When Black Met Blue (Marauder Fanfic)

chapter 28 *Edited*

‘Are you sure you’re all right to walk?’ Remus asked worriedly. ‘I’m sure we’d be allowed to Floo right into the castle-’

‘I’m a bit stiff,’ Sirius said, hiding his grimace, ‘but it’s nothing I can’t handle.’ In truth, his legs were killing him and he was a bit dizzy. But he couldn’t say that. He was sick of being treated like glass. Remus didn’t look convinced. ‘Come on, Remmy, I haven’t seen Hagrid all year!’ 

‘He’s right,’ Peter chimed. Remus scowled, clearly feeling outnumbered. ‘And with all the security stuff... the Aurors at the door will want to check us.’

Remus sighed, picking up a Witch Weekly magazine. He flipped through it, rolling his eyes every now and then, particularly at the quiz “Which supernatural creature is right for you?”.

‘Eurgh!’ he exclaimed. ‘It’s a dating quiz!’ He shook his head. ‘What sick person came up with this?! Listen; the Werewolf, a solitary, enigmatic creature who’ll be the most loyal partner you ever find. He’ll be cunning, a little hairier than your average man and love walks in the light of the moons and stars.’

Below was a picture of a German Shepherd wearing a bow tie, howling at the stars.

Sirius sniggered. ‘I’d love to go for a walk in the moonlight with you, Moony,’ he batted his eyelashes for effect.

‘Lucky you are already in the hospital or I’d put you there,’ Remus growled. Peter squeaked. Sirius sniggered again. Remus pulled a face and looked at his watch. ‘Wish they’d hurry up,’ he muttered. Sirius hid a smile. It wasn’t like Remus to be so impatient but with the full moon coming up, he was short-tempered.

‘So why isn’t Prongs here to babysit me?’ Sirius asked, still grinning.

‘Because that would bring the child-babysitter ratio down to two to two,’ Remus said with a sigh, ‘compared to the one to two ratio we have currently.’

‘Quidditch practice,’ Peter said a faraway expression on his face. Sirius hid a smile; he was clearly trying to figure out Remus’ prior comment. 

And then Peters comment sank in. ‘Marlene’s going to kill me,’ Sirius moaned.

‘Nah, then she’d need a new Beater,’ Remus said, grinning. ‘I think she'll be thrilled you’re back; whoever was pretending to be you was awful in trainings. Nearly fell off his broom and kept flying into everyone.’

‘Yeah,’ Peter said weakly. ‘He would have been awful in the game.’

‘When is the game?’ Sirius felt so out of things. He should know this!

‘Never thought I’d hear you say that,’ Remus said. ‘Saturday.’

‘Bit late for the first game of the season,’ Sirius remarked.

Remus and Peter exchanged pitying looks. ‘Paddy,’ Remus said, ‘Hufflepuff played Slytherin about two weeks ago.’

‘Oh,’ Sirius said, a little rattled. ‘How was it?’

Remus winced. ‘Brutal. Reg-' despite their strenuous relationship, Sirius always referred to his brother as Reg. The rest of the Marauders had got used to the nickname, and it had stuck, '-could have had the Snitch five minutes in but just blocked Lockhart the whole time. Not that Lockhart needed blocking. Git hardly knows one end of a broom from the other.’

‘What was the score?’

‘Five-hundred and ten to thirty. I think Slytherin were just doing it because they could,’ Remus said.

‘That bad?’ Sirius asked, frowning. He’d have to deflate Slytherin’s ego a bit when they played them. He’d enlist James’ help with that for sure.

‘Sirius Black?’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ Sirius said, getting to his feet. ‘Grab that Werewolf quiz,’ he muttered to Peter in an undertone. James would enjoy that. 

‘Healer Prewett has given you the all clear,’ a friendly nurse said from behind the discharge desk. ‘Has he given you your instructions for continued treatment?’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ Sirius said again. ‘I need at least nine hours of sleep every night for the next week, I’m to take a nutritional supplement potion until the school nurse deems me fit and I’m to alert someone at the first sign of memory loss, dizziness, fatigue or lack of nervous response.’

‘Very good,’ she said, giving him another bright smile. ‘I’ve written it all down anyway, just in case.’ Sirius accepted he parchment with a smile, knowing he’d never need it. ‘I understand you’re of age?’

‘I am. I was seventeen in October.’

‘Good. Sign here.’ Sirius scrawled his signature on the line she pointed at. ‘Who’s the second signature coming from?’

‘Me,’ Remus said.

‘Thank you, Mr Lupin,’ the nurse said.

‘How did you-’ 

‘Headmaster Dumbledore contacted St Mungo’s, saying that a Mr Remus Lupin would be the second signature on Sirius Black’s discharge papers.’

‘Right,’ Remus said, still looking surprised. He reached for the quill.

‘Just a moment, please. If you were allowed to choose any of the trinkets from the table in your Headmaster’s office, which would you choose?’

Remus frowned for a moment and then the strangest expression of comprehension and a wry amusement settled itself on his face. ‘None of them.’

‘Very good. Sign here, please.’ It took Sirius a moment to understand Remus’ answer; there were a number of tables in Dumbledore’s office, but only one of them supported trinkets. And the trinkets were silver. Remus had told Sirius that he once burned his hand on the one that made the whistling noise. Sirius smiled. Trust Dumbledore to ensure someone’s identity with such a peculiar question. ‘And you’re free to go, Sirius,’ the nurse said happily.

‘Thank you.’ The three of them made their way to Healer Prewett’s office; he’d agreed to let them use his fire. ‘Oh,’ Sirius said glancing around at the empty office. ‘I’d hoped he’d be here.’ He’d wanted to say thank you. The man had given him his life back, literally. He Summoned a piece of parchment and a quill and wrote a quick thank you note. He smiled as he folded it and placed in on a book about the brain, where Prewett couldn’t miss it. ‘All right,’ Sirius said, watching Peter tend the green flames.

‘I’ll go first. Padfoot, you’re second and, Pete, you come last. See you there. Hagrid’s Hut!’ Remus disappeared in a flash of green fire.

Sirius waited for a moment to make sure Remus would be out of the way by the time he came through and then stepped in to the fireplace. ‘Hagrid’s Hut!’