A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts. Prompts are listed below! :)

Extinct Languages Task 4: Write a GreekMythology!AU

Word Count: 3837

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.

Enjoy!

It was dark in their bedroom, not that Remus minded. His hands were tangled in his lover's long black hair, and amber eyes watched the sleeping man quietly, love pooling in his chest. It was dangerous, their relationship, but it was something he was willing to risk. After all, the worst that could happen to him was death—and Sirius ruled the Underworld.

Remus sat up slowly, stretching. It was an interesting thought, death. Before he'd gotten to know Sirius so personally, he thought leaving his soul in Hades would be the worst thing that could happen to him. But now it would give him unlimited access to the other man—it would bring him to a place where no one could control how they loved each other.

Remus smiled disbelievingly to himself. It was still so hard to grasp the concept that they would be together eternally. He, Remus Lupin, was in love with a god. An all-powerful, immortal being who had confessed his undying devotion to a lowly mortal. It was bizarre. It was incredible.

Overwhelmed suddenly by his love for the man beside him, Remus bent down to kiss Sirius' temple, brushing dark strands of hair away from his face. Grey eyes opened slowly, still slow with sleep. Sirius finally zeroed in on Remus and smiled.

"Morning, love. What are you thinking about?"

Remus pulled his knees to his chest. "How strange it is to be lying beside a god."

Sirius huffed. He reached out and pulled Remus closer, nuzzling his face into his neck. "It's not strange. You're the most perfect creation in the world, and if it takes milenia to convince you of that, then so be it."

"It's unconventional," Remus insisted, but he was pleased. "You have to admit that, at least."

Sirius groaned. "I get it, I get it… I went about it the wrong way at first."

Remus laughed. "That's an understatement."

Sirius hummed in agreement. "It brought us here though, didn't it?"

Remus smiled. "That it did."

Remus wiped the sweat from his brow, skin baking in the hot sun. He'd been up since before sunrise, and his muscles were beginning to ache from the effort. But he persevered, knowing all too well that the consequence for taking a break would be great. Fenrir Greyback was not a kind master.

He worked in the fields a while longer, sweat and grime coating his hands and face. When he finally straightened up, it was very late in the day. Remus' amber eyes scanned the surrounding area, looking to make sure there weren't any overseers to catch him skiving off work.

A movement in the surrounding forests caught his eye. He squinted at the trees, barely able to make out a slim figure. Curiosity raced through him. He glanced around again to make sure he was alone, then began creeping towards the silhouette. He ran a hand through his tawny curls, trying to justify this to himself. As a slave, it was his job to ensure that his master was safe, and checking out mysterious figures fell into that category, didn't it? He reasoned that it must.

It became apparent that it was a man who'd been watching him. A man, Remus noticed with a quickening heartbeat, that was entirely too handsome to be safe. Long dark hair fell to the man's broad shoulders, grey eyes took Remus in curiously.

Remus fidgeted with his tunic, highly aware of how low on the social ladder he truly was. This man had to be a nobleman—his clothes looked more expensive than any Remus had ever seen before. He felt suddenly embarrassed to have come over at all.

The man took a step forward, and Remus, a strange nervousness erupting within him, took a step back. It was odd—the more he stared at the man, the more he felt like he wasn't supposed to be, like he was looking at something sacred. The man opened his mouth and spoke.

"You came over."

Remus blinked. He was an educated man, which was unusual for a slave, and barely refrained from pointing out that the man had stated the obvious. It wouldn't be wise to anger this man.

He bowed his head slightly. "Yes, sir."

The man shook his head, getting closer and closer to Remus. "You finally came. I've been waiting for you."

Remus was backed up against a tree, his mind racing. He couldn't attack this man—if he was richer than Greyback, Remus could end up dead. Out of options, he blurted out, "I have to go back to my master. I can bring him out, if you wish."

The man shook his head again. "No." A wide, disarming grin that left Remus more confused than charmed spread across the stranger's face. "I'm only interested in you."

Remus tried to dodge out of the way, but the man's finger touched his forehead and everything went black.

Sirius cracked an eye open, looking at his lover curiously. "Did you hate me when we first met?"

"Yes," Remus answered immediately. "You were an arrogant prick."

Sirius winced. "I was hoping it wasn't as bad as I remembered," he admitted.

Remus snorted. "It was worse, I assure you. But don't worry." He leaned down to kiss the god's face. "You won me over in the end."

Sirius hummed with pleasure. "Good. I'd be worried if I hadn't." He paused, eyes becoming contrite. "Still, I'm sorry for the way I acted."

Remus smiled fondly. "That's all right, you didn't know any better. But all that was years ago—what brought this on?"

Sirius shrugged. "It doesn't feel all that long ago to me."

"Ah," Remus said sarcastically. "The joys of living forever."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "It's not all joyful."

The smile was wiped from Remus' face. "No," he said softly. "It isn't."

When Remus came to, it was dark, and his head was throbbing painfully. He sat up slowly, realizing that he was lying in a bed—one much better than he was used to. He looked around the room, taking in the fact that there were no windows and that torches burning soft, blue fire provided the dim light. It was spooky, and Remus was immediately on edge.

He cleared his throat, skin prickling like it did whenever he was being watched. He trusted his instincts; he wasn't alone in the room. "Who's there?"

A fire suddenly erupted in the middle of the room, bright and blazen, casting a searing orange light throughout the room. Remus yelped and scrambled backward until he hit the wall, heart pounding. The fire began to diminish, and when it faded the man from before stood in its place.

"You're awake." He sounded pleased.

Remus gaped at him. He'd never been the most religious of people, but he couldn't mistake that sort of power for anything short of godly. "I—um—"

"It's okay!" The man crossed the room and took Remus hands in his, and the slave was too shocked to react. "You're safe here."

He was grinning at Remus. "Safe here? Where is here—my lord?"

The man frowned. "None of that. I'm Sirius. You're in my realm."

Remus wanted to melt. He knew that name. This was no minor deity—this was the god of the Underworld. The afterlife. He was speechless.

Sirius' grey eyes were glittering interestedly, and Remus' mind began to kick itself into gear. He was in the Underworld, or Hades, as it was more popularly called. He'd been kidnapped by a god. The god of death was holding his hands.

Well, that he needed to fix. He gently retracted his hands, searching for any sign of displeasure. Sirius seemed a bit disappointed, but not upset enough to smite him, which comforted Remus.

"My—Sirius," he corrected himself upon seeing the look on the god's face. "May I ask… why am I here?"

Sirius sat himself on the bed, and Remus pulled the blankets up a bit higher. It was odd, how insignificant he felt. He didn't like it.

"I saw the way that man—your master—treated you." Sirius' hands balled into fists, and he looked angry. "I had to take you away. I've seen how you are—you don't deserve that life. Here, you will be safe."

Remus stiffened. "Everyone under my master's care is treated that way," he said slowly, trying not to offend. "Why did you take me above the others?"

"I liked you best," Sirius replied promptly.

That, thought Remus, was just his luck. Everyone knew that the gods' attention ended in tragedy for the mortal. And as nice as the gesture was—even if the method was twisted—Remus was not someone who needed protecting. He didn't have much of a life, but he wasn't willing to give it up. He'd miss the sun, water… other living people. Mortal people.

"Thank you for that," he said kindly, "but I need to get back to work. My master—"

"He doesn't control you anymore." Sirius frowned. "Don't you understand? He can't touch you here. How's your head? Mortals tend to get sore rather easily."

"Hasn't had any complaints!" he replied, answering Sirius' question and starting to feel a bit hysterical. It was really catching up to him now; he was in Hades, and this god didn't want him to leave. Hadn't he given up enough in his life? "I appreciate this, but I have to get back to the—the living world. There are people that I love there, and I can't abandon them."

Sirius waved his concern aside. "They'll come down here eventually. Everyone always does."

Remus frowned. God or no, Sirius was beginning to grate on his nerves. His adrenaline was running high, and this familiar feeling of helplessness wasn't doing anything for his senses.

"That's not what I want," he said quietly.

Sirius stood up. "You're confused," he decided. "You'll learn to love it here, you'll see. I'll get you something to eat—how often do mortals need to do that, by the way?"

"Three times a day," Remus answered hurriedly. "But I would really rather leave, if that's all right."

Sirius shook his head. "No, you're not going back to that man."

Remus grit his teeth. "What makes you think you're any better than he is? This is just a different sort of slavery."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Remus was surprised. He didn't feel scared, like he should have been—he felt free. For the first time in years, he was saying what he wanted to. And if the consequences were severe, then maybe it was worth it.

"Go on," Remus goaded, "kill me. Or don't and keep me here. You'll get what you want either way. I'll be here with you, unable to leave. That is why you are like him. You aren't giving me a choice."

Sirius was silent for a long time. Finally, he said, "I'm not letting you go. This is better for you." To himself, Remus heard him add, "How could I possibly be wrong? Mortal lives are so short."

He left the room in another shower of flames, leaving Remus alone.

Sirius sat up, grey eyes worried. "Remus, love… your life is so short. When you die, what do we do?"

Remus didn't answer for a long time. Part of him knew that the chances of Sirius loving him for all eternity were incredibly slim, but another part told him that what the two felt for each other wasn't all that different from what two mortals felt for one another. After all, when both lovers were dead, didn't they find each other in the afterlife and spend eternity together?

"I'm yours," Remus promised at last, "for as long as you want me."

Sirius sighed in relief. "I hoped you would feel that way." He kissed Remus chastely. "We should get going. Your parents are going to get impatient. You know, sometimes I wonder how Hope isn't a goddess—she looks like she could smite someone if she was angry enough."

Remus let out a loud laugh. "She does, doesn't she?"

Sirius had gone above and beyond, finding Remus the family he had sold himself into slavery to protect. It was a dream come true, seeing his parents again, and Hope and Lyall couldn't have been happier to see him back. His father had shouted at him for even thinking to do such a thing, his mother had cried, but they hadn't let go of each other for a long, long time. When Sirius introduced himself, Lyall went to go sit down. Hope offered the god hospitality, which Sirius turned down. Strangely eager to please, he'd bustled about serving the Lupins earning Hope's stamp of approval.

It was something Remus knew Sirius feared he lose if he stepped out of line, much to Remus' amusement.

"You're right," Remus murmured. "Let's go."

He wasn't sure how long he'd spent in the Underworld, but it was long enough that he was beginning to get hungry. Which was alarming, seeing as he was used to going days at a time without food.

Not that Sirius hadn't offered him any. Remus just didn't trust it. Everyone familiar with the old tales knew that food grown in the Underworld was bad news—one bite, and you would never be able to leave.

Remus was wandering around the castle, trying to locate an exit. He'd learned that there weren't any windows or doors—just walls he could walk through and some that he couldn't. Sirius had a habit of popping in on Remus when he was trying to force his way through.

It happened again today.

"You're not eating," Sirius noted as Remus rammed his shoulder into a wall. "I thought mortals needed to do that in order to stay alive."

"Why do you care whether I'm dead or alive?" Remus asked tiredly. His strength was draining, but he still took advantage of the fact that Sirius was reluctant to kill him. "I'm stuck here either way."

Sirius scowled. "May I speak plainly?"

Remus looked at him in surprise. "You're the god. Why are you asking me that?"

Sirius lifted his chin, pale jaw gleaming in the dim light. "You are determined to see the worst in me. I want you to be happy, but you're not cooperating."

Remus sighed and stopped fighting, rubbing his shoulder. "I can't be happy if you've taken all my choices from me," he tried to explain. "I don't know why you want me here so badly, but I'm not going to stop trying to escape."

Sirius threw his hands in the air. "This isn't a prison!"

"Then why can't I leave it?" Remus hissed. Then he sighed. "Why am I here, Sirius?"

He didn't receive an answer. When Remus looked up from the floor, the god had vanished. He slid down to the ground, head in his hands. He wanted to get out of here, but he honestly couldn't see how. When it came to his own fate, his hands were tied. His stomach growled loudly. He needed to eat. Maybe a half life here was better than no chance of ever escaping—souls never left the afterlife.

For the first time since he arrived in Hades, he went to dinner.

Sirius seemed surprised to see him, to say the least. Nevertheless, he waved his hand and pulled out the chair beside him at the long, ebony table he was sitting at. Remus took the hint and sat down in the chair, letting out a gasp of surprise when the chair pushed itself towards the table without his help. He stared at the empty plate in front of him, trying to compose himself—and swallow his pride. Finally, he looked at Sirius.

"If I stay here," he asked quietly, "will I be able to visit the rest of the world? See the sun?"

"This isn't a prison," Sirius said again.

Remus took that as a yes. He steeled himself, ready to agree, terrified of what he was committing himself to. Every chance to be reunited with his family would be nullified; his free will would go out the window; he'd never see the sun, destined to spend eternity in this cold, dark hole. "Then I—"

"It's because you're different," Sirius said suddenly.

Remus shut his mouth, startled. "Sorry?"

Sirius sighed deeply. "You're different," he said in a low voice, "to me."

Remus' heart was beating faster. Finally, some answers. "I don't understand."

Sirius growled in frustration. "I've seen mortals suffering," he said. "I've seen them rob each other, kill each other, give birth, laugh, cry—I've seen it all. But whenever any of it happened to you, it felt different. I don't want to make you feel trapped. I just want to keep them from hurting you. I know I will respect you, unlike the mortals up there, and if you want to stay up there… I'm not going to stop you."

Remus wasn't sure what to think. This was more than he'd ever expected. Sirius was practically confessing his love for Remus—laying himself down at his feet. It was frightening.

"You'll take me back?" he asked softly.

Sirius set his jaw and nodded. "I will."

Remus smiled when the sun hit his face, warming it. He loved spending his days with Sirius, but he also craved the warmth only sunshine could provide. It was something Sirius didn't understand, but he humored him all the same.

Sirius was looking at him strangely. "Eternity is forever," he said.

Remus laughed. "Well, yes. That's sort of the idea."

"You're giving up a lot for me. We aren't supposed to be with each other forever. Affairs the others can understand… but undying love? They don't even have that for each other."

Remus took his hand. "If they find out about this, then you'll risk more than I will. If you're happy here, then so am I."

His words were final; they booked no room for argument. Sirius heard this and grinned. "I'm glad you think so."

Remus rolled his eyes fondly. "My parents are waiting."

Sirius brushed his thumb along Remus' jaw, gliding over one of the many scars adorning his body. "We better go then."

Remus laughed and nodded again. "We have time to ourselves later."

Sirius grinned wickedly. "All the time in the world."

His first few days of freedom didn't feel very free at all.

It was strange. Now that he wasn't occupying the same room as Remus, Sirius was the only thing he could think about. The god had dropped him off where they'd first met, and though Remus had been punished for his absence, he'd been relieved to be back where the earth touched his feet.

The novelty of that soon wore off, however, and he was left with an empty pit in his chest. It was hard for him to realize that Sirius was alluring to him, despite everything. Remus didn't believe that the god had meant anything bad—far from it, in fact—but being at someone's mercy wasn't how he wanted to live his life.

Then there were the days when he wondered if he had made the wrong choice. He didn't want to be at anyone's mercy, yes, but maybe the god's would have been kinder than Greyback's. The man was ruthless and cruel, and Remus found his hope of freedom diminishing as time went by.

And then there was something to be said about how nice it had felt to be wanted. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in many years, and he cursed himself now for taking it so lightly, even if the attention had come from a god.

And then there was the god himself. He was stubborn and self-righteous, but there was something about him that caught Remus' interest all the same that had nothing to do with his godliness. Sirius was handsome; Remus couldn't deny that. But it was more what rested beneath the surface that attracted Remus to him. He had seemed genuinely concerned about Remus, and his intentions had been true. He was kind to him and didn't treat him as an inferior. But the fact remained that it just couldn't be. There were laws, and Remus always had wanted the things he couldn't have.

Remus was thinking this very thing one day in the fields, weeks after Sirius had released him. Sweat was pouring down his back and staining his tunic, but he kept going. He was in the same spot he'd been in when he first noticed Sirius, a fact he tried to ignore. Yet, however hard he tried, the "what ifs" continued to dance through his head.

"Remus."

Remus jumped, startled by the voice. He spun around to see Sirius standing before him, something clutched in his hands.

Remus blinked, unsure how to go on. He decided to speak to Sirius the way he had in the Underworld, hoping that the god hadn't changed his mind about formalities. "Sirius." He bowed his head. "Erm. Good to see you. But if you're here, who's guarding Hades?"

Sirius waved his concern aside. "My brother, for the time being."

Remus cleared his throat after a moment of silence. "May I ask why you've come?"

Sirius took a step forward, but Remus held his ground this time. "I've seen how nobly you've lived this life," Sirius told him. "I know what you did for your parents. You sacrificed so much to keep them safe. That, I thought, shouldn't go unrewarded."

Remus was speechless as Sirius unclenched his fist, revealing a thick, gold ring in his palm. "Wear this. It has my seal on it—whoever sees it will know that they cannot harm you, unless, of course, they want to suffer my wrath." He grinned mischievously, and Remus had to tamp down a snicker. Then Sirius was solemn again. He looked at Remus expectantly.

Remus accepted the gift and slipped it onto his finger. The weight was strangely comforting, and that peculiar feeling—the joy of being wanted, and, he realized, wanting back—had settled in his chest again.

Sirius turned away, but something within Remus possessed him to call him back. "Will you come back?"

Sirius looked at him, confused. "I thought I wasn't welcome in your life."

Remus shook his head. "I don't want to live in Hades," he admitted, "but I do want to see more of you."

A blinding grin overtook Sirius' face and he quickly stepped over to Remus. "That is what you want?"

Remus nodded, face flushed at their close proximity. Sirius beamed and, to Remus' shock, brushed his lips against his.

"Every sundown," he promised. "This is a good thing, you'll see. You'll be happy."

Remus nodded. "Yes. I… I believe you."

"No more sacrificing." As he spoke, Sirius began to fade away.

"No more sacrificing," Remus agreed.

He watched Sirius fade from view, then turned back to the fields. There was work to be done, but Remus found that he didn't mind. At last, he had something to look forward to. A thousand wishes, a thousand promises couldn't compete with that.

A/N:

Writing Club:

Assorted Appreciation: 5. Write about a forbidden relationship

Disney Challenge: Themes 3. Damsel in Distress — Write about someone determined to save themselves

Showtime: Write about someone finally getting together

Amber's Attic: Quotes 2. "Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a precious diamond." (5 bonus points)

Sophie's Shelf: 9. "How's your head?" / "Hasn't had any complaints!"

Angel's Arcade: 11. Yuna — (theme) sacrifice, (object) ring, (title) A Thousand Words

Lo's Lowdown: Dialogue 2. "Good to see you. But if you're here, who's guarding Hades?"

Film Festival: 3. (plot point) kidnapping someone/being kidnapped; 4. (plot point) making a dramatic entrance