Hiya! Here is Part Two of Four parts. Thank you for all your reviews for last chapter. :) I'm so glad you're enjoying this AU fic so far. We pick up immediately from the end of last chapter.

Warnings: Swearing, sexual content.


At first, Remus wasn't sure what was happening. Jets of coloured light streaked around the room, a red stream barely missing his head as he stepped out of the fireplace. Remus ducked fast, realising as he felt the unmistakable crackling of dark magic that Sirius had been right... this was a lot more serious than he'd believed and this vendetta was very personal.

'Get out of here!' Sirius yelled, casting a shield charm as the unidentified attacker shot hex after hex at him. 'Go back!'

'Sirius...'

'Fuck it all, Lupin,' Sirius screamed at him. 'Do what you are told for once!'

Remus hesitated another second then did as he was bid, stepping back into the flames and tumbling through space until he was tossed onto his arse on Sirius' dirty hearth rug.

He leapt to his feet and, with one eye on the fireplace, cast a Patronus and ordered it to find James Potter at the Ministry. Then he waited, wand outstretched, for Sirius to come through.

It was an agonising few minutes, but then Sirius fell flat on his face onto the floor, his yell of, 'Close the Floo!' muffled by the mat.

Remus shut down the Floo connection and dropped to the floor beside Sirius. 'Are you hurt?' he asked urgently, gripping Sirius' shoulders and rolling him onto his back. 'Sirius?'

''m fine,' he said then let out a groan and clutched his side.

Remus' hands immediately followed and pushed the spell-damaged shirt out of the way. 'Merlin, Sirius,' he whispered, aghast when he laid eyes on the vicious bruising that was already beginning to spread. 'You need to go to the hospital.'

'Can't,' Sirius hissed.

'Sirius, please,' Remus said urgently, grasping the other man's hand tightly. 'I can't fix this.'

A knock on the door startled them and Sirius tried to sit up. 'It's James,' Remus said, rising to his knees, but Sirius held him back.

'If it's James, he'll be able to get in,' Sirius rasped, falling back onto the floor, face sweaty and pale. 'This place is warded to us both.'

Sure enough, James Potter burst into the room just then, taking in the scene and immediately dropping to his knees on the other side of Sirius.

'Tell me, Sirius,' he said matter-of-factly and Sirius whispered, 'Ribs... fuck, a few of them, I reckon.'

'Out of the way, Remus,' James said with authority, and Remus scooted across the floor, giving James room to work. 'What happened?' James asked as he waved his wand over Sirius' torso.

Sirius choked out that the attacker was waiting in Remus' house and that it was the first spell that had done the damage as he came out of the Floo.

'Those wards were fine when we left, James,' he said, closing his eyes as James uttered a spell to knit the cracked bones.

Remus winced along with him, his fisted hand clenching tight. The frantic fluttering of anxiety in his chest was only now calming as he saw Sirius slowly beginning to relax. He was startled by how worried he was, and gave in to the urge to touch Sirius, to comfort him. He moved closer to touch the back of his hand lightly and, to Remus' surprise, Sirius scrambled to grab hold of Remus' fingers, his hand tightened almost painfully around the digits.

'He needs a pain potion and something to help him sleep,' James said, pushing himself to his feet. 'I'll get them.'

As he left the room, Remus shifted closer. 'I'm sorry,' he whispered, leaning over Sirius' body. He unthinkingly reached out and brushed the damp hair off Sirius' face. 'This is about me and you've been hurt...'

'Pffft,' Sirius said in an attempt at nonchalance. 'This little thing? It's nothing.'

Remus frowned. 'It's not nothing,' he said softly. 'If I'd been first out of that Floo, I'd be dead. Thank you, Sirius.'

Before he could stop himself, he had dipped his head to press his lips to Sirius' forehead. When he pulled back, he saw the battling uncertainty and desire in those grey eyes and, after taking only a moment to allow himself to rethink this course of action, he leaned in and kissed Sirius.

It was nothing more than a brief joining of lips, but his reaction to it was nothing short of stunning. His entire body, every single neuron, was charged by the simple press of mouths and Remus pulled back with a tiny gasp of shock. Sirius' eyes were wide and his breathing even more laboured than it had been.

'Right,' said James as he came back with two vials. 'Take these.' He held the blue potion to Sirius' lips, helping him drink it, oblivious to the tension in the air. 'And this one too.'

Sirius shook his head, baulking at the Sleeping Potion, but James insisted. 'I'll stay,' he promised, smiling reassuringly at his friend. 'I promise.'

Sirius' eyes shifted from James to Remus then back to his friend. 'Don't let him die while I'm asleep,' he said hoarsely and James chuckled.

'I won't,' he assured him. 'Trust me, Sirius.'

Sirius nodded and accepted the potion, eyes fixed on Remus until the potion took effect.

***

When Sirius woke, it was dark. He tentatively palpated his side; it was a little tender but the pain that had wracked him earlier was gone. Turning his head, he was startled to see Remus curled up in a chair next to the bed. He stared at the man in repose and an indefinable ache tightened his chest.

Remus had kissed him.

And, even in the midst of his pain, he'd liked it. A lot.

He licked his lips, searching for a taste of the other man still lingering on his lips as he considered today's events. When he was struck by the spell at Remus' house, all he could think of was ensuring Remus was safe.

That's my job.

But it was more than that. He felt a sense of urgency and dread that he'd never felt before, and when he knew Remus was safe, the relief was overwhelming. Somehow, the werewolf had come to mean something to him... but he had no idea exactly what that something was.

Sirius closed his eyes. He wasn't gay. He really wasn't. He'd never been with a man before, the thought of being with a man in that way... it had never been a fantasy, never been something he wasted a lot of time thinking about.

Yes, he'd admired an attractive man before – he wasn't blind; he could acknowledge beauty in any form. But it went a step further with Remus. The recognition of his attractiveness wasn't just intellectual, it was physical, and all those things men did together that Sirius had rarely thought about before were suddenly all he could think about.

He opened his eyes and gazed at Remus again. Was he really going to let... curiosity lead him down an unknown path? All he had to do was reach out and wake Remus and find out what this thing between them was...

His hand closed around Remus' bare ankle – the nearest body part – and he allowed his thumb to stroke experimentally over the soft skin there. His throat went dry and he tugged on Remus' leg, his decision made.

Remus shifted and his eyes opened, blinking a few times before he realised Sirius was awake. 'Hi,' he whispered, letting his legs drop as he sat up. 'How're you feeling?'

'Alright,' Sirius said, clearing his throat when he heard how rough his voice was. 'You?'

Remus smiled a closed-mouth smile. 'I'm fine,' he said then he pointed his wand at a glass on Sirius' bedside table and murmured, 'Aguamenti'.

He moved to sit on the bed, helping Sirius sit up before handing him the glass. 'Do, er, do you remember much about what happened?' Remus asked, sounding nervous, and Sirius felt a little braver knowing he wasn't the only one who was on edge.

'I remember everything,' he told him, placing the glass back on the table. 'Where's James?'

Remus glanced at the door then back to Sirius. 'He's sleeping on your pull-out couch,' Remus said. 'Do you want me to get him?'

He stood, but Sirius grabbed his hand. 'No,' he whispered, pulling him back down onto the bed. 'No, I just wanted to make sure we weren't interrupted.'

Remus bit his lip, looking regretful. 'Sirius, I'm sorry. I took advantage and...'

Before he could second guess the wisdom of his actions, Sirius smashed his lips onto Remus'. He felt like an idiot as he sat there, lips pressed to lips, until Remus pulled back a second later.

'What are y...?' he began, but Sirius was determined to find out once and for all exactly what was going on.

'I'm kissing you,' he said, leaning in to capture the other man's lips again, but Remus dodged him.

'I can see that,' Remus said, almost reclining on the bed in his attempt to escape Sirius' lips. ''Why' would be my question.'

'Because I want to know,' Sirius said, grasping the front of Remus' shirt and yanking him back towards him. 'Because you're driving me fucking insane and I need to know...'

His voice cracked a little and he saw Remus' resistance fade a little. 'Sirius,' he began, but Sirius pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth.

'Oh, that... you...' Remus stuttered, not pulling away but not responding either. Sirius kissed him again on the other side of his mouth.

'Sirius, you don't... We shouldn't...' he whispered then Sirius slid his hand along his jaw, feeling the moment all resistance faded.

'Fuck,' Remus muttered then he grasped Sirius' face with strong hands and returned the kiss.

Firm, but soft lips coaxed Sirius' into parting and Remus' tongue dipped inside, stroking inquiringly against Sirius' own. Sirius' eyes fluttered shut as sensation swamped him... nothing bad could possibly feel this good.

He met the probing tongue with his own, touching with a slight hesitation, but Remus didn't allow any room for doubt. He deepened the kiss, tilting his head to better fix their mouths together, and Sirius moaned as electricity arced through him. The hand clenched in Remus' shirt twisted, tightening his hold on the man, and the other moved to tangle in the surprisingly soft hair at Remus' nape. He heard Remus utter another curse against his lips then they were falling back onto the bed, the kiss changing from explorative to hungry.

It felt good – too good – and Sirius found himself drowning in the new tastes and sensations of the other man's mouth. Their roughened jaws scraped deliciously together as they devoured each others' mouths, Remus shifting so his body fit better against Sirius'.

And that's when Sirius felt it – Remus' cock hard and long against his own aching dick. The reminder that this was a man, that this was not soft and rounded, but instead hard and angled, made fear shoot through him. All of a sudden that incredible breathlessness the kiss had created felt more like suffocation and with a whimper of panic, he pulled back.

'Get off,' Sirius hissed urgently, pushing at Remus' chest.

'Huh?' Remus grunted, lifting his head and staring down at Sirius with large, almost black eyes. 'What?'

'Stop,' he said, pushing harder until Remus sat up. 'I can't... This is not... me. I'm not...'

Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. '... gay,' he finished grimly as he pushed himself to his feet. 'Well, why the fuck did you kiss me then? Shit, I should have known better. Never fuck around with straight boys – golden bloody rule of poofs and I break it.'

Sirius sat up and tried to control his hard and fast respiration. 'I don't know why I did it,' he breathed, looking up at Remus. 'But I ...'

Remus waved his hand dismissively, moving towards the door. 'Just don't do it again,' he snapped. 'I'm not going to be your fucking experiment, Sirius. If you figure out what you want then we'll talk.'

He shut the door behind him with a quiet snick and Sirius flopped back onto the bed, wincing as his ribs twinged and his cock throbbed.

'Bugger,' he mumbled.

***

James looked from man to man in the morning and Remus could see he was bursting to ask why the atmosphere was thicker than Bubotuber pus and just as poisonous. Remus watched him follow Sirius into the tiny kitchen, and heard Sirius brush off his questions with a curt, 'Just leave it, James'.

They came back to the table and sat, James focusing in on Remus. 'Right, Sirius has told me in a bit more detail about last night and I think we can say with reasonable certainty that these attempts on your life are personal,' he said, pulling a roll of parchment and a quill towards himself. 'Who has access to your office and your home?'

Remus thought. 'My assistant, Fran,' he said finally with a deep frown. 'She often brings me files and things from work...'

'Surname?' James asked, scribbling away.

'Dashnell,' Remus said. 'But she's about eighty. You don't really think...?'

'Anyone who is that close to you needs investigating,' Sirius said, speaking to Remus for the first time this morning. 'What about friends? Old boyfriends?'

'I thought we'd covered that already,' Remus snapped and Sirius scowled.

'Someone got through the wards at your office and your home,' he said, voice like steel. 'Now stop fucking wasting time and just give us the names we need.'

Remus clenched his fists and took a deep breath to stop himself punching Sirius in the nose. 'My parents,' he said with a little sneer. 'They, of course, waited until I was twenty-five to try and kill me rather than knocking me off in the two and a half decades prior.'

'Remus...' Sirius growled, the warning in his voice unmistakeable, but Remus refused to heed it.

'Or there's my sister, Anna,' Remus continued, narrowing his eyes at Sirius. 'She did use a particularly vicious Chinese burn on me once...'

'For fuck's sake, Remus!'

'And then there's Peter who is like a brother to me; who stood by me after I was bitten just so he would have the opportunity to hex me to death one day ...'

Sirius stood up quickly, his chair screeching along the wooden floor. 'You are being a complete arse about this,' he ground out and Remus raised his chin.

'My close friends and family are the only ones with access to my home and office,' he said. 'And I refuse to believe any one of them is involved in this.'

'You are such a bloody...'

'Sirius,' snapped James. 'Why don't you go and find something more useful to do and let me finish this?' He looked at Remus who was still locked in a glaring war with Sirius. 'Who did your wards?'

Remus blinked and turned to frown at him. 'My friend, Peter,' he said slowly then he shook his head when he saw the corner of James' mouth tighten tellingly. 'I know what you're thinking and it's bullshit. Peter works for a company that sets up wards. He did my house... but he didn't do my office and he doesn't dabble in the Dark Arts.'

He looked pointedly at Sirius who made a frustrated noise and stomped out of the room. Remus watched him go then closed his eyes, regretting letting his tongue become cruel in his irritation. He hadn't slept for the rest of the night after their aborted kiss and he was angry – with Sirius for starting something he refused to finish, and with himself for letting his cock do his thinking for him.

'Peter's surname?' James asked quietly, interrupting Remus' ruminations.

'Pettigrew,' Remus sighed, running a hand through his light brown hair. 'James...'

'This is between you and Sirius,' James interrupted, standing up. 'I'm fairly sure that I no longer want to know.' He pulled his coat off the back of the chair. 'I'm going to the Ministry to tell Moody what's going on. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone.'

Remus rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as James let himself out of the flat. As annoyed as he was with James, he wasn't ready for him to leave, to be alone with Sirius, who had somehow managed to turn Remus inside out with just one bloody kiss.

***

From his perch on the edge of the bath, Sirius heard James leave and he closed his eyes to gather the strength he was going to require to go out there and face Remus. The other man was obviously angry about last night and Sirius couldn't blame him – he'd spent the remainder of the night castigating himself for pushing Remus away. That kiss... Gods, it had been the most incredible kiss Sirius had ever experienced – and the most terrifying because he had felt something that he'd never felt before with any of the women he bedded, something he didn't realise he wanted.

He'd felt safe. He'd felt like he was able to give over control to another person and be safe, and that had never happened before.

'I can't be attracted to him,' Sirius mumbled under his breath.

But he was and Sirius couldn't deny it after last night, although after he'd shoved Remus away like he did, he wouldn't be surprised if the other man never spoke to him again.

You're a bloody Auror, Sirius. Get your arse out there and try and fix this.

But it was nearly dinner time before he could force himself to do as his brain urged, emerging from his hiding spot in his bedroom to find Remus, who was in the kitchen struggling with the ancient and temperamental Muggle stove.

'Fucking useless bloody...' he heard the werewolf mutter as he flicked switches on and off in vain.

'You have to jiggle it,' Sirius said softly, feeling Remus jump a little as he leaned over his shoulder and gave the switch an expert flick. 'Light it with your wand.'

Sirius saw the tremor in Remus' hand as he lit the burner and he reached out, covering the shaking hand with his own as, together, they got the stove working.

'It's pretty old,' Sirius explained, his hand still inexplicably holding Remus', his chin on the other man's shoulder, his body still pressed a little too closely against the warmth of the werewolf's. 'This was my uncle's flat when he was my age.'

Remus shifted, stepping out from under Sirius' hold, and he reached for a can of soup. 'Is he the grey-haired man in the photos?' he asked, pointing his wand at the tin and casting a careful cutting hex.

Sirius frowned. He hadn't realised Remus had been looking at his photographs, but he supposed turn about was fair play. 'Yes,' he said, finding a saucepan and putting it over the flame. 'That was him. He died a couple of years ago and left me this flat.'

Remus nodded, pouring the soup into the saucepan then searching the drawers for a spoon. 'You've no photos of your father,' he noted then looked up in time to see Sirius' face blanch. 'Sorry. I won't ask about him if it upsets you.'

'My father...' Sirius began then stopped, taking a calming breath. 'My father nearly destroyed my life with his 'hobby' as he called it. I have no desire to ever see him again – in life or in a photograph. I've worked too damn hard to overcome his reputation.'

Remus stared at him for several long seconds then he nodded and turned back to the soup. 'I need a spoon,' he said, holding out his hands helplessly and Sirius dug through the drawer behind him, handing Remus a wooden spoon and allowing their fingers to brush together as he did.

He watched Remus flush at the contact, his own fingers tingling a little, then the other man turned to stir the soup. A few minutes later, they were sitting at the table with bowls and bread in front of them.

They were halfway through the meal, not another word having been spoken, when Sirius finally couldn't stand the silence any longer.

'How did you know?' he asked, the words rushing from his lips before he realised they were coming. 'That you... liked men?'

Remus didn't look as surprised as Sirius thought he might have been; the other man simply leaning back in his chair and frowning thoughtfully. 'I guessed when I was pretty young,' he said eventually. 'I never obsessed over girls like the other blokes did, even though I fancied them well enough. Being with a girl was nice, but as a teenager, just getting off is nice. I liked being with women, but I always felt like that there should have been... more, like something was missing.'

He smiled ruefully at Sirius and shrugged. 'Turns out it was a cock.'

Sirius couldn't help laughing softly, watching Remus as he gathered the plates and took them to the sink. 'I... I'm not gay,' he blurted out and Remus looked over his shoulder at him.

'I got that message,' he said shortly, turning back to the sink. He pushed the sleeves of his shirt to the elbow and ran water over the plates. His body moved as he worked, Sirius watching the sway of his hips, the tightening of his muscles under his shirt and just like that, his self control snapped.

He pushed himself to his feet and walked slowly on shaking knees across the kitchen, stopping behind Remus and leaning his head against the other man's shoulder blade. 'I'm sorry I pushed you away last night,' he said quietly, lips brushing the soft fabric of the shirt he'd lent Remus this morning. He could feel heat rising through the material and he wished the garment out of the way so he could feel the texture of the other man's skin.

Remus stiffened. 'I thought you didn't want this,' he said, voice sounding a little choked. 'I thought you weren't attracted to men.'

'I said I wasn't gay,' Sirius corrected, unable to stop himself from sliding a hand along Remus' bare arm. 'Apparently, I am very attracted to a particular man though...'

Remus shifted and Sirius suddenly found himself staggering backwards across the small kitchen, his back slamming into the wall behind him. Remus moved lightning fast, hands on the wall either side of Sirius' head and his body pinning him in place.

'You can't do this, you fucking prick tease,' Remus muttered, mouth tantalisingly close to Sirius' who realised he was harder than rock from the rough treatment. 'You can't push me away one minute then rub your bloody cock against my arse the next.' He sucked in a shaking breath and glared at Sirius. 'Do you have any idea what you are doing to me?'

Remus' lips ghosted over his and Sirius almost whimpered with need. He had no idea what was happening to his body, to his mind, but one look at the fire in those blue eyes and he was aching for Remus' touch.

'Please, Remus,' he whispered, pushing his hips towards the other man's, and Remus groaned a loud, guttural groan before he crashed their lips together.

There was absolutely nothing tentative or gentle about the kiss or the embrace, Sirius' feet actually leaving the ground for a brief moment as Remus shoved him further into the wall, but Sirius didn't care, giving as good as Remus without any thought of holding back. The fingers of one hand gripped at Remus' shoulders bruisingly while the others clawed their way down his back to dig into the flesh of his arse.

Sirius sucked in a sharp breath when he heard Remus moan and he rolled his hips against the other man's, smiling when Remus uttered filthy, dirty epitaphs against his lips. This time, the feel of Remus' hard cock against his own didn't send him into paroxysm of panic; instead he pressed harder into the touch, rubbing his erection along Remus' and, with his last lucid thought, Sirius wondered if he'd ever felt anything as amazing as this. Their mouths were fierce, biting and licking and sucking with abandon. Sirius couldn't stop touching and he wanted release, needed it like he needed oxygen.

'Fuck, Sirius,' Remus breathed then he moved, sliding a thigh between Sirius' and grinding slowly. The friction on his cock and balls set off explosions all over Sirius' body and soon, he was rutting hard and fast against Remus' leg, clutching the other man's hips to keep him close.

By the time he was ready to fall, Sirius was panting and sweaty and completely mindless with want as he pleaded with Remus... 'pleasegodssocloseplease'. Remus dragged his tongue up Sirius' neck and drew his name out in a sibilant moan and that was all it took to push Sirius over the edge. He cried out raggedly, fingers biting into Remus' buttocks as he thrust uncontrollably against the werewolf. Sirius was vaguely aware of Remus groaning long and deep, but his orgasm just kept peaking and peaking, and he was helpless in its grasp. After what felt like hours, his frotting began to become painful rather than pleasurable and his hips slowed then stopped as he slumped into Remus' arms, spent and completely sated.

Remus' breathing was raspy and laboured next to his ear then Sirius felt gentle lips brush over the patch of skin just behind his ear, making him shudder as a bolt of desire jolted him. It was such a contrast to their previous rough, almost violent encounter and his eyes fluttered shut, his head spinning as he tried to adjust to the startling juxtaposition.

'Alright?' Remus whispered, apprehension evident in his voice.

Sirius nodded. 'Apart from being a bit embarrassed that I came in my pants like a twelve-year-old, I'm fine,' he murmured and Remus chuckled, the sound vibrating through Sirius and settling in his groin.

'What exactly was that?' Remus asked, pressing small kisses along the cord of Sirius' neck, making coherent speech rather difficult. 'I'm not complaining, but last I heard you didn't want to do this.'

Sirius' head fell to the side, giving Remus better access to his throat. 'I... I don't know what I'm doing,' he admitted, moaning softly when Remus' lips reached his pulse point and sucked. 'But I know I wanted that very much.'

Remus sighed, his breath tickling the saliva and sweat moist skin of Sirius' neck. 'That makes two of us – on both counts,' he said quietly then he pushed himself away. 'We should clean up. Don't want anyone arriving to murder me while I've got dirty underwear on. My mother would never live down the shame.'

Sirius laughed shakily, reaching for his wand and casting a Cleansing spell on himself as Remus did the same. 'James will be back in the morning,' he said, flushing when he saw Remus' t-shirt ride up, revealing a strip of skin low on his hips.

'Mmm,' Remus agreed, leaning against the opposite wall and staring at Sirius. 'Do you think it's my friend, Peter, too, that's doing this?'

Sirius frowned, his fuzzy mind sharpening and focusing on the mental notes he'd been taking. 'It's a big coincidence,' he said. 'He has access to you both at home and work, he set up your wards... He's the logical suspect.'

'It's not him,' Remus said stubbornly and Sirius nodded.

'I hope not.'

They gazed at each other for long moments before Remus broke the stalemate. 'We aren't going to talk about this, are we?' he asked and Sirius shook his head.

'I... don't know what to say,' he stammered. 'I've never done anything like this before... not with a man.' He rubbed his forehead in agitation. 'I've never wanted to do this kind of thing with another bloke. I'm really not gay.'

Remus looked doubtful. 'Your previously come-soaked underwear begs to differ,' he said a little snarkily.

Sirius shifted uncomfortably. 'I don't know what to tell you, Remus,' he said hopelessly. 'I just don't know what's happening.'

He stared at the other man through wide, scared eyes then looked down at the floor. 'Thought I wasn't your type anyway,' he mumbled, trying to take the focus of his confused desires.

'You're not,' Remus agreed and when Sirius looked up, his eyes were drawn to the other man's bottom lip as he gnawed at the still kiss-swollen flesh. 'I swore to myself I wouldn't touch you again,' Remus grumbled. 'Gods, this is going to end badly, you know.'

Sirius smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring way, but his insides twisted and clenched. Remus was right. He just couldn't see how this could end in anything but catastrophe for the both of them.

***

James didn't return until after breakfast the next day, entering the living room with a grim smile. 'What?' Sirius asked immediately, standing to meet him.

'We've arrested Peter Pettigrew,' James said, looking at Remus whose mouth fell open in surprise.

'What?' he said, rising slowly to his feet. 'You aren't serious?'

'Remus, did you know Peter has gambling debts?' James asked, his expression grave. 'Big ones to not-very-nice people who have been pressuring him for their money back?'

Remus shook his head. 'No, he...' He stopped, confused. 'He'd tell me if he was in trouble. He knows I'd give him the money if he needed it...'

'You didn't tell me Peter was a beneficiary in your will,' James said and Remus frowned.

'Hang on,' he said, looking from James to Sirius. 'You've been poking about in my personal papers...?'

'We needed suspects, Remus,' James said forcefully, sitting down in Sirius' abandoned seat. 'You weren't being much help so we went looking ourselves.' He indicated that Remus should sit and Sirius pulled him down onto the couch.

'You're wrong,' Remus said, forcing the words through gritted teeth. 'Pete would never...'

'He has massive debts; he comes into a small fortune if you should drop dead.' James ticked off each point on his fingers. 'He set your wards himself and has access to both your office and home. Remus, he may as well be wearing a sign saying, 'It's me!'

Remus bit his lip, shaking his head as James spoke. It wasn't possible – Peter was his oldest friend; they'd grown up together. He would never do this.

But why hadn't his friend told him about the money he owed?

'Remus?'

He looked up and saw Sirius' worried face. 'He hasn't admitted to anything yet,' Sirius told him and Remus rubbed a hand across his face, distractedly.

'Of course he hasn't,' he muttered, closing his eyes. 'This is impossible.' He opened his eyes and stood up, pushing Sirius' concerned hand away. 'It's not Peter. You've made a mistake.'

Ignoring both Aurors' calls to him, he left the room, blindly walking until he found himself in Sirius' bathroom. He locked the door and leaned against it, scrunching his face up as tears stung his eyes.

Peter? Could Peter have done this?

His heart told him no, that Peter would never betray him like this, but his head echoed James' words.

'Why didn't he tell me he was in trouble?' Remus whispered to himself. 'Gods, Pete. What have you done?'

***

After James left, Sirius decided to let Remus be, let him sort this out in his head and he settled down to look over James' notes about Peter Pettigrew. His partner was correct – on paper, Peter was the perfect suspect. He had motive, he had opportunity, and he had no alibi for the times that Remus was attacked.

So why were the hairs on the back of Sirius' neck standing on end?

I don't want it to be him. It'll hurt Remus too much.

Sirius frowned, running a hand over his shadowed jaw. Were his instincts playing up because of his personal feelings for Remus?

And what personal feelings would they be, Black?

He sighed and stared unseeingly at the untidy scrawl of his best friend. He couldn't define how he felt. He'd never gotten involved with someone he was protecting before and this unexpected development in their tentative friendship had thrown him off balance almost as much as the initial attraction had. But he did know that when he had seen that expression of utter devastation on Remus' face earlier, it had hurt. He didn't want to think about what might happen to the other man if Peter was guilty.

But what if Remus - and my instincts – are right? What if Peter isn't responsible?

He checked the time and put the notes away, moving to the kitchen and rooting around in his ice box for something to eat. He fixed sandwiches with some leftover ham and went searching for Remus.

He found him in the tiny spare bedroom where he'd spent the night, curled up on the mattress. 'Lunch?' he asked softly and Remus' red-rimmed eyes met his.

'No, thanks,' Remus said, his voice hoarse.

Sirius bit his lip then put the plate of food on the bedside table. 'You should eat something,' he admonished gently and Remus shrugged.

'You think Pete did this too, don't you?' he asked and Sirius hesitated.

'I... I can see why James does,' he answered carefully, sitting down on the edge of the bed. 'He is the perfect suspect. Maybe just a bit too perfect.'

Remus blinked three times then sat up, staring at Sirius with hope flaring in his eyes. 'You think he might have been set up?' he asked.

Sirius chose his words carefully. He liked seeing that hope in Remus' eyes, but didn't want it to turn out to be false. 'I think that when something looks too good to be true, it often is,' he said.

Remus grinned then caught Sirius' face between his hands. 'Thank you,' he said effusively. 'Thank you for not just writing him off.'

Sirius felt heat rushing through him and it was suddenly harder to breathe. 'I didn't say it couldn't be him,' he said weakly even as he leaned into the other man's touch. 'Just that it seems too convenient.'

'But you agree that I could be right?' Remus pleaded, his eyes bright now as he held Sirius'. 'You trust me about this?'

Sirius felt himself falling, he felt it, and couldn't do a thing to stop it. Those eyes – those damnable eyes...

'I trust you,' he whispered, desire roughening his voice as he leaned closer and closer to those lips that could make him lose his mind with a single, light touch, then he was kissing Remus again and it felt like home.

This kiss wasn't tentative or hungry or desperate as their kisses last night had been. This kiss was soft, gentle, and filled with a longing that made Sirius tremble with its strength. Their mouths moved deliberately, with intent, and Sirius' head spun as Remus' lips drove him higher than he'd ever imagined he could go.

This wasn't just kissing; Sirius knew that this was a deeper declaration, that something profound had shifted, and this time, the thought didn't scare him nearly as much as it probably should have. This time, it was him who eased Remus back onto the bed, him that slid a leg between the other man's denim-clad thighs and him that rocked their erections together; all while kissing Remus slowly and deeply.

Remus moaned, the sound reverberating through Sirius' body, and tore his lips away, trailing them over Sirius' throat. Tension coiled inside him as his skin burned wherever those lips touched, and Sirius fisted his hands in the sheets, unable to do anything but hang on under the onslaught of pure, carnal want.

'I didn't know,' Sirius breathed, tipping his head to encourage Remus' touch. 'I didn't know it could be this good.'

He didn't know if he meant 'with a man' or sex in itself – all he knew was that no one had ever made him feel this completely desired before. Remus murmured his name, shifting his lips back to Sirius' mouth.

'Neither did I,' he said softly and there was no doubt of what he meant.

He twisted and Sirius found himself underneath the other man. 'I want to touch you,' Remus murmured against the stubbled skin of Sirius' jaw.

His hand slid from Sirius' shoulder to drag down his chest then, Sirius gasped as Remus forced his hand between them to cup the bulge in his pants.

'I want to touch you,' he repeated, opening his now dark eyes to plead with Sirius. 'Please, let me touch you.'

'Gods, yes,' Sirius moaned, Remus' words pushing him embarrassingly close to the point of no return as he unreservedly gave himself over to the flood of sensations that crashed over him. He pushed himself into Remus' hand and the werewolf groaned loudly.

Hands fumbled at his fly and each time a finger brushed over his aching cock, Sirius' breath hitched. He'd never wanted anything or anyone this badly before and he felt none of the self-consciousness he thought he might feel when Remus closed his hand around his girth.

'Oh...' he breathed as he shuddered and writhed, desperate for Remus to move. A hand shoved his shirt up to bunch around his neck and warm lips closed around a nipple, tongue teasing and licking until it peaked.

Teeth worried the now-hard nub and Sirius cried out, back arching off the bed in an attempt to get closerclosercloser. A light touch over the head of his cock made him shudder in pleasure then Remus stroked – one long, languid stroke from tip to root and back again – before his thumb rubbed concentrically around the sensitive glans, spreading the beaded pre-come all over the head. He heard someone begging, 'Pleasepleasepleaseplease' and was startled to realise it was him.

'Remus, gods, Remus,' he whispered. 'I need... I need...'

'Let me taste you,' Remus asked, dragging his tongue over Sirius' hip. 'Please? I want to so badly...'

'Yesss,' Sirius hissed, fingers tightening so hard on Remus' shoulders that he was sure the other man would have more bruises to add to last night's. He bucked up into that tight fist as Remus' mouth moved over his abdomen then he felt hot breath waft over the moist tip of his cock, and Remus' tongue was right there... licking with maddeningly light strokes and then...

'Fuck!'

Vibrations shot through his throbbing dick as Remus chuckled around him then all laughter stopped as he began to move, slowly dragging his lips from the smooth head until his nose was buried in the black curls at the base of Sirius' cock. Sirius' fingers curled in Remus' light brown hair and he bit his lip hard as Remus withdrew and pressed a kiss to the tip of his erection. As Sirius watched, Remus' tongue traced the ridge of his glans, dragging over the soft, sensitive flesh. The talented muscle lapped up the leaking ejaculate before Remus closed his lips around the head and sucked – first with teasing gentleness then harder as Sirius' thrusts into that warm heat became erratic.

The familiar tingling began in his stomach and Sirius' toes curled as he flung his head back. 'Remus... I'm gonna...'

He expected Remus to pull back, to finish him off with quick jerks like every woman he'd ever been with did, but Remus drew him in deeper and fucking hummed...

'Coming...' was all he had time to gasp out before the coiled tension inside him snapped and he shuddered as intense spasms of pleasure wracked his body.

Every inch of his body was sated, limbs heavy and cumbersome now that the adrenaline had worn off and Sirius sighed in contentment. A soft chuckle made him force his eyes open and he looked straight into Remus' eyes.

'I'll take that as a compliment,' he teased and Sirius smiled lazily.

'You should,' he murmured, raising his arms above his head in a stretch. 'You are bloody good at that.'

Remus dipped his head, catching Sirius' lips and kissing him until he was breathless. 'Yes, I am,' Remus agreed with a smug smile, pecking Sirius' mouth once more before shifting to lie beside the spent man.

Sirius turned his head, watching as Remus pulled the collar of Sirius' shirt aside and kissed along his shoulder. 'You swallowed,' he said, soft traces of wonder lacing his words as he licked his lips, the taste of his own come still lingering after Remus' kiss.

Remus glanced up at him, his lips pausing in their path forging. 'Yes,' he said then a faint crease appeared in his brow. 'Is that a problem?'

'No,' Sirius said quickly, shaking his head vigorously. 'No, I'm just... not used to it.'

Remus shot him a quick smile then continued dropping kisses along his collarbone. 'It was no hardship,' he murmured, pressing his mouth to the join of Sirius' neck and shoulder. 'You taste good.'

Sirius flushed then yawned widely, feeling Remus shift beside him. 'Going to the loo,' Remus mumbled, sliding off the bed. 'Back in a minute.'

Sirius nodded, stretching languidly as he watched Remus' denim-covered arse lift and fall as he walked out the door. He smiled, releasing a surprised exhale of amusement when he realised how relaxed he felt. There was no remorse, no regret, no fear. He was still sure he wasn't gay, but was it possible to be attracted to just one man and still be heterosexual? And where the hell was this all leading? They had fantastic sex... Sirius bit his lip as he thought about the next steps involved in going to bed with a man and had to admit to himself his curiosity outweighed his reluctance now, but was Sirius really going to throw over everything he knew to go and be gay with Remus?

He heard a soft moan and frowned, standing up and walking to the bathroom. 'Remus?' he called quietly and, when Remus didn't answer, he pushed open the door. 'What the hell? Remus?'

'Fuck, Sirius,' said the panting man who was sitting on the closed toilet seat fully dressed but with his hard, leaking cock in his hand. 'Don't you believe in knocking?'

Sirius wasn't sure if he should be insulted that Remus would rather get off on his own, or kick himself because he hadn't even considered the other man's pleasure in the repletion of his own release.

'Remus, why didn't you just tell me you hadn't gotten off?' he asked, moving closer.

Remus stood up, fixing his pants before moving over to the sink where he splashed cold water on his red face. 'Because I didn't want to pressure you into something you aren't ready for,' he explained, bracing himself with his hands on the sink as he lowered his head. 'I'm fine to do this myself. Just... give me a little privacy...'

Sirius' head fell to Remus' shoulder and he sighed. 'I'm an arse,' he muttered, wrapping his arms around Remus' waist. 'I didn't even think...'

'It's fine,' Remus said a little snappishly then he made an apologetic noise. 'I'm sorry, I'm just... fuck, Sirius. I'm close, okay? I just need a minute to myself...'

'Let me do it,' Sirius said softly and Remus turned to stare at him.

'No,' he refused and Sirius frowned.

'You don't think I'm up for it?' he asked, a little grateful Remus was taking the decision out of his hands.

Remus leaned in to kiss him. 'Baby steps, Sirius. I don't want to push you,' he said then he moaned as he deepened the kiss and spoke into Sirius' mouth, 'But, if you didn't mind just kissing me while I...'

Sirius smiled against his lips and thrust his tongue into the other man's mouth. Remus whimpered and Sirius felt his arm move, picking up a fast and hard rhythm quickly as Remus panted and the lip lock turned fierce.

The scent of musk and sweat filled Sirius' senses and, as it rubbed against Remus' thigh, his cock began to harden once more. And when Remus let out a moan that sounded as if it had been ripped forcefully out of him, Sirius lost any inhibitions, any doubts, and pushed the werewolf up against the bathroom wall, kissing him senseless as he reached down and knocked his hand away.

'I want to do it,' he grated out against Remus' lips then, as Remus opened his mouth to argue, he gave the long, hard cock in his hand a quick tug. It was as effective as a Silencing Charm and Remus buried his face in the crook of Sirius' neck as with just half a dozen strokes, he came, moaning loudly against Sirius' skin.

He collapsed against Sirius' chest and Sirius' held him, brushing his mouth over the other man's throat, tasting salt and something spicier that made him lick the skin under his lips. Remus groaned and raised his head, gazing at Sirius with an indecipherable expression.

'What?' Sirius asked and Remus shook his head.

'Nothing,' he said, his voice raspy and rough and, Sirius' cock noted, as sexy as hell. 'I'm just... surprised.'

Sirius grinned and Remus laughed, looking down then grimacing. 'My wand's in the bedroom,' he said apologetically. 'You should wash up. I'll go and get us a drink.'

Sirius nodded then, realising he was still holding Remus' now-flaccid cock, removed his sticky hand. Remus zipped up then left to allow Sirius to clean up. He washed the thick white fluid off his hands then, as he turned the tap off, he noticed a little ejaculate on the inside of his wrist. He flicked the tap back on then hesitated before he plunged his hands under the flow of water. Remus had said Sirius tasted good...

Before he could talk himself out of it, Sirius raised his hand and licked off the pearly drop of come, making a face as the slightly sour flavour hit his taste buds. It wasn't terrible, but Sirius wasn't sure he'd ever be able to take a mouthful of it. He looked at himself in the mirror and flushed as images of himself on his knees sucking Remus' cock assaulted him.

'Merlin,' he gasped as blood rushed to fill his already turgid dick.

'Am I really doing this?' he asked himself, taking in his swollen lips, his pink cheeks, his tangled hair and his unusually soft eyes.

He looked thoroughly shagged – and happy about it.

Sirius sighed. Getting involved with Remus Lupin might not be the smartest thing Sirius had ever done, but he couldn't, for the life of him, make himself regret it.

TBC