AN: I haven't written anything in ages... Well, hello everyone! Nice to be writing again! I hope you all enjoy this short little oneshot, brought upon by my cold in the middle of summer :(( Life isn;t fair sometimes.
Enjoy and review!
Love,
Alex
XOXOXO

Not "Just a Cold"

When I bring my hand to his forehead, it's much too hot-burning even- yet he's still shivering despite the mound of quilts I have piled on top of him. I run my hand down the curve of his cheek, wincing at the temperature, at his hot breath against my much-cooler skin.

"Rem, I don't think this is 'just a cold' anymore." I say softly, sitting down on the bed next to him.
"You've obviously got something serious."

His bleary eyes gaze up at me from half-closed lids and I sigh, cursing his weak immune system. One hand, cold despite his raging fever, makes it's way slowly out of his cocoon of blankets and gropes around for my hand. I rest my hand over his lightly, rubbing his thumb with my index finger as I continue to watch his face. He coughs once, then turns his head sideways, flushed face red against the stark whiteness of our sheets. His hair is soaked with sweat near his scalp, sticking to his brow like it would after a shower. I smooth it back, and Remus sighs as my hand strokes his face.

"Now," I continue, "Either I Floo Lily and have her fuss over you with me, or we can go to St. Mungo's and figure out what you've got. Which shall it be?" I don't even see a flicker of hesitation in his eyes before he blurts out "Lily" in a raspy voice. I knew he would want Lily even before I asked- he hates St. Mungo's with a passion. I hate the place too, but it is always another option when he falls ill like this. Lily is an extremely accomplished medi-witch, but even she can't get her hands on some of the potions and elixers Remus sometimes desperately needs.

I bend over and kiss his forehead, biting at the inside of my lip at the heat. He shivers and when I go to pull my hand away so I may Floo Lily, he whimpers, lip quivering and eyebrows slanted up into the heartbreaking "Please don't leave me" expression. How could I ever resist such a face? I peel back the multiple blankets covering my boyfriend and kick off my boots, wiggling my toes in my thick woolen socks as I clamber into bed with Remus. He shakes violently as his body is exposed to the air, and I quickly wrap my arms around him and pull the covers back up so he won't get a bad chill. He slides freezing fingers into my shirt to press up against warm skin, squeezes feet which are clothed in two pairs of socks in between my calves, and tucks his head into the hollow of my collarbone, a breath hitching in his chest that sounds like a sob.

"Oh Rem..." I sigh, kissing his sweaty hair and sliding my hands up his back, holding him tight to my chest. I can feel his ribs through the thick turtleneck sweater of mine that he's wearing, the sweater that's sleeves he has to roll up because I have longer arms than him. He shudders and sniffs against me, and I can feel his eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings against my neck. I feel his super-humanly fast, frail heartbeat against my own, reminding me of this vulnerable, breakable, sick person in my arms, a person who can make my throat clench up with such a strong urge to protect and to love that I've never felt before. He's so fragile and easily broken- I always have to remind myself to be careful and soft and sweet with my Remus, for he is always gentle and patient and loving towards me- causing someone as sweet as he pain or not treating him as the prince he deserves to be treated as would be unforgivable.

"Sirius, I... I don't feel well." he whispers, and I can feel his lips move against the smooth skin of my throat, blocking the true misery in his tone from escaping into the air. My stomach clenches at the pain in his soft voice, and I close my eyes and sigh.

"Baby, I know. I know. What can I do to help?" I ask him, aching to get him out of his fit of fever and coughs and who know what else. He makes a squeaking noise, his hands scrabbling for a hold on my chest, for anything he can grab onto. I unwrap one arm from around his back and take both his hands in one of mine, gently threading my fingers through his and bringing it up to my face. I kiss each finger, each bony knuckle, the spider-web thin scars that criss-cross his delicate limbs, then the back of his hand, planting one final kiss to the inside of his wrist before pulling him close to me again.

"Just go to sleep love." I say, resting my chin on top of his head.
"I'll Floo Lily in a while. Rest, alright? I'll stay until you're asleep." He heaves out a shaky sigh, tainting his arms around my neck and latching on, wrapping his legs tight around my legs and hiccuping. He curls his fingers through my hair and I feel his eyes droop close against my neck, his breathing slow down to a more even, relaxed pace.

I take some happiness from the simple comfort I can give him. Just being here with him helped him relax enough to go to sleep, and it made me feel relaxed to know I have him in my arms. I was getting anxious all morning when I had to get food that he wouldn't be okay, but then when I got back, I could stand in the doorway for hours and just stare at him, with his pale, pointed face and his big, expressive golden eyes and his too-thin lips and that little furrow his eyebrows get when he's worried, even his pointed ears. He's the most important, beautiful, loving person in my world. His hair is silky against my cheek, and I breath in the soft, warm smell that is Remus.

A smell of pumpkins, of autumn, of chocolate and parchment and peppermints, though his smell is tainted somewhat by the smell of the Pepperup potion that I made him take a few hours ago.

Though I feel guilty doing so, I scootch farther away from Remus under the blankets, feeling my body start to overheat from the warmth coming off of his body and the blankets. I wiggle out of the blankets, and Remus stiffens, his hands reaching out and clamping onto my shirt like vices. I cover his lips with my index finger, rubbing his upper lip with the very tip. I slide my legs out and nearly groan in happiness as the cool winter air in our house hits my skin. I pull Remus's head into my lap and gently unclamp his fingers from my shirt, smoothing out each digit and massaging his knuckles. They must be aching something awful, since he always gets bad aches when he has a virus, and his next transformation is only a week and two days away. A faint smile plays on his lips, and I trail one hand down his cheek, tracing his lips and his nose, smoothing ou

t his delicate eyebrows, just brushing over his eyelashes. I bend down and kiss the top of his nose, then kiss each eyelid, the corner of his lip, then finally right on his lips, a chaste, gentle kiss that was to mean nothing but "I love you.".

He sniffles and I smile, caressing his cheek once before sitting up straight and leaning back against the headboard. I wait until his breathing is slow, deep and as even as it will be, and slowly ease his head off my legs, gently setting it down on a pillow and smoothing out his hair. I hop off the bed and tiptoe out of our bedroom, turning back to glance at him before walking through the doorway. The old stairs let out an obnoxiously loud creak as I step onto the first step, and I freeze, waiting for a moan or a plea of some sort to come back. When I hear nothing but a hacking cough, I proceed down the steps with a heavy heart to Floo Lily.