Written for Last Ship Sailing:
Steampunk!AU
Magenta
Word: weakness
Word: smoke
Dialogue: "You don't mean that."
Stardust!AU
Totally ran out of writing time here. I may do a second chapter in the near future if I feel inspired.
Fallen Stars
Amber, I hope I fit Steampunk in well enough! I would suggest watching Stardust if you haven't already seen the film.
Remus stopped for a moment on his way to the door to take a look at himself in the mirror. He sighed at his reflection, half-heartedly reaching up to find some of the messier strands of hair. It was no use as his dark-blond hair just fell where it wanted.
He turned away, hoping that Narcissa wouldn't hate it, as he reached for the bouquet of flowers he had gotten for her and headed outside.
He walked up the street, ignoring the enquiring looks, and didn't stop until he reached the large, intimidating house.
He looked around at the ground, finding a small stone. Remus scooped it up, aimed, and carefully tossed it at the window.
Moments later, three faces appeared. "Lucius?" Narcissa called. "Oh. Remus. What do you want?"
One face glared at him in disgust before disappearing. The other watched with curiosity as Remus smiled nervously up at Narcissa, ignoring her sisters.
"Narcissa," he began, mustering up all his courage. "I—"
As he held up the flowers, a cane swiped through the air, knocking the flowers from his hand. Remus dropped them, turning to face the man holding the cane.
"Lucius!" Narcissa cried happily; a tone she had never used when greeting Remus.
"Narcissa," he replied before turning his attention to Remus. "Lupin." He looked at the flowers on the ground with disdain. "Do you really think that's good enough?"
Remus looked at the beautiful pink and white bouquet of roses in Lucius' hand and suddenly felt more inadequate than he had earlier that day.
Lucius walked past him, headed to the door, and knocked.
Remus could do nothing but return home.
...oOo…
"So… how was last night?" Lyall asked, finding his son sitting quietly at the table, a book in his hand and a cup of tea sat nearby. None of this was out of the ordinary, apart from the chocolate bar that was open.
Due to the prices of chocolate, Remus usually made the bar last, but it appeared that he was already half-way through it.
"It was fine," Remus muttered, looking up from his book tiredly. Lyall nodded, turning away to make himself a cup of tea. His son had never been the best liar, but he wasn't going to call him out on it. Lyall suspected the previous night hadn't gone that well at all, and he wasn't going to make his son relive whatever had upset him.
He knew if Remus wanted to talk, he would.
"You'll be late for work," he merely stated as he set a cup down in front of Remus before pulling a seat out for himself.
"I have another ten minutes," Remus replied, slipping his bookmark into the book and closing it. He pushed the book to the middle of the table and wrapped up the remaining chocolate, before setting that aside. "Dad, why are girls so—difficult?"
Lyall chuckled. "You're asking me?" he murmured, thinking about the first and only girl he had ever loved. A girl that maybe one day would come to the village to find them. "Son, I'm the last person you should ask."
"Well, what does Lucius have that I don't?" Remus frowned. "I mean… he has more money than I do, but how do I show that I have more to offer than wealth?"
"Any smart girl would be able to see that," Lyall replied, calmly sipping his tea whilst he watched his son. Remus sat in silence until his own drink was finished. He pushed his chair back as he stood to leave for work.
...oOo…
"Remus," Narcissa purred, walking into the store and moving to the front of the counter.
Remus missed all of the disapproving looks from the other customers as he turned his full attention to Narcissa.
"Narcissa, what can I do for you?" he eagerly asked.
"I have been asked to collect our order. Unfortunately, our maid is unwell and unable to come here herself. I need potatoes, carrots, chocolate, and a pound of sugar."
"Of course." Remus moved from behind the counter, rushing to get her items. He brought them over to her, carefully placing them into her basket.
"Can I call on you tonight?" he asked shyly, taking advantage of her rare good mood and her willingness to talk to him.
"No. But you can walk me home," she insisted, eyeing the basket with distaste.
Remus didn't need telling twice; he grabbed the heavy basket and walked out from behind the counter.
An action he would soon regret as it would be the end of his job at the shop.
...oOo…
"I'm sorry," Remus whispered, not looking at his father. "I've let you down."
"You've not let me down," Lyall replied fiercely. "You could never let me down, Remus. You're not the first swayed by a pretty girl using her charms to get what she wants."
"But she wants Lucius, I know this, but… still I make a fool of myself? She wouldn't ever choose me, I'm not like Lucius, I—"
"Remus, Lucius Malfoy is nothing special. Men like that are everywhere. Behind the money and the charm, there is nothing. You—you are different, special. I agree you're not like the others, but I'd rather you be yourself than be like them! If she chooses Lucius that's her loss alone. If she chooses him, she's the one not worthy of you."
Remus remained silent. Part of him wanted to argue with his father and say that Narcissa was special, but he supposed his father knew best. Maybe he should try once more?
...oOo…
Remus decided he didn't care that Narcissa had told him not to call on her. Confident that he could successfully woo her, he headed out with the small amount of money he had, purchasing things to impress her. That evening, he threw stones at her window.
"I thought I told you not to call on—"
"I know, but I have something for you," Remus replied softly.
She disappeared from the window, and Remus turned to leave. The sound of a door opening and closing stole his attention.
"My birthday isn't until next week," she said, grasping his arm as they began to walk.
It didn't take long for the pair to walk out of town to where Remus had set up the picnic. He had used the best blanket from the house and bought the best wine. He noted Narcissa's pleased expression at the brand of wine.
"Remus, you must have used all your savings for this."
"Well, you're worth it," he said, pouring the wine into his father's best glasses. He handed Narcissa one.
"And the candles. You must have spent ages doing this."
Remus smiled. He had and was glad that Narcissa had noticed.
"Lucius has used his savings too. He's traveled to Ipswich to buy me a ring."
"A ring… why is he... " Remus trailed off, understanding what Narcissa was saying.
"The word is, he's planning to propose to me on my birthday, and I can't really say no."
Remus suspected that she would have said yes had Lucius only headed to the next town.
"Narcissa, for your hand, I'd travel further than Ipswich," he stated. "I'd go anywhere and get you whatever you wanted, I—"
"People like you and people like me, we're just not… I should be going, it's really late." She began to stand.
"No, please," he murmured. "Let's just finish our champagne?"
Narcissa hesitated and Remus suspected she only sat back down out of pity. He knew this was his only chance, and he had to think of something to keep her.
"Oh look, a shooting star, how beautiful." Remus followed her gaze, an idea coming to mind. "Narcissa, for your hand in marriage, I'd cross the wall and bring you back that star."
"You're just being silly."
"No, I would do it for you!"
"You would?" Her painted lips curved upwards. "You have a week, Remus. If you can bring me the star before Lucius brings me the ring, I'm all yours."
Remus could hear that she was skeptical that he would manage it at all, but this was the chance he had been hoping for. They clinked the glasses together before finishing the wine.
"Let me walk you home, and then I'll set out."
...oOo…
Remus held a steak to the side of his face as his father came downstairs. "Remus, better luck with—what happened to you?"
"I tried to go over the wall," Remus replied, frowning.
"And why would you do that?"
"I would ask you the same," Remus asked. "Father, you tried to go over the wall?"
Lyall sighed. "I didn't just try," he said. "I succeeded. Remus, what is over there for you?"
"The only way to receive Narcissa's hand," Remus replied. "I can't not try."
Lyall stared at his son for a long moment. "I always said that one day I'd tell you where you came from: well, today I think you need to know. Come with me."
Lyall led the way to the attic where he uncovered an old basket hidden behind everything. "This… this is how you arrived here. Remus, I went over the wall once and met a beautiful woman. You know the phrase love at first sight? Well, that was when I spotted your mother. A beautiful slave-girl who I immediately fell in love with. I'm sure you can work out what happened after I attempted to free her, but those magical chains…" He hesitated. "There's never been anyone else for me. I planned to return one day, but nine months later, a basket was left at the wall. You were in that basket, as was this."
He handed over a small package with Remus' name written on the front.
"I did return, once," Lyall admitted. "But, I didn't know where to find her or even know her name. I asked around from what I knew about her, but no-one could tell me anything. I returned home. I had a son to look after. I was scared for you: after all, someone had imprisoned your mother, so maybe they would come for you. All these years, I've wanted to—"
"I'll find her," Remus interrupted, hearing the guilt in his father's voice. He could understand why Lyall didn't keep looking, having raised Remus with only his elderly mother around to help. "I'll find her and I'll bring her to you."
"What if you get taken too?" Lyall whispered. "It's why I never told you before. I always said to myself I'd tell you the truth when you turned sixteen, but that was two years ago. What if you go and you don't come back?"
Remus pulled the string on the gift, unrolling it to find a letter.
'My Dearest Remus,
I'm so sorry. Had my master allowed it, I would have kept you. It kills me to give you away, but I have no choice.
I hope one day that we'll be reunited. I love you with all my heart. The candlelight with light your way to me!
Your Mother.'
"Dad, why don't you come with me?" Remus suggested, looking up from the letter. "Take a few days off work and we'll find her together. I'm also going to look for the fallen star; we can find both and return here. We can both be happy. You with my mother, and me with Narcissa."
"Remus, please don't get your hopes up. It's been eighteen years now. We don't even know—"
"We'll never know if we don't try to find her," Remus insisted. Lyall stared at his son for a long moment.
"You're right. I've done nothing for long enough. I said it was love at first sight, and that's what it was and I hope she's still thinking of me too. We'll find her somehow, even if it's to put our minds at rest."
...oOo…
The two men headed a short distance away, climbing quietly over the wall where the guard wasn't able to see them. They headed through the thick trees, making their way onto the path once they were out of sight of the wall.
They walked in silence before freezing at the sight of the town. The bright colours and lights captivated them both. Remus, who had never seen a town so busy and lit up before, and Lyall, because he had long felt that he had been dreaming about what the town had looked like.
Together, both men walked into the the town, Remus' eyes moving quickly as he took in the many stalls. Characters in strange headwear and clothing stood around selling unusual items and trinkets. Unusual creatures padded around cages.
He glanced at his father, but Lyall wasn't looking at the various stalls, more the stall keepers. Remus turned his own attention to them, but he had no idea what his mother looked like.
Lyall sighed. "She's not here. I didn't expect it'd be this easy, but—"
"Maybe we should try again tomorrow?" Remus suggested. "They may have different traders in the morning? You can tell me what to look for so I can help you to find her."
Lyall nodded. "We'll get a bright and early start," he said. "If we stay in a nearby inn for the night, we could search for your mother tomorrow. If she's not here at the market, we can travel to find your fallen star and ask around on the way."
Remus nodded as his father took one last glance around before turning to the nearby inn.
...oOo…
"You look like her," Lyall said, from the twin bed he was sitting on. "Your eyes, your hair, the same as your mother. The woman that owned her—a witch, your mother said—was short and… she mentioned a pub. Maybe we could try there. The caravan they were in was bright yellow, and your mother was in a blue dress. She had the silver chain around her ankle."
Lyall handed the chain over to Remus, who examined it carefully. "This is it?"
"I tried to cut it, remember? I kept this as a reminder of why she wasn't with me, and why I'd have to return one day to find her."
Remus eagerly drank the information as he clutched the chain. "And you kept the flower she sold you?"
Lyall nodded. "It's always with me," he admitted.
With the chain wrapped around his hand, Remus reached for the candle his mother had sent. "It's getting a bit dark in here," he said, standing up. He headed to a tiny candle. "When we get my mother, and the fallen star—"
The second the candle touched the flame, Remus disappeared in a flash, leaving a bewildered Lyall sitting alone in the room.
...oOo…
"I'm so sorry," Remus said, scrambling off the annoyed looking man and glancing around. "What… what's happened?"
The man's eyes traveled to the candle. "You used a Babylon candle to get here. Were you looking for me?" His eyes narrowed.
Remus shrugged. "I… I was with my father and lit this to light the room better. My mother sent it, and I was talking about my mother…" He glanced around again. "And the fallen star. Have… have you seen a star? I don't think my mother is here so this could be where the star fell?"
The man snorted, standing up and wincing at the ache of his leg where he fell. "When you lit the candle, it took you to who you were thinking of. Clearly you weren't looking for me, just a fallen star. What did you think a star looked like?"
"You? Why would I… are you the star?" Remus asked.
"Regulus," the star said. "And you?"
"Oh, I'm Remus." Remus fiddled with the chain for a moment. "Look, I'm going to be straight with you. I need to bring you to my true-love in order to get her to marry me."
"Oh yes, that's why I came here," came the sarcastic reply. "Not because I had my own mission at all. Just to appease your love. Why does she need me in order to marry you?"
"Well, I need to prove my love for her before Lucius gets her the ring, and—"
The man chuckled, causing Remus to quickly stop talking.
"You want to prove you love someone before someone else does? I'm sorry, but is she bringing you a star too, Remus? How is she proving herself?"
"I hardly think she needs—"
"Needs to what? Prove herself? You're clearly not her true love, even if she's yours. After all, it's a race to win her heart. You shouldn't have to win it. If she's your true love, she should accept you for who you are, not what you can rush to find for her."
"I won't expect you to understand. You're from up there," Remus muttered.
"I am," Regulus agreed. He reached up, swiping black hair from his eyes. "I'll make you a deal. If you help me on my mission, I'll go with you."
Remus considered the chain for a second time but decided against it. He wasn't going to force the man/star to help him, "Deal. What is your mission?"
"My mission is to find someone and pass on an important warning. Once I've done that, I want to go back home. I suppose the going back home could be after I stick to my end. Do we have a deal?"
"We do," Remus said, reaching his hand out.
They shook hands. "Now, where do we need to go?"
"We need to light the candle to find someone," Regulus stated. "Come, let's find a town, unless you have a way to light it?"
Remus shook his head. "Unless I rub some sticks together, I don't think I have a way," he admitted.
"One more thing. No-one must know who I am." With that, Regulus began to walk, with Remus falling into step next to him.
...oOo…
The pair stood in the doorway to an inn, looking at the sleeping innkeeper. "I think we could just light this and go," Remus muttered. "But you need to tell me where we're going. If I accidently think something else, then we'll end up in the wrong place."
Regulus hesitated for a long moment. "My brother, Sirius," he finally murmured. "He's down here somewhere. Maybe still alive, but not for long if I don't get to him quickly."
Remus nodded. "Sirius, the fallen star," he murmured. He wrapped an arm around Regulus as Regulus grabbed the candle.
"Sirius, the fallen star." The disappeared with a flash.
...oOo…
The pair landed in a heap with men standing all around them.
"Well, well," a man with glasses began, his sword pointed at the pair. "What do we have here?"
Regulus didn't answer, and Remus suspected that he had been knocked out by the fall. He tried to steady his gaze as he clutched the candle.
"You were looking for us? Why?" the man with glasses demanded, his eyes narrowing. "Captain, what should I do with them?"
"Throw them in the brig," came an uninterested voice, and Remus could hear the sound of boots hitting the wooden planks as the man moved away. "I'll question them later."
"Yes, Captain." Remus felt himself being hauled up, but his head and body were aching and he didn't have the strength to fight. The two trips with the candle had overwhelmed him, and he felt himself losing consciousness.
...oOo…
"So, you think you can board the Marauder without permission?" came a voice in the dark room. Remus squinted, searching for the speaker. "Do you know what I do the stowaways?"
"Well, we're not technically stowaways," Remus replied. "My associate was looking for someone."
"And you just happened upon my ship. None of my crew recognise you, so you've come to the wrong place."
"I think we're in the right place," came a soft voice behind Remus. "Hello, brother."
There was a long silence and Remus strained to hear anything, even the man who had tied them up, breathing.
"Reggie?" Footsteps moved across the floor, rushing past Remus and the man grabbed Regulus' chin. "It's you! But… how? Why? What's going on?" Remus felt the ropes open from around his arms. "Sorry about tying you up, can't be too careful."
Remus pulled his arms in front of him, rubbing at his wrists. "Is being good at knots a pirate thing?"
Sirius merely chuckled. "You'll be surprised to know that there are many more enjoyable ways to use ropes and knots…" he murmured close to Remus' ear. "I could show you, if you'd…"
"He's got a true-love," Regulus stated, standing up. "Is there somewhere we can go and talk?"
"Alone? Or…"
"I believe Remus is trustworthy," Regulus stated. "He brought me here after all. He agreed to a deal, though he had a magical chain to bind us, which he didn't use."
"You saw that?"
"You arrived with it on your hand," Regulus stated. "Yet you chose not to use it."
"Well, if I did, I'd be as bad as the woman who has my mother as her slave," Remus replied. "My father kept that chain as a reminder of her, and I wanted to keep it the same way. I couldn't force you to go with me. After all, I shouldn't assume that my quest was more important than yours."
"Come to my cabin," Sirius said, leading the way from the room. He walked onto the deck ahead of the others.
"My younger brother," Sirius announced. "And his friend, Remus." He glanced back for confirmation and Remus began to nod his head. He froze when he first glimpsed Sirius' eyes, and it dulled everything he had previously thought about Narcissa.
He was aware that the crew were cheering, but he could only stare as Sirius turned back around. Regulus pulled him along as he followed into the cabin. "What just happened?"
So engrossed in Sirius, Remus failed to realise that he was on a boat that was flying through the air.
...oOo…
The three took seats around the table, and Sirius began to pour them all tea. "So, why are you here?" Sirius asked.
"There are a lot of stars down here, walking amongst mortals," Regulus stated. "But there is a witch. She's hunting them one by one and killing them. She's storing their hearts to keep her immortal forever."
Sirius paled at the idea. "Falling puts you at risk," he replied. "It means that your presence would draw her attention."
"We came here by candlelight. She can't follow the trail," Regulus confirmed. "I just needed to let you know, to keep you safe."
Sirius smiled warmly at Regulus. "You're still wearing the silver monstrosity?"
"My gown?" Regulus replied. "What of it?"
Sirius chuckled. "You'll draw attention to yourself," he stated. "Here, find something else to wear." He stood up, twisting a candle-stick attached to the wall, causing the wall to open.
"Whatever you need." He glanced at Remus. "And if you want to pick something, be my guest."
Remus shook his head. "That's alright," he said.
Sirius nodded, looking him over. "Yes, I agree with you. You can be naked whilst we clean your clothes."
Remus' mouth opened and closed a few times as he processed the words.
"I'm sorry… what?"
"Your clothes are filthy. We can get them cleaned, but if you don't want to wear anything here, you should just be nude. In fact, I recommend it. Though only in here because I don't want anyone else to see you like that."
Remus shivered slightly at the possessive tone. As he glanced at the Pirate Captain, he saw a look he had never seen before. A look he could only dream of Narcissa having. Something in that look told Remus that Sirius wasn't going to let him leave so easily.
"We'll need to get back to the wall," Remus stated. "I need to bring Regulus with me, then I must return here to save my mother."
Sirius considered the words. "You can't do that. Stars can't pass the wall; they'll turn into dust. If you want her to see Regulus, she must be brought to the wall too."
Remus nodded his head. His goal had been to bring Regulus to Narcissa, but more than that, he also wanted Sirius to keep looking at him like that.
...oOo…
Remus put on the protective clothing that Sirius had supplied for him and pulled the goggles over his eyes. He had once been afraid of thunder and lightning, but there was something about Sirius' excitement that had him eager to start.
Remus watched a flash of lightning hit one of the large metal wings, his eyes widening. "Is this safe?"
"I'll make sure you're safe," Sirius promised, gripping the lightning conductor with Remus, seconds before the lightning that hit the wings shot up through the container. The pair pushed the lightning in together, closing the lid to trap the lightning.
Remus hugged Sirius in excitement.
Neither of them let go for a long moment. It wasn't until the first mate called their names.
After the lightning had finished, Remus found himself on deck, examining the boat. He was still in awe over being in the air, and he couldn't wait to tell the story of how he collected lightning, a feat he never thought possible before. He glanced up at the balloon holding the ship up before looking at the metal wings that had given them the lightning.
"What is the lightning for?" Remus asked as he heard footsteps. "Why lightning?"
"Why not?" Sirius replied, taking a pull of his cigarette, before blowing out the smoke. "I like being up in the air, in the clouds, and lightning is beautiful and powerful. It has so many uses in the world here, and we collect it and sell it on. We're Lightning pirates."
"We don't have those back home," Remus admitted softly. "Life really is exciting out here."
"And… are you after an exciting life? Or are you looking to settle on your side of the wall. There's a space on this ship should you want the adventure."
Though he didn't finish the sentence, Remus could hear the words. 'If you want me.'
He couldn't bring himself to reply, he had some thinking to do. After all, he had wanted Narcissa for so long, could he just let that go and be with Sirius?
But he had never felt this way before for anyone. Deep down he knew what he wanted to do.
The pair stood in silence together until Sirius had finished the cigarette. "Goodnight Remus," he murmured, leaning over and pressing a kiss on Remus' cheek. "Just know, if you were to choose me, I'd want you just the way you are. I wouldn't need a gift or proof of how you feel, just you being here would be everything." He hesitated for a moment. "If you need proof, I'll give you whatever token you wish, if you were to be mine."
With those words, he headed inside, and Remus knew what he wanted. Sirius was willing to do anything for him to stay.
He would find Sirius in the morning and tell him that he was staying.
...oOo...
"Sirius, will I be able to—" Remus froze in the doorway, staring at Sirius in shock. Sirius clutched the magenta dress against his body, his eyes wide at the sight of Remus.
"What are you doing here?" he squeaked.
"Just came to…"
"You can't tell anyone, do you… do you understand?" Remus hated the way Sirius' voice shook, and he turned to lock the door, slowly approaching Sirius.
"Captain, what you do in your time is your own business. It was unexpected, yes, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do this. Can I… can I see you in that dress?"
"You don't mean that."
"I do," Remus whispered softly. Sirius swallowed, his eyes locked on Remus as he slowly pulled the dress on. Remus could see the fear in his eyes as Sirius waited for Remus to mock him or bolt from the room.
"You look stunning," Remus murmured truthfully, unable to stop himself moving closer, reaching for the fastenings. He slowly began to pull at the ties on the back of the dress, watching Sirius through the reflection in the mirror. He could feel Sirius shaking slightly.
The first look at Sirius had given feelings he had never had for Narcissa, and they had grown over the past two days. He had realised quickly that it was merely an infatuation with Narcissa, just an admiration of her beauty. But it was nothing compared to the crushing need to throw himself into Sirius' arms.
"Really?" Sirius whispered, turning around as the ties were finished. "I… I've never let anyone see me like this before. I would never let anyone see my weakness."
Remus stared at Sirius for a long time, trying to understand just how Sirius saw himself. Remus couldn't see something like this as a weakness. He wanted to show Sirius that it wasn't.
"And I feel privileged that you would allow me to see you," Remus replied. He took another step forward. "You're beautiful like this. I mean… you're always beautiful, but—"
"Because I'm in a dress?" Sirius asked, tilting his head slightly.
Remus shook his own. "Because the walls are down, and I'm seeing Sirius instead of Captain Black."
"You can see as much of me as you'd like." Although the wording could sound dirty, especially from Sirius' mouth, Remus knew he hadn't meant it that way.
Remus knew it was an invitation for Remus to stay instead of choosing Narcissa, and as he looked into Sirius' grey eyes, he found that he had no desire to return home.
"I'll stay," he whispered, tilting his head and allowing their lips to meet. He felt himself being pushed into the nearby chair and Sirius quickly climbed onto his lap. "I'm all yours," Sirius murmured. "Are you really staying?"
Remus smiled. "My father crossed the wall and met my mother," he began. "He said that they looked at each other, and it was love at first sight. When I first looked at you… Narcissa paled in comparison to you. Everything about you, Sirius. I thought I had to keep a promise to someone else, but I couldn't bring myself to leave you. I have no desire to be anywhere that isn't in your arms."
Sirius' lips eagerly met Remus' once more.
"I have one mission left. To find my mother and reunite my parents. I have to tell them that I'm not returning home, that I'm staying here."
Sirius grinned. "With me?"
"With you," Remus confirmed, feeling fingers pulling at his shirt, untucking it. The hands moved across his body and Remus couldn't bring himself to stop Sirius. He was happy to give in, to give Sirius everything. To stay with Sirius.
"Maybe this would be better on the bed?"
"Our bed," Sirius corrected him.
Remus grinned. "Our bed!"
Thanks to Shannon, Firefly and the Wanderers for the help.
Review please :)