fatal love

chapter 74

The train pulled into Hogsmeade station, and the four Marauders all got in a carriage back to the castle. It wasn't long before the feast, which Sirius sat through quietly. Luckily, his demeanour went by unnoticed, as the other three boys, and the three Gryffindors girls, filled the conversation with stories of their Christmases and the latest gossip flying around Hogwarts.

Sirius noticed Dumbledore watching him, and looked away quickly. He couldn't deal with that right now.

Once the group had finished eating, they all went up to the Common Room. Sirius excused himself from any further socialising, claiming he had homework he needed to finish, which in fairness to him, wasn't a lie. He was well aware of the nervous looks that James kept shooting him, but he ignored them, setting himself up at a desk near the back of the room.

He worked half-heartedly on his Ancient Runes essay as the Common Room slowly began to empty, students filtering up to their dorms in twos and threes, until eventually only the Marauders were left.

"Hey Sirius," James called over uncertainly, "you ready to go up yet mate?"

Sirius grunted. "You guys go ahead, I'll be up later."

There was whispering from by the fire, where the Marauders were gathered, and then James and Pete went upstairs, sighing. But Remus stayed in the Common Room, coming to sit next to him.

"So, what are we working on?" he asked.

Sirius stared at him dubiously. "... Ancient Runes."

"When's it due?"

"The eighth."

"Well, that's not for four days. You can leave it for the night."

"December eighth."

"Oh... well then, it's so late, leaving it another couple of days won't really change anything, will it?"

"I'll just get it done now."

Remus sighed loudly. "Are we really playing this game?"

"What game?"

"You pretend you're fine, when you're obviously not, but you bottle it up and get in massive moods until eventually you explode, and normally say something you regret."

Sirius glared at him. "That doesn't happen."

Remus reached over, taking the quill out of Sirius' hands. "What can I do, Sirius?" Remus asked plainly. "You come back, and you aren't yourself... should I get James? Would you talk to him?"

Sirius froze. He didn't want James - James was always supportive, always indignant on his behalf, but he couldn't understand, not really. "You... you said once, that you weren't sure if your parents loved you," Sirius said quietly. "Why not? Is it the werewolf thing, or is it... something else?"

Remus stiffened, and was quiet for a long time. Sirius prayed he wouldn't run off. For all of his caring nature, Remus never liked to talk about himself, especially personal things.

"I haven't ever told you why I was bitten," Remus said eventually.

"Tell me now, then."

Remus paused again. "Have you heard of Fenrir Greyback?"

"Yeah, he's the werewolf who targets-" It only clicked while Sirius was speaking. Greyback, the infamous werewolf who targeted children. Remus, who had been bitten when he was five. "Oh, Moony," he whispered.

"It wasn't random," Remus said. "He went after me, one night, because of something my dad said."

Sirius nodded, waiting for Remus to continue.