The common room was exceptionally quiet since most of the third through seventh years were in Hogsmeade and the first and second years were out on the grounds. A tall boy with too long sandy hair, too many scars, and a too big sweater sat in an armchair, book in his lap as his legs were swung over an arm while his bag rested against the other. He had decided to stay behind since he was still recovering from an exhausting night before. His friend with the glasses and dark hair was in Hogsmeade with their other friend was a bit short and a bit chubby. The last piece of their puzzle of a group was upstairs in the dorm, having still been asleep when the other two left.

The tall boy in the armchair had begun to doze off when a loud crashing sound startled him awake, breaking the silence like a hammer to a glass. His book falling forgotten onto the worn carpet, the boy used his long legs to take the stairs three at a time. He gasped at what he saw when he finally managed to shoulder the door open. The dorm room was destroyed. Broken furniture and thrown belongings lay everywhere, explaining why the door had been so difficult to open. At the center of the explosion of a mess was a dark haired boy curled into himself, his whole body shaking.

"Padfoot?" The tall boy sounded unsure. He also received no response. "Sirius, are you ok?" Sirius still didn't answer or move, even when the other boy knelt beside him. "Sirius, it's Remus. What happened, love?"

"I can't take it anymore. Every terrible thing they say, it swims in here," Sirius pointed to his head, "and it won't go away. It's too much." Tears ran down his face, punctuation to the softness of his voice and the quivering of his body. "I can't escape them, even when I sleep," came the final whisper before an audible sob escaped his chest.

'A nightmare, then,' thought Remus as he put his arms around his boyfriend. He was glad Peter and James weren't around. Sirius had a harder time being emotionally open with them around, always putting on a brave face.

"Oh, Padfoot, I wish I could make all the vile things they say disappear. But you have to remember, we are your true family. We love you, I love you. And all those lies they spew are just that. Lies. You are an amazing person. You are loyal. You are determined and brave. You always stand for what you believe in. You always have our backs. You are unapologetically Sirius, and I wouldn't have you any other way." He sat there, holding Sirius, rubbing his back soothingly until the tears gave way to sleep once again. Doing his best not to jostle the head on his lap, Remus repaired the furniture of the room with a few waves of his wand and put the room back in order. This being done, he scooped Sirius up and carried him to the nearest bed, which happened to be Remus' own. Remus laid the sleeping form on the bed and allowed himself to be cuddled.

Remus must have dozed off because, by the time he awoke, voices were drifting up the stairs from the common room, broken only by his housemates' laughter. He opened his eyes to see that Sirius was still asleep but looking much more at peace than he had earlier. There was also a plate full of food and two bars of chocolate on the bedside table that could only be left by James and Peter. Remus just let out a soft sigh as he lay there. He may have been able to repair the room, but 'Reparo' wasn't going to fix a broken heart or a broken mind. Those would be much harder, if even possible, to repair.