Wolfstar reunited

5) The tattoo

At Number 12, Grimmauld Place

'What's that?' Remus pointed at Sirius' wrist. When Sirius had taken off his jumper, he saw a glimpse of black ink.

Sirius quickly put his wrist down and shrugged.

'Nothing', he said.

'It was. There's something on your wrist, let me see it', Remus said, hanging over the table to grab his wrist.

But Sirius put his hand behind his back. 'It's not important anymore, Rey!'

'What do you mean? Not anymore? Why won't you show me?' Remus said, a bit annoyed. Why was Sirius acting so strange?

He saw Sirius swallow. Then, slowly, he revealed his arm and showed his wrist. He turned it a bit so Remus could see the tattoo better. It was a lone wolf, with a moon above it. The moon was almost full, there was just a tiny part still in black ink. Remus looked outside through the window. It was exactly the same as the moon that was in the sky, almost full as well.

He bit his lip.

Sirius let his arm hang. He was looking at Remus in a weird way, it was the same way he had looked at him when they were younger, both at Hogwarts.. It made him feel uncomfortable.

Finally, Sirius spoke up.

'I got this just a few days before I was arrested. I wanted to have this so I would never forget when you would transform, so I could keep you company.. So you would never be alone during those nights..'

He casted his eyes downwards, at the floor. 'That bit didn't work out, as I got arrested and sent to Azkaban.'

Remus' eyes saddened. He felt tears well up in his eyes. He didn't know what to say.

'I looked at it every day, because I could keep track of time in that way. But mainly, because I knew what nights you were suffering and I just stared at the moon.. Wishing I could be with you. Help you. I'm sorry I wasn't there, Rey.'

Sirius looked up at him, stared straight into his eyes.

Remus closed his eyes. He had imagined Sirius, alone in his cell, counting the days away.. But this image made it ten times worse.

'You shouldn't be sorry, it wasn't your fault', he said at last.

'I still feel guilty, though.'

'Why didn't you want to show me?'

'As I said, it doesn't really matter anymore, because you got the Wolfsbane Potion now. You don't need another animal to keep you from biting yourself', Sirius smiled in a sort of forced way.

'I still need you, if that is what you're insinuating', Remus said sincerely.

'You mean that?' Sirius asked softly.

Remus walked around the table and stopped before Sirius. He took his wrists in his hands, and looked at the tattoo again. His finger brushed slightly over the lone wolf, who was howling at the moon.

'I really do, Sirius. I've had you cut out of my life for twelve years, I don't plan on losing you again any time soon.'

Sirius smiled at him. He opened his mouth, but thought better of it and closed it again, he had a bit of a red shade on his face.

'What?' Remus asked.

'The main reason I didn't want you to see my tattoo is because, well.. I.. Eh-'

'Just say it, Pads', Remus said sternly, still holding his wrists, looking at him.

'I never stopped loving you, there, in Azkaban. That's also why I got the tattoo, to keep you in my memory. The Dementors take every happy memory away from you. I lost thought of who I was, of all my memories with you and James.. Every happy moment in my life. But when I looked at the tattoo again, I could still remember you.'