When Remus, James and Auguste walk into room 408, Sirius is asleep and Regulus is frowning at his phone, sitting beside the bed. He looks up when he hears them.

"Hi," he waves.

Remus hands him the coffee and muffin they bought. "Here," he says, "Until you go home and get dinner, okay?"

"Thank you," Regulus smiles, and takes a sip, "You're the best, Remus."

Remus gives his hair a small ruffle.

There's only one chair left. James pulls himself up on the very small window ledge. 

"You can sit here," Auguste tells Remus.

"No, that's okay," Remus smiles at him, "You sit. I'll just—"

''You'll just sit right here," Regulus pats the bed, right next to Sirius' feet.

Remus blushes slightly. "No, I... I don't know if—"

"Just sit," Regulus gives him a small nudge, so Remus ends up very gingerly sitting at the foot of the bed, trying to take up as little space as possible.

"How's Sirius?" James asks.

"He's mostly just been sleeping," Regulus says, "Look at him right now. We're talking next to him and he's not even moving,"

"Is it the meds?"

"They give him Potions. Something dark red and gross, I have no idea what. And also Sleeping Draught. Lots of it."

"Oh,"

"The Healer told me not to ask Sirius about..." Regulus bites his lip, curling his fingers around the cup, "About what happened. She says we need him to recover first, physically. She said to keep him feeling as happy as we can."

"We won't bring it up, then," Auguste nods.

"But what if he talks about it first?" Remus asks, turning his head to look at Sirius' sleeping face. And then he shifts his eyes to his unhurt hand. Sirius has been taken off the IV fluid. Remus wonders if that was a Potion, too.

"I don't know," Regulus admits with a shrug, "I'm guessing we have to figure it out."

Remus leans forward to give him a small squeeze on his knee. "We will," he says. Regulus smiles at him.

They fall quiet after that. An odd kind of quiet, like how you would be when you're stuck in a lift with your friend and a bunch of strangers. You want to talk and your friend is right next to you, but it feels wrong so you don't speak up.

A knock on the door saves everyone from the growing awkwardness. The door opens and a middle-aged woman enters, wheeling a trolley. She doesn't speak a word, just leaves a parcel on the little table with the red button, and pushes herself out along with the trolley.

"It's his dinner," Regulus explains, putting his things on the table and grabbing the parcel. He peeks inside. "Sandwiches."

"Do we wake him up?" James asks.

"No, obviously not," Regulus says, "We just leave it next to his pillow and wait for it to diffuse."

James makes a face. Remus stands up to make space, watching Regulus pat Sirius' shoulder to wake him.

"Hey," Regulus calls, "Come on, Sirius. Time for dinner."

Sirius hums softly, and goes right back to sleep. Regulus looks up at James, who, grinning, slides off the window ledge to come skipping over to the bed. He beds down to Sirius' ear. "Wake up, sunshine," he sings, and presses a big, wet kiss on Sirius' cheek.

Which makes Remus want to kiss him there, too.

Regulus presses a hand on Sirius' shoulder so that he won't move too fast.

"What the fuck," Sirius mumbles, his eyes wide open, fixed on James' birght smile.

"Good morning," James grins, plopping himself down next to Sirius. "Time for sandwiches."

Sirius eyes the bag. "What's in it?"

"Uh," Regulus frowns at the bread, "Something yellowish..."

"That could only be sixty different things," Sirius groans, wincing as he tries to sit up. James helps him, an arm around his back, and props a pillow behind his back.

Remus looks over Regulus' shoulder. "I think it's cheese," he says, a little unsure.

"Not bad," Sirius shrugs, "Can I wash my hands?"

"No," Regulus shakes his head, "I'll feed you. Wait here, I'll go wash mine."

Two minutes later, Regulus holds the sandwich out to Sirius, who takes a bite and immediately cringes. "That is not cheese," he swallows like it's hurting him. "What in fuck is that?"

Regulus peels the sandwich open, and sure enough, it's not cheese. It's some sort of spread, and there's something orange diced and sprinkled over it.

"Is that carrot?" James cringes.

"And..." Auguste has come to stand next to Remus, "Mayonnaise?"

"Ugh," Sirius groans, "Get that away from me."

Regulus doesn't argue. He puts the bag away and brushes his hands to get rid of the crumbs and any traces of the monstrosity that is carrot and mayonnaise sandwiches.

"Have some of this," Regulus hands Sirius the coffee, "It'll get rid of the taste. I'll get you something from the café, okay?"

"I'm coming with you," James hops off the bed.

"Me too," Auguste smiles.

Regulus gives them both a confused look. But then he looks at Remus, and makes a small o with his mouth as he realizes the plan. Awkwardly, Remus watches them leave.

And continues to stand awkwardly, not sure what to look at.

"Remus," Sirius calls. Remus looks at him. "Come sit," Sirius points to the chair. Remus obeys.

"Hi," Sirius smiles, and Remus thinks his eyes look a little sleepy. "You look tired,"

Remus blinks. "Thanks?"

Sirius laughs, and then winces.

"Take it easy," Remus reaches out to steady him, but he isn't sure how to touch Sirius without hurting him, so he draws his hands back on to his lap.

"I'm alright," Sirius sighs, sliding down his pillow a little. And Remus can't help the look he throws Sirius' way.

"No, really," Sirius assures, "Whatever I'm on, it's top tier stuff. It only hurts when I move a certain way. Otherwise, I can't feel anything. It's the best I've ever been."

Remus looks at him, at a loss for words. "It doesn't hurt at all?" He asks finally.

"Not when I'm still like this," Sirius replies, "It just tingles. Like... how do I say..."

"Like you're numb?"

"That sounds positively depressing,"

You're positively depressing, Remus immediately thinks. He takes a moment to congratulate himself on not saying that out loud.

Sirius watches him, head tilted to the side. Remus gives him a questioning look. "Will you stay tonight?" Sirius asks.

Remus can swear his heart flipped in his chest. It sends a weird feeling to his throat, and he tries swallowing it away. "Do you want me to?"

"Yes."

Remus looks at Sirius, and Sirius looks right back at him. Remus wonders if this is the drugs—or Potions, whatever it is—talking. Something tells him that Sirius isn't really in control of himself. It reminds Remus of the first day at Sirius' house.

"Is that what we are, Remus? Friends?"

"Isn't that what you want to be?"

"No."

Remus gives a long sigh. "We'll talk about it with Reg and see, okay?"

Sirius grins. "Okay."

The three other boys return after some time. With more sandwiches. Remus stands up.

"Sandwiches again?" Sirius pouts.

"Hope you're not too traumatised," Regulus says.

"Can't be worse than the abomination he just had," James comments.

"It's cheese this time," Auguste says, "We asked."

"Well, I'm pumped," Sirius grins.

Regulus sits down.

"Hey, wait," Sirius holds a hand up.

"What now?" Regulus sighs.

"Do you think we could make cheese toasties out of that?"

Auguste slaps his forehead and drops down on to the other chair.

James, however... "I'll bet my beard we can," he grins, skipping over to Regulus. Remus moves closer to Auguste, hoping it makes his stance clear.

"You don't even have a beard," Auguste snaps.

"Would you like me better if I did?" James narrows his eyes.

"Nothing could—"

"Why are we digressing? Cheese toasties, peasants," Sirius says loudly.

"And how do you plan on toasting this?" Regulus frowns.

"Incendio, of course," James grins.

"Yeah, cause that sounds like a good idea," Regulus sighs, shaking his head.

"Don't knock it till you try it, right?" James tries to grab a sandwich but Regulus snatches the parcel away.

"At least wash your hands," he orders.

James sighs a bit too loudly and disappears into the bathroom. Once he's back, Regulus hands him a sandwich with the enthusiasm of a mother handing her child over for good.

"You can't Incendio it," Remus speaks up, watching James.

"Aw, come on, Re," James pouts.

"It's going to burn," Remus huffs. He walks over to the curtains, draws them apart and throws the windows open. "Come here and try this instead," he holds his palm up, and suddenly, a small, trembling flame appears in his hand.

It's not that he wants to cook cheese toasties with magic. It's just that if they're going to do it, they've got to do it right.

James holds the sandwich over the flame. "Ow," he mumbles, "That burns."

"In other news," Regulus says, "Water is wet."

Remus holds back a laugh. Sirius, however, doesn't. "My ribs," he giggles, "Ow,"

"Stop laughing, you idiot," Regulus snaps.

"Stop making me," Sirius whines.

Regulus rolls his eyes as Sirius squirms, trying to stop laughing.

"I can't hold it," James pouts, "It's actually burning me,"

"Hold it from one corner," Auguste tells him, coming to stand next to Remus so that he can get a closer look.

"But then it doesn't get toasted," James protests.

"So we toast one half first, let it cool a bit, and then toast the other," Sirius says.

"Pretty sure that's burning, not toasting," Regulus points out.

"Oh God, hold it up a bit higher, will you?" Remus rubs his temple with his free hand. "It's black in one corner, James,"

Sirius bursts out giggling again. Everyone turns to look at him.

"What's so funny?" James pouts.

"Nothing," Sirius replies, "Just... black..."

"What about it?" Regulus asks.

"Well, I'm Black. We both are," Sirius grins, rightly proud of his dazzling wit.

"I'm—" Regulus stands up, "—leaving." Remus watches him walk out the door, looking utterly defeated. "And you," he pops his head back in to point at James, "I'm not buying more sandwiches if you end up burning them. Just keep that in mind."

***

Author's Note

Idk what to write anymore gh