December 4th, 1976
Saturday
"He's waking up."
"Black why are you even here? Also take that stupid jumper off you look terrible in green."
"I'm the one who carried him Rosier."
"Yeah well you aren't his friend."
"Doesn't matter."
"Just leave."
"You can't tell me what to do"
"Guys-"
"Shut up Regulus."
"Don't tell me to shut up Evan."
"Regulus. Give it a rest."
"Sirius shut-"
"Can you guys just hush?" Remus groaned as his eyes fluttered open and he pushed himself up on his arms to sit up, "You're making my head hurt."
"I'll go get Poppy." Black muttered and he pushed off the stool and walked away from the bed. Evan took the seat and scooted it closer to the bed.
"You alright Remus?" Evan asked, he looked absolutely dreadful in the artificial light, his cheeks and eyes red.
"Yeah, you?" Remus asked and Evan laughed and nodded, "what happened? what's the time?"
He looked down at the covers for the first time and with a disgusted shudder peeled them off of him and swung his legs over the bed. He'd never liked the sheets in here though for once he was glad they weren't seeped with blood.
"You passed out in the hall after talking to my brother." Regulus told him and Remus looked over at him, "Its about 9pm, almost curfew. McGonnogal is shooing us all out of here soon, except you unless you're feeling better."
Remus furrowed his brows and nodded as the moments before he passed out came back to him.
"Where are Barty and Snape?"
"Sent out because they kept arguing."
"Im sorry Evan."
Regulus' brows jumped at the sincerity of the apology but Remus didn't seem to care that Regulus was there. Evans eyes went wide in a panic,
"I'm sorry I lied to you. I just- you were worrying about it so much and I didn't know when I was actually going to get it back-"
"Get what back?" Regulus asked.
"My jumper." Remus answered bluntly, "anyway-"
"Your jumper?"
"Yes. The one Black was wearing."
"That was yours? My brother had your jumper?"
"Yes! Now please Regulus- shut up!"
Regulus did just that. Remus' eyed him before he looked back at Evan.
"Remus you-"
"I don't like him like that Evan. I swear to you, I gave it to him before everything. I don't even bloody like him as a person."
"Oh Merlin." Evan huffed, cheeks going red.
"I only like you Evan. Just you okay. You're the only person I want to hug with, kiss with, its just you."
Remus had hold of Evans cheeks and Evan looked absolutely mortified as he was pulled forward.
Before Remus could kiss him he felt a pressure on hia forehead and he was driven back and Evans chair had rolled back and hit the next bed, he glared at Regulus who was bright red. Then it hit what had just happened and he looked as mortified as Evan had before.
A couple seconds later Black and Pomfrey had rounded the corner of the room.
Black glanced at Evan.
"What are you doing all the way over there Rosier?"
"Uh. Nothing."
"Oh Remus you're finally awake." Madam Pomfrey spoke and Remus smiled up at her sincerely,
"Hope i didn't scare you too much."
"Just a little, after all you have been getting a bit more irregular and considering the time of the month.." She trailed and Remus gave her a guilty look,
"I know, I'm sorry."
"Its nit your fault Remus."
"So, what's happened with your head then? Rosier said you'd bumped your head but there's no external injury. I've checked multiple times." Pomfrey observed as she cast a diagnostic spell on his head and hovered it infront of Remus. He felt a pressure on his shoulders which froze his shrug and Remus withered under Pomfrey's angry gaze
"But I also ran an internal scan," Remus tensed as the external scan dissappeared and an internal one was dropped infront of him. The other had been white and blue, this was yellow and in bits orange, "and i got permission to a do a spell history."
Remus had to look away from her, he couldn't bare it.
"Eighty-four times you had a forceful Legilimens spell cast on you in three hours Remus. Eighty-four times. Do you understand how irresponsible and dangerous that is?" She seethed and the scan dissappeared as Black passed her a blue vial, "I don't know who done this to you but you are to stop it."
"Legilimens?" Evan asked and he looked just as angry as Pomfrey nodded. She popped the cork off the top and held it to Remus' lips and he, embarrassed, tilted his head back and drank it.
He'd never felt so terrible.
Not once in the six years he'd been here had he angered Madam Pomfrey and he'd been in here at least once a month for six years. He'd also worried her sick, he could tell it on her face, it'd only been a couple hours interval but she looked white and shallow.
He also made the rest of them worry sick, even Black who he wasn't even friends with.
He couldn't bare to look at anyone so he just looked at the floor.
"You're free to go. Rosier and Black make sure he gets back alright. Mr..Black," the repeat of the surname felt awkward as she spoke to Black, "you run along to your common room, you all have clearance till you get to your common rooms so you won't be stopped."
All of them nodded and Remus pushed himself to his feet and unsteadily kept his balance.
"You are not continuing those lessons. You've had just one and look at the state of you." Evan hissed once they'd escaped from Black, neither of them seemed to care that Regulus was overhearing anymore. It wasn't like he really had anyone to tell apart from them.
"I don't have to listen to you Rosier."
"Oh don't you dare Rosier me Remus. I will hex you into next week."
"No you wouldn't."
"You're right. But no more lessons."
"Fine!" Remus yelled, albeit angry and upset.
He moved quicker and went ahead of the pair of them.
"I'll make sure he gets up to bed alright." He heard Regulus tell Evan.
When they got into the common room, Evan kept down the stairs while he and Regulus turned at the third floor towards Remus' room.
"I don't nees supervision. I'm fine." Remus told Regulus who scoffed and stopped Remus walking, by shoving him into a wall by his shoulder, causing him to grunt.
"Yeah right Remus. I'm not an idiot."
Remus didn't meet his eyes and looked off to his left angrily.
"Why are you taking Occlumency lessons with Snape?" Regulus asked and Remus didn't answer him, "don't make me repeat the question Remus."
Remus shuddered at the authoritive tone and his eyes obediently made eye contact.
"You saw why."
"You and Evan?" Regulus asked and Remus nodded as he smiled weakly, "Why do you need Occlumency for that?"
Remus laughed bitterly.
"When I go home at break, my memories are stripped bare and practically laid out on a table for Fenrir to see, and if he sees that, if he sees what I feel. What I think-" Remus choked on the air as he tried to calm down, "he'll kill me Regulus." He managed and Regulus looked passive for a few moments but Remus spoke before he could.
"And- and I need to try and get as close to mastering Occlumency as quick as possible, we go back home soon. Now I can't do the lessons anymore and Snape said I need someone who knows and is okay with it to look after me because at the rate of which he has too teach me in such little time can he damaging. And now that Evans-"
" I'll do it. " Regulus interrupted ans Remus eyed him.
" What? "
"I'll do it. I'll be the one to look after you."
"Why?"
"Well it's better to be sick then dead right? I really don't want you dying Remus, you're a really good friend and a great boss." Regulus told him, "And, im pretty good at potions so i can prepare the pain relief potions to save Snape the trouble." Regulus let out a laugh as Remus pulled him into a hug
"You're brilliant Reg. So brilliant."
"One question though." Regulus stated and Remus nodded as he pulled back, keeping his hands on the younger boys shoulders.
"Anything."
"Wouldn't Fenrir be scared of the consequences of killing you? Valeska wouldn't be happy, he'd kill him too."
"Oh. Well Fenrir isn't scared of Valeska Regulus. I don't think he's scared of anything actually." Remus joked but it wasn't really a joke. He actually didnt think Fenrir was scared of anything at all. 12 years and Remus had never seen him even flinch.
"I disagree." Regulus stated as be fixed the sleeves which had rolled up on his top, "I think he's probably scared of you."
Remus was sure he'd never laughed so hard in his life. Wiping away a tear he pat Regulus' shoulder and headed for his dorm room,
"You're funny Regulus."
"That wasn't a joke."
"Right."