Running in the dark

Chapter 61

Sirius began to head to the library with murderous intent. James had come out of the bathroom at around two am and Sirius had been there to help Peter with him. James also helped him, they didn't sleep at all, they couldn't, they had thought they'd known Regulus and they had been wrong.

Now twelve hours later Sirius had worried about how long Remus was taking, if something was wrong he would usually be in the hospital wing up to midday, but it was two in the afternoon now and there was no sign of him, Sirius looked for his name on the map but didn't see it in the hospital wing, but soon enough spotted it in the library beside Regulus.

So that's where he was, he walked through the bookshelves until he spotted them. Regulus looked up instantly and he looked ill.

"Don't yell, not now," Regulus said softly and he eyes Remus in the seat beside him, he was asleep, crutches propped up by his chair, he was leaning on his arms and Sirius could see his eyes were puffy. "He's been crying since I found him, that was at about eight, he just fell asleep a few minutes ago, don't wake him," Regulus pleaded and it took Sirius all his might to remember what Regulus had done, who he was now.

Sirius slipped into the chair beside Remus, not even looking at Regulus. He noticed a new scar on Remus' face and softly ran his fingers over it. They all seemed rather upset, but Sirius didn't know what was wrong with Remus until Marlene came around the corner.

"Oh the poor thing, he ought to get to sleep properly, it's devastating?" she said, she always was upbeat but now she sounded full of concern.

"What's devastating?" Sirius asked turning his head and Marlene turned round and snatched a daily prophet out of a passing Hufflepuff first year and handed it to him after turning the first page and pointing out a title.

'Murder of muggle Hope Lupin by her husband Lyall Lupin' it read. Sirius began to read the text beneath it. 'At the early hours of this morning, Lyall Lupin' was escorted to Askaban after killing his wife. They have one spouse a Hogwarts student Remus Lupin age 17 who is completing his last year at Hogwarts. Lyall was believed to be abusive to both his son and wife and killed her intoxicated, he was heard by neighbours who alerted authorities. No word has been given from their son.'

Sirius turned to look at Remus and he almost cried again, Remus had lost his mother and Regulus was the one there to comfort him and to add to that he now has a new scar and what looks to be a broken leg.

"Shit," Sirius mumbled handing the paper back to Marlene who now had no use for it and couldn't spot the first year she had stolen it from.

"Right after a full, take care of him," she said before swinging off to merlin knows where.

"Go," Sirius then sneered not looking up and not looking up when he heard the chair move and saw the swish of Regulus' cloak out of the corner of his eye, he just focused on Remus in front of him.

He rested his head on his arms, mimicking Remus's position and gazed at him. His world was falling apart and Remus was keeping him grounded, just existing, but now Remus was falling apart and Sirius had to be there for him too.

Remus woke up before he opened his eyes and he seemed to realise his surroundings, he was asleep, he was in so much pain, physical and emotional, that he had poured his heart out to Regulus and cried until he had fallen asleep. He shouldn't be here, he should be with Sirius.

He stood up fast and then after feeling the pain shoot up his leg from standing on it, realised that he couldn't walk on it, he was already half falling when Sirius had caught him, he had stood up as Remus had and caught him in the nick of time.

"Hey Moony, it's alright," Sirius said and Remus looked at him, wide-eyed.

"Sirius, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," Remus whimpered, he had been apologising for a while.

A few hours earlier it had been to his mum out loud as Regulus had rubbed circles on his back. "I'm sorry, I was meant to be there to keep you safe," he had cried out. He had suffered so much abuse, for her, and it was for nothing, he still got her in the end, and he still killed her.

"You don't need to apologise it's alright," Sirius said softly, Remus was still being held up by him, his hurt leg off the ground.

"I should have come back straight away," he said through a sob, he shouldn't be breaking down, he should pull it together.

"Remus love, it's alright, I'm sorry to hear about your mum, but nothing is your fault," Sirius said and that's all it took for Remus to burry his head into Sirius' shoulder and cling onto his shoulders as he sobbed, shaking.

"I should have protected her, I should have found a way," he cried out, all his words were hoarse, and his throat was dry.

"There was no way to do so, I'm sorry but it's not your fault, you couldn't have stopped it," Sirius told him which caused him to cry more. Sirius just held onto him, shooting glares at anyone who dared to look for more than a few seconds.

Sirius waited for his sobs to calm down before giving him his crutches and they decided the dorm was the best place to be now, they needed each other, they were all breaking but holding together for and with the help of each other. The pain was beginning to haunt them and falling apart was becoming an option they tried to refuse.