A Brother To Basilisks (a Drarry fanfic)

Chapter 20: An Explosion of Sparks

"Remus told me that you asked about his sickness, pup."

Harry held his breath a little as he turned around. This was the confrontation he had been afraid would come up. He had come home for the weekend, and Sirius was standing behind the table, looking upset.

Dash was in the other room. Harry thought that was maybe one reason Sirius was bringing this up now. But even as Harry thought that, Dash slithered in through the door of the dining room and crawled up Harry's leg like a stream of water in reverse. Harry wrapped his arm around Dash's neck and held him there, grateful.

Sirius sighed a little. "Does he have to go everywhere you do?"

"Yes," said Harry, and stared at Sirius for a minute. "You know that." Sirius had complained about it often enough.

He does know that, said Dash, and he said it with a savage, slashing intensity, so that his tongue darted out even though he wasn't speaking Parseltongue aloud. Something has changed, if he wants to speak to you in privacy.

"I would just tell him everything later anyway," Harry told Sirius, which Sirius also surely knew. Dash curled up with his head on Harry's hip, and waited. Harry waited, too, but Sirius acted as if he didn't want to go on, clearing his throat and glancing away like Aunt Petunia did when she didn't want to tell Uncle Vernon some bad news.

Harry grimaced. He didn't ever want to think about the Dursleys and Sirius in the same breath. Something was badly wrong if he did.

"That's true," said Sirius grudgingly. "Well." He faced Harry again. "You have to understand that this is serious, Harry."

Harry gulped and nodded. It had to be, if Sirius wasn't even going to take the chance to make his favorite pun on his name.

"Remus is sick," said Sirius. "He's been sick for a long time. It's—a family illness. Not catching. But it does make him break out in horrid spots and look menacing sometimes." Sirius was talking as though he wanted to impress every word on Harry's mind, and Harry nodded to show he was listening. "He got teased for it in school. It's one reason he stays away from everybody a few days a month. Well, just during the night, really. In daylight he's weak and pale, but fine."

"So he doesn't want me talking about it because he got teased?" Harry asked hesitantly. He wanted to say that he wouldn't tease Professor Lupin, but in the back of his mind was what Dudley had said to him in the past. He didn't want to discuss it even if it meant that no one would tease him about it.

"Yes," said Sirius, and he gave Harry the bright smile that made Harry feel he had done something right and deserved to be praised. "That's exactly it. He doesn't want to alienate you, but it's still such a sensitive topic. There were people who thought it was catching even though it wasn't, and that's why he hasn't told any of the students now that he has it. Their parents might complain, and Moony needs this job."

When he thought about it, Harry thought he could see why Professor Lupin had got that nickname. He did always seem to be sick around the time of the full moon.

You always deserve to be praised, said Dash, his voice oddly disjointed, as if he was listening to echoes of Sirius's words instead of paying attention to Harry.

Harry touched Dash's plume and said, I know. Then aloud, he said, "Well, okay. I'm sorry I asked about it. I just thought he should know that someone is there to support him. I wouldn't care even if he looks really disgusting." There were always people who had thought helooked disgusting, with his scar and his bad glasses and his oversize clothing.

"We just have to know one thing, Harry." Sirius gave him a heavy look. "Did you ever tell anyone else about it?"

"It's not like I could keep Dash from knowing," Harry retorted, and his hand came down on the back of Dash's neck again.