Those Ocean Eyes

Chapter 55

Remus boarded the Hogwarts Express silently, carrying his dark brown case with the name "R.J. Lupin" etched into the side.

His friends were joking and laughing around him, along with the entirety of the school. Remus assumed that nobody else had shagged their best friend last night. Everyone else was busy living their blissful lives. Fuck free.

Remus held back a smile as Sirius attempted to jump on James's back as he boarded the train. Sirius didn't bring up last night, thankfully, but he kept grinning and wiggling his eyebrows at Remus.

He would blush and look away hurriedly whenever Sirius did it, which made things worse, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling like he was walking on sunshine when Sirius smiled at him.

The marauders, Lily, Mary, and Marlene walked together to their usual compartment, this time accompanied by Dorcas and Regulus.

Regulus had become more friendly with the group since he saved Remus's life, competing in the Monthly Marauders Wizard's Chess Tournament every month and sometimes coming with the group to Hogsmeade, if the Slytherins weren't there.

Sirius pretended he hated it, but everyone knew he secretly loved that his brother was becoming friends with them. He would smile contently whenever Regulus was around, once even hugging him tightly for a couple seconds before he ran away.

They sat down in the compartment, with the girls on one side and the boys on the other, even though James quite obviously made a move to sit next to Lily, earning a glare.

They chatted as they watched the countryside rush past, Remus staring out the window to avoid eye contact with Sirius, who was sitting next to him.

Marlene was holding hands with Dorcas, Remus noticed, and looked extremely happy.

She had come out to the group officially, James had made a rainbow cake and Peter had sulked because he thought Dorcas had fancied him instead of Marlene. Sirius, although Remus didn't see, smiled an awful lot when she came out as lesbian. Remus was happy for her, of course, but he needed a new excuse for continuing to snog Sirius.

If he was going to continue. Remus hadn't decided yet. He didn't know how much longer it would be until he snapped and told his best friend that he had been in love with him since... well, forever. Remus hoped it wasn't soon. The kissing was only urging the love on, fanning the flames. But the shagging enraged the fire, making it burn hotter than ever before and taking over his brain.

Eventually, Regulus went to sit with Snape and his other Slytherin friends, much to Sirius's dismay, and Dorcas and Marlene disappeared somewhere, while Peter tried to negotiate prices with the trolley witch.

Remus's pocket started lighting up the compartment, shining brightly and making everyone look away.

"What is that, Re?" Lily asked, shielding her green eyes.

Remus reached into his pocket and pulled out the golden pocket watch that Sirius had given him for his birthday a couple years back.

He had never really given it much thought, although Sirius had told him it glowed every once and a while, and just thought it was a cool trinket to have around before then.

"That's a really nice Sneakoscope! Where'd you get it, Moony?" James asked excitedly with his eyes closed tight as the light grew brighter.

"What's a Sneakoscope?" Remus asked back, squinting in the light.

Before James could answer, the compartment door slid open quickly, revealing Severus Snape. He looked furious, greasy as ever and a great sneer on his grimy face.

The bright light disappeared all of a sudden, leaving the people in the compartment blinking hard for a few moments.

"Snape? What're you doing here?" James asked, glancing over at Lily.

"Where's Reg? He was supposed to be with Snivellus..." Sirius said quickly, not really to anyone in general, and instead of shooting insults at the greasy kid he pushed past him to look for his brother.

"So. Potter." Snape spat, looking as if the words tasted sour in his mouth. "I heard you and Evans have been getting pretty friendly. Heard a rumor you were caught snogging in a broom closet somewhere."

James looked horrified.

"Of course not! I'd take her on a date first!"

Remus thought he heard Lily giggle, and Mary smile at her knowingly.

"Don't make this into another one of your jokes, Potter, or I swear I'll-"

"What will you do?" Remus said sharply, standing up so he was towering over Snape.

"I-I wasn't talking to you, Lupin." Snape said, taking an involuntary step back.

"Oh come on now, Snape, you should know by now you can't burst into someone's compartment without getting told off. Or did your father not teach you correct manners?" Remus said nastily, knowing that the boy hated his father.

"I know your secret, Moony, I'm not afraid of you." Snape replied back, glaring into his eyes.

Remus was taken aback. His secret? His only question was which one. He decided to play dumb.

"How... ?" Remus said, trailing off.

"That's right. Your monthly problem. Your furry secret." Snivellous was getting braver, taking steps forward with each sentence.

Remus felt Lily and Mary's eyes on him, confused, and lashed out. He pushed Snape back, making his stumble over his robes.

"Remus...!" Lily started, jumping up in surprise.

Before she could finish her sentence, Snape reached for his wand and screamed out "SECTUMSEMPRA!"

Remus gasped as the spell hit him, cutting deep into his chest and letting blood gush out of him at an alarming rate.

Mary shrieked and fainted at the sight of the blood, and Lily and James both turned on Snape, casting curse after curse until he retreated back into his own compartment.

"Oh god, Remus!" Lily said in a high pitched voice, kneeling down onto the compartment floor to help.

Remus's vision was blurring, this was worse than any of his transformations...

He woke up to Sirius hovering over him with a worried look on his face.

"Remus, I thought you were dead." Sirius said quietly, hugging him tightly.

"So did I." Remus grumbled, sitting up.

"What is wrong with him." Lily said, fuming. "I didn't know Severus would ever do something like that. He could have killed you!"

"He tried to." Remus said flatly, looking down at his bare chest that had more scars than ever.

His robes, which had evidently been pulled off him, were covered in blood, as was the carpeted floor under him.

"Great start to the summer." Remus said as the train's brakes squealed, pulling up to King's Cross station.

Everyone helped him up, and James handed him an old t-shirt he had found in his case to put on. As they piled off the train, Sirius looked over at Remus oddly.

"What?"

"Just wanted to memorize your face. Won't see you for a couple months, you know." Sirius said, smiling.

Remus smiled back, then turned to hop off the train.

Sirius reached over and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek, making Remus blush wildly.

"What're you-" he scrambled for his words, looking to see if anyone saw.

"See you next year, Moony!" Sirius called as he rushed off the train towards Regulus and his mother.