Chapter Text
Sirius walked out of the Potions classroom and started to make his way towards the dungeons. It was the beginning week of his sixth year at Hogwarts. It was good to be back here, away from his family. No matter how much he tried to become the person his family wanted him to be, he couldn't.
Suddenly he stumbled into someone. He looked at the person, only to find that it was Potter.
"Watch where you are going, Black," Potter sneered.
"Maybe you need to check your glasses. Or maybe you were too busy daydreaming about that Evans," Sirius said, smirking.
Potter took out his wand and aimed a jinx at Sirius, but Sirius quickly performed a counter-curse.
"Stupefy!" Sirius yelled aiming at Potter. Potter fell back on the ground. There was a circle of students gathered around them now, all watching them.
"Impedimenta!" Suddenly Sirius was knocked back. He slowly got up and saw that it was Lupin, Potter's best friend, who had attacked him. He raised his wand-
"Black! Lupin! Stop!" It was Professor McGonagall, who did not look in a good mood at all. "What is going on here?" she demanded.
"Potter started it," Sirius defended, "I was just-"
"I will not hear any of your excuses," she said. "Mr Lupin, I think you should take Mr Potter to the hospital wing." She kneeled down near Potter, who was breathing unevenly. "And since Mr Potter is not in a good condition, I will see you both in detention tonight at 9 o'clock. And 20 points from Gryffindor and Slytherin."
Frustrated, Sirius stormed off.
----
As Sirius went into the transfiguration classroom, Professor McGonagall and Lupin were already there. She held out her hand and they both gave their wands to her. "Come on, follow me." She led them to a storeroom near the dungeons. There were some pots in a corner with a tub full of water and some scrubs. "You will wash all these pots and then dry them. I'll be back in half an hour to check on you two," she said and left them.
Sirius sighed in frustration and started walking towards the pots.
"Well, let's get this over with quickly," Lupin muttered as they reached the pots.
"I will wash them and you dry," Sirius said. Lupin looked at him in surprise. "If we both wash and dry, it will take a long time and I don't wish to stay here for long," Sirius stated.
"Alright," Lupin said and they started working.
"Y'know, I kinda feel sorry for you," Lupin said after sometime.
Sirius' head snapped up to look at him. "What did you just say? Why would you feel sorry for me?" he asked incredulously.
"Because you haven't got anyone you can call best friend."
"I've got friends so shut the hell up," Sirius growled, standing up.
"Your 'friends' seem more like acquaintances," Lupin said matter-of-factly, and also got up.
"I don't give a fuck what you think.. and I don't even need friends.. Not like your Potter, that fucking blood traitor-"
Before he could defend himself, Lupin's fist collided with his jaw which made him stumble back. He held his jaw, running his thumb over the split lip. 'God. That hurt.' He hurled himself towards Lupin and they both fell down, struggling with each other.
Finally, Lupin grabbed Sirius' wrists and pinned him down on the ground. "Don't talk shit about my friends again," he warned, voice dangerously low.
This was the first time Sirius had seen him this close. His amber eyes were flecked with green and there was rage in them. Suddenly being pinned down by him like this made Sirius' heartbeat increase, though he couldn't understand why. They were so close that he could feel Lupin's hot breaths over his face.
The door opened suddenly. "I can't believe you two!"
Sirius looked towards the door to find Professor McGonagall looking at them sternly. They both got up quickly. Professor McGonagall sighed in exasperation. "Another detention for tomorrow," she said and they both groaned in frustration. "And 10 points from Gryffindor and Slytherin. You two can leave now." With a last glare at each other, they both left the room.
As Sirius went into the dorm, his dorm mates were already asleep. He changed into his night clothes and went into his bed. He stared at the canopy of his bed, wondering about Lupin's eyes. He had never seen anyone with eyes like that. They were so magical, it seemed like they were hypnotising- What was wrong with him?! Why the hell was he thinking of that Lupin. He rolled on his side, trying to not think about Lupin.
Instead his mind drifted to what Lupin had said. That he felt sorry for Sirius for not having a best friend. It's not like Sirius cared. It didn't matter if he didn't have a best friend. He didn't need one. He had Regulus.
Though he couldn't deny that during first and second year, he was slightly jealous of The Marauders, (the nickname Lupin, Potter and Pettigrew had given themselves). Whenever he would see them talking and laughing with each other, he would feel kind of empty or jealous. Because they looked like a family. But then Sirius had gone used to it. This was what his life was like, and he had to learn to be content with that.
Soon, he drifted off to sleep.
---
The next day, their detention was supervised by Professor Slughorn. "Since you two didn't complete yesterday's task, you will finish it today," he said, motioned towards the pots. "It should be finished by midnight," he mused. "Don't get into another fight like yesterday. I will be in my office," and with that he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Sirius turned to Lupin and frowned. He looked really sick, his face was pale and his eyes seemed tired. "You look like crap," Sirius stated.
"Gee, thanks," the other boy muttered sarcasticly.
"I am just saying that you don't look fine. Maybe you should have asked the Professor to keep your detention for some other day."
Lupin looked at him curiously for a moment before answering, "It doesn't matter. I am fine."
Sirius wanted to argue more but let it go. "Alright, whatever you say."
They started walking towards the pots but Lupin swayed lightly. Sirius quickly caught him by the shoulders. He could feel Lupin's body heat even through the robes. He touched Lupin's forehead with the back of his hand. "Fuck, you're burning," he said, brows frowning in worry.
"I may have a fever," Lupin muttered, struggling to keep his eyes open.
Sirius made him sit down against the wall, kneeling in front of him. "You need to get some rest."
Lupin stared at him like he had suggested the most impossible thing. "Have you been body swapped?" he asked.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "There's no way you can work in this condition."
"But you can't do all the work yourself," Lupin argued, though his eyes were drifting shut.
"This isn't up for discussion," Sirius stated. "It doesn't look like you can walk all the way to the Gryffindor tower so just rest here till Slughorn comes back."
It seemed like Lupin wanted to argue more but he sighed in defeat and closed his eyes, his head falling back against the wall. His chest heaved with steady breaths, lips slightly parted.
Sirius wondered why he was so drawn to this boy. There was something different about him.
Lupin shivered in his sleep. Sirius shrugged off his cloak and put it over Lupin. He got up and walked to the pots. Looking around at them, he sighed. 'This was going to be tiring.'
As he finished drying the last pot, Lupin stirred awake, looking at him through sleepy eyes. "You did everything yourself?" he asked in disbelief.
Sirius shrugged. "You feeling any better?"
Lupin nodded and his gaze shifted down to Sirius cloak covering him. He looked back up at Sirius with questioning eyes.
".. You were cold and there was not a blanket here," Sirius explained.
Lupin got up and handed Sirius' cloak to him. "You're not so bad after all," he said, mouth curving up into a smile.
Sirius didn't understand why it made warmth pool into his belly. "Maybe not."
"But I feel bad that I didn't do anything and you did all the work yourself," Lupin admitted.
"It's not a big deal," Sirius replied.
The door opened and Professor Slughorn entered the room. "You two seemed to have finished all the work," he said cheerfully.
Lupin opened his mouth to say something but Sirius cut him off, "Yes, Professor. We did. Shall we leave now?"
"Yes. Yes, sure."
Sirius smiled at the Professor. "Goodnight, Professor." He turned to Lupin. "Goodnight, Lupin."
"Goodnight, Black," the other boy said, a small smile on his lips.
With a wave to the Professor, Sirius left the classroom.
----
The next two days, Lupin was nowhere to be seen, not at breakfast, lunch or dinner and not in any shared classes they had, which made Sirius wonder if he was alright. Potter and Pettigrew also seemed in a bad mood.
On the third day, when Sirius was going to breakfast, he saw Lupin in a deserted corridor. "Hey, Lupin." Sirius walked to him. "Where were you for the past two days?"
"I was sick.. I.. I had a fever," Lupin answered.
"Oh, are you okay now?"
Lupin nodded. "Yeah, I am fine," he said, frowning slightly.
"Okay," Sirius said and continued walking, missing the confused look on Lupin's face.
All through breakfast, he kept glancing at Lupin, who was sitting with his friends. He just couldn't get him out of his head.