Boys Will Be Bugs

Chapter 25: First Sight

Remus rushed through the trees and bushes, desperately avoiding the large rocks and tree roots that were trying to trip him up, and feeling his whole body being smacked by branches on the way. The smell was stronger now, and distinct enough to make Remus's heart thud painfully in his chest, regardless of how fast he was running. It couldn't be him, it couldn't be him, it couldn't be him.

There was no way it could be him, especially so close to the village. Then again, Remus had no idea how far he had even run by this point, and he knew he was going to later regret it, but that didn't matter right now. The adrenaline was coursing through his body, because this couldn't be happening. He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to see him yet.

Remus stumbled on a branch and fell to the ground with a painful thump. He winced, and slowly pulled himself up, panting heavily. The smell was strongest here, his nose insisting that this was the right spot. He couldn't see anyone, though. He looked all around him, but the ground remained empty and the trees stood silently, as if the whole forest was waiting for something to happen.

"Sirius?" Remus called tentatively, to no response. Perhaps he hadn't gone far enough, after all, but the smell was so intense he was sure he should be able to see the source of it. "Sirius?!" He began walking slightly further into the forest, wondering if his mind was just playing tricks on him. He might not have been smelling Sirius at all, simply a fluke of the forest, but he was sure it was the same scent. He had smelt it during their potions lesson on Amortentia. The sharp smell of a rainy, winter morning and a hint of tea tree from the shampoo that Sirius had once stolen from Lily. It was him alright, but where was he? Remus clambered up one of the bigger roots, big enough to stand on, and he was about to step down when he froze and stared at the ground. He nearly lost his balance, and he had to jump down instead, avoiding the animal that lay below his feet.

It was a dog. A black dog, and it appeared to be asleep. Remus didn't have to look at it for very long to know exactly which dog this was. It was unmistakably Sirius, and Remus stood there for some time, just staring at him in shock. What the Hell was he doing here? How had he even ended up here in the first place? Remus was about to wake him up and interrogate him on what he thought he was playing at, when he finally caught a proper glimpse of the dog's condition.

He wasn't sleeping, he couldn't have been sleeping, because Sirius was already such a light sleeper. Paired with his canine senses, there was no way that Sirius wouldn't have been able to hear him. Remus bent down closer, his heart hammering in his chest as he searched for the steady, up and down movement of the dog's chest. It was there, but faintly so.

"Sirius?" the dog opened its bleary eyes and stared at him, trying desperately to lift its head up, but it could barely move. Remus held out a tentative hand and stroked the matted fur, feeling the harsh bumps of Sirius's ribs underneath. Remus could see the pain in the dog's eyes, the deep, brown eyes that looked so much like his friend's. All of his anger melted away at once, if only because there was nothing to be angry at. He was looking at the shell of a dog, a creature on its last legs, and the fact that his best friend was behind those eyes made Remus start to panic. "Sirius, oh God, what happened to you?!"

How long had he been out here, wandering around until he had eventually collapsed from exhaustion? He didn't even have the energy to transform back into a human being. Remus stroked his head, his own face brought close to Sirius so their eyes could meet.

"It's okay, Pads, I'm here," he murmured. "We'll get you inside... you're going to be fine." The dog whimpered ever so slightly, a vague tail wag to acknowledge Remus's words, before falling still once again. He was heavy, very heavy, but Remus picked him up and held him in his arms like a child. He had to take it slowly, stumbling through the forest and trying to ignore the growing pain in his arms. There wasn't time to get help; Sirius seemed on the verge of death already and every second counted, not to mention how far into the forest Remus had gone. Sirius had been nowhere near the village, and if Remus had never caught his scent, he probably would have died out here without anyone ever finding out. The thought sent a shiver down Remus's spine. Oh, Sirius, why did you do this? No doubt he didn't even tell anyone, skipping town in the middle of the night as was his custom. He had acquired a taste for running ever since he'd sneaked away from home just to attend Tobin's funeral.