Harry Potter x Reader - More Than Best Friends (Third Year)

Conversations

Wow, honestly, didn't expect to write this, (at the time of writing this, I really should've studied for my exams lmao), but here we are lol! This is sort of an experimental post to see if people will actually read it, so if you're seeing this, hello!! I'm terribly sorry for disappearing on you all!!

.......... Remus's Point of View ..........

The moment I had seen what had happened to the Fat Lady, I waited until the rest of the staff were sufficiently distracted by organizing the Great Hall into a sleeping area before splitting off and hurrying back to my classroom. There were only so many places that Sirius would be hiding now, and I had a suspicion he was laying low there after his idiotic mistake. 

   Merlin, did that man ever think? I'd forgotten how impulsive he was! 

   Checking that no one was following me, I ducked into my room and quietly shut the door behind me. Years of sneaking around always helped me walk around inconspicuous to those around me, and I'd never been more grateful for it then I was now. 

   Sirius was in his dog form, squeezed into the corner of the room in utter silence, his head hung low in shame. He perked up when he saw me, and hesitantly trotted over to paw at my leg in a guilty apology. 

   "What the hell were you thinking?!" I bit out quietly, freezing in paranoia when I heard a distant noise outside. I listened for a moment, then relaxed a little when I realised that it wasn't someone coming towards us. 

   Sirius whined pitifully in response, nudging my knee with his nose, but I just glared at him. 

   "Do you have any idea how stupid that was?? They could have caught you!" I said, unable to hide the raw hurt in my voice. I ran my hands over my face in frustration. "I can't believe-! You are so inconsiderate, did you even stop to think what would've happened if you got caught? They- They would've given you the Kiss without a second thought!"

   To my own surprise, the thought of it choked me up and I found my vision getting blurrier. I shakily sat on the edge of my bed, my hands unsteady as flashes of Sirius's soul getting sucked out by a dementor crowded my mind. I felt sick thinking of how blank Sirius's expression would be afterwards, how empty and torturously dead-but-alive. 

   "Merlin, you can't do this to me, Sirius," I said in a wobbling voice, burying my face in my hands. "You can't just show up again after twelve years and- and do this. I've already lost everyone and I can't-" 

   Sirius transformed back into a human next to me and I felt him carefully wrap his arms around me. Merlin, he was so sickly-looking; his fingers and joints were far too knobby, and his ashen skin was cold as ice. 

   "I'm sorry, Remus," he muttered, chastened. "I'll be more careful." 

   Tentatively, his fingers curled over my own, his grip comforting. 

   "You better. You're such an idiot," I said weakly. I turned my palm and let him hold my hand properly, accepting his apology. 

   "I know," he agreed. "I'm sorry." 

   We sat like that for a while, and I let myself be assured of his existence again. Too many times had I thought Sirius was there when he really wasn't, driving me to the edge of insanity. I'd turn around, constantly expecting him to be at my side, but he wouldn't be. I'd make two cups of tea before realising I had no one to share it with. When he had finally returned a few days ago, it had hurt so much because I'd gone through so much effort to accept that he was gone forever, so when he'd come back, it was like all of that effort had been for nothing. 

   But I was coming to realise that it was far better for him to be here rather than not at all, and despite my initial distrust, I was unable to do anything but believe his story. 

   "Tell me about Harry," Sirius asked after a few minutes. 

   "What about him?" I said. 

   "Anything. I'd just like to know..." Sirius hesitated, but pushed through his vulnerability anyway. "I'd always fantasised about another world where we could've raised him together after James and Lily were..." He didn't finish the end of that thought. "I suppose I want to see how he's grown up without me there to see it." 

   "Oh," I said for lack of anything better to say. I was unsure of the warm, bittersweet feeling that filled my chest at the thought of us raising Harry together. "Well, he has a lot of loyal friends," I began. "Of course, he's also made enemies with Draco Malfoy, which isn't surprising." 

   "Lucius Malfoy's kid? I can see it," Sirius commented, amused. 

   "Yes, I've heard a lot in the hallways about their famous rivalry. It's the classic Gryffindor versus Slytherin hatred." I replied. "Honestly, though, I think they could've been friends if it wasn't for that. They aren't all too different from each other." 

   Sirius hummed, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles. "Well, what about his friends? Surely they wouldn't all get along with Malfoy." 

   "Hm, well. His main circle of friends seems to be Hermione Granger, (y/n) (l/n), and Ron Weasley, so perhaps not. Although, (l/n) doesn't actually seem to care as much about house differences from what I can tell, and I think Harry gives her opinion the most weight." 

   Sirius had paused. "Wait, hold on, Ron Weasley? The ginger? That's... Are you talking about the one with the rat?" 

   I frowned, glancing over at Sirius. "Rat? What do you mean?"

   Sirius had an unreadable expression on his face. "The pet rat. Is that Ron Weasley?" 

   "I think so. I'm not sure how he was allowed a pet rat, though, considering it's not on the list of approved pets-"

   Sirius interrupted, "I don't think we can trust that kid." 

   I raised an eyebrow at him. "We?" 

   "Yes," he insisted. "That rat is Pettigrew. That's why I went to Gryffindor Tower, I was trying to get him." 

   "How do you know?" I asked. 

   "I just do," he said. 

   I rolled my eyes. "Are you serious-"

   Sirius grinned at me, slightly manic, and I immediately knew of my mistake. 

   "Don't you dare say it-" I began, but I was too late. 

   "I am Sirius!" he rushed to say. 

   I smacked his arm. "Stop that!"

   Unabashed, he smiled smugly at me and I sighed. Merlin, what had I gotten myself into?

   "How could you possibly know that that rat is Pettigrew, anyway? You've never even talked to the boy!" 

   Or, at least, I hoped he hadn't. 

   "It smells like him." Sirius shrugged. "Besides, I'd bet you twenty galleons that the rat is missing a toe." 

   I was unable to stop the affectionate smile from creeping onto my face at that. It was just like old times. "You're on," I agreed. 

(A/N) - Thanks for reading!! <3 ~M