Retrouvailles

"But then..." he muttered, staring at Sirius intently as if doing so would reveal all the answers, "...why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless..." His eyes widened as the memories and events played silently.

Sirius and Peter sharing glances they hadn't shared since they were in school becoming Animagi.

James pulling Peter aside to talk to him mid-October.

Lily watching Peter closely.

Peter's smug looks.

They had switched secret keepers.

"Unless he was the one...unless you switched...without telling me?" Remus couldn't keep the bitterness from his words no matter how much he wanted to.

Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Remus's face, Sirius nodded. Remus hated how intently Sirius was watching him. It was like they were sixteen again, on their first date in the Astronomy Tower as Sirius waited for his reaction after he told him that he had wanted to date Remus for over a year.

"Professor," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's going on—"

He cut off abruptly as Remus lowered his wand, watching Sirius intently once more. He walked to Sirius's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet ignoring the cat falling to the dusty floor, and hugged the man he had thought he lost twelve years ago. Sirius was too skinny for the hug to be similar to the ones they shared years ago, but it was enough for now. It had to be.

"I don't believe it!" Hermione screamed.

Remus let go of Sirius and turned to her. She had stood up and was pointing at him, wild-eyed.

"You—you—"

"Hermione—"

"—you and him!"

There were so many directions those words could go.

"Hermione, calm down—"

"I didn't tell anyone!" the girl shrieked. "I've been covering up for you—"

"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Remus shouted. "I can explain—"

"I trusted you," Harry shouted, his voice wavering, "and all this time you've been his friend!"

"You're wrong," Remus said firmly. "I haven't been Sirius's friend—" He had once been more than friends with Sirius. "—but I am now—let me explain..."

"No!" Hermione screamed. Remus winced at the noise. She had the same look in her eyes that she had when she was answering a question. He wondered what she would reveal about him. "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too—he's a werewolf!"

The silence rang in the dirty room. Everyone was staring at him, and he forced himself to stay calm despite the fact that he knew his face was extraordinarily pale.

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead." He shoved away the memory of James and Lily's bodies lying calmly in their home as if asleep. "But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."

Ron made a valiant effort to get up but fell back with a whimper of pain. Remus made towards him, worried that he would hurt his leg more, but Ron gasped,

"Get away from me, werewolf!"

Remus stopped dead. The last time he had heard those words spat at him like that was the day after The Prank when he passed Severus Snape in the hallway. With a forcible effort, he turned to Hermione and said, "How long have you known?"