Written for: Dina. Prompts - WolfStar Soulmate!AU
Great AU Competition - Soulmate!AU - Impulse, "You have got to be kidding me.", Flowers
Royal Pains
Dedicated to Dina :)
Remus carefully wiped the blood from his favourite daggers, using the edge of the bed sheets. He hated getting blood onto his things and having to clean dried blood away. He liked it all to be clean and spotless.
Once the daggers were clean, Remus looked at the body on the floor by the fireplace and sighed. He silently cursed Dursley for breaking pattern that night. Remus had been watching and every night at midnight, Dursley would order one more drink before going home. Remus had made sure to be in the tavern and he had brought the drink over, slipping a potion inside of it.
It was a sleeping draught that he had perfected. Charlus himself had taught Remus how to mix potions and Remus knew he didn't make a mistake. The only way Dursley could have been awake is if he didn't drink his last drink of the night. But that was breaking the pattern he had established.
Remus had been concerned when he had brought the drink over and spotted Petunia Dursley sitting quietly next to her husband as he showed her off to his loud friends. She had smiled politely, looking like she wished she was anywhere else but by his side.
After a deep breath, Remus grabbed Dursley and heaved him back up to the chair. He hated leaving the bodies just laying around on the floor. It brought back bad memories. That's why he usually killed them in the middle of the night. They were usually in bed at the time and didn't even know what was happening.
Once the man was on his chair once more, Remus glanced into the bedroom, noticing that Vernon's wife was sleeping quite heavily. He suspected that she had possibly drunk his drink. Perhaps there had been a mix-up at the table? Taking advantage of this, Remus crept into the room and slipped the rings from her finger.
Women were sentimental over things like rings, he'd learned. If she kept the ring, she would have taken a long time to move on, even if she didn't want to be with him. That's how the soulmate thing worked. You still had to work to fall in love and you still mourned them even if you barely knew them.
He looked around the room some more and took a few things of Vernon's that would make him some gold. He found a book of magic hidden between the bed and the wall and stared at it for a long time. He knew from what James had told him, that Dursley hated magic with a passion. James had told him that Petunia had shared her husband's hatred for it, but the book proved otherwise. Feeling sorry for the woman who clearly desired to learn magic, Remus opened his small bag and reached inside. He pulled out a staff that wasn't too valuable and set it on the bedside table, along with the book. The staff was perfect for beginners.
He hoped Lily would be happy with the job. He hadn't met the girl yet, but James had been quite shifty in regards to her. He implied that Remus would meet her, which was new. It wasn't common for the assassins to meet a client - not one who was coming to visit them. Remus knew there was a story and he'd get it out of James.
Lily had wanted her sister back. She didn't want her big sister married to the pig of a man who treated her like she was only there to make him look better and nothing more. She knew her sister was unhappy though Petunia would never admit it as she had been romanticizing the whole 'having a soulmate' thing all of her life. The only way to free Petunia from a life of misery was to get rid of Vernon Dursley.
As Remus slipped out of the house and into the shadows, watching the guards pass unknowing to what had just happened, he thought back to James' odd behaviour. James had only been in charge of the assassins for half of a year. Ever since he started getting the visions. Charlus had been so proud and had retired from the lifestyle, finally able to pass leadership to the two boys he raised. James' visions allowed him to see anyone perform the ritual, but they also allowed him to see things that affected his life.
Six months in and James had taken the contract of a girl who had almost nothing to offer. Remus was nosy and needed to know what caused James to accept so easily. He himself had met James the same way. When he had called for the assassins minutes before he passed out, his body shutting down, and Charlus and James had arrived and healed him and given him a home. All Remus had to offer were the few belongings he owned. Two gold coins he had received from running errands all day in town, a few bits of charcoal that had been discarded by their previous owner for being too short (though they were enough for Remus) some books Remus had found and two precious items: his mother's ring and his father's cup. Both pretty much worthless to others, but to Remus, they were priceless.
Charlus had taken the contract for the worthless junk and had given it all back to Remus a few years later after Remus had learnt the trade and been sent to kill the man he had contacted the assassins to kill years before. His first contract, his first kill and his first reward.
Greyback had brought it all on himself for taking away Remus' family.
The guards moved into the distance and Remus slipped through the shadows again and quickly made his way out of the town. No-one who was awake at that time of morning even noticed him.
...oOo...
James was awake and relaxing in front of the fire with a drink when Remus came in.
"I expected you a couple of hours ago," he said in way of greeting.
Remus grinned. "Don't tell me you were worried."
"Merely concerned," James replied, "Any troubles?"
"A family of trolls were in my path. The smallest was clearly very young. I didn't want to kill a family. I waited until they had left."
James smiled at his friend. "That doesn't surprise me. So… how did it go?"
"He wasn't asleep when I arrived. The potion didn't affect him. I suspect his wife may have taken his drink instead as she was sleeping so heavily when I was there. But the contract is fulfilled."
"Good," James murmured. He sighed. "You have questions?"
"What does this girl mean to you?" Remus asked, taking a seat facing James. "She means a lot. Don't give me the answer you gave to the rest of them. We grew up together, James. We sat in front of this fire almost every night with Mum and Dad. Sometimes we still do. I know when you're hiding something."
James slowly nodded. "I wanted it to be a secret for now," he replied. "You know my visions?"
Remus nodded his head. He knew James had been getting the visions, allowing him to take over his father's group of assassins. The visions showed him when someone did the ritual to contact them. "Well, it's not just the rituals I can see. Father never really explained what they are like, but when I focused properly and thought about my soulmate, I could almost see her. They've been getting clearer the more I get used to things, but imagine my surprise when I looked for her again and the vision showed me that she was collecting the very things to summon the assassins." James smiled goofily. "It's fate. She was summoning us and I could never take anything from her. She's my soulmate."
Remus nodded and smiled at James, glad James found someone. Remus didn't like to think of soulmates because anyone who ended up with him was clearly cursed to be miserable and Remus didn't want someone who would be disappointed in who they were stuck with.
That or disgusted that he was an assassin.
"That's why I went to meet her myself," James continued. "Usually, I'd send someone else, but I needed to meet with her. When I reached for her hand, she realised who I was to her. I wasn't just the assassin who would arrange for her brother-in-law to disappear… no. I'm also her soulmate. The man who wants to make her happy. She'll be here soon with her parents. They aren't aware of the circumstances in which we met of course."
"How far does she need to travel?"
"She's only in the next town. She'll be travelling in two weeks. She—"
The fire flickered and the smile slipped from James' face. He froze, staring at nothing as his eyes glazed over. Remus waited patiently. He had freaked out the first time it had happened, but had gotten used to it. "The Queen of Slytherin," he whispered.
After a few minutes, James' focus returned. "We have a new job: a big job," James said. "The queen doesn't want us to go there to meet with her. She wants us to go there in time for her son's eighteenth birthday and kill him. She's worried about what will happen when he takes the throne."
"How is she paying?"
"The biggest payment ever. Do you think we can take this on, Remus? Maybe we should call my dad."
Remus chuckled. "We're contracted to kill the cruel and twisted son of a terrible queen. He's going to be just like her, I'm sure. After all, what mother would kill her own child otherwise?"
"To stop him taking the crown? But she explained in the ritual that her other son would be a good ruler… so it's just the eldest that's the problem."
"We leave tomorrow," Remus said, after a moment's thought. "The two of us?"
"It's a castle and though we're good, we don't want to risk it. Let's bring Frank and Pete. Get Pete to go on tonight to scout the place out."
"I'll go and get him now before bed," Remus replied, standing up. "Plan?"
"You get us past the guards. I'll make the kill. Frank is back-up for casualties. Pete stakes out the place beforehand."
Remus nodded his head. "Goodnight, James. Go get some sleep."
...oOo...
James went to his father, but Charlus was confident in his son's abilities. The team they had put together worked for the big job.
Peter, with his shapeshifting powers, wasn't good at the assassination part, but was an excellent lookout and scout. Remus knew it was his job to follow Peter's plan to get through the castle and to the rooms. He was to take out all of the guards before they could raise any alarms. Frank was there in case, since it was a castle full of guards and someone might get missed/stumble upon them and there may be injuries, and James was there to do the killing as requested by the queen.
Remus smiled at the idea. James' favourite ruse was buddying up to the target in a tavern. He was the master of deception, quickly befriending the target and slipping poison into their drinks, or killing them as they staggered home. James had no qualms about leaving the body where it fell.
James wasn't the type to take someone out when they were sleeping, but this was a big contract and Remus had fought with James before when they had practiced. He knew there was no-one as deadly as James Potter. He had no doubts for the success of the hit.
...oOo...
Remus woke a little earlier than expected. He didn't plan on killing any of the guards and set about mixing a sleeping potion that was quick acting. He wanted to drug them with a cloth soaked in the potion. He set about gathering flowers that he was low on, mostly lavender. The rest of the afternoon was spent mixing up the potion. He stored it carefully in his potions bag and went to round the others up.
Peter had left when Remus had woken him up. Remus, James and Frank left once darkness began to settle, setting up the carriage they sometimes used and heading out of town and making the journey to Slytherin.
Thankfully they weren't that far and the city came into view by midday the following day. They stopped at an inn for the day and waited for Peter.
It was an hour before nightfall when Peter showed his face at the tavern.
"The quickest route to the prince's chambers is through the west-side door. There are seven guards patrolling between that room and the prince's room. Go in, immediately turn right and walk until you reach the large staircase. Go up one floor and then turn left. He's on a wing by himself so there's no concern for noise, but there are two guards patrolling near his room. They seem to be quite lazy, sleeping on the job and so on."
James nodded. "The queen probably assigned the worst guards to make it easy for us," he decided. "He's seventeen until midnight so we can't harm him until after that time."
"Don't want to go against the precious code," Remus said with a slight laugh.
"The code works. Don't harm a fellow assassin. Do not harm their families or their soulmates. Soulmates families are also protected. Do not steal from each other. Do not harm those who deserve more than anything to live. Do not harm children."
"Seventeen is hardly a child," Frank disagreed.
"And there is nothing wrong with waiting until after midnight," James argued. "We don't know what time he falls asleep or any of his personal habits. We only have one route into the castle. We do this in the early hours when the guards are at their most tired and the prince is asleep."
...oOo...
There was something strange, Remus realised, as they moved closer to the castle that night. Remus couldn't put his finger on what was causing it, but there was a feeling of anticipation building inside of him. A faint tingle under his skin. He knew to trust his instincts, but his instincts usually gave him a clue what was about to happen.
The anticipation and tingling were new and threw Remus. He didn't want to talk to James about it yet. He would talk to James after their mission when they weren't trying to focus on something so big.
There were a few people in the street and the group separated. Remus slipped into the shadows, and James and Frank looked every bit the part of two men looking for a few drinks in the tavern.
Two men weren't as noticeable as three at this time of night. People were coming and going from the tavern and the four found it easier to blend in as they made their way through the town. It was less than half an hour before they found themselves by the wall of the castle.
"Remus?"
Remus stepped forward to the almost invisible door that Peter had advised them to. It would lead them into the courtyard and to the west wall where the nearest entrance to the prince's quarters was. It didn't take long for him to pick the lock and for the trio to slip through the door, shutting it carefully behind them. It was their way out after all.
Frank quickly cast a spell and nodded to the others. "Empty over this side," he said.
The three moved quietly through the shadows against the walls until they reached a door. Remus set about unlocking it though it offered a little more resistance than the previous one. A lockpick snapped and Remus slipped it into his bag and reached for another lockpick from his collection and set about opening the door. With the second try, things were more successful and the door opened silently.
Wasting no time, they slipped in and closed the door behind them, and found themselves in a dark hallway. James and Frank dropped back into the shadows and Remus wrapped his fingers around the potion in his pocket.
Remus slipped in first whilst James followed a distance behind. James knew that he'd encounter no guards. Remus was scarily good at what he did. James was almost jealous of Remus' talents, though he had his own.
He passed guard after guard, slumped over on the floor. It was easy to follow the trail and the directions he had been given to the required bedroom. Frank had checked the room out to ensure where Remus needed to go.
..,oOo...
Remus slipped up the hallway without making a sound. The guards weren't expecting him and he was able to pick up their lack of focus quickly, making his way behind them and pressing his potion-soaked cloth against their mouth. The potion caused paralysis which lasted only a few seconds. That was all Remus needed, as, once they were down, he poured a couple of drops of sleeping drought into their mouth. It was strong and had them asleep in seconds. It wasn't the hardest job Remus had faced and Remus wondered if the Queen had planned it this way and put the worst guards on patrol.
He led the way quickly to the bedchambers of the soon to be King and waited in the shadows for James and Frank to join him.
Once the pair arrived, Remus slipped his lockpick out and into the door. He was surprised to find the future King didn't trust his household much, having an master lock on his door, but he couldn't say he blamed the man. After all, they were there to take the man's life. He had every reason to be suspicious of everyone.
It took a minute longer than usual, but the lock clicked open and Remus softly pushed the door open and slipped into the room. His eyes fell on the lump in the bed. There was no movement and he reached back, the faintest of taps on the door. Not loud enough for anyone else but James to hear.
James slipped into the room behind him and Remus melted back into the shadows, his attention fixed on the bed. Frank stood guard outside of the room, making sure no guards appeared.
There was no light in the room, other than what was shining through the window from the moon. Remus' gaze drifted to the moon, a hard reminder of his parent's death. He remembered sobbing over their bodies in the harsh light of the moon.
The feeling of anticipation had built up throughout the evening and the buzzing sensation under his skin left him feeling on edge. He was more determined than ever to find out what was wrong with him. A couple of hours and they'd be back in the tavern or on their way back to James' place and he could talk to James about it, but right now he had to focus.
James moved slowly to the bed, withdrawing his trident-like-sword as he did so. He stopped next to the bed and lifted the sword, before freezing.
"It's empty?" he whispered.
Remus felt the cold blade against his throat before even realising someone snuck up on him. He couldn't blame the moon because no matter what, no one had been able to sneak up on him since he had completed his training at thirteen. This was a first.
"You know," came a rough voice from behind him, "I knew she'd send someone and I suspected it would be tonight." The voice was hard, cold, though well spoken. He sounded every bit the cruel and terrible king they expected him to become. "I expected more. You've left me sorely disappointed, assassins."
Remus didn't move with the knife against his neck. If the man killed him, James would go into a fury that Remus had only ever seen once. Remus was a bargaining chip and they all knew it.
"We expected less," Remus said, as James lowered his sword slightly, assessing the situation. Remus could just about make out the stillness of his friend who was trying to use his power to get a proper look into the dark to see the pair of them. "Are you going to keep that dagger at my throat whilst we work this out?"
"It's the only thing keeping me alive," the Prince informed them.
A long silence followed and Remus knew the Prince was also assessing the situation. He moved slightly, making it seem like he was shifting his weight slightly, but was really assessing everything about the man behind him. From what he could tell, the man was slightly shorter than him. The hold was firm and Remus couldn't feel a way out.
The prince's grip tightened and the blade pressed harder against his skin. "I'm not a fool, assassin. Your word that you won't harm me, and then you can move all you like." He felt it dig in slightly as a threat and the prince's hand brushed against his skin.
There was a rush of feeling which left Remus breathless. He had no doubts what the sensation was and felt like he was going to drop to the floor. Many emotions ran through him leaving him confused and off balance. The man was his soulmate. The man needed to be protected. His soulmate had touched his skin. The buzzing and anticipation had been because he was moving towards his soulmate - as he got closer, the more his body realized and reached out for the connection.
The knife moved away from Remus' throat and the Prince stumbled as he tried to stay upright. "What was that?" he gasped.
Before Remus could reply and explain that they had finally found each other, he saw James take the moment of distraction to his advantage and move forward quickly with his sword. He couldn't find his voice and stumbled between James and Sirius, his only thought to protect his soulmate. He knew it was the only thing that could stop James.
He had intended to get in between quick enough to make James pause, though he knew it was a risk getting in front of James whilst James had a weapon. There was no-one more deadly than James Potter, even if he just looked like that friendly bloke in the tavern that's everyone's friend. But the sensations running through him and the confusion he was feeling dulled his moments and the extra second it took to move in the way made all the difference.
Remus knew he was too late when he saw the look of horror on James' face. James never looked horrified. Ruffled, yes. Horrified- never. That was when he felt the pain.
"He's my soulmate," Remus gasped out.
As he fought the pain, he heard the Prince shout.
"You just stabbed my soulmate. I'm going to kill you!"
I didn't know. I'm sorry," James said. As the pain overtook him, he felt himself being led to the bed. He knew that James must have tried to stop, because if James hadn't, that attack would have been fatal.
"Go to the hall and get Frank," James ordered, turning to Sirius.
"No, he's my soulmate. I'm not leaving his side." Remus felt the weak pressure of magic attempting to heal the wound. "I don't know who Frank is and he may kill me before I tell him anything, or he may hide. You get him."
Remus opened his eyes and looked up at the prince who was staring down at him in concern. His voice softened considerably. "I'm sorry, I've been learning in secret. I've… I've not got the skills to heal you." The prince's voice shook as another small surge of magic pressed lovingly against his skin. Remus could feel that the man was trying hard to help. He could feel how careful and gentle the magic was trying to treat him. Where Frank's was soothing too, it didn't hold the loving sensation that Sirius' did and Remus could live with that magical touch forever.
Well, if he lived at all.
"I'm not leaving. I don't trust you," James snapped, hesitating on what to do.
"James, I trust him," Remus whispered. "Get Frank."
James nodded his head and moved silently from the room and Remus felt a hand take his. "Look… I don't even know your name, but you aren't allowed to die. I've been waiting to find you for so long. I've thought about that moment constantly. All I've wanted is someone who'll love me like I've seen in the kingdom so many times. Please don't die. I need you."
Remus smiled as he felt the weak push of magic against his skin in another attempt to heal him. He knew that magic that unpracticed would heal something tiny. A small cut. A headache. Even a mild poison.
Not a life threatening wound.
"I need you too," he whispered, trying to keep his voice steady through the pain. The hand moved to his own hand and he felt the familiar pulse of Frank's magic. He found he missed the sensation of Sirius' and knew that if he survived, then he'd help the prince learn magic just so he could feel it against his skin.
"James, no matter what happens, you look after him and keep him safe. You owe me that."
"Don't talk like you're going to die." He felt James grab his other hand and pressing his lips against it. The prince growled low in his throat at the gesture, and James let go quickly. If Remus wasn't in so much pain, he'd have laughed at the possessive streak his soulmate already had. It was cute, really. Remus had always pictured himself being the possessive one. Though if someone kissed his soulmate's hand, he'd have the same reaction, he knew.
"What potions do you have?" James suddenly asked, shifting away from Remus slightly so Sirius could take both of Remus' hands in his.
Remus' eyes shot open. He hadn't even considered his potions, his thoughts too caught up in his soulmate and his concerns that dying would leave Sirius all alone. "The shimmering one. It's… silver. It'll help a bit. Maybe with the magic…" he hesitated, not wanting to get anyone's hopes up. The silver potion was for large wounds. Not life-threatening, but still the bigger injuries and it could make a bit of difference.
"Sirius, is there a mage in the castle you trust?" Frank asked, as James rummaged through Remus' bag.
"Half the people in the castle are in on my mother's plot to have me killed and the rest are here to basically take the fall for it," Sirius said, dropping to his knees and helping James. He emerged quickly with the silver potion. "Drink or apply?"
"Apply," Remus murmured, finding himself drifting from consciousness. He felt like he should say something, but goodbye felt too final. Before he could settle on anything, he had lost consciousness.
...oOo...
Sirius wanted to take his dagger and kill the man next to him, but he was focused on finding the potion. Killing the other guy could wait until his soulmate was safe and well. No-one had ever defended him the way this man had, even if they had been there to kill him in the first place. He stood in front of his own friend, he took what could have been a killing blow.
And Sirius would do everything in his power to heal him. He cursed himself for not focusing as much as he wanted on magic. It was a hidden talent that he hadn't told anyone about and trained in secret. In their castle, it was hard to get his hands on the required books. He had managed to sneak just one from a friend. It was hidden behind a couple of loose bricks in the wall. There was nowhere else where a book hadn't been found by his mother's most loyal servant, Kreacher.
James grabbed the potion from Sirius' hand and went to tend to his soulmate and Sirius kept searching. He used his magic to sense what each item was enchanted with, until he found a staff in the extended bag. He could feel the power radiating from it. "Hey. I found this staff." He handed it to the mage—Frank—with hope. "Can this do anything?"
Frank took the staff and his eyes widened. "Of course Remus had this stashed away." He pressed the tip against Remus' skin and a golden glow emanated from it whilst Sirius continued searching.
He came up with a ring that healed minor wounds. He slipped that onto Remus' finger hoping that every little bit would help. He hoped for something to boost his own magic, but failed to find anything to do that. Remus didn't have too much stuff in his impressive bag. He looked up at where James was carefully dabbing the wound, clearly worried about hurting Remus.
He got up and grabbed the bottle and ripped piece of cloth. "He's unconscious. Now's not the time for being nice. We need to get this healed." He tipped a large amount of the potion onto the cloth, feeling it coat his fingers, sending shivers through his skin, and pushed the cloth against the wound and held it there. "For an assassin, you're pretty useless with healing, aren't you?"
"We don't usually end up close to death," James snapped in return. "We're good at what we do. Remus has never been hurt before. Not even on his first job. Well, not like this."
"Guys, positive energy. Everyone in this room wants Remus to heal. If you want to be angry at each other, do it when Remus is recovering. Right now I could use some help. James, take over from the prince. Prince Sirius, could you do some more magic? A small amount, no matter how slight, could be just what I need. With the power combined, it could make a massive difference. We just need to stabilize him. Even if we don't fully heal him, stabilizing him will keep him alive until we get home."
"Then what?" Sirius demanded.
"Then he gets healed by the best. If we can stabilize him, there is not a single doubt that he can be healed."
Sirius nodded and James replaced him, holding the cloth. Sirius looked at Remus and set his hands on his chest and forced all of the magic in his body to heal him. He knew it'd hit him hard, but Remus had to survive. Even if it left Sirius weak for days. What mattered was the man who was dying.
The cost of the magic had him breathless. He fell to his knees but still he pushed on. He was feeling dizzy when a hand clapped him on the shoulder. "You can stop now; he's stable," Frank said.
"Are… are you sure?" Sirius murmured, blinking and attempting to make the black spots in his vision disappear. It had hit him harder than expected and he was struggling not to fall on the floor. He had to make sure remus was alright.
"Yes," James replied. "We need a plan."
"There's enough blood here to fake my death. James, you get the reward for the job and bring it. Frank, you levitate Remus and I'll keep the coast clear," Sirius said, attempting to get up on his feet but failing.
"Can you handle that?" James asked doubtfully.
Just as he went to answer, the door opened and a woman stood there. She looked at Sirius on the floor and James, before her gaze fell to the bloody knife on the floor.
She stepped back, her eyes wide. "If you touch him, I'll call the guard," she threatened.
"Alice, no!" Sirius replied, his eyes widening. "Get her in here."
Frank rushed over to the door and grabbed the woman by the elbow. "Just come in, we won't hurt you."
She pulled away slightly, but Sirius nodded his head and she slowly walked into the room. "What's happening?"
"I found my soulmate," Sirius explained. "He's hurt but we're leaving here now."
"But why?"
"Oh. These three are the assassins that were sent to kill me. Mother sent them. The attempted poisoning wasn't enough, nor was the accident in the field. She realised that she can't kill me herself so she hired assassins. Though one is my soulmate. We need a clear way out."
"I can… I can bring you out through the servants quarters?" Alice suggested, before turning her gaze to the others. "But only if you promise that you won't ever harm him."
"He's my brother's soulmate," James replied. "His safety is only second to my own soulmate."
Alice nodded, satisfied. "Let's go."
Sirius stumbled as he tried to stand. His eyes closed as he fell back to the floor.
James pulled him up and draped Sirius' arm over his shoulder. "Frank, you get Remus."
Frank nodded his head and waved the staff, causing Remus to raise from the bed. He gestured with his other hand to the door. "Lead the way," he said, smiling at Alice.
The walk through the castle was quiet and they quickly got to the door that Alice mentioned. She unlocked it with a key and the group headed into the grounds.
James lowered Sirius carefully to the ground and headed back in to get the reward. Alice dropped down next to the prince too.
James was gone for quite a few minutes. He grinned at the others when he returned. "Sorry guys. I fixed Sirius' bedroom. There's blood on the sheets and I've knocked a few things around there. It looks like someone died in there."
"Was there enough blood?" Alice asked.
James held up a bandaged arm. "I added a bit more to the bed. I had to improvise. I don't want anyone looking for Sirius."
"I can say I saw you dragging his body out," Alice suggested. "I'll call the guards when you leave and say it?"
James nodded his head. "We have to go now."
Alice turned to go inside and Frank reached for the door to let her in, just as Alice reached for it. Their hands brushed and the pair froze, their eyes locking.
"You have got to be kidding me," James groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Look, we're assassins and we can't wait any longer before people come looking for Sirius. Alice, was it? Yes, are you staying or going?"
"I can come back if you're not ready," Frank offered.
Alice shook her head. "You mean you're offering to get me away from here?" She smiled around the group. "I'm ready when you are. Let's go."
...oOo...
Remus slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the pain in his body. A hand reached for his side and he reached for his knives, only to come up empty. His eyes searched around and fell on his soulmate and then he remembered.
"Prince Sirius."
Sirius smiled softly, his hands moving to Remus' side once more. "Hold still, I'm trying to change your bandages."
"My bandages? So James really did stab me?"
"Yeah he did. But it should have been me. You saved my life."
"I was there to kill you," Remus reminded him.
Sirius scoffed. "If I hadn't touched your skin, I was going to get out of there alive."
"You think?" Remus asked, slightly amused.
"You had no escape and it was clear by the look on James' face that he would do anything to keep you safe. I was going to bargain to get my freedom."
"You knew we were coming," Remus pointed out, his gaze falling on Sirius' long fingers as they gently removed the bandages. He winced as he lifted his body slightly so they could be unwrapped from underneath him.
"I knew. Mother tried twice before to kill me. I saw the ingredients. I knew what she was doing. I knew you'd find me if I ran and I didn't want to spend my life looking over my shoulder. I decided that meeting you face on was the way to go. I… I considered running as time got closer, but then…" he hesitated. "It's strange. It's like I knew you were coming. I didn't realise at the time, but I just felt something… something that forced me to stay."
"I felt it too, the closer I got," Remus replied with a smile. He watched as the bandages were quickly discarded. "How bad is it?"
"It'll scar. Me and Frank together weren't enough. You were stable at least and we knew you'd live… but the magic couldn't stop the scarring."
"Do you mind that it'll be a scar?" Remus asked softly.
"Whenever I look at it, it'll be a reminder of how you stepped in front of someone who mattered a lot to you - in front of an attack that could have killed you - to protect me when you had not a single loyalty to me. I may never understand why you would do that for me, but each time I see it, I'll remember and I'll show you how much that means to me."
Remus raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean, you'll show me?" he asked, confused.
Sirius placed a damp cloth against Remus' skin, washing away the blood. Remus winced at the touch.
"Well, I'll mostly get to see it when I'm on my knees in front of you," Sirius murmured with a cheeky smile.
"When you're... oh!" His eyes widened. "Wait, what do you mean, you don't get why I would do that for you? Is that not something you think soulmates would do for each other? Protect each other with their lives?"
"Yes. I would do it for you without a doubt. But look at who I am. My own mother has been trying to kill me so I can't be that good a person. She's made it clear that I'm a failure as a son and as a prince and that I'd fail as future king. I'll probably be a crap soulmate too." Sirius' gaze moved to the clean bandages next to Remus on the bed. "Maybe you shouldn't have—"
"Don't even think of finishing that sentence," Remus snapped. At Sirius' shocked look, Remus' voice softened. "Your mother is not a nice woman. I've known you for only a few minutes and I like to believe that this here is the real you. The one that's being so gentle and kind. The one who tried so hard to heal me with all of his powers. I have no doubts that you fought with both James and Mum to be the one to look after me."
"I had to lock them out. They thought I was too hurt to do this," Sirius said, pouting.
"Hurt?" Remus sat up and ignored his wound. "What happened? I told James to protect you. If he let you get hurt…"
"To stabilise you, Frank needed that little bit more magic. I helped. I overdid it and gave more than my body would allow because I needed you to live."
"You should be resting," Remus said. "Come and lay with me."
Sirius shook his head. "I need to do these bandages." He reached for the clean ones and placed the end against Remus' stomach. "Hold this," he said.
Remus reached for the bandage and held it in place and Sirius leaned over him and began to wrap the bandages around his body. There was silence as Sirius worked and Remus held back every wince as the bandages touched his wound and sent pain through his body.
Finally Sirius secured the end of the bandage. Remus watched him get up from the bed and move the bowl of water away, discarding the previous bandage by the door before walking over to Remus.
Remus took the moment to appreciate his soulmate. The man was beautiful. Remus could picture him dressed in finery, the prince's crown on his head. But he liked Sirius better in the casual clothing he was currently wearing which were a little snug and let Remus' mind wander to what Sirius looked like underneath.
"Mrs. Potter said I'm not allowed to seduce you," Sirius said, pouting slightly. "I guess she makes a good point. It'd hurt your side too much if I did anything to you."
"I'm not in much pain," Remus replied hopefully.
"I'm staying here with you, Remus," Sirius murmured, slipping into the bed next to Remus and carefully cuddling against him. It may have been so soon after meeting, but it just felt so right to touch each other like that. "I've no plans to leave. We have all of the time in the world."
"I like the sound of that," Remus replied. "But you're giving up being king?"
Sirius sighed and Remus shivered at the warm breath on his neck. "I never wanted to be king. I only wanted to get my mother off the throne and stop her reign of terror in the kingdom. She wanted me dead because she knew she couldn't control me. It's like she knew what I wanted to do. Regulus will do the same thing, but mother believes he can be controlled. She thinks that she can still be in power when Regulus is king. He's safe there. He'll be a better king. I just wanted to be free."
"But now you're stuck with a soulmate," Remus said.
"I wouldn't say stuck. I've found a soulmate who I know makes me happy and I am free from my old life."
"And what will we do?" Remus asked.
"Remus, I'm not asking you to give up your life for me. If you want to be an assassin, I'm staying here with you. We're near a town. Maybe I'll get a job there. Maybe I'll help you train. Maybe I'll become an assassin too…"
Remus laughed. "You'd be an excellent assassin," he replied. "I never heard you. No-one has ever snuck up on me before."
"I'm light on my feet," Sirius said, shrugging. "But Mrs. Potter said she'd teach me magic. She also said I can call her mum. She's a strange one."
"Not strange. She's wonderful," Remus insisted. "The Potters took me in when I was just a child. They became my family. A family in which you're now part of. For this family, we look after each other and protect each other."
"It sounds nice," Sirius murmured. "Did you have a family before the Potters?"
Remus took a deep breath. "I did. My mum was beautiful and she'd read me stories every night. My father would work hard on our farm but he'd always make time for me. I'd help him with easy jobs and he'd make this big fuss over how much work I did even though it wasn't a lot."
"How did you go from that to assassin?"
"One night, a traveller turned up. He was wounded by wolves on the road, or so he said. My parents allowed him in. They were too trusting. The man… the wolves were his pets, I found out later. The bite wasn't enough to cause him any harm. He killed my parents and ransacked our farmhouse. I hid when I heard them screaming." Remus paused for a long moment, remember his parents.
"After that, there was no-one to do the repairs to the farmhouse and it lasted a year before the ceiling fell in. I continued to live there. It was safer from bandits when the ceiling fell in because those people looked for a warm and dry place to stay. I begged on the streets in the nearby town. I ran errands and made money that way to live on. There was never enough. One day the hunger stopped and I felt like it was the middle of winter when it was a warm day in Spring. I think I knew that I was dying because that same day, I used my gold coin and bought the ingredients for a potion I read in a book. That night, I summoned the assassins."
"How old were you?" Sirius asked.
"I was eight," Remus replied softly. "I have no idea how I managed to survive that long. But I called the assassins. I had almost nothing to offer. A cup and ring that were my reminders of my parents. A few books that had survived the conditions of the house and some things I had accumulated over time. Worthless things but priceless to a boy who had nothing. All three Potters arrived that night. I was important enough to them that they all came. James was there to comfort me because he was my age. Charlus was the only one who could find me because of the assassins leader visions he had and Dorea wanted to heal me. She thought I needed a mother's touch. They brought me and took everything I offered along knowing that everything I treasured was right there by the potions' pot."
"Did they give it back?"
"When I was thirteen, I was given my first contract. I was to kill a man called Greyback," Remus continued. "James was there as back-up and I know Charlus was lurking because he's very protective of us both, even if he denies his presence that night. I dragged his suffering out and made it clear exactly why he was dying. That's the only death I've caused that wasn't instantaneous. As a reward, my payment was a ring, a cup and the rest of the items."
"Greyback was the man who killed your family," Sirius guessed.
Remus nodded his head. "I've never taken joy in killing, except for that one time," Remus admitted. He smiled as Sirius shuffled closer to him as though it was an impulse for the pair to be as close as possible. "I don't regret anything I've done or the life I've chosen. It's just the way things have happened. If I hadn't become an assassin, I'd possibly have never met you."
"We would have met," Sirius insisted. "I would never have stopped looking for you. I used to visit town and shake everyone's hand just searching for you and hoping that that would be the day that my soulmate would appear and we could run away together - leave Slytherin behind us - and be happy."
Remus smiled at the idea. "I'm glad you didn't find your soulmate sooner because if it was one of them, I'd have missed out on you. Sirius, I can't wait to find out what we can have together. I know that right now I'm stuck in bed until Mum lets me—"
"Us," Sirius interrupted. "She said I have to stay in bed too and recover."
Remus chuckled. "Us," he corrected himself. "Until Mum lets us leave, but everything I know about you now tells me that you're perfect. You're beautiful, smart and caring. I believe you have a good heart. You're a good man and more than I could ever have hoped for in a soulmate."
Sirius leaned up, looking down at Remus, his eyes wide. "Really? You're happy with me?"
Remus reached up, his fingers gently grabbing a handful of Sirius' top and pulling him down. "Really," he murmured.
Sirius' eyes closed as his face got closer to Remus' and Remus, even with the injury that made it painful to move, leaned up and closed the distance, letting their lips brush together. His heart pounded hard against his chest and his breathing was shaky, but the kiss was perfect. Sirius' lips were soft and Sirius' fingers gently stroked down Remus' face.
It was just a simple brush of their lips but Remus had never felt more alive than at that moment. "Sirius," he whispered softly. "Do you feel that?"
Sirius nodded slightly, not wanting to move his face away. "There's never been anything in my life as perfect as that kiss," he whispered back, not wanting to break the moment with being too loud. "And if such a gentle kiss was so perfect, imagine what the rest of the kisses will be like."
Remus smiled. "We'll have to test them all out."
"Not just kisses," Sirius continued, his whispers turning into a rough murmur that sent shivers through Remus' body. "Imagine all the other things I could do to you."
"Like what?" Remus found himself asking.
Fingers trailed down his chest. "I can think of a few things," Sirius said. "You lay still and try and recover and I'll show you."
Remus could only nod his head, causing Sirius to smirk and lower his head so his lips pressed against Remus' shoulder, his chest and his stomach.
As Sirius gently pulled Remus' trousers down, Remus knew that staying still for whatever Sirius was going to do would be the hardest thing ever.
Well… the second hardest thing, he thought, crudely.
...oOo...
The queen was looking over a report from the kingdom when she felt the presence. She turned her head and almost screamed at the sight of a man in her room. "I will call the guard," she threatened.
"You won't," came the reply and the man stepped forward, lowering his hood. Her eyes widened. "Sirius!"
"Mother."
She composed herself quickly. "My dear son. I've missed you greatly. I thought you were dead. I thought you were murdered by someone—"
"By the assassins you sent," Sirius interrupted. "I'm going to give you a choice, mother. A choice like you never gave me."
"A… choice?" her expression hardened upon knowledge that Sirius knew she had tried to have him killed.
"Yes. You see, when the assassins turned up that night, my hand brushed the skin of one of the men. I found my soulmate that night. When the other assassin tried to kill me, he stepped in the way of the blade, willing to give his life to protect me."
Walburga watched her son carefully as she rose from her seat. "How… touching," she said, her voice implying it was anything but.
"Do you now what assassins do to those that threaten the lives of their soulmates?" Sirius continued.
"We have rules. Death is the most popular option," came another voice that caused Walburga to jump.
"You plan on killing me?" she asked, her voice going hoarse. "Your own mother."
"Don't pull that. You attempted to kill me twice before sending assassins after me," Sirius snapped. "But I'm going to give you a choice, Mother. Regulus was crowned yesterday. He's now king and he could be a good one without you. Either you leave. You move far away and you give up all of your power."
"Or?"
"Your second option is for me to return here and kill you," Remus murmured. "And no matter how many guards you have or how many locks, I will find a way to you and I will take your life. Slowly. Painfully. I will make you regret every cruel word that came my soulmate's way. Every word of doubt. Every punishment you gave him. Every time he was locked away. You will suffer for hours. You will beg for death by the time I'm done with you. You will die slowly."
"Leave or die?" Walburga asked, her voice shaking slightly though it was clear she was trying to contain her emotions.
Sirius nodded his head. "It may not be my soulmate. Wherever you hide, there is someone in the guild that has the talents to find you and kill you. There are people there that can track your every move if we require."
"I'll be back in a month," Sirius replied. "I wish to see my brother again and let him know I'm alive and happy in my new life. I plan to stay dead in the eyes of the rest of his kingdom, but he can know the truth. You will not be here." He stepped back into the shadows and Walburga heard the quiet sound of the window opening.
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