Written for:
My lovely twin - happy birthday!
Hogwarts Assignment 6 - Muggle Studies - Write about a serial killer.
Couple Appreciation - Soulmates
Pinata - Hurt/Comfort
The Breakfast Club - Write about a confession
Writing Club - Disney - 4 - Eeyore - Hurt/Comfort
Amber's Attic - 7 - But whatever, however, whenever this ends, I want you to know that, right now, I love you forever.
Liza's Loves - 6 - Soulmates and 4. Serial Killer
Showtime - 20 - Write about revenge
Buttons - Objects: Luggage
Lyric Alley -17. And I've been broken but I'm better every day
Ami's Audio Admirations - 18. Character: Remus
Sophie's Shelf - Write about someone being blamed for something they didn't do
Lo's Lowdown - Write about someone who wants revenge
Egg Hunt - 47. Sirius/Remus
Bingo - 78. Emotion: Delighted
Guess the Name - Princess - Sirius
Auction - Dialogue: "You're not going to like this."
8745 words
Revenge is Sweet
Sirius/Remus
Omegaverse
Sirius sighed as he waited on the steps of the courthouse for his date to show up. Lucius was late again and Sirius was so tired of waiting for him. Deep down he wondered why he was in this relationship at all. No-one else would stick around and allow themselves to be treated like that. After all, there had been times Sirius had waited longer than the thirty minutes he had currently been standing on those steps waiting for the Beta who could have forgotten him.
He didn't dare to send a text to Lucius. His 'boyfriend' - if Sirius could even call him that - had issues with Sirius harassing him with messages all of the time. Even one would put Lucius in a bad mood and that was the last thing Sirius wanted to deal with. No, he would just wait patiently for the rest of his lunch break before returning to work. He'd have to grab a sandwich on the way and eat at his desk because he wouldn't have time to do anything else.
Sirius looked around, hoping to see the familiar blond hair. He reached up, using the tie on his wrist to pull his hair back as the wind began to pick up, and wrapped his coat tightly around himself. His eyes moved across all of the people and it took him a long moment to notice that they were running. Some with cameras, some with microphones. Forgetting about Lucius for a moment, Sirius turned around to follow where the group were running.
His eyes fell on a bunch of Alphas emerging from the courthouse. All the men had smiles on their faces and were talking animatedly to each other, but there was something off about their smiles - something that set Sirius on edge and he couldn't work out what it was. He took a breath, trying to catch a scent and work out what it was that bothered him about the scene, but there were too many other scents.
Belatedly he realised that Alphas in court would have been wearing blockers. Their scents would have been hidden because scents could manipulate the jury. Instead he listened as the questions were shouted at them.
"How does it feel to be declared innocent?"
"What will you do with your freedom?"
Strands of hair that had somehow escaped his hair-tie blew into his face and Sirius pushed them aside, his eyes on the group. He tried to recall what had been happening recently in the newspaper, but drew a blank. He spent all of his time revolving around Lucius. After work, Sirius would go home and take a shower, carefully do his hair in a style that Lucius liked and would wait until Lucius finished worked and called him to come over. Sometimes the call wouldn't come until near midnight, but Sirius considered himself a good boyfriend.
Didn't good boyfriends make sure they were always there for the one they cared about? Well, Sirius used the term lightly because Lucius didn't like the word boyfriend. But one day, he told himself. One day Lucius would feel the same and all this would be worth it.
The wind blew once more, harder this time and Sirius reached up again, trying to tame the strands that didn't want to behave. His hands froze halfway to his head as scents began to overwhelm him.
The scents made him feel dizzy. Grief. Pain. Aching agony. His head whipped around, searching, wondering why no-one else was reacting to this tragedy, whatever it was.
His eyes found a small group trying to leave inconspicuously. In the centre of the group was a male Omega and Sirius' gaze latched onto the man in the same moment he realised that the terrible scents that made him feel ill drowned out a much more important one - one that he had almost missed.
The scent of mate.
...oOo…
Seeing his mate for the first time should have been something beautiful - and in a way, it was. It gave Sirius some sort of purpose. This man was the one fate had chosen for him. But at the same time, the feeling of failure overtook him. He recalled bits of the case now, after seeing the male Omega. He recalled reading about an attack where a male Omega had been abducted and held for almost two weeks. The man had been coming up to his heat and the attackers had locked him up in a room whilst trying to decide what to do with him - but in their haste, hadn't checked the room was secure. The Omega had climbed out of the second floor window, falling part-way down and attracting the attention of someone jogging past.
Sirius had already failed his soulmate by allowing this to happen and he felt angry at himself as he watched the reporters and camera-men rush towards the group, who hurried their pace. The Omega was pushed into a nearby car with tinted windows and the car drove away.
Sirius wanted to go after them, but he knew that he could find out the man's name from the newspaper or even by doing a quick search online. No, he knew what happened to male Omegas after an Alpha attack. The attack could damage their senses and where an Alpha scent would usually be comforting to them, that ordeal could make them panic when an Alpha was nearby that wasn't family. Even a truemate could be turned away.
Sirius turned his gaze back to the Alphas - the men who had hurt his soulmate and possibly managed to take the man away from him before he even had a chance. These men were the ones who would pay for laying a finger on the man, and he took the time to memorize everything about each of them.
Finally the phone in his pocket began to ring. Sirius turned his eyes away from the men who had spent so long on the steps talking about their freedom, and pulled his phone out.
"Where are you?" Peter demanded. "Your lunch break finished an hour ago."
"I'll be there in a few," Sirius replied. He hung up the call, briefly noting that Lucius hadn't turned up or contacted him to let him know that he wasn't going to come. Sirius sighed softly as he allowed himself one last look at the group.
He wasn't sure yet what he planned to do. Only that it had to be something big - something that would restore his Omega's faith in his second-gender.
Briefly he wondered if the Omega he scented would keep him waiting all day like Lucius did or would he feel the pull and desire to make his soulmate happy the same way Sirius did.
...oOo...
Sirius looked at the text message from Lucius. It was half-eleven and Lucius wanted Sirius to come over.
Sirius sighed as he shut down his computer. He wouldn't have time to research Remus Lupin and everything that had happened when he got back from Lucius' house. He'd have to pick up his research tomorrow. He grabbed his keys and phone, shoving them into his jeans pocket as he walked to the front door. He turned the light off on his way out and quickly set his alarm before leaving, locking the door behind him.
The ride to Lucius' place was quick. Sirius pulled his motorbike up within fifteen minutes. He quickly found a place out front to park and headed to the door, knocking softly. Once he had turned up after Lucius had fallen asleep and the man hadn't been pleased when Sirius banged on the door so Sirius tried to be careful. Sirius hoped for the day where Lucius was willing to hand over a key.
It didn't take long for the pair to get into the bedroom and fall onto the bed, a tangle of clothes and bedsheets. Sirius didn't mind that sometimes things were rushed. It made him feel wanted - as though Lucius just couldn't wait to touch him or have him. It's why he didn't protest when Lucius turned down his requests to try and slow things down. Lucius was right - why mess with something that was already great?
He kicked the covers away from his legs, not wanting his feet to get caught on them when Lucius finally pressed inside, but before that could happen, he found something was caught on his feet. He kicked at the covers, assuming it was them, but it remained hooked.
Sirius sighed, sitting up and glancing down. He froze at the sight. Attached to his foot were a pair of woman's knickers. He quickly reached over, grasping them with two fingers and throwing them away from himself. There were women's underwear in Lucius' bed. He wasn't stupid enough to start making excuses for them being there because there was only one way they would have gotten there.
Clearly some point after Lucius had finished work, he had a woman over. The underwear must have gotten caught in the covers and they weren't noticed when the bed was remade. The tiny things wouldn't have been noticed under the bulk of the duvet.
"We're done," he said to Lucius as he got out of the bed, collecting his trousers off the floor and pulling them on. His socks were shoved into his pocket and his t-shirt ended up being backwards, but Sirius didn't care. He just wanted to get out of there.
How could he have been so stupid? All of the lunchtimes where Lucius stood him up - was he seeing someone else that day instead?
Lucius never called until late - was it because he had someone else there for the evening and Sirius was merely a quick shag before bed?
Peter had warned him about this sort of behaviour but Sirius had ignored his friend's advice. He had chosen to believe in Lucius and what they had - he had chosen to play the long game and hope that one day Lucius would care about him even half as much as Sirius cared for the other man, but it was clear now that he was there for sex. Lucius didn't have an emotional investment.
"I was just kidding myself, wasn't I?" Sirius asked as he reached the door of the bedroom. "This was never going to be anything more to you, was it?"
Lucius stood up from the bed. "It's something to me," he said, reaching a hand out for Sirius.
"Not enough to keep you from straying though. Or was I the other man?"
The silence that followed was enough. Sirius walked through the door and Lucius followed, but Sirius ignored every word that fell from the man's lips because nothing he said indicated actual feelings for Sirius.
Sirius had given up a night of reading up on his soulmate and trying to work out a plan to help him. He had put Lucius before Remus and that had been a mistake.
Yet he couldn't be angry at this choice because finding those knickers made him realise some very important things. First - that he meant nothing to Lucius and had been wasting his time. Second - that Remus Lupin didn't ever deserve to come second to anyone and that Sirius would never make that mistake again. Third - that he had put his own pleasure first, forgetting that his soulmate was out there somewhere, suffering from what had happened to him.
And lastly, Sirius realised that he had done everything for Lucius. Dropped everything when the man demanded, gone anywhere Lucius told him to go. He had purchased expensive suits because Lucius liked to dine in upper class places. He had run around after Lucius, allowing himself to be like a little puppy answering every call, not caring that it was late and he had work the next morning, making excuses when Lucius didn't bother to tell him he was cancelling at lunch. Sirius knew he deserved so much better than someone who would treat him like that.
As he walked out of Lucius' flat for the last time, Sirius felt relief. Though he cared for Lucius, it was finally over and that meant that his life wouldn't revolve around Lucius anymore. It offered him a freedom that he rarely had. After his parents, he had moved in with the Potters at sixteen. At nineteen, he had moved to his own flat and had met Lucius shortly after.
When he reached home, Sirius pulled off his boots, locked his front door and put his stuff away. He sat down at his computer again, switching it on so he could read more about the court case.
Maybe Remus Lupin wasn't ready for a mate - Sirius had just gone through a breakup and wasn't really ready himself - but that didn't mean he wasn't going to protect the other man and do something about what had happened.
He just didn't know what yet.
...oOo…
It wasn't exactly Sirius' plan. He hadn't planned to seek out the Alphas, but some internet stalking led him to the very bar they were drinking in.
He watched discreetly, sipping at his drink as he watched them celebrate whilst leering at the female Omegas that were also out that night. He watched as they all curled their lip up at the sight of a male Omega. It was obvious to Sirius what this was - some people thought male Omegas were unnatural. There were hate groups even. The people that took his soulmate were a hate group and they had gotten away with it.
His gaze followed a girl that looked a bit like his cousin and he tried to work out if it was her - it was hard to tell in the dark light.
"Nice piece of Omega there," came a voice next to him. Sirius turned, coming face to face with one of the men he had been watching. Relieved that he was on blockers, he nodded slowly.
"Yeah, but she looks too much like my cousin for me to enjoy her," he replied. "Now the blonde in the corner is more my speed."
"Oh you like blondes?" the man asked, raising a hand to call over the barmaid. "There's another against the back wall. He's with his friends."
It took Sirius a split second to realise what he needed to do. He needed a closer examination of these men so he could decide on their punishments. He forced a look of disgust onto his face. "Do I look like the sort that'd dally with a male Omega?" he asked. "I wouldn't soil myself like that."
The man eyed him up for a moment before reaching his hand out. "Antonin."
"Sirius." Sirius had read the reports. The hand he was currently shaking had wrapped around Remus' neck more than once. He feigned a smile. "Something tells me you're not a fan of them either though."
"Come, have a drink with me and my friends," Antonin offered. "We're always looking for more people like us. To answer your question, no. We don't like the male ones. They're disgusting - a disgrace to their gender."
"Which gender?" Sirius asked, picking up his drink and taking a mouthful.
Antonin laughed. "Both. Males in heat - the thought makes me sick. Begging and whining like a little bitch. Omegas give birth - men should be like us, leading the family, not bending over."
Sirius forced a laugh. It was too late to back out of this plan now and he didn't want to walk away because this was his in. Antonin had been the one to take Remus from a bar. He had been the one to drug his drink and abduct him so Sirius would return like for like. He'd find some way to slowly poison Antonin to the point where he couldn't breathe.
Just like the way he did that to Remus each time those fingers wrapped around Remus' throat.
"Come and sit down," Antonin pushed lightly. "Or are you waiting for someone?"
"My date. She stood me up I think. Omegas are so flakey."
"You should get yourself a Beta," Antonin replied, leading the way to the table.
Sirius nodded. "Usually I do, but I like the way Omegas beg." The words tasted foul as they passed his lips. "And I could tell she was very good at begging."
Antonin laughed as they reached the table. "Everyone, this is Sirius. We've just had a talk at the bar and I believe he shares our views on genders. Thought he might be good for our little… group. Sirius, this is everyone. Jake, Glenn and Fenrir."
Jake and Glenn both glanced at Fenrir for a moment. Fenrir stood and Sirius could feel the Alpha radiating from him - it set his own on edge, wanting to challenge the man, but he resisted.
"Welcome, Sirius," Fenrir said. "Take a seat with us."
...oOo…
The more the Alphas drank, the more loose-lipped they got. Within a couple of hours, Sirius had enough information to go on. He understood the roles in the events - how Fenrir had planned everything, Antonin was second in command and the other two were just in it for fun and went along with the others.
Fenrir had laughed about how Remus had gone into heat and the panic on his face. How Glenn and Jake had freaked out and shoved Remus into a bedroom and locked the door so he couldn't get out - before waiting for Fenrir to decide what to do.
"I wanted to keep him," Fenrir laughed, before swigging his beer. "I hate the male ones but he was so pretty. Not as my mate, mind you. I'd keep him as my pet."
Pet. The word angered Sirius more than anything. Remus was no-one's pet. With each passing word, he realised that the internet didn't tell him the extent of what Remus went through. As Fenrir outlined the terror in Remus' eyes, laughed about it, Sirius realised that there was only one way to deal with the two men.
...oOo…
Remus flinched as the Alpha walked into the room, eyes fixed on Remus. The man wasn't wearing blockers and his scent alone made Remus feel fear and panic. Not that there was anything threatening in his scent, but that didn't matter.
This was the third round of questioning now and these people wanted answers Remus couldn't give. They were under the impression that Remus had somehow orchestrated the murders of the Alphas that had attacked him. The first he even knew of their deaths had been after the police had turned up at his house, demanding he go with them. Remus had first thought it was because of a threat made to him or something. It wasn't until he was first in the room that he found out the truth.
The thing is - the detective believed him. The man said himself that he believed Remus didn't know the men were dead. What he believed though was that Remus had asked someone to carry out the deed or that he knew more than he was letting on. Remus didn't - who would he ask? Who did he have? His parents on their farm in Wales? A couple of friends still in Wales? He didn't have anyone else. He had come to London to go to University and was trying not to let what had happened affect him. He had sent his family and friends home because they had their own lives, though he was terrified. Not that he would tell anyone of course.
The Alpha sat down, his movements slow to calm Remus. Remus didn't care - the slow movements didn't ease anything for him because since the attack, he felt sick at the scent of Alphas. He had to skip classes because he struggled with the scents of Alphas. Some of his medication to get his strength back messed with the blockers he took that blocked out the scents of others.
"Where were you on the night of the first?" Detective Shacklebolt asked, his deep voice making Remus flinch once more. Remus sighed softly.
"I was home alone," he explained. "I was supposed to go to a support group but there was a group of Alphas outside of the building and the scent made me panic so much, I turned around and went back inside."
"Any witnesses?"
"I doubt it," Remus repeated. "I didn't recognise them and I don't think they noticed me. I went inside and curled up with a book."
"What book?"
"The Hobbit."
The man nodded, intently focused on Remus. "Did you talk to anyone? Call anyone?"
Remus shook his head. "When I went to bed, I heard the phone ring. I didn't answer it because I was tired. I spent a lot of time watching out of the window, hoping the Alphas would leave. For all I knew, they were in league with the group that attacked me before. I know it's silly thinking now, but at the time I was terrified."
"And can you outline your experience with Fenrir Greyback and—"
Remus frowned and shook his head. The question was new and Detective Shacklebolt's tone was wary when asking, but Remus didn't want to go through that again. He had to explain it all when he was in the hospital recovering from his attack, in the police station after he recovered, various meetings with a lawyer and finally talk about it in court.
He wanted to bury it all.
"I'll accept that I'm a suspect in this due to Greyback attacking me - because whether he was found innocent or guilty, I know without a doubt that it was him. His face is forever burned into my mind. But I'll not recount the events that happened to me yet again. Unless you have evidence, I believe you have no reason to keep me - and if you insist on making me stay, I'll have to request you get me a lawyer."
The man sighed. "Look, Mr. Lupin - I want to clear your name, but you're not giving me much to deal with. We know you've been talking to Omega rights groups - they call you sometimes. We know you've met a few people from them during your support group and counselling sessions. If we link any of them to this case and link you to that person… I can offer you a deal."
Remus crossed his arms. "I've seen how this works on television. You're not allowed to question me further," he replied. "No deal because I'm innocent. Haven't I been through enough without you trying to pin the blame down on me?"
The man stood. "We're not going to falsely accuse you for this," he began. "We want justice. I believe that the guilty people always get what's coming to them, and the innocent will walk away."
"Well what you believe is quite optimistic. I believe that the innocent are the ones that get hurt and no matter how much evidence is shown - scars, burns, deep cuts, a hospital report and a psychologist's report all commenting on my physical and mental state. Cameras showing the faces of one of the men who attacked me, dna putting them at the scene - they weren't found guilty. Justice doesn't prevail and I just wanted to move on with my life."
A man walked into the room. "Let him go, he's not our guy."
"But—"
"The man is turning himself in. He says all he wants is to meet Remus Lupin - just for a moment. We've agreed to it - with Mr. Lupin's permission of course."
The pair both looked at Remus who nodded, curious to see the face of the man who had destroyed the men who had come close to destroying him.
"I want to see who did this," he said. "I want to thank him."
...oOo…
Remus walked into a room where a dark-haired man was sitting, handcuffs attaching him to the table. He walked closer, trying not to breathe. Too many Alphas in the room and he felt dizzy with fear.
"Can some of you leave?" he requested softly. "The scent of Alpha causes me distress and panic. Perhaps some Beta or Omega officers?"
"Two have to stay as the suspect is an Alpha," Kingsley replied. "I'll stay."
Four of the Alphas left the room and one headed over to the door by Kingsley. Remus slowly moved across the room, taking a seat in the chair on the other side of the table. The man now facing him, lifted his head, his eyes immediately fixing on Remus.
Remus found himself captivated by the beauty of the man. He gasped slightly, letting his defences down for just a moment. That was all it took for the scent to surround him. The panic was still there at the scent of Alpha, but at the same time, the scent comforted him.
"Don't panic," the man murmured softly. "I'm chained up. I won't hurt you. Can I call you Remus?"
Remus nodded, studying the features of the man who had killed Fenrir Greyback, Antonin Dolohov and the two other men. "What can I call you?"
"Sirius Black. Your truemate. Whatever you like?"
Remus stared at him for a long moment, willing himself to relax before taking another breath. He had been so focused on his own panic, that he hadn't even realised this man was his truemate. He had assumed the scent was himself starting to recover, but it was just that of a truemate. The scent would provide him comfort.
"Did you know I was your truemate?"
Sirius nodded. "I scented you once. You didn't see me or scent me back though. I… I wasn't going to come here, but I couldn't allow you to be arrested for something you're innocent for."
"Get a lawyer," Remus insisted softly. "Don't say anything else - get a lawyer." He stood up, his eyes never leaving Sirius. "Thank you," he whispered softly, a smile flashing across his lips.
Sirius seemed to brighten at the sight. "Anything for you," he whispered back.
Remus turned to leave. His truemate had scented him at some point - recently he assumed - and had set out to destroy those that had hurt him. He should be shocked and appalled that his truemate had become a serial killer but he couldn't bring himself to feel like that. Sirius Black hadn't been able to stop what had happened to him, but he brought the men to justice just because of a scent and a fleeting moment in the street or wherever, where he had actually seen Remus.
Remus knew at that moment that he would be there for Sirius Black like Sirius had been there for him.
...oOo…
"We're not allowed to talk about the case," Remus said, taking a seat on the other side of the table and noting that once again, Sirius was handcuffed. He watched him warily, the panic still inside of him at the scent of Alpha. "Not the details anyway. But why aren't you cooperating with your lawyer?"
"I don't like the questions he's asking," Sirius replied with a shrug. "I'm just going to go in there and plead guilty and they can do what they want with me."
Remus stared at him for a long time, assessing the man. Sirius clearly didn't have anyone to talk sense into him. He didn't sound like he had a life to return to. He sounded like he had already given up and accepted his sentence before one had been given. He would spend his life behind bars if he continued this way.
Remus reached across the table. The closer his hands got to Sirius', the higher the panic rose. He hadn't allowed an Alpha to touch him since the attack, pulling away from the Alpha professor in class when he handed over a worksheet to Remus, pulling away from the Alpha in the coffeeshop who accidentally brushed past him.
Finally his hands reached Sirius', and he rested them on top of the Alpha's hands. A mix of panic and contentment rushed through him, but the surprised, hopeful look on Sirius' face was worth it.
Slowly Sirius turned his hands, the cuffs making it awkward, and gently held Remus'.
"Whatever happens to me, it was worth it because it stopped them coming back for you. He wanted to - you know. He said things about you… I knew you weren't safe. I needed to protect you from him."
Remus' grip tightened. "He was coming back for me? Greyback?"
Sirius nodded. "I… I went to a bar to watch them and one started talking to me. I pretended that I… I thought that if I got closer, I'd find out who initially planned it. I'd be able to… I think I was convincing. They talked about what they did as though it was a game. He said he was going to come back for you. I have no regrets because he was a monster and you're safe."
The panic shifted. It wasn't panic at being close to the Alpha, it was panic at the thought of Greyback and his gang coming back. He shifted closer to Sirius. "You protected me."
"I'd die for you," Sirius said.
"And I wouldn't let you," Remus replied. "Whether you're guilty or not… you need to defend yourself up there."
"Why—"
"Because what happens if they lock you away for life? How will you ever come back?"
Sirius shrugged slightly, his gaze finding the table and Remus reached for something to say. It came to him suddenly and he hated himself for sinking low enough to come out with it - but perhaps with Sirius' actions, this was the way to get through to him.
"What if someone else comes after me in your absence?" he asked, his voice softening. "Where will you be? You can't protect me from in prison. If you explain everything, you'll get a shorter sentence."
"Any sentence means that I'll lose my job and flat. What's the point?" Sirius sounded defeated and Remus' heart broke at the sound. He had friends and a family and still felt alone. It was more and more obvious that Sirius had no-one.
"Because I'll make sure everything of yours is put carefully into storage for when you're out. I'll be here waiting to help you."
"Why would you help me?" Sirius replied, his grey eyes finding Remus' ones again.
"For the same reason you helped me," Remus replied. His hand shook as he took it from Sirius' hand, reaching up for his soulmate's cheek. Sirius leaned into the touch desperately as though he had never been touched so gently and Remus felt like he couldn't breathe. What had Sirius gone through in his life to be so alone? No-one deserved to be so starved of affection and Remus decided he would change that. "Because you're my soulmate. You said you'd do anything for me… well, I'd do anything for you too. When you finish whatever sentence they give you, I'll be at the gates, waiting to bring you home."
"H—home?"
Remus nodded. "You'll be placed in a prison near your truemate. London prisons aren't the best, but there's one in Wales. I don't think I can continue in University - I've tried - and I had thought about returning home. If I go, they'll put you in the prison in Wales as being away from me for too long can cause health issues for the both of us now we've experienced physical contact." His palm ran down Sirius' jaw gently. "And I'll make sure you get back on your feet when you're out."
"But… home? What do you mean?" Sirius asked desperately. "I don't understand. You'll find somewhere for me?"
Remus smiled softly. "I've always wondered what'd happen when I met you. What would my life be like with a soulmate? How long before we're together? Would you even want me?"
"I do want you, I just don't deserve you."
"None of that," Remus scolded. "Now I've found you, do you think I'm willing to let go? Prison isn't going to stop us being soulmates, Sirius. If you want… I'll have a home for you… with me, when you're free?"
Sirius stared at him in wonder. "But I'm a murderer."
"You killed people who wanted to hurt me again - who had hurt me. Those weren't innocent men and I know that you'd never hurt me."
"He said he wanted you as his pet," Sirius spat in disgust. "That he could have you sitting at his feet, crawling after him to obey his every command. Remus, you deserve to be worshipped. You're beautiful, perfect. I don't know that much about you, but you're kind, compassionate. You've got a big heart and you smell like everything I've never had in my life. You smell… like family. Like hope."
"I am family," Remus found himself saying. As the words fell from his lips, he decided that he wanted them to be true. Sirius had no-one and Remus was determined it wouldn't stay that way. "You're not alone anymore. You have me - your mate. Sirius, fight against this. Defend yourself. Do whatever it takes to get your sentenced reduced so you can come home - to me. Because now I've found you, I'm not going to want anyone else. Don't make me wait my entire life for you."
"You shouldn't wait."
"Would you?" Remus asked. His thumb and finger caressing down Sirius' jaw. "Or would you move on?"
"I'd wait forever," Sirius admitted. "But that's different. You can do better. You shouldn't want me."
"Please don't tell me what I want," Remus murmured softly. "I can make up my own mind. You're my soulmate, Sirius. My truemate. You may have hurt people, but they were bad people. You protected me - they wanted to come back and who knows what would have happened the second time. You haven't even seen the scars from the first time. Under these clothes, I look ugly, yet you don't care about any of that. The moment I found out that I'm your soulmate, I knew we were tied together forever. So hurry up and get free, come to our home and I'll give you the life you deserve. A family, friends, someone to always show you how much you mean to them. Children, if you want…"
"Kids?" Sirius whispered, his eyes moving down to Remus' stomach. "You want… with me?"
Remus nodded. "I want to get to know you first, but I already can't imagine being with someone else. I'm yours and you're mine. When you're free, we'll be together. I promise."
Sirius nodded. "I'll talk to my lawyer," he assured Remus. He looked like he wanted to believe Remus, but Remus could see that he struggled to do so. Remus didn't blame him.
"If I didn't care, I wouldn't be here right now," Remus continued, softening his voice. He took a deep breath and lowered his defenses, allowing the emotions he was feeling to surface so Sirius could scent the genuinity of his words. "If I didn't care, I'd have allowed you to walk in there proclaiming your guilt and for you to go away for life. But I do care and I do want to see you again. I do want to know you and begin planning a life that has you in it. I do care. I am here for you."
"But you said family and friends. They won't accept—"
"Let me worry about them," Remus replied. He leaned across the table slightly. "I have to go now so your lawyer comes in." His eyes moved to Sirius' lips. "This might be our last proper meeting before court."
Sirius nodded. The handcuffs attaching him to the hook on the table made it so he couldn't lean over much himself, but the desire in his eyes and scent told Remus all he needed.
He moved closer, letting his lips gently press against Sirius'. The second they touched, every bit of panic that Sirius' scent caused quickly faded and a peace and calm like he had never felt before washed over him. All of the emotions that Sirius was pulling back were revealed in that kiss. Devotion prevailed all. Pure devotion towards Remus to the extent that Remus felt dizzy again. Sirius hadn't been lying when he said he would do anything for Remus.
One of Remus' hands pressed against the table, keeping him steady as the other found its way into Sirius' hair. He gripped it and their lips began to move lazily against each other.
"I'll wait forever if that's what it takes," Remus said once they stopped to breathe. "You're worth it - even if you don't think so, I do."
Sirius looked like he couldn't form words. He merely nodded his head.
"Now your lawyer is outside. Tell him everything he needs to know."
"I will."
"I'll see you in court. I'll be there, supporting you every step of the way."
...oOo…
"We saw the papers," Hope said, bringing her suitcase into Remus' flat. "We knew you'd need support. They said that someone killed those horrible beasts that attacked you?"
Remus nodded. "The court case is today," he said, gesturing to his suit.
Lyall froze from where he was bringing his own suitcase in. "Wait. You're not going, are you?"
Remus nodded his head, his eyes moving between his parents. "My cab is going to be here in ten minutes."
Hope stared at him for a long moment. "Well, I best go and freshen up quickly. We wouldn't want our cab to be late, would we?" She disappeared down the hall, leaving Remus and his father.
"There's something you're not telling us," Lyall said.
"He did it for me," Remus replied. "I didn't ask - I didn't even know him at the time, but he did it for me. He did a bad thing but he brought justice for me and I'm going to stand there and support him through this."
Lyall took a deep breath. "Remus, there's no use getting attached to someone. Yes, he did something good to help you, but he's just a murderer."
"He's not just a murderer," Remus muttered. "He did it because he caught my scent one day and knew who I was - he must have been following the case on tv or in the papers or something - and in his attempts to protect me, he took away those that planned to come after me again."
"Again?" Lyall asked sharply. "What did they do?"
"Nothing yet," Remus admitted. "But he said they planned it and I believe him. If you'd rather, you can stay here and we'll have dinner when I get home later."
Lyall shook his head. "I'm coming with you," he insisted. "Remus…" he hesitated at the knock on the door, before sighing. "I'll go and tell your mother that the cab is here."
...oOo…
Remus smiled hopefully at James. An old family friend, he trusted James to do everything he could to help Sirius, and he waited in anticipation in the front row at the court as James paced around in front of Sirius.
"Can you tell me about the moment you met Remus Lupin?"
"Objection, relevance," Mr Crouch said from his seat at the other table.
"It's relevant," James said, turning to the judge. "Sirius' actions were a consequence of a brief encounter with Remus. Also my next few questions have relevance to Sirius' state of mind and upbringing."
"Continue," Judge Dumbledore said, gesturing.
"It was the day of sentencing for Remus' trial," Sirius began. "I was supposed to be meeting my… boyfriend, I suppose, though that was a more one-sided title, on the steps of the courthouse. I wasn't even aware that was happening inside."
"Can you tell us what happened?" James pushed, cutting off whatever Sirius was planning on saying.
"I saw cameramen and reporters rushing past and the Alphas came out. I knew something was off about them. I remember the wind kept pushing my hair around and suddenly I smelt this… this horrible scent. It was full of panic and despair to the point where I felt sick - because something was terribly wrong for an Omega to give away that sort of scent. Those were so strong, they almost covered the scent of my truemate."
"And did you approach him?"
"There wasn't time," Sirius replied. "The first time I spoke to him was the day of my arrest. I made a deal that I would turn myself in and confess but only if I got to meet Remus."
"Going further back - you were meeting a… boyfriend? Tell me about your relationship with him."
"Objection - relevance!"
"Judge, it's to show that Sirius doesn't understand the social aspects of dealing with relationships. I want to show his loveless upbringing, his neglectful and uncaring parents and the emotionally abusive relationship he was in prior to scenting Remus Lupin. By showing this, I want the jury to understand why Sirius was so devoted to doing anything for his truemate - because a truemate is supposed to be the one person in the world that would never hurt you."
"Proceed."
James turned back to Sirius and Remus leaned in, aware of his parents staring at him in shock. Maybe he should have warned them about the truemate thing before they came in, but he couldn't bring himself to do that.
"Well, he wasn't really my boyfriend. I just thought of him as such, you know. I mean - he called me every evening to come over—"
"What times did he call you?" James interrupted.
"Usually after eleven. He'd want to blow off some steam after working hard and—"
"And did you do anything other than have sex?"
"No," Sirius muttered, frowning. "You said you wouldn't ask about this."
"Sorry," James replied with a shrug. "But it's necessary."
Remus glanced at his parents as the questions continued.
"So… your truemate killed them?" Hope asked.
Remus nodded slightly.
"Good," she whispered. "Poor dear, sounds like he's had a horrible life. That ex-boyfriend of his sounds downright cruel."
"When I spoke with him the second time, it was clear he was all alone. He has no family, no friends. I think when he scented me, maybe that was the only good thing to happen so he… so he clung to that."
"Anyone who protects my son is fine in my book," Lyall said, turning his gaze back to the man. Remus looked over too, Sirius' eyes finding the three of them. Hope smiled and Lyall nodded his head slightly, causing Sirius to watch them for a moment, confused.
"Tell us about your family - growing up. You've broken your arm a few times."
Sirius narrowed his eyes at James, but began to talk about his childhood up until the day he ran away from home, scared his mother would kill him and it was all Remus could do to stay seated and not run out to get some air.
He wasn't the one that needed protecting - Sirius needed someone to protect him too. And that was Remus' job.
...oOo...
"Tell me what happened at the bar," James insisted, having walked over to his table to glance at the file there.
"I was having a drink and watching the Alphas. I didn't know everything and needed to find out everything," Sirius said. "At first I was considering somehow getting their recorded confessions to show the court, but I was invited to join them and after some drinks and the group thinking that I had a similar opinion of Omegas, they opened up - they bragged about their… behaviour, acting like it was hilarious. They hurt my soulmate and thought it was one big joke. They talked about finding him again. Greyback was talking about keeping Remus locked up forever this time… he referred to Remus as his pet and talked about lewd things he'd…" Sirius let out a growl and clenched his teeth. "I could scent him - knew they weren't false words. He would go and hurt Remus and I wasn't going to let this man harm him again."
"Yet you didn't go to the police about it?"
"Because they wouldn't do anything. Fenrir Greyback and his friends were found innocent despite all of the evidence against them. There was no way they'd get in trouble for a threat made like that. I lost all faith in the system and my only thought was to do whatever it took to protect Remus."
"Whatever it took?" James asked.
Sirius nodded. "I'd do anything to protect him. I'd die to keep him safe."
"Yet you hadn't met him. Why did you turn yourself in? There was no evidence."
"Because they arrested Remus for the murders. I had to protect him from being imprisoned."
"But you could have walked away without anyone ever knowing what you did."
"Why would I do that?" Sirius asked. "That's my soulmate. My job is to protect him and keep him safe. To not let anyone or anything harm him. If I left him to take my fall, I'd be as bad as those Alphas who hurt him in the first place."
"Did you even consider it?" James pushed.
"Not for a second," Sirius snapped.
James grinned, turning to the Jury. "No further questions. And to address the jury - Sirius has grown up in a family of abuse and neglect. He learnt at a young age about violence, and learnt very little about love. In a relationship, he devoted himself to a man who treated him like terribly. For an Alpha who desires his own pack - his own family - to be treated like that by those he loves… that can skewer things. I want to ask you how you think a man like that would react when he finally catches the scent of his soulmate - the one person in his life that would never hurt him or belittle him or treat him so badly. Without even meeting the man, Sirius did what he thought was right to protect Remus Lupin, a man whom the system failed and an Omega who was about to become the next victim. We know about Alpha rages when an Alpha protects his soulmate - but Sirius wasn't able to protect him the first time because Remus had already suffered at their hands. The couple hadn't even met, yet their bond is already so strong that Remus visited Sirius twice after his arrest - where he turned himself in - and is here today, supporting him. He's not the serial killer that the media want to paint him as - serial killers go on killing. Sirius merely did it to protect his mate. He's not looking to go on a killing spree - he's just looking to keep the man he loves safe. The man who he confided in me that he wants to spend his life protecting, start a family with. Devote his life to."
Remus turned his attention away from James and smiled softly at Sirius.
...oOo…
"Five years?" Remus whispered, tears threatening to fall.
"Hush love," Sirius said, reaching out for Remus, only to be pulled away. "You don't have to wait—"
"I will," Remus snapped. "I'll be there to visit you every chance I get. I'll write you letters, send you pictures…"
"And the time will fly by," Sirius promised. "I expected to spend my life in prison. Their first deal was twelve years. I think five years is a good deal and James agrees. I'll see you soon."
"Thank you, Sirius," Hope said. "When you're out, you're welcome in our home."
"I'll stop her from planning the wedding too soon," Lyall joked.
Sirius' smile widened. "That sounds like a blessing to me," he said. "How about it, love? Five years and we tie the knot?" He winked at Remus as a guard began to lead him away, and they strained to watch each other until Sirius was brought out of the room.
"You're already in love with him," Hope said knowingly.
"It would have been impossible not to fall in love," Remus admitted. "I'm moving back to Wales and he'll go to the prison there. When he gets out in five years, I'll have my life in order. I'll have a job and a home for us. I… I don't feel secure or safe in London anymore."
"You remember that old barn?" Lyall asked. "We had planning permission on that a while back. How about we turn that into a house for you both?"
"We have five years to make it," Remus replied. "More than enough time."
"And five years to plan the wedding," Hope said excitedly.
...oOo…
Five years was a long time. It was made longer because of that kiss. If Remus didn't know how Sirius' lips felt on his own, he wouldn't have longed to feel that again.
Heats came every month and Remus longed to have Sirius by his side more and more. He lived for their weekly meetings, not wasting a moment to tell Sirus about the courses he was taking, the jobs he was looking at and sharing family stories. He talked about their future as much as he could, nervously broaching the concept of marriage.
As time went on, the subject came up more and more, and their meetings began to involve wedding plans. Holiday plans. Places they would visit. Their future, together.
And finally the five years were up. Remus had sent Frank to collect Sirius because he wanted it to be perfect. His parents had gone to visit a relative to give them space and Remus stood outside waiting.
Finally the car pulled up and Sirius stepped out of it, waving at Frank, who drove away.
"Remus!"
Remus flew into his arms, clutching him tightly. "Sirius!"
"You… you smell… heat? No wonder you couldn't come. I… I was worried that…"
"Frank was the only able to drive me and I know that causes upset in Alphas."
"Only jealous ones," Sirius murmured. "I trust you completely, but thank you for thinking of me. When is your heat… now? Because… I don't want anything to happen because you're influenced by your heat. We should wait until it passes and do this properly."
Remus chuckled softly. "The scent comes a day before the heat starts," he explained. "The scent came on this morning so whatever you do to me in it won't be influenced by the heat. You're not going to like this, but I can't show you the sights after all - I can only show you the way to our bedroom and our bed. I hope you don't mind too much."
Sirius' lips parted as his eyes moved down Remus' body. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath. Remus could hear the quiver in it as the breath was released. "When we met five years ago… you said you wanted to get to know me before anything…"
"I've spent the last five years getting to know you," Remus replied. "I've been in love with you for all five of those. We're planning a wedding, Sirius. I know you well enough to tell you that if you don't get me into that bedroom in the next thirty seconds…"
Sirius laughed, grabbing Remus' hand in his free hand. "Show me the way," he insisted softly. "As for not liking it - I find that the idea that I get to explore you a much more preferable option than exploring the area. And when I said I would worship you… prepare to be worshipped until you forget your own name."
Remus grinned. He was very prepared for that.
As Remus led the way, he felt Sirius move closer to him.
"I love you too," Sirius murmured softly. "From the very first moment I caught your scent, I was yours. I was just scared to say it first."
"I didn't want the first time I told you to be whilst you were in prison," Remus replied. "I wanted it to be on a day we would always remember."
"The first time we slept together?"
"The day you finally marked me as your mate," Remus confirmed. He couldn't help but laugh when Sirius sped up, almost dragging him towards the barn in his haste. Remus couldn't blame him though. Their wedding was in a few weeks and they had spent five years separated, a big sheet of glass stopping them from even holding hands. He was just as eager to make up for those five years as Sirius was.