My Godfather is an Innocent Convict (Rewrite)

When the Moon is Howling

Sirius Black stood in Lupins office. The man was looking at him as if he was an artifact in a glass case, something that would break if you touched it. His lips curled into a wry smile, cracked lip almost splitting open again.

"Come on Moony, I know I'm as beautiful as a rose but, believe me, I'm not as fragile. You won't break me with a hug." He said dryly.

No sooner than the words had left his mouth, he was pulled into a tight embrace. Remus Lupin clung to him as if he was scared that, if he let go, Sirius Black would dissolve into thin air. 

Sirius didn't blame him. After all, he hadn't told Moony about what had happened when he had arrived at the Potters house all those years ago. He hadn't even told him he'd been there. He hadn't told him that he'd challenged that traitor Peter Pettigrew to a duel causing that bloody rat to blow up an entire street, killing 13 Muggles in the process, and cut off his finger. All those things that he hadn't told him. 

It seemed fitting that he had been sent to Azkaban for twelve years, charged with betrayal and murder. He hadn't betrayed his friends, but he had killed them. He had convinced the Potter's to make Pettigrew their secret keeper because he had thought it less suspicious. He had kept things from Remus, like his missions with Marlene McKinnon. He knew the werewolf had started to suspect something and they had gotten into a huge fight. Also Sirius Black's fault for not coming clean and telling him about the ongoing investigation.

Sirius had left Remus without so much as a hint as to what had been going on the same night the Potters had been murdered. He noticed his shoulder was slowly getting soaked. Regret creeped through his body. Remus had been hurting all these years because he had been to stupid to open his mouth. 

Slowly he wrapped his arms around the werewolf and said the only thing he could.

"I'm sorry," Sirius choked out, clinging onto the oh so familiar suit jacket with those ridiculous elbow patches.

It was barely a whisper and his voice had cracked but he was sure Remus had heard him because the arms around him tightened even more.

It took another two seconds for Sirius to start crying as well.

A while later, Remus pulled back and said the words Sirius had been awaiting and dreading. 

"We need to talk." Lupins voice was firm and left no room for arguing. Sirius merely nodded, took a deep breath and began at the moment he'd started getting suspicious of Pettigrews involvement with Dumbledore. This was going to take a while.

"- and that's when I got sentenced to Azkaban. Merlin, Moony, I'm so sorry! I should have talked to you. I should have told you everything-" Sirius rambled. 

"Yes. You should have. Why didn't you?" Remus cut across him, seemingly furious. " We don't keep secrets from each other, remember? You promised me that!"

"I know."

"You promised me!" Remus choked out, crocodile tears starting to fall again.

"I know!" Sirius said looking like a kicked puppy, eyes rubbed red and quickly becoming damp again. "And I know there is nothing- nothing - I can do that will ever make up for all the pain I put you through by breaking that promise and -"

He took a shuddering breath, wrapping his arms around himself with his gaze falling to the floor. There was too much to make up for and nothing he had the ability to make up for. Sirius sniffed. "And I understand if you don't want me around anymore. You don't have to forgive me."

Lupin stared at him, every year of suffering and seperation showing at once. The wolf in his mind howled in pain, clawing at his insides.

"Remus?" Sirius looked back at him, wiping his eyes, "It's okay if you don't like me anymore. After everything I've done I don't blame you. I deserve not to be forgiven. Throw in a few hexes if you like."

"I forgave you for that a long time ago." Remus admitted quietly, hearing Sirius' breath catch, "And no matter what you do I will always forgive you. Giving you that level of absolute trust again and going back to how we were, is a different matter. That's nearly impossible."

"The offer for hexing me still stands." Sirius held out his arms to the sides a little in a sort of surrender.

"Not interested." Remus said flatly.

Sirius nodded his head. He agreed easiky when Remus told him to get some rest whilst he went to the great hall for dinner, promising to bring Sirius something to eat.

After he'd left, Sirius curled up into a ball in the corner of the office and drifted into a restless sleep.