So, this was death. At first there was just darkness, then discomfort that edged on pain. Sirius tried to stifle his screams, but when light seared his eyes and cold flashed against his naked flesh, he couldn't help but cry out.

Suddenly, he couldn't remember where he had just been. Even his name eluded him. Death had done what Dementors could not.

And so, Sirius waited.

He waited so long and so hard that he forgot that he was waiting, and he forgot what he was waiting for.

But when the young boy showed up on the playground during fifth grade ("new to the school" the teachers said), he called the boy a name. All the other boys were calling girls names, and Sirius simply- called the boy a name.

The boy hated him. Every time he was near the boy, silly things came out of his mouth, things about how the boy was loony, how the boy was as ugly as a dog. Sirius laughed at the boy. But the boy never smiled. Sirius followed the boy around to call him names.

By the eighth grade, Sirius was no longer calling the boy names. But he was still following the boy around.

"Remus, isn't it?" Sirius asked the day he joined the chess club to be near Remus. He knew the boy's name. The question was just a way to talk to him.

"Why are you talking to me?" Remus glared at him. "You hate me."

"I don't hate you," Sirius answered flatly. "I thought we could be mates. I'm sorry I was such an arse."

Remus watched Sirius closely. "Is this a joke? 'Cause I don't get it."

Sirius simply sat, inviting Remus to play chess.

*****

"I'm taking Cindy to the dance," James said. "I wish Lily would say yes, but-" He shook his head. "Are you going with Amanda again, Sirius?" It was eleventh grade; slipping geometry grades and pretty girls were all they thought about. Well, it was all James thought about. Sirius was... different.

Sirius shook his head. "Remus."

"Remus is going with Amanda? No way."

Sirius shook his head again. "I'm going with Remus." This was it; he held his breath.

James mouth dropped into the shape of a silent "O". Sirius felt a blast of relief when all James said, though, was "Is that why you joined the debate team?"

"Yeah," Sirius nodded.

"Thank God. I thought you were turning into a nerd on me."

"No," Sirius shrugged, "Just a pouf."

James didn't laugh, and lunch wasn't comfortable between two good friends. But within the week, James had forgotten that Sirius was different from the Sirius that was his best mate. And if people teased, they never teased loudly, because Sirius was cool, and he'd beat the crap out of Frank McKenna in tenth grade.

*****

Sirius took Remus out with a group for dinner, and they didn't dance together, but in a circle. When the evening ended, though, he walked with Remus out past the parking lot under the thicket of trees and kissed him. He might have leaned in to feel Remus up as well, but Remus turned away, laughing.

"Save something for the second date, Black."

Sirius might have been walking on air. There's going to be a second date.

*****

"Oxford will be lovely. You'll probably forget about me entirely," Sirius dove in for a peck at Remus's cheek as he said these words, but Remus dodged. Sirius forgave him this once, as they were on a crowded London street, walking slowly and steadily towards King's Cross. Remus had a long train ride ahead of him, but then an even longer semester.

"I'll visit every weekend," Remus offered.

"Rubbish. You'll make friends and have homework and you haven't the money for the train trips," Sirius objected.

"I'll find a way."

They entered the station together and were still lost in conversation when a blue-haired boy, holding hands with a small freckle-faced red-headed girl, ran a cart directly into them.

"Excuse me," the boy said.

Remus nodded, moving to let the lad pass. Sirius, though, gave the boy more attention.

"He looks something like you," Sirius nodded towards the boy.

"Think I should dye my hair blue?" Remus laughed.

"Definitely." Sirius slug his arm around Remus's shoulder.

"I wish you were coming with me," Remus frowned. "I've been going to school with you nearly all my life. It's going to be odd-"

Sirius winked. "It's not a decade. You have a couple weeks until fall break, and I'll be waiting right here on the platform."

Remus nodded and stepped onto the train at Platform 10. He waved goodbye to Sirius, not for the last time.