fandom_muses: What do you do when you can't sleep?
When the house is silent, and everyone else is asleep, sometimes Remus has trouble doing the same. Sometimes he just stays in bed, letting his mind wander away from him while listening to Sirius breathe. It's extremely comforting and relaxing to do such a thing, actually, and most of the time it relaxes him enough to get him close to sleep again.
Tonight, however, there is no such luck.
When that happens, Remus sometimes goes downstairs for a cup of tea and so he can read for a few hours. It's the insomnia that hits him every now and then, the one that gets impossible to get rid of from time to time.
Before any of that, however, he follows a different routine. He slips very carefully out of bed, he makes sure that Sirius is asleep and well before quietly making his way out of the room. The difference from the warmth he had been sharing with Sirius to the cold hallway always makes him shudder, but instead of going back he first makes a stop at Harry's door. From the threshold he makes sure that he's also sleeping, and that he is also all right before making his way over to Teddy's room. Teddy is always tangled in the covers as if a hurricane ran through them and trapped him in it, his hair wild and everywhere against the pillow, but he's peaceful. And he always looks happy while sleeping, so he just leans over and kisses his forehead as softly as he can. His baby, growing up. His baby, who is not such a baby anymore, but who's happy and healthy.
Feeling content enough that his family is all well, and not a minute before that, Remus finally makes his way down to the kitchen. He prepares a cup of tea, and he brings with him a book close to the fireplace so he can keep warm while reading. In a few hours he will go back upstairs. He will check on his sons once more, and he will crawl back into bed so he can try to get at least a couple of hours of sleep next to Sirius.
But for now he just reads. And he lets that content feeling grow and settle inside him, making him feel more at peace than he has ever felt.
Tonight, however, there is no such luck.
When that happens, Remus sometimes goes downstairs for a cup of tea and so he can read for a few hours. It's the insomnia that hits him every now and then, the one that gets impossible to get rid of from time to time.
Before any of that, however, he follows a different routine. He slips very carefully out of bed, he makes sure that Sirius is asleep and well before quietly making his way out of the room. The difference from the warmth he had been sharing with Sirius to the cold hallway always makes him shudder, but instead of going back he first makes a stop at Harry's door. From the threshold he makes sure that he's also sleeping, and that he is also all right before making his way over to Teddy's room. Teddy is always tangled in the covers as if a hurricane ran through them and trapped him in it, his hair wild and everywhere against the pillow, but he's peaceful. And he always looks happy while sleeping, so he just leans over and kisses his forehead as softly as he can. His baby, growing up. His baby, who is not such a baby anymore, but who's happy and healthy.
Feeling content enough that his family is all well, and not a minute before that, Remus finally makes his way down to the kitchen. He prepares a cup of tea, and he brings with him a book close to the fireplace so he can keep warm while reading. In a few hours he will go back upstairs. He will check on his sons once more, and he will crawl back into bed so he can try to get at least a couple of hours of sleep next to Sirius.
But for now he just reads. And he lets that content feeling grow and settle inside him, making him feel more at peace than he has ever felt.