His neighborhood was always quiet. Not rich, not at all... and not very charming, either. It was quiet, though.

The only thing that seemed a bit "off" was the haunted house, which was a block away from the Lupins' house. Everyone seemed to be afraid of it. Of course, even if it really was haunted, as a wizard, Remus was pretty much familiar with ghosts.

It had two floors and it was, old and abandoned. The grey paint on the walls was broken. Rickety shutters were hopelessly trying to protect the dirty windows. The black gate was guarding a small garden, smothered in neglected bushes and weeds. Remus thought there was something romantic about this place, in a macabre way...

Something that most people didn't seem to notice, though, was that something else was growing in the garden of this supernatural little place. Hidden by a bunch of thorny bushes, there was a rosebush, with beautiful wild roses blooming. The most extraordinary thing about these roses, other than their scent- was their color. They all had a dark lilac hue... They trully were beautiful, although it was a mystery how they ended up in that color.

His mother's birthday was the next day, so he would sneak in the garden and get her some of those beautiful roses.

"Don't be late, Remus... I'm making your favourite!" his mother said, smiling at the teenager.

"I will be right back, mom..."

He closed the door behind him. The summer breeze brought the strong scent of the neighbour's flowers in his nose.

It took him a few moments to realise he wasn't the only one walking down the Lyndhurst Road.

There was someone standind there, leaning on the pole of a street lamp. The stranger noticed him and took a few steps forward. The light caressed his face and found shelter in his raven hair. The teenager gave Remus an enchanting smile. His heart skipped a beat.

"Padfoot?!"

"I thought you would never come out..." Sirius said softly, putting his arms around Remus' waist.

So much for a manly hug.

"Where you waiting for me? How did you know I was going-"

"I didn't. I would wait for some more time and eventually come and knock on your door if you didn't come out." he said, smiling awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" Remus said, putting his hands on Sirius' chest.

If someone saw the boys, he would probably assume they were a couple... It wasn't just the warm embrace.. it was what their eyes were whispering.

"Aren't you happy to see me, little one?" Sirius said softly.

"Of course I'm happy to see you, silly goose..." he said. He stared at Sirius' chest, as he realised how intimate their hug was.

"Where are you going, wolfy?" the ebony-haired teenager asked, caressing his waist.

They hadn't seen each other in nearly a month. James was in France with his parents- he didn't really want to go, but he had promised them. His last letter had arrived two days ago- along with Peter's. Wormtail was in England, but his house was very far from the others'...

Meeting with his best friends during the holidays wasn't easy- summers were hard. Remus had to face his transformations on his own and without a Shrieking Shack available, his mom had to lock him in a small room for the night.

James was working on a solution to this problem, but Remus didn't know that.

Sirius had written him a few days ago- a simple, maybe a little cold letter. Remus hadn't misunderstood the young wizard- he probably had problems at home again and was in a bad mood.

Besides, he was here wasn't he? Holding Remus softly...

Was this supposed to feel wrong?

Remus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His emotions were fighting inside him, all trying to escape his heart and run around the handsome boy that had him in his arms. If Sirius knew what was going on inside his head he would probably push him back, disgusted...

"In a haunted house..." he answered, giving the animagus a smile.

"What?!"

Remus chuckled. "There's an old, abandoned duplex nearby... the people of this neighborhood seem to think it's haunted. I've been there a few times, I saw nothing... other than some beautiful roses. And before you mock me... I want them for my mom. It's her birthday tomorrow..."

"...I was in for some serious mocking!" Sirius answered, frowning. "You had to ruin it for me. Now.. where is the haunted duplex?"

They were walking side by side, talking and laughing. Their hands were almost touching. Remus felt pleasantly numb... Sirius always made him feel... slightly different.

He couldn't remember how many times he had lost himself in these black eyes...

Of course, he wasn't dellusional... He knew those weird feelings would never be returned.

"This is the place..."

They stopped in front of the big, black gate.

"Such a big gate for such a small house... oh, well. So, how do we get in?" Sirius said.

"We climb in, making sure we don't get impaled...?" Remus said, smiling awkwardly.

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

Remus climbed in first. Sirius followed. When he jumped down, he practically fell in Remus' arms. "Glad to know my prince in shiny armour is here for me...!" he said.

"I am not letting you near muggle children's books again, Paddy. And it's KNIGHT in shiny armour. Watch out for the bushes, they are full of thorns." his cheeks were red, but he tried to hide it.

He WAS wondering why did Sirius appear like this in his house this evening. Thinking he knew the answer, he didn't ask. Probably a huge fight in Grimmauld Place and

Sirius wanting to get away from them... his family.

"Moony... Are these the flowers we are looking for?"

Remus followed the boy's voice. He was kneeled beside a rosebush filled with the beautiful flowers. Remus kneeled next to him.

"Isn't that an interesting color?"

"It's called suntory blue..." Sirius said quietly.

Remus widened his eyes. "Well, I simply kept calling them 'lilac'."

"Lilac is lighter. Will we pick them up or just discuss about colors and the latest fashion?" Sirius said. Remus laughed and hit him softly on the chest. Sirius grabbed him in his warm embrace again. They were laughing for a few moments. When they stopped, they realised their faces were too close to each other.

"Look at us... in a supposed haunted house, holding each other like lovers..." Remus said, trying to defuse the tension... or maybe trying to ignore the warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest...

"What's wrong with that?" Sirius asked quietly, locking Remus in his arms.

"With...what?" golden eyes travelled in black.

"With... lovers!" he said.

Remus felt Sirius' fingers caressing his back.

"Nothing... it's just that..."

What was it really? What could he say now?

Sirius pushed him back on the ground and lied on top of him. Remus didn't protest. Tawny hair touched the neglected grass.

"I missed you, Moony..." Sirius whispered.

Sirius Black, said to be so smooth with the ladies... red as a turnip, afraid to touch the boy that was under him, afraid he would scare him away.

"I am sorry about my last few letters... they were... slightly weird." he said quietly.

"Well, they were, but I thought I figured out why-"

"Nothing to do with my family, wolfy." he said, interrupting Remus.

"Well...then?"

Sirius sighed. "You want the long version or shall I get straight to the point?"

"You're horrible with words, so straight to the point will do." Remus said, his heart beating fast.

"Can do." Before he could say anything, Sirius... kissed him. The teenager stayed still, unsure of how to react.

Sirius let out a small sound of relief, when Remus' tongue started playing with his own. He was improvising; he had never kissed anyone before. Sirius had a lot of experience on the field... but he had never kissed someone he trully had feelings for. Remus made a small, wolfish sound Sirius seemed to love, as his hands were now moving under the boy's clothes. They eventually broke the kiss, both needing air.

"..Is this the part where I explain?" Sirius asked, trying to catch his breath.

"No... this is the part where you kiss me again..."

Remus was slightly embarassed- he didn't really know how to kiss. Sirius didn't really seem to care.

Words were unnecessary. They were kissing and touching each other softly. The summer breeze ruffled Sirius' hair. Remus ran his fingers through it, intending to fix it, but he ended up pulling Sirius closer and kissing him.

"I think I should get the flowers from my mom..." Remus said, caressing Sirius' face.

"Uhm...right..."

He helped the young werewolf pick the flowers and remove their thorns. They sat on the grass, completely silent, dethorning the roses.

Sirius climbed out first and Remus was the one that fell in his arms this time, as carefully as he could, so he wouldn't ruin the flowers. He laid one last kiss on Sirius' lips. The raven-haired boy followed him to Lyndhurst Road.

"Will you stay for dinner?" Remus asked, smiling at the teenager.

He was silent for a few moments, staring at Remus as if he had told him he had decided to go swim with the giant squid. He complied with a smile on his face.

***********************************************************************************
"You know, I am very glad you are here... I always wanted to meet my son's friends...I have heard so much about you..." Remus' mother was smiling at Sirius, who was wolfing her food down.

"Thank you!" Sirius answered, smiling at her and then returning into flirting with the mashed potatoes.

The small woman laughed. "Glad you like it, boys."

"Honestly, it's wonderful, uhm..." was he supposed to call her Mrs Lupin?

"Hope. Just call me Hope, dear." she said, smiling.

"Wow... Great name!" he said, smiling.

"Same there! Sirius... that's a star, isn't it?"

Sirius nodded. "We have a thing for stars in my family. My father's Orion, my brother Regulus... Insane Purebloods!"

Hope laughed. "Well, Sirius... I have heard a lot about you..."

"Any good?" Sirius said, looking at Remus. The teenager winked at him.

"You are a trouble-maker, aren't you?" she said, smiling cunningly.

"Is...that a problem?"

"Problem...? Hardly. Well then... tell me about your adventures! Give me your best shot..." she said.

Why couldn't his mother be like Hope Lupin?!

************************************************************************************

"Your mother is awesome... she has a great sense of humor, she-"

"Her sense of humor is... well... weird!" Remus said. "You know, the day they met, my dad saved her from a boggart. Guess what- in their wedding day, she decided to crown the wedding cake with a Boggart-shapped topper..."
Sirius laughed. "She's awesome!"

"I know..." Remus smiled. "Would you... like to stay the night? You still owe me an explanation and I have the feeling this conversation will be really long. I know our house is small and... well... nothing like you're used to, but-"

"Moony. It's more beautiful than my house will ever be." Sirius smiled.

The boys were still in the kitchen, while Hope Lupin was in the living room, admiring her flowers with a beaming smile on her face. Remus hadn't mentioned where he found them- he knew his mother would not approve of him being in any sort of haunted house, no matter how many times Remus had talked to her about the ghosts in Hogwarts...

"Mom, you don't mind if Sirius stays the night, do you?" Remus said.

"As long as he sends an owl to his parents!" She came in the kitchen. "You know, my dear, I'm sure this house isn't like-"

"And I repeat, it's more beautiful than my house will ever be!" Sirius, said, giving her one of his enchanting half-smiles.

Remus sighed and got up, pulling Sirius with him.

They got in his small bedroom and Remus locked the door.

"Locking the door, I see... what are you planning on doing to me?" Sirius asked with a seductive smile.

"We'll see. Send a letter to your family first."

"You know, they won't really miss me, nor look for me-"

"Sirius... please." the teenager smiled.

"Fine!"

Remus had a small brown owl, James' gift for his previous birthday. Upon seeing Sirius, the bird hooted happily. Remus opened her cage and the bird flew on Sirius' shoulder.

"Hey, little one."

The owl's name was Maleficent. Of course, there was nothing maleficent about the bird, but Remus had done the horrible mistake of introducing his pure-blood friends to Muggle stories and Sirius liked that name a lot.

While the teenager was writing, Remus was staring at him. His lips were still burning from the kiss they had shared... First, though, he needed to know. Why did Sirius just... kiss him like that?

"Ready..." Sirius tied the letter on Maleficent's leg. The bird flew out of the open window, hooting at him once again.

"Now... just the two of us." Remus said. "Do you want me to close the window?"

"Leave it open until Maly comes back. Trust me, they won't keep her..." Sirius said, taking his shoes off and climbing on Remus' bed.

His bedroom was small, but tidy. Remus was one way too tidy teenager. There were no posters on the walls. His trunk was right under the window, next to the pole

Maleficen't cage was hanged on. The small bedside table was laden with books, parchments and inkbottles- the only thing that really seemed interesting on it was a picture of the four Marauders. There was a small wardrobe right across Remus' bed.

"I know it's very small... After my dad died, mom couldn't afford our old house so we moved in here..." he said, sitting next to him.

"Remus... I honestly don't care.. Besides! You're in the bed, as well. That's all that matters."

"Let's... talk about that, shall we?" Remus said, smiling awkwardly.

Sirius stretched himself. "Okay. Here goes nothing!" he lied on the bed and turned to face Remus, who was sitting next to him. "When I came back to school for our fifth year... I started dating again..."

"As always..." Remus said, raising an eyebrow

"...boys."

"What?!"

Sirius was known to be a womanizer. The thought of him dating a boy was weird. The thought of him dating Remus was...

"I started dating boys. Turns out the great Gryffindor enchanter is...gay!" he said, smiling awkwardly.

"Oh, you are so full of yourself...!" Remus said, smiling.

"I am sorry I didn't say anything... I didn't know how you would take it... Prongs probably won't like it and Peter... well, honestly, I don't know about Peter!" he said.

"I understand... I didn't tell you I was gay, either, did I? I guess I was too scared you would reject me... especially Prongs!" Remus said, smiling. "However there is one thing both of us being gay... and another ending up kissing in a haunted house's garden."

"Yes..." Sirius sighed. "I... well... for a few months now, I have constantly been thinking about you... more than usual and I..." he stopped. "Oh, Merlin! Okay!", he barked a laugh, "I have a huge crash on you since our fourth year! I tried to convince myself otherwise, without any luck." he said, quickly and loud. Wide black eyes were examining Remus' face, trying to read his expression. "Lately... I had been doing a lot of thinking... and-"

"I thought I smelled burnt, go on..." Remus commented on Sirius's "thinking".

"Don't interrupt me, I will lose it and then I will never tell you that I was constantly thinking about you, so I decided to come here, talk to you and get it off my chest..." he said in one breath.

Remus put his hand on Sirius' chest. "DO breathe a little..."

Sirius sighed. "It's just... I don't know if the fact that I'm gay has to do with anything, but... I have never felt that way... I've been with many girls... and some boys secretly, but it was never like that... I mean... Those kisses were the best thing I have ever-"

Remus put his hand on Sirius' lips. "Please, don't explain. I have had a huge crash on you since... well, ever."

"Awesome-"

"But!"

"Oh, no, I feared that." Sirius put his arms around Remus' waist.

"I am... poor and very,very dangerous..."

"What?!"

"Sirius, I-"

"My turn!" Sirius said, silencing Remus... with his lips. One passionate kiss later, he pulled Remus down and climbed on him again. "Don't you dare... I don't care how much money you have, you know that. And as for the dangerous part... Oh, wait! I don't care about that, either!"

Remus had a sad smile. "No, Sirius-"

"Shush. Wolfy. Quiet."

"Just let me-"

"No!" he kissed Remus again. "Everytime you change... I'm there. I know how to handle you. And you might not know it, but... your wolf seems to like me."

"I know..." he muttered.

"How? I thought you didn't remember what happens during your transformation..?"

"I.. can feel him. My wolf, as you say... He likes you. When you are there... it's like I have a happy puppy jumping around in my head..." he said, smiling sadly.

"...wanting to lick my face?" Sirius asked, smiling happily.

"...and other parts of your body..."

Sirius barked a laugh and touched his forehead on Remus'.

"How is this going to work?" Remus whispered.

"It will, Moony. Don't think about that now..." Sirius whispered, his lips already caressing his neck.

"Does...that mean we are together...?" Remus asked softly.

"Only if you want it as much as I do..."

Remus smiled and caressed Sirius' face. "Oh... by the way..." he pushed Sirius off, forced him to lie on his back and climbed on top of him. "I am the wolf... I set the rules..." he whispered in his boyfriend's neck.

"We'll see about that." Sirius gasped, as Remus was nibbling on his neck.

The small owl flew in the room. The door of her cage was open, so she flew in, hooting happily. "Hey, Maly is back." Sirius whispered.

Remus got off the bed, closed the window and the bird's cage door.

Sirius followed him and stood behind him, putting his arms around the teenager's waist.

"See? Maly is happy about us..."

The boys kissed again, as Maleficent hooted happily and then hid her head under her wing.

They deserved some privacy...