Running in the dark

Chapter 19

It must have been twelve times now that Lyall had repeatedly raised his fist and hit it back down onto Remus. Again and again, blood was already clouding his vision and he was trying to pull himself up but he couldn't.

He could hear the screams of horror from his mother, but they seemed distant, all sounds seemed to be far. The sound of the first hitting him again and again, his coughs of blood, and his cry of agony.

He didn't even hear the door bang over, he only realized someone else was there when Lyall had been flung off him and the beats had stopped.

"Get off him you motherfucker!" Sirius yelled, he dashed into the house, closely followed by James as soon as they had heard the screams.

He knocked Lyall off Remus and pushed him back against the wall. "Don't fucking touch him," he hissed.

James had gone to Remus crouching down beside him, he hadn't moved at all, Hope joined him seconds after.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Lyall spat.

"You're worst fucking nightmare," Sirius said and with one punch he knocked Lyall out.

"Sirius," James' voice mumbled and Sirius turned, Remus's face was bloody, and so were his clothes, blood was starting to shine through his jumper.

He wouldn't move, his eyes were screwed shut, and he looked like he was in an indescribable amount of pain and it made Sirius drop to his knees beside Remus.

"Remus, you're ok, hey you're ok," Sirius began to coo, he found Remus' hand and held it, "We've got to get him to yours soon," he said to James who nodded.

"If I patch him up well enough, I can help stop the bleeding, I'm sorry I'm not a witch, I can fix it, god I'm so sorry," Hope began she was already up and across the room, and grabbing the medical kit in the cupboard.

James went to Remus' room to grab his wand as Hope began to use bandages and gauze to stop the bleeding. The whole time his eyes were closed, he could have been asleep if he wasn't in so much pain.

"We've got to get him back," James spoke as Hope finished bandaging him up.

"I'm sorry," Hope said kissing Remus' forehead, tears had begun to slip down her face, and it seemed the same was happening to James and Sirius, seeing like this was sickening, the last time was bad, but there was still a bit of Remus he was talking, he was moving, now he was nothing, unmoving.

Sirius put his arms under Remus hoisting him up into his arms as they began to walk out of the house and towards there discarded brooms they had left.

As soon as they had seen the note they had flown after him, and they had a feeling something would go horribly wrong. Why did they have to be right?

Sirius had found a way to seat Remus on the broom in front of him so that he could curl his arms around him holding him in place and having control of the broom, Remus had all his weight on Remus that it felt like he was limp, he still hadn't moved, his eyes still screwed shut in pain.

They flew across from Wales to London once again and finally to the Potters' house, it was a weird sense of Deja vu, it was well past midnight and the start of the new year.

Sirius picked Remus up in his arms again and they opened the door and were once again greeted by the familiar scene. Mrs. Potter came into the hallway, but she didn't look angry, just pure worry and once she saw Remus she looked horrified.

They were all once again in the living room but instead of Sirius and James on either side of him, they were sat on the separate couch, while Remus was spread out on the other couch.

Mrs. Potter was knelt beside him muttering spells, cleaning the wounds, and doing her best to rid his face of the blood, she heeled the wounds and fixed his new broken nose and ribs.

"He's gonna need rest, lots of it," Euphemia began. Remus was awake, he just hadn't opened his eyes, it seemed like he never would.

"I'll see how he is in the morning, I'll write to McGonagall but he may go on the train, but will just have to rest in the dorm for a few days," she said.

"I'll bring him to his room," Sirius said and he once again found himself lifting Remus into his arms and he walked upstairs as he heard James start to tell his parents what had happened.

He walked into Remus's room, where the door was still ajar, and walked over to Remus' bed and placed him down on it. "You're gonna be alright moony," Sirius said to him, he wished so much that Remus could give him a sign, and thank Merlin he did, he opened his eyes and softly spoke "Thank you," he said to Sirius looking into his eyes.

"Anything for you," Sirius replied.

"Would you like me to stay?" he asked, and Remus nodded. He walked over and closed the door before going to lie down beside Remus.

It was silent but they lay there, looking into each other's eyes, Sirius was holding Remus' hand moving his thumb in circles on it.

Remus felt like he would never be able to feel again unless Sirius was around. He felt numb, he felt like he couldn't talk, couldn't breathe but then Sirius was there and he helped him.

He couldn't fall asleep but closed his eyes, the darkness was calming and it helped him focus on Sirius's breathing, and he could tell that Sirius also did not sleep. How could he, Remus was in so much pain that he wanted to be clinging on to him, telling him again and again, that he would be safe, and that he wouldn't let him ever get hurt again.