It was in the middle of the night; the two of them were sitting on the roof of their friend's house enjoying the summer night smoking a cigarette or two while the other two were sleeping soundly. One of them was wearing his favourite pair of jeans, his beloved old Converse, and a comfortable woollen vest. The other boy was wearing a vest as well, but in contrast to his friend he didn't bother wearing shoes or long trousers, instead sitting there barefoot and in his shorts.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Nope, it's alright."

"You're not even wearing socks."

"Really, it's fine."

"No, wait, c'mere."

And with that Remus took Sirius' feet and tucked them in between his own legs. Remus' hand didn't leave Sirius' feet, instead covering his soles with his palm. His other hand was occupied gently rubbing Sirius' legs while still holding his cigarette between his fingers and bringing it to his lips every now and then. His soft lips closing around his fag, his eyes fluttering shut while taking a drag. Sirius gulped. His feet felt as if they were burning from the contact of skin on skin and he couldn't help staring at Remus, his heart racing, imagining these beautiful golden eyes fluttering closed as the distance between their lips became smaller and smaller until –

"Still cold?"

"Huh? Oh, no, it's - uuuh ... Much better. Thanks."

He really ought to stop staring at Remus. And he really ought to stop blushing when getting caught doing so too. Sooner or later his friend was bound to notice, in spite of how oblivious he appeared. Surely there was no way he couldn't become aware of the way Sirius practically drooled over him?

Remus started trying to make rings out of the smoke. Puffing out small breaths, his mouth forming an O. Sirius couldn't help imagining what that wonderful mouth must look like, warm and wet and tight and wrapped around his –

"Padfoot, are you quite alright?"

"What? Yeah, sure, just ... uhm ..."

"Maybe we'd better go inside ... ?"

"No, no, let's stay outside a little longer."

Remus didn't bother answering; instead he merely put out his cigarette and flipped it away, then continued to absentmindedly rub Sirius legs. Sirius shifted a little in his seat, hoping to hide a rather obvious bulge in his trousers.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Remus suddenly spoke up.

"Sirius, why did you leave home?"

There it was. The question he had dreaded ever since Remus had agreed to visit him at James's.

"Oh, you know ... Just the usual. Lots of shouting, lots of cursing, being called a bloodtraitor and therefore 'bringing shame to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black by associating with mudbloods and other scum when you were supposed to be marrying a beautiful pureblood girl of high standards in order to produce an heir.'"

"You've already heard that very same speech a hundred times before, haven't you? What was different this time? Why leave now when you're coming of age in five months time anyway?"

Sirius hesitated.

"I don't know, it was just ... I couldn't stand it anymore. She kept on shouting about how James and his family were just as much of bloodtraitors as I was, how they should be sent to Azkaban for being friends with muggles, about how Peter was just a disgusting bastard who should be ashamed of himself simply for being alive, about how every muggleborn at Hogwarts should be expelled immediately and banished from wizard society, about how lower creatures such as goblins and centaurs should be enslaved just the way house elves are and then she –"

His throat suddenly felt very strict and he felt he wasn't able to continue talking. Remus pulled him into a half-hug and patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"Anyway, I – I cursed her and left.", he finished quickly.

Remus looked at him sceptically.

"There's more to it, isn't there? What else did she say?"

"N-nothing, really. It's not important. Can't be changed anymore, can it? I'm officially disinherited, that mad woman has probably blasted me off that bloody family tapestry by now, not that I-"

"Sirius.", Remus said warningly, his eyes piercing him in a way only Dumbledore had ever managed to before.

In a small voice that didn't seem to fit him at all, Sirius mumbled "Well, she might've mentioned something about werewolves too ..."

Remus appeared to be taken aback at that. "Beg your pardon?"

"I don't know, she probably didn't even realise what she was saying, at first she just wanted to provoke me, but I think she lost track of what she was actually screaming about, I guess she just was in a sort of rage attack and then she said that werewolves were just –"

With horror Sirius noticed tears welling up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away and cleared his throat, and suddenly the words just seemed to tumble out of his mouth, he wasn't even aware of what he was saying.

"- that they were just cruel and savage beasts that contaminate our society, intend on inflicting ordinary people with their disgusting malfunction, and that they should be –"

He cursed his voice for betraying him by breaking again.

"- should be executed in order to prevent that all humans become filthy animals like them."

Sirius looked up into Remus eyes.

"I couldn't stand it - I couldn't stand her talking about you like that!"

"You shouldn't have left because of me." Remus said looking guilty.

"Because of you? Don't you blame yourself for me leaving that mad house! It was bound to happen sooner or later, and when she started insulting you, talking about you as if you were nothing but vermin, I just snapped.

I told her she had no idea what she was on about, I told her I knew a werewolf, was friends with him even, what did she think about that, huh? I told her you were so kind and caring, patient and always nice to everyone, even those terribly annoying first-years and even to people who treated you patronizingly, hell even to Snivellus! So loyal to your friends, you would do just about anything for us, wouldn't you? And your dry sense of humour, you know, really sarcastic, but most people don't even notice, they just see a quiet, bookish boy, but they can't be more wrong, now can they? You're such a wonderful person, and yet so insecure about your character and your appearance- but God, Moony, have you ever seen that look in your golden eyes when you think of some mischievous scheme? You look so beautiful when you –"

He stopped abruptly, suddenly realising what he had just let slip. Remus merely looked into his eyes, head laid slightly to the side and curiosity written all over his face.

"Sirius?"

"I'm sorry, alright, I know it's wrong to think about one of your best mates like that but –"

"Like what exactly?"

"Look, it just sort of happened, alright? One day I was chasing birds, the next I found myself staring at you while you were reading some silly book that was apparently more interesting than I could ever be –"

"How could anything be more interesting than you?"

"Huh?"

"Sirius, I ..."

"Moony?"

And there Remus was – leaning closer, looking more beautiful than ever in the pale moonlight– and it was not only in Sirius fantasy, but this was real. Remus real eyes fluttering closed while the distance between them became smaller and smaller, his real lips parting ever so slighty, until they suddenly were there, right against his, nothing more than a light pressure, but more wonderful than he could have ever imagined and nothing in his entire life had ever felt so right.