Landed part IV
Title: Landed Part III
Pairings: Remus/Sirius
Rating: Still G but angstier than i'd expected.
Disclaimer: I'm not sure this makes any difference saying this, but unfortunately - not mine.
Summary: Lie Low At Lupins era. Well. The angst continues. I'm quite a jolly person really. Honest.
Thanks so much for your comments everyone - especially paulamcg - you comment like a prolific comment elf and it's great. this bit's for you.
Landed Part IV
The pale morning light seeped through the gap in the curtains and onto Remus’ sleeping eyes. He blinked awake to find that the ache in his neck had extended down his back and into his legs. The fire had long since gone out and the chill of a night out of bed had stiffened his body. He opened his eyes fully and saw the blanket and cushion on the floor but no Sirius.
‘Sirius?’ he called out whilst creaking his joints into position and standing up. ‘Sirius, where are you?’
There was no reply from the living room or the kitchen. Panic began to rise like bile in Remus’ throat.
‘Sirius! For God’s sake man, where are you?’
He leapt up the stairs in three swift strides, his earlier stiffness subsiding. He hesitated before knocking on the bathroom door.
‘Are you in there Sirius?’ There was no reply and so he looked inside to find that it was in fact empty. He pushed open the door to his bedroom and, not seeing Sirius there, went to turn away. Before he could get through the door however, Remus noticed a large dark circle on his bed right next to his pillow. He breathed deeply, trying to steady his heartbeat.
‘Padfoot,’ he called clearly but calmly, ‘Padfoot, it’s me.’ The sleeping form didn’t move. Remus sat down gently on the bed and, speaking his name all the while, began to gently stroke the dog’s soft fur. He felt warm under his hands and Remus felt for the first time a smile tentatively growing on his lips. Padfoot had always known the most comfortable places to sleep and would doubtless wake up with out the aches that belied Remus’ true age.
Remus knew that Sirius would sleep quietly now and so went downstairs to send an owl to Dumbledore as he’d promised in the small hours that morning. What could he say though? Has anyone tried to murder the godson of an escaped convict I happen to be hiding at the moment? He dipped his quill in the ink several times only to let it drip from the end and gather in a black pool. He finally settled for a simple enquiry into Harry’s condition upon the request of a close friend, offering his assistance in any matters should it be needed. Remus hadn’t known how to phrase his concerns at the return of the Dark Lord though and so asked only, ‘Is he back?’.
A soft tick came at the window and Remus wondered briefly whether the postal service were employing a new breed of psychic owl when he saw that the bird in question had a message of its own to deliver. Swapping the note for his own and sending the owl on its way, Remus took the opportunity to breath in the fresh morning air. The storm had cleared the oppressive feeling from the surrounding countryside and left a clean, open feeling in its wake. He stood by the window and unrolled the neat bit of parchment.
Dear Remus,
Hope all’s well. I saw your old school chum yesterday morning. Can’t say he seemed on top form. Perhaps you can look after him for a while. Everything he says about the state of things is true, unfortunately. Our champ is doing just fine though given the circumstances.
Contact me at home if you need anything.
Best wishes,
Arthur Weasley.
Remus felt a heavy weight pulling him down from the inside. No wonder Sirius was in such a state. He folded the parchment and placed it on his desk. If Sirius had been at Arthur’s there was only one thing that could be happening and that was that the Order was being reformed. Remus grimaced at the involuntary shimmer of excitement that passed through him. It was selfish to think that he’d at last have the chance to do something useful again and to see intelligent people on a regular basis and it disgusted him to think that it had been his first reaction.
He shut the window, feeling safer by keeping even the outside air from infiltrating his home. Remembering that Sirius was still a wanted man he methodically went round the rest of the house and set up subtle protection spells that would alert him to intruders and, not wanting to take even the slightest risk, locked every door and window by hand. He was placing the last wards on the back door that led from the kitchen into the garden when he heard the scrabbling sound of claws on the tiled floor.
‘Hello Padfoot,’ he said. ‘Feeling a bit better?’.
The dog sniffed Remus’ hand leaving a wet trail on the back of it before lying in front of Remus’ feet and placing his paw over his muzzle.
‘It’s alright. Harry is just fine. I had an owl this morning from Arthur.’ Remus filled the kettle and started cleaning the pots from the day before. ‘He says you went to see him. Does that mean what I think it does? Is the order reformed?’
Remus felt the air shift behind him before he saw that Sirius had become a man once again.
‘Sirius,’ he said, smiling at his old friend and relieved to see that he was not planning on remaining a dog all day. Sirius looked into Remus’ eyes and then straight back down to his feet.
‘He’s back. And the order has reformed,’ he said. ‘It’s taken me a while to tell everyone. I went on foot for most of the way. Dumbledore didn’t want them knowing by owl and my apparating isn’t quite what it used to be. Got lost on the way to Doge’s house. Arthur was the last one I saw before coming here.’
There seemed to be very little emotion in Sirius’ voice, just a matter of fact resignation to the truth of the situation.
‘I see,’ said Remus carefully. ‘And everyone knows?’
Sirius nodded.
‘Am I your last stop then?’
‘Dumbledore told me to come here,’ he replied.
‘Are you staying?’ Remus tried hard to hide the disappointment in his voice upon hearing that Sirius hadn’t come of his own free will.
‘If you’ll have me Remus,' he said, looking up into the other man's face as though he was searching for something. It was Remus who looked away this time.
‘Of course. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to.’
Sirius thanked Remus before shifting again into his dog form and slinking away back up the stairs. Dishwater dripped from Remus’ hands onto the floor where he stood. The kettle whistled a shrill alarm as he sunk to the hard tiles and began to sob.
part V