Some Day | Wolfstar

Thirty-one

Remus sighed as he watched Sirius throw his cloak on. "Be careful, Pads." James said, not all that excited about sending Sirius to Snape, all by himself.

"I've been spending every night with him for three weeks, James. Give it a rest. I'll be fine," Snape's not that bad, he wanted to say, but decided not to. James was not a fan. Not even close.

They walked him all the way to the classroom where he experimented with Severus, and left him there.

"Should we talk to Peter? About Padfoot, I mean," James asked quietly so that they wouldn't disturb the sleeping paintings. "No, I don't think so..." Remus whispered. "Give him some time, James. He loves Sirius." And love Sirius he did. They would soon find out exactly how much.

"Speaking of loving Sirius... what exactly happened between you two?" James fought to keep his voice down. Remus was glad for the darkness which hid the colouring of his cheeks. "He said he was sorry... and we kissed. A lot," Remus smiled. James let out a small squeal.

"Who passes? What business?" A hoarse voice spoke. It was a painting. James and Remus started running. Whoever it was cursed at them, before another painting yelled at him to shut the hell up.

"Okay, I need all the details," James shook Remus' shoulder once they got into the empty common room. They sat down by the fire. "Who kissed whom?" James almost giggled. Remus couldn't help his own wide smile.

"I kissed him."

James actually squealed. Remus laughed at him.

"You kissed him? Damn it, I always thought it would be him..."

"Well, he started kissing me, really. But-"

"Merlin and Morgana, what? You mean... you mean you didn't just kiss? There was non-lip kisses before that? TELL ME!"

"James... calm down," Remus hushed him. "He kissed my neck... and my cheek... and I kissed his hand... and then I kissed him."

James shot out of his chair and grabbed Remus, shaking his shoulders. "Oh Merlin, Oh Morgana, oh my days...."

Remus shoved him off, laughing.

He was so happy. He was so happy that everything was slowly starting to become okay. Soon, they'd all be happy, when Regulus was cured and Peter was reconciled with Sirius.

Soon, everything would be perfect.

***

Sirius was glowing.

Snape stopped at the door to look at him for a second. He looked so different. A good different. Sirius looked up, and a small smile came on to his lips.

"What's got you so happy? Did Lupin throw a glance your way?" Severus turned to the cauldron and added a purple powder into it. He turned to look at Sirius when he got no response. The pale boy was biting his lip to stop himself from smiling, cheeks tinged a soft pink.

Severus raised an eyebrow. He was tempted to try and look into Sirius' mind, but didn't feel like it.

"Why do you care?" Sirius asked. Severus shrugged, his back to Sirius. "I don't. Just that you were insufferable when you were weeping like a dying tree in here."

"A dying tree?" Sirius laughed. With a start, Severus realised that it was the first time he'd heard him laugh like that. Regulus. He looks just like Regulus.

Severus turned back to his cauldron. He added some powdered mandrake root into it, careful not to spill it.

A thick cloud of blue smoke rose from it. It spread across the room and hung in the air.

Sirius started coughing. He was trying to cough quietly, which made his whole body shudder with each cough.

Rolling his eyes, Severus muttered, "Pointless upper class manners," under his breath. He walked to the window and threw it open.

"Turn the chairs," he ordered. Sirius pulled out his wand. "How many potions do we have?" His voice was hoarse from the coughing.

"Six." Severus turned to look at Sirius turn the chairs. He had been doing it everyday, but it was still quite impressive to watch. Sure enough, three men appeared at once. Four were already infected. Even if they were turned back into chairs, once Sirius made them human again, they emerged unconscious with black veins marking their skin.

The two uninfected ones sat still, not speaking. One of them blinked. "We don't have much of the Blackroot Potion left," Severus murmured as he gave each man a drop. Sirius sighed, "How much?"

"Ten more drops. A dozen, if we really stretch it."

Sirius felt strange every time Severus said we. We pulled them together and put them in a distinct box. We somehow bound them. With we, they couldn't be disparate, they were thrown together.

The temperature in the room was dropping rapidly, owing to the feezing cold outside. In three days, a month would be completed from when Regulus was attacked.

Severus looked at Sirius. "Do you not know the lightning spell?"

"I do." Sirius shrugged. It wasn't something they learnt at school. "Do it."

Sirius shrugged again, and pointed his wand at one of the men sitting up. A current of violet electricity shot out from his wand, and hit the man right in the chest. He collapsed, unconscious.

If you have no soul, can you be conscious in the first place?

Severus took care of the other one, as he had with all the other four. He had only wanted to see the colour of Sirius' lightning. Severus' was a brilliant blue.

Severus looked at Sirius' arm as they waited for the potion to finish cooking. Sirius noticed him staring. "We don't have to cover them up anymore." We.

Severus nodded, but didn't ask why. Maybe Remus Lupin -given that he'd seen- and James Potter could stop him from doing it again. It wasn't a pretty sight.

A harsh wind blew in through the open window, putting their candles out. They were enveloped in sudden darkness.

"Lumos!" Sirius' wand lit up at its end. He pointed it towards Severus, who was getting ready to light the candles, "Incen-"

They both froze, hearing a small groan. It was a chair-man. "Incendio!" Snape lit the candles again. They looked at each other, then at the men. "Lumos!" Severus chanted. His wand lit up, but there was no response from the man.

"Put the candles out," Sirius whispered, his heart pounding. Severus blew them out. "Nox," they put out their wands. "Try and figure out which one responds, okay?" Sirius said.

"Lumos!" His wand lit up again, and the man in the left corner moaned softly. The two boys exchanged a glance.

"Try the duo," Severus told him. Sirius nodded and put the light out. "Lumos duo!" A bright beam of light flashed from his wand, but the man didn't move. He put the light out.

"Lumos maxima!" Severus tried. A blinding white light flashed for a second, then they fell back into the dark. No response.

Severus stepped back. "Maybe the potion isn't potent enough," he sugfested. Sirius shook his head, then realising that Severus probably couldn't see him, said, "Wait, Severus."

Severus waited.

In the dark, he could make out Sirius raising his wand. Aiming at the man, he cried, "Lumos solem!"

Golden streams of light, sunlight, shone on to the man's skin. They danced around him, etching patterns on his tainted skin, and the black veins started disappearing.

The two boys stepped closer to each other, hearts pounding. Sirius wanted to hold on to something lest he should collapse out of anxiety. He didn't even realise that he was clinging on to Severus' arm.

The room grew warmer as the light spread across the room, painting their faces in ambers and golds. Sirius was shaking, his long fingers digging into the rough material of Severus' robes. They held their breath, waiting.

The man opened his eyes.