13th October 1971
Moonlight filtered into the dim room, casting its shadow over the sleeping inhabitants. A small figure in the bed opposite the window shivered. His roommates had left the window open after a game of exploding snap had caused a mildly alarming amount of smoke, prompting them to swiftly air out the mess which they called their dormitory. Consequently, there was now a cold air sweeping through the room, filling every crevice, and settling into the boy's bones. He had already stolen blankets from his nearest bed mate, but it didn't make any difference. Scotland's freezing weather had already staked its claim. Sighing, he wrapped his arms around his torso in an effort to warm up. As his icy fingertips hit a small patch of skin on his lower back he muffled a start. Yanking down his jumper, he burrowed deep into his mattress and attempted to cocoon himself in his swathe of blankets. They were intricately wrapped around his body, twisting through his legs and folding over his neck. The stolen blanket had made itself at home over his freezing toes. Under him, was the thickest blanket he had, being used as the base blanket. After shuddering for the umpteenth time the boy settled.
In a moment of blissful warmth, the blanket riddled lump previously known as Sirius let out a breath of contempt. Finally, he could get some sleep without his teeth chattering. He shut his eyes and took a long breathe, savouring the feeling of warmth. Who knew when another breeze would come through the window? It had started off as a kind of game within the first year dorms; no one would close the window once it had been opened. When it had begun in the dormitory next door, he found it rather hilarious hearing about how Longbottom had taken refuge by the fireplace in the common room. But now that (not so) fun game had spread into their dormitory after James had decided it would weed out the weak hearted. And Sirius was not about to be known as the cry baby first year that needed the window shut at night. Thus, this left them frozen until a house elf took pity on them and closed it.
A creak sounded from the window and a quiet whooshing noise could be heard. Sirius cracked an eye open. Indeed, a particularly strong breeze had pushed the window out further. He bit his lip in frustration as the cold crept in. Eying up the window, Sirius cursed his dorm mates. This was the fifth night in a row that the window had been left open and the frosty air that came through led to sleepless nights for Sirius. Somehow, none of them were affected by what was surely the coldest winter yet. He huffed. It simply would not do.
Detangling himself from his fortress of blankets, Sirius swung his legs to the floor. Letting out an involuntary shiver he hugged himself as he marched over to the nearest bed. Yanking open the curtain, he saw who his victim was. The unsuspecting, sleeping body of Remus Lupin lay there.
Pausing for a moment, Sirius considered the situation. They had only been at Hogwarts six weeks and he wasn't really sure what the rules of friendship were and how far they extended. He didn't know if he was allowed to crawl into said friend's bed whilst he was sleeping and cuddle him for warmth. Sirius shifted. Regulus always liked cuddles and hadn't Remus agreed with James three nights ago when he declared them all to be newfound brothers? Sirius remembered Remus looking quite flustered, if not pleased, at the declaration. If Regulus was his brother, and he liked cuddles then Sirius saw no reason as to why Remus should be opposed to them. After all, they were the perfect way to keep warm at night. Sirius grinned. By all accounts it seemed perfectly alright for him to stay with Remus for the night.
His mind made up, he lifted Remus' blankets up and scooted under them. Pressing himself against Remus' body, Sirius smiled as the body heat flooded through him. This was the perfect way to get rid of the cold. He pulled the blanket over his shoulder, until it reached his chin. Tucking his legs into a ball, he pressed his face against the back of Remus' neck. Remus was unusually warm and it was simply delightful. Sirius shut his eyes and relaxed, it was almost like cuddling with Regulus, only Regulus usually smelt less chocolaty. Feeling his body relax in the newfound heat, Sirius snuggled into his human pillow. He was just drifting into sleep when he heard a quiet voice.
"Uh..." Remus' voice came out as a whisper, raspy from sleep. "Who is that?"
Sirius felt, rather than heard, Remus turning his head. In the dim moonlight, he saw his new cuddle buddy squint out of one eye, the other remained clamped shut. He watched as Remus blinked blearily a few times at him.
"Sirius?"
Remus' freckles were spattered on his nose in a rather adorable fashion, Sirius mused.
He brought his eyes up to look into Remus', "Remus…You're awake."
"Uh, um…" Remus rubbed his eye. "You're in my bed."
"What about it?" Sirius pouted. He didn't see anything wrong with it; he just wanted a nice, warm, cuddle.
"Well, I mean…Why?" Remus peered at him, his eyes still hazy with sleep.
Sirius paused. He was faced with two options. Tell Remus the truth about the window and how cold he was and risk forever being known as Sirius Black: The most pathetic pureblood to ever enter Hogwarts, or lie, and say that he wanted a night-time chat and cuddle. The thought that maybe he didn't need to mention cuddles briefly flitted through his mind but he took no notice of it. The way he was practically on top of Remus looked too suspicious and his only option on that matter would be to go with cuddling.
Sirius opened his mouth to answer but before he could stop it happening, surprise option number three arrived and to his horror his mouth began to move of its own accord.
"InormallycuddlewithRegulusandImisshimandithelpsmelseepandnightandI'msorryIjustwantedtosnuggle"
Remus blinked.
There was a pregnant pause in the small gap between their faces and Sirius instantly regretted every decision in his life that had led to this moment. He wished that he was back in his freezing blanket fort in his own bed. At least his blankets didn't judge him when he made embarrassing confessions.
"You..uh, want to…snuggle?" Remus replied.
Sirius felt a deep blush flush over his cheeks. He opened his mouth in an attempt to speak but shut it again, finding himself mute. He wondered if holding onto Remus tight would be an appropriate response. Oh how he loved the heat.
"See…it's…well… only its cold and…uh" Sirius tried to form a coherent sentence but was too mortified to do so. What kind of pureblood wizard shows their emotions like that to someone they scarcely know?
"It's okay"
Sirius felt his eyes widen at the response. He looked up at Remus in shock, "Really?"
Remus gave him a small, lopsided smile. "Really. I don't mind."
"You, uh, are you sure?"
Remus grinned.
"I don't mind" He repeated, "Why my bed though? Surely you'd want to go to James' bed if you were cold?"
"You're bed was closest, and besides, James would shove me off in two seconds. Anyway…you're like some kind of inferno, radiating heat." Feeling more than slightly humiliated, Sirius tried not to let the extent of his happiness show.
"Oh, okay" Remus shifted so that he was facing Sirius. Even though they were both just eleven, they were made of gangly arms and long legs. Their noses were inches apart. "Do you mind if we go to sleep now?"
Sirius smiled brightly at the other boy. He wiggled down the bed and stuffed his face into Remus' small chest. He picked up Remus' skinny arm and placed it over his shoulder. He wrapped his own arm over Remus' torso and pressed against him. Waves of heat seemed to flow out of Remus, and into him. Sirius sighed in pleasure. He could faintly smell grass on Remus' pyjamas and wondered whether the boy had been taking any night-time strolls recently. He felt his pureblood side shudder at the thought of dirty pyjamas but he didn't really care. Remus sneaking out at night or not, he was almost better than Regulus at cuddling. Sirius felt his heart swell with happiness when Remus tightened his grip around him. Content with their positions he looked up at Remus. The other boys eyes had already begun to flutter shut and his breathes were becoming more spaced out. Sirius watched in a mixture of amazement and mild envy as Remus fell back asleep in less than three minutes.
A sound from the other side of the room made him jump. The window had creaked again. He watched as the moonlight shone over his old bed and smiled when he heard the gust of cold air swoop in. Tucked up with Remus around him, nothing could affect him.