A Black Betrothal

by WL.Erkling

Sirius Black has been betrothed to the pureblood girl of his dreams-or has he? What happens when he enlists his fellow Marauders to ensure his lover is at his betrothal announcement? [Wolfstar] Quills and Parchment Scandal Competition winner of the Best Drama and Most True to Canon Characters categories (11/2016)

Disclaimer: Characters, settings, and themes from the Harry Potter universe are property of J.K Rowling. I neither own, nor am making profit from the writing or sharing of this story.

"It doesn't matter that you're only seventeen. You are the heir to our house and you will do as you're told."

"Why the bloody hell would I do that? You're trying to marry me off so that you can get another vote on the Wizengamot. What could she possibly do for me?" There was a hand on his arm, but Orion's calming gesture came too late. Instead, the jolt of a stinging hex had him biting the inside of his lip to keep from crying out. Walburga Black was not one to forgive weakness. This, she quite thoroughly taught her eldest son as he fought for independence from everything she had to offer.

"You will accept her engagement. You will marry her. You will do whatever I tell you to do because you are mine, Sirius Black." As he stood there, chin raised in open defiance, she flicked her wand out and down. He didn't hear the spell, but he didn't have to—this one he knew.

The air around him was charged with the electricity of their magic as it burned in his veins, pricked along his skin and left bright red welts up the length of his spine. He shivered, sweat pouring down his brow. A single drop slipped from the edge of his consciousness to the floor. There, it lay in full view of Walburga. She smiled and cast anew. Sirius fell to his knees. It took her nearly ten minutes to break him down. The entire time, they traded glares that would put a Draught of Living Death to shame. When Sirius could take no more, he fell forward, hands splayed before him, head hanging limply between his shoulders.

"Ahhhh. There we are." She stepped forward, dragging her wand across his back as she did. He whimpered only slightly, then clamped his teeth. She reached down to grab his chin, jerking it up so that she stared right into his stony greys. "Such a shame you don't put that fight toward something useful." Her fingers practically tossed his face aside and his body followed the motion. Walburga Black strode from the room with bold, heavy steps.

"Sirius." Orion stepped forward now. "Sirius." No movement came from the young man lying prone on the floor. His father bent down and smoothed some hair away from his sweat-soaked scalp. "Son, you need to go to your room. I'll have one of the elves send something for you. She needs to see you walking." Sirius groaned a bit. As he turned, using to lift himself from the floor, Orion met his eyes. "You did well tonight."

"I shouldn't fucking have to."

"I know, son." He reached out, placed a hand over the one still holding up the shaky frame before him. "I know." He rose and walked out the door opposite his wife.

"You're more defeated than I am." The words came out as a whisper, for his throat refused to give full voice to what it thought was treason. The real question though, was treason to whom?

Sirius spent the rest of the evening practicing various locking charms on his door. When he was sure everyone would be asleep, he threw up every charm he could think of, wrote a note to Regulus and put it in the third drawer on the left, where he knew it would be found before the end of the hols. He unlocked the window, shook his head at how easy it was to get away from the nefarious Walburga Black, and laughed as he cast a cushioning charm before jumping. Upon landing, he set out toward the edge of the property. As the mist of fall wrapped around him, Sirius closed his eyes, shifted wholly into Padfoot and took off into the night.

The woods of Potter Manor were filled with more than the sounds of the forest. Several boys shifted uneasily as the moon rose into the sky, though none more than Remus Lupin. While James and Peter played a somewhat reserved game of Exploding Snap by wandlight, their counterpart could not focus. Each time a card crackled and smoke rose from the ashes, Remus' nose twitched. The wolf was trying to overcome him, despite the Wolfsbane, and it was taking everything he had to keep it at bay. It wasn't until James jumped up, exclaiming loudly toward Peter that Remus lost it.

"Would you two just shut the fuck up?"

"What—uh, Moony, are you okay?" James stepped toward him, but halted. Remus' eyes had shifted and he knew better than to approach the wolf. Prongs might be pack, but until the change happened, Remus was too unpredictable.

"I just need some quiet, all right?" One hand lifted to pinch the bridge of his nose, his shoulders hunching. This way, he looked much less the six-foot werewolf and more the swaggering teenager.

"Okay, mate. Pete, put the cards away." James turned toward the shrewish boy, who sat motionless on the ground. Unlike James, he was very much the motionless rat when confrontation brewed amongst his friends. "Peter. Now." This jolted him into action, as James was using his head boy voice. Peter scrambled to gather everything and shoved it into his pockets, burning himself several times on cards that decided to explode on their way in. His robes were letting off steam, but he acted as if nothing was the matter.

"Thank you, James. It has been a very trying day." His eyes were growing greener now as Remus gained control over himself again. James walked up, slowly, allowing the soft, slanting look and the sniff of air as Remus scented subconsciously.

"He'll be here."

"Who'll be here? And why are you sods so bloody quiet?" Sirius walked into the clearing, directly between James and Remus. James watched as Remus clenched his jaw, twitched just once, and opened his eyes to show bright hazel once more. He smirked, but turned back to Peter.

"You, you lazy codswallop. Where have you been?"

"Oh, I don't know. Only being told I'm to be betrothed to the Avery girl." Sirius was now rummaging around in the hollow of a nearby tree, mumbling to himself, so he didn't quite catch what was said in response.

"Yo-mar-hmmph-who?"

"What the hell did you just say?" He looked bewildered when he stepped back, holding a bottle of Ogden's finest in one hand, open and ready for consumption.

"I said, if you would keep your head out of your arse, you're marrying the Avery girl. Who, exactly?"

Sirius took a hearty swig, hissing as he felt the burn settle into his chest before responding. "Charlene. Charlene Avery. I believe she's one year our junior. Slytherin." Another drink. "A proper snake, at that." Remus' eyes grew wide, whereas James merely stared hard at his friend. Peter kept his own counsel. "And wouldn't you know it, The bloody bint's already planned a party to announce it!"

"So you know her then?"

"What?" He snapped his eyes over to Remus. "Who?" As he said the latter, he leaned forward, sloshing a little of the latest sip out of his mouth. Remus looked disgusted.

"The girl. Charlene. You know her?"

"How would I know her, Moony?"

"You just called her a bint. I'm guessing that in order to call a female that, you would have to be acquainted on some level first."

"What the bloody hell are you on about, Moony? I don't know her at all." Now the bottle was swaying dangerously in his hands and his words slurred right along with it. "I called Walburga a bint, and cheers to that!" Remus narrowed his eyes, then looked away.

There was much commiserating as Sirius told them about the upcoming party the following weekend. Remus began moving away from them, but crouched near the edge of the group, nodding every now and then to keep James from dragging him back into the conversation. He could barely keep the wolf in check, let alone deal with teenage drama.

"—tha'ss wha' I'll do! I'll jus' run 'way. None of yeh can stop me." Sirius was sitting with his back against a tree now, having run out of liquor a half hour ago. Peter had continued to ply him for as long as there'd been half-empty bottles to pass around, the occasional, "there's a good lad," enough praise for the shiest Marauder.

James spent his time trying to stay between Sirius and Remus, never letting either one out of his sight. Several times, Remus tried to slink off into the darkness, but James would ask him a question about the conversation and bring him back in, tail between his legs. Sirius was completely oblivious, as self-absorbed as he was at the time.

It was a low, deep-throated growl that alerted them to the passage of time. They hadn't been focusing on the moon and had, instead, been paying more attention to the whinging of their friend. Remus collapsed, arms wrapped around himself, before the clothes came flying off. He was tearing at himself in anger, fury whipping about like they hadn't seen since they'd started helping him through the change. All three of them surrounded him, Sirius stumbling into the space nearest the werewolf. Moony snapped at him, partially changed with an exposed jaw and bones in his shoulder popping into place. Sirius melted into Padfoot faster than they'd seen before.

"Sirius, be careful!" James shouted at him, as he rolled toward the angry werewolf. Moony was himself now, breathing heavily in a tangle of limbs on the ground. Without warning, he shot up and took off. Sirius was after him, stumbling and rubbing against trees as he ran. "Padfoot, you drunk mutt!" It took a moment, but Prongs followed shortly with Wormtail astride.

Moony did not make the journey easy. Instead, he threw himself into sprinting as fast as his lungs would fill and refill. Several times, he thought he would black out for lack of oxygen, but the wolf's black energy was too great and so, Moony ran. Padfoot kept up as best he could with his lumbering frame. He watched from behind as the sleek wolf scraped himself on tree branches, slipped down steep hills, and stumbled unknowingly into a bone-chilling ravine. Padfoot barked incessantly each time Moony faltered, but there was no response. Several hours later, Moony collapsed. He had no more energy to feed on, so both the wolf and the man gave up.

Padfoot was on him in seconds, but Prongs and Wormtail were trailing minutes behind, if only to stay back a safe distance. When they entered the small section of woods where Moony fell, Prongs knelt down to allow Wormtail's descent and they both stood next to the whimpering Padfoot as he licked Moony's panting face. Padfoot's languid change back to Sirius was hampered by the labored breathing and harsh words coming from his mouth.

"You stupid git. What were you thinking?" There was no response. He smoothed the flesh of Moony's cheeks, scent-marking himself and waiting for Moony to revert. Sirius looked up, wondering how long it was going to take.

"Not long." Sirius twisted to look at Peter, surprised to hear the small voice. "Maybe fifteen minutes or so." He didn't respond, only nodded. Peter looked proud of himself and James patted him on the back.

"Come on, Moony. There you are." When he reached forward, he felt the chilled skin of Remus, saw the fresh scrapes and bruises. Sirius moved away just enough to take off his robe and drape it around Remus. The thinner boy tried to object, but Sirius put his arms through it anyway, ignoring the frail protests.

"Leave me." Remus turned his head away, unable to move more than that. "Just leave me, Sirius."

"I will not." Against his wishes, Sirius rolled away from Remus and crouched down to get his arms under the tired boy's legs and upper body. Remus grunted as he was picked up.

"Leave me, Sirius. I don't need this. I don't need you to carry me. I'm not a child. I'm—" The others turned away as Sirius leaned in and bit down roughly on Remus' neck, silencing him. He held the bite until the werewolf went limp in his arms.

Whispers, nothing more, "Fuck off, Moony. I'm too tired after your marathon sulk to deal with any more bullshit today. You will let me do this for you." Remus didn't move or say anything more as the solemn group made their way back to the manor house.

Climbing the stairs had been exhausting. James and Peter had the foresight to throw the invisibility cloak over Sirius and Remus, which allotted them some privacy in walking awkwardly into the spare room, but the lingering time spent with the door open was blatantly obvious to anyone looking. After only a minute or two to be sure that Sirius and Remus were settled, Sirius kicked the other two out. There were grumbles about the midnight run and returning on the train in the morning, but eventually, they left.

Sirius returned to rummage around in Remus' bag. He only turned back to his silent roommate when he'd found the healing potions he'd been looking for. As he returned to the edge of the bed, he was greeted by a cold back and more silence. Sirius thrust a chocolate bar and the potion in front of his face so that he had to take it or have it be wiggling against his nose. Remus groaned, lifted himself up on an elbow, which incited further groaning, and downed the potion. Sirius winced as he lifted the shirt and began applying salve to the cuts. At first, the other man tried to pull away, but as his pain eased, his head tilted and his shoulders dropped and Sirius smiled a little in seeing the relaxation there.

"Remus."

"No."

"Remus. We need to talk."

"I said no, Sirius. There's nothing for us to talk about." Remus turned to face him now, all solemn expressions and down-turned eyes. When he picked at the frayed edges of the blanket absently, Sirius reached out with one hand. There was a stillness between them. They breathed together for a moment until fingers were gently moving around Remus' hand, feeling his pulse point and rubbing against the life there. They continued until his palms were flat against a scarred chest which was breathing deeply, unevenly. Ripples crawled across his skin and he shivered.

"I know you're not cold, Moony. I can feel the heat radiating off you." Remus clenched his jaw against the pillow he was leaning against, firmly not looking at the man in his bed. Sirius leaned over and took a flushed nipple in his mouth and, now, Remus couldn't help his groan. A hand reached out and gripped Sirius' jaw, lifting to meet Remus' eyes.

"We can't do this anymore."

"Why the fuck not?" His entire body tensed as if to flee, to run from the hurt those words caused coming from the man beneath him.

"You're to be married, Sirius. It's better we stop this—this, whatever we are, now."

"Whatever we are? Are you kidding me? I've been sharing your bloody bed for two years and you don't know what this is? What I am? Fuck you, Remus. I fucking love you." He turned to leave, but Remus' grip stopped him. The slender brunette placed a chaste kiss on the inside of Sirius' wrist, where a tattoo of a moon joins the Canis Major constellation, with Sirius shining brightly.

"Sometimes, in our world, love isn't enough." Remus let go.

Sirius stared hard at him, blinking rapidly before standing and walking to his own bed. There, he curled up beneath the covers, arm thrown haphazardly over his ear, and pretended to block out the world. After a few minutes of trying, he sat up and growled a privacy charm, failing every bit even after Remus' breathing faded away.

Peter and James were at a loss with how to treat their fellow Marauders. The gross lack of interest was such a leech on everyone that even James backed off tormenting Lily with poorly-versed love poems. One morning, she marched right up to James to ask what was wrong and they stared at her as if she'd lost the plot entirely. Sirius was falling asleep in class more than usual. Remus threw himself into revising for NEWTs and was practically impossible to get away from the library.

When invitations came with Tuesday's morning post, Sirius stood up from the table, left his toast half-eaten on his plate, and exited the Great Hall. Envelopes from the Black family were formally requesting the recipient's presence for a gathering at the Black family home; those from the Avery family were worded to a similar effect, only at the same location. Whispers started flying and Charlene Avery was overwhelmed with gossip mongers wanting to know how she'd managed to ensnare "the infamous Sirius Black" and "what sort of marriage contract was there going to be?" and "did she already have an agreement?" Remus looked like he was going to be ill and his friends could do nothing as he, too, stood and left the hall. James and Peter tucked their invitations into their things for class, noting that Remus' hands had been empty. Together, they frowned and went after Sirius. Remus was likely off to the library again, so it was better to save the friend who would end up in Azkaban rather than the one who might get kicked out of the library for loitering.

Peter was the first to spot him near the Black Lake. Sirius wasn't the first Hogwarts student to taunt the giant squid, and he certainly wouldn't be the last; however, in his current state of mind, it probably wasn't a good idea to be doing it while drinking a bottle of firewhisky and standing precariously on one of the less-stable rock ledges.

"Aye. There you are, mates. Perfect timing! Me and old squid brains here were just having a bit of a chat. He thinks that if I throw myself into his loving arms that I can save everyone the hassle of wiping my own brains off the walls in a few days. I think that's a grand idea. What about you?" Sirius turned to them a bit too quickly and slipped, only regaining his balance with the help of the bottle, using it as leverage against the rock face.

"Sirius, come down, man." There was laughter, but it didn't reach the young Black's eyes. "C'mon. Don't make me come up there and get you."

"You would, wouldn't you, James?" He stopped teetering for just a moment. It's long enough that he knelt to ground himself. "Both of you would. And that's what makes you two of my best mates." He looked down to them. James was stern, ready with his wand in case Sirius stumbled, whereas Peter was simply quiet, unhappy to see the normally joyous marauder brought that low.

"Sirius." James extended a hand. "Please."

Just as Sirius reached out to grab it, he slipped, coming into contact hard with both the stone and the two boys in front of him. They all tumbled to the ground. When they rearranged limbs and wands so that each were with their respective owners, Sirius was looking overwhelmingly emotional. "I need a favor, mate."

"Anything," James responded.

"I need you to make sure that Remus comes to the betrothal party." James was taken aback.

"You need to be sure about this. You know how Walburga is and—"

Sirius cut him off, "I'm sure. He needs to be there, Prongs."

"All right then. You have my word, our word." James looked to Peter, who nodded.

Sirius looked like a sleazy, stuffed peacock in the dress robes Walburga stuffed him in. They were black and green with yellow inlay that popped as he slinked around the room. Rather than casually chat with the guests and plan for his future as his mother had cautioned, or rather, threatened him to do, Sirius most often found himself with one shot of Ogden's in hand and another on its way down the hatch. He laughed inappropriately and he ogled all the women in the room except for his fiancée. He was rude and interrupted his elders. Sirius Black was very much Sirius Black.

"Sirius, do stop imbibing like a fish in the Black Lake. You're bound to end up like poor Cygnus." Sirius huffed, turning to face his uncle Alphard. "Sirius. Put the glass down." A hand met his own and Sirius raised a brow. His uncle was not one for stopping his youthful gestures, so he looked up. "She's coming." Instead of putting it down, he tipped back the glass with haste and set it on a passing tray, barely bobbing on the top of a house elf's head.

"Mother, dear. How can we help you?" She looked him up and down, squinting.

"You can get your disobedient little arse over where you belong." When Sirius continued to stand where he was, she continued, "Next to your fiancée. If I have to charm those legs of yours, they will very closely resemble a giant's!" Words were hissing through her front teeth, saving him the glory of her spittle.

"Yes, mother." She stared him down as he walked toward the front of the room.

When he approached, Charlene smiled, though it was small and reserved. She was tucked between her mother and father, as a good breeding bitch should be. Sirius laughed, and felt a stinging hex hit his thigh. His gait only faltered for one stride and he played it off as if he were turning to look at the crowd. All eyes were on him, except the ones he sought.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." Walburga's bass rang through the room, magnified by a Sonorous Charm. As she made her way through the crowd, Orion stood to the side, watching the show as if he wanted no part in it. "It is with the utmost pleasure that we of Houses Black and Avery welcome you." Here, she paused for a flourish of her hand, using a wandless spell, likely with the help of the house elves, to send a complicated firework into the air, trailing the crests of both houses through the room before they appeared together on the wall. "As some of you have been made aware, tonight is a celebration. We are here to announce the betrothal of the heir to our Noble and most Ancient house." She motioned for Sirius to step forward. This, he complied with. "Sirius Black, our first-born son and heir, is to be wed to Charlene Avery, which will complete by marriage a long-standing alliance previously held by oath and blood."

Sirius and Charlene were shuffled together, their parents, except for Orion, standing behind them. No one in the room dared move until the venerable matriarch released them. However, it was not she that stirred the crowd.

"Thank you, Walburga," Sirius looked straight into her coal-black eyes as she fumed, "for the excellent choice in betrothal arrangements between myself and the… delectable Miss Avery." Here, Sirius paused to lean over Charlene's hand, grasp her fingers tightly, and lick the back of her knuckles. She blushed obscenely, yanking her hand back as he chuckled. "However, what we've regretted to inform our guests is that I have, by means of a prior bond, committed my virtue elsewhere."

Charlene's face was blank. Her father's was not.

"Walburga! What is the meaning of this?"

"Sirius Black, you will cease your defiance this instant!" She was whispering in his ear, but Sirius was already walking toward the guests, who had backed toward the walls after his proclamation.

"I'm afraid it's true, loves. There is someone who has stolen not only my virginity," he smiled like a Cheshire cat at the gasps that followed, "but this person has stolen my heart. Yes, yes I know it's rather not true to form for a Black to have one. Alas; I had one, but now it's gone." He spun around the room, searching carefully. In amongst the crowd, Sirius spotted one of the faces he was looking for. Peter was practically clinging to his mother's robes, so he pursed his lips and kept looking. After he'd nearly given up, he spotted James's lanky build and eager grin. Sirius exhaled, looked down, and counted to three. When he looked up again, he turned to see another set of eyes staring right at him. This was the pair of lovely greens he'd been searching for.

"There you are." The words were whispered, and he shook his head, trying to clear it and pluck up his courage. "Sirius Black needing courage? What a fucking plod." He laughed at himself and stood tall. The figure in the back of the room shrank away even farther.

"What's it to be then?" a voice called from the side.

"Don't you mean who?" Sirius took his outer robe off, casually tossing it to the floor. He could hear the string of profanities coming from behind him.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK! IF YOU DON'T STOP THIS RI—" He tuned her out and kept talking.

"In this very room, you will find the one who has stolen my heart. He—" Sirius ignored the further chattering on about the use of a male pronoun. "made me realize that I don't have to be more than I am. That I can be me and that's enough."

"YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. IF I EVER SEE YOU AGAIN YOU WIL—"

"He helped me to understand that to love is more than to shag." At this, he chuckled, along with about half of the room. "It's about giving so much of yourself that you're empty, but you are receiving part of yourself back in the other person. It's about knowing when to say yes, when to say no, and that sometimes, fuck off means I need you." Sirius was speaking directly to Remus now. Their eyes were locked. Sirius was unbuttoning his shirt. It didn't have to come off, but it was more for effect than anything else.

"DISOWNED! I WILL HEX YOU SO FAR FROM LONDON THAT YOU WILL FIND PARTS OF YOUR SKULL FLOATING ON—"

"Well, I think I've been a mushy plonker long enough, yeah? This mutt's taken!" With that, Sirius dissolved into Padfoot, who happily trotted through the rapidly parting crowd toward Remus. Once there, he knocked over the stunned man and licked him feverishly until Remus started acknowledging his presence.

"—LUPIN! BOTH OF YOU WILL FIND YOURSELVES COLLARED AND CHAINED IN THE FRONT YARD FOR THE HIPPOGRIFFS TO PLAY WITH!"

"Lads," James tried to cut in, nudging Remus' shoulder with a boot. He received no answer. Looking from Walburga's approaching thunder to the boys on the floor, he kicked the downed werewolf. "Lads!" They both turned to him. Padfoot growled a bit. "We need to leave! Now!" James tilted his head toward the oncoming Black. "Do you need me to apparate all of us or do you have him, Moony?" Remus looked at his lap full of Padfoot and wanted to say so much to the shaggy dog, but it would have to wait. "We don't have the time, Moony." James reached down, grabbed both by the scruff of their collars and disapparated them, the whorl of man and beast leaving chaos in their wake.

Arms and legs flailed about in a tangle as when they landed. There was a groan, but no one quite knew who it came from. As the three disentangled themselves, one of Padfoot's claws scraped across James's thigh and the latter yelped. In the small confines of the shack, it was deafening.

"Damn it, Pads!" There was a bit of commotion as the lumbering canine scrambled away and then Sirius was there, half-naked and blinking slowly.

"Sorry Prongs." He genuinely sounded remorseful, but he wasn't looking at James. "Moony, you all right?" By this point, he was hovering over Remus, shaggy hair covering Remus' face. Sirius grinned down when Remus just shook his head. A hand came up and traced the jutting jaw, wrapped around his ear lobe, and gripped his wavy locks, tugging backward.

"You're a right bastard, you know that?" Sirius was pulled off balance entirely, landing atop Remus as the other man placed a chaste kiss, then deepened it, tongue searching as Sirius moaned.

"As happy as I am for you, I think this is my cue to leave." James sounded a bit put out, but laughed as he stood and hobbled out of the room. He threw up a silencing spell as he went. Neither Sirius, nor Remus heard a word.

Instead, Sirius was trying desperately to unclothe them both without breaking contact. Struggling with the zip on Remus' trousers, Sirius palmed his wand and vanished their clothing. Remus growled, but was lost to the frantic slide of hips, arching his back to each grind of cock against his own, and paid no mind to the bruising grip on his thigh as Sirius tried to climb inside him through his mouth. There was nothing but need and burn and want and right now.

There was a slow, painfully slow, wait while Sirius prepared Remus. The gasps and groans from below as Sirius continued to rock against him were almost too much. Remus' grip on his wrist, coupled with panting and a rapid nod, was the signal. Sirius slid in slowly, felt the man beneath him hold his breath and grapple with the floor until he was fully seated. Sirius licked a stripe up the sweat-soaked chest of his lover and returned to pinch one nipple between his teeth, rolling it there until Remus cried out in pain-pleasure. When he felt a squirming, deep grip on his cock, he pulled out and thrust, the guttural warble from Remus his prize.

An uneven roll of his hips, left to right, as he slid home, and tilted just a little upward, found that sweet spot. Remus' stomach clenched and he pulled one knee up, looking straight into Sirius' eyes. Their lips met, a sloppy slide of tongue, breath, and life. Sirius continued until he felt his bollocks tighten. He reached a hand between them to grip Remus, but Remus stopped him.

"Wait."

"What?" Sirius shook his head, a few drops of sweat cascading down to land between them.

"Sirius stop. I need to ask you something."

"Now?"

"Yes. Now."

"Fuck."

"You said that you'd been bonded. You know, prior." Sirius stared down at him, dumbfounded. "What did you mean by that?"

"I meant you, you twat." Remus blushed.

"Do you really want to be bonded to me?"

"Yes, now can we get back to the shagging?"

"Sirius, what kind of bond?" Sirius sighed, feeling himself soften just a little. He shifted and closed his eyes as the sensation ripped through him.

Sirius growled. "Pack bond, mate bond, wizard's bond. Any bond will do, so long as it's you, Moony."

"I think we should do it properly, then."

"Fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

His erection had flagged during the conversation, but he looked between them to see that Remus' cock was still bobbing between them, leaving a trail across his stomach. "I see you don't need any help." Remus smiled. He leaned up and kissed Sirius, gripping the man's arse and pulling him deeper. Sirius breathed harshly as Remus did this, felt a hand comb through his dripping hair and push it behind his ears. When he pulled back, Sirius was gently thrusting again, trying to find a rhythm that suited them both.

It didn't take long. Remus was lifting his hips into each stroke and Sirius was intent on making them both feel every sensation of every push and pull. When the gasps were shorter and their skin was sticking because of the mixture of dried sweat and new, and they were struggling to move tired muscles, but continued anyway because the peak was just around the corner—that's when he did it.

Remus grabbed hold of Sirius and latched onto his collar bone, sinking his teeth deep into the flesh there. Sirius cried out, but it was for more than the pain. There was a crackling of magic whirling around them that was sharp and electrifying, that seemed to settle into his very bones. He spilled himself deep into Remus, feeling his lover clench and do the same. Remus held on, gasping between his teeth and holding that shoulder as Sirius struggled to get away, hold on, shatter, and disappear between the cracks of the floorboards. Just when Sirius felt that he could take no more, Remus withdrew. Sirius hissed a sharp intake of breath. Remus lapped at the wound lazily, letting his lover collapse partially on top of him.

As they lay puddled there in a mass of heaving flesh, Remus whispered in Sirius' ear, "Now, no one can question you." Sirius could not respond. He could do no more than close his eyes to the bursts of light behind his lids. For the first time in his life, Sirius was not the brightest star in his future.