title: Last Days
rated: pg-13
author: mtgoblet
summary: Sirius finds out that Dumbledore suspects Remus. S/R *SLASH* set in the days before lily and james die.
an: please r/r if you have time! i love hearing from you guys! xoxo
*~*
.::OCTOBER 29, 1981::.
Remus Lupin walked over to a large wing-backed chair and smiled down at it's inhabitant. Sirius was curled up in the seat, his eyes shut but not still, and charcoal hair curling around the nape of his neck. His hands and feet jerked slightly as he slept, reminding Remus of a puppy. He leant down and brushed his lips against Black's temple, calming him in his dream. Remus smiled again and sat down in front of the chair on the rug, his back against the seat, arms draped around the legs. He gazed at the fire in the grate and wondered how he had gotten so lucky... All this time he had thought his friends would start families, and leave him alone again, he had dreaded their graduation like a plague. But then, the day before his last in Hogwarts, Sirius had found him in his secret study room (an empty classroom on the 2nd floor) and proposed that they live together. Lupin's heart had skipped a beat. But surely Sirius couldn't be thinking of living together in the same sense he did... And then Sirius had kissed him shyly on the cheek, when they moved in. And he had kissed him lightly on the lips when they had unpacked. And he had cornered him in his bedroom and kissed him fully that same night. The first night that they were together in this house, the first night they had slept in the same bed.
Remus was stirred from his thoughts by a hand tangling itself in his hair. He sighed and turned around. Sirius was still sound asleep, but his lips parted softly as he continued to stroke Lupin's hair
"Moony." he whined childishly, and brushed his fingertips over the man's ear. Lupin grinned and reached out his own hand to caress his love's defined cheek bones. Sirius smiled dreamily and took Remus's hand in his own.
"Mine." he rubbed his cheek against the hands and then snuggled back down into the depths of the chair. Lupin felt his heart fly up and out of his chest.
"Yes Padfoot, yours. Only yours." he whispered back, repositioning himself carefully so that he didn't disturb Sirius, but he could also rest his head on the cushions. He stared at the gentle crease that was forming in the middle of Sirius's forehead, the way his eyebrows raised ever so slightly when he was sleeping, and his fluttering eyelashes like the strokes of a pen against new parchment. His own eyes began to slowly drift downward, and soon he was asleep.
*~*
Sirius shivered and woke up staring around the nearly dark room. The clock on the mantle said it was half past four in the morning, and the fire had burned so low that it was barely keeping from extinguishing itself. He started to brush his fringe out of his eyes but realized he was holding onto something. He looked down and smiled. Remus was sleeping peacefully, his arm draped up over the side of the chair, and his head resting on a pile of cushions. He would be sore in the morning if he didn't move. Sirius released his hand and kissed him gently on the neck, straining to keep from falling off the edge of the chair. Remus opened his eyes and smiled up at him just in time. Sirius's eyes went wide and he landed with a dull thud on the hard wood floor next to his best friend. His face was pressed against the soft cotton of Remus's pajama top and they both laughed softly. Sirius, noticing how cold it was, stood and offered him his hand. He pulled him up and they both walked, hand in hand to the master bedroom where the luxurious comforter and sheets were already turned down for them. They buried themselves under the covers, arms and legs wrapped around each other for warmth, and comfort. Sirius whispered soft, nonsense into Lupin's ear.
"Je suis un branleur... How did I win such a belle?" Remus laughed and looked into Sirius's eyes.
"Mon petite aime... I am only as beautiful as you make me." Sirius hugged him tighter and nuzzled his neck. Lupin giggled in a very feminine way, causing Sirius to slip into "padfoot mode". He growled playfully and grazed Remus's collar bone lightly with his teeth. This brought about a very positive reaction, so he did it again.
"Sir, Sirius I..." Remus stopped and worried his bottom lip. They were both sitting up facing each other now, Sirius leaned back against the mahogany headboard.
"What?"
"I love you, you know?" Sirius looked down at the bedspread, his cheeks gone bright pink, like they did when he was out in the cold. He ventured a glance up at Remus and was shocked to see that he looked very upset.
"Iloveyoutooverymuchso." he blurted out, wrapping his arms around Remus's waist and burying his face in his stomach. Remus looked down at him, a smile spreading across his face.
"Really?!?"
"Yesh..." Sirius raised up and kissed his nose. Remus grinned and pushed him back down onto the pillows. He pressed his forehead against Sirius's, honey eyes meeting bright blue and kissed him again, nibbling his lower lip. Sirius giggled and delved his fingers in the dirty blonde hair of his partner, pulling him closer. It was hard to believe that they had been in Hogwarts only three years earlier. Remus, James, Lilly, and Sirius had all become Aurors right after school and were doing rather well financially. Not suprisingly Peter was unemployed, being neither very brave or very smart.
"Knut for your thoughts..." Remus said, a bright sparkle behind his eyes. Sirius smiled and looked down at their interlaced fingers.
"I was just thinking about how well everyone is doing." he looked up at Remus, his eyebrows knitted together, "Almost... TOO well." Remus looked at him inquisitively.
"What d'you mean?"
"Well... it's like the peace preceeding the storm."
"You think something might happen with Voldemort?" Sirius nodded.
"And soon." Remus chewed his lower lip again and focused his eyes on a point just below Sirius's chin. They sat in a dreary silence for what seemed ages.
"Maybe we should-" a beeping noise sounded on the bedside table. Sirius groaned and picked up his wand.
"Yes?" an image shot out of the tip of the wand and projected onto the blank wall in front of the bed. It was James Potter.
"Sirius... er- can i talk to you in private please?" James looked quickly in Remus's direction then back down at him.
"I suppose..." he responded, confused at James's attitude toward Remus. He gave Remus a shrug and took his wand into the parlor, closing and locking the door behind him. James' image was still projecting onto the wall in front of him.
"So what's this about then?"
"Something's come up... Someone is leaking information to Voldemort." James said, glancing around nervously.
"WHAT?! Who?" Sirius bellowed, anger filling his body. James looked at the parquet floors again.
"We aren't sure... But Albus suspects- H-He suspects..." Sirius was gripping his wand so tightly his hand was as white as his shirt.
"Who?" he whispered.
"Remus."
He just said it... As if he were carrying on a happy conversation about Sirius's lover. The blood in Sirius's face rushed out, and his wand hit the floor causing James' image to blur for a moment.
"B-But he wouldn't... H-He wouldn't JAMES!" Sirius yelled incredulously, hugging himself. James's eyes were tearing up as he looked at his best friend-almost his brother in dire pain.
"Albus is always right though Sirius... he's never been wrong before and-"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP JAMES!" Sirius heard a baby cry in the background and a female voice cooing. Sirius hung his head as the tears came flowing down over his cheeks. James was in shock over the sudden change in Sirius's demeanor.
"Sirius... I know that-"
"NO! Just be quiet now... Be quiet." James shut his mouth and looked at Sirius with sympathy.
"Do you- do you want me to come over...?" he asked quietly. Sirius raised his head but didn't meet James's eyes.
"No, it's too dangerous. I- I think I need to talk to Dumbledore." He wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
"Okay Padfoot... Be careful alright?" James reached his hand out of the magical image and brushed Sirius's cheek. Sirius smiled sadly up at him.
"Amare an veritas." the image of James disappeared and Sirius was left alone with his broken heart. He picked up his wand and conjured a fire in the fireplace. he tossed in some floo powder from the mantle and stuck his head inside.
"Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, Hogwarts." a few seconds later he was staring at a hundred thirty-something man in twilight blue robes. Dumbledore took in the look on his face and sighed.
"I take it this is in refference to the assumptions I have made?" Sirius showed his teeth in a very canine manner and glared at Dumbledore's business-like tone.
"How can you just say he did it? Remus would never do anything to hurt James or Lilly or Harry! Especially not Harry!" Dumbledore nodded.
"If you agree then why-"
"I can think of certain circumstances in which Mr. Lupin might." Sirius's eyes grew large.
"You mean... Imperio?"
"Well yes, of course I thought of that first but Remus is a very talented Auror, trained to fight off the Imperious Curse..." Sirius relaxed a little.
"Then What?" Dumbledore folded his hands on his desk and looked at Sirius through his half-moon spectacles.
"If he thought that Voldemort could get to you... Harm you in any way..." Sirius's face burned with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
"Remus would never- I mean to say, he knows better... Would he?" Sirius was immediately disgusted that he had even thought about it... of course Remus wouldn't risk the Potters to save him. He wasn't stupid, he knew better than to listen to Voldemort.
"It is a possibility, all be it unlikely, but still something we must consider." Sirius looked at him and nodded.
"But you agree it is unlikely?"
"Definately." Sirius had the feeling that he was lying. Something in the way he was sitting, almost too straight in his dark chartruse chair.
"Someone's knocking... I'd like to continue this conversation at a later date say... the thirty-first? I've got to test the fidelius charm a few more times tommorow, and you know how long that takes- It would probably be a good idea for you to say as little as possible to Remus... Just in case." Sirius nodded numbly. Albus smiled at him and then disappeared into the flames.
Sirius stood up slowly and looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles beneath them. He turned and left the room, making a short stop at the bathroom to use some of "Lady Iris's Magical Eyedrops".
When he returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, he found that Remus was already asleep, his gentle snoring disturbing his hair. Sirius crawled into bed and wrapped his arms around him, feeling the tears returning. Remus turned over in his sleep and cuddled up closer to Sirius, sighing loudly.
"Lubbyou." he murmured into Sirius's chest. Sirius held him tighter.
"I love you too Moony, I love you too..."
*~*
.::OCTOBER 31, 1981// 9:36 pm::.
"Where are you going this late?" Sirius froze in his tracks, an inch away from the door. He was already late for his meeting with Albus and now Remus was awake. He had felt horrible for giving him a sleeping draught but over the last twenty-four hours, the possibility of him being under an enchantment had gotten a lot higher. He turned around and walked back to the chair he had left his lover in only an hour before.
"Going for a walk." Lupin cocked an eyebrow.
"It's sleeting." Sirius's fists clenched.
"I like the sleet." Lupin turned away from him.
"You're wearing your driving gloves." Sirius rolled his eyes. Then he noticed that Remus was looking at him appraisingly.
"That was an awfully cheap potion." Sirius floundered.
"In the future remember to purchase something that costs more if you want it to last longer. Or you could go to the trouble to make it yourself."
Sirius opened his mouth to speak but was cut off.
"I'm going to bed. Good night." and with that he walked up the stairs.
Sirius wiped the tears out of his eyes. There were more important matters at the moment. Perhaps if he'd known that he would be spending the next twelve years alone in a cell, he'd have kissed Remus goodbye. But he didn't know.
*~*
rated: pg-13
author: mtgoblet
summary: Sirius finds out that Dumbledore suspects Remus. S/R *SLASH* set in the days before lily and james die.
an: please r/r if you have time! i love hearing from you guys! xoxo
*~*
.::OCTOBER 29, 1981::.
Remus Lupin walked over to a large wing-backed chair and smiled down at it's inhabitant. Sirius was curled up in the seat, his eyes shut but not still, and charcoal hair curling around the nape of his neck. His hands and feet jerked slightly as he slept, reminding Remus of a puppy. He leant down and brushed his lips against Black's temple, calming him in his dream. Remus smiled again and sat down in front of the chair on the rug, his back against the seat, arms draped around the legs. He gazed at the fire in the grate and wondered how he had gotten so lucky... All this time he had thought his friends would start families, and leave him alone again, he had dreaded their graduation like a plague. But then, the day before his last in Hogwarts, Sirius had found him in his secret study room (an empty classroom on the 2nd floor) and proposed that they live together. Lupin's heart had skipped a beat. But surely Sirius couldn't be thinking of living together in the same sense he did... And then Sirius had kissed him shyly on the cheek, when they moved in. And he had kissed him lightly on the lips when they had unpacked. And he had cornered him in his bedroom and kissed him fully that same night. The first night that they were together in this house, the first night they had slept in the same bed.
Remus was stirred from his thoughts by a hand tangling itself in his hair. He sighed and turned around. Sirius was still sound asleep, but his lips parted softly as he continued to stroke Lupin's hair
"Moony." he whined childishly, and brushed his fingertips over the man's ear. Lupin grinned and reached out his own hand to caress his love's defined cheek bones. Sirius smiled dreamily and took Remus's hand in his own.
"Mine." he rubbed his cheek against the hands and then snuggled back down into the depths of the chair. Lupin felt his heart fly up and out of his chest.
"Yes Padfoot, yours. Only yours." he whispered back, repositioning himself carefully so that he didn't disturb Sirius, but he could also rest his head on the cushions. He stared at the gentle crease that was forming in the middle of Sirius's forehead, the way his eyebrows raised ever so slightly when he was sleeping, and his fluttering eyelashes like the strokes of a pen against new parchment. His own eyes began to slowly drift downward, and soon he was asleep.
*~*
Sirius shivered and woke up staring around the nearly dark room. The clock on the mantle said it was half past four in the morning, and the fire had burned so low that it was barely keeping from extinguishing itself. He started to brush his fringe out of his eyes but realized he was holding onto something. He looked down and smiled. Remus was sleeping peacefully, his arm draped up over the side of the chair, and his head resting on a pile of cushions. He would be sore in the morning if he didn't move. Sirius released his hand and kissed him gently on the neck, straining to keep from falling off the edge of the chair. Remus opened his eyes and smiled up at him just in time. Sirius's eyes went wide and he landed with a dull thud on the hard wood floor next to his best friend. His face was pressed against the soft cotton of Remus's pajama top and they both laughed softly. Sirius, noticing how cold it was, stood and offered him his hand. He pulled him up and they both walked, hand in hand to the master bedroom where the luxurious comforter and sheets were already turned down for them. They buried themselves under the covers, arms and legs wrapped around each other for warmth, and comfort. Sirius whispered soft, nonsense into Lupin's ear.
"Je suis un branleur... How did I win such a belle?" Remus laughed and looked into Sirius's eyes.
"Mon petite aime... I am only as beautiful as you make me." Sirius hugged him tighter and nuzzled his neck. Lupin giggled in a very feminine way, causing Sirius to slip into "padfoot mode". He growled playfully and grazed Remus's collar bone lightly with his teeth. This brought about a very positive reaction, so he did it again.
"Sir, Sirius I..." Remus stopped and worried his bottom lip. They were both sitting up facing each other now, Sirius leaned back against the mahogany headboard.
"What?"
"I love you, you know?" Sirius looked down at the bedspread, his cheeks gone bright pink, like they did when he was out in the cold. He ventured a glance up at Remus and was shocked to see that he looked very upset.
"Iloveyoutooverymuchso." he blurted out, wrapping his arms around Remus's waist and burying his face in his stomach. Remus looked down at him, a smile spreading across his face.
"Really?!?"
"Yesh..." Sirius raised up and kissed his nose. Remus grinned and pushed him back down onto the pillows. He pressed his forehead against Sirius's, honey eyes meeting bright blue and kissed him again, nibbling his lower lip. Sirius giggled and delved his fingers in the dirty blonde hair of his partner, pulling him closer. It was hard to believe that they had been in Hogwarts only three years earlier. Remus, James, Lilly, and Sirius had all become Aurors right after school and were doing rather well financially. Not suprisingly Peter was unemployed, being neither very brave or very smart.
"Knut for your thoughts..." Remus said, a bright sparkle behind his eyes. Sirius smiled and looked down at their interlaced fingers.
"I was just thinking about how well everyone is doing." he looked up at Remus, his eyebrows knitted together, "Almost... TOO well." Remus looked at him inquisitively.
"What d'you mean?"
"Well... it's like the peace preceeding the storm."
"You think something might happen with Voldemort?" Sirius nodded.
"And soon." Remus chewed his lower lip again and focused his eyes on a point just below Sirius's chin. They sat in a dreary silence for what seemed ages.
"Maybe we should-" a beeping noise sounded on the bedside table. Sirius groaned and picked up his wand.
"Yes?" an image shot out of the tip of the wand and projected onto the blank wall in front of the bed. It was James Potter.
"Sirius... er- can i talk to you in private please?" James looked quickly in Remus's direction then back down at him.
"I suppose..." he responded, confused at James's attitude toward Remus. He gave Remus a shrug and took his wand into the parlor, closing and locking the door behind him. James' image was still projecting onto the wall in front of him.
"So what's this about then?"
"Something's come up... Someone is leaking information to Voldemort." James said, glancing around nervously.
"WHAT?! Who?" Sirius bellowed, anger filling his body. James looked at the parquet floors again.
"We aren't sure... But Albus suspects- H-He suspects..." Sirius was gripping his wand so tightly his hand was as white as his shirt.
"Who?" he whispered.
"Remus."
He just said it... As if he were carrying on a happy conversation about Sirius's lover. The blood in Sirius's face rushed out, and his wand hit the floor causing James' image to blur for a moment.
"B-But he wouldn't... H-He wouldn't JAMES!" Sirius yelled incredulously, hugging himself. James's eyes were tearing up as he looked at his best friend-almost his brother in dire pain.
"Albus is always right though Sirius... he's never been wrong before and-"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP JAMES!" Sirius heard a baby cry in the background and a female voice cooing. Sirius hung his head as the tears came flowing down over his cheeks. James was in shock over the sudden change in Sirius's demeanor.
"Sirius... I know that-"
"NO! Just be quiet now... Be quiet." James shut his mouth and looked at Sirius with sympathy.
"Do you- do you want me to come over...?" he asked quietly. Sirius raised his head but didn't meet James's eyes.
"No, it's too dangerous. I- I think I need to talk to Dumbledore." He wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
"Okay Padfoot... Be careful alright?" James reached his hand out of the magical image and brushed Sirius's cheek. Sirius smiled sadly up at him.
"Amare an veritas." the image of James disappeared and Sirius was left alone with his broken heart. He picked up his wand and conjured a fire in the fireplace. he tossed in some floo powder from the mantle and stuck his head inside.
"Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, Hogwarts." a few seconds later he was staring at a hundred thirty-something man in twilight blue robes. Dumbledore took in the look on his face and sighed.
"I take it this is in refference to the assumptions I have made?" Sirius showed his teeth in a very canine manner and glared at Dumbledore's business-like tone.
"How can you just say he did it? Remus would never do anything to hurt James or Lilly or Harry! Especially not Harry!" Dumbledore nodded.
"If you agree then why-"
"I can think of certain circumstances in which Mr. Lupin might." Sirius's eyes grew large.
"You mean... Imperio?"
"Well yes, of course I thought of that first but Remus is a very talented Auror, trained to fight off the Imperious Curse..." Sirius relaxed a little.
"Then What?" Dumbledore folded his hands on his desk and looked at Sirius through his half-moon spectacles.
"If he thought that Voldemort could get to you... Harm you in any way..." Sirius's face burned with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
"Remus would never- I mean to say, he knows better... Would he?" Sirius was immediately disgusted that he had even thought about it... of course Remus wouldn't risk the Potters to save him. He wasn't stupid, he knew better than to listen to Voldemort.
"It is a possibility, all be it unlikely, but still something we must consider." Sirius looked at him and nodded.
"But you agree it is unlikely?"
"Definately." Sirius had the feeling that he was lying. Something in the way he was sitting, almost too straight in his dark chartruse chair.
"Someone's knocking... I'd like to continue this conversation at a later date say... the thirty-first? I've got to test the fidelius charm a few more times tommorow, and you know how long that takes- It would probably be a good idea for you to say as little as possible to Remus... Just in case." Sirius nodded numbly. Albus smiled at him and then disappeared into the flames.
Sirius stood up slowly and looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles beneath them. He turned and left the room, making a short stop at the bathroom to use some of "Lady Iris's Magical Eyedrops".
When he returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, he found that Remus was already asleep, his gentle snoring disturbing his hair. Sirius crawled into bed and wrapped his arms around him, feeling the tears returning. Remus turned over in his sleep and cuddled up closer to Sirius, sighing loudly.
"Lubbyou." he murmured into Sirius's chest. Sirius held him tighter.
"I love you too Moony, I love you too..."
*~*
.::OCTOBER 31, 1981// 9:36 pm::.
"Where are you going this late?" Sirius froze in his tracks, an inch away from the door. He was already late for his meeting with Albus and now Remus was awake. He had felt horrible for giving him a sleeping draught but over the last twenty-four hours, the possibility of him being under an enchantment had gotten a lot higher. He turned around and walked back to the chair he had left his lover in only an hour before.
"Going for a walk." Lupin cocked an eyebrow.
"It's sleeting." Sirius's fists clenched.
"I like the sleet." Lupin turned away from him.
"You're wearing your driving gloves." Sirius rolled his eyes. Then he noticed that Remus was looking at him appraisingly.
"That was an awfully cheap potion." Sirius floundered.
"In the future remember to purchase something that costs more if you want it to last longer. Or you could go to the trouble to make it yourself."
Sirius opened his mouth to speak but was cut off.
"I'm going to bed. Good night." and with that he walked up the stairs.
Sirius wiped the tears out of his eyes. There were more important matters at the moment. Perhaps if he'd known that he would be spending the next twelve years alone in a cell, he'd have kissed Remus goodbye. But he didn't know.
*~*