Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own its characters.

Thank you to my new reviewers! Zeoness, QueenSunset, PrivateSquare, and Cat: people like you are the reason I continue to write. Thank you so much for your encouragement! This chapter is dedicated to you.

I know I said that Chapter 7 was the second-to-last chapter…it seems that is false. This is the true second-to-last chapter. Really, it's the first half of the last chapter. As I was writing it, I realized it was getting so long! The last chapter should be out soon (and that will be the real last chapter—unless reviewers start clamoring for me to continue lol). I truly hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.


It was cold…so very cold. Surely this frigid temperature was meant to break the spirits of incoming prisoners. Remus nibbled on a bar of chocolate, but he doubted the he had any good memories left for the dementors to take. Compared to his recent onslaught of nightmares, dementors were a bunch of playful puppies.

Lupin stared with unseeing eyes out the barred window of the wizard guard's office, completely lost in his thoughts. Never had he imagined he would be in this awful place, with Sirius…

No. He had worked so hard to build the barrier between himself and his emotions. He could not afford to let that crumble to sympathize with a traitor.

"Sorry it took so long," the guard grunted from behind him. "He's the only one we use these Muggle keys for. Don't want to risk him getting his hands on a wand, you see."

Remus' eyes remained fixed on an obscure point outside. "Of course," he murmured.

The guard coughed. "Speaking of which, I'll need to ask for your wand."

"I understand…" Lupin's hand went to his pocket, but then hesitated. He could do it. No one had ever broken out of Azkaban before—but with his skills and knowledge of the Dark Arts, it was feasible. And of course the most difficult obstacle was avoided. He wasn't in a cell; the keys to Black's prison were right in front of him.

"Sir?" The guard's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. What was he thinking? No matter what their past had been, Sirius was now nothing more than a cold-blooded killer.

"My apologies," Remus said evenly, presenting his wand to the guard.

They made their way through a winding labyrinth of cells, down a dank staircase, and through at least five corridors. After what seemed to be an eternity, the reached a solitary cell, dark due to the lack of a window. Even Remus' heightened senses could barely make out the figure shackled to the wall.

"He's in solitary confinement, this one. They all get chained up the first few months, but he's the first to get sent down here." The guard banged on the iron bars, causing Remus to wince. "Hey, Black. You've got company." Surprisingly, his voice did not echo throughout the cavern.

"May I go in?" Lupin asked quietly.

"If you must," the guard replied. "But I'll have to lock you in there with him."

"Of course."

The guard took out his set of keys and slipped one off the ring. "This is to his shackles—if you feel like letting him loose about the cell."

Remus replied softly, "That won't be necessary."

"Take it," the guard insisted with a wicked grin. "Some folks change their minds…once they see how helpless they are, if you know how I mean."

"That's sick," Remus muttered, but not loud enough to be heard. Regardless, he accepted the key.

"I'll give you two your privacy. The walls are wired to alert me when you're done. Just touch the bars, and I'll come down in a jiff." He directed his voice inside the cell. "And it does not respond to prisoners' touch, so no funny business!"

The guard opened the cell door to admit Remus, and quickly closed it again. "Enjoy your visit," he said, and disappeared down the corridor.

Lupin waited until the guard's footsteps were inaudible before he spoke. It was all he could do to maintain an even tone.

"Good evening, Sirius."

"Is it evening?" the figure on the wall croaked the distorted voice of Sirius. "If it were, I wouldn't know it."

Remus' brow furrowed at the sound. What had they been doing to his friend?

He noticed an old torch, covered in cobwebs, on the wall. He felt around in his pockets until he found a small matchbook—one of the few things he always carried with him. Wizards relied too much on magic.

With hands shaking in fear of what he might see, he struck the match and held it to the old torch. It took the blaze, instantly illuminating the room. He had expected the worst, but he was in no way prepared for the sight before him.

Sirius was unrecognizable. His flowing black hair had become a greasy, tangled mess. There was no hint of a beard, probably due to Black, in his seventh year, bewitching his face to eliminate the need to shave. But his face was gaunt, his skin sallow. His clothing hung from him in shreds, and Remus could smell dried blood. In just a few months, Sirius had gone from a strong, gorgeous man to the skeleton of one. The only remnants of his old self were his eyes, blue and bright.

"I know," Black chuckled, seeing the horrified expression on his friend's face. "I'm not pretty anymore."

"You're not anything anymore," Remus snapped, tearing his eyes away.

"I haven't had any visitors," Sirius continued, ignoring Lupin's harshness. "I never thought you'd come…but I always hoped—"

"And why should I have?" Remus interrupted angrily, turning back with a cold glare.

"Because…that's what friends do."

Lupin burst out in twisted laughter. "It is really? Do friends also ruthlessly murder each other? Do they, Sirius?"

The werewolf's outburst hung heavily in the air. Sirius was silent.

"I thought not," Remus muttered, regaining his composure.

Sirius swallowed hard. "Let me explain something to you," he said, his tight voice barely more than a whisper. "I never betrayed the Potters. It was Peter. I insisted he become Secret-Keeper. I didn't know he was a Death Eater, just like I didn't know he'd turn traitor or annihilate that street full of Muggles when I followed him."

Remus glared at him icily. "You expect me to believe that rubbish? You killed Peter. All that was left was a finger."

"He cut it off and transformed. A rat could've easily disappeared into the rubble, Remus."

"You're talking nonsense." Remus sighed as he felt a pull on his heart. How he longed to believe this fabrication…but it just couldn't be possible.

"You don't have to believe me, but I swear on my life it's the truth."

"Your life is over thanks to what you've done," Lupin replied in a dark tone. "I don't know why I bothered to come. The Sirius I knew is dead."

With a swish of his cloak and a hardened heart, the werewolf turned to leave.

"Remus, wait."

The werewolf hesitated, powerless to resist Sirius' pleading tone, laced with sorrow.

"There's something else you should know. I've always been hesitant to tell you…but I suppose now it doesn't matter. I'll die in here, anyway." There was a nervous chuckle.

Remus turned to face Black. "What is it you want to tell me?" he asked thickly. Nothing Black said could possibly change his mind. His old friend was a killer, dishonorable and ruthless.

Sirius looked up, his gorgeous eyes gleaming behind his matted hair. "I love you, Remus."

The breath caught in Lupin's throat.

"Not—not like a best mate," Sirius continued. "I'm in love with you."

This was unacceptable.

"Liar," Lupin growled, nearly inaudible.

"I have always been in love with you."

Remus' carefully constructed wall came crashing down around him in a wave of violent passion and fury. "You LIAR," he roared, the sound of his voice powerful enough to echo through the chamber. "You NEVER loved me! If you had, we wouldn't be here. You would have never betrayed Lily and James. We would have danced at their wedding! We would have been together!"

Suddenly, he broke into hot, angry tears as the memories of Hogwarts flooded his senses. "You would have never been with Snape. SNAPE! You had SEX with him, Sirius! How could you possibly claim to love me when you carried on as you did, FLAUNTED him in my face, and then shagged him as if there'd be no tomorrow? I loved you, Sirius, more than anything. I came here because I loved you! And even now you mock me!"

He was shaking now, and panting heavily. "You murderous, lying snake," he choked out.

Sirius' eyes, wide with shock, began to brim with tears. "You…you think I slept with him?" he whispered.

"Of course you did," hissed Remus. "It was all over the bloody school."

"You believe everything you hear?"

"And the way you two…were with each other…"

"We were hormone-driven teenagers, Remus."

Lupin was still fuming, but his angry retorts were beginning to wane. He never really had caught Black doing the deed. In truth, his argument didn't have much to stand on.

"Look, Moony—"

"Don't call me that," Remus spat.

Sirius sighed. "I don't care if you believe anything else I've told you tonight. It doesn't matter; it won't change anything. But I need you to believe this. Snape and I…just happened out of convenience. He needed to forget that Lily was the love of his life; I needed to push you out of my mind. I was so terribly afraid to tell you. I never imagined...that you could possibly love me too."

The look in Sirius' eyes proved that this could be nothing but the truth. Remus searched deeply into his gaze, but he could find no trace of dishonesty.

"But I never slept with Severus. I never slept with anyone." His voice faltered. "It was you, Remus. For the rest of my days, there will only be you."

The werewolf's mind churned. The man he had loved for all this time had actually loved him, too. The story made sense...didn't it? It had to be true. Black had turned to Snape the way Remus had turned to Evelyn, and countless other lovers. But there was one distinct difference.

Remus gasped in amazement. "You really…never…?"

"No," Sirius replied, his voice finally breaking with emotion. "I was waiting. For you."

Tears once again sprang to Remus' eyes, but this time they were full of sorrow and regret. "I…I…"

"I know," said Sirius. "It's alright. I understand. I couldn't see...it was my fault. I wasn't being very fair to you, Remus, and you were right to do what you did."

"Sirius…"

"I have one final request," Black murmured. "If you loved me...just kiss me. Please."

His soft, pleading voice was like a shot through Remus' nerves. The man he had been in love with all these years…

In a few short strides, he closed the distance between himself and Sirius. Their faces inches apart, he hooked his arm behind Sirius' back and pulled him as close as the shackles would allow.

With his left hand, he brushed some of Sirius' long, filthy hair from his eyes. Hooking the locks around Sirius' ear, he looked deeply into his love's quivering gaze. With two of his fingers, he delicately traced down Sirius' cheek. The prisoner closed his eyes, cherishing the touch.

This was the moment Remus had been waiting for all but 16 years of his life. After all this time, his lips found those of his love.