Promises
By Ex-Professor Remus Lupin
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Promises are meant to be broken.
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Author's Note: I'm not really sure what to say about this one shot. It just…happened. I'm not sure what to think about it and I doubt it makes much sense.
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They had been resting together when Snape had stumbled through the floo, yelling for them to get dressed and get the fuck downstairs. Oblivious to the Potion Master they had been too involved in their own activities to recognize the tone of panic that laced the Potion Master's normally cold and hate filled voice. Besides, they did this every chance they got, treating each time as if it were the first or maybe even the last.

Love making had become a promise for them, a promise that the trust lost during those twelve years and the guilt felt, was lost, buried forever in a past that neither wanted to remember or forget. But, burning promises into Sirius' flesh with his fingers and mouth was easy. It was a way of telling the man that he loved him without actually having to say the words.

Sirius always had hated romance and he had been a firm disbeliever in love until now when the rekindled flame had forged a bond between them far stronger than that of mere fuck buddies, as it had been after school. Even now, they had trouble expression their feelings through words. When they made love it was a promise that one day they would say the words, just not yet.

Cradled in Sirius' arms, warm and sated, they had both been surprised when Snape had snapped the lock in half on the door, yelling something about Harry and the Ministry and Sirius being in danger and having to call the other Order members. Sirius, still a bit shocked at the look of raw emotion on Severus' face, had been the first to act, jumping out of bed, regardless of his state of undress.

Remus had followed at a slower pace, content with wrapping the sheet around his waist and look properly chastises as Snape made a crude comment eager to fall back into his place of being a complete bastard. Sirius had been willing to let him play and he had gladly stepped in to protect his lover, tugging on tattered robes and running his fingers through his hair in the hopes of untangling the strands.

It had been a long battle to convince Remus to let him come along when the others had arrived. Though Sirius doubted it had lasted more than a minute, the other man pleading desperately with him to stay at Grimmauld Place and he had refused point blank to sit patiently at home while Remus and the others went and saved Harry and his friends. Before they left, Remus had pulled Sirius back into the kitchen where Snape was standing by the fireplace, drinking tea and waiting for Dumbledore.

"What?" Sirius had asked as Remus gazed up at his.

Uncaring that Snape stood only a few paces away, Remus rose up on the balls of his feet, one hand to either side of his lover's face and kissed him. It was sloppy and completely spontaneous, and had a hint of desperation in it that Sirius rarely felt in anything Remus did. Letting himself down the few inches, the werewolf rested his forehead against Sirius' chest, breathing heavily.

"Remus! Sirius!" Tonks' voice filtered through the door and they broke apart reluctantly, seeking the other out with their eyes and nodding. They would worry about what this whole thing meant later, now they had to save Harry before he got himself killed.

The Ministry was dark and cold, filled with a soft blue light as the battle was fought, flashes of color making the room seem almost ghastly. The veil stood at the room's center, mocking them as they battled and Remus, distracted by another enemy didn't see it until too late.

Looking up he caught Sirius' grin and a wink sent his way as he leapt onto the platform that the veil was on. Remus tried to yell something, but his throat had frozen and he watched helplessly as Sirius and his cousin battled it out.

The spell, brilliantly colored red as it struck his chest, knocked him backwards. For a moment it seemed almost as if time had frozen and he was a dancer, caught forever in a graceful move. Remus prayed that were true as time sped up and he wanted to run, to catch him and pull him back up, laughing and grinning ridiculously at him for being such a worry wart.

The veil fluttered mockingly in reply.

He surprised himself when he stopped Harry from doing exactly what he wanted to do, his voice cracking as he fought back the oncoming wave of tears. Outside, he appeared only slightly upset, even after the other Death Eaters had been defeated and they had heard the Dumbledore had taken Harry to safety. Inside, his scream echoed off the windows and chilled those that felt it to the bone. A man is incapable of screaming with such anguish. Only a Wolf could do such a thing.

And Remus, still standing strong inside the Death Chamber of the Department of Mysteries, said one thing after everyone had left, Tonks lingering for a moment and placing a comforting hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry."

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Author's Note: Reviews are very much appreciated.