"I know he was in on it", the interrogator hissed as the Werewolf Advocate unlocked the manackles that secured Remus to the metal chair that was bolted to the floor.
He rubbed his wrists gingerly since they'd been forced in an awkward angle for hours.
"You have no proof", the Advocate, a woman whose red hair reminded Remus painfully of Lily, said. "Besides, I don't think there is any excuse for roughing up a detainee. You're free to leave, and I recommend you make an official complaint about the abuse you've experienced."
The last words were directed at Remus, but he barely heard them. He thanked the woman quietly and walked out of the room and hurried through the maze of hallways without even considering making any complaints about the treatment he'd endured. He just wanted to get out.
When he finally exited the Ministry of Magic and entered the early morning air, he slumped against the wall and felt hot tears sting his eyes. James and Lily and Peter were dead. Harry was an orphan. Sirius was gone.
Sirius...
He buried his head in his hands and slid down the cold marble to the ground. The November air made him shiver but he didn't care.
He wasn't sure how long he'd crouched there when someone spoke.
"Excuse me, but are you alright?"
Remus raised his head and looked at the man standing next to him. Bright blue eyes peered down at him, concerned, and Remus' made a strangled noise in his throat.
"Remus, is that you?" Daniel asked, his tone astonished. "What happened to you?"
Remus opened and closed his mouth, but no sound came out. So many emotions fought inside him, he felt like his heart was literally breaking. To his embarrassment he broke down in tears and started sobbing uncontrollably.
Strong hands pulled him up and into a warm embrace. His tears were soaked up by Daniel's dark blue robe and he clung to the fabric like a life preserver. It took a few minutes before he calmed down, and exhaustion took over. He sniffled and let go of Daniel, looking at anything but the other man.
"Look, my place isn't too far away", Daniel offered. "Why don't you come over and tell me what's happened?"
Remus quietly agreed, and they started walking the almost empty streets of London.
RLRLRLRLRL
Daniel let him speak without interrupting when they'd settled down on his sitting room sofa. When Remus was finished he felt empty and exhausted. He was emotionally drained and the interrogator had kept him up all night, which wasn't easy since he was still recovering from the last Full. He stared at his hands until the other man took them in his own. Remus looked at his face, at the somber blue eyes and paled lips.
"I'm so sorry, Remus. There's one thing you didn't tell me, though. How did you get the black eye and the bruises on your cheek?"
Remus paused. He hadn't seen his face since he'd left the Ministry. He sighed.
"The interrogator wasn't too pleased with my answers."
"What?!" Daniel growled, his voice ice cold. "You have to report it."
"I'm too tired to even think about it", Remus mumbled. "I, I guess I should get going..."
"Is someone waiting for you?" Daniel asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but failing. "I mean, I just think maybe you shouldn't be alone right now..."
Shame stained Remus' face red.
"I... I was staying with Sirius, but... I guess I can't go there anymore. I guess I wouldn't want to, even if I could."
"Stay with me". Daniel blurted out.
He cleared his throat nervously, also blushing now.
"I mean, if you want to."
"I don't want any charity", Remus muttered.
"Remus", Daniel sighed. "It's not charity. I know we don't exactly know each other well, but I do have a feeling that I. That I like you."
They were quiet for a moment, amber eyes peering into blue ones.
"Okay", Remus finally spoke, then paused. "I could really use some sleep right now."
"Of course, I'll show you the bedroom."
RLRLRLRLRLR
"Sorry to wake you, but I thought you should eat something."
Remus stirred. The bedroom was filled with soft light filtered by yellow curtains. He was surprised he'd been able to sleep, usually he needed total darkness.
"I'm afraid I don't have anything special, so I made you alphabet soup", the older man muttered.
He offered Remus a steaming bowl and sat down at the foot of the bed. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a faded peace sign on it. Remus smiled, amused.
"I take it that you're not pureblood?" he asked and started to spoon the soup into his mouth.
His stomach grumbled, satisfied.
"I have no idea. I was adopted by muggles as a baby, though. How about you?" Daniel asked, smiling back crookedly.
"Half and half", Remus answered when his mouth was empty. "But I don't really care either way. My best friends are -" he started and stopped with ice filling his chest.
For a moment he had forgotten.
"I guess I have no friends anymore", he finally managed.
The horrible icy feeling was passing, but the painful emptiness that took its place was no better.
"You must have someone?" Daniel asked, and although it wasn't meant to, it felt like an insult.
"Not many people want to be friends with a werewolf", Remus muttered.
Silence tingled between them.
"Are those scars from the last full moon?" Daniel changed the subject, gesturing at the younger man's arms. "We could do something about those if you want."
Remus glanced at the long, rough edged marks. They had started to heal already but would never disappear completely. He knew the rest of his body was in the same, if not worse condition, and his face was the only part he'd magicked to appear mostly scar free.
"Yeah, I guess we could do that", Remus finally agreed, forcing a little smile on his face.
Daniel smiled more warmly, his bright blue eyes glinting. It made Remus remember their sessions from years ago, and he felt shivers all over his body.
"I'll go prepare the lotion", the older man said and hurried out of the room.
Horror struck Remus. Why hadn't thought this through. He was so battered, from the moon, from his ordeal at Ministry, not to mention mentally. He hugged his t-shirt covered chest nervously, hearing Daniel clink around in what he assumed to be the kitchen. He must've gotten deep into thought as it seemed like only a minute later the other man returned with the vial of thick, grayish liquid.
"You should take your clothes off. We can use the sheets to, to cover up", he said, sounding kind of excited.
Remus nervously pulled his shirt over his head and let it drop to the floor. Daniel was busying himself with shaking the vial like it was the toughest job in the world. With his whole body tingling Remus pulled up a sheet and got rid of his underpants beneath it, chucking them to the floor as well.
"I'm, erm, ready", he announced in an unstable voice and lay down on the bed.
Daniel tried to look calm and collected as he fixed his gaze on Remus' chest.
"Five years..." he sighed as he turned his eyes from one crisscrossing scar to another.
Remus looked away and suddenly felt extremely vulnerable and unattractive. Then a wide fingertip grazed his collarbone and made him gasp. Daniel didn't say anything, just uncorked the bottle and poured some of the liquid on the werewolf. Remus gasped again at the familiar feeling that spread on his skin.
Cold was quickly warmed up by the strange, yet oh-so-familiar large hands that rubbed in circles, first gently, then with more pressure. Remus' broken heart was aching with yet another kind of feeling as the warm fingers crept over his collarbone, up his neck and to his face, were they gently cupped his cheeks, rubbed his temples and even ghosted over his eyelids, light as feathers.
When a wide thumb gently stroked his lower lip the werewolf's breath quickened and he opened his eyes. The blue eyes staring into his seemed darkened by emotion.
"I- I'm sorry. Maybe this was a bad idea", Daniel breathed, stepping back and running his hand through his honey-blond hair.
He sat down heavily next to Remus, who propped himself on his elbows. Daniel looked distressed.
"I haven't been completely honest with you, Remus." He glanced at the werewolf with pained eyes. "The funding wasn't cancelled when I was in your school. I got repositioned. That might've happened sooner or later anyway, but... The real reason I was removed was... was you."
"What did I do?" Remus asked, confused and worried.
"Not you", Daniel smiled without joy. "What I did. I got, well, smitten with you. You have every right to be appalled. I admit to glancing at you when you changed your clothes. Enjoying the sessions a bit too much. Sometimes I forgot some movement or incantation, but kept on touching you. And oh, how I wanted to kiss you!"
Daniel paused his rambling to catch his breath. Remus stared.
"But then Dumbledore caught on. I was mortified. He told me he'd caught me staring at you and that he knew what was going on. That it might be better to relocate."
Daniel sighed. He looked heartbroken.
"The last time we met in my office I couldn't help myself. I knew it was my last change. I was about to kiss you when you told you weren't gay. I know it was wrong anyway. I'm ten years older than you, for Godric's sake!"
Without really realizing what he was doing, Remus climbed on the larger man's lap, wrapped his arms around his neck loosely and kissed very lightly on the corner of his mouth.
For a moment Daniel was frozen in place.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked in a low, uncertain voice.
"I don't know", Remus answered, burying his face in Daniel's warm shoulder.
Strong hands pushed him away and he felt his heart aching. But they didn't just push him away, they laid him down on the bed. Daniel carefully untangled the sheet from Remus' legs and let his gaze travel across his exposed body. He leaned over him to plant a warm kiss on his forehead.
"You're beautiful, and I wan't you, but what if we just sleep for a while?"
Remus nodded, and watched Daniel undress until he was only glad in boxers. Despite it being only late afternoon, they fell asleep without major difficulties, the only contact between them Remus' delicate hand in Daniel's warm and large one.
RLRLRLRLRLRLRL
When Remus woke up he was curled up on his side, hugging a pillow. He cracked open an eye and took in his surroundings. When his gaze came across the figure beside him, the man's light hair, his heart skipped a beat. Had he cheated on Sirius?
Then it hit him again. Sirius was gone. Everyone he had cared for was gone. It didn't matter what he did anymore.
He swallowed hard and squeezed the pillow for a moment.
He needed to forget.
With uncertain movements he reached down between his legs and started stroking himself. He was surprised how quickly he was hard. Remus took a deep breath and turned to Daniel's sleeping figure, pushing himself close, making sure to press his groin against the larger man's pelvis.
Daniel stirred, yawned and took a moment to take his bearings. After a moment he turned his head to Remus and smiled lopsidedly.
"I see we're up already, hm?" he said, his voice raspy from sleep.
Remus pressed his lips against the other man's, and felt genuine pleasure when Daniel turned his body to him and ran his wonderful hands up and down his back. Shivers travelled down his spine and settled at his groin.
"Tell you what", Daniel murmured in between lazy kisses. "I'll give you the treatment now, before we get carried away, and we enjoy ourselves after that. Is that okay with you?"
"Can't we do it afterwards?" Remus said, desperate to keep his hands busy so his mind wouldn't be.
"I'm pretty sure I won't be in any condition to do the treatment after we've..." the other man let his voice trail off. "Besides, I wan't to help you."
"You'll help me by fucking me!" Remus groaned.
Daniel's face darkened.
"I don't want to be just a distraction", he said, his voice cold and hands pausing their movement.
He huffed softly and started to get up from the bed, but Remus stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry. I'm not myself right now, and you're not just a distraction", the werewolf said apologetically.
They sat in silence for a moment until Daniel asked:
"Then what am I? Am I the charity case, an old man with a silly crush?"
"First of all, you're not old", Remus laughed. "And well... I didn't exactly mind you rubbing ointment on me back when we were at Hogwarts. Quite the contrary, to be honest."
"But you said you weren't -"
"I think I've made it quite obvious that I am. And was back then too. Sirius just made me feel pretty shitty about it before he admitted he liked me back, and I felt like you just reminded me of things I couldn't have", Remus explained, drawing patterns on the sheet with his finger.
He didn't much like reminiscing his schooldays of confusion and suffering.
"Do you mean", Daniel sounded tentative. "when you said you were staying with Sirius... you meant you were lovers?"
Remus hadn't realized that he had avoided mentioning this before. Though maybe it was no wonder considering Sirius was now in prison for killing all their other friends...
He simply nodded and Daniel took a deep breath.
"Are you gonna kick me out?" Remus gingerly asked.
"What? Of course not! I'm just a little surprised", Daniel told him, trying to make his smile encouraging. "What if just get the ointment on you and think about things more after that?"
"Okay", the werewolf said meekly and lay down, pulling a sheet up to cover himself again. Daniel glanced at it, amused, and took the vial from the nightstand. They fell silent as the familiar routine started again. Remus tried not to fidget and groan as the feelings that went with the routine started as well.
When Daniel had treated his upper body, those large hands slid down to the sheet and pushed it away, exposing Remus' erection. He felt embarrased, like it was school all over again and he had gotten caught like he always feared he would.
But when the magic hands rubbed over his hard-on and continued down he felt like it was school all over again and everything was happening like he always fantasized it would. A shudder traveled through his body and made him want to squirm around, but he bit his lip and stayed put.
What felt like the longest time – and the longest continuous erection – Daniel removed his hands. Remus was about to pounce, but strong hands turned him over to his stomach. He whimpered. He had forgotten Daniel would rub his back too. His back, and his arse. Remus' cock rubbed against the mattress as Daniel climbed on top of him, straddling his legs and starting his rubbing from his neck down.
When the blond man leaned over the evidence that he was as hard as Remus pressed against the werewolf's backside. Remus groaned and Daniel chuckled quietly, all the while continuing his incantation and hand movements.
When he slid lower on the younger man's body he dragged his hands slowly over his buttocks and then massaged them slowly and thoroughly. This caused Remus' cock to press hard against the mattress, and the werewolf couldn't control his moans anymore.
After that Daniel was quick to treat the back of his legs. When he was done they were both panting, and Daniel lay down next to Remus and drew him against himself. Remus felt Daniel's quite ample erection pressing against his thigh, and his own rubbed against Daniel's stomach. He felt quite small but surprisingly safe and adequate against the lightly muscled, much taller body beside him.
Daniel combed his fingers through Remus' wavy brown hair and drew closer for a kiss. A large hand slid down between their bodies and grabbed Remus, making him moan and deepen the kiss.
Soon the older man rolled on to his back, pulling Remus on top of himself. Now he grabbed both their erections in one hand, rubbing them together and making them both shudder. Bright blue eyes were fixed on Remus' amber ones, and their breathing quickened.
Just before Remus reached his climax, the hand let go and he was pulled in yet another kiss that made his insides burn pleasantly. Daniel looked into his eyes for a long moment, his eyes kind but intense.
"Do you mind if I top?" the older man asked suddenly.
It took a moment before Remus registered the question. Nervousness gripped him for a moment.
"I don't, I mean I haven't..." he mumbled and let his voice trail off.
He felt like such a child.
"You haven't bottomed? It's okay if you don't want to", Daniel said, kissing him again.
"No, I have, just not for a really long time, and", Remus blushed and glanced between them pointedly. "it's quite a lot to take in. Literally."
Daniel let out a small laugh and kissed him again, this time more firmly.
"I promise I can make it very pleasant", he whispered against Remus' lips. "Very, very pleasant..."
Remus groaned as the warm hand once again found his cock and started stroking it slowly.
"Okay", he breathed. "Just be careful."
"I will", Daniel murmured against his neck. "I promise."
The blond reversed their position and licked and nipped his way down the younger man's body, which was still tingling from the massage. Remus gasped as the warm mouth took in his hard-on and started licking, then sucking, harder and harder until Remus' at the brink, his thoughts muddled and body taut.
Just when he was about to come, Daniel squeezed his fingers at the base of his cock and removed his mouth. Remus groaned and propped himself up on his elbows to stare at him in disbelief. Daniel just smiled, reached to his nightstand and took a jar from the drawer.
"You won't hurt with this stuff", he said, grinning, and shook the jar.
Then he flopped onto his back once again, and looked at Remus, who was still panting and dazed.
"I'll finish what I started afterwards."
Daniel proceeded to unscrew the top and dipped his fingers into the clear, thick liquid. He applied it generously to his erection, groaning and panting all the while in a manner that made Remus blush, although his cock had just been in that same mouth. When he was done he looked at Remus with almost feverish eyes and smiled.
"Get on top", he said. "I'll prepare you."
Remus suddenly felt exposed and deficient, looking at the lean, muscled man before him. Still, he climbed to straddle the narrow hips and stood on his knees so the other man could reach his entrance. Daniel seemed to sense his insecurity and reached to pull his face into kiss. He rested his forehead against the younger man's and looked him in the eye.
"You look perfect. I want you. I can't wait to feel you on top of me", he said firmly, and then let go.
Remus smiled a little nervously and positioned himself again. Daniel smiled more broadly and dipped his fingers again, this time pushing them between Remus' thighs and reaching to push at the puckered opening. He took care with it, rubbing gentle circles before pushing again, and repeating, until the muscle gave in. Remus felt a tingling and burning sensation, quite pleasant to be honest. Then Daniel pushed in two fingers and scissored them, stretching and making Remus accustomed to the feeling again.
Finally he pulled his fingers away and grabbed Remus by his hips with one hand, reaching between them to grip his own erection. Remus took a deep breath and let Daniel guide him. He lowered himself on the older man's cock, and gasped when Daniel pushed up to bury himself deeper. It didn't hurt much, but the feeling of being stretched to the limit and the tingling and burning sensation made him feel lightheaded.
He didn't really ride Daniel, it was more the other man lifting and lowering him by his hips. It was pleasurable, but he also felt like it was too much.
Pretty soon Daniel groaned and squeezed his hips harder.
"I can't hold it in anymore!" he panted.
"Good, because I can't hold you in anymore!" Remus answered, and felt a surge of heat inside himself a second later.
Somehow that sent a shot of sparks through him, and without neither of them touching him during the actual sex, he came. Remus slumped against Daniel's chest, both of them gasping for air.
After a while Remus rolled over onto his side, turning his back to Daniel. He felt ashamed for coming like a teenage boy, and splattering all across Daniel's broad chest. He felt embarrassment burn his cheeks when Daniel reached to turn him to face him.
"Is something wrong?" the older man asked.
"I came all over you", Remus mumbled.
"I know, isn't this stuff great?" Daniel smiled broadly, gesturing to the abandoned lubricant on the bed.
"You knew that was going to happen?" Remus asked, humiliated.
Daniel's happiness turned into concern.
"Well, it's happened before when I've used it. Almost always, to be honest", he said cautiously.
Remus felt some anger burn his cheeks as well now.
"So you tricked me?" he accused.
"If your worried about that orgasm I promised you", Daniel told him in a low voice, leaning closer. "I guarantee you I'll give you many more if you just let me."
Remus couldn't help but laugh at that, and they kissed, smiling and chuckling all the while.