Title: The First Snowfall Of Winter
Author: Netzoid Nerd
Pairing: Remus/Sirius [This story implies a homosexual realtionship between Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. Don't like it, find another story to read.
Disclaimer: I'm not J.K.Rowling, I'm not making any money off of this. Don't sue?
Author's Notes: The wonderful mix of three colas and sleep deprivation. It could use a bit of editing, but I really need sleep. I'll edit it if I remember. I cranked this out because I had the incredible need to write some Remus/Sirius love. Reviews are love, and I am eternally grateful if you take the time to read this.
It was the first snowfall of winter. The gray clouds that hovered over Hogwarts opened up and poured snowflakes against the ground, sending chills over the grass and the frozen lake. Most students would be spending this day curled by the fire, but not Remus Lupin. Though Remus wanted to be by the fire, perhaps with a good book and a glass of hot cocoa, he wasn't. Instead, he was being dragged, very much so against his will, outside by his dear friend Sirius Black.
The reason Sirius was dragging Remus outside into the wet and cold that Remus had grown to detest?
To watch the snow fall.
Yes, that was exactly what Sirius had said.
To watch the wretched snow fall.
Remus had no real reason to hate winter, save for that it was indeed very cold, very wet, and that it made your nose run, your breath smoke, and your body shiver though you were covered with fifteen layers of clothes.
Plus, having to curl up on the floor of the shack with no clothes and no blanket during the dead of winter whilst in werewolf form was not something anyone, especially Remus, would deem fun.
Of course, when Sirius had barged into the common room and grabbed Remus' arm, proclaiming they were going outside right this very minute, Remus had protested. Sirius ignored Remus' complaints, as usual, and continued pulling the sandy haired boy out of the comfortable couch, away from the warm fire, and out of the common room.
Once they were in the hall, Sirius let go of Remus' arm and took a firm hold of his hand, lacing their fingers together in a way that would appear romantic to anyone who didn't know better.
And considering the reputation Sirius Black had for being a playboy, everyone in Hogwarts knew better.
It was the moment Sirius held Remus' hand that Remus stopped protesting for a brief moment. Sirius continued pulling, oblivious to the blush now creeping across his best friend's cheek.
"You're going to love it, mate. It's perfect..." Sirius was talking hurriedly now, his steps speeding up. He was in such a hurry to get outside, to watch the first snowfall of winter with Remus. He couldn't get out of the castle fast enough.
"Sirius, I don't have a jacket." Goosebumps were already forming on Remus' flesh, the thin sweater and jeans he wore not really enough to keep in warm.
"It's so new and crisp and untouched..." Sirius continued describing the snow, completely oblivious to Remus talking.
"I should be studying." Remus spoke louder now, trying to get through the Sirius. He wouldn't admit it, but he wouldn't't give up holding Sirius' hand for anything. It was the only reason he wasn't pulling back. However, he would much rather be holding Sirius' hand in front of a fire, in the hand-holding way that was meant to be romantic, not just look it.
It had been a year ago Remus had started falling for his best friend, which certainly explained why he never had a girlfriend in school. He didn't know it, at first, and had fought off the feelings for a great deal of time before allowing himself to believe that he had romantic interest in Sirius Black.
Of course, the aforementioned romantic interest was completely oblivious.
Not that Remus dropped hints, because Sirius Black was most certainly not gay, and hints would be wasted on him.
Remus hadn't even tried to tell Sirius, too afraid of romantic rejection and even worse- losing a friendship he treasured so much.
The only person who knew was Lily, and Remus had told her only after he made her swear three times on her grandmother's grave that she would tell no one. She had been true to her word, but every once and awhile she came up with some new, deranged matchmaking attempt that Remus would have to talk her out of. Her latest attempt involved singling heart-shaped cookies and Peter dressed as cupid. It had taken two weeks for Remus to find a flaw large enough to make Lily decide that it wasn't a very good plan to put into action.
"Oh, forget studying for a minute.." Sirius said. They were nearing the door now, and every chill down Remus' spin pulled him out of his Sirius-laced thoughts and into reality. "Wait until you see..." Sirius was saying as he pulled the door open in a way that a parent unveils a surprise to a child.
'You can open your eyes now, Remus.'
'Wow Mommy, I get my very own broom!!?'
Of course, Remus did not have that excited-child reaction when Sirius opened the doors and ran out into the snow, twirling around. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, a scowl on his lips. "Sirius, please. Come back inside. We can play chess and-"
"Come on out Remus. Please. For one second. For me?" Sirius had paused in his twirling to interrupt Remus with a puppy-dog pout and a plea that would make any professor re-think assigning him detention.
And of course, Remus buckled, twisted, and bent in his resolve to stay inside.
Angrily, Remus stepped out into the cold, arms wrapped tight around himself in an attempt to keep warm.
"Happy?" Remus' tone of voice suggested that if Sirius even suggest Remus frolic in the snow Sirius would very quickly lose the ability to have children.
"Yes." Sirius' happy tone did not waver under Remus' glare, and he reached out for Remus' hand again. "You can't say you don't think it's beautiful."
Remus thought about Sirius' words, and chose not to speak. No, snow was not beautiful. It was frozen water that fell from the sky. It was nothing compared to Sirius' light colored skin, or dancing eyes. Snow melted under Sirius' beauty.
Remus started to blush again, averting his eyes to the sky. Snow started to land in his hair and on his face. As light as the snowfall was, it was oddly delicate in a way that as fragile as it was you could step on it and it would not break or bend beneath your weight.
Turning back to Sirius now, Remus saw that Sirius had laid on the ground, eyes closed and chest rising and falling with his breathing. Excited.
Remus, very reluctantly, laid down next to Sirius.
His mind toyed with the idea of them as a couple. A real couple. Perhaps they would drink cocoa, and share a cinnamon stick. Pressed marshmallow smiles together in secret kisses.
More blushing.
"Hey, Remus. How come I never see you with a girl? Are your studies really so important that you don't have time for human companionship?"
Even more blushing, to the point where Remus' face was flushed a dark shade of red. "Er. I'm spending time with you, aren't I?" It was true that no-matter how much schoolwork had to be done, Remus always made time for Sirius.
"Yeah, I guess you are." Sirius laughed like it was the best joke ever told, and rolled over. He pushed himself up and crossed his legs, shaking snow out of his hair.
Remus forced himself to swallow his nervousness down. Sirius didn't know. It was just a question. No need to get worried. Sirius didn't know Remus liked him. Besides, Sirius had a girlfriend, so it didn't matter anyway.
Remus rolled over on his stomach, his own eyes closing.
"Hey, Sirius?"
"Yeah Moony?"
"How come you're out here with me, and not your girlfriend...?" Remus couldn't believe he said it, even after his own ears heard him speak. What would Sirius say? 'What kind of question is that? Are you queer? I don't like you, Mate, you're just my friend..'
Before Remus' imagination could continue going with it's account of how Remus single-handedly wrecked the Moony-Padfoot relationship, Sirius spoke.
"I'd much rather be out here with you."
"Oh." A lot more blushing, and a smile that Remus' could only hide by pushing his face into the snow.
Remus' happiness was short lived, as he very quickly had to pull his face away from the snow. His whole body shook with shivers, and the snow had gotten so cold against his skin that it burned. Remus set a record for the fastest time that a person has brushed snow off of their face, a record that no one has yet to beat.
This sent Sirius laughing. Of course.
"Stop lau-..lau--.." Remus' chattering teeth were interrupting his speech. Sirius' laughter only increased, which caused Remus' anger to rise. So he did the only thing he could do to make Sirius stop laughing. He picked up a huge hunk of snow, rounded it into a ball, and threw it at Sirius' head.
Sirius stopped laughing when the snowball hit him between the eyes.
"EH! What was that for?"
Remus laughed. Sirius looked so cute when he was angry, and well..covered with snow.
"Maybe I should have come out here with Sherry." Sirius crossed his arms and did his best to look angry.
Remus laughed harder. "Her name is Susan, Sirius. Susan. Not Sherry."
Sirius uncrossed his arms and appeared very thoughtful. "Come to think of it, are you sure it isn't Sharlene?"
Finally free of his fit of laughter, Remus took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Sirius still hadn't brushed the snowball off. "It's Susan. I'm sure."
Noting that Remus was staring at the snowball, Sirius brushed it off, flicking it in small bits toward the ground. "Well, I don't really like her anyway."
"Oh."
The silence lasted longer than normal and was only broken by Remus' teeth, clattering as his body was racked with another wave of shivers. Really, Sirius should have at least let him get a jacket. Noting how his dear friend was shaking so badly, Sirius stopped with the snowball and threw his cold arms tight around Remus' body, holding the sandy haired boy merely a hair strand apart.
Of course, Remus' face turned scarlet.
"Sirius, what are you doing!?"
"Keeping you warm! Now hold still." Sirius sent them both crashing to the ground and climbed onto Remus, acting as the human blanket.
"Sirius...you should move..." Remus tried to turn his face to the side, but Sirius' position made it uncomfortable to move even the slightest inch in any direction. "Do you want me to move?" Was Sirius' response, which made Remus wish at the same time Sirius would move and that he wouldn't.
"Not really."
"Good, because I don't want to move." Remus took note, happily, that in this position he could tell Sirius' face wasn't red because of the cold. Almost as if needing to justify his statement, Sirius mumbled "I'm comfortable."
"Oh."
It was in the split second that Remus' eyes closed that he felt Sirius' warm lips against his own. His face burned hot, his eyes flew open, and his whole body tingled for a whole different reason then being cold.
Sirius pulled away for a moment. "I'm keeping your lips warm." He waited for a response from Remus, whose mind was singing the Hallelujah chorus.
"Oh." This time, it wasn't just because that was all Remus could think of to say. It was because he was so happy he was speechless. Sirius bent down and kissed him again.
It seemed like the snow that had been so cold earlier warmed around them.
It seemed that the icicles that had annoyed Remus for so long melted into beautiful crystals.
And it was in that moment that Remus decided, Winter really wasn't that bad.