The Marauders: Year Four

Dog, Stag, Rat, Remus

Dog, Stag, Rat, Remus

The fire cracked and sparks rose up from within it, spinning into the sky, orange and bright. Remus was reminded instantly of fireflies as he watched them go. Sirius's silhouette against the flame as he stoked it with a stick that he chucked into the heat made Remus smile and when he came to sit back down, Sirius went 'round to sit on the log directly behind where Remus was leaning, putting his legs 'round either side of Rey's shoulders and leaning down so his chin was on Remus's head, watching the flame dance before them.

James had fallen asleep mumbling about apple popovers. Sirius had transformed and run off to find something for them to skewer and returned shortly with a rabbit. At first Peter had turned his nose up to the idea, but once Remus and Sirius had got the rabbit roasting in chunks on sticks in the fire, Peter had come around to the idea. They woke James when the food was ready and they'd all enjoyed a sort of feast of sorts - or what seemed like one to them, in the freedom of the woods, the smell of the trees and the lingering pot surrounding them, the stars peeking out in the sky. The best part was the view -- the clearing Sirius and James had stopped in was only a few trees away from the edge of the Black Lake, the opposite side from Hogwarts castle, and from where they sat about on logs, through a couple sparse trees, they could see the castle, looming high up, dark black against a dark blue night sky, gold windows here and there flicking on and off as the inhabitants moved about.

Sirius closed his eyes, relishing the smell of Remus - dusty books, old sweatshirts, and chocolate. He draped his arms about him, clasping his hands at Remus's chest, and Remus put his hands up to hold Sirius's wrists.

"I wish moments like this lasted forever," Sirius murmured, and he turned his head so it was his cheek resting on Rey instead of his chin.

"In a way, I reckon they do," Remus answered.

Sirius drew a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Remus looked around at James and Peter, confirming they were each asleep, and the rise and fall of their chest told him that they truly were, and he said, "Can you believe we're nearly halfway through it already? Hogwarts, I mean." He was staring at the castle.

"It feels like eternity," Sirius answered.

Remus laughed, "It won't once it's over and we're all grown up and woking. It'll seem like it went by in a flash then. I wish I could make these moments last, too, is my point."

"You're not cross with me for the weed, are you, by the way?" Sirius murmured.

Remus sighed, "I wish you hadn't done, but I'm not cross, no. You and James get into a good lot of mischief, I reckon the lesson I should be learning is that you lot ought not be left alone unsupervised..." he laughed.

Sirius chuckled.

"But I know you lot have stuff you're going through, too," he added.

Sirius said, "Yeah."

Remus stroked Sirius's arms. "You're okay, though, right?"

Sirius nodded against Remus's head. He paused. "Do you reckon we ought tell the other two about what happened? With Eileen Prince?"

"No," Remus said. "Let it be."

Sirius nodded again. That had been the answer he was hoping for. He didn't want James to look at him differently - and Peter... well, Peter would probably be afraid of Sirius if he knew he was a murderer... For yes, that was still how Sirius was thinking of himself, whatever Remus said about it. The weight of the kill rested on his shoulders, on his heart, and there was no undoing that with telling himself that it wasn't his fault. It was his wand that had done it - his voice that had spoken the words. If the Minister for Magic had been there, it would've been off to Azkaban with him... Sirius shuddered. A murderer, locked up in Azkaban. He couldn't think of anything worse in all the world. That, he thought, would be a way to live up to the Black family name now, wouldn't it? Prove all the people who whispered about him being a Black right. Prove Lyall Lupin right... No, keeping what had happened between him and Remus was the answer he'd wanted.