Never Letting Go [A Marauder's Story]

The New Normal

Now that they all were settled in this new location, a routine began almost immediately. James would always be the first to wake and Remus would be the last to fall asleep. During the day they had a sort of system. James and Grant would make breakfast since they were early risers. Remus was incharge of cooking lunch and Peter and Sirius would make dinner. It served as a good system, even if sometimes Sirius couldn't be bothered to help with dinner and Peter had to prepare it all by himself. The effect of the dementors was still bothering Sirius but you wouldn't know it unless you knew him well. Therefore, James and Remus noticed that look in his eyes, a look of fear that hadn't completely disappeared since the incident. But Sirius optimistically pushed on, willing to try and and forget it ever happened and focusing on their objective, not being found.

Remus had been surprised that being so close to his old house didn't make Sirius on edge. For all he saw, Sirius was chatty and fine with the arrangement. Over the trees it was easy to see the top of the layers of houses, impossible to point out Grimmauld Place unless you knew it by detail. Therefore they were stuck in a forest with a view of Sirius' old neighbourhood and they stayed there with their repetitive but safe routine.

As for Grant and James, it was clear to Remus that Grant was completely smitten. He saw it with each laugh and each smile. He lit up whenever James walked into a room. But it wasn't a one way attraction. Remus could see the love in Jame's eyes whenever Grant laughed at a joke or grinned about something.

James had come out last year as Pansexual and all the three boys accepted him with open arms. James didn't make a big deal out of it so they didn't either. But seeing James and Grant together made Sirius realise what young love really was, and they had it.

Him and Sirius had it too but in a different and more complicated way. For example, they'd argue an awful lot because both of them loved to be right. The prank had been the last straw for Remus and that's when they'd broken up, even though the words were never said. The war was pulling them closer again and of course Remus cared a lot for Sirius, but every time he thought of that idiotic joke, his stomach twisted. He didn't want to talk about it because he knew it would only end in a fight so he kept it to himself. Because the way he saw it, sticking together was more important than a petty argument. Even if it hurt whenever the memory crossed his mind almost everyday.

And as far as Peter was concerned, he'd been jumpy ever since the dementors. He wouldn't sleep most nights but still managed to fall asleep before Remus. A lot of the times this wasn't so bad, the werewolf in him would hear any abnormal noises and make him the perfect lookout. So, every night, he'd sit at the opening of the tent and stare intently into the distance, almost daring anyone to attack them. After last time, he was prepared for anything. He had his wand in his pocket, he told Peter to pack some silver incase Greyback found them but to keep it well away from him. He'd even given Grant a few pocket knives just in case. He wasn't letting any of them get hurt because of his unpreparedness again.

This particular night was a week after their arrival and their routine was well underway. He was staring into the distance, the moonlight casting a grim glow over the ground and surrounding trees. This was when he heard a rustle from the nearby bushes and he whipped his head around eagerly, ready for attack.

Remus could feel his heart beating in his throat, his hand shaking only slightly. Ready for anything to come forward, he flinched when something burst forth from the bush. His breathing was rapid when he saw something black and furry approaching. Once he realised who it was he dropped his wand in relief.

"Padfoot!" he exclaimed with a breathless posture, sitting down again.

The dog rushed over and curled up on the floor, laying its head on his lap.