Light (Wolfstar au)

17.

TW: Blood

"And that's how I managed to buy a tortoise in Finland." Remus raises an eyebrow, laughing.

"You know Sirius, I don't know whether to believe you or not, because that story is definitely very hard to believe, but it also sounds like the sort of reckless, stupid, idiotic, unbelievable shit you would do." James and Sirius both laugh, voices ringing out into the trees. 

"Hey, Sirius, do you want to come back to ours, I could cook something and we could play Scrabble maybe?" 

Sirius grins. This request, it feels like everything he's ever wanted, a family, a maybe-boyfriend and a warm place, a home maybe, to return to, and the freedom of having people who love you and friends who would do anything for you. And as Remus takes his hand,and they stand up, walking together and laughing, he realises that he's content, finally.

Then there's a face, in an alleyway, beckoning, beckoning, and Sirius doesn't want to go, not at all, but Remus needs protecting so he must do what Fenrir says, he must. He must protect Remus.

"I've just gotta go back, forgot my coat on the bench, I'll be right back." James nods, and Sirius rushes off, leaving him and Remus behind. They want to stay, in the park, just talking, but the air is biting, cold wrapping itself around their wrists and their ankles and pulling them, out of the park, whispering, go home, go home, we don't want you out here. The vision of warmth and a hot drink beckons them, and who are they to reject that?

And Sirius has forgotten his coat on the bench, and Remus knows he should be fine with it, but there's something uneasy about this whole situation. He pauses, just for a second.

Sirius is just round the corner, and Fenrir's face is leering at him, reeking breath invading his nostrils. 

"Take it."

Remus thinks he can hear voices just round the corner, but he's not sure. He can hear James' footsteps up the street but he doesn't want to follow him, yet, he needs to wait for Sirius, he can feel something is wrong, he can sense it.

Sirius shakes his head, desperately, and Greyback's nose is almost touching his, his eyes are bulging and wild with anger.

Remus' eyebrows furrow, he thinks back to when they were walking here. Sirius didn't bring a coat.

Sirius can't breathe, the hand is round his throat and there's a glint of metal, shining, light glinting onto the cobbles, beckoning him. It's almost beautiful, he thinks, the way something so destructive can be so... enticing. 

The world rips itself apart.

Remus' eyes widen and he's almost rushing back when he hears something, a muffled cry and footsteps, running away, fleeing. He turns and runs towards the sound.

Sirius can see, the world is spinning, there's blood painting the grass, green flooded with red. He can't think. It hurts too much.

Remus can smell blood, he's running and he realises he's dropped his cane. He feels disorientated, so dizzy. He falls to the ground, next to a dwindling warmth.

Sirius sees a face above him, soft hair he's run his fingers through countless times, those unseeing eyes, that face he tried so hard to protect. 

Why won't the world stay still? I want to see him one last time.

Remus' hands feel the face, he's hoping without hope that it's not Sirius, that it's just another unfortunate victim, that it's not Sirius.

It's not Sirius. It's not Sirius. It's not sirius it's not sirius it's notsiriusit'snotsiriusitsnotsiriusitsnot

It's Sirius.

And Sirius lies, he watches the face above, he realises how much he loves it, how much he loves Remus. 

There's rain falling out of the sky, landing in droplets on the ground, light from the clouds haloing Remus in an ethereal light. He thinks it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

Remus falls back onto his feet. The world is spinning, he's dizzy, so dizzy. It's not Sirius. It can't be. He feels the face, over and over again, he's crying out James name, and there he is, next to him, hugging him so tightly, hugging him only to keep him here, not sinking to the ground, not sinking down, down, down into the darkness, and Remus is crying for once, raindrops dripping down his face, he's screaming those huge sobs that shake his body and he's crying, he's crying.

He bends over Sirius again, the rain is his tears.

He touches the earth, gently, he tastes the dirt.

It tastes like blood.

Sorry guys.

Thanks for reading this and this is not the end, Sirius will be ok, I promise. :)

Thanks!!

Tod