Ad Infinitum (Remus Lupin X Reader)

XXXI • Sociis

XXXI • Sociis • Partners

I jolted awake at a knock on my door. Blinking in confusion, I stumbled out of bed and opened the door.

"What's going on?" I slurred.

"We have to search the castle," Remus said, barely visible in the dark.

"Again?"

"Come on," he said.

"Wait, let me grab my robes," I said, trying to wake myself up.

"Hurry up," he said impatiently.

"Unless you want me walking around the castle half-naked," I said and shot him a look over my shoulder, pulling my robes on and grabbing my wand. "What's happened this time?"

"McGonagall said Sirius Black was in the Gryffindor boys' dormitory," Remus explained, leading me through the Serpentine Corridor and down the stairs. "Ron Weasley said he had a knife."

That was enough to wake me up. I quickened my pace.

"Where are we searching?"

"I don't know who'll be searching what," he said. "I just had to wake you up."

I nodded and had to jog to match his long strides. Why did he have to be so tall?

"Think he's still in the castle?" I asked.

"I don't know. I just heard about it," Remus said. I could hear irritation clear in his voice and decided to stop talking.

We reached the corridor that led to the Gryffindor common room and joined the congregation of teachers, all of them dressed in pajamas. Under different circumstances, it might have been humorous.

"We'll start the search on this floor," McGonagall directed. "The whole castle should be searched at once so that he has no chance to escape. If you find him, make sure to be on your guard. He's dangerous."

"Miss Y/L/N," Professor Baker said from behind me. "Want to search together?"

"Sure," I said and parted with Remus, getting instruction from McGonagall before we began to patrol the far end of the floor.

The corridors were cold and quiet, only our footsteps audible, echoing off of the tall stone walls. Professor Baker's breaths were coming quickly, and he seemed rather anxious, his wand gripped tightly in his hand.

"So, have you-" He jumped at the sound of my voice.

"Quiet," he whispered. "I can't be distracted. This man is dangerous."

"I'm sorry. I thought it might ease your anxiety to talk."

"No," he said, "it won't."

I nodded and burrowed my arms into my robes, continuing our patrol in silence.

By the time we were finished, most of the groups had returned, and none of them had found Sirius Black. I bit back a yawn as I waited with the rest of the professors for everyone to return. Within twenty minutes after Professor Baker and I had finished our search, everyone else had returned.

"We'll be taking more precautions," McGonagall said. "If he decides to come into the castle again, he will not escape."

Once the teachers with the least seniority were released, I began the walk up to the third floor, feeling exhausted. Why did Black always have to come in the middle of the night? Why couldn't he break in during lunchtime?

"Brave Baker didn't find him?" Remus asked from behind me with a quiet scoff.

"Huh?"

"Nothing... How did your search go?"