Author's Note:

Well loves. This is most likely the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed the story. I enjoyed writing it.

I say that this may be the last chapter because I'm not sure if I want to write an epilogue for this. Some happy fluff or smut or both.

But, I will mark this as complete until I decide.

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. Feel free to keep them coming!

Each minute of waiting was very difficult for the four students standing around the curtained bed in the Hospital Wing. As soon as Madame Pomfrey would slip outside the curtains, they knew that they would here the news about their friend. Sirius couldn't believe it. The Remus he knew until today was strong, so how could he let himself slip away like that. It's all my fucking fault, thought the raven haired boy, rubbing his hands over his face. If only I got there sooner. Why couldn't I have gotten there sooner. This is no one's fault but my own. It was the soft voice of the woman behind the curtain that drew Sirius, as well as the other's, from his thoughts to focus on what she was saying behind the curtain.

"Remus, dear. You need to take this. You seemed to be more settled with your stomach, so the silver should almost be out of your system. I just need you to take this for me. You'll feel better, dear."

The four kids couldn't believe. Remus was alive after all. Madame Pomfrey nursed him back to health and he would be better. Hearing that was greater than any other feeling in the world. Sirius never felt so relieved. He had to talk to Remus now. It was urgent. Sirius had questions that demanded answers. The moment Madame Pomfrey came out from behind the curtain, Sirius looked her straight in the eye and begged, "I need to talk to him." He still couldn't find it in him to say his friend's name, despite the good news.

Madame Pomfrey looked weary. Her hair was falling out of place and her face was noticeably tear stained. Remus was her favorite student and cared for him like a mother. Sirius knew that she had to have gone to every last resort to treat Remus, and the heartache of it all must have taken a toll on her. In a soft and shaky voice, Madame Pomfrey responded to Sirius' request. "Mr. Black, I am afraid that Remus is rather weak at the moment and it would be best to his well being that you returned tomorrow. He should be able to handle visitors by then. For now, he just needs his rest."

Sirius wasn't going to take that answer. He couldn't. "Madame Pomfrey, I really need to talk to Remus. It can't wait until tomorrow. We all have to talk to him today. Right guys?" he asked, turning his focus to the three others behind him. They nodded slowly in agreement.

Madame Pomfrey was filled with worry for her patient, but she felt as though she had to let the four go to their friend's bedside. "Alright, but try not to overwhelm him." She barely finished speaking before Sirius dashed over and behind the curtain to Remus' side. He was soon followed by the others.

They found out a few things about Remus' state when they surrounded him. Firstly, the blood around his lips was a result of the silver leaving his body as he spit up blood. Secondly, he unrolled his sleeves and held the cuffs down to hide the wound. Thirdly, they noticed that he was softly crying, even though he couldn't bring himself to look at the others.

Sirius decided to speak first, whether the others cared or not. "Why the fuck did you go and do this, Remus?" he asked, trying to hide the harshness in his voice, but failing just a bit. The name slipped off his tongue, yet it felt so difficult to use it.

Remus shakily breathed in before slowly exhaling. "Dunno," was his response, eyes fixed away from Sirius's glare, which was digging into him because he could not look at the other boy.

"'Dunno,' isn't an answer, Remus. You have to tell me." James, Peter and Lily were staring at Sirius with widened eyes of disbelief. After everything Remus went through today, the others did not think it was right for Sirius to talk to him like that. They watched Sirius walk over to Remus and lower himself to look at eye level with the tired boy. "You can tell me, Rem. I'm here for you."

Remus shifted his bloodshot, hazel eyes to focus on Sirius' dark gray pair, a sign that the other boy was angry, most likely because Remus wouldn't open up to his friend. Despite Sirius' underlying anger, Remus muttered, "I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand," as he shifted his eyes away once more. Remus knew that Sirius would never understand. It wasn't as if desire for your best male friend was an every day thing. Sirius would be absolutely disgusted if Remus ever told him, and he was not up to ruining their friendship.

Before Sirius could make a remark, Lily softly spoke to keep the enraged boy from regretting what he would say. "It's a good thing you're alright, Remus," said the red head as she worked her hardest to fight back her tears. As Remus moaned in pain when he shifted into a sitting position, Lily couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "Barely," Remus responded before quickly telling Lily that she had no reason to cry for a worthless fool like him.

"Barely?" snarled Sirius. "Barely? Lupin, either you tell me what's wrong now or I will smack some sense into that thick skull of yours." He could not believe that Remus responded to Lily like that, even if Sirius was not so fond of the little goody-goody. She only wanted to make him feel better and he couldn't handle that.

"I can't tell you, Black!" Remus shouted back. It took him all his energy to respond like that. He slowly pulled his knees up to his chest, wincing slightly from pain once more, and rested his elbows there. Cupping his face with his palms, Remus let out a heavy sigh. "I just. You won't understand. You'll never understand."

Sirius was very agitated at this point. Who is he to say that I can't understand? It's my fucking job to understand. "Remus, why won't I understand. Is it because I'm not a werewolf? Is it because I've never self harmed? Is it because I could ignore my bastard parents while you let your parents' hatred eat away at you? Come on, Remus. Why the bloody fuck won't I understand you?"

"It's because you aren't gay!" Remus blurted out, head still in his hands as tears began to flow, muffling his voice. Remus believed that there was no point in trying to hide who he was in love with; he knew Sirius would demand what boy could torture him to the point of self harm. "You aren't in love with your friend, Sirius. I- I love you and you will never understand the hell I'm in." Remus lifted his head to find Sirius staring at him with a strange look of shock. "Yeah, that's right, Sirius. I'm a faggot for you. If you only knew what it's like not to tell anyone, then you'd understand. If you knew what it's like to watch the person you love fucking some broad that couldn't give him the time of the day, you would understand what it's like. I turned to the fucking knife to stop thinking about you. I could never have you, so I shouldn't think about you in any way other than as a friend. I never wanted to kill myself, until you came in the room today. I thought if I died, you wouldn't have to have to worry about a fucking poof that was head over heals in love with you. That's why I'm barely lucky. Now I have to live with the fact that I told you all this. You're probably fucking freaked out. I'll understand if you don't ever want to talk to me."

"Just shut up, you fucking idiot," Sirius snapped. "Don't you ever think I won't talk to you because of who you are. I'm sorry that was like that years ago, but I mean it. Don't you ever think of killing yourself. I'd never be able to cope with the fact that no one could save you. And don't ever tell me that I don't love you. Because I do, and I'm sorry it never came off like that. I'm sorry my confusion led me to the broads. I'm sorry, Remus. I'm sorry. But never think that you're in this alone. Because I love you." Sirius grabbed Remus by his bony frame and crashed his lips onto the boy's chapped pair. Remus, although stunned at first, eventually gave into the kiss. It didn't feel false to Remus. It felt as though Sirius genuinely meant this kiss and every word he told him. Remus was still crying as Sirius forcefully continued to kiss him, desperate to prove his love to the boy. Remus' head swirled trying to grasp this.

The sound of a throat being cleared was heard and the two boys instantly broke apart. "Well. Glad you're okay Moony. You had us worried," said James as he nervously ran a hand through his hair. Lily was beaming; she knew that her friend was already recovering. And Pete was Pete, but he, too, was grateful that Remus was okay. "Well, see you later, Rem," James awkwardly added while Lily pushed the two boys out.

There were still tears in Remus' eyes after the three left, despite the slightly comical exit of their friends. He wanted to believe this was all real and that his need for Sirius' love was finally being fulfilled, but it all seemed like a dream. Maybe I died, Remus thought. Maybe this is the afterlife. Maybe that's why Sirius loves me back. But when Sirius opened his arms to embrace the boy, Remus realized he was alive. His heart was fluttering to fast for him to be dead. "I'm sorry I never told you," Sirius continued to mutter as he worked to calm Remus down. But he knew Remus would be safe now; Remus would never hurt again. Sirius would make sure of it. It had to be his job now.

Once Remus calmed down a bit, Sirius helped Remus lay himself down onto the bed. "You need to rest," he said softly, pressing his lips onto the other boy's clammy forehead.

Remus reached for Sirius to stay with him. He couldn't have him leaving him so soon. Not when things were starting to feel alright. "Please," he begged with pleading eyes that were almost on the verge of tears once again.

Sirius lowered himself onto the bed and allowed Remus to place his head onto his chest. "I will always stay. You won't ever be in this alone," he repeated, caressing the brown locks that swept across Remus' forehead. "I promise," Sirius added, intending to be true to his statement. Soon enough, Remus had drifted asleep. His weak and weary body couldn't handle being away from rest. The whole experience left Remus feeling drowsy, allowing him to succumb to sleep rather quickly. His soft breathing tickled Sirius' chest, which put a smile on his face. Sirius noted how peaceful Remus looked in his arms, at ease from the terrible day he endured. "I won't let you suffer anymore," Sirius whispered, before kissing the top of Remus' head. Soon enough, Sirius joined Remus in that peaceful state of mind.