Embrace [oneshot]
Title: Embrace
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Rating: G
Word Count: 528
Summary: Remus doesn't like crowds.
A/N: Written for the prompt 'Crowds' over @ adventchallenge for day 10/25. Can't believe I've made it this far!!!
Remus stopped abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk. People were surrounding him, pouring out of a building he'd been walking past. He'd just been minding his own business, making his way to the apparation point just beyond the post office with his newly purchased Christmas gifts, when the flash mob of people had seemingly come out of nowhere. He tried not to panic.
He'd always been a little nervous around large groups of people. Spending the majority of your early childhood out in the middle of nowhere, with only your parents for company, did that to a guy. He'd mostly gotten over the anxiety during his first couple of years at Hogwarts-with the help of his friends-but sometimes he still had moments.
He closed his eyes as his breathing picked up. He tried to concentrate on relaxing-these people didn't even realize he existed; what was there to worry about?-but he couldn't ignore the feel of countless strangers brushing past him, some muttering about him getting the hell out of the way. His hands started to tremble.
He'd had episodes like this before, but it'd been a while, and he'd always had one or more of his friends with him to calm him down. Now there was no one. He was alone.
He should've known going Christmas shopping by himself was a bad idea. He'd just wanted everyone's gifts to be a surprise. He'd thought he'd be able to handle it. He'd done pretty well in the crowded shops. But this was too much. In the shops he'd been able to calm down by promising himself he'd be free once he got outside. But now he was already outside. There was nowhere to go but deeper into the mass of people. He felt trapped.
His heart was pounding and he felt numb despite the chill in the air feeling like it was creeping in around him, burrying into his bones and stealing his breath away. He thought he might actually pass out.
And suddenly there were arms around him. Remus's eyes flew open in surprise. He didn't move, unsure what to do. He was still surrounded by strangers, but the arms enveloping him made him feel detached from them, safe from their crushing closeness. They banished the chill from him and steadied his shaking. Despite himself, he relaxed.
Once he'd composed himself somewhat, he looked down at the arms around his waist. He smiled. From what he could see, the man was wearing a jacket much too thin for the weather, an array of mismatching bracelets and watches-none of which showed the correct time-and had a fresh coat of black polish on his nails.
"I bet your mum loved this," he said, rubbing his thumb over a painted fingernail.
Sirius smiled against his ear. "She hexed it off six times before giving up."
Remus chuckled and turned to wrap his arms around Sirius and bury his face in the taller boy's neck. He hummed appreciatively when he tightened his hold on him. He didn't know where Sirius had come from, or how he'd known Remus was there, but he didn't care. So long as he didn't let go.
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