A/N: Hi! Thanks for clicking my fanfiction. If you read it, please review and let me know what you think. BIG thanks goes to my darling Mads for Beta-ing. This will be a Slash, meaning MalexMale pairings. If you dont like DONT READ! you have been warned. Otherwise...Enjoy!
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The first thing that caught Remus' attention in the early hours of an extremely miserable Scottish, October Monday, was the soft tinkering of strings, filtering through the blissfully soft clouds of sleep still hanging over his mind. The sound was pleasant on his acute wolf hearing, rather unlike the howling wind mercilessly throwing ice cold rain pellets against the dormitories poor excuse for windows. Sighing inwardly, Remus forced his mind to tune out everything but the delightful flurry of notes, random in pitch, seemingly random in choice as well, Remus noted, as the pauses between each one differed. The dorm's self proclaimed Maestro experimenting with his sequencing.
A small smile flickered at the corners of Remus' mouth as he let himself sink into the soft music drifting across from the bed opposite him, his ears twitching slightly according to the changes in pitch, his blond mane subconsciously pushing further into the feather pillow behind his head. He kept his eyes shut, not daring to expose the Amber hue to the room in case the minuscule movement somehow caught the attention of the musician and brought an end to the wonderful noise.
Twisting carefully, the blond attempted to work a cramp out of his shin, the muscles protesting at being still for so long, his slight movements causing the bed sheets to shift, allowing the sub-zero temperatures to slither inside his warm cavern of linen, a harsh shiver racking his body as the air danced up his spine, regretting his actions almost instantaneously as the music came to an abrupt stop.
"Rem?" a voice croaked in a poor attempt at a whisper. "Are you awake?"
Clamping his eyes tighter, Remus held his breath, his body stiff as he forced himself to remain still, hoping his best friend would shrug his sudden movement off and return his attention to the delicate strings.
"Remus? Moony?" the voice called again, the air whooshing out of the wolf's lungs as he heard the distinct sound of wood connecting with flooring as his friend put his instrument down.
"Yeah." was all Remus managed to breathe out as he realised he couldn't pretend to be asleep any more in hopes his friend would continue playing. "Yeah I'm awake." he tried again, pulling himself slowly into something that resembled an upright position, his eyes fixing on the body in front of him, his athletic form perched on one corner of his mattress, one leg pressed against the deep mahogany flooring, whilst the other curled up underneath his frame, one hand hooked over the headboard, probably to have been used as a leverage upwards for the other male if Remus hadn't responded, the other, wrapped around the neck of a pale wood, Acoustic Guitar.
"Oh good, its just, I saw you shiver and I didn't know whether you were awake or having a nightmare or something." the musician replied lifting the instrument back up, depositing it in his lap before draping his arms across the body and turning his attentions to his best friend.
"Its very cold." Remus gave as a response, not feeling the need to elaborate any further as he saw his friends knowing nod.
"It is, I'll allow you that." his best friend smiled. His slender fingers drumming gently across the strings in front of him.
"What was you playing earlier Siri? I don't think I've heard you playing it before." Remus enquired, his head cocking to one side slightly as he gazed expectantly at his friend.
"Oh!" Sirius exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the two other inhabitants of the room. "I was just testing out some sequencing, you never know when the inspiration will hit you."
"Surely if you plan ahead its not technically inspiration is it?" the blond retorted staring pointedly at the black haired male currently sat grinning at him.
"Surely you could ignore that ever-present logic of yours for once and agree with your amazingly talented friend?" Sirius shot back mimicking the werewolf's tone.
"No." Remus began. "If I did that, you would only use it against me to pressurise me into agreeing with you on other things. I'm afraid I cannot allow it." The older male didn't respond, merely sighed dramatically and resumed his disjointed rhythms across the panelling of his guitar. "So have you got anything new then Pads?"
At the new question, Sirius' eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly, rather dog like Remus mused to himself, his tongue peeking out from between his pale lips. Without giving a proper answer, the musician snatched his wand up from his bedside table and flicked it at his trunk at the foot of his bed, still open from the removal of his Guitar however many hours ago, a quickly muttered "accio"and a roughly folded parchment appeared and flew towards the slender male.
"Would you like to hear it?" Sirius questioned unfurling the creation with a flourish.
"Urrr..." Remus began casting a momentary glance towards the still snoozing forms of James and Peter. Although he could appreciate the beauty of being woken to music, he doubted the other two Marauders would share his appreciation, having both already openly spoken of their dislike of Sirius' "noise maker" when for the third night running, they had been kept awake whilst the owner spent endless hours tuning and re-tuning the instrument.
Realising what Remus was worrying about, Sirius smiled and patted towards the end of his bed, waiting patiently whilst the wolf hurried across the dorm and dropped onto the deep red quilting, complaining profusely under his breath as he left the warmth of his confinements, before performing a quick silencing charm around the area.
"There." was all Sirius said with a small nod of authority. "Wouldn't want dearest James and Peter missing out on any of their long needed beauty sleep would we?"
"No." Remus sighed with a slight chuckle. "When did you do this?" he quizzed picking up the forgotten parchment and scanning through the roughly scrawled words and notations.
"The other night whilst you were recovering in the Hospital Wing." Sirius stated flexing his fingers slightly. "I couldn't sleep, I was still wired from the night before, so I decided to use my time productively." he extended, taking the parchment back from his friend and setting it down in front of himself so he could read what he was supposed to play. "Do you want me to just play it? Or would you like to listen to my gorgeous singing voice too?"
"How do you know its gorgeous, for all I know you could be able to hold less of a tune then a banshee!" Remus replied before pausing to actually consider Sirius' question. "I think you'll have to sing again, it doesn't have the same effect when you just play the tune." he murmured.
Nodding to show his understanding, Sirius lightly ran his fingertips down the fret board, absorbing the small squeaks his skin created on the grated metal, before he began to play, his mouth dropping open as he started to sing.
"I saw a star beneath the stairs
Glowing through the melting walls
Who will be the first to begin their fall?
Or will we become one?
Am I the star beneath the stairs?
Am I the ghost upon the stage?
Am I your anything?
I saw a star beneath the stairs
Glowing bright before descent
And in the morning there is nothing left but what's inside of me.
Am I the star beneath the stairs?
Am I the ghost upon the stage?
Am I your anything?
Am I the star beneath the stairs?
Am I the ghost upon the stage?
Am I your anything?
And I don't want to die tonight, will you believe me?
And I don't want to fall into the light
Will you wish upon?
Will you walk upon me?
I don't want to die tonight
Will you believe in me tonight?
Am I the star beneath the stairs?
Am I the ghost upon the stage?
Am I your anything?
Am I the star beneath the stairs?
Am I the ghost upon the stage?
Am I your anything?"
"Wow." Remus gasped as Sirius drew to a halt. "That's amazing, I'd say it's your best yet."
"Thanks." Sirius smiled sincerely, forgetting to slip back into his cocksure attitude, a small remote part of his brain thanking Merlin for Remus' lack of questions. He had originally worried his lyrics would of stirred a few enquiries within the blond, as in order to answer them properly, he would have had to drag up a lot of well hidden emotions. Something he wasn't really prepared to do at that moment in time.
"So, what inspired those lyrics then?" Remus asked after a few minutes contemplation on both sides. Damn it. Sirius thought, spitefully removing his thanks from Merlin for blocking his easy escape route.
"As if you've got that blasted thing out again!" A sleep filled voice flooded through the invisible barriers, successfully drawing Remus' attention away to gaze at the crumpled form of James Potter, his eyes blazing as he gazed at the instrument resting dormant in Sirius' lap, failing to note the now shattered silencing charms around them.
"Silencing charms." was all Remus chose to respond with, before drawing himself back to his feet and stretching heartily, turning to pick up his neatly folded uniform before stalking out the dorm room to commandeer the shower room before the hot water ran out, pausing only to throw the two ebony haired males a get-up-we-have-lessons-to-go-to look.
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"Potion's sucks." Sirius moaned sullenly, slumping down in his seat and resting his cheek on his hand as his elbow slammed down onto the work bench.
"So you told me throughout Charms, Care of Magical Creatures and Transfiguration." Remus retorted as he passed by, merely dropping his bag onto his seat before strolling off towards the ingredients store, having already read the instructions Professor Slughorn had written on the board.
"Don't forget lunch." James sighed dropping down into his seat on the other side of the now sulking male.
"Breakfast as well." Peter joined in strolling past the pair to go join Remus, James and Sirius always refused point blank to step foot in the Ingredients Store, always deeming the job too complicated for their minds to cope with.
"Well, either way he can stop sulking and help me with the potion, I can't put all the ingredients in as well as keep an eye on the stirring." Remus stated appearing once again, his arms laden with various vials and plant roots.
"Now, Sixth Years, a word of warning." Slughorn began returning to the front of the room once everyone was prepared. "This potion you are about to create is dangerously unstable if done incorrectly. All ingredients must be placed into the potion with precision, nothing but the required ingredients must enter the potion, including, for instance, those of you with long hair, be careful, not one strand must fall in"
"If its so bloody dangerous why give us it to do?" Sirius questioned before frowning as Remus swatting him away whilst trying to pay attention to the professors instructions. "I mean, they gave us lot it, and we have Peter! Surely this is just proof they are all insane!" he tried again.
"Sirius shush! I cant hear!"
"I'm only saying!"
"This is highly important! Save it till later!"
"Once your potion is complete, immediately bottle it and bring it to me, gently I don't want it smashing all over the floor. Now, off you go. Don't make a mistake, I am rather fond of my Potion's lab being in one piece thank you." Slughorn finished strolling behind his desk and with a wave of his wand the fire's beneath the cauldron's were lit.
"Oh god, were going to die, Peter's going to blow something I can tell!"Sirius whined, his hatred for the lesson only souring his mood further.
"SIRIUS!" Remus snapped causing a few startled heads to turn as they walked past the pair towards the ingredients. "This is an important potion, it is also a dangerous potion."
"I know that's what I'm on ab-" Sirius interrupted.
"Basically! Shut! Up! Get out of that ridiculous mood and help me with this potion!"
"Don't get all snarky with me! I'm trying to lighten the god damn mood! Your the one snapping at me!"
"Well if you stopped acting like a petulant child we wouldn't have that problem!"
Jumping to his feet, Sirius glared down at his younger friend, hating the annoyance and slight disgust tainting his Amber orbs, the anger coursing through him at the werewolf's last statement.
"I've nearly finished it anyway, so you can stop looking so mutinous." Remus sighed turning back around. "I only have on-"
"Remus?" Sirius asked seeing his friend freeze in front of his Cauldron.
"So-something is in here that shouldn't be...or I've missed something off." Remus began, double checking his work area for something he could of missed.
"I don't see anything, does it matter?" Sirius questioned, immediately regretting it as the small blond swung round to glare at him.
"What!? Have you not listened to anything I have said! This potion could take half the classroom out if it goes wrong! Of course it matters!"
"Look! Stop having a go at me like it's my fault!"
"It is your fault Sirius! You made me lose my concentration and now I need to rectify this or face blowing half my classmates up!"
"I'm sure we could throw it towards Snivellus, taking a few Slytherin's out wouldn't matter if-"
"Sirius! Stop! Your only making this worse!" Remus screamed, not caring he was now making a scene, the entire class still continuing with their work, yet all their ears perked for more information of the argument.
"How in the name of Merlin am I making it worse!" Sirius exclaimed, before pausing in shock, the Cauldron behind Remus was now bubbling harshly, shaking on its foundations and turning an angry red colour instead of the turquoise it was intended to be.
"Because your doing nothing but antagonising me and preventing me fro-" Remus ranted but Sirius only caught half of it as he spotted the Cauldron emit a few sparks of green flame, the work area shaking, he knew what was going to happen before he saw it, something was reacting violently with the potion and it was going to explode, with Remus directly in the firing line.
"REMUS LOOK OUT!"
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A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. Please Review, I love to know what you think. No flames though please, I dont tolerate them. The song Sirius "composed" in this part is Morningstar by AFI.