Disclaimer: Not mine, obviously. UN-Betad!
DEDICATED TO PADDYWADDY! For being with me the entire way during Becoming Moony. And because I felt like it.
Lupercalia Moons
Lupercalia, or the "Wolf Festival", is held every year from February 13 to February 15. It is an especially important time for adolescent lycanthropes. This is the time when their bodies are beginning to change and true puberty strikes. Lupercalia starts the first "heat" of an adolescent lycanthropes life. During the three festival days the lycanthrope will feel the first stirrings of what is termed "The Need". The Need is an unruly urge to mate.
Lycanthropes have very short tempers, are easily irritated, and, generally, have very turbulent mood swings on the days approaching the festival. Avoidance is the best policy for this period of time.
Remus fumed as he stomped down the hallway. He hated Sirius Black to a degree that could be counted as suicidal! The stupid git had gone and ruined another batch of essays and it was beginning to grate on Remus's very frayed nerves. He needed some peace and quiet, not an endless party that drenched his homework is pumpkin juice!
He entered the silent library with a relieved sigh. It was so nice in here he didn't want to leave. Remus wondered if Madame Pince would allow him to move in on a permanent basis if he shelved books for the rest of his life. Remus settled into one of the long desks that stretched across the side windows and began to write out his Potions essay for the third time.
A sudden pounding of feet alerted him to the imminent arrival of either Sirius Black or James Potter. Neither of them would be welcome at this particular point in time. Remus ignored the muffled whispers and shuffling feet that approached him and scribbled furiously.
"Remmie?" Remus paused as a long index finger poked his shoulder, once, twice, a third time, before pulling away. Remus went back to his paper without replying.
"Remmie?" Another poke, this time in the back of his neck.
"Remmie?" Poke, poke, poke went the finger. Remus's eyes crossed as his anger built into a towering crescendo.
"Remmie?"
"WHAT!"
Sirius jumped back in shock as a whirlwind of teenage werewolf raged at him. He motioned towards the door and gave a little mumble that sounded a great deal like "mimble-wibble". Remus narrowed his eyes at the disowned heir.
"What do you want Sirius?"
"IwantedtoknowifyouwantedtogotothepartytheHufflepuffsarehaving?"
Remus felt his eye twitch, "You wanted to know if I wanted to go to a party? How stupid can you possibly be Sirius whatever-your-middle-name-is Black! I want to finish this essay without having it ruined! I want to graduate sometime this century! I want to find a cure for my affliction! Although, I'm apparently not getting any of those with you around! And now you've made me yell…in a LIBRARY!"
Sirius looked down to the floor, nodded, and left. Remus managed to calm himself down enough to feel terrible. What was wrong with him? Sure he had to do his homework over again, but that was rather normal for him. What had made him go off like that? Poor Sirius, he hadn't deserved any of what had been said.
Remus slumped into his seat; even more miserable than he had been when he walked in.
/page break/
The first night of the Wolf Festival is the time in which the most radical changes occur. Growth spurts, voice changes, and aches are typical. Unlike human puberty, which the lycanthrope may go through, these changes can be extreme. Because puberty typically hits later in a lycanthropes life, observers think that lycanthropes are "late bloomers". This is not the case, however, as they will soon find when their "late-bloomer" grows taller overnight.
As these extreme changes occur overnight, pain is expected. Warm water is a general relaxant, but do not expect miracles.
Remus groaned as he rolled over in bed, there was too much pain for this to be normal. Everything ached; his head, his back, his elbows, his knees…hell, even his toes hurt! He hurt in places he didn't even know he had.
"Remus? You okay?" James leaned over the bed, blinking down at his friend owlishly.
"I think I ruptured my spleen, my kidney, and my brain."
"Okay?" said James, eyebrows reaching astronomical proportions.
" Forget classes, I'm calling in dead." Remus managed a small grin in response to the three snorts that littered the room.
"I wonder if she would take that excuse? Good one, Remus!" Remus winced as Peter's voice screeched across his eardrums.
"Shut up, Peter! Can't you see he doesn't feel well?" A large 'smack' accompanied Sirius whispered statement. Remus winced again as Peter's "OUCH!" reverberated against his brain. He burrowed himself into the warm blankets and pulled his pillow over his head.
"Aww, poor Remmie. Don't worry, we'll get your homework for you." Sirius cooed, apparently forgetting about the shitty way he was treated yesterday.
"Oh no. The horrors, how will I ever survive?"
"There's no need to be so sarcastic, yeesh."
The other two boys were herded out by Sirius and left Remus in peace. Or was that pieces?
He didn't know how long he had slept, but the hurried and harsh whispers of his roommates woke him. They sounded remarkably worried; he didn't look that horrible, did he? Remus peeked out from the top of the sheets, taking in the worried faces with some trepidation.
"What's wrong?"
"Uh, well…it looks as though you've…nah that can't be," mumbled James.
"Sirius? What is this moron mumbling about?"
"Would you stand up for a minute Remmie?"
"I don't want to, my body hurts."
Peter mumbled, "It should."
"What do you mean it should? What's going on?" asked Remus, finally sitting up.
"It looks as though you've shot up about three feet."
Remus raised his eyebrow, "Uh-huh."
Sirius rolled his eyes and pulled Remus to his feet. Remus felt his jaw drop off as he looked at Sirius's rather lovely nose. He hadn't seen that yesterday. He had always been called the Baby Marauder for a reason. Remus had only come up to mid-chest on Sirius yesterday. What the hell was going on?
"What's going on?" James and Peter shrugged. Sirius stared at the top of Remus's forehead, consternation evident.
"Maybe we should go see Pomfrey?"
"Good idea, Pete."
"Before we go, can I borrow some trousers? Mine won't fit." Sirius snorted with laughter, moving to his trunk. James picked up one of his clean shirts and handed it over. A real smorgasbord of clothing, but it was the only think that would work. All of Remus's clothes were too small, now. Bugger.
"Hey, Remus, at least your feet haven't grown. They were big to begin with!"
Two resounding slaps and one "Shit!" followed after Remus as he left the dorm.
/page break/
The second day of Lupercalia, which is, incidentally, Valentine's Day, is the day when no changes occur. It seems as though the lycanthrope gets a small break from all of the pain. February 14th is a remarkably calm day, in which the lycanthrope gets to recover from the shock of the day before.
However, mood swings are possible on this day. Some lycanthropes go from delightfully pleasant to raging beast in under thirty seconds. Others experience bouts of hysterical laughter and periods of unrestricted tears. Merlin help the poor sod that triggers the swings.
Sirius looked on helplessly as Remus sobbed into his hands. He didn't know what he had done wrong.
"Remmie, are you okay?"
Remus cried harder as Sirius patted his back, he didn't know why he was crying in all honesty. Maybe it was all the stress and his strange growth spurt catching up to him. Madame Pomfrey hadn't found any reason for his new height; she said it might have just been his body catching up puberty-wise. It was slightly humiliating finding that out in front of Sirius. It wasn't that Sirius would hold it against him, but who wants to find out that puberty is finally hitting in front of their crush!
Remus heaved in a great gasp of air and managed to calm down. He smiled and gave a small sniffle as Sirius handed him a linen handkerchief.
"Sorry, Pads. I don't know why I fell apart like that."
"It's okay, happens to everyone. You remember what I was like after I ran away, don't you?"
Remus did. Sirius had fallen apart in his arms, crying hysterically and worrying that nobody wanted him. It had been heart wrenching to see such a strong person fall so far down.
" Here, I think I've got a…here it is! For you." Sirius held out a slightly mangled Chocolate Frog box and grinned.
"Thanks. So, what did you get for Valentine's day?" asked Remus, trying to ignore the swell of tears that ambushed him.
"Eh, same junk as usual. What'd you get?"
"Ha! Like I get anything. Nobody knows I even exist." Remus stood, handed Sirius his handkerchief back and left before he cried on Sirius again.
Sirius sat on the stairs with a bemused look on his face, running a thumb over the Chocolate Frog box.
/page break/
The final night of Lupercalia can be one of the hardest nights for the young lycanthrope. This is when "The Need" finally occurs. The longer the lycanthrope remains without a mate, the harder and more frequent "The Need" becomes.
As the lycanthropes body and mind settles, it becomes easier to bear the burden of being a Dark Creature. This time is can be very turbulent for the adolescent lycanthrope, but a mate will help tremendously.
Being a teenage lycanthrope has its misadventures, but time will tell if it's a match made in heaven.
Remus dragged himself up the dormitory stairs, wanting only to go to sleep. Today had been absolutely horrid. Nothing had gone right, he felt nauseous as hell, and had had the urge to find Sirius all day long.
As Remus pushed the door open he stopped in shock. Sirius Black was lying upon Remus's bed…naked except for a pair of black silk boxers, a giant red bow perched on a very creative spot, and a shit-eating grin. There were boxes upon boxes of Honeyduke's best chocolates, Belgium truffles, and chocolate covered strawberries.
Unconscious of the drool that slid down the side of his cheek, Remus stepped forward with an inarticulate 'guh'.
"Happy Lupercalia, Remmie."
"Luper…you knew! You knew this was going to happen! I don't know how you knew but you...knew."
Sirius grinned and twirled a long stemmed rose between his long fingers and nodded, "I knew. I've known ever since I found out you were a werewolf. Didn't recognize what it was until yesterday though."
"You unbelievable little shit! You didn't even think about telling me, did you?"
"Nope, it was more fun this way. Now, are you going to open your Lupercalia gift or not? I can always take it back you know."
"And just what makes you think that you're my mate, Mister I'm-So-Smug?"
A brief flash of uncertainty passed over Sirius's face, only to be washed away with a smile, "I just know. After all, you're my mate too, aren't you?"
Remus looked at the floor, biting back tears. This is what he'd been waiting for, wasn't it? This was why he continued to deal with being a werewolf. It was all for the gorgeous creature lying on his bed covered in chocolate. Remus looked up with a brilliant smile.
Sirius had only a moment's notice before Remus came careening onto the bed, knocking chocolate everywhere. Remus pressed his lips to Sirius's, humming at the taste of more chocolate and a taste that was all together Sirius.
"How long have we got the dorm to ourselves?"
"All night."
"Good."
"Why?"
"We're gonna need it, lover boy."
"Oooh, goodie."
As the two boys kissed and did many other unmentionable things to each other, the large red bow sat on the floorboards, leaning against a box of Honeyduke's Best Dark Chocolate (Eighty-five percent!) and a stuffed wolf named Moon.
A/N: Here you go! Happy Valentine's Day!