Disclaimer - You know the drill. You don't seriously think I created Harry Potter, do you? Give me a break, I'm not that smart. No, these characters are the sole property of J. Rowling and a number of publishing companies.

A/N - Well, almost everyone had the same question: "Is this going to be slash?" "Will Remus and Sirius hook up?" My answer:

Not directly. I leave my stories purposely ambiguous (for the most part) so you can enjoy it as romance or just very sweet closeness between best friends. So read it however you want. But I can promise/warn you that there will be no overt sexual stuff, no romantic kissing (maybe a nice kiss on the forehead) and even though they have a tendency to sleep in the same bed, nothing more intense than snuggling is going to happen there. All the close interpersonal stuff will be emotional, they're not going to get any closer physically than they already have. Hope everyone's okay with that, if not…well, too bad. It's my story grin

Glad I didn't lose all my readers on my day off!

NEVER ONE TO LEAVE

But Remus did not sleep.

What had made him say such terrible things to Sirius? He gazed down fondly at the tousle-haired boy nestled into the crook of his arm. Sirius, who'd always been there for him, who'd gone out of his way to befriend Remus and to see that he was always happy and protected. I shouldn't take my temper out on him.

He had been pretty temperamental ever since the start of term, he realized. Ever since returning from his parents. Forgiving his father for what had happened was one thing, but Remus was finding it hard to put it out of his mind.

It's not fair, he now thought angrily. Peter has a family, James has a family. Sirius has a family, and he's throwing it away. None of them understand, they don't know what it's like to have no one.

And he felt bitter. Why should he grow up all alone, double-cursed with lycanthropy and solitude? Why was it that Sirius Black was the first person to ever love him?

Damn, Remus thought furiously. No matter how he thought about it, it was a contradiction. He couldn't hate Sirius, his first and most loyal friend, but how could he overlook the fact that his supposed best friend was tossing out the window the one thing Remus wanted most - a family?

I tried so hard, Remus thought. I could not have tried harder. I put up with him hitting me, with the drunkenness, I did everything I could, and in the end I forgave him so we could be a family in the future someday. If I'd stayed any longer I might have died.

He shivered, knowing it was true.

Looking down at the boy sleeping peacefully in his arms, he whispered, "I love you, Sirius. But I hate that you're giving up something I'll never have."

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The next day it rained. Sirius had woken alone in Remus' bed, but the boy was nowhere to be found. Having planned on talking out whatever was bothering Remus, Sirius was annoyed by his disappearance. He was stalking about the castle huffily when he was ambushed by a gang of Slytherins, headed by his cousin Bella.

The Slytherins strung themselves out in the hallway, leering at Sirius, who was in no mood for this. "What?" he demanded, looking from one to the next in exasperation.

Bella stepped forward. "Sirius."

"What?" Sirius repeated. "I haven't done anything to any of you in weeks. Why don't you bugger off?"

Bella laughed, an annoying high-pitched squeal. She was a year older than Sirius and, more importantly, she was in good favor with his parents. Bella had power within the Black family in a way Sirius never would.

"Sirius," Bella repeated evenly, "we have a…task…for you."

"A task?" Sirius stared. "Is this for real?"

"Young Severus Snape…"

"He's my age!" Sirius interrupted, annoyed at Bella's pretension.

Bella continued as though she hadn't heard. "Snape suggested to me that there may be something odd about your little friend Lupin."

"Well, Snape probably thinks anyone who showers is odd," Sirius said evenly. "He'll adjust."

Bella's eyes glittered. "Regulus told me everything, Sirius." A small dark haired boy stepped out from behind a larger, burlier Slytherin. Sirius recognized his younger brother.

"You sodding…" Sirius lunged, but felt himself restrained as the burly Slytherin howled "Impedimenta!" His mind was racing. How much had he told Regulus? How much would Bella know?

"He's a werewolf, Sirius," Bella hissed. "Do you know what the ministry would do with that? A werewolf at Hogwarts. And it would be so easy to frame him for something, Sirius…"

Sirius snapped. He grabbed his cousin by the shoulders and shoved her up against the stone wall. "What do you want?" He growled.

Bella laughed. "Well now this is a contradiction, isn't it? You've got my back to the wall, you're bigger and stronger than me…why, anyone walking in on this would think you were in charge here, wouldn't they?"

Sirius' fingers dug into her shoulders, and the smile disappeared from her face. "Fine. Let go, and I'll tell you what your task is."

Sirius let go of her and backed away, trembling with a strange combination of rage and terror.

"Severus wants to know what Lupin is, and you will tell him." Bella grinned ferally.

Sirius' mind reeled. "No," he said, trying to make sense of things. "What kind of threat is that, Bella? Either I tell him or you will? That doesn't make sense. I'm not doing it. If he's going to find out either way, you tell him."

Bella snickered. "You misunderstood me, Sirius. Either you tell Severus…or I tell everyone."

Sirius felt a lump rise in his throat. "No…" he whispered. "Why? Just because you hate me?"

"Because you're a disgrace!" Regulus snapped suddenly. "A Black fraternizing with a werewolf? It's shameful! It's…"

"Shut up," Bella snapped irritably at him. "Your friendship with the wolf has to end, Sirius. He has to be driven away from you, at all costs. He has to hate you, understand? Or the entire school finds out exactly what he is.

She turned and stalked away. The other Slytherins glowered at Sirius and followed. Only when they were around the corner and out of sight did he allow himself to sink to the floor and cry.

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Severus Snape glared at the Gryffindor. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," Sirius said truthfully. "Bella sent me."

"Ahhh…" Snape grinned, "You're here to tell me what's going on with Lupin?"

"Why do you want to know?" Sirius growled. "What are you going to do to him?"

"That really depends on what he's hiding, doesn't it?" Snape said, leaning back casually in his chair. "I might try to get him expelled. I don't like him any more than I like you, Black." Noticing the look on Sirius' face, he said, "And I know you have to tell me, Black. Bella said she'd find a way to get it out of you."

Sirius glared at the other boy, hating him. "I'll show you. Friday night. Meet me by the Whomping Willow."

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Sirius arrived back in the dormitory well after curfew that night. Remus was sitting up in bed. He managed a strained "Hello."

"Remy…" Sirius whispered. Remus looked at his friend more closely and noticed that he'd been crying. He was pale and his eyes were red. He looked completely drained.

Forgetting his own concerns, Remus stood and helped Sirius over to his bed. "What happened, Sirius?"

"Remy," Sirius said again. He seemed hardly aware that Remus was there. "I'm so sorry Remy…I love you so much…" He curled up on the bed, crying again.

"Hey, what happened?" Remus gently wrapped his arms around his friend. "Shhh…whatever it is, Sirius, it's okay. We'll get through it."

Sirius leaned against his best friend, taking shelter in those arms for what he knew might be the last time. "Remy, promise me something?"

"Anything," Remus whispered, heartbreakingly gentle.

"No matter what happens, remember…Sirius swallowed hard. "Remember I love you, okay? I would never do anything to hurt you."

"I know," Remus whispered, holding Sirius tighter. "Of course I know that, Sirius. You're my best friend."

Sirius sobbed.

"Shhh…go to sleep, Sirius," Remus whispered. "Everything's all right."