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Remus’s teeth chattered as a bone numbing chill settled through his body. A groan left his lips as he pulled himself into an even tighter fetal position so his knees almost brushed his chin. His arms hugged them close as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. He couldn’t have anyone see him like this, least of all his friends who would fret and worry when that was the last thing that he wanted. He just needed that warming draught that Madam Pomfrey had given him to start working, just enough to take the edge off this cold.
He had been warned that this could be a side effect lesser talked about from his transformations. It was as though all the effort that it took to transform from wolf to boy chased all the warmth right from his very soul. There were times when he would wake up after a moon to find that his lips were blue and he was beginning to lose feelings in his digits. Things weren’t that dire right now, and he honestly thought that perhaps he was making too big of a deal about it. However, he couldn’t shake this chill.
“Rem?”
Remus buried his face deeper in his pillow and coughed, willing himself to lay as still as possible. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk to Sirius, but he wasn’t sure his voice would allow it and the last thing that he wanted was for the dark haired boy to worry about him. Sirius had a tendency to fuss whether he knew it or not and Remus was hardly in the mood for that tonight.
“Remus, I know you’re awake,” Sirius announced from outside his four poster bed. The curtains were drawn, though Remus could just make out Sirius’s silhouette shifting from foot to foot just outside. That meant Sirius could probably see his figure as well, hunched and shivering, unable to get warm. “Please, Rem. I can wait here all day.”
That was true; stubborn should’ve been Sirius’s middle name. He could outlast even James, which was saying something as James could go on for what felt like an eternity. Remus wouldn’t have it any other way, except when it came to them looking after him.
Against his better judgement, and perhaps because he knew that Sirius wouldn’t leave him alone if he didn’t, Remus reached forward and pulled the curtain aside, wincing at the stretching pain in his side.
The moment Sirius’s eyes rested on Remus, a wicked smile appeared on his face. It disappeared just as quickly as he saw Remus shuddering as he scrambled back under his quilt until it was pulled back up to his chin.
“Bloody hell, mate. You look practically frozen!” Sirius brushed his fingers over Remus’s cheek, which had the smaller boy pulling away with a whimper, teeth chattering noisily.
“C-C-Cold.”
“Show me your hands.”
Remus’s eyes widened in shock. Did Sirius really expect him to pull his hands from the warmth of this quilt? He swore that was the only reason his fingers hadn’t fallen off, that he was sure of.
After about a minute of pondering, knowing that Sirius was unlikely to bend on this, Remus reluctantly pulled his hands free. They shook so intensely that he barely was able to find Sirius’s hands, breathing a faint sigh of relief as Sirius began to rub them between his own hands, squeezing each finger in turn to chase some warmth into the stiff digits.
“Can’t believe there’s not something they can do for this. You must be hurting,” Sirius exclaimed, worry hardening his voice.
Remus longed to reassure him that the warming draught would only take some more time to kick in and he wouldn’t be this cold, but his teeth were chattering too intensely for any words to come out. He had to admit it was nice to have Sirius holding and massaging his hands, though. Perhaps this was something he could get used to.
Sirius suddenly brightened as he tucked Remus’s hands back under the blanket, but not before giving them both a gentle pat. “I’ll be right back. Hang tight!”
It took everything in Remus not to call Sirus back, to beg him to stay with him. Even if he couldn’t hold his hands forever, at least they were a little warmer. He kept his lips pressed together tightly as he snuggled back down, a massive shiver shooting through is spine and spreading outwards through his entire body. His eyes squeezed tightly in desperation as his breath caught. Remus willed himself not to cry even as everything ached and he felt that building pressure in his throat signaling that it may be inevitable.
Less than a minute later, Sirus returned with something stacked in his hands. Remus’s brow furrowed in confusion as Sirius set the pile aside and picked one off the top. “Hand, please.”
Stiffly, Remus started to lift his limp wrist only for Sirius to grow impatient with him and take matters in his own hands…..literally. He pulled Remus’s arm forward before slipping something thick and warm over his right hand. Remus felt his fingers wriggle inside only to be met with thick wool, and not the kind that often made his nose itch. Warmth immediately invaded his digits, all the way to his palm. Sure, it wasn’t exactly a true cure or anything, but it was certainly a start, and something that Remus wouldn’t have thought of himself despite his relatively clever nature.
“That’s a good lad,” Sirius praised as Remus eagerly lifted his left hand for the same treatment, relief shinning in his eyes. Sirius couldn’t help but laugh as he did the same with Remus’s other hand, giving it a few squeezes afterwards for good measure. “Hope you don’t mind the snakes. Mum sent them last year for Christmas and I never wore them, but I’m glad they’ll be put to some good use.”
Remus couldn’t have cared less what image was on them. Hell, they could’ve been bright pink with blue lace and daisies and he still would’ve been thankful for them. Why hadn’t he thought of something as simple as putting socks over his hands? He would have to chalk it up to the effects of the chill on his brain.
“I have more.” Sirius shuffled over to the end of the bed and began to pull the covers back from Remus’s feet. Cold air immediately rushed in and had Remus whimpering as he feebly attempted to tuck his legs even tighter against his body to conserve what little heat he had left. “Sorry! Should’ve warned you, huh? I promise I’ll be quick.”
And quick he was.
Sirius wasted no time in pulling Remus’s foot down and engulfing it just as he had done with his hands. The warmth was immediate, and when Sirius did the same to the other foot and replaced the blanket, Remus no longer felt like this cold may kill him. It may not have been the end all be all, though it was more than he could’ve ever asked for.
“That better,” Sirius questioned as he came back to Remus’s head and couldn’t help himself from threading his fingers through Remus’s messy hair, smiling when Remus arched his head into the touch. “Yeah, I’ll say it is. Is there anything else I can do for you, love?”
It took Remus a few moments to ponder if he really wanted to ask this, or more like gesture as speaking was still too much. The socks on his hands and feet may have warmed them, but his face was still cold and didn’t trust the effort to open his mouth and talking wouldn’t send his teeth chattering so hard they may break. Instead, he lifted a hand and fumbled through the thickness to take Sirius’s hand and give it a small tug, eyes round and pleading as he begged Sirius to understand what he was asking.
A wicked smile plastered over Sirius’s face as he eyed the space behind Remus. There wasn’t much, just enough for him to squeeze in tightly if he tried, body pressed so closely against Remus that he was sure they would have to share warmth.
“You sure?”
Remus gave a frigid nod, sniffling.
Sirius immediately wriggled out of his dress robe and set it aside before leaping over Remus to land delicately behind him. If Remus didn’t know any better, he would’ve expected it to be Padfoot. It seemed that ever since Sirius had gained his Animagus form, he had grown much more agile. Sirius often commented that it served him well when moving around to pull off pranks, though Remus would wager that this may be the best part; Sirius being able to slip into bed beside him quietly with the rest of the dorm being none the wiser.
Arms came to wrap around Remus’s middle as Sirius pulled him close, the quilt flowing over both of them as Sirius buried his face in the back of Remus’s freezing neck. He felt the smaller man’s every shiver, every hitch of breath as he longed to take the pain that he knew Remus was feeling. It took all of his control not to emotionally break down, knowing that tears would only risk cooling Remus down quicker. No, he had to compose himself for Remus’s sake.
A million words came to Sirius’s mind of sentiments he wanted to share. However, when he had decided on one, he began to hear the soft snores. They were much deeper than usual, thicker perhaps which could’ve signaled that Remus may be coming down ill. Sirius decided not to go down that path before he had sufficient evidence. Besides, if Remus was sick, he would deal with it as they always had. They could stay in bed and Sirius would look after him so that Remus didn’t need to do a thing.
For now they could just stay like this forever as far as Sirius cared, knowing that if he could do anything to make Rems feel better in any regard, physical or mental, he would be damn sure to try it. Even if right now all he could offer were some fuzzy socks and endless cuddles.