(CW: mentions of violence.)
When Sirius was hurried into the dorm, slung onto James and Peter’s arms, Remus immediately felt the blood drain from his face.
Sirius was pushed to sit on the edge of his bed, and Remus could hardly hear James’ scolding over the sick feeling in his gut.
Because right below his eye and along his boyfriend’s jaw, were swollen purple bruises.
“What the fuck happened to him?!”, Remus was next to James and Peter in an instant, staring down at Sirius’ still defiant face.
“Had a go at Mulciber,” James sighed, “You could’ve hexed him y’know? Saved yourself the black eye?”.
“Oh shut up Prongs, you weren’t there!”, Sirius snarled, but he winced slightly when he closed his jaw.
Peter shook his head in exasperation, “I was there, and I can say it was rather dim of you”, he ignored the furious look Sirius sent him, “We’ll get you some potion for that, c’mon James”.
Shortly, the two of them left, leaving Remus to frown at Sirius, and Sirius to pointedly avoid eye contact.
“You haven’t gotten in a fight since fourth year!”, Remus fumbled for his wand to do some basic healing on the bruises.
“Never swore off it or anything,” Sirius muttered, now toying with the hem of a pillow. Remus squinted at him, “What did Mulciber do?”, he asked quietly.
Sirius went silent for awhile, expression almost ashamed, and Remus waited, knowing he’d let up eventually.
“Said some fucked up things about Mary.. And about Lily,” anger rose in his voice, “Then he had talk about.. ” He made like he was going to say more before evidently deciding against it.
“There’s more,” Remus fixed him a stern nod, “What happened?”.
“Just.. Something stupid about you,” Sirius’ shoulders slumped, “The bastard had it coming”.
Remus would usually tell Sirius off by now. Say he was being stupid, that he needed to be less impulsive.
But for some reason—probably the pitiful way Sirius was sitting with his head down—Remus couldn’t bring himself to lecture.
Instead he settled on the floor, and rested his chin on Sirius’ knee, facing away. “Don’t need you fighting my battles,” he murmured, “We need you in one piece.”
“Your battles are my battles, Moons”, his hand began to card through Remus’ hair absently.
“You’ll be fighting forever then,”
Sirius said it so earnestly, Remus’ breath hitched. He tilted his head up and met grey eyes, unwavering in their resolve. This fool.
Remus didn’t think, he pushed up to cup Sirius’ face in his hands, before quickly removing them when he hissed in pain, “Shit sorry—mph”,
Sirius’ lips crashed against his own, hands pulling at his collar, swallowing any protest.
And for a moment he let himself get swept up in the raging storm of lighting that was Sirius Black.
“Ugh keep your tongues in your bloody mouths would you?!”, James’ disgust tinged with laughter as the door opened cut that moment pretty short, “got your potions you tarts!”.
