Some Day | Wolfstar

Fifty-seven

"Okay, fine. But what do we do now?" James stretched his arms. He fished Lucius' wand out from under his pillow and tried it in his hands.

"Do we let Sirius use it?" He asked when Remus didn't reply. Remus looked at it. "Is that elm?" He asked. James came to sit next to him. "I think so. Meant for a pureblood like him, huh?"

"You're a pureblood, James," Remus sighed. James shrugged. "Well... we're not hypocrites like the Malfoys and-" he lowered his voice, "-the Blacks."

"Wonder how Sirius turned out differently," Remus said softly. He had always thought of Walburga and Orion as a pair of monsters in human disguise. But seeing them so shaken the night before made him wonder if he had been wrong.

"I'm glad he did." James pocketed the wand. "They seem to really love Regulus, though."

Remus nodded, "Do you think they were so... so..."

"Not evil?" James offered.

"Yeah. Not evil because Regulus was there?" Remus completed his question. James shrugged. "Walburga didn't seem alll that thrilled to see Sirius, but Orion did look genuinely worried, didn't he?"

Remus nodded again. A few seconds passed before there was a soft knock on the door. It opened before they could answer. It was Regulus. "You guys doing okay?" He asked. James nodded his head, still not fully understanding how Regulus had been cured of his curse. He was standing in front of them as if nothing had happened at all.

"Mother wants everyone down for breakfast. Then we can go see Sirius. We have a lot to discuss anyway... better to eat before all of that."

They set off down a flight of stairs. "Where exactly are we? Black Mansion two-point-oh?" James asked.

"Something like that, yeah." Regulus led them into a large dining hall. There was a single table with twelve chairs in the middle of it. Orion Black was seated at the head of the table, and Walburga sat on the opposite chair, far away from him. Regulus sat down on his father's right, leaving the chair right next to Orion empty.

Remus and James weren't sure where to sit. Regulus nodded his head at the chairs in front of him. They sat down.

"Good morning," Orion cleared his throat, scrutinizing the two boys. James shifted in his seat. "Father," Regulus whispered. Orion looked at his son with what Remus could only call fondness. Something about that expression on Orion's face was so incongruous.

The rest of breakfast was a quiet affair. Remus had forgotten all about Walburga, sitting in the far corner separated from all of them, until he looked that way accidentally. She wasn't eating. Her hands were clasped in front of her daintily. Remus realised that she was looking right at him. He pushed his plate away, having lost the little appetite he had had.

"Kreacher!" Orion called when they were done. The elf appeared in a flash. "How is Sirius?"

"Not good, sir. Not very good at all. Awake. Awake, but not good."

Remus felt the food rise back up his throat, and quickly drank some water. Regulus looked up, just as worried.

"He's awake?" James was out of his seat already. Orion sighed, and stood as well. "Let's go see him." He waited for Walburga. Remus felt like he was part of a procession as they walked. Mr. and Mrs. Black at the front, then Regulus, and then James and himself, so obviously out of place.

They all went inside Regulus' room. Every muscle in Remus' body ached to get closer to Sirius. He wanted so badly to sit beside him, to touch him, to talk to him. To hear his voice. But Regulus was holding both him and James back.

The happy couple walked up to the bed. Sirius opened his eyes and blinked. He was dressed in fresh clothes and the blood had been cleaned from his skin. "It's alright, son," Orion said, leaning down to place a hand on his head. Remus found himself turning towards James. They exchanged a look of shared bafflement.

Sirius closed his eyes again. Walburga opened his shirt to look at hjs wounds. They were healed, but there were some scars left. "Too late to stop the scarring," she said, more to herself than anyone else, and buttoned his shirt again. The sleeve of her dress seemed to have some sort of pocket, as she reached into the right sleeve and procured a small vial. She gave it to Orion, and stepped away. He uncorked it and pressed it to Sirius' mouth. Only then did Remus notice that Sirius' lips were trembling.

With a sigh, Orion stepped back. He looked ten years older than he had the night before. "Perhaps," he sighed again, "the company of his friends will do him more good."

Remus watched Sirius' parents leave the room. As soon as the door closed behind them, Regulus rushed forward. "Sirius?" He whispered,  reaching for him, but retracting his hands on to his lap, too scared to touch him. Sirius opened his eyes again and sat up. "Reg," his voice was soft.  "You're okay," he said, raising a tremulous hand to touch him.

Regulus clasped Sirius' hand in both of his. "Of course I'm okay," he sobbed, burying his face under Sirius' chin. Sirius closed his eyes. "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered. Regulus pulled away and wiped his tears. "You'd lost me? I was just on vacation..." he turned to Remus and James questioningly.

Sirius seemed to have noticed them only then. "Come closer," he said.  As if in a trance, Remus and James walked over to him. Regulus stood up to give them some space. James have him a long hug, holding his best friend tight, just to make sure that he was really there. "You so need a babysitter with you, Padfoot." He sat down at the foot of the bed.

Remus found himself frozen, unable to move. He stared at Sirius, drinking in the details of his face and his hands. His fingers were still shaking.

Remus felt James give him a gentle push forward. He knelt down by the bed. He wondered if this was how Sirius felt when Remus came back to school after a bad transformation.

"Hey," Sirius whispered. "Hey," Remus whispered back, touching his cheek. He had grown a very light stubble on his jaw. "Guess I'm the one who needs a shave now," Sirius smiled, but it turned into grimace as the cut on his lip stretched. Remus shook his head and gave Sirius the best smile he could.

"It hardly matters," he said, tracing the faded cut on his cheek. "I'd kiss you either way."