Sirius’ question hung around the common room, and Remus felt as if time had stopped. Frozen, it took him three seconds to find his voice, and another three to remember that breathing was a requirement.

He avoided his friends’ eyes, carefully. When he spoke, his voice was nearly a whisper, “Mum is sick.” Remus cleared his throat, and looked up again. “I told you.”

James gave Peter a sharp look, Sirius elbowed him, and the shorter boy took a deep breath. “Why d’you always return looking as if you fought a pack of centaurs and barely made it out alive?”