Quidditch League - Round 11 - Prompt: CHASER 1: Write about winning someone/thing on a rainy night(s).

(word) muffle, (song) This is Why I Need You - Jesse Ruben, (colour) yellow

Tomorrow

Sirius ran as fast as possible, his boots squelching through the mud. He slipped and stumbled and even ended up falling before righting himself and continuing on.

He tried to shift into Padfoot but was unable to do so. It was clear something was blocking him, but he didn't want to consider the reasons. That was something he'd think about tomorrow—if he survived.

Rain pelted down through the darkness. The full moon offered little light and Sirius could barely see. Somehow he managed to dodge between the trees without hitting them, though the branches scratched at his face and hands.

He reached up, pushing the wet hair from his forehead to try and stop the drops of rain from trailing down his face. They found their way down the back of his neck instead, causing him to shiver at the cold sensation. His soaked clothing stuck uncomfortably to his skin.

None of that compared to the issue that was his shoulder. Another thing to add to tomorrow's list, his shoulder felt like something had tried to rip his arm off. Blood had soaked through his sleeve and he could smell it. It was pure torture each time he was knocked by a branch or bumped his arm into a tree when he skidded in the mud. There was no time to tend to it and he knew from experience that there was no point trying to heal it.

Werewolf injuries didn't heal… and since the beast behind him had broken his skin, sinking it's fangs into his flesh and drawing blood, Sirius was now one too.

Tomorrow's problem, he told himself. Tomorrow.

The werewolf growled from mere inches away and Sirius knew it could leap forward and catch him if it wanted, but it was toying with him - enjoying the chase. Sirius needed a miracle to find a way out of the situation. He didn't want to look back because he knew what he'd see. A terrifying werewolf with his own blood dripping from its muzzle and teeth. Blood from where it had sunk its fangs and infected… no, he reminded himself. Tomorrow.

He just needed to somehow put more distance between him and the wolf because if he apparated at the wrong moment, the wolf could lunge and end up at headquarters with him.

Lily or Alice could be there, both pregnant. With their husbands on assignments, they frequently stopped to stop at headquarters for a cup of tea.

Sirius wouldn't risk it.

Pointing his wand over his shoulder, he shot the strongest stunning spells he could. After the bite, magic seemed to tire his protesting and weakening body, but Sirius would fight until he had nothing left to fight with. Maybe one spell would confuse the werewolf long enough.

He risked a glance back, but it was still too close. The spells hadn't made any difference. Any moment now, it'd decide that it was done playing and he'd be knocked down. This wasn't how he was going to die. He wasn't going to accept this fate as his. He was going to survive somehow.

He looked back at his path and quickly realised his mistake. His foot made contact with air and before he knew what was happening, he was falling down a steep embankment. His body collided with the ground; his arm breaking with a sickening crack. He rolled the rest of the way, shouting in pain each time weight was put on his broken arm or on his shoulder. He was suddenly thankful for the mud which seemed to help his descent to the bottom, though his head smacked against a sharp rock.

He couldn't focus enough to assess his injuries. Tomorrow, he told himself again.

He glanced towards the embankment where the wolf was working its way down. Through the pain and haze and desire to close his eyes and sleep, he knew he needed to escape.

Even if he splinched himself, it was better than dying.

With the last ounce of strength he had, he Apparated away from the forest.

...oOo...

Sirius spotted headquarters and sighed in relief. He was alive. He had done it. As darkness loomed at the edge of his vision, he considered attempting to crawl to the house.

Before he could try, he heard the door open. A moment later, someone was at his side. All he could see were shapes and blurs.

"Sirius! What happened… your shoulder!" The voice was muffled, but that didn't stop him from recognising it.

Minerva McGonagall had found him and he knew that he was safe.

"Werewolf," he whispered. His eyes fluttered closed and sleep seemed like the best idea he'd ever had.

"Wake up, Sirius," Minerva said using her sternest voice, though it was evident that she was worried by the slight tremor in her voice. He tried to listen, opening his eyes as she sent a patronus, before levitating him.

The movement jostled his shoulder slightly, but a tightness wrapped around both his shoulder and arm, binding them temporarily. As they went inside, Sirius allowed his eyes to drift shut again. Everything hurt too much and he couldn't handle the pain anymore.

...oOo...

The sound of the door banging open stirred Sirius.

"What happened?" Remus demanded.

There was a long silence and Sirius kept his eyes shut, listening carefully. "I'm uncertain as to what occurred," came Dumbledore's voice. "Sirius Apparated back a couple of hours ago after being attacked by a werewolf. It's unknown whether it was a random attack or planned. Perhaps you heard something about such an attack?"

"There was nothing planned, though the group I was with was hostile towards wizards," Remus replied quietly. Sirius caught the pained tone in his voice. "When you say attacked, please don't tell me that it… that it bit him."

The silence spoke for itself and Sirius opened his eyes, searching for his friend. Hadn't Remus been in trouble? That's why he went out in the first place.

"I believe all of that pack were present at camp this morning. There was nothing to indicate an attack on a human, but I left within minutes of transforming as you said Sirius was hurt."

"Remus," Sirius whispered. Immediately the pair walked over to him. He had to tell them that Peter was still out there somewhere.

"Sirius?" Remus replied softly. "I'm here."

"I went to help you," Sirius explained, struggling to even get the words out. If this was just a bite recovery, he wondered how Remus handled transformations each month. "Peter said you were in trouble. Didn't have time to waste. Told me where to Apparate and he was going to follow. Is Peter safe?"

Sirius turned his head towards Dumbledore as the man considered his words. "Did you see Peter?" Dumbledore asked.

"No. I was waiting… but the werewolf attacked me."

"Sirius, I was never in danger," Remus said, drawing Sirius' attention. "I saw Peter yesterday and gave him the usual message regarding wards and boundaries. You couldn't have gotten into them."

"South Wales?" Sirius asked.

"North Scotland," Remus replied.

"But why would Peter send me somewhere to get attacked? Somewhere where I couldn't transform into Padfoot? No, someone needs to find him."

"Sirius, we may have to entertain the idea that Peter purposely sent you there," Dumbledore said.

Sirius stared at him blankly. Was Dumbledore really saying Peter had tricked him? Had tried to send him to his death?

"I'll put out word to find Peter, we can ask him ourselves," Dumbledore decided. Sirius turned his attention to Remus, hoping Remus would shed more light on the situation.

"I don't know what's happened, but I trust Dumbledore will get to the bottom of it. Whilst he's doing that, let's focus on you," Remus said.

"You look terrible," Sirius replied. "Tough moon?"

Remus chuckled. "Don't I always look terrible after a full moon?"

"Not like this," Sirius said, his eyes slowly moving across Remus' face. There were heavy bags under Remus' eyes and his friend was looking gaunt. Sirius longed to pull Remus onto the bed next to him; longed to promise to look after him better. But he didn't. Remus didn't want that. Remus would just leave for a mission again.

"How long are you here for?" he asked, turning his gaze away. He needed to accept that he was going to have to deal with this alone somehow. He certainly wasn't going to let James near him. After all, Padfoot had been the buffer in the early days to stop Moony from trying to eat Prongs. He had kept the wolf at bay and distracted it until it became used to Prongs and Wormtail.

He could feel Remus' gaze on him, but Sirius didn't meet it. He didn't want to see an apology in Remus' eyes as Remus made plans to leave when Sirius needed him.

"I think it's time for my mission to end. Sirius needs me and he's my priority."

Sirius' shocked gaze found Remus.

"We can discuss that later," Dumbledore replied carefully. "I will talk to you both later. Please get some rest." He closed the door behind him as he left.

Remus' gaze moved to Sirius' shoulder and Sirius looked. The blood had seeped through the bandages and his pyjama top. "But there's a bandage," he said.

"It'll bleed for some time," Remus replied before gathering supplies from the cupboard. Sirius watched him, too drained to even sit up. It felt like his energy had been sapped and he wasn't sure how Remus was still standing.

Remus glanced around. "You're thinking pretty loudly," he said.

"Will I always feel this lifeless? Why aren't you resting?"

"After the full moons, you will," Remus said. "I can rest once I've taken care of you." He dropped the supplies onto the bed and set a bowl of water on the table. "Let's get you out of that stained top."

"Anything to get my clothes off," Sirius teased, though his heart wasn't in it. It was something he would have said before and he wanted Remus to think it was fine - that he was fine.

Remus smiled slightly, clearly seeing through his attempts. "If I was just after your body, I'd have taken you up on that offer of a date in Hogsmeade last year."

"Yeah. My body is…" he hesitated. The bite on his shoulder was anything but perfect. "…was..." His voice shook and he trailed off, not sure anymore. He cursed himself for his weakness. He had always been able to pretend all was well.

Remus carefully helped Sirius out of his pyjama top.

"And you think the bite has changed that?" Remus asked.

"I don't know. I haven't seen it."

"I don't think you'd appreciate it if I sugarcoat it, so I'll be truthful. Your scar will always be there. It'll be a constant reminder of what happened last night and what hurt you. But, Sirius, it'll never be ugly. It'll just show that you faced down a werewolf and somehow lived."

"Not a hard thing to do. You took on one at the age of four," Sirius joked.

"Only because my father was there to save me." Remus hesitated. "Mine on the other hand… I mean, you always tell me that… though I understand why you'd say that just to be nice…"

"Remus, scars or no scars, you're beautiful. I've never lied about that," Sirius insisted, reaching for Remus' hand. He looked into Remus' amber eyes and pushed everything from his mind. Tomorrow he'd worry about the war, his previous fears that Remus had been a traitor and the signs that the traitor was Peter. Tomorrow he'd consider Peter's betrayal and how Peter had knowingly sent him into a trap that was supposed to kill him.

Today he'd focus on what had happened to him. He might not get a chance like this again. He knew that Remus was the only one who would understand. "I don't know if I can do this." He hesitated. "I'm scared."

"I'd be worried if you weren't scared," Remus replied softly. "I feel like that every full moon, but we can't change who or what we are. In Hogwarts, I had all of you. You accepted me, skipped class to stay by my bedside and became Animagi for me. You risked your lives each full moon just to be at my side."

"Let's not forget the trips to Hogsmeade to get you chocolate," Sirius joked.

Remus chuckled. "I'd never forget any of the kindness," he said. "That's how I manage every month. I think of the people who matter. When I'm on missions, I remind myself that I'm there because it's the only way I can help you. I'd do anything for you - I'd give my life to protect you and… last night… if only I had been there and somehow been able to stop it—"

"Don't you dare find a way to blame yourself," he muttered. "You're not allowed to take the blame. You didn't do this, you didn't know this was happening."

Remus nodded slightly. His eyes darted to the wound, getting him back on track. "Now you need someone, and I'm going to be at your side throughout everything. I'm not going on any more missions because you're my only priority. I'm going to help you through this every step of the way. I solemnly swear that I'm going to be here for you."

"All I've ever asked, to be the centre of your attention," Sirius joked, trying to smile.

"Ah, that explains it. You wanted my attention this much." The playful smile was back, though it looked as forced as Sirius' one felt.

"The efforts I go through to get you to love me." The word slipped out, but Sirius didn't take it back. It was rare that Remus was that open about anything, and Sirius realised that this may be the only time he could bring up their feelings and get a real answer. Before, Remus had given him a brush off and a flimsy excuse about Remus being a werewolf… or, as Remus had put it: a monster.

"I've been aware of your feelings for a long time," Remus admitted.

"And you said that we could never be because you're a monster. You were pretty adamant. But… if you're a monster, so am I. Nothing stopping us now. Maybe there's one good thing that can come out of this misery."

Remus examined their joined hands and Sirius silently prayed to anyone listening—Merlin, the many Muggle Gods—that Remus would love him back. Things were bleak, but there could be a silver lining to the cloud—no, hurricane—that was his life.

Remus let go of his hand and reached for the bandage. "You'll change your mind. I'm not—"

"I swear, Remus, if you even try and come up with a different reason why you don't want me, I'll forbid you to be with me at the full moon," Sirius said. "If you don't feel the same, be straight with me. I can handle it if you don't love me back. I think there's been enough secrets, don't you? For once, tell me the truth with no excuses and without throwing your… our condition in between us."

Remus reached for the bandage on Sirius' arm. Sirius knew Remus well enough to know his friend was thinking. Remus never made a choice without thinking it through.

Sirius winced in pain as the bandage was removed from his skin. Remus whispered apologies in a soothing tone as he worked.

Sirius turned his head to glance at the wound and immediately felt sick. It was bleeding as though he had just been bitten and it hurt like hell. He turned his head in the other direction, feeling like he was going to pass out.

Remus was extremely gentle as he cleaned away the blood in the Muggle manner, using cotton wool and water, before he reached for a tub on the bed. "To soothe it," he murmured in explanation as he carefully applied the yellow paste. "I'll change this again later, for now, make the most of the tiredness after the full moon and try to sleep through some of the pain."

"I'll sleep when you do," Sirius replied.

Remus quickly tidied up before taking off his shoes, cardigan and trousers. He hovered next to Sirius' bed instead of going to the other one.

"There's no reason we can't be together," Remus finally admitted. "None at all. I feel the same way, before you even noticed me back. I have many excuses but… but no reasons. I guess when it comes down to it, I've been scared of falling even harder and then losing you, or messing things up… or… not living up to your expectations. What if I'm a burden to you? What if—"

"Being together is the good kind of scary," Sirius interrupted. "Everything is about to change, Remus. Give me a chance. Be my silver lining. I can't do this without you."

The smile on Remus' lips was genuine as he reached into the bedside table and withdrew a bar of chocolate before climbing into the bed next to Sirius. "You have me," he whispered. "Here, this will make you feel better."

Sirius nodded, his fingers wrapping around Remus and pulling him closer. Remus pulled the covers over them and opened the chocolate for them to share.

...oOo...

As the rain pelted against the windows outside, Sirius cuddled closer to Remus as they shared the chocolate bar. There was a bright side to this darkness. Remus was back from his mission. Remus was there to help him through this. Yes, it would be a struggle, but they would have each other.

Peter and the war were tomorrow's problems. Today didn't have to be the day he was cursed. Today was the day that he had won Remus.

Tomorrow he'd face all of his problems, but he'd have Remus by his side as he did.

2996 words

Thanks to Lizzy for the idea and my team for betaing.