Helium Raven (severity_softly) wrote in ever_fixed_mark, @ 2008-05-21 18:07:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | adult content: violence, minerva mcgonagall, omc, peter, remus |
015: The Wrath of the Rat
The first thing Remus realised when he woke up was that he was numb, almost completely numb. It took him a moment to remember what had happened, and when he blinked his eyes open he was grateful for the numbness. He could tell without looking in a mirror or touching his face at all that it was swollen just by the way it felt to lift his eyelids. He blinked blearily around the hospital ward, wondering foolishly if whoever brought him here got his wand and his badge, too.
Peter had been dozing in the chair next to Remus' bed, but when Remus stirred, he woke and sat forward. "Remus?" He reached out to touch Remus' shoulder lightly, but he was afraid he would hurt him. "Remus?" He'd been furious since he found out Remus was in hospital, but since getting here and seeing Remus like this, he'd been more scared than angry. Now he just wanted to be reassured Remus was really all right.
Remus drew in a breath at the touch and rolled his head to face Peter. "Peter," he mumbled. His mouth felt funny, but he managed a small smile to reassure Peter. He had a feeling he probably shouldn't feel so good right now, but potions did wonders, and it was better than being on the floor with two people standing over him. "How was class?" he asked mildly.
"God!" Peter choked, his throat tightening. He traced a finger down an uninjured spot of Remus' cheek, staring at him. "Who cares about class? How do you feel? What happened?"
Remus looked into Peter's face, then reached up and took Peter's hand, resting their joined hands on the bed. Maybe it was the drugs, but he really didn't care if anyone saw right now. Or maybe that was because his entire life had flashed before his eyes just earlier that day. That had been today, hadn't it? "I'm numb. I'm numb and a pervert, but I love you," he said, grinning. "I tried to dock points, I promise."
Peter let out a choked laugh and pulled Remus' hand up to kiss it. "Idiot," he whispered, brushing Remus' fringe out of his eyes. "God, you look awful. I'm guessing they didn't appreciate the docking of points." He was going to kill someone for this. He was going to bloody kill someone.
"Didn't get the chance, happened so fast. Never would have expected..." Remus shrugged, wishing his voice didn't sound so weak. "Do I look that bad? Where's my wand... 'n my badge?" His free hand went to the hole in his robes automatically.
"Who was it?" Peter asked, reaching over to the bedside table and holding up Remus' wand. He hadn't been up to see where they'd found Remus; he didn't know where the prefect badge was. "They took your badge?" The anger was stirring and boiling in his stomach as he stared at the hole in his boyfriend's robes. He was going to kill someone, and he knew two Marauders who would help.
"Ripped it off, threw it." Remus said, then laughed at the way they thought he was abusing his authority to 'get away' with... oh, what had Pomfrey given him that he was laughing at that? His brows drew together sharply. "Don't do anything stupid," he said, in lieu of giving names.
"Remus John Lupin, you tell me," Peter whispered, staring at him. "I was willing to overlook things, for your sake, but look where that got us. You're in hospital for God's sake!" he burst out, then took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "You know you'll have to tell someone. Better me than McGonagall."
Remus' eyes went a little wide when Peter shouted, then squeezed his hand tightly. "Shh, it's okay. I feel fine." He really didn't want to tell Peter, not that it was people he'd thought were friends, not that it was their dormmates. God, their dorm would be a war zone for the next week. "McGonagall won't curse them if I tell her."
Peter narrowed his eyes. "They found you up by Gryffindor tower," he said. "First years, did you know? They went to Lily for help, crying. I didn't find out until halfway through Arithmancy, when she sent someone up to get me out of class." McGonagall and Dumbledore had both been in there. Peter knew they would come back. And if Dumbledore sent Remus down, Peter was going, too, but not before someone paid for this.
"Oh, God," Remus said. "First years? Which ones? Are they okay?"
"Always the Prefect." Peter rolled his eyes. "They're fine. Maybe have a few nightmares about Prefect Lupin bloody." He sighed and leaned in close. "I'm going to have nightmares about that, too," he whispered.
Remus shook his head. "Don't." Then he wondered how safe it was for Harkiss and McLeod to be in their house at all. What if they hurt one of the younger years? "Look, if I tell you, promise you'll tell Dumbledore. You won't do anything stupid."
Peter met Remus' gaze for a long moment, then sighed again. "I'll tell Dumbledore," he promised. Once I've dealt with it myself and have to face the punishment.
Remus eyed Peter for a bit, then dropped his eyes. "I thought they liked me..." he mumbled, "Harkiss and McLeod, okay?" He looked back up, noting the sudden pain between his shoulder blades and wondering if he needed more pain medication.
Peter's mouth dropped open. Harkiss and McLeod--their own dormmates. People they spent hours with every day. People, yes, that he'd thought were their friends. He felt cold. He clenched his jaw, trying to hold in check the utter rage that was flooding him. People he'd trusted! He would have expected this from Snape and his cronies! Not from fellow Gryffindors!
He looked away from Remus and wiped a hand over his mouth, trying to cover his reaction. Oh, they were going to pay. Remus wouldn't like it, but Remus wouldn't know until it was too late. And as soon as Peter'd brought a reckoning, he would turn himself into their Head of House and explain why he'd done it. But he wasn't going to let them get away with writing lines or sorting through files. That was too easy for filthy toerags like Harkiss and McLeod.
Remus watched Peter's reaction closely, and he knew Peter's temper too well to not know Peter was angry, even if he was hiding it. Remus likely would have been angry if he was in Peter's spot. He probably should be angry now, but he was numb, and tired, and grateful he was sitting here with Peter and not permanently hurt. Oh, Merlin, he hadn't been out of bed yet, he hoped he wasn't permanently hurt. "Peter," he said cautiously, "they're not worth anything you're thinking. Just tell Dumbledore."
Peter shook his head, fighting back tears of pure rage. "Remus, they could've killed you," he whispered. He pressed the back of Remus' hand to his cheek. "Do you know what would happen to me if I lost you?"
Remus wanted to tell Peter that Peter would be fine without him, but the idea of Peter moving on without him was painful even to Remus. Remus uncurled his index finger and brushed Peter's temple. "I know," he whispered. He wondered for a moment why they didn't kill him. Surely they knew they'd get in trouble. Maybe they'd been caught, maybe the first years had walked up on it... or maybe they thought they had killed him. Wait... they found him near Gryffindor tower? They'd moved him? They had thought they'd killed him. The thought made Remus shudder, then he groaned softly at the ache it produced. "Go tell Dumbledore," he insisted, then frowned. "Is... Pomfrey around?"
"Are you in pain?" Peter asked anxiously. "Can I do anything? I'll get Pomfrey." He stood, then hesitated and leaned down to kiss Remus, very gently. Then he ran to look for Madam Pomfrey.
Remus smiled at the kiss and watched Peter go. He couldn't help but frown, however, when Pomfrey returned, wearing a look of pity Remus didn't really like. It didn't matter though, as as soon as he drank what she gave him, Remus fell back to sleep.