rosie_rues: (Default)
[personal profile] rosie_rues
Title: A Change of Colours
Rating: PG (for language)
Disclaimer: They're not mine. I'm just borrowing them.
Wordcount: 2084
Prompt: Why do the leaves change colour?
Notes: Sixth year. Sirius is delerious. Please note that both Remus and I are aware that his explanation leaves a lot to be desired. It didn't seem like the moment for a chemistry lesson. ^_^

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23



He could see the trees through the window, boughs tossing in the wind, yellow and red and green, still green, just the one tree.

Why did the leaves change colour anyway?

He was hot. Everything clung to him, nightshirt, sheets, hair. The sheet knotted around his legs and he fought it, scrabbling at in silent panic. Someone had hexed it. Someone – Regulus, Severus, some evil git who wanted him to die. His knee was bent backwards and the sheet had his ankle. It had him.

He was breathing heavily, could hear the rasp-gasp of it and where the fuck were they all? Why had they left him to be eaten by a sheet? Where was Remus? Remus would stop the sheet.

Then Pomfrey was there, wiping his forehead with a cool cloth and untangling him. She straightened the sheet and tucked it around him firmly, murmuring, “Try to rest, dear.”

Sirius lay still, as still as he could, in case it came for him again. Everything ached, a slow, deep thrum against his bones. Maybe the sheet had been poisoned. Yeah, he could see Snivellus doing that, smearing it with something pale and cruel, creeping in at night to throw it over him, sniggering from the shadows as the sheet ate him.

Sirius whimpered and tried to throw it off. He didn’t want to be eaten by a sheet. He was Sirius Black! He was meant to be a hero, the scourge of Dark wizards and werewolf hunters everywhere! How could he be brought low by a bit of cloth?

He couldn’t get out. The poisoned sheet was sapping his strength.

Cunning! He had to fight cunning with cunning! He stilled and fixed his attention on the trees outside. Let the sheet think he was off guard.

Why did the leaves change colour? Why couldn’t they just be red all the time? Red was a proper colour.

The sheet! Musn’t lose focus!

He moved his hand to the corner of the bed. It was hard because he was shaking so hard. Had to get out soon. Strength failing him.

It took three tugs to pull the corner of the sheet out. That done, he began to work around the bed. It fought back. It didn’t want to be cast off but he was determined. No sheet could defeat him.

There was sweat running into his eyes. He couldn’t breathe properly. He had to get out.

“Sirius Black!”

Here was Madam Pomfrey again, bustling towards him.

She pressed him back against his pillows with a firm hand and he didn’t have the strength to fight. He gazed at her desperately, trying to convey with his eyes what the sheet was doing. She couldn’t just abandon him to the forces of evil like this.

She tucked him in again.

Sirius almost cried. He had been so close. Why? Why, why, why? Perhaps she was the enemy too? Perhaps she wanted him to be eaten. She always shouted at him when he came to cheer Remus up after the moon. She’d be glad if the sheet won.

Maybe she was Slytherin, too. He’d never asked what house she was in. That was it. It was a Slytherin plot. He had to escape. Had to find James and Remus. Remus would know how to stop the sheet. Remus knew everything. Remus probably knew why the leaves changed.

No. Mustn’t think about the leaves. Had to escape. Had to be stealthy. He could do stealthy. Good at it. Better than James. James was crap at the bra game.

Concentrate!

He was a lot more careful in getting the sheet out this time. Stroked it, coaxed it. Shame he couldn’t feed it catnip. As soon as he’d worked one side free he rolled out.

The sheet pounced on his feet and he crashed to the floor, clumsy and heavy. He wasn’t clumsy! He was Sirius Black, Beater extraordinaire!

He kicked wildly and heard the sheet rip with deep satisfaction. He was free! All he to do now was get out before he was spotted.

He tried to crawl forward but didn’t move. Frantically he scrabbled again but though his hands gripped at the floor he didn’t go forward.

Where was Remus? Remus would know what was wrong? He’d been cursed!

“Remus!” he wailed, just in case he was close enough to hear. “Remus! James! Peter!

“Oh, goodness me, Mr Black. What have you done?” Efficient hands lifted him back onto the bed and stripped the sheet away.

“Remus?” he said again, his voice little more than a croak.

“He has to go to classes, dear. If you’re a little better later I’ll let him visit. Now stay still while I get you a new sheet.”

She’d taken the sheet away. He was saved. Remus had saved him. The evil Slytherins were scared of his Remus!

She came back with a new sheet. This one was blue which meant Ravenclaw which meant it was probably safe. He watched it carefully as she tucked it in, just in case.

He felt her press the back of her hand to his forehead and she tutted. “Time for more medicine, dear.” Then she muttered, “These highly-strung purebloods.”

He was not! That was Reggie and Cissa and Bella and Meda, only not Meda, because she was alright, Meda was. He wasn’t highly-strung. He’d show her highly-strung. He didn’t know how but he would! Nobody called him a pureblood!

Cool medicine slipped down his throat and he sank back aside the pillows. Where was Remus?

He couldn’t move at all now but he didn’t ache, except for his lungs. The trees were still whirring about outside the window. He see the leaves in the air, all bright and wild. The wind was throwing them about. Did it hurt? Was that why they changed colour? Was it like bruises?

He felt too light. What if the wind came in? It would pick him up, too. He didn’t want to be thrown around. It would hurt to be a leaf.

His feet were floating. He clutched at the pillow to anchor himself and wailed, “Remus!”

The thingy-woman was back, the maybe Slytherin one. He didn’t want her. He wanted Remus. She bent over him, looking worried.

“Remus?” he asked. Why wouldn’t anyone listen to him?

“Later,” she said gently. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to,” he said. He didn’t want to be a leaf. Leaves changed colours. They went from green to red. What if he went from red to green? Maybe that was what the sheet was for. They were trying to make him Slytherin.

She had another of those cool cloths and that was good because he was so hot. So hot he thought he might burn the sheets. Did leaves burn themselves red?

“You don’t have to do anything, dear. Just lie back and try to sleep.”

“No!” he blurted out. He didn’t want to wake up someone else or some other colour. “No! No!”

But he’d said too much and the breath caught in his throat and he was coughing. He couldn’t catch his breath and every time he tried it knotted in his throat and the room was jerking around him and it hurt, it hurt so much.

Then he wasn’t breathing for himself but big, deep breaths were filling his lungs and he was falling back against his pillows. Someone murmured a counterspell and he was breathing for himself again, burning, shallow breaths. He was crying and there was drool coming out of his mouth but he couldn’t stop.

Then someone murmured again and he sank into sleep.

He dreamt about the wolf, coming at him, red of tooth and claw. There was no Remus in the wolf, no gentle smile and sly humour. The wolf was rage and passion and power. He tried to change and couldn’t, still Sirius, not Padfoot, and the wolf was stalking him.

He ran and he wasn’t in the forest anymore, though the wolf was still on his heels. He was in the House, their House, scrabbling up the stairs. The heads on the wall were all laughing at him, shrill house elf giggles, and his mother was at the top of the stairs screaming. He turned again and the wolf was coming up behind him and his father was at the foot of the stairs, chanting, “No son of mine, no son of mine.”

He jerked awake, shouting and flailing, and someone came running.

Then he was coughing again, hurling himself against the bed as the air tried to escape him.

They stopped his cough and forced him back into sleep again.

This time he was Peter and everything was burning. The Dark Mark hung in the air before him, the smoke tinged with green. He was surrounded by dark figures and, as he spun and tried to escape, they lowered their hoods.

They were all Reggie, grey-eyed and solemn. He backed away, throwing his hands up, and they smiled at him and he realised.

They weren’t Reggie. They were him.

“No,” he gasped. “No. I won’t!” But the smoke was filling his lungs and he couldn’t breathe.

He came awake again to see the sun setting beyond the trees and thought frantically, The whole world has changed colour. The leaves are infectious.

Then he tried to breathe and it hurt and he forgot about the leaves.

In the next dream Remus was dead, sprawled across leaves as red as the blood on Sirius’ hands. He looked so pale with no blood in him. Sirius dropped to his knees and shook him, screaming his name, but the harder he shook the more the blood crept up his arms.

Behind him, low voices were whispering, “Kill the beast. Kill the beast.”

“No!” Sirius screamed and knew he’d been screaming for hours because his throat was raw, so raw it should be bloody.

“Padfoot! Sirius! Stop! I’m here!”

There was a cool hand on his and he clutched with slippery fingers and opened his eyes.

Everything was blurry. Remus was looking down at him but as Sirius blinked he split in two. Two worried Moonys, just for him.

“Remus,” Sirius croaked. “Don’t die.”

“I’m not the one who’s ill,” Remus said gently. “What’s wrong? They got me out of Charms.”

He wasn’t dead. Wasn’t dead. Wasn’t wolf. Just Remus. Hadn’t changed.

“Don’t die,” Sirius said and couldn’t tell if his face was wet with tears or sweat.

“I won’t die, Sirius. I promise I won’t die.”

Sirius lunged for him and couldn’t aim because there were two of him, the silly git. Gits. He landed on his lap and grabbed for a handful of robe.

Remus’ hand was on his back, stroking, and he said, huskily, “Sirius. You’re shaking. What’s wrong?”

He hadn’t changed. He was still Remus which meant that Sirius was the one who was a leaf. He didn’t want to be a leaf. Leaves went green and fell into the sky.

“Sirius?”

Remus would know how to stop it. Remus knew who St Frideswide was and what happened to King Arthur and how many dungbombs you could fit in a pigeon pie.

“Sirius?”

“Why do the leaves change colour?” Sirius asked and then burst into tears because it was the wrong fucking question.

“Shush,” Remus said and he could feel his hand, hesitant and gentle. “You know why leaves are green, right?”

“Slytherin,” Sirius said into Remus’ knee.

“They’re full of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll makes them green but it dies in the autumn when it gets cold and the other colours that it hid show instead.”

The leaves were pretending to be green?

“Red,” he croaked. “Red all along.”

Remus hesitated and then said, “Yeah. Pretty much.”

Sirius grabbed upwards for a handful of robe and pulled himself up to glare at Remus. “I’m red inside. Not green.”

“Course you are,” Remus said breathlessly and tugged at the collar of his robes. “Can’t breathe.”

Sirius let himself fall back onto the bed. He still hurt but it was alright. Everything was all right. Remus was here and he wasn’t green.

Fucking, stupid leaves, pretending to be Slytherin all summer.

“Don’t go,” he whispered. “Don’t want to be a leaf.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Remus said and he had that note in his voice that meant it didn’t matter what anyone did he was just going to politely do precisely what he wanted. Which meant he wanted to stay. He was safe. They were both safe.

Date: 2005-10-28 10:21 pm (UTC)
busaikko: Something Wicked This Way Comes (Default)
From: [personal profile] busaikko
Aww.... I do so love tormented!Sirius... the sheets, the leaves, Pomfrey, the whole world set against him, and Remus is fetched out of Charms. Aww....

Trying to think of more clever words, but it all comes back to aww....

Date: 2005-10-28 10:27 pm (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thanks :)

I was trying for the way a fever can be absolutely terrifying, especially when your mind sticks on some meaningless detail.

Date: 2005-10-29 01:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] exiled-mind.livejournal.com
You have managed to capture exactly how my mind tends to work whenever I have a fever. It's almost creepy. Very, very, very well done :) The desperation shines through so well, poor Sirius.

I love how he attaches to Remus as his saviour :)

Date: 2005-10-29 11:11 am (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
You just know that Remus would be a great sheet-slayer. James and Peter just wouldn't know where to start. :)

Date: 2005-10-28 10:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nassima.livejournal.com
Good Lord. The whole series is wonderful! I just read the four last ones, and memorified the post to take the time to read the rest.

What great characterisations! I love how you managed to make Sirius so multi-dimentional, and Remus so true to what we see in PoA already, and how each story is so visual and so rich of small details.

♥!

Date: 2005-10-28 10:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nassima.livejournal.com
Also, I just friended you :)

Date: 2005-10-28 11:45 pm (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you. I've friended you back. I adore your art (I've been one of those dreadful things - a silent lurker).

Date: 2005-10-28 11:44 pm (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you :)

I'm really pleased with the last few.

Date: 2005-10-29 12:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oddpossum.livejournal.com
Oh, I love this! *applauds* Absolutly amazing. Poor Sirius, of course he's red inside! :)

Date: 2005-10-29 12:06 am (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you :) On reflection, I'm really pleased with this one.

Date: 2005-10-31 02:46 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] oddpossum.livejournal.com
I think this is probably my favourite fic from of all the scarvesnhats ones. :D

Date: 2005-10-29 12:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] faith-girl222.livejournal.com
Oh, that was brilliant. Stream of consciousness fever-based insanity is always fun. Plus, the foreshadowing! Or, what I take to be foreshadowing. Great visuals and ideas on his fever dreams.

If only Remus would look back on that conversation after October of '81 and realize - Sirius has always been red inside, not green.

Also, aww. Needy!Sirius is lovely. *huggles both him and Remus*

Date: 2005-10-29 10:55 am (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you. I'm aware I tend to overdo foreshadowing so I don't often pile it on like I did in this.

Poor Remus - I don't think he has the faintest idea what Sirius is talking about.

Thank you :)

Date: 2005-10-29 01:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aopt.livejournal.com
Having a fever at the moment (though not as bad as poor Padders'!) I can completely relate, and appreciate this fully. Dammit. Now I'm going to have sheet nightmares...

Date: 2005-10-29 10:56 am (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Sorry. They're treacherous things those sheets.

Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks for the comment.

Date: 2005-10-29 02:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nekare.livejournal.com
The way you've written exactly what was in Sirius' sickly mind, was amazing, quite real; and the way you weave his fears and nightmares with the leaves prompt left me speachless.

(and of course Remus would want to stay.)

Date: 2005-10-29 10:57 am (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
I wanted to get the way that fever mixes up little worries with big fears and turns them all into panic. Sirius, however much he pretends otherwise, has a lot of things to worry about.

Nobody is going to get Remus out of that room now.

Thanks for the comment :)

Date: 2005-10-29 04:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] melayneseahawk.livejournal.com
How could he be brought low by a bit of cloth?

Ooh, that line hurt...

Date: 2005-10-29 10:58 am (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thanks. I worried about that one - it seemed a bit overdone. Glad it had the right impact.

Date: 2005-10-29 06:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] javajunkie13.livejournal.com
Oh oh oh I loved this! The sheet in the beginning and the foreshadowing!! (I am such a foreshadowing whore) Poor feverish Sirius, and the way he kept wanting Remus is the cutest thing ever. And the end when Remus finally gets there. *squeals at teh cute*

Initially I made the mistake of trying to read this while at work, but my boss was in the same room as I was and I was doing a terrible job of trying to contain my giggles so I had to wait until I got home. :)

Great job, hun! ♥

Date: 2005-10-29 11:09 am (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you. I'm really pleased with this one. Sirius is always interesting to write and feverish, obsessive Sirius was fun to put together, poor honey.

Ah, I know the feeling. I used to work in an open-plan office and my boss had a great line in reproachful stares.

Thanks :)

Date: 2005-10-29 11:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nellie-darlin.livejournal.com
Oh. That actually made me cry. I don't know why, but it was so sad, and Sirius's distress, and then his happiness at the end, and Remus, and....

Incoherent love.

Date: 2005-10-29 12:57 pm (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you :) I wasn't trying to make this one sad but it creeps in to anything from this era.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Date: 2005-10-29 12:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moonix.livejournal.com
WAH. SO UTTERLY AND TRULY AWESOME. AND AMAZING. AND. AND. I CAN'T SPEAK PROPERLY.

Date: 2005-10-29 01:00 pm (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you. I'm glad it worked. :)

Date: 2005-10-29 01:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] venilia.livejournal.com
Yeah, he's sick all right. Poor Sirius.
I love this. This is exactly how one's mind works when one is sick. All this way and that, and something is bad and then good and then bad all along. And you know its just the fever playing tricks on you, but you can't stop it.
I love how Sirius screams for Remus, and they get Remus out of Charms. Poor Remus must have been worried sick when they came to get him.

Date: 2005-10-29 01:38 pm (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thanks. I was trying for that awful, panicky, illogical sensation of a fever.

I think Sirius has managed to scare them all but poor Remus must be really worried.

Thanks for the comment :)

Date: 2005-10-29 04:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ressa6778.livejournal.com
Poor Sirius. Just want to cuddle the poor dear. Evil sheets and Pomfrey.

Date: 2005-10-29 04:25 pm (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Poor thing.

Thanks for the comment :)

Date: 2005-10-29 07:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sam-can-do-it.livejournal.com
Poor Sirius! This was so sweet and sad! I love your writing!

Date: 2005-10-30 08:56 am (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you :)

Date: 2005-10-30 01:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] painted-fall.livejournal.com
I think this was my favourite of yours so far. Very good. Very sad, though. ;-;

Date: 2005-10-30 08:56 am (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you. I'm very pleased with this one.

Date: 2005-10-30 02:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] futurestarlette.livejournal.com
My heart hurts now. :( That was wonderful and painful, and poor Remus must be more than worried sick. James and Lily too. And Sirius, having nightmares about dead Moony. The poor boy.

I shouldn't have tried to review all these in one day. I'm burning out. XD

Date: 2005-10-30 08:59 am (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you. I think he's scared them all. Poor boy.

Like I said before, thank you so much for all these comments *dances*

Date: 2005-11-01 04:39 pm (UTC)
stellastars: (Default)
From: [personal profile] stellastars
Wow! I loved how the reader could follow Sirius' thoughts. You really captured the whole feeling of feverish-thoughts.

And, I'm so glad Remus came to look after Sirius. Poor thing, being sick like that...

Date: 2005-11-02 03:16 pm (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you :) Fever is quite frightening.

Date: 2006-01-22 04:25 am (UTC)
deepad: black silhouette of woman wearing blue turban against blue background (Default)
From: [personal profile] deepad
dear god. sirius as a leaf was the most precious thing i have ever read.
bless you for writing this.

Date: 2006-01-22 07:07 pm (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you. I had great fun working it out. He'd be a very pretty leaf ^_^

Thanks for the comment :)

Date: 2006-02-02 03:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tresca.livejournal.com
I started the series youre currently writing for [livejournal.com profile] blanketforts and then saw that this was the prequel to it. Ive read through the whole thing now (and up to what you have so far on blanketforts). Its all so wonderfully written. But this one in particular is my favorite. There's just something about it. It made me wistful and a bit sad at the end too. Just completely lovely.

Date: 2006-02-02 10:19 pm (UTC)
ext_50422: (Default)
From: [identity profile] rosemaryandrue.livejournal.com
Thank you :) This was my favourite from [livejournal.com profile] scarvesnhats. I'm glad you liked it :)

Date: 2007-06-22 11:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] marauder-s-mad.livejournal.com
So beautiful ! You really have wonderful ideas !
:)

Date: 2007-08-12 04:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shinzuku.livejournal.com
Sirius.

"“Why do the leaves change colour?” Sirius asked and then burst into tears because it was the wrong fucking question."

Oh poor, Sirius. I like how he keeps going back to the leaves.

Date: 2007-08-24 10:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladyvisionary.livejournal.com
Love this series so far. Sirius comment about how he doesn't want to be a leaf is kind of sad, because when he falls through the veil, he is like a leaf in the wind...

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