It was just like any other June evening at the quiet little home I had been stuck in for months at Dumbledore's urging. I sat placidly at the kitchen table trying to write – which, in all honesty, didn't seem to be working very well at all. I scratched my chin with my quill and mused over a particular sentence I wasn't very fond of.
Suddenly a scratching at the door broke through the silence. Automatically, I stood up – and then stopped. A scratching? There aren't any animals around here … are there? Confused, I made my way to the front hallway, unlocked the door and eased it open.
There, gazing up at me with its tongue lolling out of its mouth, was a great big shaggy black dog.
'Padfoot,' I breathed.
We looked at each other for a split second; then, with one great bound, the dog had knocked me to the ground and was licking my face all over with his long pink tongue. 'Padfoot!' I laughed in between licks. 'Hang on –'
I turned and kicked the door shut, scratching the dog between his floppy ears. With my free hand I pulled out my wand and put a locking spell on the door. When I turned back, the dog had gone – and in his place was a tall, dark-haired man.
My wand clattered to the floor, forgotten. Sirius's hands were in my hair, on my shoulders, on my back – I wrapped my arms around his neck and he kissed me, so fiercely and urgently that I felt my breath catch in my throat.
'Mmmh – oh!' Sirius's finger was gently tracing the outline of my ear, my chin, my shoulder blades – I smiled and kissed him back, softly, before pulling back. Our noses brushed for a second. I closed my eyes and laid my head on Sirius's shoulder.
'Oh … how I've missed you, Sirius.'
He reached over and ruffled my hair. 'I've missed you too, Remus.'
'How did you get here, anyway?' I inquired curiously.
'I have my ways,' Sirius grinned evasively. He looked around, finally taking in his surroundings. 'Are we alone?'
'Yes,' I replied. 'It was just me before you arrived.'
'Mmm … Are you thinking what I'm thinking?'
'I don't know, Sirius,' I sighed. 'What are you thinking?'
There was a pause before he spoke. 'I'm hungry.'
'Oh, you would be,' I groaned, laughing. 'C'mon – let's go.' I sprang to my feet, dragging Sirius up with me. 'I'll make you dinner,' I said. 'Just like the old days.'
Sirius responded by kissing me again. He smiled indulgently and draped a long arm around my shoulders, and, laughing, we walked into the kitchen.
And so it began.