DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Inspired by Reddwarfer's The Beauty of the Alternate Universe Challenge, found on The Silver Snitch . net

"Bloody glad that's done. Butterbeer?" Sirius pulled open the small refrigerator tucked under a steep eave. Remus shook his head and shifted over a stack of Quidditch Daily: The Only Daily Source of Quidditch News, Rumours, and Gossip and slumped onto the sofa. A groaning creak made his eyes widen and he considered the beaten leather recliner buried under take-away boxes.

"Don't worry, it hasn't given way yet." Sirius used a foot to sweep the recliner clear before settling into it with a box of biscuits in one hand and a frosted butterbeer in the other. He held out the box in offering to Remus who shook his head. Sighing, Sirius let the box drop to his lap and he let his head fall back and his eyes close. "It's all a nightmare, isn't it?" He whispered the question as he brought the bottle to his mouth and sucked down a large gulp. "Isn't it?" This time the question came out with much more force.

"Do you want me to deny what's happened or commiserate?" Remus struggled out of the embrace of the couch and began to pace. His skin pricked with an inexplicable irritation and he wondered if the aurors had hexed him before he had left the Ministry. A long terrifying night followed by a mind-numbing day of official statements, reports and depositions had Remus teetering on the sharp edge of nervous breakdown and grief-induced catatonia. Stumbling over a pizza carton obscured by the pleated skirt of the couch, he slipped his wand out and, with a muttered spell, cleaned the room of empty food containers. "Denying won't change anything." Remus stopped behind Sirius's chair and let a hand drift down to settle on his shoulder. "They're gone and Peter's in custody." Remus swallowed, pushing down the sudden restriction in his throat. "They're gone."

Sirius scrambled up from his seat, the biscuit box and the bottle all tumbling to the floor. "I know. I saw." He stalked across the room and threw open a cabinet door. "Need something stronger."

Remus stared as his friend swept aside rows of shot glasses, each clinking against the other in a noisy fairy chorus, until Sirius cawed in triumph. Sirius spun around, grinning, as he held up his booty. A full bottle of Ogden's finest hung strangled in his fingers. "Knew I had some put up." He wiggled the bottle. "Fancy a round? Or more?"

Biscuit crumbs were sprawled across the dark carpet, some dark and bloated, soaked from the spill of butterbeer. Remus sighed and shrugged. "Sure. Why the hell not." And he flicked away the mess.

Sirius passed him a glass and raised his own. "To James and Lily. The best of us."

"Hear! Hear!" Remus knocked his glass against Sirius's with a tad more force than he should have, but as the glass hadn't broken he didn't worry about it. He slugged back the firewhiskey and smiled as it burned its way to his stomach.

Sirius refilled both glasses. "A couple of these and a good shag and everything else will wait 'til morning." Remus snorted as Sirius waggled his eyebrows and took his place back on the sofa. The creak transformed to a groan when Sirius landed on the cushion beside him. Sirius chuckled.

"Only you'd find humour about now."

Sirius punched Remus in the arm. "Thought you were the spy."

"I know."

"But you weren't."

Remus rolled his eyes but didn't reply.

"Voldemort was offering a good deal to the werewolves and I saw you once with Greyback…"

"It was Order business." Remus shook his head, appalled that Sirius was going to make him say this. That he even needed to say this. "You should have known that I was true to you."

Remus gasped as Sirius plastered himself against Remus's face. Sirius clutched Remus's shoulders, yanking Remus to him and swirling his tongue over Remus's firewhiskey soaked mouth. Remus felt the growl in his throat rather than heard it as he grabbed just as ferociously as he was being held and plundered Sirius's maw, teeth clacking and tongues slurping, just as he was being pillaged.

And then it simply became too much. Too good, too raw, too fierce. The entire night had become too much. Too much fear, too much pain, too much sorrow. Remus pushed and twisted away from Sirius and took up pacing again. "Too much."

Sirius huffed. "Not nearly enough, I'd wager." He sat back on the couch, panting and lips rose-red, eyes following Remus's switchback track. "C'mon. A shag will help."

"Will it?"

"Always makes me feel good." Sirius summoned the bottle of whiskey and poured his third drink.

"They'll still be gone."

The glass flew across the room, smashing against the far wall, leaving a dark splotch of stain. "I know!" Remus hunched where he stood seeing the agony cutting across Sirius's face. "I know! I know! I know!" Sirius sagged and ran both hands through his hair. "But there's not a bloody thing I can do to fix it and I'd just like to feel something besides-" He broke off and covered his face. Remus settled himself next to his grieving friend and wrapped an arm around Sirius's shoulder to pull him into an embrace.

Remus thought of the first words most people used to comfort, "it'll be all right," but that wasn't ever going to be true, so he chose to say nothing.

After some time, Sirius stirred and Remus felt it was okay to speak again. "Guess we'd better clean up before Harry gets here. Who's taking care of him right now?"

Sirius brows drew together. "What?"

"You are Harry's godfather, aren't you? James appointed you Harry's guardian if…" Remus trailed off.

"Yeah, if." Sirius snickered. "Guess no one ever expected that if to actually happen."

"What are you talking about?"

"I met Hagrid, you know, there and he had Harry. Said Dumbledore had given him instructions and he wouldn't give me Harry." Sirius summoned another glass and stuck his hand between the sofa cushions and felt for the whiskey bottle.

"Dear Merlin." Sirius snickered again at hearing Remus's so-called wizarding profanity. Remus had picked it up their second year at Hogwarts wanting to sound more wizardly. James and Sirius had teased him mercilessly about it, but invoking Merlin had stuck. "You don't think Dumbledore sent Harry to Lily's sister?"

"She's a Muggle! Why would he do that?" Sirius drained his glass and held out the bottle to Remus who declined with a shake of his head.

"Because then Harry could grow up in a family environment. Lily told me that Petunia had a little boy a month or so before she had Harry."

Sirius made to pour himself another drink but Remus tugged the bottle from his hand and banished it to the cabinet. Sirius growled, lunged and ended up sprawled on his back on the floor. He lay quietly for a long moment, eyes closed and Remus assumed he had passed out. Remus jumped when Sirius started speaking. "Those Muggles couldn't protect Harry. We should check on him."

Remus gave a long, heavy sigh. When Sirius said they should do something, they usually did – whether they should or not. "Sirius, the headmaster would never place Harry anywhere where he would be in danger. If he left Harry with Petunia, then he had a good reason."

Sirius opened his eyes and glared at Remus. "Except that it isn't Dumbledore's decision. James and Lily decided that Harry should be with me." Sirius rolled over and pushed himself to his feet. He swayed for a moment and Remus reached out to steady him. Sirius snatched his arm away. "Let's go." He spun and lurched toward the door.

"Sirius…" Remus followed wishing his friend would look before he leaped. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."

Wheeling around, Sirius jabbed a finger at Remus. "I won't risk my godson." He waited until Remus nodded. "Now, where'd you say Lily's sister lived?"

"I didn't." Remus told a hold of Sirius's upper arm. "But I know where. Let me take us both there."

Sirius poked Remus in the chest with that same finger. "I may have failed James, but I won't fail Harry."

… to be continued …