A welcome break (Remus, cold, Remus/Sirius)

[Guest]

I'm not writing much at the moment, but this absolutely refused to be left alone! There is more to come, I just don't have a lot of time at the moment to write it, so this is what I've got so far. Apologies if I've played fast and loose with canon timelines, it's supposedly set between Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix somewhere. Remus/Sirius fluff, hurt/comfort, etc etc. Sorry if you don't like stuffed-up talk, I don't usually either, but this just spoke to me somehow. Anyway, I hope you like it.

 

 

“Morning,” Sirius whispered sleepily as he rolled over to embrace Remus, who was wearily climbing into bed. Curling around his partner’s chilled body, he felt as much as heard Remus groan, with pain or tiredness, he couldn’t tell. Dawn was just starting to lighten the sky behind the curtains; the full moon had set for another month, and quickly their breathing settled and they drifted into sleep.

They had decided to leave Grimmauld Place and go back to Remus’s cottage in the remote Scottish highlands for his transformation – it was safer to be as far away from everyone as he possibly could be, Remus had argued, and Sirius had seen no reason to disagree. It meant he was free of that terrible house, free of London, free of all the constricting safety measures that drove him to distraction. Before the sun had risen too much higher, Sirius slipped quietly out of bed, careful not to wake Remus, dressed, shoved some bread and cheese into a bag and went out. The air was chilly but promised a clear day to come – early September was proving kind still, with sunshine and warm breezes. He revelled in the huge sky overhead, the empty views, the space to run as man or dog indiscriminately. Nothing would stop him savouring this time.

By late afternoon, hunger and tiredness drew him back to the cottage. Approaching it from above, he watched it grow bigger and bigger, from a tiny aberrant square shape at the bottom of a valley to a blocky stone dwelling, with a thatched roof and tiny chimney from which smoke was curling lazily in the sun. The paint was peeling slightly from the green front door, and little was left of an old kitchen garden, signs of Remus’s absence from the place for more than a year. After drinking in a long look at the mountains ranged around them, Sirius pushed the door open.

The cottage was small, but well appointed – a warm living room with a door onto a little kitchen, and upstairs and bedroom and bathroom. Remus sat reclining in a large armchair by the fire, so engrossed in a book that he hadn’t heard Sirius’s entrance. They were both wearing Muggle clothes – a necessary precaution at Grimmauld Place that, surprisingly, both had quite warmed to. Remus was the very picture of an old-fashioned university lecturer – button-down shirt, comfortably-worn maroon jumper, and cords. Sirius had gone for a more modern black jeans, t-shirt, and jacket. He watched Remus for a few seconds, noting without judgment the tiny lines around his eyes, the way his shoulder hunched slightly, holding the book quite close to his face. He could do with reading glasses. But his action of running his hand through his now-greying hair in frustration was so precisely the same as when they had been at school that Sirius almost laughed. Feeling suddenly awkward, he coughed. Remus looked up, taking a moment to come back to where he was.

“You’re back. Did you have a good prowl?”

“Yes, it was glorious.” Sirius took off his jacket in the warm room and hung it up.

“There’s tea in the pot.” Remus paused, frowning. “Or, rather, there was…it might be cold by now…”

“I’ll make some fresh.”

As he put the kettle on the stove to boil, he heard a trio of choked sneezes from the other room.

“Heh’ngtch’choo! Eh’tgkch’shoo! Heh’ngxt’chu!!” Sirius put two and two together: the husky edge to Remus’s voice, the crumpled handkerchief within easy reach on the arm of the chair, the sneezing.

“Here you go.” He set a fresh mug of tea on the coffee table.

“Thanks.” Remus sat up, stretching his shoulders with a groan.

“You alright?”

“Yes, I’m just a bit sore.” He massaged his neck, wincing. “Somehow wolfsbane always makes me feel like I’ve spent the night sleeping upside down in a small cupboard.” His gaze turned inward, and he reached for the handkerchief, quickly muffling a tired sneeze. “Huh’mpff’shoo!! Ad I’ve godt a code,” he managed thickly through the fabric, before refolding it and blowing his nose in a practiced motion.

“Bad luck,” Sirius commiserated, not quite sure how to respond. He was so used to Remus being the solid, dependable one. He decided food was the answer. “I’m going to make a start on dinner, I’m starving. Do you want anything?”

“No thanks, but I’ll come and help.”

That was another thing about their short-lived escape: the chance just to be alone with Remus, doing their own thing, without everyone else around all the time. It was a welcome break from all the rest of their time with the Order, discussing complicated strategies or recent attacks. Not much light relief.

However, when after the seventh fiercely-stifled sneeze Remus gave an involuntary moan and rubbed his forehead in pain, Sirius gave in. This wasn’t the night for happy domesticity.

“Moony, please go to bed or at least lie down. I’ve got this. I’ll come and get you when it’s ready.”

“I’m… heh’NXTCH!! ugh, egscuse me…fide…” Almost while he was saying the words, Remus seemed to realise the futility of his protest. “Well, maybe for a little while.” Still sniffling into his handkerchief, he trudged off upstairs.

Edited May 3, 2018 by Katrelle
so many commas!

[Sitruuna]

This is a really nice start! I'm definitely looking forward to reading more.

[Jelloicious]

Oh this is just lovely!  I like the way to take the time to describe the characters and the setting.  I can just see your Remus and Sirius.  You really do capture the sense of Sirisus' claustrophobic darkness that Grimauld Place generates.  He must love these romps in the countryside.  And Remus by the fire in his worn maroon jumper is just the perfect picture!  YUM!   I look forward to seeing where you go with this!

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm glad you're enjoying this. This might be it for a while but hopefully it doesn't disappoint.

 

“Remus?” Sirius shook his shoulder gently. Remus opened a bleary eye and struggled to focus.

“Sorry, must have dozed off…”he tried, vaguely, sitting up and rubbing a hand over his face.

“That’s alright. Dinner’s ready. Want to come down?”

“Give me a minute…heh!…” His face crumpled as he sneezed forcefully several times, head ducking toward his shoulder.

“Heh’KSHOO!! Hah’ISSHOO!! HH’ISSHOO!!” Sniffing wetly, he found his handkerchief on the bedside table and blew his nose, trying to clear it of built-up congestion.

“Bless you.”

“Thagks.” Lowering the handkerchief, he rolled his eyes at Sirius. “You go ahead; I’ll be down in a sec.”

Remus heard him clattering plates and bowls downstairs as he tried to wake up properly. He wasn’t used to sharing his space so intensely and having a cold made everything worse. He had hoped he and Sirius could have a few days of stolen freedom together, make up for some of the time they had lost. But instead he seemed fated to spend it a miserable, sneezing mess.

“How are you feeling?” Sirius asked as he descended the staircase. As if in answer, Remus sneezed wearily into his handkerchief.

“H’HRRFFH’shoo!!” Sighing, he blew his nose yet again, not deigning to give more of an answer.

“Bless you. Well, this should help.” Sirius put a bowl of steaming chilli in front of him. Remus ate obediently, dabbing at his running nose.

“Thank you. I’m sure it’s delicious, Padfoot, I just wish I could taste it.” Sirius began to clear the bowls away.

“Can I do anything?”

Remus was embarrassed. “No, thank you, I think I’ll just read my book and wallow in self-pity.” He caught Sirius’s eye with an awkward smile. They sat together on the sagging sofa, Remus reading, Sirius feeding the fire and watching it in silence. Remus felt himself finally start to relax, letting the warmth seep into his tired body.

“What are you reading?” Sirius asked a while later, as Remus tutted to himself and made a note in the margin of his book with a pencil.

“Oh, it’s an account of some idiot in the 1880s who went on a vampire-hunting expedition to Madagascar.”

“Are there any vampires in Madagascar?”

Remus shot him a look of scholarly disappointment. “No. That is why the author is a moron. I was reading it before the school year ended with a view to setting it for my sixth-years to read. They could mark up the misconceptions about vampires, and do some research to see which had already been thoroughly debunked by the time of the expedition.” He turned the page, then quickly raised his handkerchief, quickly stifling a sneeze.

“Hheh’nkxtch!!”

“Bless you. Do you miss teaching?”

Remus dabbed at his nose and sniffed, considering his answer. “Yes, I do, actually. It seems silly – only doing it for a year. I don’t even know if I was any good at it really. But I enjoyed it a lot. It just seemed to fit, somehow. It suited me.” Silence stretched out between them, neither wanting to bring up the fact that it was unlikely he would be able to teach anywhere in the future. Eventually Sirius spoke.

“I have no idea what would ‘suit’ me. Azkaban was…well, it makes you forget who you are, after a while. And I was just a kid when I went in really, I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted to do. And now…” he paused, trying to put something into words, but Remus interrupted him with another sneeze, and then another.

“Heh’NKGT’choo!!...heh’TKTCH’choo!!” The tightly-contained sneezes made his head throb, but with Sirius sitting right next to him he was too self-conscious to let them out.

“Bless you.”

“Bloody hell,” Remus muttered, blowing his nose and kneading his forehead with a hand. Sirius stroked his back sympathetically, the movement almost automatic as he pondered something.

“I was thinking, do you really need to take wolfsbane if you transform here? We’re a hundred miles away from anyone, muggle or human. And I’m here, I can look out for you.”

Remus shrugged. “I’m not as hard to find as I was, here. With the Order back, they need to be able to contact me. Someone could come with a message, someone could even apparate here by mistake because I can’t ward it the way I used to. It’s too much of a risk.”

“I told you, I’d look after you. Like at school.”

Remus shook his head, ignoring this. “Plus I didn’t have wolfsbane before. Now that I can take it, it seems irresponsible not to.”

There was an awkward pause; this wasn’t the first time they’d had this discussion. Sirius got up and walked over to lean on the mantelpiece, frowning hard at the fire.

“You’d choose that traitor Snape to keep you safe rather than me.” He turned back to Remus, his eyes full of hurt.

“Sirius, please let’s not have this conversation again. I can’t bear it.” Remus’s voice cracked on the last words, from his cold or emotion Sirius couldn’t tell, and all the fight went out of him. He came back to the sofa and sat down, elbows resting on his knees.

“I’m sorry, Moony, I’ll leave it.” He spoke to the floor. “I just don’t like seeing you martyr yourself, making yourself ill for no good reason.”

Remus pulled him into his arms, hugging the taller man and rumpling his hair. “I know. Why do you think I brought us here? I can’t stand to see you cooped up in that house when I know how you hate it.” He sighed wearily. “I don’t know, Pads, I’m still finding my footing here. A lot of time’s passed since we were at school, a lot of pain and loneliness and god knows what. Who knows what we’ve got coming for us in the next few years? I just want to make the most of what we’ve got now.” Strained by the long speech, his voice gave out completely and he began to cough into a fist. Sirius summoned a glass of water from the kitchen and handed it to him.

“Thanks,” Remus wheezed, taking a sip. It was Sirius’s turn to hug him, kissing the top of his head. But Remus quickly had to pull away, curling his body into itself as he sneezed into his handkerchief.

“H’ngxkt’choo!! H’knxtcch!! Heh’MPPFH’SHOO!!” The last sneeze, denying all attempt at suppression, echoed round the little cottage. Remus groaned softly, still holding the fabric to his nose.

Sirius laughed, and kissed him on the neck, just below his ear. “Well, what you’ve got right now is a cold, so maybe we can make the most of our time by getting an early night?”

[Jelloicious]

2 hours ago, Katrelle said:

” Silence stretched out between them, neither wanting to bring up the fact that it was unlikely he would be able to teach anywhere in the future

Oh...ow!!

 

2 hours ago, Katrelle said:

“I have no idea what would ‘suit’ me. Azkaban was…well, it makes you forget who you are, after a while. And I was just a kid when I went in really, I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted to do.

You really get right on into these characters, don't you?  I really like that!

 

2 hours ago, Katrelle said:

I was thinking, do you really need to take wolfsbane if you transform here? We’re a hundred miles away from anyone, muggle or human. And I’m here, I can look out for you.”

Remus shrugged. “I’m not as hard to find as I was, here. With the Order back, they need to be able to contact me. Someone could come with a message, someone could even apparate here by mistake because I can’t ward it the way I used to. It’s too much of a risk.”

“I told you, I’d look after you. Like at school.”

Remus shook his head, ignoring this. “Plus I didn’t have wolfsbane before. Now that I can take it, it seems irresponsible not to.”

This is so perfectly spot on in character--with Sirius wanting to go back and pick up something that was good for them before everything was just wrecked for them. 

2 hours ago, Katrelle said:

“Well, what you’ve got right now is a cold, so maybe we can make the most of our time by getting an early night?”

Perfect ending line for this part.

I love the setting, off in a remote cottage.  Love how your story so perfectly picks up where these characters are in the story and in their lives.  How close they are, and how awkward it is to reach across the distance of years, and the awkwardness of Remus' cold.   This is wonderful!

 

[Juto]

This is so so very sweet. I hope you find time to continue it. 

[queenie]

I love this! They’re both so vulnerable and tender, it’s absolutely darling. 

[Guest]

Thank you both! I'm excited people are enjoying this. So excited, in fact, that I had actual plot ideas! So this section is light on sneezing apart from at the beginning, but VERY heavy on hurt/comfort. Hope you like it. Also, the island of Staffa is a real place that I have actually visited, and it would definitely be the perfect place for a secret, atmospheric Death Eater meeting - see https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=staffa+island&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB715GB715&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijyavS8_DaAhVkCcAKHcZeBZEQ_AUIDCgD&biw=1707&bih=843&dpr=1.13#imgrc=FPv-LwebIH_MMM: for instance.

 

Remus woke before Sirius the next morning and lay still, listening to the quiet sound of his regular breathing. It was just after dawn, dusty light just starting to filter through the curtains. Despite a disturbed night’s sleep – neither man slept well at the best of times, not helped by Remus’s stuffy nose and sore throat – he felt much more awake and clear-headed than the previous day.

Until his nose suddenly felt like it was filled with hot needles and he propped himself up on an elbow, turning away from Sirius’s sleeping form as his breath hitched.

“Hih’tchx! Hheh’ngkt! Hih’ngxt!!” Trying not to wake him, Remus stifled as quietly as he could, pinching his nose shut, but the burning in his sinuses only increased.

“Hih’tch’tshoo!! Heh’isssh!! H’hissshoo!! Heh’issshoo! Heh’isssh! Heh’isssshhoo!!” Remus gave in to the fit, the sneezes coming so quickly he was left dizzy and breathless. As it finally subsided, he felt Sirius’s comforting hand on his back.

“Morning. Feeling any better?”

Remus sat up, looking for a clean handkerchief in a drawer, really needing to blow his nose. Sneezing seemed to have undone all his overnight improvement – now he felt as congested and headachey as ever.

“I was,” he mumbled thickly, distracted by the fruitless search, “But after that little perforbadce, I bight have to withhold judgebent.” Finally his fingers closed on a clean cloth, and he blew his nose with intense relief. Unfortunately, this seemed to reignite the burning tickle in his nose and he pitched forward again with another violent sneeze.

“Heh’issshooo!” Sighing, he refolded the handkerchief and blew his nose again.

“Bless you.” Sirius was already sitting up, pulling on his clothes. “Why don’t you try and get a bit more rest? I might go for a walk before breakfast.”

“No, I’m fine, honestly. It’s just worse first thing. You go – I’ll sort breakfast out.”

But only a few minutes after the door had shut behind Sirius, the cottage fireplace glowed an ominous green, and Kingsley Shacklebolt’s face appeared, wearing a grim expression.

“Remus, I’m sorry to disturb you – I realise you’re still recovering.”

Remus dried his hands on a tea towel from the kitchen, and sat down. “No, that’s alright, go ahead. What’s going on?”

“We’ve had word of a meeting of Death Eaters not too far from where you are – on one of the islands off the west coast of Scotland. The Order is planning a raid. There’s been rumours that they may have enlisted the aid of dark creatures and Dumbledore would like you with us.” Kingsley paused to give Lupin time to consider, but Remus didn’t hesitate, already running through in his head what he would need to do to prepare.

“Of course. When and where should we meet?”

“We’ll be flying tonight, early evening. Can you meet us on broomstick at the harbour of the town of Oban at 4pm?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Thanks,” Kingsley looked relieved that he hadn’t had to argue his case. “Well, I’ve got some others to contact, so I’ll see you this evening.” And he was gone.

Remus packed his few things quickly, finished breakfast, and dug out a battered map of Scotland, careful not to tear it at the creases. Calculating in his head, he realised that Kingsley hadn’t left him a lot of time; he would have to leave immediately to reach there by four. Guiltily, he wrote a hasty scroll to Sirius.

 

Padfoot,

I’m needed for a raid with the Order in Scotland and had to leave straight away. I’ll meet you in Grimmauld Place tomorrow – we’ll need to debrief there. I’m sorry to cut our stay here short - please lock up and set the wards when you leave.

Moony

 

Looking it over, it was completely inadequate, but what more could he say? He couldn’t promise anything if there was going to be fighting, which had sounded likely; he couldn’t tell Sirius not to worry. Feeling even more of a coward, Remus picked up his broom, and left.

The weather in Oban was foul, driving rain and freezing wind coming off the sea. Remus pulled his cloak tightly around him and tried not to shiver. He had flown for hours but only reached the harbour with a few minutes to spare. He tried to ignore a niggling tickle at the back of his nose, but without success.

“Heh’ISSHHooo!! Heh’ESSHOO!!” He sniffed wetly, loathe to open his cloak for the biting wind to find his handkerchief.

“Nasty night.” Remus looked around, and saw Kingsley beside him, several unknown Aurors at his back. “Thank you for coming, Remus.”

“Not at all. Where are we going?”

“The island of Staffa – uninhabited, usually that is. Really just a rock in the middle of the sea with some caves.”

“How many Death Eaters are we expecting?”

“Not sure. Maybe only three or four, maybe more. And they may have a troll.”

“Alright. When do we set off?”

“Now. Fly in V formation, I’m on point as I know the route. We aren’t sure when their meeting is starting, but we think they’re all there already so no time to lose. Take them alive if possible, kill them if not. Don’t let any escape.” Another gust of wind battered them, and Remus shivered, suppressing a cough. Kingsley looked at him more closely. “Are you alright to do this, Remus?”

“Fine,” he protested, coughing harder for a few more seconds before getting himself under control and climbing onto his broom. “No time to lose.”

It was hard to see anything on the broom; night had fallen quickly and the darkness over the choppy waves was absolute. Remus fixed his gaze on the tiny wandlight of the Auror in front of him and thought of nothing else. His throat was burning and he couldn’t stop shivering; he wondered how much good he would truly be in a fight against a troll tonight.

The Death Eaters did nothing to disguise their presence, but they weren’t expecting company – an ominous green glow was visible from a cave in the black rock. Remus could just make out high, regularly shaped columns making up the walls. He wondered whether they were truly natural rock formations or if this was some deliberately-built hideaway for dark wizards. But there was no time to consider geological architecture – Kingsley was shouting, showing no sign of slowing his broom, and then the fight had begun.

They had the element of surprise, but Remus counted six Death Eaters against their five Order members, plus the promised troll. He headed straight for the towering creature, trying to distract it with bright sparking spells while assessing the best way to attack it. It lumbered towards him, batting away the magic lights in its attempt to get at him with long swinging arms. Remus stared upwards into its angry face. He raised his wand, and with a crack, a large chunk of rock broke off from the ceiling and crashed into the troll’s head with a sickening thud. It stopped with a look of slow surprise, then fell straight forward. Remus sprinted backwards, shouting to the others to look out. With no time to check whether the troll was even still alive, he countered a curse from one of the Death Eaters and was back on the attack. Two Death Eaters were down, and all the Aurors were still standing, though two were nursing injuries. With a loud bang, Kingsley aimed a stunning spell at one of the remaining attackers, and she fell. At the same moment, something stalked out of the shadows at the back of the cave, and Remus stopped.

It was tall, humanoid, and cloaked in darkness. He had a brief glimpse of a pale face and shadowy robe, before cold panic filled his veins. Through the blood pulsing suddenly loud in his ears, he heard Kingsley say, “What the hell is that?”

“It’s a vampire,” he heard himself say, astonished by how calm he sounded. A part of his brain was frantically trying to remember what he should do. So few true accounts of vampire killings existed – most were either fabricated or the explorers did not live to write their account. It was stalking towards him, and Remus could see its eyes glowing like hot coals. It seemed to sniff the air, and hissed suddenly, staring fixedly at Remus.

“Wolf,” it whispered, and the sound echoed clearly around the cave. Remus circled it, drawing it away from the rest of the battle. It wouldn’t be able to resist attacking him; vampires feared werewolves instinctively. Holding out his free hand behind him, he summoned his broom, feeling its reassuring weight. He would only get one shot at this.

The vampire was only a few feet away from him now, close to the back wall of the cave. Remus managed to manoeuvre so his back was to the continuing fight. Unable to break its gaze, he hoped the others were busy with their own battles. They wouldn’t be able to help, and it would be dangerous to try. He tried to read the creature’s expression. When would it strike?

Now. Quick as a snake, the vampire leapt for him, fangs reaching for his flesh. Remus raised the broom, jamming it firmly between the creature’s jaws, forcing it back against the stone wall. With his other hand, he drove his wand into the vampire’s chest, casting an attacking spell for good measure. For a second, nothing happened. Then, with the sound of tearing fabric, the creature crumbled to dust, and Remus was left holding his wand and broom as though nothing had happened.

He heard a ragged round of applause from behind him, and turned to see the Aurors watching.

“Well done, Remus,” said Kingsley, beaming. “That was a risk and no mistake.” Remus smiled weakly, adrenaline still coursing through his body, heart pounding. He leaned back against a column, knees trembling, willing himself not to faint. Around him, the Aurors were magically restraining the living Death Eaters, and the troll, who was still unconscious. The raid had been a success.

As his body finally started to come down from its heightened state, Remus realised how cold he was, soaked through from the rain and the sea spray with the wind still whistling through the cave. He shivered convulsively, then began coughing, doubled over, chest aching. His throat burned as he took steadying gulps of air.

“Remus?” He felt Kingsley’s hand on his shoulder and looked up. He noticed for the first time that Kingsley was bleeding, a jagged rip in the arm of his robes showing torn flesh beneath.

“I’m alright,” Remus mumbled, feeling anything but. “Your arm-“

“Later. We’ll clear up here, and I’ll report to Dumbledore. You get back to Grimmauld Place – apparate. You’re done here.” He spoke slowly, watching Remus carefully, as if to make sure he understood. Remus thought about protesting, but then nodded.

“Thanks. I’ll see you soon.”

“Go.” Kingsley let go of his shoulder, and Remus steadied himself. He turned on the spot…

 

…and was back in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. Sirius leapt up from the table where he’d been sitting.

“Thank Merlin,” he breathed, grabbing Remus, who was leaning on the back of the nearest chair. “Are you hurt? Do you need-“

“I’m fine,” Remus protested, letting Sirius sit him down in the chair nearest the fireplace and drag his sodden cloak off him. “Well, I’m freezing, and exhausted, but I’m not injured.”

“You look awful.” Concern and relief battled on Sirius’s face. He drew up his chair next to Remus and stared at him. Remus tried to smile reassuringly, rubbing his arms to get warm, but this made him cough more; deep, wrenching, barking coughs that hurt every part of his tired body. When they had subsided, Sirius put a mug of something warm into his hands.

“Drink this – it’ll warm you up.” Remus sipped obediently, tasting some kind of herbal tea, and a kick of brandy.

“Thanks. I’m sorry I had to leave without-“

“It’s fine. There wasn’t time. I’m just glad…” Sirius trailed off, staring into the fire.

“Me too.” Remus took another sip, finishing the tea. “There was a vampire, you know. A real one.” Sirius stared at him. “I killed it.”

“Shit.” He grinned. “Maybe you should write a book about it.”

Remus chuckled, then winced, putting a hand to his chest. “Ugh, don’t make me laugh…”

Sirius frowned, reaching out and putting a hand to Remus’s forehead. “Merlin’s beard, Remus, you’re running a temperature.” Remus shrugged, shivering despite the fire nearby. He was having a hard time just staying awake, now the danger had passed, and Sirius was there, and he’d had a hot drink and was sitting by the warm fire. His head started to nod.

“Oh no, you don’t…” Sirius shook his shoulder. “Bed. Now. Come on.” He put an arm around Remus and pulled him upright. Together, they made it upstairs and into Sirius’s tiny bedroom with its single bed and meagre fireplace. Remus’s bag from the cottage was waiting where he’d sent it on earlier. Quickly, Sirius pulled off the wet robes Remus had been wearing. They squeezed into the narrow bed, Sirius hugging Remus’s shivering body to him, his front against Remus’s back. At last, Remus found himself relaxing, even starting to feel warm.

“Thank you,” he murmured, already half asleep. Sirius grunted.

“Glad you’re safe, Moony. Don’t do it again.”

Edited May 6, 2018 by Katrelle

[Jelloicious]

That was quite the intense battle scene!  I was on the edge of my seat!

Poor Remus, I suspect he's going to pay for that romp in the rain!  And poor Padfoot...how insanely frustrating to be so removed from the action!  Looking forward to the next chapter!

[queenie]

Sirius was so worried, but a much better sport than I feared he’d be about getting left behind, especially when he knew Remus wasn’t in top shape. He definitely isn’t now— running a fever and that cough sounds pretty nasty at this point, too. I’ll be surprised if he isn’t stuck in bed a while after that. 

[AngelEyes]

This is lovely and sweet. Great battle scene!

[frolicking periwinkle]

That was one of the best Remus story Ive read in a long time. 

[LostGirl2.0]

Ahh!!! I'm so hooked! Please keep going! This is fantastic!!

[Dusty15]

Gahhh!  You KNOW how much I LOVE these two! Thanks for sharing <3 

[ellwren]

Love!❤️