mcgonagall's office
"Wands thrown about! Fighting, again?", McGonagall asked loudly, "What provoked this?"
"Minnie-- he made fun of Remus.", James panted heavily.
"He did what?"
"He made fun of his scars.", Sirius said angrily. Peter nodded, "Yeah. He started it, we just finished it."
"Chargood, detention. Boys, you may leave.", McGonagall nodded.
dorm
"He's an idiot, Rem.", Sirius said softly. Remus didn't respond, closing the door.
"Don't listen to him.", Peter said. "He's just a stupid bully, Remus.", James insisted.
Remus pulled the coupon out of his pocket, staring at it. "Would it be so bad if I bought it? I mean, I don't have the money. But I have some saved up.", Remus muttered.
"Remus.", James said, surprised. Sirius took the paper wordlessly, ripping it up, and Peter lit it on fire, blowing it out.
"That's mine, what the hell?", Remus asked loudly.
"You don't need it.", Sirius said angrily. Remus scoffed, pointing at the various scars on his face.
"Do you see this? Are you blind?", he asked loudly.
"You're handsome, Moony. That's all I see.", Sirius said softly.
"Look, Remus, guys fall over themselves for you. Girls do, too. They love the whole 'quiet bookworm' type, even though you're the mastermind behind everything, but that's beside the point.", James said quickly.
"I know they talk about me, and I know you defend me. I'm lucky to have you guys, but I can't have you fight my battles for me.", Remus said, "And I know I have scars on my face. They're gross, and pink, and puckered, and-- and ugly, and, oh god, I'm crying again.", Remus gulped, wiping his eyes roughly.
"It's okay, you can cry.", Peter said quietly.,
"I can't do anything right.", Remus laughed, tears slipping out of his eyes.
"Remus.", Sirius whispered, wrapping his arms around him.
"Take deep breaths, Moony, I promise, everything is going to be okay.", James said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Please don't tell anyone about this.", Remus gulped, "I don't want everyone to know about it.", he said gruffly.
"We won't tell anyone.", James promised.
transfiguration
"Mr. Chargood, what is it?", McGonagall asked, impatiently.
"Remus is asleep.", he smirked.
Surely enough, Remus was asleep, his head resting on his hand, and his pencil still poised in the air.
"He is.", McGonagall said, looking at Remus, before continuing her lesson.
"Minnie, can we take him to Poppy?", Sirius asked. McGonagall nodded, fixing her hat.
"Hey. Hey, Moony, we're going to Poppy, sleep there.", James whispered, as Remus stirred.
hospital wing
"I'm fine, I'm just tired.", Remus insisted sleepily.
"Yeah, yeah, just go to sleep, beanstalk.", Sirius smiled, as Remus laid down on the bed.
"It's cold.", Remus muttered. Sirius laid down next to him, nodding off to sleep.
"Mr. Potter, may I speak to you?", Pomfrey asked, motioning him to the back. James walked over, confused.
"Has anything-- With Lupin, has anything changed around the full moon this year?", she asked hesitantly.
"I-- I'm not sure what you mean.", James said quietly., "He-- er, he-".
"Potter, I respect you wanting to keep your friends secrets, but I need you to tell me everything.", she sighed.
"Don't tell anyone, Poppy. He's really embarassed about it. He-- he, er, he's been really emotional. And today, someone made fun of him-- his scars. We got mad, obviously, and he was talking about getting them fixed.", James said, looking guilty.
"I won't tell anyone, Potter. Did anything happen before the lunar eclipse? Violent?", Pomfrey asked.
"Er. No. He was a bit weird, but nothing happened.", James lied.
next morning
Remus stirred, but he didn't feel the comfortable warmth of Sirius next to him. He opened his eyes, worried.
"Did-- Did I do anything?", Remus croaked.
James and Peter were playing exploding snap, they looked up.
"Oh, Remus, no, you didn't do anything.", James said immediately.
"Where's Sirius?", Remus whispered.
"I'm here! Moony, you're awake! Sorry, I was about to wet my pants.", Sirius panted, jogging into the room, "What happened?".
Remus stood up, wrapping his arms around Sirius. "Whoa, Moony, sit down, you're on bed rest.", Sirius said gently, guiding him to the bed.
"Does it hurt anywhere?", James asked, standing up.
"It-- It hurts a lot. My-- my arm.", Remus choked out.
Peter handed Remus the potion, who smiled, and took it gratefully.
number twelve grimmauld place
Walburga Black opened the envelope coming into her room, tearing it with her sharp nail.
She groaned when she saw the name on the envelope, reading the letter.
Walburga,
What a pleasure to hear from you! No, I was joking. How are you? Actually, I don't care. You want the picture? It's in here. Enjoy!
She shook the envelope, a photograph falling out, face down.
She picked it up, turning it over. She let out a gasp, frowning angrily at it. It was a picture of Sirius, kissing a tall boy, both of them flipping the bird at the camera.
She waved her wand, the picture lighting on fire.
"He will pay. The second he gets out of that school.", Walburga muttered.
hogwarts
Peter and Remus walked out of Divination, their book bags slung over their shoulders.
"Pete, are you okay?", Remus asked. Peter was tired, bags under his eyes as he walked through the halls.
No, I'm not. I'm scared he'll win, Remus. So I chose him. I chose that side, Peter thought bitterly.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Moony. Are you okay?", Peter asked.
"I-- I know it's stupid, but I'm so scared. I'm scared that any day a death eater will burst into the school and kill anyone and-- and I don't know how I would deal with it if any of you die.", Remus said, all in one breath.
"Moony, I know. I know how you feel. I-- with all that's happened this year, well, I don't think we can't beat a stupid wanker and his army of death eaters.", Peter smiled.
Remus let out a laugh, swinging his arm over Peter's shoulders, "I know I can always count on you."
They walked to the dorm, laughing.
dorm
Sirius grabbed his jacket from the hook, swinging it over as he put it over his shoulders.
There was a glass of water on the table, and the jacket knocked it off, falling as it hit the ground, and shattered into pieces.
Sirius stared at it for about a minute, just looking at the shards of glass.
flashback
A young Sirius ran through the house, laughing, as Regulus followed, chasing after him.
Regulus tripped over a book, carelessly thrown on the ground, stumbling into a table. A vase fell, hitting the ground and shattering.
Sirius and Regulus stared at each other, their eyes wide. Regulus bent down, picking up the pieces, hissing as it cut his skin. Blood seeped out, dripping onto his clean white shirt.
Walburga Black walked into the room, her arms at her sides, and her wand clutched in one.
"Who broke this?", she asked, her voice ringing clearly through the manor.
"Regulus. It was you, wasn't it?", she asked, turning her sharp gaze to him.
"Mother, I--", Regulus stuttered. "Do not stutter.", Walburga roared. She grabbed Regulus' arm. "My study.", she snarled.
Sirius knew what this meant. He looked at his younger brother, his eyes darting around, begging for help.
"Mother-- I did it. I broke the vase.", Sirius lied.
"Foolish boy! My study. Now.", she hissed.
"It was an accident.", Sirius said, his voice trembling.
She grabbed his ear, ignoring his shouts of protest, and shoving Regulus aside. She dragged him to the study, closing the door.
"Have you been talking to the Muggles outside?"
Sirius didn't respond, kicking at the ground.
"Answer me."
"No, Mother.", Sirius lied.
"Lies!", she yelled, waving her wand at him.
Sirius felt himself fly in the air, being thrown at the bookshelf, his body slamming into the shelf. The shelf came crashing down on top of him.
end of flashback
Sirius knelt down on the ground, still staring at the shards.
He picked it up, feeling the shard slice his hand, staring at the blood.
He put his head in the hands, letting out a choked sob, rocking back and forth.
halls
"Evans, I love snogging you, but I should go. We'll do our rounds later.", James winked, stepping into the common room, and closing the door behind him.
He walked up to their dorm, opening the door.
"Hello? Anyone in here?", he called, not seeing Sirius.
He walked over to the bathroom, but stopped as he heard a trembling sob.
He saw Sirius, curled up into a ball, and blood on his outstretched palms, clutching a glass shard.
"Sirius, oh my god, Sirius.", James gasped, kneeling down next to him and shaking his shoulder.
Sirius let out a choked sob, not moving his head from his knees.
"Sirius, look at me. Please look at me.", James pleaded softly. Sirius lifted up his head, staring blankly at James.
"Okay, look, we're going to count. Can you hear me?", James asked.
Remus and Peter walked in the dorm, smiling. Their smiles dropped as they saw James leaning over Sirius.
"Oh my god--", Peter exclaimed. Remus rushed over, kneeling next to him.
"Is he counting?", Remus asked, putting a hand on his knee.
James shook his head, taking off his glasses, "I don't-- I don't know what to do.", James said softly.
"Sirius, give me your hand.", Remus said quietly, taking his hand. He put it on his own chest.
"What do you feel?", Remus asked.
"Your-- uh, your heart beating.", Sirius stuttered.
"Good, let's count them together.", Remus said.
"I can't-- I can't.", Sirius choked out.
"I believe in you."
Sirius counted quietly, letting his hair fall in front of his face.
A few minutes passed, in silence, everyone surrounding Sirius.
"I-- I, er, I broke the glass.", Sirius coughed, showing them his bloody hand, "And I had a flashback. When me and Regg-- Regulus were playing around in our house and he knocked over a vase. I took the blame, and she threw me into a bookshelf. It fell on me.", Sirius let out a humourless laugh.
"I somehow persuaded her to take me to Mungo's. The healer asked me what happened. I lied.", Sirius sighed.
"I'm sorry.", Sirius apologized.
"Don't be sorry.", Peter said quietly, waving his wand to clean the cut.
"It's not your fault, Padfoot.", James said, "If you need help-- if you ever need help, don't be ashamed to ask us. We're here.".
Remus kissed the top of Sirius' head, wrapping his arms around him.
"I thought-- I saw the blood and the shard, and I panicked, I'm sorry.", James said, running a hand through his hair.
"I know. I'm sorry, James, I don't know how it would feel seeing you like that, I can't-- I didn't think anyone cared about me.", Sirius whispered.
"We care.", James said firmly, putting his arm on Sirius' shoulder, "We'll always care.".
"I-- I know. I just-- I panic because I dropped a glass. What am I going to do when we fight? When I'm battling someone and I have a-- an episode?", Sirius asked quietly.
"We'll try our best to be there for you. And if we're not, well, you will beat this.", Remus said, leaning his head onto Sirius' shoulder.
"I- I need you to promise me something. All of you. I know-- I know this is really morbid. We have about three months until school's over. I love Lily, and she loves me. I want to marry her, and I want to ask her. In case-- in case something happens to me, please, take care of her.", James said quietly.
"Nothing's going to happen to you, Prongs.", Peter said.
"I know-- but just in case.", James said.
"Of course we will, but nothing's going to happen.", Remus said, smiling warmly at him.