Written for the week one prompt at dogdaysofsummer. I hope you enjoy!
And The Water Caught Fire
Remus leaned back against the tree, the acrid scent of carbon and and smoke still lingering in the air. The summer fires had ripped through the open grassy fields that surrounded his parents' home and, for a little while there, everything he loved had been threatened. But now, all was well and he and Sirius sat beside the small lake which lay just out of view of the house staring at the sweeping destruction - the charcoaled plains with their light smattering of brand new green growth - and marveling at nature's resilience, at its ability to overcome. The water lapped calmly at blackened shores, ash ringing the edge; a symbol of water's triumph over the most fierce and all-consuming of Mother Nature's arsenal.
Remus listened to the gentle laplaplap of the water, breathing in the scent of devastation and the perfume of regeneration as the sun's vicious rays softened and the blue sky turned to pink. He could hear Sirius' even breathing, feel the warmth of his sun-kissed skin beside him, feel the energy that danced through every pore of the other boy even now at the end of the day.
'Sirius is like fire,' he realised, staring at his friend's profile. 'Warm and bright, but always ready to burst forth, to rage and burn out of control, bringing down all in his path until he is contained once again.'
'What are you thinking?' Sirius asked, still looking out over the water.
'How do you know I'm thinking?' Remus retorted, smiling a little as his eyes explored the topography of Sirius' face: the long, dark lashes, the straight nose, the pink lips and strong, slightly-rough jaw.
'Because I can hear you,' Sirius murmured, closing his eyes and tipping his face to the sky. 'You're thinking so loudly I'm surprised your parents can't hear you.'
'I was thinking about you,' Remus admitted, sure he was about to be teased to within an inch of his life, but seemingly unable to hold anything back from Sirius. 'And how you are very much like fire.'
'Hot?' Sirius smirked, a deep chuckle reverberating in his throat.
'Wild, out of control and sometimes destructive,' Remus said softly and Sirius' eyes opened.
For a few long, agonising minutes in which Remus debated apologising, Sirius stared at the lake, watching the breeze send ripples across the water and the birds flying low as they hunted for silver fish that were foolish enough to stray too close to the surface.
'Fire is only destructive and wild when it's allowed to burn out of control,' Sirius said finally, his voice low, deep, mesmerizing. 'When it's allowed free rein, it can run roughshod over the things that mean the most to us.'
His eyes flicked to the left, to the direction of Remus' home then to Remus himself briefly before he looked back at the water which was beginning to fall into shadow.
'The water stopped it in it's path though,' he murmured, raising a hand and gesturing towards the bank. 'The fire went right up to the edge but was no match for it. Water provides limits and boundaries and reins in the flames when they are becoming too savage.'
He turned his head, staring contemplatively at Remus, something stirring in the grey eyes that Remus hadn't seen before.
'You're the water to my fire, Moony,' Sirius whispered, shifting closer and touching Remus' jaw lightly with a finger. 'You stop me becoming too destructive and uncontrolled. You calm me when I'm in danger of exploding and burning up everything I love.'
It was odd – considering that water quelled fire – that Remus could feel hot flames licking at his veins, could feel the heat suffusing his blood until it was bubbling and boiling.
Sirius had set him on fire with one touch.
He swallowed hard and mumbled almost to himself, 'I'm not doing a very good job of limiting you right now.'
Sirius heard him and smiled. 'No,' he agreed, hand sliding around to card through the hair at Remus' nape. 'Sometimes its just best to let fire run its course for a while...let it get hotter and hotter until it burns itself out.'
He leaned closer until his hastened breath mingled with Remus' own short, sharp pants. 'Not going to throw a bucket of water on me, are you, Moony?'
Remus reached up to cup Sirius' face in his palms. 'I'm going to let it run its course,' he replied before he pressed his lips to Sirius' and his body exploded into flames.
fin.