Dementors Kiss
Dark had long since begun to fall across the monumental castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The image of the winter sky that appeared on the bewitched ceiling above the great hall sparkled in such a deep shade of blue that it could almost have been black. In the Great Hall large clusters of thinly tapered candles burned brightly on every available surface, accompanied by a vast roaring fire casting long flickering shadows and illuminating the faces of students and teachers alike with a warm soft amber glow. The five tables stood littered with numerous empty plates and glasses, as the contented students slowly pushed their chairs back, hands on overly full stomachs, preparing to make their way through the various passageways of the school towards their appointed dormitories. The silver haired and long bearded headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, rose up from his seat, clearing his throat in what would be an almost intimidating manner if the pupils of the school weren't perfectly accustomed to what a generous, kind and gentle man Dumbledore was. His sparkling blue eyes took in the scene around him, as he declared, "Hmm, an early night for me, I think. Good night" quickly followed by "Don't let the bedbugs bite." Smiling at himself and those that caught his eye, Dumbledore strode away from the tables and out of the hall, narrowly avoiding the custom twelve Christmas Trees which would be brought into the hall as soon as everyone had left. As if on queue with Dumbledore's exit, the other teachers still assembled around their table, stood up together, shepherding the students out through the enormous doors.
The scent of pine trees filled the corridors instilling the spirit of Christmas upon everyone who walked by. Groups of students from all classes began to laugh excitedly at the idea of the fast approaching festivities. Seeing the tiny charms professor arranging small sparkling fairy lights and sprigs of mistletoe about the large suits of armour that stood in the passage way brought smiles to the faces of even certain Slytherin students, who were renowned for their usual surliness. The mass of students began to split into four different directions, each house going to their own dormitory, still full of festive feeling and noisy chatter. The Griffindor pupils, piling up the stairs, eagerly awaiting the warm common room and the opportunity to sit and play games all night as due to the upcoming holidays and general good spirit in the castle there had not been a single homework assignment given out all day.
James Potter, a thin Griffindor boy with a mass of unruly hair black hair that never behaved no matter what he did to it, motioned to three of his friends that stood close to him on the stairway. He was in too high spirits to go to the dormitory especially when despite the dark sky the hour wasn't really all that late. A voice from above called out the word "Bubotuber".
James heard the sliding over of the painting that guarded Griffindor's dormitory, and the house began to move forward through the now revealed entrance.
"What is it, James?"
"Fancy some fun, Sirius?"
James looked at each of his friends in turn. Sirius Black, his eyes full of mischief, nodding his head as he pushed his thick dark hair out of his face, Remus Lupin, who was grinning widely at the idea, and Peter Pettigrew, a smaller boy with a sour expression and slightly pointed features.
Heading back down the stairs again, James pulled a small piece of parchment out of his pocket. After muttering slightly, the parchment filled with inked lines indicating Hogwarts classrooms and tiny dots with tinier labels naming the people they represented. Watching until the passageway was clear of markings except their own four, the boys walked confidently and quietly towards the outside of the building, only pausing when they saw the movements of a teacher upon the parchment. Only when they were stood outside the castle in the vast grounds that surrounded it, did James mutter again, wiping the map clean and putting the parchment away safely again inside his pocket. Beaming he spun around, evidently proud of himself and began to run under the darkened skies. The other three fled after him, trying not to whoop or laugh too loudly in case their voices travelled into the castle and into the ears of the authority figures within. James disappeared behind the large silhouette of a small slightly rickety looking building that stood quite firmly within the grounds. As the three boys, closed in laughing, Quietly sliding out from behind the shack and with outstretched arms, James began to walk towards them. He'd pulled part of his black robes over his head so that they obscured his face. Peter was the first to see him, face paling to white and lips opening to emit a small shriek.
"A Dementor!" His usually watery eyes widened with fright, and he began to pull on Sirius' cloak sleeve, whilst kicking his legs at the frozen ground trying to make an escape.
Sirius spun around quickly, his wand in hand to face the Dementor, and burst out laughing. Dementors were the terrifying, soul sucking, silvery-grey skinned guards of the wizard prison, Azkaban. Azkaban itself was situated on an island and had high walls and higher security both of magical and muggle proportions, but it was deemed that those were unnecessary precautions, because no one had ever gotten past the Dementor guards.
Dementors wore huge cloaks with hoods lowered over their faces. They sucked the happiness and joy out of life itself, chilling your very being and leaving you nothing but a shell of a person with a head full of your worst memories. It was said that the Dementor's Kiss, their final attack, was when they lowered their hoods and fastened themselves upon their victim, sucking out his very soul. Of course no one who had their soul sucked out could actually tell you about it for afterwards they were in such a bad state, such an empty hollow shell that instant death would have been far preferable.
Remus, also with his wand ready had turned to see why Sirius was now almost hysterical with laughter, first pointing at the Dementor and then at the scrabbling figure of Pettigrew who looked as if he might faint.
"Honestly, James!" Remus shouted trying to hide the smirk that was escaping from the corners of his mouth. "You scared Peter half to death!"
The Dementor began to run towards the three boys, and it was only when Peter looked down that he could see James Potter's trainers sticking out from underneath the Dementor's robes.
Pettigrew still stood shaking, only this time out of sheer embarrassment. He stopped scrabbling and straightened up.
"James," He said. "Cut it out."
Laughter could be heard from under the Dementor's cloak.
" I mean it, James!" Peter began to try to find his wand, his hand still trembling, and his face burning red hot.
James, emerging from under his disguise started to howl with laughter, grabbing onto Sirius, who by this time had tears running down his face and a stitch in his side from his hysterics. At this stage even Remus was giggling, the sight of Peter not knowing whether to join them in their laughter or to break down and cry was just too much.
Peter took one glance at the three of them huddling together, chuckling and began to run off. His eyes stung and his blushes burnt through the darkness of the night.
A frown spread over the face of James, as he drew his eyebrows together with worry. Remus rolled his eyes, and Sirius, still laughing was trying to tell James not to bother as he began to make his way towards the small figure of Pettigrew who had stopped to wheeze and catch his breath.
"I've got to go after him," James shouted. "I've got the map."
Soon Potter had caught up with Peter and began to walk him back towards the school, trying to explain the humour as they walked side by side. Potter's large stride looking even more confident compared to the scuttling of Pettigrew.
Sirius watched for a moment before pulling his own cloak up and shouting "I'm going to dement you!", and trying to feel his way towards Remus.
"Not if I dement you first!" Shouted Remus, but he was already running, his laughter catching in the wind.
Sirius started after him, causing them both to break down into laughter once more as they tried desperately to separate their cloaks and prevent them from catching under their shoes. Sirius, trying desperately to peer around his makeshift hood, repeating "Dementdementdement, under his breath."
Caught in his robe, Remus fell to the floor, laughing hard despite the frozen cold of the grass beneath him. "Noooo" He cried, " Noo, Mr. Dementor, don't suck out my soul!"
Sirius approached quickly, Remus's giggles getting louder, and turning to guffaws as Sirius skidded on the iced grass, he too felt himself falling before landing in a heap on top of Remus's legs.
There was a brief moment, where Remus cast his eyes to the sky picking out the small stars and wondering whether if he could reach to touch the sky would it feel like velvet? Bringing his gaze back down he saw the cloaked figure of Sirius leaning towards him. His robe had slipped back slightly in the fall, and Remus could see Sirius's deep eyes looking into his own.
A smile played on Sirius's lips, and Remus's heart began to beat fast in his chest.
Unable to stop himself, or think about what he was doing, Remus reached up towards Sirius's face. The texture of Sirius's skin, so like the softness of the night that he'd wanted to hold, but warmer and more real. In shock, Remus pulled his hand back. The warmth from Sirius's face ran down through his arm and filling his body. A blush lit up Remus's face, his heart beat even more frantically, trying to bash its way out, as Remus tried to stammer out an explanation.
"I…" He began, trying to think of something, anything to say, but only able to think of the warmth and the softness of Sirius.
"Sirius…" Remus tried again, turning his eyes back to meet those of the other boy's. Scared of the expression that would be there, scared of what Sirius would say.
"Shh." Sirius raised his hands to his cloak pulling the makeshift hood away from his face and lowering his head towards the figure of Remus that lay beneath him.
The world around Remus faded out, nothing mattered, nothing was real, except for Sirius.
Sirius's hair fell forward, tickling over Lupin's face. Remus's heart, now beating in his throat as Sirius's gentle lips pressed down upon his own.
"The Dementor's Kiss..." Remus thought briefly. "He's sucking out my soul." But the sweetness and gentle warmth that he tasted on Sirius' lips was nothing bad or frightening. It was perfect.
It was love.