Remus J. Lupin (m00ny) wrote in an_ill_wind, @ 2009-05-29 13:25:00 |
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Entry tags: | - 1980/05 may, james potter, remus lupin |
Who – James and Remus Remus was startled when James suddenly appeared in his living room. He glared up at James as he closed his journal and rose from where he had been sitting to slide it into his pocket, along with a quill and some ink. Greyback hadn't said he couldn't and at least this way he'd have some way to communicate if he needed to. James said nothing at first, just glared, stony faced, at his friend. He thought he'd be fine, did he? He could die, and he was making James bloody help him. James swallowed and then finally said again, "We should go." "Yeah, okay," Remus replied, a bit deflated by the shortness of James' response. "Er, before we go though. You have to promise me that you won't say or do anything while we're there. No matter what happens. He threatened to kill a whole nursery school full of children if this doesn't go exactly the way he wants it to. So just stand still, don't say a word and when you get the kid, apparate the hell out of there and don't come back, okay? I promise you, I will be fine. But other people won't be if you don't follow instructions." "Right. Got it. Throw you to the bloody wolf and get my arse out. Yes sir," James replied shortly. He just kept looking at his friend, wishing there was another way. But he didn't have a better idea, and clearly this was all already set up anyway. There was no getting out of it now. Unless... "I could come back. After the kid is safe. I could come and get you." Remus was shaking his head vigorously before James even finished speaking. "You can't, James. I know what I'm asking you to do is a really shitty thing, but if you come back, then he'll kill you and then maybe me and most likely a whole bunch of innocent people. It will be fine. He's not going to do anything until the full moon. He doesn't want to kill me." Remus didn't want to admit just why he was so certain of that. He couldn't tell James about the way Greyback was trying to convince him to join him. That would just make things worse and they had to leave soon. "All right, fine. I don't know where we're going, so you'll have to side along me," James said, holding out his arm. He wasn't sure he was in the best state to concentrate on apparating at the moment anyway. He'd probably splinch himself and then he'd be no use to anyone. There really was a good chance something would happen to Remus, and if it did, James knew he would be responsible for it. All that shite he'd spouted off to Remus about Sirius not knowing how to be accountable to other people, about how Sirius didn't know how to react when people he loved were in danger, it was all a load of bollocks coming from James, really. Much as James liked to think himself smart, what they were doing? It wasn't bloody smart. "Fine," Remus agreed and moved closer to take James' arm. He hesitated a moment though, knowing that once they got there, there would be no more talking. "Thanks," he said in a low, gruff tone. "I know you don't want to, but thanks for doing this." James took a deep breath and then remembered another bit of advice he'd told Remus, one he would always stand by. Never do anything dangerous mad at the ones you love. He squared his shoulders for a moment, and then pulled Remus into a tight--almost painfully so--hug, hang on with no sign of letting go. He didn't care how un-manly it was, or how angry he felt at Remus right then. He just took a breath and muttered, "Love you, you berk. Be careful, right? Don't die." Remus just about had the breath squeezed out of him when James hugged him, but he hugged James back just as tightly, betraying the anxiousness he was trying to hide. "Love you too," he muttered back, feeling a bit choked up suddenly. "I'll be fine. Not gonna die. Just make sure you don't either, okay? No being a hero. Just get the kid and go. I can take care of myself." "No you can't. Neither you or Sirius can. Why the bloody hell do you think I'm so concerned about both of you all the time?" James said, laughing a little, trying not to sound too upset. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to make sure he wouldn't do anything unforgiveably poncy, and then opened them again and let Remus go, save for one hand clutched firmly to his arm. "Fine. Let's do this, right? I need to stop thinking about it or I'll change my mind." "Can too," Remus muttered stubbornly, but he was smiling at the same time and couldn't remember why he had been thinking that Greyback might possibly be right about his friends. Of course he was completely wrong. His friends were the best in the world. Just look at what James was doing for him. "Yeah, let's go," he said as James clutched his arm, and he took a minute to think about their destination before apparating the pair of them to the house that had been his first home all those years ago.
What – Preparing to leave to make the exchange with Greyback
Where – Remus' flat
When – Just before noon on Thursday, May 28, 1980
Rating – PG for language?
Status - Complete
James snapped his journal shut on his and Moony's journal conversation, annoyed with his mate but indeed taking the advice to head to Remus' flat so they could, as Moony has put it, argue in person. James decided to hell with manners and apparated right into Remus' living room, arms crossed and pissed, looking very much so like an irate father.
"You're both idiots," he declared, mussing a hand frustratedly through his already disastrous hair. He'd been mussing it nervously ever since he'd seen Remus' journal entry, and now it was indeed a big, puffy hedgehog on top of his head. "You know that, right? You ruddy deserve each other. Idiots!"
He couldn't believe he was actually going to go through with his. He was actually going to help Remus deliver himself to Fenrir bloody Greyback in trade for a little boy. Sure, James wanted to save the boy as much as anyone, but was he really willing to let Remus turn himself into collateral? He swallowed the bitter taste of disgust with himself down and crossed his arms once more over his chest. Now he looked more like he was brooding than anything, but he didn't know what else to do. He was a bad friend. A bad person. Sirius was going to kill him.
"We should go," he added mutinously. "Wouldn't want to be late for your date with the blood thirsty monster."
"Look," he said, trying to project calm and reasonableness onto James. "He's not going to kill me, alright? I'll be perfectly fine. You'll see. Come over here on Saturday afternoon and see for yourself. I wasn't planning to go out with you lot on Friday night anyway. I had actually been thinking of going back to Dad's to the basement there or at worst, the Ministry holding cells. At least this way I won't tear myself apart?"
What else was there? He'd consented to this, and Remus obviously had his mind made up. No point keeping the poor kid waiting. He was probably traumatised enough.