@wolfstarmicrofic July 25, word count 995
An awkward silence fell over them after James had set a cup of tea in front of everyone, and they’d all taken a seat. It was because of him. He also knew they weren’t doing it to make him feel bad; they just weren’t sure where to start.
“Lyall lied,” Sirius started for him. “You know when we kept ringing, and he told us Remus didn’t want to talk to us?” Lily and James nodded. “Remus had no idea. He was in the hospital in a coma,” Lily gasped loudly.
“Oh, Remus,” tears were threatening to spill from her eyes.
Remus took over from there, and Lily and James sat in horrified silence as he described what had happened to him and to his mum.
“We had no idea Hope had died,” James said. “Your dad mustn’t have put it in the papers. Remus shook his head.
“She was already buried when they brought me out of my coma. It took me weeks to get out of my dad where she was buried. He was never the same. I—I left for uni and stayed in Scotland very holiday after the first. He was drunk and ran me out of the house. He blamed me for her death. So I stayed away.
“I finished Uni and got a job at a school outside Inverness. I loved my students, but the winters were harsh, and they took their toll on me. Eventually, I had too many flare-ups to continue full-time, so I signed on as a substitute and found that a lot easier.
“About a year ago, I got a call from my dad's neighbour, and she told me he was in a bad way. I came back to take care of him. He had liver cancer from all the years of heavy drinking. It was only after his death that I found out how much debt he was in. The bank took the house, and I was left with the cost of his funeral. I sold my car and anything from the house that was worth anything, and found some work here.”
He’d been talking for so long his tea had gone cold. James took it off him and made everyone a new one.
“Oh, Remus, I’m so sorry.” Lily got up and wrapped her arms around him. Sirius sat beside him with his jaw clenched.
“How much do you still owe?” he asked. Remus shook his head.
“Enough, but I’ve got a payment plan set up,”
“How much, Remus?” Remus took a deep breath.
“Just under six grand. He was very specific in his will about what he wanted, and when I arranged it all, I still thought he had money left.”
“I’ll give you the money,” Sirius told him.
“I can’t accept that Sirius,” he said. “It’s too much, and I’m paying it off anyway.”
“Remus, you haven’t got two pennies to rub together because of it. Please let me do this for you,” Sirius pleaded.
“We’ll chip in as well,” James declared.
“I can’t, I can’t,” Remus repeated.
“Think of it as a gift to congratulate us on our pregnancy,” Lily said.
“That’s not how that works, Lils. I’m supposed to get you something.”
“Well, that’s what I want. Are you really going to deny a pregnant lady the one thing in the whole world that she wants?” Lily had won. Remus bowed his head and nodded.
“Okay,” he whispered. “You can pay it. But I’m paying you back,” he added.
“Don’t you dare,” Lily warned, and they didn’t say any more on the matter.
They spent the entire day at the Potters, and Remus learned that Effie and Monty were still alive but were currently in Spain visiting Great Aunt Tilly. Remus was glad of that, as not seeing them at the house, he’d assumed that they’d passed.
“We were going to move out, but then we found out we were pregnant and Mum and Dad said they’d move into the annexe at the end of the garden, and we could have the big house,” James told him.
“Do you two want to stay over tonight?” Lily asked after they’d eaten dinner. Remus looked at Sirius. He was the one who had brought them there.
“I will, but Remus, if you don’t want to, I’ll take you back to your flat. I don’t mind driving you,” Sirius said, making it clear that it was Remus’s choice.
“Thank you, Lily, I’d love to,” he said, smiling at her. He’d fit right back in. He felt a missing part of him slot back into place. He’d missed this so much, just still and talking with his friends. Lily, James and Sirius filled him in on everything he’d missed.
“We did send you an invite to the wedding,” Lily confessed. “But we must have just missed you. We managed to find an address for you in Scotland,” she read the address to him, and he sighed.
“I wouldn’t have got it anyway. I haven’t lived there for five years.
“Well, we tried,” she shrugged, and they all laughed.
“I’m so glad you came to the reunion, mate,” James hugged him before they went up to bed.
“There are spare toothbrushes in the bathroom cupboard. Help yourself to whatever you want and sleep well,” Lily kissed him on the cheek before she and James went into their bedroom, shutting the door behind them.
Remus went into the bathroom, which was bigger than his entire flat, brushed his teeth and got ready for bed.
His bedroom was even bigger still. He’d forgotten how large the Potter's house was. He’d just settled in the ridiculously comfy bed when there was a soft tap at the door.
“Yes?” he asked, and the door opened.
“Hey, can I come in?” Sirius asked. Remus nodded.
“Of course,” Sirius padded over to his bed and made himself comfortable before he turned to Remus and asked.
“Can we talk about our kiss?”
