Four To The End Book Two (Marauders Era)

Chapter One Hundred - Recovery

Author's Note: Trigger warning for weight related issues in this chapter as well.

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Darkness pressed down as Remus wasted away into nothing; he was locked up in his cellar room, starving. He wasn't sure how long he had been in there, only that his body was getting thinner. He cried and pleaded to be let go until, finally, he heard something unlocking. There were whispers on the other side, and a door swinging open...

"Remus?"

He woke up with a gasp, jerking upright. He was in his hospital room, and no one else was there—except the door was open. Only for a second. He watched it close on his own.

"G—guys?" he asked, their smells drifting past his nose. The cloak was jerked off, revealing the Marauders staring at him in shock. Remus pushed himself into a better sitting position, frowning. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

"We were about to ask you the same thing," James said.

Sirius rushed to Remus's bedside, grey eyes enormous. "What the bloody hell happened?!" he demanded, seizing Remus's hand. He picked Remus's arm up, fingers touching the too-thin wrist; it looked like it would snap in Sirius's hand. "What the hell? Remus?" He sounded upset and horrified. "What the hell? You look—"

"I know," Remus cut him off. "I'm fine. You can't be here!"

"We were worried," Peter whispered, coming to the other side of the bed. "You said you'd be back..."

Remus used his free hand to push his hair out of his face. "I know, I'm sorry. The—this moon was really rough."

"No kidding," James said, eyes sweeping across Remus's frail body.

Remus shrank back slightly, resisting the urge to yank his hand away from Sirius. "I'll—I'll be fine, it's okay. You have to get out of here before Pomfrey—"

"What happened?" Sirius asked, turning Remus's hand over as he kept examining him. "You've never looked..." His eyes met Remus's, and he looked away. "Like this," he finally finished, the worry very clear in his tone. "You've looked bad before. But not like this."

"I lost weight, that's all," Remus said. "It's fine, I promise. I have to stay here a bit. But you have to go. Now! If Pomfrey finds you in here, it'll be bad! If they know you know..."

"Can we come visit you tomorrow?" Pete asked.

"No! They can't know you know I'm here," Remus hissed out. "I d-don't know how long I'll be here but—but hopefully I'll be back tomorrow. I can't come to classes—"

"The horror," Sirius grumbled.

Remus shot him a look. "But hopefully she'll release me in the evening if I rest and eat loads."

"You—you're sure you'll be okay?" James asked.

"Yes, but none of us will be unless you go now!"

Peter gave his shoulder a squeeze and James leaned in to pat his arm. Sirius wrapped his fingers around Remus's hand, not quite squeezing. Obviously (probably?) he didn't want to hurt Remus. Finally, he set Remus's hand down, and, after some goodbyes and well wishes, the three of them disappeared back under James's cloak. The door opened and shut, and pretty much as soon as it shut he heard Sirius say how he hoped next month Remus would say he's the ill one so they could visit.

Remus settled back in bed, tucking his hand—the one Sirius had been holding—against his chest.

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