Oh."

"Yeah"

His friends finally noticed his wounds.

"Bloody hell, Remus! You're bleeding!" Sirius gasped.

"Yeah, I noticed." Remus said sarcastically.

"And you let us talk to you about some stupid thing?? You're literally pouring out blood!" James rushed over now to help.

They insisted on carrying him the five feet from the doorway to the nearest hospital bed.

"Thanks, mates."

"I only wish we could help...we could make a potion, or something, that could stop your transformation!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I'm sure three second years could figure it out instead of the entire magical government." Remus said sleepily.

"We can, and we will. I'm sure of it." James grinned.

                                ~~~

Things went on as usual. It was a bit awkward at first, but they all got used to it, and even made jokes about his "furry little problem" often.

One night when they were heading back to the dormitory from Astronomy Tower from stargazing with the class, Sirius hung back and grabbed Remus's hand.

"Wha-?"

"I want to show you my star."

"I-don't understand." Remus was sure Sirius could hear his heart beating in his chest.

"Lie down with me." Sirius said, softly smiling.

Remus did as he was told, not daring to speak. Sirius pointed up into the starry night sky.

"See that star? It's the bright one to the left."

Remus nodded.

"That's the star I was named after. Sirius."

"Nice." Remus said awkwardly. He looked over at Sirius. His hair was splayed out on the wooden roof, and his eyes reflected the stars above. He looked truly at peace, with his mouth curved upwards slightly.

"Isn't it completely mental that each one of these stars is a sun? That has planets around it?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"You're being weird, Remus. You don't like hanging out with me?" Sirius said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Of course I do! I just- usually see a different side of you. Not that I don't like this side of you! I just don't understand him. This side of you, I mean." Remus rambled.

"Remus?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you shut up, please?"

"Yeah."

They stared at the stars until Remus fell asleep.

                                ~~~

Remus forgot how he got back to the dormitory. He asked Sirius, and he said he forgot, too.

Remus didn't understand Sirius sometimes. Sirius was acting like it never happened, but when he was there it was like Sirius was a whole different person.

Remus decided to go with the flow and focus his attention on Sirius's birthday. Remus had been picking up coins from around the castle since the start of the year. So far, he had 8 galleons, 5 sickles, and 13 knuts.

He didn't know what he could get with that money, so he snuck a catalog out of the library.

Everything Remus thought Sirius would like was way over 8 galleons, 5 sickles, and 13 knuts.

Remus decided to make something for him. He had been practicing knitting with Lily along with friendship bracelets, and he was pretty decent at it.

Remus sent an order for yarn by owl, and waited patiently for his owl to return all day.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the owl dropped off the package at dinner.

"Wazzat?" Sirius asked, his mouth full of noodles.

"Oh, nothing. Just some things I left behind at the orphan home." Remus smiled to himself.

Late that night, he pulled out his knitting needles and began to knit.