Untitled
a Harry Potter story
by deeplyintothis
Right after they left Hogwarts, Remus spent a few months living in his own apartment. Even though he and Sirius were together and Sirius had asked him to move in, he chose to spend a year "supporting himself." This frustrated Sirius for many reasons. One of which was that the best place Remus could afford was a run-down, weekly-rent place in a bad area of town. So, he'd spent a soild year anticipating a floo conversation like the one he came home to this evening.
"I don't want you to freak out when I tell you this."
"What?"
"I got robbed."
"What?!"
Sirius is at Remus's crappy downtown apartment in four minutes. Remus reminds him in a rough, tired voice that he shouldn't apparate in this part of town, as it is predominately Muggle.
"What happened?"
Remus sighs and shakes his head, looking basically like death warmed over. He is pale and obviously exhausted. They are standing in his bedroom, one of the three rooms in his apartment, a room which happens to have a straight shot to the front threshold when the bedroom door is open.
"I was stupid. I left the door unlocked. I forgot to lock the door." Remus admits. He turns a bit away from Sirius to cough into a handkercheif. If Sirius weren't so upset he might notice that Remus is too tired for a fight.
"You left the door unlocked when you went out?" Sirius asked. Remus shook his head and mumbled something.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear that." Sirius said pointedly, leaning closer to Remus.
"I left it open after I got home." He repeated.
"This guy robbed your apartment while you were in it?"
"Ye...ah…" Remus murmurs thickly, raising the handkerchief to his face again. "Heyihischhhahh!" he sneezes strongly, groaning into the cloth, and sits down heavily on his bed, which whines in protest like a prison cot. "Yes." He said, voice cracking. "He came in the door, came into my room, and told me to give him my money."
"Jesus Christ, Remus."
"I had been asleep, and so was completely confused at first. Then I was a bit worried, because who knew what his reaction would be when he realized I had only three pounds on me."
"Fuck." Sirius sighs, covering his eyes with his hand and pacing nervously to the bedroom door and then back to where he'd been standing.
"Obviously it was fine. He took the three pounds, seeming somewhat disappointed in me, and left. I almost felt bad." Remus says flatly, stifling another small sneeze into the handkerchief.
Sirius wants to scream. He wants to pull his own hair out, he wants to yell at Remus for being so careless, for leaving the door open, for refusing numerous offers to live in a better part of town, or at least to live with someone. He also wants to grab him tightly and hold him for the duration of their lives, wants to cry or beg or something, something to excise these feelings of terror at the idea of this scary stranger be ing so close to his boyfriend. What might have happened if someone different had noticed Remus's unlocked door, someone who wouldn't be happy with three crinkled notes? Sirius feels like he's being pulled in twenty different directions, and for a moment doesn't know where to start.
"How—how could you not lock the door?"
Remus sighs. "I was tired. I had a fever."
"You have a fever?" Sirius asks, train of thought shifting yet again as he lays a hand on Remus's forehead.
"Little fah—fever. Huh—kitschh!"
"Why did you leave the apartment in the first place?"
Remus sniffles pathetically into the damp cloth and drops it back to his lap. "Wanted some soup. Some cold medication."
"Why didn't you just ask me? Why didn't you tell me you were so sick? I thought it was just a cold."
"It is just a cold, Sirius."
"Well, I would have happily gotten you some soup and some medicine if you had just said something—"
"Okay."
"If you aren't well enough to remember to lock your door then you aren't well enough to go out in the first place, Remus," Sirius sighs, almost plaintive. "I mean...! What if this guy hadn't just wanted your three fucking pounds? You could have been hurt, or killed! Living in this area you can't be so damn careless!"
Remus looks down and shakes his head. "Thanks. I'm fine." He murmurs.
Sirius rolls his eyes. "You think I don't care if you're okay? Why do you think I'm freaking out?"
"Well, that's really sweet of you, love, but I think I'd rather just go to bed." Remus says flatly.
Sirius sighs and shifts, noticing that his words aren't sounding the way he'd meant them to. He scratches his head and takes a moment to reset himself. "Well, are you hungry? I can get you something if you want."
"No thank you." Remus murmurs, lying down on his side on the bed, over the covers, still in his shoes. He pulls his knees up to his chest and closes his eyes. After a moment of stillness, his body curls forward with a quick, violent, wet sneeze. "HihISH! Oh…" he sighs, rubbing his nose roughly with a fist and shivering suddenly.
Sirius feels something in him melt. "Bless you."
"Thank you."
Sirius sighs for what he feels is the hundreth time. He sits down on the edge of the bed and pets a little of Remus's hair out of his face.
"I'm sorry I was abrupt."
"S'alright."
"You know you make me nervous living in this shit hole."
Remus laughs. "Yes, you've mentioned it."
"Let me take you home tonight. I've got much better heat in my apartment."
"Heyischh!"
"Bless you. And an array of tissues."
Remus smiles a little.
"And if someone breaks in there, at least he'll get enough to buy himself a decent meal."
Remus groans. "That's very sweet, but I really should stay at my own place."
"Are you sure?"
Remus opens his mouth to speak, but instead pulls in a hitching breath and curls into a tighter ball so he can sneeze into his chest instead of at Sirius. "Heh! Heyischh, huhtsshh, eischhh! Huh, huh—TSSCH!"
Sirius frowns and puts a hand on Remus's back. "Bless you, bless you, bless you, love."
Remus groans, pulls out his handkerchief, blows his nose and groans again. Then he sits up. "Fuck this. Let's go."
Sirius laughs. "Okay."
"But I am not moving in."
"Okay."
Remus grabs his toothbrush and a pair of sweatpants. Sirius calls a cab instead of apparating. That was the last Remus saw of his apartment until the day he and Sirius came back to box up his things.