Work Text:
TW: Alcoholism, abuse, running away, homophobia
-Remus-
*knock*
*knock*
*knock*
“Christ,” Lupin muttered as he pulled on a jumper, “It’s two in the morning. Whoever the hell this is best have a good reason”
He went and opened the door to the house and there before him stood Sirius Black, tears streaming down his face and blood running down his arm.
“Sirius!”
The other boy just stood there, as though unsure if he was allowed inside. Lupin grabbed the non bleeding arm and pulled him gently inside, turning the kettle on with a flick of his wand and grabbing a blanket from the armchair. He sat Sirius down on the couch and for a moment, the two just sat there silently side by side. When Sirius seemed calmer, Remus went and got them both some tea and a first aid kit that his mother kept beneath the sink.
“I’m going to bandage you up alright?”
Sirius nodded, and only winced a little bit when Lupin touched the wound. It was deeper then it had first appeared and obviously the result of something being thrown with magic, though he wasn't sure what.
“Sirius, what happened, love?”
“They burnt me off,” Sirius’ voice was barely a whisper. “Just like they did to Andromeda. Told me I’m no longer their son. Told me-”
And then he couldn’t talk anymore. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t breath. All that he could do was cry. So he did just that. Sirius curled into Lupin’s arms and cried like a baby for hours. Remus stroked the other boy's hair and whispered calm nothingness to him just as his mother did after a full moon when Remus was a child.
-Sirius-
He ran up to his bedroom, ignored the screaming and slammed the door. Regulus stood at the foot of the bed, paralyzed.
“Get out,” Sirius tried to keep his voice quiet, tried to ignore Bella coming up the stairs.
“Sirius please,” Regulus looked like he’d been crying.
“Out! I never want to see you again!”
The door flew open then and both boys froze. When Sirius turned, nobody was there. His breathing sped up. Bella only did magic like this when she’d been drinking and she’d certainly been drinking that night. The knife flew into the room before he knew it was there and the only reason it didn’t hit Sirius right in the chest is because he turned to stop Regulus from screaming.
Arm bleeding Sirius grabbed his school bag and threw anything he could find inside. Wand, t-shirt, a letter from Andromeda, and a photograph of Reg. And then he ran. Sirius ran down the stairs, dodging almost all of Bella’s curses. His mother’s goodbye was one final “Crucio!” which hit him just as he stumbled out the front door.
Sirius wasn’t sure how he got to Remus’s house, though there was a vague memory of the night bus. All he knew now was that Remus held him close and whispered nice things into his hair while he cried. Maybe in the morning he would wake up and this all would be a dream. At least if it was it had a nice ending.
-Remus-
They stayed on the couch all night as Remus was afraid that Sirius would frighten at any movement. When his father came downstairs in the morning the two boys were curled up on the couch, Sirius’s face nestled deep into Remus’s chest.
Remus woke up first around nine and read the book he’d brought downstairs the evening before. Sirius stayed asleep until nearly noon and when he finally stirred Remus was famished.
“Morning Pads, fancy some breakfast?”
“Mmm...gotanytoast?” Sirius mumbled before sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
“C’mon. Breakfast and then we’ll have ourselves a chat.”
-Sirius-
Sirius absolutely did not want to have a “chat” after breakfast. But Remus wasn’t having it and forced him to sit down and talk.
“Sirius, what happened last night?”
With a sigh and a long sip of tea, Sirius began,
“We had a family dinner. Everyone came over and well, we were only supposed to be drinking champagne but you know how Bella is. She can’t have a sip of anything without needing something stronger afterwards. She was drunk within the hour Rem and her and mum really had it out for me. Just going on and on about me and you and...us. And Reg just sat there! Finally, I guess I’d had enough and I told both of them to shut it.”
Lupin's eyes grew wide at that last statement.
“So, what happened to your arm?”
“Right,” Sirius grimaced, “that’s one of Bellas specialties when she’s drunk. Threw a knife at me with magic and it cut me. It’s not as bad as it could’ve been” he added this last part quickly as Remus was growing pale.
“Sirius, you...you can’t go back there”
“Course I bloody can’t!” Sirius was louder than he’d intended to be. He didn’t usually show it, but he was really hurt by what his family had done to him. No matter how hard he tried, he’d never be good enough for them.
“They burnt me off the tapestry Remus. I’m not even a member of my own family anymore.” Tears welled up in his eyes and Sirius was engulfed in a hug that he never wanted to end.
“It’s a shame about Bella ya know,” Sirius sniffled out, “it’s a shame she’s fucked in the head. She really could have made something out of herself.”
Remus gave a small laugh and later that night they phoned James. He’d gotten a muggle telephone in the kitchen in case Lily Evans ever magically decided she wanted to call him over summer break (She never did). Sirius would move in with the Potters that summer, but he was going to stay with Remus for the last two days of Christmas break.
That night, after they’d all gone to bed Sirius snuck into Lupin’s room and climbed into his bed. They didn’t say anything but Remus held him close and didn’t let go all night. There, in that room, Sirius Black felt safe and loved for the first time in a very long time.