‘Remus, I’m not sure…’
‘Dad, I’m of age now,' Remus said wearily as his father wavered again. 'I’m more than capable of looking after myself for one night.’
‘I’m not questioning your capabilities, son…’ Mr Lupin said, his tone still indecisive.
‘Then go,' Remus interrupted, waving his hand. 'Gran needs you more than me right now.’
John Lupin hesitated, rubbing at his lip with his thumb in the same way Remus did when he was thinking and Sirius could see how reluctant he was to go. It was a few days after the funeral and Remus' distraught grandmother had Flooed earlier after sorting through her daughter's childhood belongings had become too much for her. Mr Lupin had agreed to spend the night with her and help out, but was now dithering over leaving Remus alone.
Sirius had offered to go back to Hogwarts so Remus go with his father, but his suggestion had been immediately and vigorously panned by Remus who, in his refusal to consider sending Sirius away, had shown more life and energy than he had since his mother's passing. Sirius had felt the weight of Mr Lupin's gaze on him after Remus' outburst...a questioning, assessing gaze that made Sirius fidget a little guiltily.
Those blue eyes - just like Remus' - shifted to him now as he sat at the kitchen table and he knew that John Lupin had made a decision.
‘Sirius…’ he began and the brunette nodded with a smile.
‘I won’t take my eyes off him, Mr Lupin,' he promised, not sure if Mr Lupin would be pleased or alarmed to hear that. 'I swear. Should I handcuff myself to him? Just to be safe?’
‘Safe?' snorted Remus, throwing a balled up dish cloth at Sirius. 'I’d be in more danger handcuffed to you than I would be in a room full of Chimeras.’
Mr Lupin chuckled and picked up his overnight bag. ‘Right, well, if you need me, I can Apparate straight back. We’re only going through some of your mother’s papers and old belongings.’
Remus saw the deep sorrow in his father’s eyes, the furrows of grief etched across his brow that had first appeared after Remus was bitten, but that had deepened in the last few days, and he impulsively stepped forward to hug him.
‘I’ll be fine, Dad,' he whispered against his father's shoulder, startled to realise he was almost the same height as the older man. 'Sirius is here. Go and look after Gran.’
His father sighed and pulled back, staring at his son sadly. ‘You're a good boy, Remus,' he said fondly, then frowned. 'You're not really a boy anymore, though, are you?'
The two Lupin men stared at each other for a moment; startled as they realised that Remus' childhood had well and truly passed, then Mr Lupin tried to smile as he ruffled his son's hair. 'You grew up too fast, son.’
Remus made an equally as unsuccessful attempt at a smile then waved as his father left through the back door, Disapparating with a pop from the stairs.
Sirius watched Remus as the werewolf stared blankly out the kitchen window. He was embarrassed by how pleased he was that the older man was gone for a while. He and Remus were used to hiding their burdgening relationship, but it was so hard not to reach out to Remus. Sirius just wanted to put his arms around him and tell him everything would be okay, but every time they got close, Mr Lupin appeared and Sirius snatched his hands away from Remus as if the werewolf's skin had burnt him.
Remus had been holding up remarkably well so far, but Sirius could see the cracks starting to appear in the other boy's calm facade. The strain was becoming more and more prominent in Remus' face each day and, although he was careful not to let his father see it, Sirius knew that the other boy’s control was slipping. Sirius had found him a few times in a quiet corner of the living room, staring out at the garden - Mrs Lupin's domain - with his hand pressed hard against his mouth as if he was trying to hold the grief in. But he just brushed away Sirius' attempts to talk, claiming he was just exhausted and disappearing into his room. Sirius had been sleeping in the spare room, but could hear Remus moving about next door at night. Mr Lupin had taken to restlessly wandering through the house at odd hours, though, so Sirius had been unable to slip into Remus’ bedroom to offer some comfort.