One of Us | Jegulus

Thirty-Three

The next couple days he didn't feel the slightest bit better. Actively staying away from James was even harder than he imagined and he couldn't understand how he once managed to do so. Even worse was the fact that James didn't try to approach him either. Not even once. He could laugh at himself for believing he might come to any conclusion when in reality his desire of proximity and comfort outweighed any rationality.

So even though it was only the third afternoon after their last fight, it felt much longer than that. He hadn't also really talked to Remus or Sirius, so he naturally felt more lonely than ever.
He was sitting on his bed once again, staring into nothingness, when there was a loud, dull sound outside his room that sounded as if something fell to the ground. Confused and slightly alarmed, he slowly got up and left the room, looking for what had caused the noise.

He heard someone hissing in pain from the stairway, so he walked over and found Remus halfway downstairs collapsed on the stairs.
"What the hell?"
Remus turned around with his face twisted in suppressed pain and tried to pull himself up. "Dammit," he mumbled when he could barely stand on his feet.

"Why are you acting like this?" Regulus asked and folded his arms, enjoying looking down on Lupin for once.
"My stupid hip dislocated again, so I tripped," he explained and wiped his forehead.
"Well that's unfortunate."
"Oh shut up and go away if you don't have anything better to do," Remus groaned and tried to put some weight back on his leg, but failed and quickly grasped the railing.
Regulus continued watching him. "You know like this you look like an old person," he observed.
"Yeah, it's just a tiny side effect of turning into a beast that could tear you apart in seconds, so watch your mouth."

"You can't scare me," Regulus mumbled and crossed his arms. "You're not dangerous at all until the full moon."
Remus laughed. "Yeah, idiot, what do you think what day it is today?" He groaned in pain again after failing to stand on both legs once again. Eventually he gave up and just sat down on the stairs.
Regulus stared down at him. "It's today?!" He slightly brought some distance between the two of them. "Already?!" he added.

"Well, it's once a month, you know?" Lupin sighed.
"But... but you can't be turning already?!" Regulus asked, his voice unnaturally high in suppressed panic. "It's still in the afternoon!"
"Well, sometimes my body acts like this even days before the actual full moon night. So, no. I've still got some time."
"But tonight... what will you be doing then?" Regulus asked nervously.
"Going out with Sirius, James and Pete, of course."
"Where?"
"The woods where we won't come across any other humans," Remus answered and Regulus suddenly remembered that he'd seen them going there. It was on the first full moon he'd spent locked up in this house, he was staring out of the window when he suddenly saw that stag—it must have been James, of course, he even looked back at him and then disappeared into the forests, following his friends.

Regulus turned his eyes back on Remus, who pressed his hand to his hip. He looked already exhausted.
"And now you're just gonna sit on the stairs for the rest of the day?"
Remus shrugged. "I just need a minute or two, sometimes it gets better after some time. And James' healing magic helps pretty good, too."
"But James isn't here now."
"He'll return sooner or later, it's alright."

Regulus exhaled and closed up to Lupin again. "Come on," he muttered and reached out a hand.
Remus looked at him surprised, then gripped his hand and pulled himself up.
With Regulus' support they were able to make their way into the living room where he directed Remus to the couch before he stepped back again.
"See, wasn't that hard, was it?"

Remus smiled. "Thank you, Regulus."
Regulus nodded awkwardly and then left the room. He felt relieved after bringing some distance between the two of them. Remus' company made him uncomfortable. But he couldn't just leave him on the stairs, that would have been rude, right?