Remus

I could kill you.

I've got no control over it.

But it's going to work, Sirius protested.

I did all the research, James.

Did you show him?

Leave it, mate, James said.

It's Lupin's decision.

Thanks, Remus smiled at James.

He felt terrible for letting them down, but it was for their own good, and he had to be the mature one.

Sirius looked like he wanted to say something else.

but James gave him a hard look that was so like Mrs. Potter that it silenced the shorter boy at once.

They didn't say much for the rest of the evening, and Remus had to pretend to read his book again.

Later that night, after lights out, Remus heard Sirius creep over to James' bed and cast the silencing spell for the first time in a long time.

He wished they would invite him, just once.

He wished he wasn't always the one left out.

He wished he knew how it felt to have a friend as close as James.

More than ever, he wanted someone to talk to.

Suddenly overwhelmed, Remus quickly cast his own spell so the others wouldn't hear him crying.