Chapter Text
Remus couldn’t remember when he’d last felt so ill. He had come to his senses staring at a set of concrete steps which rose to a heavy door, in a haze of pain and with the taste of blood in his mouth. He’d tried to sit up, look around and see where he was, but moving his arm had been agony. He lay there, sprawled on his back and drawing shallow breaths, until he heard the sound of a door opening and footsteps coming down the stairs.
The familiar sounds seemed to ground him and he knew then that he was in his cellar, after the full moon. And Severus was coming to him. He lifted his head, trying to ignore the wave of nausea. He saw the pile of blankets, dirty and torn, on the far side of the cellar. There was no way he could reach them and cover himself.
He groaned in frustration. They had seen each other naked many times now, but this was different. He hated anyone to see him after the full moon and, since Severus had been caring for him afterwards, he’d always managed to at least partly cover himself with one of the blankets. But now he was filthy, disgusting and smeared with blood, the stink of sweat on his body fighting with the foul odour of wolf urine which permeated the cellar and he didn’t even have the decency of being covered.
“Remus.”
He saw Severus’s feet and then legs as he crouched down and placed a hand on his shoulder. Then a soft blanket was being draped over his body and he gave a sigh of relief.
“Daddy, you’re hurt.”
Remus stiffened as he heard his son’s worried voice.
“Teddy?”
He began struggling to get up, anxious to avoid Teddy seeing him in such a state. Teddy wasn’t even supposed to be in the house. He was never meant to be there during the full moon. He was anxious enough about it without having to be in the same house as the wolf or seeing his father naked and bleeding on the floor of the cellar. What had gone wrong? Why was Teddy there? Remus felt anxiety rise within him, but he kept his voice calm.
“Teddy, I’m fine. A bit tired, that’s all.”
Teddy’s eyes met his. They were dark, as they often were when he spent time with Severus, and his hair was black. His forehead was wrinkled with worry.
“But you’re bleeding, Daddy. And your arm, it’s crooked and… it’s got something sticking out.”
Remus twisted his head around, trying to see his arm. When he saw it, he wished he hadn’t. The broken end of one bone was poking out through the skin. The threatening nausea now overwhelmed him and he felt vomit rising in his throat. He panicked then, unable to roll himself over and fearing he was going to choke.
The Severus’s arms were around him and his voice was murmuring in his ear.
“It’s alright, Remus, I’ve got you.”
Severus turned his body so that Remus was on his side and then supported his head. Remus retched uncontrollably, aware that vomit was going all over Severus’s robe and powerless to stop it. Now the stench of the cellar was even more disgusting. He closed his eyes and tried to stop himself from crying.
“Sshh, now, Remus, it’s alright. You’re alright.”
A hand brushed hair from his face then wiped his mouth with a damp cloth. Behind him, he heard Teddy’s voice saying similar soothing things and then felt Teddy’s hands on his back, rubbing gently.
“Evanesco,” Severus said, sounding unconcerned. “Now, Remus, I’m going to lie you back down. Try to hold still. That arm is nasty and beyond my abilities. I’m going to need to splint it until a healer can look at it, and that may hurt. We will probably need a trip to St Mungos, but I think it’s better if we get you cleaned up and feeling a bit more recovered before we go.”
Remus gritted his teeth as Severus laid him back and began to work on his arm. He wanted to cry out at the pain, but Teddy had taken his other hand and was watching him. His eyes were back to their usual blue, but his hair had faded to a mousy brown, a sign he was frightened. Remus gave him a small smile.
“Aren’t I lucky?” he said. “I have my two favourite people here to look after me.”
Inside, he was seething that Teddy was there, seeing him in this awful condition. He was supposed to be with Andromeda, Remus had dropped him off himself, late the previous afternoon. It was bad enough that Teddy would have to see his father ill later in the morning. It would only make things worse for Teddy to see his father in this state and to be in the same house when Remus was the wolf. And Remus was pretty sure he knew how it had happened.
Severus was incapable of saying no to Teddy. Despite being the most terrifying teacher Hogwarts had seen in years, intimidating a generation of teens in his classroom, he seemed to have met his match in a boy who had just had his eigth birthday.
It wouldn’t matter, except that Teddy knew it, and wasn’t above taking advantage. One evening, after the last full moon, Remus had fallen asleep on the sofa while Teddy and Severus were playing with lego. Remus had awoken, hours later, to discover that Severus had allowed Teddy to have ice cream and an entire packet of penguin biscuits for dinner. The sitting room floor was covered with lego and, at 10pm, Teddy was playing on the video game he had got for his birthday.
Now, Teddy had somehow got Severus to let him come home while Remus was transformed.
Severus was slipping an arm under Remus’s shoulders, lifting him to a sitting position with his broken arm cradled against his chest. Remus couldn’t avoid a whimper.
“Do you think you can walk, Remus?”
Severus could surely tell that Remus was in no state to walk on his own, but it was good of him to ask. He always asked, always gave Remus the choice. Remus suspected it had started because Severus had no idea what to do, not having been the recipient of much care in his life. But now it was more about respect and allowing Remus to feel that he had some control.
“I… I’m sorry, I don’t think I can, Severus.”
Severus nodded, while Teddy watched anxiously.
“I’ll do a featherlight charm and carry you then. Just let me know if I do anything to hurt you.”
Remus took a breath and, as he was gently lifted, rested his head against Severus’s cheek.
“I’m so glad you are here, Severus,” he murmured.
Severus said nothing, but gave a nod of acknowledgement.
“But Teddy shouldn’t be,” Remus continued, keeping his voice low so only Severus could hear him. “He was at Andromeda’s. You know I don’t want him to see this.”
“He contacted me through the floo. Andromeda was… wasn’t capable.”
Remus swallowed and forced himself to speak quietly.
“What happened? Is she alright?”
There was a long pause as Teddy held the cellar door open and then closed it after Severus stepped through with Remus.
“Teddy, would you check that your father’s bed is ready? That I put towels down so that he doesn’t bleed on the sheets?”
Teddy ran up the stairs ahead of them. When he disappeared from sight, Severus spoke again. His voice was still quiet, but it was more of an angry hiss than a soft murmur.
“She was drunk. She fell asleep and Teddy couldn’t wake her. He was upset.”
“Oh.”
Andromeda’s problems with alcohol came and went, and had ever since she had lost her husband and daughter within months of each other. Remus did his best to help her, making sure she spent plenty of time with her grandson and occasionally sending Teddy to stay with Harry while he helped her after a particularly bad patch. That hadn’t happened for a while, but it had been Dora’s anniversary recently. He’d wondered whether she would be alright, but Andromeda had insisted she was fine and Teddy had really wanted to stay with her.
“You shouldn’t leave him in the care of a drunk.”
“She wasn’t drunk when I left him there,” Remus replied, getting snappy at Severus’s accusing tone.
“That doesn’t mean she’ll stay sober though. You can’t trust her.”
“She’d never hurt Teddy.”
“It’s not what she might do,” Severus said, his tone now less angry than sad, “it’s what she might not do. If he needed her…”
He didn’t finish his sentence, just letting out a sad sigh. Remus felt something tight around his heart. Severus had every reason to be concerned. He seldom mentioned his childhood, but the glimpses he had given Remus gave a grim picture of deprivation and neglect, punctuated with episodes of terror at his parents’ horrific, drunken arguments, which had often turned violent. While Remus was certain that Andromeda would never subject Teddy to anything remotely like that, it was still unacceptable for Andromeda to have been drunk with Teddy there.
“You’re right, Severus, I’m sorry,” Remus said, whispering now that Severus was walking into the bedroom and Teddy was watching. He felt some of the tension leave Severus’s body in response and Remus knew he’d been right to give the apology. He couldn’t be angry at Severus for bringing Teddy home under the circumstances, not given his own experience.
“Can I help, Severus?” Teddy asked, as Severus laid Remus on the bed.
“Yes, thank you Teddy. Could you please get me the green potion bottle that’s on the dressing table?”
Teddy scuttled away, before returning with the bottle. The look on Teddy’s face was so eager that it stabbed at Remus’s heart. His son shouldn’t have to look after him like this. Yet, here he was, at Severus’s side, and the boy actually looked happy about it. He glanced up at Severus, eyes shining, before handing his father the bottle.
“It’s a pain potion, Remus. Do you think the nausea has passed enough to take it.”
Remus nodded and took the bottle from Teddy. He swallowed a mouthful and breathed slowly until he was sure it would stay down.
“Teddy, you can put the bottle back now. And can you bring me the bowl and those cloths beside it, please.”
When Teddy had placed the bowl on the bedside table, Severus filled it with warm water and sent Teddy to fetch another potion. He added a few drops into the water, under Severus’s watchful eye, and then Severus dipped a cloth in and began to clean Remus’s face. He healed the small cuts and scratches then directed Teddy to dab salve on the bruises. Teddy had a look of intense concentration on his face, as he did when he was helping Remus cook or work on house repairs.
Remus watched as Severus moved on to his shoulders and then down the less injured arm. He held the cloth in one hand, rinsing it in the water now and again, and his wand in the other. He was systematic and precise, as if he was working on a potion. Remus wondered just how Severus had become so good at healing him. Not much more than six months ago, Severus had blushed scarlet at the prospect of touching Remus to apply a salve for his aching muscles. He was brewing some remarkable healing potions, certainly, but he’d simply shove them at Remus and give curt instructions on when to take it and how much.
Now, there was a confidence about him as he worked on Remus’s injuries and directed Teddy to help. Seeing the two of them working together, he realised that it wasn’t just Severus who was confident. Teddy was too. Remus had never seen him look so relaxed after the full moon. He still looked as if he’d hardly slept, but the worried expression he had worn in the cellar was gone, and his hair was back to blue, which meant he was feeling calm.
Severus and Teddy moved on to his chest, which had several deep scratches and a mass of bruises. Remus closed his eyes, the combination of the pain potion and the healing of the cuts and bruises making him feel as if there might be a chance to sleep.
“Not yet, Remus,” Severus said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “We need to take you to St Mungo’s when we are finished.”
Remus opened his eyes.
“Do we really have to? Can’t I just take some Skele-gro?”
“Certainly, as long as you don’t mind a crooked wand arm. Teddy, what do you think? Would that be a good idea?”
Teddy made a good show of considering the proposal, before shaking his head.
“No, Daddy. That’s a bad idea.”
Teddy had a stern look on his face, but he was obviously trying not to smile. Remus was struck, once again, just how good Severus was with him. Remus could never get Teddy this relaxed just after the full moon, and the boy was usually distraught if his father was injured enough to require a hospital visit. And yet Severus practically had him joking around.
If only Severus was capable of saying no to Teddy’s own bad ideas.