A Simple Solace (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
scarvesnhats Day 08)
Oct. 9th, 2005 05:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rosie_ruesTitle: A Simple Solace
Rating: Gen/PG
Disclaimer: They're not mine (shame). I'm just borrowing them.
Wordcount: 1039
Prompt: Hogsmeade weekend.
Notes: Pre-slash. Sixth year.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
A stag, a dog and a rat stood in the mist by the shores of the Hogwarts lake, still as the grey water. Then the stag lifted his antlers, the dog shook the water out of his coat and the rat quivered.
For a moment there was only shadows in the mist but then three boys stood on the shore.
“Sirius!” Peter squeaked. “Did you have to? I’m soaked.”
Sirius, whose brain was still muggy with paws pounding, long strides, wolf, stag, chase the moon grinned at him, showing all his teeth.
“Cut it out,” James said slowly, gazing at the water. He was always quieter after the moon. Sirius cocked his head at him and grinned again.
“Nice shiner, Prongs.”
“That was the Willow,” Peter said. “It was while I crawled under it, so it was. Whomp!”
“Take a deep breath, Wormtail,” James advised, exploring his eye with his fingertips. “Ow.”
“Take it to Pomfrey,” Peter said.
“And explain it how?” James demanded. “Oh, yes, Madam Pomfrey, I was just hanging around the Whomping Willow in case any friendly werewolves happened to drop by, why do you ask?”
“Thinks he funny, doesn’t he?” Peter asked, nose twitching.
“Push him in the lake?” Sirius suggested, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“Get lost,” James said amicably. “It’s Hogsmeade weekend. Do you want to be kept here?”
“Got a date, Prongs?” Peter said with a snigger and James sighed heavily.
“At least she’s talking to you now,” Peter said as they turned towards the castle. “Another six years and you might get lucky.”
Sirius did not move. It didn’t seem right, to stroll around talking about girls and jokes and pointless things when Remus was still huddled down there, hurting.
“Padfoot?” James asked patiently.
“I’m going back to the Shack.”
James and Peter moved as one, grabbing an arm each before he could transform. “No!” snapped James. “I have to tell you every month. No.”
“It’s not fair,” Sirius muttered, twisting.
“Nor is it fair to make Remus explain how he suddenly acquired a pet dog,” James said.
“And how he managed not to rip said dog to shreds,” added Peter. “She’ll be there soon, Sirius. You know she will.”
“It’s still not fair. Why him?”
“Pointless question,” James said crisply. “We can’t change things that have happened. We just have to decide how to react to them.”
Sirius glared at him. One night as a bloody stag and the daft twat thought he was deep. “Let me go,” he snarled. “I won’t go to the Shack. I just need to- I dunno.”
“Run?” James suggested gently.
Peter smirked. “Howl at the moon?”
“That’s wolves, you prat.”
“But dogs are part-wolf and Sirius is part-dog so he must be a slightly part-wolf, too. Hey, Padfoot, if you’re a boy who’s part-wolf, does that make you some sort of tame werewolf?”
“Grr,” Sirius said and Peter cackled and ran, scuttling up towards the castle.
James winced.
Sirius grinned at him. “Try to de-rat him before breakfast. It’s embarrassing when he tries to gnaw his porridge.”
James looked at him, uncertain, and he gave him a slight push. “Go on. I’m fine.”
“Are you? Really? You’ve been in a state all week.”
“I’m fine. Worry about Remus, not me.”
“I can’t do anything about Remus. I can thump some sense into you, though.”
“Sense,” Sirius said loftily, “is plebeian.” Then he reached and twisted so that he folded down into Padfoot. James put his hands on his hips and glared down. Padfoot began to lift a leg.
James leapt back, yelping, “Wanker!” and Padfoot turned and loped away into the mist.
Everything was grey, even the grass. Scents criss-crossed his path like dripping cobwebs. He ignored them, running on in search of something he could not define. At last he stopped, dropping down on his haunches on the edge of the water.
It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he could break free in a roar of glory and exhaust fumes but Remus, Remus who never complained in words, was bound tighter every moon. It wasn’t fair that he could run free, whenever the mood took him, but Remus had to lie there, in the cold room, broken and waiting. It wasn’t-
The urge to howl overwhelmed him and he lifted his head, baying at the treacherous moon where it crouched secretively, hidden by the sun and the grey mists.
Leaving Remus was the worse of it, every moon-morning. He loved the run, the thrill, the danger of the Forest. When he held the wolf at bay he was real, not some puppet child or dazzling rebel. Pranks and smiles and crafted wit were not real, not like the salt-hum of blood and wet leaves and the fear of the forest beasts. One day, they would jump through the appropriate hoops and become legal animagi. It would be something to strut about, something fun but this pitting of brawn and will against a monster was what mattered. It was all that mattered, really, if you stripped away all the stupid, pointless ordinariness of life.
And then the moon was gone and there was Moony, torn and tired and sick. It wasn’t just unfair to leave him. It was wrong. It was letting the monster win. Somebody should be there.
Now, there was an interesting problem. Much better than inventing increasingly messy ways to destroy his family’s letters. Moony needed someone to look after him. Someone who could be there when he woke up. Someone devious enough to hide from Pomfrey. Someone who could keep a secret.
The only suitable girl he could think of was Lily. Nah, Prongs might make a fuss. They’d have to make a list – they could do that in the Three Broomsticks this afternoon, after he’d been to Honeydukes.
Of course, she’d have to be able to piss off for the rest of the month. It was bad enough to have one girl hanging around. Two would be unbearable. He’d have to consult Lily.
Spirits lifted, Padfoot lolloped away from the lake. Today was going to be fun.
After all, finding Remus Lupin a girlfriend had to be easier than the animagi transformation and they’d managed that.
Rating: Gen/PG
Disclaimer: They're not mine (shame). I'm just borrowing them.
Wordcount: 1039
Prompt: Hogsmeade weekend.
Notes: Pre-slash. Sixth year.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
A stag, a dog and a rat stood in the mist by the shores of the Hogwarts lake, still as the grey water. Then the stag lifted his antlers, the dog shook the water out of his coat and the rat quivered.
For a moment there was only shadows in the mist but then three boys stood on the shore.
“Sirius!” Peter squeaked. “Did you have to? I’m soaked.”
Sirius, whose brain was still muggy with paws pounding, long strides, wolf, stag, chase the moon grinned at him, showing all his teeth.
“Cut it out,” James said slowly, gazing at the water. He was always quieter after the moon. Sirius cocked his head at him and grinned again.
“Nice shiner, Prongs.”
“That was the Willow,” Peter said. “It was while I crawled under it, so it was. Whomp!”
“Take a deep breath, Wormtail,” James advised, exploring his eye with his fingertips. “Ow.”
“Take it to Pomfrey,” Peter said.
“And explain it how?” James demanded. “Oh, yes, Madam Pomfrey, I was just hanging around the Whomping Willow in case any friendly werewolves happened to drop by, why do you ask?”
“Thinks he funny, doesn’t he?” Peter asked, nose twitching.
“Push him in the lake?” Sirius suggested, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“Get lost,” James said amicably. “It’s Hogsmeade weekend. Do you want to be kept here?”
“Got a date, Prongs?” Peter said with a snigger and James sighed heavily.
“At least she’s talking to you now,” Peter said as they turned towards the castle. “Another six years and you might get lucky.”
Sirius did not move. It didn’t seem right, to stroll around talking about girls and jokes and pointless things when Remus was still huddled down there, hurting.
“Padfoot?” James asked patiently.
“I’m going back to the Shack.”
James and Peter moved as one, grabbing an arm each before he could transform. “No!” snapped James. “I have to tell you every month. No.”
“It’s not fair,” Sirius muttered, twisting.
“Nor is it fair to make Remus explain how he suddenly acquired a pet dog,” James said.
“And how he managed not to rip said dog to shreds,” added Peter. “She’ll be there soon, Sirius. You know she will.”
“It’s still not fair. Why him?”
“Pointless question,” James said crisply. “We can’t change things that have happened. We just have to decide how to react to them.”
Sirius glared at him. One night as a bloody stag and the daft twat thought he was deep. “Let me go,” he snarled. “I won’t go to the Shack. I just need to- I dunno.”
“Run?” James suggested gently.
Peter smirked. “Howl at the moon?”
“That’s wolves, you prat.”
“But dogs are part-wolf and Sirius is part-dog so he must be a slightly part-wolf, too. Hey, Padfoot, if you’re a boy who’s part-wolf, does that make you some sort of tame werewolf?”
“Grr,” Sirius said and Peter cackled and ran, scuttling up towards the castle.
James winced.
Sirius grinned at him. “Try to de-rat him before breakfast. It’s embarrassing when he tries to gnaw his porridge.”
James looked at him, uncertain, and he gave him a slight push. “Go on. I’m fine.”
“Are you? Really? You’ve been in a state all week.”
“I’m fine. Worry about Remus, not me.”
“I can’t do anything about Remus. I can thump some sense into you, though.”
“Sense,” Sirius said loftily, “is plebeian.” Then he reached and twisted so that he folded down into Padfoot. James put his hands on his hips and glared down. Padfoot began to lift a leg.
James leapt back, yelping, “Wanker!” and Padfoot turned and loped away into the mist.
Everything was grey, even the grass. Scents criss-crossed his path like dripping cobwebs. He ignored them, running on in search of something he could not define. At last he stopped, dropping down on his haunches on the edge of the water.
It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he could break free in a roar of glory and exhaust fumes but Remus, Remus who never complained in words, was bound tighter every moon. It wasn’t fair that he could run free, whenever the mood took him, but Remus had to lie there, in the cold room, broken and waiting. It wasn’t-
The urge to howl overwhelmed him and he lifted his head, baying at the treacherous moon where it crouched secretively, hidden by the sun and the grey mists.
Leaving Remus was the worse of it, every moon-morning. He loved the run, the thrill, the danger of the Forest. When he held the wolf at bay he was real, not some puppet child or dazzling rebel. Pranks and smiles and crafted wit were not real, not like the salt-hum of blood and wet leaves and the fear of the forest beasts. One day, they would jump through the appropriate hoops and become legal animagi. It would be something to strut about, something fun but this pitting of brawn and will against a monster was what mattered. It was all that mattered, really, if you stripped away all the stupid, pointless ordinariness of life.
And then the moon was gone and there was Moony, torn and tired and sick. It wasn’t just unfair to leave him. It was wrong. It was letting the monster win. Somebody should be there.
Now, there was an interesting problem. Much better than inventing increasingly messy ways to destroy his family’s letters. Moony needed someone to look after him. Someone who could be there when he woke up. Someone devious enough to hide from Pomfrey. Someone who could keep a secret.
The only suitable girl he could think of was Lily. Nah, Prongs might make a fuss. They’d have to make a list – they could do that in the Three Broomsticks this afternoon, after he’d been to Honeydukes.
Of course, she’d have to be able to piss off for the rest of the month. It was bad enough to have one girl hanging around. Two would be unbearable. He’d have to consult Lily.
Spirits lifted, Padfoot lolloped away from the lake. Today was going to be fun.
After all, finding Remus Lupin a girlfriend had to be easier than the animagi transformation and they’d managed that.
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no subject
Date: 2005-10-10 12:33 am (UTC)Haha, of course. ;) I love that, it's so very Sirius.
And I love how you have them all still sort of in an animal mind set after they transform back. Fabulous job. :)
no subject
Date: 2005-10-10 09:02 am (UTC)It's implied in PoA that being an animal affects the way Sirius thinks (it confuses the Dementors anyway). I'd be surprised if that didn't linger a little.
Thanks for the comment :)