Black Forest
Remus Lupin loved chocolate. Any kind of chocolate was not safe in his immediate vicinity. Even the smell of his favorite treat made him a little... distracted. It was a favorite game among his fellow Marauders to hide chocolate somewhere in their dorm and watch Remus feverishly search for it. Once, Peter had thought to hide it in the walls. They'd needed more than a simple reparo to fix the hole, but they managed it in the end.
So, yes, chocolate was one of the few things that drove Remus crazy. It was public record by his second year. There were really only two other things that really bothered Remus. One was completely serious and only Dumbledore, his professors, and his three best friends knew it. Remus was a werewolf. He was bitten when he was a small child, and, once a month, his body ripped itself apart into the form of the wolf, which then proceeded to rip itself apart in its fury.
Only one other thing could send Remus's senses reeling. Sirius. Sirius Black was his best friend and the bane of his very existence-in a sort of we're-best-friends-and-I-fancy-you way. Remus sometimes wondered what he'd done to deserve this horrible predicament he was in, but the answer always eluded him. The truth was that Remus was completely infatuated with Sirius. Sirius Black, the tall, confident, ebony-haired, sexy-arsed, gorgeous Gryffindor teen that the entire female (and even some of the male) population of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry cried themselves to sleep over every night.
He had trouble, and he knew it. Or, at least, he thought he did.
***
Sirius Black loved cherries. He REALLY LOVED cherries. He loved the sweet flesh, firm and succulent in his mouth. He loved carefully dissecting it using only tongue and teeth to find the stone in the middle, and he reveled in spitting the stone at his chosen target. Usually, this meant Remus. Why Remus? He supposed it was because the calm teenager would just sigh, pick up his books, and move further away. Sirius didn't mind, since this meant general improvement when it came to aiming.
Why not pelt James with the stones? He had, actually. Once. Once was all it took for the messy-haired youth to draw his wand and send the offending pit sailing up his assailant's nose. Too embarrassed to brave the common room (The Sirius Black with a cherry stone up his nose?), he sulked on his bed for the rest of the night until Moony finally had pity on him and charmed the offending object out of Sirius's nose and into the wastebasket.
Peter Pettigrew was out of the question. He just took everything too personally. Sirius didn't understand why the boy was such a prat sometimes.
So, that left poor Remus to be accosted by the sticky little missiles whenever Sirius got a hold of his favorite treat. Fortunately for Remus, cherries were only in season in the summer and the first few weeks of school. That limited the annoyance to the very beginning of the autumn term.
Sirius loved lots of things besides cherries. He loved James like a brother. He loved to pull pranks of epic proportions. He loved summer, Quidditch, being Padfoot, and making McGonagall's nostril's flare.
He also loved Remus Lupin. But unlike his completely platonic feelings for James, his toward Remus were a lot less than honorable. This was a secret he planned on taking to the grave. After all, what would Remus ever see in Sirius to ever think of him as more than a friend? They were complete opposites. Remus was studious, quiet, and kind with a dry wit that only those closest to him knew about. Sirius knew that he was nothing like Remus; he was impulsive, obnoxious, and his sense of humor tended more toward slapstick.
***
Summer was officially ending as the Hogwarts Express approached the castle to begin their fifth year. The clear night sky soared overhead, the heavenly lights bathing the train compartment in a pale glow. A glow, Sirius noticed, that brought out the pale streaks in Remus's normally honey-brown locks. Remus had changed over the summer. He used to be the smallest of the group, looking much younger than even Peter. This past summer, however, Remus had shot up in height and filled out, although he would never be very muscular. Sirius reckoned that Remus could match him in height now.
Remus felt eyes on him and turned just in time to see Sirius studying him before looking away, blushing slightly. Hmm, what was that about? But he soon forgot because, in turning his head he was now facing Sirius's profile, and he began to take his turn as the voyeur. Sirius had reclined in the seat, his head thrown back, eyes closed, and looking peaceful. Remus took the time to really look, since Sirius was never still for long. His pale, smooth neck was completely exposed and Remus had to exert a considerable amount of self-control to keep from claiming that white column of exposed flesh.
Of course, such moments couldn't last long. James came dashing into the compartment as though the very hounds of Hell were on his heels. "Okay, chaps, if anyone asks, I've been here the whole ride."
"James, where's Pete?" Remus rarely missed details.
"About that—" BANG! The door slammed open and they were left staring at a very angry Lily Evans.
"If this is how you treat your friends, Potter, it's a wonder you have any! I can't believe you'd make poor Peter carry through with that dare! Especially when it involves a professor!" She would have said more-and Sirius and Remus were eager to hear- but Peter dove into the room at that moment looking flushed with triumph and much embarrassment.
"I got it! I got it!" cried Peter, looking to James for affirmation.
James had the grace to look somewhat abashed in front of Lily, but he clapped Peter on the back. "What finesse! Pete, it could not have been done without you!"
Peter smiled happily, but Lily just rolled her eyes and went back to her own part of the train.
The train proceeded on to Hogwarts without any more disturbances. (Unless you count Sirius trying to steal one of Remus's chocolate frogs. Fortunately, James knew the counter curse.) During the feast, the boys laughed, joked, and plotted future pranks to cause general mayhem for the Slytherins.
***
It was a week into the term and James had had enough. It wasn't that being Sirius's best friend was such a hardship, but the whole week all Sirius could talk about was (frighteningly enough) Remus! But whenever James pointed that fact out to Sirius, he would just give him this injured look and stop talking altogether. It was time for a serious talk. Even if it did involve talking about Remus… again.
Two days later, however, after many attempts at cornering Sirius, James decided to resort to desperate measures. He bribed Lily into having a study session with Remus (after promising not to speak with her for a whole week, much to his chagrin), and he set Peter up on a date with a girl from Hufflepuff. Then James sat in their shared dorm and waited for Sirius to arrive.
He didn't have to wait long. He heard Sirius come charging up the steps. When Sirius burst in the door, James almost burst out laughing. Sirius had a bag full of ripe cherries cradled in his arms. Anticipation was evident in the gleeful grin he had plastered on his face, and James knew that Remus was in for a very bad time.
However, this wasn't entirely about Remus, yet. First, James had to get the truth out of Sirius.
"Evening, Pads," said James, stepping out from behind his bed.
Sirius gave a whoop of surprise and nearly dropped his precious cargo. "Proooongs! Have a care, will you? I almost dropped these!" He clutched his cherries to his chest.
"Whatever. Look, mate, we need to talk," James said. Best to get it out in the open.
"What about?" Sirius's face took on that shuttered look it got when he was preparing to deny everything.
"You and how you can't seem to shut up about Moony."
Oh Hells! Sirius thought. He knows! Even then, Sirius decided to play it smooth.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're on about, James," he said, using his best Black voice.
James hated that voice, that attitude Sirius used that said he didn't care was others thought because he was Sirius Black. James knew, like no one else did, just how untrue that attitude was.
"C'mon, Pads! I don't want to hear that bullshit right now! I'm sick of you going on about Remus, and then when I actually ask you about him, you clam up!"
"You wouldn't want to know. I thought you'd be glad that I had shut up about it," murmured Sirius.
"Not if it is important to you, and I think it is."
Sirius leveled a long look at James, placed his bag on a nearby bed, and straightened up. "Tell me, James, what you think 'it' is." His voice, instead of being defensive, was strained and quiet.
"I may frighten Lily away on a daily basis, but I'm not completely ignorant."
"Meaning…?"
"Are you in love with Remus?"
He expected an explosion or denial. Anything except the miserable, shocked, and frightened expression Sirius gave him before he took off. If it hadn't been for James's quick reflexes, he would not have caught up with Sirius before he made it to the door. As it was, he only just caught his arm.
"Let go of me, Prongs!" Sirius fought savagely to get loose, dislodging James's glasses in the process.
"No! Why can't you just tell me what's wrong!" James tackled Sirius to the ground and sat on him. Sirius looked at him and, shockingly, burst into tears. Bloody hell, he owes me for this, thought James.
"Why can't you leave me alone! I don't need this. Don't you think it's hard enough for me without having to sodding talk about it?" Sirius whined.
"So you do fancy Moony!" James said. Ha! And Lily says I don't pay attention.
"Of c- wait, you don't mind?" Sirius looked at James, shock distracting him from his self-pity. The hope warring with fear in his eyes made James realize why Sirius had been so hesitant to ask James for help.
"No, you stupid sod, I don't. You can't help it-"
"Just like you can't help chasing after Evans even though she'd sooner hex your balls off than look at you?" quipped Sirius.
"Ye- NO!" He punched Sirius. " 'Sides, even if I thought you were disgusting, you are my brother, and I love you no matter what." He blushed a little to say it aloud, but it was just Sirius. Sirius wouldn't tease him for that.
"Thanks James." Sirius looked almost happy for a moment.
"So, do you fancy Moony, then?" James couldn't resist asking.
Sirius glared at him, "Of course I do, you berk."
Reckoning Sirius wasn't going to bolt on him again, James rolled off his friend and pulled him to his feet. They sat on James's bed.
"Sirius, if you like him, why don't you just tell him?"
"If you were in my place, would you tell him?"
"Of course I-" James started to say, but then he stopped. Thought.
"Yeah, you've figured it out." Sirius said bitterly. "This isn't as easy as you and Evans. Remus is my mate. For all I know, he hates poofters and would be disgusted if I asked him." James had never seen Sirius so miserable. "I don't think I could stand it if Moony rejected me." He looked so afraid, James knew Sirius was imagining the whole ugly scene.
"Sirius, even if Remus wasn't interested, he would never turn his back on you. On any of us. Think of who and what he is and what he's been through. Do you really think he could hate you? Moony is your friend, and you don't really know how he feels." Even James was surprised at how insightful he was. Sirius better appreciate the fact that I'm practically turning into a girl for him.
"But what do I do? I can't necessarily go right up to him and say, 'Hey, Remus, d'you fancy me?' It's just not… It's so awkward!" Sirius threw himself on his bed.
James chuckled. "I think I've got a plan. What delicious confection do we know of that Moony loves?"
"Chocolate," was the immediate reply.
"Right." James wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Yes, but how does chocolate…" He saw James's dancing eyebrows and realized all the wonderful things that one could do with chocolate. His eyes widened. "Have I ever told you that you are a perverted bastard, Prongs?"
"We seem to be roughly on the same track here. Now here is what I have in mind-"
And James let Sirius in on his plan. There were a couple points that Sirius was unsure about, and one that he objected to most vehemently, but he eventually came around on all counts. He even made a couple additions of his own. After all, this was for his Moony.
***
Remus was very confused. Sirius was behaving a little more erratic than usual; running around with James and being secretive. He hadn't actually talked to Sirius in days, and he suspected some sort of prank. A prank, he suspected, that was so devious he couldn't be told because he would be bound, as a prefect, to report it. He mentally recoiled in horror, having survived a few of those pranks in the past. But that wasn't it, Remus decided. They wouldn't talk to him at all. Usually, they'd do their planning when he was studying in the library, so his conscience wouldn't be offended- something he honestly appreciated. Whatever it was, he would find out one way or another.
***
Meanwhile, in the Room of Requirement…
"James!" Sirius wailed for the quintillionth time that night. "The chocolate isn't setting up! It's all runny still! I even filched this bleeding marble slab from the kitchens to cool it on and the ruddy-chocolate-won't-set!" He raged, punctuating each word with a smack on said surface that left him wincing and speckled with sweet, brown dots. What would he do if the chocolate didn't set? He knew he missed an ingredient in this truffle recipe. This was for the filling on the inside, which wasn't supposed to melt until after it was in Remus's mouth. At this rate, he'd have to pour it in a glass, and then have Remus pour it all over him… mmmm, on second thought…
"Oi! Y'wanker! Pay attention!" James shook his head at his best mate. Honestly, if he hadn't just found out Sirius was a poof, he would have called him a girl for mooning about. Hehe, mooning about. How appropriate. James made a mental note of his cleverness. "Read the directions again. What did you forget?"
Sirius glanced over the grease-spattered recipe. "I put everything in! There's the chocolate, butter, cream, syrup, and brandy! It's all there… oh, bugger it all. Prongs?"
"Yes," he answered, with some trepidation- he recognized that tone in Padfoot's voice all too well.
"What's a refrigerator?"
James couldn't believe it. "Of all the… it's what Muggles use to keep things cold, you git."
"But we don't have one!" Apparently, the room wouldn't supply them with a real refrigerator.
James was beginning to regret this immensely, but Sirius was his friend and he wanted him to be happy, right? Even if it meant a headache on James's part from clenching his teeth. "Sirius, we don't need one. You know that cooling charm we learned last term? Use it!"
"Oh, right," came the sheepish reply.
The ganache was cooled, rolled into balls and dunked in chocolate. Finally, the truffles were finished. The room was cleaned, and Sirius put the confections in a container on the table. He checked the clock, almost time for supper. He and James headed to Gryffindor common room to fetch Remus and Peter and went to eat.
***
Remus was relieved that the Hogwarts school robes were so big and billowy. He'd procured some cherries earlier in the year, put a preservation spell on them, and had been saving them. He'd planned on giving it to Sirius as a birthday present, but he figured the best way to get information out of Sirius was to bribe him. Nothing swayed Sirius like plump, dark cherries.
During the meal, Remus kept noticing Sirius shooting him surreptitious glances from across the table. Did Sirius notice the small bulge from the cherries? Remus really hoped not. Finally, Remus caught his eye and held it. There was a spark in his eye that frightened Remus a little. It wasn't his usual I-Have-a-Prank-to-Make-Snivellus-Scream-Like-a-Girl look. It was more determined. In fact, Remus realized he hadn't seen Sirius look like this since Sirius, James, and Peter became Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail. He couldn't think of what Sirius might be doing that could be that serious. It made him nervous, to say the least, and he couldn't resist asking.
"Pads, are you alright?" he asked quietly as they returned to their dorm, leaning close to whisper. He smells like… chocolate. Mmm… Remus's eyes glazed a little at the thought of Sirius covered in chocolate, of all things. Resting the urge to jump his best friend, he covered by frowning seriously at the dark-haired youth.
Sirius looked a little confused, "Oh, yeah, Moony, I'm fine," he said vaguely as he took a flight of stairs. Then he noticed Remus's worried frown, and his attention focused on Remus, "Why do you ask?" Were his eyes a little glazed?
"Oh, um… well, I just noticed you were a little twitchy back there, and… oh, never mind," Remus trailed off. What was he supposed to say? Oh, I was just staring into your eyes and noticed you had a look in them… Yeah, that'd go over well. And chocolate…
Suddenly, Remus realized that he and Sirius were no longer heading toward Gryffindor tower, but to the third floor.
"Um, Padfoot,"
"Yeah," came the wary reply.
"Where are we going?"
Sirius didn't immediately answer, and Remus glanced sharply at him. The teenager looked positively jumpy. Sirius Black is nervous? Remus thought. Uh oh, what is going on?
"Sirius?"
Sirius snapped out of his reverie. "Oh, um, right. I wanted to show you something. Follow me." And he led Remus down a long corridor. Remus had been attending the school for almost five years, and between his illicit outings with his fellow Marauders and his prefect rounds, he'd thought he'd seen every inch of the school. Yet, he'd never come across this particular door. It was dark, cherry wood, highly polished and inlaid with scenes from myths, legends, and all manner of things. Whatever was behind this door was the cause of Sirius's strange behavior, he hoped.
Sirius swung the door open and the scene inside washed over Remus like a warm tide. The room was lit with hundreds of glowing candles suspended in midair, and everything was gold and red damask. Except the table in the center of the room. That was pure mahogany with a huge platter of… ohgod. Remus thought. Truffles. He looked at Sirius in disbelief. "Is this for me?"
"You, Remus. It's all for you," said Sirius, sincerity shining from his silvery eyes. There was also fear there. Remus wanted to make sure Sirius was never afraid again.
"Sirius, it's incredible. And truffles, Sirius!" Remus's eyes shone.
Sirius smiled with relief and led Remus to the table. Batting Remus's hand away from the decadent sweets, Sirius selected one gleaming chocolate jewel and held it to Remus's waiting mouth. With eyes locked on Sirius, Remus opened his mouth and accepted the rich morsel. Dark, pure chocolate flavor melted on his tongue and flowed through his body like warm syrup.
Not breaking eye contact with Sirius, Remus took out one of the cherries he was going to bribe Sirius with and brought it to Sirius's mouth. He watched his mate's eyes widen- cherries were almost a month out of season. Remus had put a special preservation spell on these from the first week of school. He'd even gone through the trouble of removing the pits himself using a charm he'd found in an old etiquette book he'd found in the library.
As Sirius bit into the juicy flesh of the cherry, he closed his eyes, savoring the mellow flavor of his favorite food. After he swallowed, he looked up again and saw Remus's eyes devouring him hungrily. Reaching out a tentative hand, he caressed Remus's cheek, palm cradling the soft, warm flesh. Remus hummed, nuzzling into Sirius's hand. Unable to bear it any longer, Sirius pulled his face to him and claimed Remus's mouth with his own.
Melting into his touch, Remus threaded his hands through Sirius's long hair. Remus deepened the kiss and pulled Sirius flush against him. He could feel Sirius's heart pounding counter to his and the taste of cherry melded with the chocolate in his mouth. He had never been this close to anyone before. If he held on to the kiss much longer, he would melt into Sirius. You are such a poofter, his mind told him.
They broke off the kiss, panting for breath, and pressed their foreheads together. Remus caressed Sirius's cheek with one hand, thumb brushing over his swollen lips. "Well, I'm glad I brought the cherries," he said, his eyes shining gold in the candlelight.
Sirius chuckled. "I'm glad I made the truffles. I'll make them every day if this is the reaction I get."
Remus blushed a little. "Sirius, thank you. You always do too much for me."
"For you, Moony, only for you. At the risk of sounding like a complete ponce, it's always been you. I love you, Remus."
Remus didn't know quite what to say, for once.
Sirius looked at Remus from under thick lashes, "Remus, I had some chocolate left over from the truffles. It wouldn't set up, so I put in this bowl." He went and got the bowl, hidden behind the huge mound of truffles. Turning to show it to Remus, he tripped over the table leg and upended the bowl all over himself and Remus.
Remus laughed, "You got chocolate on your cherries!"
Sirius began to laugh, too. "And I got cherries in your chocolate!"
Remus took Sirius's hand and licked just a drop of chocolate from his index finger. "Mmm, lovely."
Sirius's eyes widened, and he reached forward to pull Remus into another kiss. "Mmm," hummed Remus. "We both taste like chocolate." He grinned down at Sirius. "I think you may have just made all my fantasies come true."
Sirius quirked a brow at him archely. "All, my dear Moony?"
Remus threw back his head and laughed, "Well, I figured you'd do your damnedest to take care of the rest later tonight. Unless-" But that was all the further he got before Sirius jumped him and made good on Remus's fantasies.