The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

What's a Moony Without a Padfoot?

What's a Moony Without a Padfoot?

Sirius ran to catch Mr. Patra, but he'd already got in the glass elevator cart and zipped away before he could get there to stop him. He turned and looked at Remus, perfectly frozen as he sat on the rock, only his eyes able to move. Sirius was reminded of the kitchen at Number 12, Grimmauld Place and the way that Voldemort had slithered about between him and his father, torturing them, and, finally, killing Orion.

He hurried over and tapped Remus on his head with it gently, "Finite incantantum," he announced and Remus's muscles loosened up, and his shoulders sank forward as the spell ended. Sirius knelt before Remus, staring up into his eyes. "Turns out that guy's a real nutter, huh? Talking like that about you and Veigler! Doesn't even know you, does he?" Sirius put his hands on Remus's knees. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Remus answered, though he was shaky.

Sirius spun the ring on his finger as he thought, pacing. "How could that bloody git even think about hurting Veigler -- or, worse, you?" Sirius demanded, scowling, "The great wanker... talking about you like you aren't even people..."

Remus looked at Sirius with a sad sort of pity. "You don't get it, do you?" he asked.

"Get what?" Sirius paused his pacing to look at Remus.

"That's how most people think of werewolves, Padfoot... You're very much in the minority. You and James and Peter and Newt and Dumbledore and Tina... You are the ones thinking differently about me and Professor Veigler."

Sirius stared at Remus, "Come on now, that's just crazy - who would ever think bad of a person just because they've got a furry little problem?"

"Everyone but you lot," Remus answered. "And even Peter took a minute to come around... Remember my dad? How angry he was? People are prejudiced against werewolves, they don't like us, they want us all to be killed, think we're all like Greyback, just out to tear people apart for the fun of it."

"But that's a lie!" Sirius said, "You aren't! You don't! You're nothing like Greyback at all!" He looked absolutely livid. He shook his head violently, "Remus, you're the gentlest person I've known in all my entire life - you're better than most of the supposed regular people that I know. Being a werewolf only affects you for a few hours each month. How could anybody want to kill you over that?"

Remus stared at Sirius for a long moment. "They just do."

"That isn't fair."

"I know."

"Well fuck them! Fuck all of them! Fuck everyone who thinks you don't deserve to live just because you're a bloody werewolf. I'll tear them all apart myself!!" Sirius was quite passionate about this. He waved his arms about, pacing again, but with gusto and anger in his stamping footsteps.

Remus smiled sadly, "You tearing them apart might send the wrong message about werewolves, mate."

Sirius stopped and stared at him. Then, "Now what? What do we do? We gotta get you out of here." He looked about for the exit door, but he couldn't see it. He knew they'd come in from somewhere, but it blended in so well it was hard to see where...

"We gotta go save Professor Veigler," Remus said, reminding him. "Before they catch him up there."

"You need to sit and relax," Sirius argued. "I will go and save Veigler. You're not going to be any help up there in that moonstone room, you'll just turn again... and Merlin forbid if they ever caught you instead of Veigler..." Sirius shuddered.