Sirius woke in bed and rolled over, expecting to land against his husband's chest, but instead flopped into the empty space that ought to have been occupied by Remus. The blankets weren't even turned down on Remus's side of the bed and Sirius stared in surprise at the spot, his brows knitting together. He sat up, the quilt falling away from his chest and pooling in his lap.

"Remus?" he called, looking around the bedroom. Remus's pyjamas were folded neatly on the chair by the window. The door was closed, and Sirius was alone. He pushed out of the bed, swinging his legs over the side and onto the floor. Sirius elbowed out into the hallway, glancing down toward the room that was Peter's until just yesterday - now it was Spencer's. The door was closed, no light appeared beneath the door and there was no sign of anyone being awake down that way - no sign of Remus. Sirius padded down the hall to the living room, glancing about before going on into the kitchen.

Empty.

Doubling back to the living room, he looked around more closely and spotted Remus's loafers were missing from the door, his coat missing, too. Sirius felt his heart quicken as he moved to the door of the flat, stepping out the door and onto the landing, glancing around the alley behind the curry restaurant. His bare feet thundered down the cold metal stairs to the alley's pavement.

There'd been a light snow overnight that left the ground cold and his feet stung even as he rushed to the gate of the alley way, stepping out onto the road beyond. Cars rushed by, the tires sloshing through the puddles, sending a spray up at Sirius that was icy cold. His eyes scanned 'round the sidewalk. It wasn't terribly busy yet, the curry shop was closed, and across the street there were only a couple people wandering through the park - pigeons bobbled as they moved around the benches and trees across dead brown grass and splotches of snow.

But still no Remus anywhere.

Feet aching with cold, Sirius ducked back through the gate and into the alley, trotting up the steps to the flat, slamming the door behind him. He rushed up the hallway, past his bedroom door, pushing his head in the bathroom to see it empty, then on to Spencer's room. He banged his fist on the door.

There was no answer.

Sirius banged harder. "Spencer? Remus?"

When still no answer came, Sirius finally shoved his way into the room regardless.

It was empty.

No Spencer. No Remus.

Spencer's bed was at least unmade, the blankets messy from use, but it was empty nonetheless.

Sirius swallowed back his anxiety and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him. Spencer was with him, wherever Remus had gone. He scanned his brain - had Remus mentioned an early morning arts class, maybe?

Breathe, Sirius told himself. Breathe. If it was an attack, surely he himself would've heards something, yeah? He couldn't have slept through Death Eaters breaking into the flat and stealing away his husband and the boy down the hallway. Besides that, if Death Eaters had come, they would've taken him, Sirius, for certain. No way would the blood traitor son of Orion and Walburga Black be spared. Unless this was the punishment? Taking Remus? But no, that wasn't a Death Eater's style. They were more the death curse kind of brood than the steals-your-husband sort.

So wherever Remus and Spencer were they were likely there by their own choice, at least. That was a small comfort. Unless they'd only started out by their own choice and ended up prisoners, captured, kept from leaving, from returning to Sirius, kept from aking for help and now, even now, Remus's last moments could be ticking away and --

Sirius took a deep breath and focused on feeling for Remus... He wasn't sure he could feel him, or if the panic and fear he felt was all his own.

Lily was at her class, trying not to feel nauseated, sucking on a bit of ginger candy that Dora Potter had made for her, swearing the sweet chew had saved her many a time during her pregnancy with James. She'd had a nervous energy coursing through her all morning - a dull sort of feeling that she couldn't place. It was like a low hum in the back of her mind that persisted but didn't push it's way to the front, simply hovering quietly somewhere behind the nausea that filled her up. She could barely concentrate, and the nausea was not helping at all.

When her class was over, she regretted having insisted her and James take the car together that morning. While a nice, leisurely ride with her husband in the rising sunlit morning had sounded delightful, the dragging ride back in the midmorning all alone was less than exciting, especially with the nausea and the nagging nervous feeling coursing through her. James had said he'd return home via floo so she didn't need to stay and wait for him 'round London after her classes had ended.

Lily fiddled with the radio dial, hoping some music would distract her, but about a quarter of the way home the panic she was feeling spiked so much that she couldn't ignore it any more and she had to pull to the side of the road, her hands shaking on the steering wheel as the nausea rose up thick and heavy in her chest. She pushed opened the door of the car and rushed to the grass along side the road, bending over and --

There was a crack and she looked up, her palm splayed on the yellow painted car boot. SHe didn't have to go any further than the safety pinned jeans and black leather boots to know exactly who was standing before her. "Sirius," she choked out the name as she retched and she felt his hand on her back, pulling away her hair from the sick that poured out of her.

"Easy, Lilith," his voice was trying to be calming and gentle, but she could feel the nervousness emanating from him.

"You're -" she gagged and spit, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she stood upright, "You're upset, what's the m-matter?" Stomach still roiling, it took all her strength to keep composed.

Sirius's cheeks were flush with worry. "Remus and Spencer aren't home."

"No?" she asked, and she made a face as she covered her mouth with a balled hand, breathing sharply through her nose to hold back. "Where are they?"

"That's just it isn't it? They ought to be at home," Sirius said, "They're missing. No note or anything. I woke up and Remus never came to bed last night and Spencer's bed's empty and no sign of them anywhere --"

Lily bent forward, her nerves taking over her resolve and she threw up again as cars rushed past. Sirius caught onto her braid again, sweeping it back.

"There's no sign of a struggle so I'm sure it's just - they can't be in any trouble, I'm sure, I'm probably being a wreck for nothing but - it's rather unnerving and all," he was rambling as he stood there beside her.

Lily closed her eyes. "Class?" she murmured.

"I've already been 'round Moony's school and he's not there," Sirius answered.

Lily wiped her mouth again, standing up, her hands bracing her back, which ached from all the umph she'd put into her sickness. "Oh my stars," she muttered, dizzy.

Sirius kept her steady. "I mean, surely they're alright, yeah?" he prodded.

Lily waved to the car and Sirius looked her over. "Passenger seat for you, darling." Lily looked at him warily. "Don't you trust me behind the wheel?"

"Not even a little bit," she replied. "I've seen you drive that motorbike of yours..."

Sirius said, "I have far more precious cargo this time. You're not fit to drive. You're likely to start being sick all over the place and blam-o right into oncoming."

Lily sighed and let him direct her into the passenger seat, grateful to be finished driving regardless of who was taking it up. She watched as he ran about the car and got in. He looked over the gears and levers then looked over at her, "Which one's the brake again?" Lily started to reach for the door and he laughed, "I'm joking, Lilith!"

"Don't," she groaned.

And he said, "You know the only seriousness I have is in my name."

Lily closed her eyes. It was probably better if she couldn't see the recklessness that would be Sirius Black behind the wheel of a moving vehicle anyway. She wondered if it would be better or worse than being on board the Knight Bus?

It wasn't as bad as she expected - honestly, he was a fairly good driver, and she even relaxed enough to open her eyes.

"Do you mind if I turn up the radio?" Sirius asked, glancing over at her as she peeked from behind her eyelashes. "It'll help calm my nerves about Moony."

"Yes but keep your eyes on the road," she commanded, pointing.

Sirius nodded, "Yes mum," he teased. The radio turned up and he hissed a yessss at the song playing, though she didn't recognize it. It sounded like a lot of noise to her, but Sirius knew a lot more about music than she did, admittedly.

He was glad for her company. Just being around the Potters always made him feel better. Sirius was able to put away his panic, to tuck his fear in and remind himself that if Remus AND Spencer had both gone, then they were likely together and likely alright and things were likely to be okay and he'd be home later, things would be find, and it would turn out it was just that they'd gone somewhere that he'd told Sirius about and it was Sirius's own dumb brain that had just forgotten and it wasn't Remus's fault at all and his husband would shake his head at him and Sirius would feel supremely stupid and he'd apologize for the dramatic explosive display he'd put on - because he was already a hundred percent positive that he'd put on an explosive dramatic display the moment his Moonpie walked through the door - and they'd be alright. Everything would be fine. It was fine. Everything was fine.

Right?

When they reached Godric's Hollow he stopped at the market to get Lily some ice lollies she was craving and the pair of them sat on the couch in the Potter living room, licking their lollies and comparing the colours of their tongues, watching telly with their feet up on the coffee table and pretending there was nothing to worry about.

But that ease of mind was shattered as the time dragged on - as lunch and then dinner passed without a word from Remus or Spencer, when James came home from the Ministry and reported having had a long day - Underhill hadn't come into work, and was inexplicably missing as well...

And it got worse when day turned to night...

And one day turned into two...

Then three...

And the moon rose higher in the sky.