"No luck?" Auguste asks, sitting down on the chair next to Remus.

"No... I wonder why both their phones are not working," Remus frowns. He's dialed Lily a total of four times. Her phone is turned off.

"Maybe they turn their phones off when they sleep," Auguste wonders out loud, stretching his legs.

They've been inside the hospital for a little over an hour. They were told it would take some time to get an update on Sirius. And Remus tried not to let it get to him, but... That was like trying not to breathe in.

The Non-Magical Injuries wing is a new building, it seems, because it looks nothing like Remus remembers St. Mungo's to have been, and everything like a Muggle hospital would. Blinding white and sterile.

The waiting room is empty except for the two of them.

"Did you call Reg?" Remus asks, putting his phone in his pocket.

"Yeah," Auguste sighs, "He's not picking up either."

Remus shakes his head, sighing.

"He's probably busy packing," Auguste says, "Or maybe he's already on his way to the airport... I called him as soon as I got here with Sirius, and that was a while ago. Don't worry about it, Regulus never picks his phone up, even when he's doing nothing at home,"

"I'm hardly worried about that," Remus confesses, leaning forward and placing his chin on his hands.

"Sirius, then?"

"Yeah," Remus mumbles, looking down at his feet. "Where did you even find him?"

"By the side of a road," Auguste says, as casually as he would repeat what he had for breakfast. It sends a chill up Remus' spine.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Remus tells him.

"No, it's not you... I just," Auguste crosses one leg over the other, leaning his head back against the wall and raising his eyes to the ceiling. "I was frightened."

Remus can imagine. He doesn't say anything, hoping Auguste would tell him more. Surprisingly enough, it works.

"I think he was drunk," Auguste says, "And he kept laughing. He just wouldn't stop, and it terrified me,"

Remus feels his throat tighten.

"He kept saying how he was so done, and how everything would be better..." Auguste turns his face to the side so that Remus can't see it. After a long pause, he finally adds, "I'm just glad he wasn't flying."

Remus gives an involuntary shudder. Sirius must've come back home to get his bike. And what would've happened if he was flying?

Don't think about it.

He opens his mouth to reply, but Auguste's phone starts vibrating in his pocket. "It's Regulus," Auguste stands up. "I'll be right back," he smiles at Remus before walking towards a large window. They're on the fourth floor, so it's a nice view. Remus can't hear what he says from that distance.

He waits, staring at the rosy scars on his hands. After a long time, Auguste returns to sit next to him.

"He'll be here in three hours," Auguste says. "I told him he didn't need to come, but he wouldn't listen."

Remus nods. Of course he wouldn't listen, he's just like Sirius in that way.

God, Sirius.

Remus rings James again, just to give his hands something to do. The call doesn't go through, so he calls Lily instead. That one doesn't go through, either.

This would make Remus worry, if he isn't already as worried as he could possibly be.

"Remus?" Auguste calls, making Remus look up.

"Yeah?"

"Have you had anything to eat after lunch?"

"No, but I really don't think I can handle anything..."

"Do you want to get a cup of tea? I might get myself some coffee, "

"Oh..." biting his lip, Remus looks at the double doors marking the entrance to the waiting room.

"If you're worried about missing anything, I'll go get it for you."

"No, why don't you stay here?" Remus asks, looking at his pale face. He looks almost like he does any other day, but it's not difficult to tell that he's tired. It's a wonder, how he hasn't passed out after everything that's happened. "You look tired, Auguste. I'll go get us something."

Auguste gives a grateful nod, and Remus really wants to give him a hug. But he feels like the moment has passed. He drags himself down the stairs, then up a different flight of stairs, and eventually, by pure luck, stumbles into the cafeteria.

It's not too busy, so Remus doesn't take too long to procure two coffees. He buys two muffins and a water bottle, too. It's not that Remus doesn't want tea—Remus always wants tea—but drinking tea out of a paper cup is just plain wrong.

Sirius drinks black coffee for the aesthetic.

"Fuck no, don't cry," Remus mumbles to himself as his vision blurs. He pushes through the corridors, feeling like he has to fight with all his might to take every step, and finally, having reached the waiting room, drops himself on the chair he was sitting in before.

And in the span of ten or so minutes during which Remus was gone, Auguste has fallen asleep. He wakes up with a start when he hears Remus return.

"Here, I got you a muffin, too," Remus tries to get himself to smile. "And coffee. I didn't know what kind you liked, though."

"Thank you, Remus," Auguste sits up, stretching his arms in front of him. "Any kind is fine. As long as it can keep me awake. I need to pay you back,"

Remus gives him an are you fucking crazy or what look. Because that's precisely what he's thinking.

"I... sorry," Auguste blushes, "I won't pay you back."

They drink their coffees with little talking. They both have enough things to say to the other, but neither can muster up the strength or the will that would take. So they think about those things instead, letting the words fill up the silence for themselves.

They wait for a while, and Remus can't tell if time is passing agonizingly slow or too quick for him to realize.

Until the doors open, and a witch in a lime green robe steps in the room. She looks to be a little older than Remus' mom. Her hair is tied back in a neat bun, and her face is kind and smiling.

"Anyone for Sirius Black?"

Both Remus and Auguste rise to their feet. The witch smiles at them. Remus doesn't know if it's a genuinely reassuring smile, or the kind of smile doctors give you when they tell you that they've tried their best, and that hopefully, everything will turn out just fine. That there's nothing more they could do.

"My name is Miriam Derwent," the Healer smiles, "If you could please come this way for a minute."

***

Author's Note

I'm sorry I kinda slacked off on writing this cause last night I went to bed, ready to write like 383929 chapters but then I got feverish and low key started seeing stuff (I swear I did. I thought someone was there next to me. It was a refreshing change from crippling loneliness.) so I figured I should probably sleep. I am still feverish but no longer seeing stuff so here you go.

Also, have I talked about how much I hate giving people names? Don't mind me if I repurpose J.K.R.'s names and abuse the fuck out of them.

Tell me if there's anything you wanna see in this book and stuff. Vote and comment, guys. Love you xx