Title: The Five Minutes I Was Straight

Author: Shiakuu Hitome

Rating: G

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Remus/Sirius

Word Count: 433

Summary: Remus loved Sirius. Sirius loves Remus. Remus loves Sirius. (MWPP-era fluff)

Notes: Written as a challenge by a friend of mine at school. It wasn't for a specific fandom or pairing. She just said, "Write a story with the title 'The Five Minutes I Was Straight' and use the title in the story at least once." Set after The Prank.

The five minutes I was straight were the longest in my life. It was sometime in the late afternoon, the morning after a full moon. Sixth year.

The night had been far worse then I was used to, at least since Padfoot, Wormtail, and Prongs started joining Moony. I didn't know why until Headmaster Dumbledore told me.

The wolf had almost bitten someone last night. I had almost bitten someone last night.

And it was Sirius's fault.

Sirius, who had promised to protect me. To protect me forever, had told bloody Snivellus how to meet the wolf.

I heard his voice. He was talking to Pomfrey, his voice hoarse.

The door creaked open. That in itself was a shock. Poppy never let anyone in without a fight. Perhaps Dumbledore had told her to let him in.

I feigned sleep. I did not want to face Sirius, the betrayer, now.

I didn't love him. I realized it with a jolt. I didn't love Sirius. There was a great gapping hole in my being. I had loved him for so long that I didn't know who I was now that I didn't.

That's how I came to the conclusion that I was straight. I mean, if you aren't straight, you love another boy, right? So now that I didn't love another boy, I was straight.

Reaffirmed in my self-knowledge, I shifted in my false sleep.

Sirius made a noise. If I didn't know my love, no, my former love, better, I would have thought he had been crying.

He touched my arm lightly. I resisted the urge to shudder. Then he began to speak.

"I'm sorry, Moony. I'm so, so sorry. You have to believe me, Remus. Love. Please. I know you're sleeping, but maybe you can hear me. I know you won't forgive me now, and maybe not ever, but you have to know, I have to know that you know that I love you, and I never meant for all this to happen. No matter how much Snivellus deserved it. He wants you, Moony, ya know. Well, don't worry about that now. I love you. I'm sorry."

As he walked out the door, I shifted to see him. I opened one eye. He turned to face me again.

He was caked with mud, his long hair tangled and filled with leaves. His robes were torn and wrinkled.

Tears were clearing a path through the dirt on his cheeks.

He was more beautiful then I had ever seen him before.

He whispered, "I love you," before leaving.

I fell in love with him again.