What's Left (Dorcas)

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Try again properly? Did she mean...?

As Doe leaned in slowly, Remus panicked slightly. What if the last time had been a lucky accident? What if Sirius' intuition was right; what if he was terrible?

Oh, get it together! He shouted at himself. He wanted this. He wasn't going to let himself mess this up with his own incurable awkwardness. The world was moving in slow-motion as he calmed himself down and invested himself in that moment. His heart pounded so fiercely that he feared it was faintly audible. He closed his eyes and, and...

And, of course, in a single dramatic scene, Sirius had managed to swoop in and completely ruin everything.

Remus strained against an incessant tugging on his arm. Sirius had smacked into Dorcas in a frenzy, babbling about some crime scene from which he needed to escape. He felt like punching him! And he should probably apologize to Dorcas for his friend's insensitive behavior. Then he might just go ahead and smack Sirius again. Trust him to singlehandedly ruin a moment without even realizing he was doing it!

"Didn't it look like I might have been in the middle of something!?" Remus wanted to shout at him, but in his shock he quickly came to his senses. It was as if he had plunged headfirst into ice-water. Remus' eyes snapped to the night sky peering through the window. What was he doing? He had to get out of here! But at the same time, a throbbing in his chest nagged him to stay.

"You are so incredibly thick!" He did manage, starting to panic again. Remus allowed himself to be dragged away, putting on a show of resisting more than he truthfully was. He felt awful about leaving Dorcas standing there, confused. Still, better confused than... well, he didn't want to think about what would happen if he lingered. He had to hand it to Sirius... he had the best timing. And the worst.

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[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]#### WORDS FOR REMUS oh hey! i got nothin to say - so here's a note pad that's empty, hooray! DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 11px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]Just as she was about to close the gap between them, an annoying figure bumped right into him. Sirius Black. Really? Now? It wasn't like Dorcas and Sirius were strangers, after all. They knew each other, of course. But with him practically running her over, not to mention ruining Remus and Doe's second kiss, she had half a mind to call him out on it. But, a smile crept across her face as Remus seemed to concept that bit. She looked from Remus to Sirius, and finally set her sights on the boy she was most interested in. After a loud pang, Doe looked behind her to see a bunch of bouncing Severus heads. She frowned. Poor Severus. She looked back to Remus to find him being dragged away, tears welling in her eyes. Was there to never be an occasion between them where something didn't go wrong? She blinked back the tears. After a soft sigh and a quick wave, Dorcas turned on her heel and headed in the direction Sirius came from - mostly to find Severus so that 1. she could make sure he was alright and 2. he could take her mind off of Remus. [/style]

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[Sirius Black]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 340px; background-image:url(http://i56.tinypic.com/20gfl1v.jpg); padding: 30px; border: #2D2729 solid 30px; ] these dry bones cry out WORDS 225 TAGGED DORKY & REMUS NOTES NONE Sirius didn't know why Remus was resisting him so fiercely. To be fair, Sirius never had to share Remus with anyone outside of the Marauders' before, and he just sort of ignorantly assumed that Remus was helping someone find their way around the school. Not that Sirius looked, though. He kept his focus on Remus, even when one of the balls he let loose hit himself in the head. Sirius' face broke into one of confusion as he looked behind himself to see a girl walking away. Even from behind, he recognized her. "What? It's just Meadowes," he stated, casually. After he spoke though, his eyes grew wide with sudden realization. "Oh! That's the girl!" he exclaimed, remembering from their earlier conversation. He paused. "Not bad, not bad at all, Moony," he added, approvingly. He looked out at the sky and then behind him where he could hear distinctly angry voices. He wasn't sure if they were headed in the right direction, but he didn't want to be around to find out. "Come on, Rem, it's not like you don't have forever to be snogging her if you so choose. In case you didn't notice, you've got about, I don't know, I'd say fifteen minutes before furry time, so we should probably get a move on. Perhaps you can yell as we run?" he suggested, casually. these dry bones cry for you

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Oh, so now he remembers, Remus reflected sardonically. Sirius hadn't had the faintest notion of who "Dorcas Meadowes" was during their conversation in the common room. Heavy guilt quickly shot and sank the exhilarating feeling that had filled Remus only moments before. He turned around to see Doe walking away, looking unmistakably perturbed. And why shouldn't she be? Their second kiss, or rather, second chance at a kiss, had been sabotaged by Sirius, the inextinguishable cannonball of human energy.

"You, you, you," Remus stammered, seething. He had broken into a full run and was stumbling as he tried to keep up with Sirius' mad pace. The stones in the walls were blurred as they streaked past. "You couldn't even let me have that, could you?"

Furry time. God, Remus was still suppressing the urge to cuff him over the head. "Of course I hadn't forgotten! Are you joking?" Remus did shout as they ran. "I had things completely under control!" Sirius didn't need to know that he had indeed lost track of time. It was true that he had probably just saved Remus from a terribly sticky situation, but he was too irritated to admit it. He would thank him later... probably.

[Sirius Black]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 340px; background-image:url(http://i56.tinypic.com/20gfl1v.jpg); padding: 30px; border: #2D2729 solid 30px; ] these dry bones cry out WORDS 225 TAGGED DORKY & REMUS NOTES NONE It was clear that Remus was upset, but Sirius hadn't the faintest idea why. He was surely overreacting? All he really cared about was that Remus was finally running with him. Maybe he was just experiencing hormones because of the full moon. Sirius didn't know how that worked, but he always just assumed. Remus always seem to act off near the full moon. Really, it could have been all in Sirius' head, but he didn't think so. "Have what?!" Sirius called back a little irritably. Running and arguing wasn't Sirius' favourite form of multi-tasking. Sirius merely let the second comment alone. Sirius doubted Remus ever left it this close before. "Come on, we can bicker later," he said as he kept up his sprint. They passed by a few people, but it wasn't long until they exited the school. these dry bones cry for you

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The halls in the corridor abruptly ended, and the two spilled out into the open night air. They passed a small group of students who stared quizzically after them. Remus was frustrated, less so with Sirius now and more with himself. He had cut it pretty close. Stupid, stupid. He let Sirius lead the way through the dark Hogwarts grounds.

Remus didn't answer. Sirius didn't seem to realize that he had sabotaged any personal moment. Convincing him that Dorcas would probably be upset and that they way he'd gone about inserting himself into their conversation was a little inconsiderate would be too difficult. That was a conversation that Remus was too flustered and exhausted to have. He silently hoped that Dorcas would accept 'Sirius set someone on fire and I'd prefer to see my friend to safety than be with you' as a respectable excuse.

"I'm not bickering," Remus said, mainly just because he wasn't quite ready to stop bickering. He could be rather childish when he wanted to, but that was a trademark characteristic of the Marauders. "Why did you set him on fire this time?" He asked, referring to Snape. It seemed like poor timing - not that he should say anything about that.

[Sirius Black]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 340px; background-image:url(http://i56.tinypic.com/20gfl1v.jpg); padding: 30px; border: #2D2729 solid 30px; ] these dry bones cry out WORDS 225 TAGGED DORKY & REMUS NOTES NONE Sirius was glad to finally get to the refreshing outdoors. At least this petty argument could be done somewhere where it was at least a bit relaxing. Sirius was trying to not let it phase him, but it was difficult. Controlling anger wasn't Sirius' greatest ability. However, to be fair, other than Remus getting a little pissy with him, he hadn't really said anything overly offensive. Remus' mental thought would be quite accurate: Sirius probably wouldn't understand. Mostly probably due to the fact that Sirius wasn't used to having to share any of his friends. Well, there was always the James and Lily scenario, but Sirius wouldn't feel guilty at all stealing James away from that. Besides, Lily was probably used to it. James always pretended to be mad, but Sirius doubted James could be that irritated. It always gave James the chance to show off, and Sirius would probably try to convince Remus the same thing: wasn't it a good thing to be whisked away by one of the most popular boys at school causing havok? Sirius didn't really seem to understand that not all girls were phased by popularity and mischief. Sirius was glad when Remus changed the subject. He was still confused, but he wasn't about to continue on with the awkward conversation just because of it. He would rather move on. "The better question is why not?" he corrected with a grin as they made their way across the lawns. He paused for a moment to take in the refreshing dusk air. "You all seem to be so absent lately so I had to take matters in my own hand. God forbid that Snivellus goes a whole month without being reminded what a greasy git he is. Besides, I needed him to be distracted enough so I could set the balls up to go off. He would also need to chase after me for them to explode everywhere in front of him. The fire was more of a ... countdown I suppose. Figured the amount of time it took him to put it out and chase me would be accurate. Which is was, I might add." these dry bones cry for you

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"Funny time to do it," Remus breathed through gritted teeth. He was having a little bit of trouble keeping up with Sirius, as he had spent less of his time roaming the corridors and more of it hitting the books as of late. It wasn't as if Remus was in bad shape; no, he made a point of going for a jog or a swim every now and again, but Sirius ran with the unfathomable stamina that simultaneously powered his mouth. "I dunno where James and Peter are... it would be dreadful if you had run straight into a professor on the way out, or something."

The menacing silhouette of the Whomping Willow emerged from the shapeless darkness. The landscape was a polymerized shadow of tree, mountain, and grass melded together. Remus stopped beside Sirius and turned to him. He would have one final word before dropping the subject. As much as he would love to pursue it, he was undoubtedly in Sirius' debt for wrenching him free of his own giddy, foolish stupor.

"From now on," Remus said seriously, rubbing his fingers together habitually, "When you see me, and I am with Dorcas, you won't shout, you won't interrupt, you will approach us like a civil person and conduct yourself with utmost decency." He fixed Sirius with a stare, as if to say I mean it. "I don't care what you say in the common room or whenever she's not around. But when she is... he paused. "I really like her. I do. Don't go scaring her off now, alright?" He was half-joking about the last part. He himself found Sirius' company rather enjoyable, but it took a certain type of person to agree with his own extreme personality. Remus wasn't sure that Dorcas' personality would quite sync with Sirius' wilder side.

He was starting to feel slightly... off. A little tingly. It was a symptomatic sensation so minor that Remus seldom noticed unless he was actively doing so. Remus waited for a response, or at least some kind of indication that his message had been received. Which was stupid, he knew. But for some reason, he was full of stupid tonight.

[Sirius Black]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 340px; background-image:url(http://i56.tinypic.com/20gfl1v.jpg); padding: 30px; border: #2D2729 solid 30px; ] these dry bones cry out WORDS 225 TAGGED DORKY & REMUS NOTES NONE Sirius really had to thank his pranking lifestyle for his physique. He figured if he wasn't busy trying to outrun professors before they could deduct house points or people who just wanted to curse him to America, he would probably be an entire half-person heavier. Well, that and turning into a dog at least once a month (if not more if he was feeling restless) and running around the entire night certainly helped. "Not like it hasn't happened before," Sirius said with a light laugh. The light laugh itself was rather impressive considering they were sprinting. He was surprised it didn't come out as some sort of desperate wheeze. Sirius frowned as his friend got all serious again. Had they not gotten past it yet? Blah, blah, it was bad timing, whatever. Could they not just move on? He opened his mouth to make a joke about not thinking he had any common decency whatsoever, but the look on Remus' face told Sirius that Remus was, well, trying to be serious. He tried to keep his own serious face on, but he could feel the corners of his mouth twitch. Unless he was in a grumpy mood himself, he had a tough time with this sort of thing. Sirius bowed in a dramatic fashion, getting his head almost to his knees. "Yes, I shall leave your mistress alone ... but..." he paused. "What if it's really important?" to Sirius, however, most things were 'really important' in his mind. He paused for a bit longer before adding, "Like when one of your best mates is a werewolf and he's about to serve up the girl he really likes as his own dinner?" He couldn't help it. He grinned like a little child. these dry bones cry for you

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Remus stared into Sirius' grinning face. How petulant! But Sirius had hit the nail on the head. This was it. There was no getting out of it now. Remus inhaled, swallowing a gulp of air to wash down the last of his pride. "Thank. You," he growled through gritted teeth, "Sirius." To his surprise, the low rasp of his voice was a little closer to a growl than he was comfortable with. He wheeled around; the castle was far behind them now. His head turned to the Whomping Willow, creaking restlessly hardly half a kilometer away, and finally up to the moon, which had finally wrestled free of the mountains and was climbing slowly upwards.

Something snapped. Remus stared absently at the white orb, jaw hanging open limply. The sounds of the night receded. His vision tunneled. As soon as it had begun, a low sheet of cloud moving on a rogue current of wind blanketed the dawning light, obscuring the rising moon. He stumbled forward, catching his balance as a small sliver of his own self returned. He became faintly aware of a bestial panting wracking his lungs, which he immediately ceased. One simplistic thought dominated his mind and body: Run!

He picked up and booked it for the Whomping Willow. He had to get to the shack; how he would do that he didn't really know or care. Remus threw himself forward, catching his foot on a root of the great tree just before the cloud layer started to recede.

[Sirius Black]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 340px; background-image:url(http://i56.tinypic.com/20gfl1v.jpg); padding: 30px; border: #2D2729 solid 30px; ] these dry bones cry out WORDS 327 TAGGED REMUS NOTES NONE Sirius smiled. "Say it again," he said, childishly. "It has a ring to it, doesn't it? Thanking me?" he mused, probably most infuriatingly. He didn't at all mind that Remus sounded like he was growling. Well, at first, he hadn't even noticed. It was only when he realized it was darker out than it was light that Sirius grew suddenly worried. Sirius threw his attention back on Remus, and the unmistakable look in Remus' eyes told him that time had, in fact, run out. There was no waiting for James, and more importantly, no waiting for Peter, who usually was the one who touched the knot that froze the tree. He watched Remus lunge forward, but Sirius couldn't let him do it. Remus was still in human form, and therefore extremely slow in comparison to a human. Besides, his panicked state would no doubt not help very much. "No, Moony, get back!" Sirius yelled. With that, Sirius charged forward and in doing so, quickly transformed into his shaggy dog state. For him, it was not painful. It was strange, but happened so quickly that he hardly even noticed anymore. Sirius dodged tree branches that aimed for him. Two of the luckiest things about being an Animagus instead of a werewolf were that 1. he could choose to transform at will and, 2. he still kept his normal mindset. Sirius barely got knicked on his tail as he did one final pounce and landed on the knot. He knew he'd have to get Remus through quickly: the worst thing that could happen was that Remus transformed on school grounds, where even curfew had yet to fall. Sirius barked in order to get his friend's attention, and nodded his dog head in the direction of the hole. He was willing to grab Remus by the leg and drag him in if he had to, but he figured Remus just might have enough time to get in on his own. these dry bones cry for you

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Sirius' plan was probably a better one. Remus ducked as a branch whizzed over his head, slicing through the air and ruffling his already disheveled hair. The tree stiffened - he must have found the knot - and Remus scrambled to his feet.

"Thanks," he near-shouted, and this time he meant it. It was sheer determination forcing his limbs into action now. The familiar pain coursed through him in currents. He felt the clouds breaking; it wearied him, bearing down on his mind like waves on crumbling rock. He would make it safely through the hole, though, he was sure. That was all that really mattered in the end.

Remus didn't see if Sirius entered the tunnel or not. He had made it far enough, and allowed himself to collapse and submit to the anguish. Fighting the change always intensified it for the worse, so there he lay, sweat beading, muscles twitching. His final thoughts came to rest on Dorcas. The surprise run-in. Her inexplicable nervousness. Her face when he left her, alone in the hall. Their almost kiss.

And then... blackness.