(December time! Festive fics! Trigger warning: mentions of assault, but nothing graphic. Happy ending thoughđ)
1257 words.
When his friends are forced to spend Christmas without Sirius, all they can do is hope for a Christmas miracle.
Until You're Home Again
Itâs Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas - Dana Scallon
âHello love,â Remus leans over and kisses Siriusâ cheek. âIt's cold outside. You would be freezing, stubbornly insisting on still wearing that leather jacket of yours.â
He takes off his coat and hangs it over the chair, rubbing his hands together to get some warmth in them. Before he sits down, he trails his fingers gently across Siriusâ cheek.
âOh, before I forget.â He rummages through his coat pocket. âMary baked you a batch of your favourite cookies. I'll just put them here beside you, so you can eat them when⌠when you can, okay, love?â His hand trembles slightly as he places the box on Siriusâ bedside table.
âChristmas is coming up soon, you know? I haven't put up the tree this year.â He chuckles. âI can just imagine how you would scold me for my lack of Christmas cheer, wouldn't you, love?â
The only response he gets is the steady beep of the machine.
Lily slides into the chair across from Remus and passes over a hot chocolate. âHow was he today?â
Remus shrugs, fiddling with the lid of his cup. âThe same, I guess. At least it's not worse, but it's not⌠better either.â
Lily sighs. âI'm sorry. And any news on the upcoming trial?â
âOur lawyer has suggested postponing,â Remus replies, still staring at his cup. âShe says that if we wait, maybe we can charge them with murder instead of attempted murder or aggravated assault.â He swallows. âAnd I want them to get the maximum sentence, of course I do, butâŚâ He looks up and meets Lily's eyes. âI don't want to lose him. I can't⌠Oh god, I can't lose him, Lily.â His voice breaks towards the end.
A determined look appears on Lily's face. âShe's a lawyer, not a doctor! Whatever she has to say about Sirius waking up or not doesn't matter!â
Remus averts his eyes again. âThe doctors aren't giving me much hope either. All they're saying is that they had hoped Sirius would've shown more signs of consciousness by now.â
Lily reaches over and squeezes Remusâ hand. âYou should come over to our place after visiting hours tomorrow. It's Christmas Day, and we're all getting together.â
âI don't know, Lils,â Remus replies. âI'm not really in the mood for a celebration.â
âRemus John Lupin,â Lily says sternly. âIf you think that we're all merrily going to be singing Christmas carols around the Christmas tree while Sirius is in the hospital in such a state you are sorely mistaken!â She lowers her voice. âWe're all going to be miserable. We just figured we could be miserable together.â
âI'm sorry, Lily,â Remus says. âOf course you're notâŚâ He shakes his head. âI'm sorry, and I'd love to come over tomorrow.â
Lily smiles at him. âAnd who knows, maybe we'll get a Christmas miracle.â
1 year later
âOi! Those cookies are for tonight!â Mary snatches the box away.
âAwww, come on, Mary,â Sirius pouts. âLast year I wasn't able to eat any. I have to make up for lost time.â
âSirius Orion Black. Are you using what happened to you as a way to get cookies?â
âIt depends,â Sirius says. âIs it working?â
âDammit, yes, it is.â Mary hands him back the box.
James and Lily come out of the kitchen, just as Marlene and Dorcas arrive. âDinner is in the oven,â James says. âAnd should be ready within half an hour.â
âMarls, look!â Sirius says, as Marlene kisses his cheek to greet him. He lifts up his right arm almost over his head. âI almost have full range of motion back in my arm!â
âThat's amazing!â Marlene beams at him. âAll your hard work in physical therapy is really paying off!â
âAnd I went to the supermarket on my own yesterday,â Sirius adds.
âMate, I'm so proud of you!â James places a hand on Siriusâ shoulder as he smiles at him even brighter than Marlene.
Sirius huffs. âYou two saving lives in the Emergency Room on a daily basis, acting all proud just because I went to a supermarket.â
âOur jobs have nothing to do with how hard you've been working in exposure therapy,â James says sternly. âWhat we do for a living doesn't take anything away from your hard-earned progress.â
âYes,â Marlene agrees. âYou're actually facing your fears, which is the most difficult thing anyone can do.â
âAnd he's not the only one,â Lily whispers, looking at Remus.
Remus bites his lip, because she isn't wrong. Remus has been having⌠not the easiest time himself.
Sirius needs to learn by exposure that it's safe for him to go outside on his own and he doesn't have to be afraid, and it won't be at all helpful for his progress if his boyfriend would prefer to lock him up inside a room where nothing bad can ever happen to him ever again. Sirius is working very hard in exposure therapy, and the last thing Remus wants is to make it more difficult for him by adding his own worries. Just like Sirius, Remus needs to learn nothing bad is going to happen when Sirius goes out on his own.
But then again, Remus didn't think anything bad was going to happen when Sirius went out for a run that one morning.
âThis looks wonderful, James,â Fabian and Gideon say in unison, looking at the table covered with food.
Lily nudges James. âMake a toast, honey.â
Mary looks around the room threateningly, making Peter cower. âMy make-up is on point today, so no one dare make me cry.â
James chuckles. âI'll keep it short then. Here's to Christmas Eve all together as it should be!â
Everyone holds up their glasses. âTo Christmas Eve all together!â
But before they can all start to eat, Remus scrapes his throat and gets to his feet. âI actually have something to say as well.â
âI'm warning you, LupinâŚâ Mary says with a glare.
âLast year, I thought I was never going to spend Christmas with you ever again,â Remus speaks, turning to Sirius, who is, of course, sitting next to him. âAnd that made me realize I never want to spend Christmas without you ever again. Apparently, never leaving you out of my sight for a single moment is considered âunhealthyâ according to my therapist. So, since I can't glue myself to your side all day, at least I want to come home to you at the end of the day. Always.â Remus drops down to one knee and pulls out a square box from his inner pocket. He flips it open, displaying an elegant, silver ring. âSirius Orion Black. Will you marry me?â
âOh my god.â Sirius presses his hands to his mouth as tears well up in his eyes. âRemâŚReally? I mean, are you sure?â He takes one of Remusâ hands in his own, the tears now streaming down his face. âI know I like to show how much better I'm doing, but the truth is, I'm still such a mess. Gods, Rem, I can barely go outside by myself! Are you sure you want to be dealing with all of that?â
âOne hundred percent,â Remus replies instantly, though his voice is a little choked by the emotions. âEverything. Forever.â
Sirius searches Remusâ eyes for a moment. âYes,â he then says. âYes. Please, yes.â He lets himself fall forward into Remusâ arms.
âDamn you, Remus Lupin,â Mary sobs, mascara streaks running down her cheeks.
âSorry,â Remus says, but he actually isn't sorry at all. Not with his Christmas miracle in his arms.
If Nickelodeon doesn't give me content with the future timeline, I'll make it myself~
And It's not angst, I PROMISE
Also, these little comics are getting a little out of hand, so I guess they need a tag. So now I'm going to super originally call it "Cass apocalyptic series" because why not
Tohru Honda: a Subversion of Shoujoâs Nice Girl Trope
Fruits Basket absolutely nails subverting your expectations of character tropes in anime.Â
Momiji is introduced as the cute childish boy but boom we are slapped with the fact that he a mother who hated him so much she had her memories wiped of him. Shigure right off the bat looks like the typical perverted uncle of anime when in reality he is one the most manipulative characters in the series. Ayame is the flamboyant, boisterous one whose bravado hides his regret and desire to repent for his past neglect of his younger brother. Which ultimately brings me to the protagonist of Furuba itself, Tohru Honda.
When Sirius wished for a birthday kiss from Remus, he really should've specified that he meant for him.
(Short happy birthday fic for Sirius!)
Birthday Kiss
James Potter is furious.
Remus doesnât know Siriusâ best friend that well yet, but the thunderous expression on his face can only mean one thing. And if his expression wasnât telling enough already, how he grabbed Caradocâs arm and roughly pulled him away from Remus makes it all too clear.
Caradoc looks just as stunned as Remus does. âPotter, what the hell?â
âThatâs exactly what I wanted to say!â James snaps. âWhat the hell do you two absolute bloody pillocks-â
âJames.â Lily Evans steps forward and places a hand on his arm. âWe agreed that we would stay calm, and calmly ask them-â she turns to Remus and Caradoc. â-what in godâs name these two utter and complete blithering idiots think they were doing?!â
Remus blinks. He only recently met Siriusâ friend group. Maybe they consider it impolite to snog at someoneâs birthday party? But it didnât seem to matter when Frank and Alice or Marlene and Dorcas were doing it!
âLook Remus,â Lily sighs, seeing his confusion. âYouâre not obligated to like Sirius back. If you donât want to date Sirius, thatâs youâre decision.â
âA dumb decision,â James mutters.
âIf you see him as a friend and nothing more, thatâs fine.â
âAnd your bloody loss,â James mutters.
âBut donât you think it was rather unnecessary to snog one of Siriusâ friends, right in front of him, on his birthday party?â
âSiriusâs into him?â Caradoc asks, surprised.
âOh, come on, Dearborn,â James snarls. âSirius wonât shut up about the cute guy in his Research Ethics class whom he meets for coffee almost every day, and you think âoh, how nice, Sirius made a new friend, and if he really is cute, maybe I can hook up with him!â God, and to think Sirius was planning on asking him out tonight...â
Caradoc awkwardly scratches his head, looking guilty. âYeah, thatâs... I didnât... Shite.â
Remus finally gathers his wits enough to speak. âWait. Sirius fancies me?!â
âGood god, everyone and their nan knows Sirius fancies you!â James exclaims. âWell, everyone except you two berks.â
âI... I had hoped,â Remus stammers. âTruthfully, I thought he was out of my league, but he seemed so genuinely happy with my company and sometimes looked at me like that... I had hoped. But then I arrived at his birthday party and he introduced me to Caradoc, and Caradoc started hitting on me, so I kind of assumed he was trying to set me up with Caradoc. I though âYou see, Lupin, if Sirius liked you himself, they wouldnât be doing this. You have once again been fooling yourself.â I was so upset, and Caradoc was there, giving me attention, so I... God, Iâm such an idiot!â
James seems to calm down a bit. âOkay, I guess I can see your side. Sorry for attacking you. Itâs just that, Sirius has been through a lot, an he was so excited about you.â
âSorry to interrupt,â a short guy with mousy brown hair chimes in. âBut may I remind you that Sirius walked out of his own birthday party, no one knows where he is, and no one can reach him?â
James curses, and looks out of the window, where a cold November wind has picked up.
Message from: Regulus Black to: James Potter
Regulus: Whats a Remus.
James: Regulus! Oh my god, Regulus! Is Sirius with you??
Regulus: You know, when I said I couldnât make it to my brotherâs birthday party because I needed to study for my exam, I wasnât counting on him showing up on my doorstep, to cry on my couch and moan about some Remus.
James: Remus is this guy Sirius has kind of been talking to. I mean, surely Sirius mustâve been talking your ears off about him these last weeks as well?
Regulus: Ah, that. Yes, I mostly tune out when he starts about that. Does this Remus need to be taught a lesson? âCause I know some people...
James: No, no, itâs just a misunderstanding. Iâll send Remus your way, and Iâm sure theyâll hash it out!
Regulus: Hmmm, alright then. But you better tell him that if he ever makes Sirius cry again, heâs going to regret it.
Regulus is clearly Siriusâ brother. He has the same dark hair, silver grey eyes and sharp features. Regulus is shorter, and so is his hair, and while Sirius is more muscular, Regulus is a bit scrawny. Where Siriusâ eyes are always sparkling with mischief, Regulusâ eyes are calculating, like heâs assessing and filling away all Remusâ flaws.
âHeâs in the living room,â Regulus says coolly. âAnd for your own sake, you better not make it worse.â
Sirius had been staring at the wall, but quickly looks up when Remus enters. âHi. I thought you were at the party.â
âYes, your birthday party. We kind of noticed you left.â
âAh. Yeah. Right.â
Remus sits down on the couch next to him. âIâm sorry about Caradoc.â
âDonât be. You and Caradoc are both single, and both free to do whatever you want.â
âI thought you were trying to set us up.â
Sirius laughs wryly. âIf I had known heâd be coming at you so hard, I wouldâve kept you miles apart.â Then he shakes his head. âNo, thatâs not fair. If you like each other...â
âI like you.â
Sirius smiles sadly at him. âYou donât have to say that just because I was being dramatic and itâs my birthday and you feel sorry for me.â
âIâm not!â Remus argues. âI was upset when I thought you were purposely leaving me with Caradoc, and it was a distraction.â
Sirius looks at Remus for a moment, and Remus determinedly meets his gaze. Eventually, Sirius says softly âI wanted to ask you out tonight.â
âI wanted to give you a birthday kiss tonight.â
âBut I was occupied, so you gave it to Caradoc instead?â
Remus groans and hides his face in his hands.
Sirius thoughtfully taps a finger against his chin. âHmm, maybe I should ask Caradoc if he can pass it on...?â
âAbsolutely not,â Remus protest, jerking his head up.
Sirius smiles at him. âThen I guess youâre just going to have to give me a new one.â
Caradoc was skilled and experienced, and Remus and Sirius are much more nervous than Remus and Caradoc were. Still, the kiss is infinitely better, because they are Remus and Sirius.
Until a pillow comes flying at their faces. âWhat the hell do you people not get about me having to study for an exam?!â
On the flip side of oblivious James, what about James who is trying to hard to get Sirius and Remus to see that they are into one another? No James itâs just a coincidence I havenât dated anyone lately and only spend my free time with Remus that doesnât mean he is interestedâŚ
Thank you so much for this prompt! I hope you like the direction I went with it and that I let Pete join in the fun! đ
â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘â˘
âNo James, itâs just a cOiNciDeNcE I havenât dated anyone lately,â James says with a heavy eye roll as he flops himself down onto the cushiest of common room sofas.
Peter lets out a laugh and sits in the armchair closest to James. âOh boy. Heâs far more oblivious than we thought on this, huh?â
âFar more.â James sighs. He turns to look at Peter with hope in his eyes. âAny luck with Remus on the train?â
âNah, he just gave me his usual speech about Sirius not being into guys, let alone being into him.â
âWell, at least Remus recognizes heâs in love with Sirius. We can work with that. Sirius however is a lost freaking cause.â
âPlease donât say that, James. Iâm not sure I can take another year at Hogwarts with these two pining after each other.â
âI know. Iâm half tempted to use my headboy status to get me moved to Hufflepuff house if we canât get them to figure it the fuck out.â
Peter raises an eyebrow at James. âCan you do that?â
James stops slouching and sits up a little taller, proudly sticking out his chest to show off his badge. âIâm headboy. Iâm practically untouchable.â
âWell, if you can switch, take me with you. Professor Puff-puff-pass likes me better than Minnie anyway.â
âThatâs just because Professor Puff-puff-pass hasnât caught you knicking her finest weed from greenhouse five yet.â
âWhat can I say, itâs a lot easier for a rat to sneak away with a bud than a stag. I still canât believe you managed to dodge all those stunning spells as you crashed through the greenhouse.â
âMe too.â James laughs and looks out the window of the Gryffindor Tower common room fondly. He can just make out the repaired pains of glass of the aforementioned greenhouse heâd trampled through at the end of last year when he nearly got caught snipping from her private stores by Professor Sprout after class one day.
âWhereâd those two idiots run off to after the Welcoming Feast anyway?â Peter asks, stretching his arms as he yawns, looking every bit like someone who is about to fall into a food coma.
âRemus is probably in the libraryâ--James rolls his eyes again--âand Sirius probably went to go find Regulus or something equally as reckless.â
âProbably.â Peter shrugs. âIt just feels weird for them to not be here right now. Itâs our last first night at Hogwarts, youâd think theyâd want to spend it with all of us together.â
âYou know what? Youâre right Pete!â James swiftly rises back to his feet and starts heading towards the steps to the Gryffindor dorms. He gestures for Peter to follow after him. âCome on, letâs go get the map and find these two nitwits.â
âYeah! The fire whiskey I snuck in isnât going to drink its self!â
âThe disrespect for tradition is real with those two. Whereâs Sirius now with his brothers in everything but blood talk? Just blows us off at first chance, and for what? His real brother, I think not.â
âYeah!â Peter yells out again as they reach the top of the stairs. âWhatâs that about?â
âWho knows with him. Heâs so oblivious he probably doesnât realize his little brother is trying to do the smart thing and avoid him here.â
âYeah! Thatâs what I would do if I was Regulus! Iâd avoid Sirius too!â
âMe too damnit! In fact, thatâs exactly what Iâm going to tell him if I find him skulking around the Slytherin Dungeons!â James yells with fervor as he swings their dorm room door open with extreme force. Heâs immediately stopped in his tracks, and Peter runs into his back, lurching James forward.
âWhat the hell?â Sirius exclaims, looking directly at James from over Remusâs shoulder.
âWhy is Remus in your lap?â James asks, stunned.
Sirius clutches Remus a little tighter to him, preventing him from jumping out of Siriusâs hold and his seat. âWhy are you bursting through the door like your a Godric damned Auror?â
âWE WERE COMING TO GET THE MAP TO LOOK FOR YOU TWO!â
âAs you can see, youâve found us. And weâre a bit busy at the moment.â
âSiriusâŚâ Remus says lightly.
Sirius shushes Remus with a gentle kiss, then looks back over Remusâs shoulder to look back at James and now Peter who has moved to Jamesâs side, looking on at the sight of the two boys embracing looking damn pleased with himself. âLook, we were just sorting some things out up here before you two came barging in.â
âYeah, it really looks like you were sorting things out,â James says.
Remus turns his head and looks over his shoulder. âWe were,â he says matter-of-factly. âAnd the two of you should be happy. It looks like you were both right all along.â
âI knew it!â Peter says triumphantly, bringing a fist into the air. He grabs James by the shoulder and turns him around, leading him back out the door. âWhen you two are finished âsorting things out,â weâll be in the common room with a flask of fire whiskey.â
âShut the door!â Sirius yells out after them.
âWell that was unexpected,â James says, shock plain in his voice.
âI guess weâre going to have to learn to knock from here on out,â Peter says.
âOr we go back to my original plan and we transfer to Hufflepuff.â
Sirius Black and the unjust treatment of his character
Sirius Black is a very important character to me, for various reasons. One of them is how realistic the character can be when compared to some of the other near perfect and unflappable HP characters, like Harry, Hermione, Ginny, McGonnagal, the twins and most of the Weasleys, etc.Â
Siriusâs treatment in book 5 highlights the lack of tact and emotional sensitivity present in the wizarding world, as well as a failed opportunity for J.K Rowling to discuss depression in a thoughtful way.Â
Book 5 is my favorite Sirius book and represents an understandable change in character. In the third book, Sirius was unhinged, but free, and driven by a destructive desire to kill Peter. This urge sustained him and kept him going throughout the book. We saw little of Sirius but his actions vacillated between thoughtful (the Firebolt, signed Hogsmeade permission slip, Pig the owl, etc) and recklessly careless. In book 4, he was free, healthier, no longer alone and driven by a desire to keep Harry safe. As such, he is mostly a stable, positive influence to Harry - someone reliable and who offers good advice. In book 5, he regresses, in some ways, to how he was in book 3. He was back in the family home he had been abused and neglected in (just look at Kreacher and his momâs portrait), was unable to help Harry and was treated many times like a dog (no pun intended).
Poor Sirius went 12 years without affection, hope, hygiene, sun light, proper food, entertainment, comfort, and all in the ghastly presence of dementors. All of this is enough to make a person lose their grip on reality. But to be forced into a family home full of bad memories? I nearly go insane when I go back to my parentsâ, I can imagine how Sirius would take it.Â
So, to me, itâs understandable that Sirius shuts away in his room (itâs not like anyone except for Harry and some of the Weasley kids like Sirius), that he is bitter and often unable to keep a lid on his emotions. He should be allowed to express his emotions, yet tries to keep it together for Harry and so that people like Molly and Hermione donât accuse him of being âselfishâ and having âfits of the sullensâ.Â
Honestly, itâs despicable the way he is treated by everyone apart from Harry. Dumbledore keeps him under lock and key because it is convenient, Molly insults Sirius of being a bad godfather (going as far as saying sheâs like a mother to the kid she never writes to or knows) and treats him like itâs not his house sheâs staying in. Hermione, as usual, as the sensitivity of a sociopath. She tells Harry that Sirius is being selfish because he wanted Harry to stay with him. Itâs natural that Sirius was, in some ways, disappointed by the fact that Harry would leave and he would be alone. But Sirius also didnât say anything to Harry, and pretended to be happy. Thatâs not selfishness. And itâs natural that he canât fake it very well because heâs bloody depressed.Â
Thereâs also Mollyâs words about Sirius treating Harry like James, and how the whole fandom seems to believe them.Â
Sirius never calls Harry James, never talks about his issues (and frequently says things like âDonât worry about meâ, âThis isnât about meâ, âTake Neville and goâ), never asks Harry to be something he isnât. Just because he said âYouâre less like your father than I thoughtâ, it doesnât mean he is disappointed by the fact that Harry isnât James. Sirius was being passive aggressive, and he was wrong. He wanted to visit Harry and was disappointed when Harry said he couldnât. Harry was the only person for whom Sirius would leave the house, so his hopes were crushed.Â
However, Sirius isnât the only person to compare Harry to James in an admonishing way. Remember when Remus told Harry that he was being like his father in book 7 because James considered it the height of dishonor to suspect a friend? Remus essentially used the comparison to James to call Harry naive. It was a similar method to what Sirius used, except the motives were less selfish. Remus compares Harry to James frequently without being told he canât tell the two apart.Â
Sirius was often a bit impatient and rash in book 5, yet he also offered Harry more support than all of the characters apart from Ron and Hermione, he got most of his act together after the aforementioned Floo conversation, he tried to keep in contact with Harry. His love and devotion for Harry remains, to me, the best example of active parental love (which rules out Harryâs parents).Â
Dumbledore and Hermioneâs treatment of Sirius after his death is also incredibly unjust. He is blamed for Kreacherâs actions - which were his own. Siriusâs treatment of Kreacher was on par with Kreacherâs treatment of Sirius and is based on a relationship that goes back to when Sirius was just a baby. Had Sirius treated Kreacher with the respect the elf did not deserve, Kreacher couldâve still made the choice he made. Kreacherâs alliances were always with Regulus and, at the time, it was believed that those alliances were with Voldemort and his followers. Naturally, Kreacher sought Narcissa and Bellatrix. Regardless, Voldemortâs plan would surely not have been thwarted by Kreacher alone, had the house-elf decided not to betray Sirius.Â
Blaming Sirius and his reckless nature is equally unfair. Sirius chose to fight in that battle for Harry, his godson, just like everyone else in the Department of Mysteries did. Because Dumbledore warned Sirius to remain locked up, that doesnât mean Sirius is to blame for his own death. We donât blame Tonks for dying in the Battle of Hogwarts even if she couldâve remained home with Teddy. Sirius chose to fight regardless of the threat of death or capture, because he loved Harry and believed in what he was fighting for.Â
Despite Siriusâs flaws, he was brave, intelligent, loving and did his best to be there for his godson. Until the moment Sirius died, Harry never doubted his love. Sirius is infinitely more admirable than characters like Snape or Dumbledore who get all of the glory and respect from the writer and the characters despite being genuinely guilty for many deaths.Â
But this is just my opinion. Feel free to contradict me.Â
100 times this. Siriusâ recklessness is way overblown by the fandom, and by some characters. The bit about fandom taking Molly and Hermione at their word is spot-on. For some reason, some people just trust other (arguably biased) characterâs opinions of him without actually looking at his actions. I would add that lot of fans seem to forget another important scene for Sirius - the night when Arthur was attacked. Despite the book implying that he was drunk, he acted completely sober and level-headed, and actually demonstrated incredible self-control when Fred (George?) went straight for the kill by telling him that he wasnât the one risking his neck. Considering his position, it would have been very easy for Sirius to snap back (because these are fighting words tbh) but he kept his cool because he understood that the kid was just going through a lot and itâs not about him. But for some reason, the only thing some people seemed to have gotten out of this scene is âhe was drunkâ.
During the Shambhala raid. Things are looking bleak as the Black Eagle Strike Force struggles to fight back the enemy.
Ferdinand, driving a lance through a mage before turning to Hubert: Hubert! Will you marry me?
Hubert, turning from an explosion of dark magic: I don't think now's the best time!
Ferdinand: Now may be the only time. *drives off a screaming Agarthan with his lance* I love you. I want to die as Ferdinand von Vestra.
Hubert, hesitating for a moment before turning to Edelgard: Edelgard! Marry us!
Edelgard, blocking a stream of deadly magic with her shield: I'm a little busy at the moment!
Ferdinand: Please Edelgard! We might not get another chance!
Edelgard, bringing Aymr down on her enemy's head: Oh fine! *blocks an incoming sword strike* Dearly beloved we are gathered- *swings her axe* -here today to witness the matrimony of these two gentlemen.
Ferdinand, blocking an arrow meant for Hubert: Hubert von Vestra! When I first met you I thought you were impossible and colder than a Faerghus winter- *Dodges a swing and retaliates with a punch* -But now I cannot imagine my life without you. Will you take me as your husband, in sickness and in health?
Hubert, miasma dancing around his hands: I do! Ferdinand von Aegir: you were easily the most irritating and insufferable person I've ever met when we first started at the academy- *unleashes a powerful spell* -But you've since become like sunlight in my darkened world and I wouldn't trade it for anything! Will you take me as your husband, until death do us part?
Ferdinand, kicking an enemy soldier away with tears in his eyes: I do!
Edelgard, fending off a massive demonic beast: By the power vested in me as Emperor of Adrestia- *swings Aymr* -I now pronounce you- *dodges a massive clawed paw* -married! You may now-
The demonic beast roars furiously and lunges with teeth bared. She manages to get her shield up in time before its jaws close around her.
Edelgard, straining: You may now-
The beast rips her shield away, and she counters with a powerful swing of Aymr straight to its head: Just kiss already!
Ferdinand and Hubert find a brief lull in the battle to seal the ceremony with a kiss, before they both must leap back into the brutal fight
Later, after the fight
Dorothea, smacking Ferdinand on the shoulder: You two got married? In the middle of that battle! And you didn't TELL ME?
Hubert: It was...rather spontaneous.
Edelgard, wiping blood and demonic beast slobber off her face: I'll say.
Dorothea: Edie, divorce these two right now so I can throw them a proper wedding ceremony!
As Edelgard puts her head in her hand, Byleth ponders next to her: Huh, this gives me an idea for what we should do for our wedding, El
Yes, he's in the hospital and doesn't remember anything about himself, but it's actually not that bad. His memories are sure to come back in a matter of days, and until then, he can spend time eating, sleeping, reading, daydreaming about that ridiculously attractive Healer...
(The aim is Funny and Fluffy Wolfstar)
It's Like the First Time
âEverything seems to be in order,â the Healer Trainee, Aubrey, says. âAs we expected. Howâs the dizziness?â
âWhen Iâm laying down, it doesnât bother me,â he replies.
âThatâs good,â Aubrey smiles. âThe dizziness and light-headedness should gradually disappear over the upcoming days, and then the memories will come back after.â
He nods. Heâd be more worried about all his memories being gone if the Healers at St Mungoâs werenât so certain theyâll all come back in a matter of days. Dizziness, light-headedness, and amnesia; itâs a familiar picture when being hit with a Confundo-charm from a defective wand, which the Healers have encountered many times before and has apparently happened to him during some friendly duelling.
Itâs always the same picture: the dizziness and light-headedness slowly lessening, and the memories all coming back at once after two to at most five days. Like, one moment you know nothing, and the next you remember everything.
Well, he doesnât exactly know nothing. His semantic memory is intact, meaning he has basic knowledge and remembers facts and skills. He knows heâs a wizard, he knows the hospital is called St Mungoâs Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, he knows the people in the lime green robes are the Healers, he knows that since heâs a wizard he probably went to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he knows perfectly well how to perform a wide variety of charms, jinxes, hexes and curses. (So luckily those years at Hogwarts werenât for nothing)
What he doesnât know is anything about himself. His episodic memory, memory for any kind of life events, is completely gone. Who he is, what he does, what he has done, who he knows, itâs all gone. His own mum could walk into the room, and heâd think she was the laundry lady. (Luckily, she seemed like a very nice lady, and had thought it rather funny)
The only thing he knows about himself, not because he remembers, but because itâs the only thing they told him, is that heâs someone named Remus Lupin. Apparently, in the past, trying to fill in the gaps has proven to be more frustrated than helpful for the patient and, as the memories will come back on their own anyway, quite unnecessary. Therefore, they donât tell him much else, and all he can do is wait.
Past experience has also shown that the patient often finds it quite stressful, and even frightening, to be surrounded by lots of people who all know him, and whom he feels like he should recognize, but doesnât. Therefore, friends and family are only allowed in limited numbers, one new person a day, which started with his mum.
His mum had brought him his favourite novel, saying that he read it so many times, and would always wish he could erase it from his memory just so he could read it again with the same sense of anticipation. Well, she had figured this was his chance. Now, all he can do is lie in bed, read his book, and eat food, which is... Well, pretty great actually.
He doesnât have anything to worry about. How can he worry about anything if he doesnât remember anything? Itâs like having a little break from life and all its expectations and responsibilities. (Though the fact that heâs so happy about having no worries, makes him think that this Remus Lupin normally worries quite a lot)
When a Healer comes to see him, he suddenly knows something else about himself: heâs very, very gay.
The Healer has a classic, aristocratic beauty to him, with his sharp cheekbones and full lips, and his eyes are of a clear grey, that appears silver, which contrasts quite nicely with the strands of raven black hair that have fallen from the messy bun on top of his head. And no one has the right to look that good in lime green robes, which he fills out pretty well with his lean, muscular body.
The Healer gives him a soft smile, and really, if he smiles at all his patients like that, the whole hospital must be diagnosed with palpitations. âHowâre you feeling?â the Healer asks in a warm, deep voice.
He wonders whether his semantic memory has failed him after all, as he suddenly seems to have forgotten how speaking works. âErm...â he says, very eloquently.
The Healer frowns, and looks at Aubrey. âIsnât the confusion supposed to be gone by now?â
Aubrey looks from the Healer to him and back to the Healer, while a knowing smile appears on her face. âDonât worry,â she tells the Healer. âHe has been perfectly responsive and coherent all day.â
âHas he had some Anti-Confusion Concoction?â
âHeâs had a small dose, as the confusion was already wearing off on his own.â
âAre you going to give him Memory Potion?â the Healer continues his questioning.
Aubrey shakes her head. âWe have already given him Mandrake Restorative Draught against the spellâs physical effects. Adding Memory Potion might make the dose of Stewed Mandrake too high. As we can be certain all memories will come back on their own, it isnât worth the risk.â
The Healer nods thoughtfully. âSo only a daily dose of Restoration Potion until all effects have subsided, I assume?â
âYes,â Aubrey agrees. âBased on past experience, thatâll in all likeliness be sufficient.â
The Healer turns his head back to him, and that soft smile is back in place. He opens his mouth to speak, but right at that moment, a bright flash can be seen, and a gazelle made out of shining white light is standing in front of them.
âIâm so sorry to disturb on a moment like this,â a stressed-sounding voice of a young woman comes from the Patronus, that is directing itself to the Healer. âBut youâre needed back at the HADA department immediately! Weâre having an emergency.â
The Healer curses under his breath. He takes a step towards the door, but then stops to look back at him with a pained expression.
âHeâs in good hands,â Aubrey says.
The Healer nods. âIâll be back as soon as I can,â he tells him, before hurrying out the door.
Though his mum was right, and the novel is really good, he has trouble focusing on it from that moment on. Heâs constantly interrupted by thoughts of bright, silver-grey eyes. Merlin, heâs seen the guy once, and heâs acting like a twelve-year-old with a crush!
Telling himself off for it doesnât stop him from looking up hopefully the moment he catches a glimpse of lime-green robes. Itâs quite a disappointment when the Healer that walks in to check his vitals is a greying, grumpy man with a face that seems to be twisted in a permanent scowl. Asking him where the good-looking Healer went to seems kind of impolite though, so he just sits and nods whenever the Healer grumbles something unintelligible.
âSo, why have I gotten a different Healer?â he asks Aubrey later, trying to sound casual.
âDifferent Healer?â she asks, not understanding.
âYeah,â he says, feeling to his great annoyance that his cheeks begin to flush. âThere was this older man checking up on me, while before, there was the young man with the broad shoulder, shining dark hair, sweet smile, pretty eyes...â He trails off.
âOh!â Understanding, and a not insignificant amount of amusement, appear on Aubreyâs face. âOh, he wasnât not your Healer, sweetie! He was visiting.â
âAh,â he sighs disappointedly. So the Healer had only been here for some sort of second opinion, and he probably wonât be back. It was too good to be true, to have a Healer like that around as a nice distraction.
âHealer Black works for the Healing Against the Dark Arts Department,â Aubrey continues.
âYou know him?â he asks.
âI know of him. But honestly,â she adds with a wink. âEveryone working at St Mungoâs knows of Healer Black!â
He chuckles. âI suppose he cannot not catch your eye.â
âItâs not just his appearance,â Aubrey says. âHealer Black is the leading expert on healing Dark Arts-related injuries and combating curses from the Dark Arts. He has invented novel Healing Spells and revolutionized the protocol for treating curses. Healers from all over the world consult him on their cases, and patients come to see him from all over the world.â
âWow...â he sighs again, but this time itâs a more wistful sigh. He doesnât even care anymore that he sounds like a love-struck teenager. Maybe Aubrey will write it off as a side-effect of the Confundo-charm. He briefly wonders about that himself, but as those bright, silver-grey eyes come to mind again, he knows heâs under a whole different kind of spell.
âYeah,â Aubrey smiles. âHeâs quite a remarkable man.â
âSo I guess I wonât be seeing him again then,â he says dejectedly, letting his head hang. He wonders why theyâd sent that Healer to come see him in the first place, as he surely mustâve had better things to do.
He hears a choked noise besides him, and he looks up at Aubrey, who seems to be stifling a laugh, with her hand pressed against her mouth. âDonât worry, love,â she says with obvious amusement in her voice. âIâm sure youâll be seeing more of him.â
The young man sitting next to his bed has been talking about his wife and their baby for an hour straight. Though it really isnât so bad. His stories are quite amusing, and the man is very charismatic. He has sparkling eyes, and hair so messy, he had immediately checked whether it wasnât storming outside when the man had entered. He has a disarming smile and a contagious laugh, and is surprisingly easy to talk to. He says his name is James Potter, and heâs Remus Lupinâs best friend.
He has to give Remus Lupin a pat on the back for having made such a nice friend. Honestly, the idea of socializing with new people, trying to make friends, does not appeal to him, and heâs glad to know Remus already has them.
âAnd I just went to see Sirius,â James says. âWell, more like I was speed walking next to him in the two minutes he had to get from one room to another. He still managed to apologize twenty times though. Normally, Iâd say he should be sorry, but the poor guy seems to hardly have any time to eat or sleep.â James shakes his head. âDid you hear what happened? Three children were playing in the woods, and they mustâve accidentally touched an unknown cursed object. They were brought in barely conscious and with a mother completely beside herself. So of course, âthe widely renowned and highly acclaimed, capable-of-the-impossible Healer Blackâ was the only one who might save them. And he has, as they seem to be recovering,â James adds, relieved. âBut really, there arenât many excuses that would justify him not being here, but having to save childrenâs lives is definitely one of them.â
âThank Merlin those children are alright. That sounds- Wait,â he says, before sitting up. âHealer Black? You know Healer Black?â
James blinks at him. âEhm... Yeah?â
âMerlin, that man is so handsome!â he exclaims. âHe was here for like two minutes, before he got called away to other patients, but I just canât stop thinking about him! He already looks perfect, and now youâre telling me that heâs some kind of miracle Healer saving childrenâs lives?â He sighs. âItâs just not fair.â
At first, James still looks confused. Then his eyes widen in understanding, and his mouth starts twitching like heâs trying to hold back laughter.
He doesnât blame him. Heâd laugh at himself too, with how ridiculous heâs been acting over this random Healer. He just hopes he wonât have embarrassed Remus Lupin too much once his memories have returned.
âDonât worry,â James says, in an amused voice. âHealer Black will come back as soon as he has the time.â
Now, his own eyes widen. âYou really think heâd come to see me again?â
James lets out a strangled noise and starts coughing, which he strongly suspects being a laugh quickly covered up by a cough. âYes,â James replies, suppressed laughter still sounding through in his voice. âI really think so.â
He knows itâs rather pathetic, but as heâs got nothing better to do, he did it anyway. He practiced what heâs going to say to Healer Black when, or if, he comes back.
Heâll tilt his head slightly downwards, so heâll look up at the man through his lashes, and then heâll give him a coy smile, while softly saying âHealer Black. Itâs so good to see you again. Iâve heard many great things about you, and what you did for those children is truly admirable.â Luckily, flirting seems to fall under semantic memory.
However, when the moment comes that Healer Black enters the room again, his carefully constructed plan falls apart.
At first, heâs stunned that yes, Healer Black really looks like that, and he hasnât made it better in his head. Alright, the man has bags under his eyes, his robes are rumpled, and his hair is slightly greasy and so much strands are peaking out of his bun, making it look more messy than what would qualify as a normal messy bun, but he still looks like the most beautiful person in the world. He doesnât even notice Aubrey and James walk in after Healer Black.
He opens his mouth to deliver his carefully practiced lines, but the words die in his throat as Healer Black... Well, flings himself at him. He literally splays out on top of him, hugging him close and pressing his face in the crook of his neck. âI missed you so much,â Healer Black murmurs against his skin.
He freezes. Yes, he has forgotten quite a lot, but heâs still pretty sure this is not the standard operating procedure for Healers to greet their patients. âErm...â He says, once again ever so eloquently.
Healer Black lifts his head and looks up at him in confusion, but he canât possibly be more confused than heâs feeling.
James scrapes his throat. âRemus, may I introduce you to Healer Sirius Black-Lupin, your husband?â
âSo neither one of you decided to tell him?â Healer Black has crossed his arms over his chest and is glaring at Audrey and James.
âIâm sorry, Healer Black!â Aubrey squeaks. âI know I shouldâve told him, but it was just too cute, watch him be all smitten with his own husband.â
He isnât really listening. Heâs openly staring at Healer Black. Apparently, he bloody married the guy, so itâs allowed, right?
âI donât know how you pulled this off, Remus Lupin,â he whispers under his breath. âBut thank you, and kudos to you, mate, kudos to you.â
As he looks at Healer Black up and down (at some point heâll really have to stop referring to his husband as Healer Black, probably), he suddenly really wishes for his memories to come back fast, as there are some things heâd really like to remember.
Though on the other hand, he thinks, biting his lip, maybe âHealer Blackâ wonât mind freshening up his memory in the meantime?
âUgh,â Remus groans, hiding his face against Siriusâ chest. âI canât believe I was practically drooling over you!â
Sirius chuckles while heâs rubbing soft circles on Remusâ back. âYou were cute.â
As a reply, Remus just groans again.
âIâm sorry, though,â Sirius says, suddenly quietly. âIt wouldnât have happened if I had been by your side as I was supposed to be.â
Remus lifts up his head to look at Sirius. âHey, none of that! You were saving lives.â He presses a quick kiss to his husbandâs lips. âYou wouldnât have wanted to be anywhere else, and I wouldnât have wanted you to be anywhere else.â
Sirius smiles softly at him, and Remus lays his head back on his chest. âBesides, it was a good reminder that I should be more proud of my accomplishment to get Healer Black to marry me.â
Sirius barks a laugh, that Remus can feel vibrating in his chest. âAnd how exactly was me down on one knee practically begging you to become my husband âyou getting me to marry youâ?â
Remus smiles fondly, happy that that memory is safely back in his head. âAnd it was nice to feel like having a new crush again,â he continues. â All exhilarated, enraptured, and in awe.â
âOh, Moony,â Sirius sighs, pressing a kiss to the top of Remusâ head. âI feel like that every time I look at you.â
James had thought the guy Sirius has been talking to could be a real game changer, but when he catches Sirius snogging Lily's friend at the back of the pub, his game doesn't seem much changed at all.
Short and happy modern Wolfstar.
Game Changer
âI canât bloody believe you!â
James grabs Siriusâ shoulder and jerks him backwards, causing him and Lilyâs friend, Remus, to break apart. Remusâ lips are red and swollen, and his jumper is hanging from one shoulder. Siriusâ hair is messy from Remusâ fingers having run through it, while Remusâ other hand has apparently been busy untucking Siriusâ shirt.
Both guys blink at James in confusion. âBloody hell, James!â Sirius exclaims, once recovered. âWhatâs your problem?â
âMy problem?â James asks angrily. âWhatâs your problem? For Godâs sake, Sirius, I thought you were done with this! I thought you were over meaningless hook-ups in pubs â no offense, Remus,â James quickly adds, before focusing back on Sirius. âI thought you were ready for something real! What about that guy youâve been talking to? I thought things were so great with him? That you were really going to try with him?â
âJames, Iâm-â Sirius begins, but James cuts him off.
âNo, Sirius, youâre not! Youâre not trying! Not when you end up snogging Lilyâs friend at the back of the pub first chance you get!â James shakes his head. âI know I havenât even met him yet, but I truly believed that guy was different. You havenât been that happy in a long time. Constantly checking your phone, looking at your screen with that stupid smile on your face, gushing over him all the time, how heâs so witty and makes you laugh, how heâs the kindest person youâve ever met, how pretty his eyes are, and whatnot. Iâve never seen you like that!â
Siriusâ cheeks are red, so at least he has the decency to be embarrassed about his behaviour. Remus just looks at Sirius in astonishment. Poor guy couldnât have known.
âLilyâs going to murder you when she finds out you used her best friend like this!â James hasnât been with Lily for very long, but long enough to know she has quite a temper. âHell, sheâs going to murder me!â And James had been so relieved that heâd been getting along so splendidly with his girlfriendâs best friend, but leave it to Sirius to cause trouble.
âItâs not-â
âI know you havenât been talking to that guy for very long,â James interrupts, before Sirius can defend himself. âBut you canât pretend Iâm imagining things here. You told me! You told me that youâve never felt that way before!â
âJames...â
âYou told me that this was the first guy you ever found yourself imagining a forever with!â
âJames!â
âHell, Sirius, you told me you thought you were falling in love!â
âJames.â
âIâm not trying to be mean,â James explains to a heavily blushing Sirius, who doesnât even dare to meet Remusâ gaze. âI just want whatâs best for you, Sirius. Iâm tired of watching you self-sabotage every time thereâs even a small chance for you to be happy. For Godâs sake, Sirius, I thought you were getting better!â
âJames, I promise, itâs fine-â
âFine?â James snaps. He feels another wave of anger wash over him. For James, nothing is more sacred than love, and to see Sirius take it so lightly definitely ticks him off. âLetâs see if that guy you seemed so mad about also thinks itâs fine!â In a swift motion, he picks Siriusâ phone out of his pocket. He shakes his head, looking at Siriusâ messages. âYou even have his number saved under âBabeâ.â He presses call, prepared to shove the phone in Siriusâ face the moment the guy answers. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knows that this really isnât fair to the guy and not how he should be finding out, and that he shouldnât be doing this in front of Remus either, but heâs too intent on teaching Sirius a lesson to care.
Thereâs a moment of silence. Then Remusâ phone starts to ring.
James stares at him.
Remus wrings his phone out of his pocket. On the screen, James can see a photo of Sirius. Not one of the overly styled photos from his Instagram, that make him look like heâs modelling in some sort of add, but a photo in which heâs wearing an old jumper, thatâs decidedly not his, his hair is ruffled, his eyes bleary, and heâs looking over a mug into the camera, with a half-smile. The name âSweetheartâ is displayed on the screen.
âWell,â Remus says, fiddling with his phone. âI appreciate you wanting to warn me, but Iâm already quite aware Sirius has been thoroughly snogging Lilyâs friend at the back of the pub.â He chuckles awkwardly. âAnd I suppose itâs good to know that whenever Sirius is out with you, I wonât have to worry about him even daring to look at another guy. Although,â he says, with a fond look in Siriusâ direction. âI guess I donât have to worry about that anyway, with the way he has apparently been gushing over me.â
Sirius groans, and hides his face in his hands.
âAw, no, sweetheart, câmere.â Remus pulls Sirius in by his waist. Sirius allows Remus to pull him into a hug, and even removes his hands from his face in favour of wrapping his arms around Remusâ shoulders, and burying his face in Remusâ hair.
âIf it makes you feel any better,â Remus murmurs against his neck. âI think I might be falling in love as well."
Minerva isn't sure she can protect Remus Lupin any longer now a student has been injured the night of the full moon. Especially when Walburga Black is demanding repercussions for her son, after what was clearly a Werewolf attack. Sirius Black, however, tells a very different story.
Lupine Lawlessness
âThis is outrageous!â Walburga Black immediately rounds on Minerva the moment the woman strides into the Hospital Wing, her voluminous robes billowing behind her.
Minerva notices Mrs Black barely spares her injured son in the bed a glance. She also notices how the boy slightly shrinks in on himself as he hears her voice. Then, Mrs Black is standing in front of her, and all her attention is directed at being on the receiving end of Walburga Blackâs fury.
âI knew you and that old fool would be the ruin of this school. Itâs one thing that the place is infested with Halfbloods and Mudbloods, but harbouring a Dark Creature?â
âMrs Black,â Minerva says politely. âI understand this must be very distressing for you as a mother, and Iâm very sorry indeed, but we are yet to establish what happened.â
âDo you take me for a fool?â Mrs Black spits. âThat type of claw marks, on which Healing Magic has no effect, while yesterday was a full moon? Itâs very clear what has attacked him, and that thing had no business being on school grounds.â
Minerva herself has put two and two together as well. It was easier for her, as sheâs aware thereâs a student infected with Lycanthropy attending Hogwarts. A student who also happens to have been a close friend of Sirius Black.
Oh, she had really thought they were going to pull it off. They had come so far. She had been sceptical at first. A Lycanthrope attending seven years of Hogwarts without any incidents, without anyone finding out? It appeared unlikely, but she had agreed to try. And then she met Remus Lupin, and she had been very glad she did so. The boy was sweet, modest, hardworking and clever, and he deserved to have a proper education, but also to be around peers, make friends, and have fun. Now, when she had really started to believe it was going to be alright, the worst had happened. A student had been attacked.
Itâs not difficult to reason out what mustâve happened. Sirius Black mustâve seen his friend disappear into the tunnel below the Whomping Willow, and had decided to go after him, only to end up face-to-face with a full-grown werewolf.
Minervaâs first reaction had been relief. Relief that Sirius Black was going to be okay. Some nasty injuries that would leave some nasty scars, but no permanent damage, which is quite a miracle. It couldâve been much, much worse.
But relief had quickly been replaced with worry. While the headmaster and herself can get in serious trouble for allowing a Lycanthrope in the vicinity of children, her worry was mostly for Remus Lupin. The world is unfairly cruel to Lycanthropes. Graduated from Hogwarts, with his formidable grades and excellent recommendations from his teachers, the boy wouldâve at least had a chance, but being expelled from Hogwarts... His only option might be The Werewolf Camps in the mountains, where Lycanthropes go if they have nowhere else to go, which, regrettably, is often. Stories about those camps make your stomach churn, and itâs not a place for a boy like Remus Lupin to be.
Sirius Black must surely know it was Remus Lupin who did this, and he has every right to be angry. School is supposed to be a safe place, not a place where an unsuspecting student can suddenly be mauled by a Werewolf. Minerva doesnât know if, or how, she can protect Remus Lupin from the consequences.
âThe House of Black is a highly esteemed family,â Mrs Black goes on. âA Black being attacked by such an inferior creature without any repercussions would be an insult to our family name. Itâs already a great show of disrespect that you even allowed this to happen, and we do not tolerate disrespect.â
âI truly regret the situation,â Minerva says, hoping to sooth the other woman. âAt Hogwarts, any student should be safe from any kind of danger-â
âBut this was not just any student or any kind of danger,â Mrs Black interrupts. âThis was the Noble Blood of Black being spilled by a filthy monster that should be removed from society!â
âReally, Mrs Black, we are yet to determine-â
Once again, Minerva is interrupted, this time by the arrival of a man.
âLady Black, my apologies for my tardiness, but I came as you requested,â he says, ignoring Minerva in favour of focusing all his attention on Mrs Black. The man is short, with sharp eyes and a pointy face, and he looks at Mrs Black with reverence.
Mrs Black scoffs. âQuit wasting time then and get to work.â
The man starts opening his briefcase, taking out a quill and parchment.
âWhat is the meaning of this?â Minerva demands. âWho are you? What business do you have here?â
âMr Hesner is from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures,â Mrs Black replies. âAnd heâs here at my request to make a report of the situation.â
The colour drains from Minervaâs face. Being expelled is bad, but nothing compared to an official Ministry report. If a Lycanthrope is reported to have somehow been involved in an attack on a witch or wizard, the Lycanthrope will get the annotation âFeralâ in the Registry. All hopes of ever finding a job or a place to live will be lost. The Lycanthrope will have to report at the Ministry at frequent and irregular times, and any failure to report will lead to the Lycanthrope immediately being locked away. The Lycanthrope will be out on the streets without any money or prospects, and even the smallest transgression will lead to being locked up. Almost every Lycanthrope with the âFeralâ annotation will be either locked up, or forced to flee to the mountains within a year. Remus Lupin certainly does not deserve such a fate.
âIs... is that really necessary?â Minerva asks.
âVery necessary indeed,â Mr Hesner replies. âIf you had any sense of morality, you wouldâve contacted us yourself, Ms McGonagall. Luckily, we could count on Mrs Black to do the right thing,â he says, with a grovelling smile in her direction.
âCan you imagine if that beast wouldâve bitten him?â Mrs Black shudders. âWhat a stain on the family tree that wouldâve been, to have a Lycanthrope in the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black!â
To make sure no one will make the mistake of confusing her fear for shame on the Black family name with fear for her sonâs well-being, she doesnât mention that her son might not have survived the bite, or that he wouldâve had to live with an extremely painful, chronic condition for the rest of his life. She probably wouldâve burnt the boy off the family tree herself, and sent him to go live in the mountains.
âThat wouldâve been such a waste,â Mr Hesner agrees, before turning to Sirius Black. âWell, young Mr Black, I need an official statement containing your description of the events.â
Sirius Black looks thoughtful for a moment. âI was... attacked. By some kind of creature.â
âDescribe the attack please,â Mr Hesner instructs without looking up from his parchment, quill at the ready.
âOh, the creature was... round.â Mr Hesnerâs eyes snap up, but Sirius Black continues. âLike pumpkin-shaped. But huge. Like a huge pumpkin. Only covered in bright yellow feathers. With bulging eyes in between. And two glittering horns on top of its head.â
âYouâre treating this like some kind of a joke!â Mr Hesner says accusingly, pointing his quill in Sirius Blackâs direction.
âWhy, sir,â Sirius Black says, pretending to be shocked. âI protest. I would never!â
âIf you canât be serious...â Mr Hesner says, gritting his teeth.
Sirius Black blinks innocently at him. âAsk anyone, Mr Hesner, and Iâm sure theyâll all tell you that Iâm always Sirius.â
âIâve dealt with Magical Creatures for longer than you have lived, boy,â Mr Hesner spits. âAnd I know such a creature as you described does not exist.â
Sirius Black shrugs. âWho knows what creatures the Forbidden Forest hides?â
âDid the attack meddle with his brain?â Mrs Black demands.
Minerva shakes her head. âMadam Pomfrey has assured me that his mental state is unaltered.â
âSo I have to believe he was attacked by a horned ball of yellow feathers?â Mrs Black snarls.
âWho knows what creatures the Forbidden Forrest hides?â Minerva repeats Sirius Blackâs exact words. Sirius Black gives her a pleased smile, which she gladly returns.
Mrs Black, on the other hand, gives her a nasty glare, and then switches her attention to Mr Hesner, who shrinks in on himself. âHis chest is covered in Werewolf marks the day after a full moon. Itâs obvious what happened even without his statement.â
Mr Hesner gulps. âI... Iâm sorry, lady Black. Iâm not allowed to report an attack without an official statement from the victim. I mean, only if the victim had died I couldâve...â He trails off.
Mrs Black now directs her glare at her son, like she regrets the last isnât the case. âIâll make you pay for this.â
Sirius Black becomes even more pale, but he continues to defiantly meet his motherâs gaze.
âI do not tolerate anyone threatening my students,â Minerva speaks.
Mrs Black turns her head to her. âHeâs my son. I can do whatever I want when it concerns him.â
Minerva takes a step forward. Her eyes are like stone and her voice is like ice. âNot in my school.â
To her great satisfaction, Mrs Black takes a step back and swallow. She quickly recovers though, and pulls her cloak tighter around herself. She gives Sirius Black a quick glance and hisses âIâll see you this summer,â before walking out of the room in quick strides, Mr Hesner having to dribble to keep up, her robes billowing behind her in that way only purebloods ever seem to manage.
âAre you quite done?â
Minerva turns around to see Poppy standing behind her, her arms crossed over her chest. âReally, you donât have to be a professional to know that a recovering patient needs rest, not all this uproar and noise. That goes for you too, Minerva. You might run this school after Albus, but I run the Hospital Wing. Now leave. My patient needs to sleep.â
A few days later, Minerva makes her way over to the Hospital Wing. Sirius Black has had some days to recover, and luckily, his recovery is going well. She hopes he has also been able to process everything that happened.
A difficult conversation still needs to be had.
Sheâs immensely glad Sirius Black hadnât wanted to report Remus Lupin at the Ministry, but still, he couldâve been killed, and she canât imagine heâll be okay with there being no repercussions at all. She thinks she might be able to talk him out of demanding Remus Lupin to be expelled, and in the best case scenario, she can convince him to keep it quiet.
Itâs not that she thinks Sirius Black is in any way cruel or anything like his family, not at all. She has a very high opinion of the boy. Itâs just that Lycanthropy prejudice is very strong throughout the Wizarding World. Even the best person has some negative thoughts regarding Werewolves. The sentiment is especially strong among the pureblood community, and Sirius was raised with their norms and values. Regardless, she canât imagine anyone would be okay with finding out a person they thought they knew is a Lycanthrope. Remus Lupin will definitely have to move out of the boysâ dormitory, maybe even to a private room. No one would be willing to keep sharing a dorm with someone that tried to kill them. Maybe she can-
Minerva stops in her tracks as she reaches the Hospital Wing, all thoughts of appeasing Sirius Black disappearing from her head.
Sirius Black isnât alone. Remus Lupin is with him. Like actually with him on the bed. Remus Lupin is curled up at Sirius Blackâs side, his hands gripping Sirius Blackâs robes and his head resting on Sirius Blackâs chest. Sirius Black has one arm firmly wrapped around Remus Lupin, and with his other hand heâs gently threading his fingers through Remus Lupinâs hair. The boys havenât noticed her presence.
âI am so, so, so sorry,â Remus says, and probably not for the first time.
Sirius rolls his eyes. âIt wasnât your fault.â
âI did it.â
âYou canât control it.â
âI couldâve stayed away from you,â Remus argues. âI can control that. A filthy monster that should be removed from society.â
Sirius huffs. âThatâs just a bunch of pureblood bollocks only stuck-up twats with half a brain still living in the Middle Ages actually believe.â
âYour mother thinks so.â
âI rest my case.â
Remus chuckles and presses his face closer to Siriusâ chest. âI can barely believe youâre real. I donât deserve you.â
âMoony,â Sirius says with a sigh. âI told you, The Wolf wasnât even trying to hurt The Dog. You werenât feral! The Wolf wanted to play, and didnât know his own strength, and kind of forgot dogs arenât as strong as Werewolves. Even transformed, you never meant to hurt me.â
The Dog? An absurd thought enters Minervaâs mind, a thought that surely sheds a different light on what may have happened. Absurd for sure, but also... plausible? And if anyone can do it...
No. Minerva firmly pushes the thought away. It might be true, or it might not be. Either way, she doesnât need to know. After all, what you donât know, you canât report to The Ministry.
âAnd even if The Wolf fancied himself some Padfoot for breakfast,â Sirius continues. âI still wouldnât have blamed you. Itâs not you.â
âYouâre going to have a scars for the rest of your life,â Remus murmurs against Siriusâ chest.
Sirius gently tilts his head up. âThen itâs a good thing I think scars are sexy,â he says with a wink, making Minerva wonder whether it might be more than just close friendship sheâs looking at.
A faint blush spreads across Remusâ cheeks, and he slightly shakes his head. âYou canât accept my apologies that easily.â
âOh no, Moony. Donât get ahead of yourself,â Sirius says, tapping his finger fondly against Remusâ nose, which again makes Minerva question their level of intimacy. âI have, in fact, not accepted your apologies, as I refuse to accept an apology for something someone couldâve done nothing about.â
Remus scrunches up his nose. âYouâre stubborn as a mule.â
Sirius chuckles. âI could teach mules in stubbornness. But if you insist on making it up to me, I suppose you can help me win the bet.â
âThe bet?â
âIâve made a bet with Prongs that I can make at least half of the Gryffindors believe I was attacked by a pumpkin-shaped yellow feather ball, while Prongs says I wonât even make ten.â
Remus shakes his head. âYouâre an idiot,â he says, though it sounds fond.
Sirius grins. âBut you love me.â
Remus leans forward and presses a kiss against Siriusâ lips, making Minerva blink, but confirming her doubt. There must be something more between those boys for sure.
Remus pulls back, but gently rests his forehead against Siriusâ. âMerlin, I do love you, Sirius Black.â
âI love you too, Remus Lupin.â
Minerva smiles to herself. Thereâs no need to worry after all. If one thing is stronger than prejudice, itâs love.
lily and james 100% made sirius godfather with the belief that if something happened to them, sirius AND remus would raise harry. but werewolves couldn't be legal guardians at that time so they couldn't technically make remus godfather also.
Shin Soukoku Week is back for the 5th time this year! The week will be held from July 26-August 1, 2021, with the return of the BINGO event!
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I keep seeing posts about Sirius not being abused as a child and just⌠are we all reading different books?
It seems like one of the most obvious things to me in canon; itâs up there with Latent Bisexual Harry.
Abuse as a motif exists very overtly in the books. Harry at the hands of the Dursleys, Snape at the hands of his father, etc. etc. Pre-GoF, one of the dominant narratives across the series is children being failed by institutions and being failed by adults, to the point of abuse and neglect. Thereâs much interesting discussion to be had about the transition in OotP where those children then create institutions of their own right, but thatâs a conversation for another day.
Thereâs a significant body of canonical evidence that suggests Sirius suffered emotional and verbal abuse as a child.
From OotP:
- talking about a potential Boggart in a desk: âKnowing my mother, it could be something much worse.â That doesnât fill me with much confidence that Grimmauld Place was a particularly safe place to grow up.
- âMy mother didnât have a heart, Kreacher,â snapped Sirius. âShe kept herself alive out of pure spite.â His relationship with Walburga? Fucked. Utterly fucked. The thing about parent-child relationships, though, is that the onus is on the parent to make them good, not on the child.
- Kreacher talks about Walburgaâs feelings towards Sirius: âhow she hated him, what a disappointment he was".
- Kreacher again talking about Walburgaâs feelings towards Sirius: âshe swore he was no son of hers"
- Sirius, addressing the tapestry: âMy sweet old mother blasted me off after I ran away from home â Kreacherâs quite fond of muttering the story under his breath.â
- Sirius talking about how he essentially relied on compassion from beyond his family and the good luck of being the recipient of gold, and how kindness towards him from other family members resulted in them being punished: âI camped out at your dadâs in the school holidays, and when I was seventeen I got a place of my own. My Uncle Alphard had left me a decent bit of gold â heâs been wiped off here, too, thatâs probably why â anyway, after that I looked after myself.â
- Sirius, talking about how he and Regulus were treated: âHe was younger than me,â said Sirius, âand a much better son, as I was constantly reminded.â
- Sirius, talking about the environment in which he grew up and the beliefs his parents held: âNo, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having pure-bloods in charge.â
- Sirius, having got upset about who his family are, explaining to Harry: âI donât like being back here,â he said, staring across the drawing room. âI never thought Iâd be stuck in this house again.â
The summary of canonical evidence, then, is this:
Walburga hated her son and articulated that to him, and to others. She kept a house where Dark magic was not only present, but expected, and where Voldemortâs pureblood ideology was approved of. She overtly disowned Sirius, having told him regularly that his brother was a better son than he was. He had to rely on the charity of others in order to survive. Sirius has a traumatic response to returning to Grimmauld Place.
Emotional abuse is a multi-faceted form of abuse, but some of the features that are present here include:
exposing a child to upsetting events or situations
humiliating or constantly criticising a child
threatening, shouting at a child or calling them names
blaming and scapegoating
not recognising a childâs own individuality or trying to control their lives
Thereâs additional evidence in Siriusâ behaviour in PoA and GoF; plus further into OotP as he has to continue to live at Grimmauld Place. All of this, of course, is not even taking into account Walburgaâs portrait. From the horseâs mouth, etc. etc.
Did the other Black children experience the same? We donât know. Regulus is certainly a fascinating character (contrasting whatâs in his bedroom at Grimmauld vs. how he dies, for example). Andromeda sacks it all off for love (what a woman, love her). Narcissa and Bellatrix remain committed to the cause, the latter moreso than the former. We simply canât say definitively if they also experienced what Sirius did.
Were the Blacks known for abusing their children in the Wizarding world? Again, we donât know. I think itâs rather telling that the Potters accepted Sirius as a second son like that, with no expectation that he would try to repair his relationship with his family. My parents supported my best friend through university because her family are sentient orifices, but even then, they encouraged her to have a relationship with her family if thatâs what she wanted. To see such a definite break between Sirius and the Blacks with no encouragement from the Potters to even attempt reconcilliation speaks of a concerning situation. 16 years olds do not run away from home for no reason, either.
All this is predicated, of course, on the starting point that Dark magic is an abberation; that blood purity ideology is wrong; and that telling your children that you hate them is a Bad Thing.