Written for:
The Monthly One-Shot Exchange - December
For: Music Rules the World
Prompts: WolfStar, AU, (word) ghost, (AU) Ancient Greece AU.
Sorry I didn't use more from your prompt list. Ancient Greece turned out to be a lot harder than I anticipated.
This story is longer than I planned. I hope you like it! :)
You'll find mentions of leaves, woods, flowers and things being referred to as Incense. From my research, I found an article that explained about how these were gathered and used as Incense in Ancient Greece.
Fifty Shades of Sirius Black
Shade Ten: Greek-God!Sirius
Remus Lupin knelt in the Temple, some incense burning on the Altar. The place was empty, and Remus wondered if it was due to the fact that an earthquake had made it a bit more difficult to get to the Temple, the trek being a burden to others; or if people preferred to worship Sirius' father, Orion instead.
For Remus, convenience wasn't an issue - he liked the quiet of the empty Temple.
Sirius deserved to be worshipped just as much as the other Gods. Though from all that Remus had read about him, maybe he deserved it even more so. The God that stood against the others, not punishing the world just because a whole city didn't follow or worship him. The few stories about him were all about defying his parents and involving himself in the lives of mortals, even walking amongst them - something that angered his parents, the God, Orion, and the Goddess, Walburga.
Sirius was the God who liked to explore the land, preferring the outdoors. A mischievous God, but it was clear in the stories that he had a massive heart and prized loyalty above all else.
But something about the Temple had called to Remus for a long time now, and that was when he started talking to Priests about the Gods, asking questions about Sirius.
Finally he could resist the call no longer, believing that the Gods wanted him to be there, so he made the long journey to the Temple. Though it hurt his weak body, he made no complaints about it. He was used to pushing himself.
When the Incense was burning on the Altar, Remus moved away and dropped to his knees. He whispered general prayers, but asked for nothing.
He was there to worship a God, not to beg or demand. The Gods had much more important things to do with their time, after all, and what did they really owe the mortals of the world?
He didn't feel the grey eyes watching him from the moment the Incense was lit, until he walked from the Temple.
...oOo...
There was something comforting about the Temple, Remus decided, having returned a week later to worship again. The ache to go there was eased with his first visit, and he was filled with a warmth and comfort that he had never felt before. He felt peaceful.
He wondered if others felt like this when worshipping, because he certainly hadn't when his parents brought him to the crowded, vast Temple and Shrine of Orion.
It was after the one visit, that Remus knew he would return to the Temple. The feelings the visit had brought about had left him without a single doubt. It was as though his body had accepted that it belonged to the God he had chosen to worship.
Weeks passed quickly, and Remus got used to the fact that he was the only attendee at the Temple. After a month and a half, however, he arrived at the Temple to find someone else kneeling silently near the Altar..
Remus was more silent than usual as he walked past the kneeling man, not wanting to disturb anyone else that worshipped Sirius. He took the scented bark that he was offering as Incense, and after a moment, it had been lit.
He moved it far away from the flowers on the Altar, not wanting the offering to catch alight, before moving away and falling to his knees.
It felt strange having someone else at the Temple. He had been selfish, he realised, thinking that Sirius was 'his' God. Of course Sirius would have other followers. Remus couldn't lay claim to a God - it was just luck that Remus' visits were at a time when the other followers were elsewhere.
For all he knew, Sirius had a wide range of followers. He felt eyes on him and lifted his head, looking towards the other man, but his head was still bowed.
"It is… strange to see this Temple occupied," the man said, breaking the silence.
"Our God occupies it," Remus replied. "When he chooses to."
"I meant, with followers. I've been here for many years, yet people only choose to attend on the day of Sirius. The day he blessed the lands. Sometimes others come, but I've seen your offerings for a time."
"I felt drawn here," Remus admitted. "I believe that our chosen God called to me. That is enough for me to come here and serve him and only him."
"Wise words. He is a possessive God. He doesn't like to share those that worship him... not that many do. He would hate to have to share you with Bellatrix or Narcissa, or even Regulus."
"I'm loyal to only him," Remus confirmed. "Why would I need to worship any other God when I can worship Sirius?"
"You seem…. dedicated."
"I am his," Remus replied, simply.
"Why? What do you ask of him?"
"I pray to him and I worship, love, and offer my adoration. Those things don't come with a price," Remus replied coldly. "I do not ask for anything, because what right have I, a mere mortal, to demand anything from my God? The feeling I leave here with is more than enough."
"What feeling is that?"
"I feel content, happy. I feel comforted. It's more than I can ask for."
"You do not ask for good health?"
"I do not," Remus retorted shortly. "Though I believe my mother prays for that."
The man stayed silent, and Remus bowed his head once more, glad that the conversation with the rude man was over. He wasn't even sure why he was talking to the other man.
It wasn't long before he saw the man from the corner of his eye, rise and turn, leaving the Temple. The man's footsteps were silent and Remus was unaware of the man stopping halfway to the Temple's exit, his curious gaze turning back to Remus.
...oOo...
The next time Remus visited, he was relieved to find the Temple empty. He preferred it that way, able to pray without distractions.
There was an offering that looked to have been left the same day, of flowers, and Remus lit the bit of scented wood, placing it on the Altar as his offering of Incense.
He wondered if he should have sacrificed an animal, or brought food, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt an animal, and food was already scarce enough. Sirius was said to be fond of nature, so Remus searched daily for various bits of bark, flowers and leaves that would be suitable Incense, sometimes even managing to get a small piece of fragrant wood to offer. He hoped that the time and effort he put into finding an offering made up for the fact that it wasn't valuable.
...oOo...
Remus returned home from the Temple, a figure walking a short distance behind him. Feeling eyes on him, Remus turned around, only for his eyes to pass over the stranger from the Temple, seeing nothing there.
Sirius smiled to himself as Remus turned. He had chosen to appear to Remus in the Temple before, but today he had chosen to remain invisible to mortal eyes.
Remus returned to his home, greeting his parents who were sitting down to lunch. He took his own seat, and began to eat, as Sirius began to walk around, before sitting down in the fourth chair, careful not to move the chair at all.
He noticed that Remus' mother's gaze followed him, but he merely grinned, placing a finger to his lips.
He stared at the food that was placed in front of him. "An offering to Orion -"
"John, maybe for today, we should allow this offering to go to Remus' chosen God," the woman said, looking at the man at the head of the table.
"But -"
"We will still make our offering to Orion this evening, at dinnertime, but Remus has chosen his God to worship, and his God should have an offering too."
There was a long pause at the table.
"An offering to Sirius, who we ask for nothing," Remus stated.
Sirius looked at the small meal on the plate, before taking in what the others were eating. His was the most generous helping, but he didn't reach for the food, knowing the others would see the food disappearing.
When Hope cleared the plates, she met Sirius' eyes, leaving his on the table as the men went outside. It was clear to Sirius that Remus' mother could see him, or possibly only sense him, but it was enough that he could reach out and begin to eat his meal.
It had been a long time since he had been given an offering during a meal.
Once the food was finished, Sirius began to explore, starting with the room Remus laid his head at night. It was a simple room, but, like the rest of the house, it was well cared for. In the corner sat a small shrine, which was unusual.
The shrines tended to be family shrines, but Sirius had walked past that one on the way into the home. Remus had made his own shrine, and it was to Sirius.
He knelt down, examining it carefully. A few fragrant flower petals sat by the shrine and he reached for them, examining them and bringing them to his nose to smell.
Finally. he watched the men outside, working hard. He had seen that Remus was in poor health - the kind of health that had men dropping from exhaustion after a couple of hours, yet Remus worked for the rest of the day, until late into the evening when dinner was ready.
Sirius could almost see the agony that Remus was in, but there wasn't a word of complaint, and Remus did all he could to hide his pain from his parents.
He stood back this time, the family making an offering to his father, and he headed back into the garden.
A tree stood in the field, one that had been a prized tree. The soil wasn't letting the tree thrive as it should, causing the tree to slowly die.
Sirius leaned down, scooping up some soil and letting it drop again. The clean soil that fell from his hand in its place would help the tree.
After a moment, his hand rested on the tree, and the dull, dead brown of the bark began to come to life once more.
He walked back through the house, the woman's eyes on him. When he met her gaze, she bowed her head slightly.
"Mum, are you alright?"
"I am," she said, looking up again just in time to see Sirius leave.
A visit from a God was a blessing indeed.
...oOo...
Though Sirius had always been fascinated by mortals - something his Mother hated - and walked amongst them, he had never met anyone who fascinated him as much as Remus. The man was selfless. He hid his illness from his parents, even though it was clear that they knew he was sick. He made the walk to the Temple, even though it would have hurt him. They had little food - growing it themselves, and clearly only having a little left over to sell.
From the moment he had seen Remus, he had seen how the man shone, and the light just got brighter inside him, like a beacon.
Sirius couldn't stay away, even if he tried, which he wasn't planning on doing.
...oOo...
"That tree was dying," Remus said, pressing his hand to it. "Even if the soil… the tree should not be bearing olives overnight?"
Hope smiled softly. She hadn't asked anything when she had realised Sirius was there, as a God even being in their home was a blessing in itself. She turned, walking to Remus' room and took the flower from her hair, placing it in front of the small shrine Remus had set up.
Remus examined the tree carefully, touching where he could, feeling how alive it now was. He wondered if it was a coincidence that the one day they had offered Sirius a meal, was the day that the tree had healed itself.
He examined the few fruit that had already grown on the tree, reaching for the largest and juiciest olives for his next offering.
Though, after he left the house, Remus still headed into the nearby woods, taking the longer route to the Temple. He took his time as he did each time he visited, searching for something beautiful or fragrant to offer.
After all, anyone could pick a bit of fruit, but Remus liked to put in some effort too.
...oOo...
He arrived at the Temple to see the dark-haired man on his knees. Careful to be quiet and not disturb the man's prayers, he headed to the Altar, placing the olives and the Incense as his offering.
The rest of the Altar was empty, but Remus wasn't one to judge whether the other man had made an offering or not. Each person had their own way of worship, after all.
He moved back, before dropping to his knees to pray to Sirius, whispering his gratitude and assuring the God that he didn't expect anything from him.
But Sirius already knew that.
"He values you, placing you above others that pray to him," Sirius said, causing Remus to sharply look around at him. "Olives. I've never seen Olives on the Altar before."
"They grew last night," Remus said, looking back at the offering. "These were the best - the ripest I could find. Sirius will always get the best of what I… of what is grown on my family's land."
"He will be pleased." Sirius stood and left the Temple, stopping in the doorway to wave his hand.
The offering had moved somewhere he could examine it later, in its place lay a small pouch of seeds.
Remus stood up from his prayers, his eyes widening at as he saw that the Altar was empty. He approached it, fingers reaching for the seeds, but he withdrew his hand again.
Nothing told him that the seeds were his!
'Take them', a voice whispered, flowing through the Temple. Remus reached out, his fingers curling around the pouch, and he whispered his thanks, on his knees again.
Sirius shook his head. Remus prayed too much. He wanted to follow Remus home again and watch him plant the seeds. He headed back to the Altar, now unseen by Remus, and sat down and waited.
...oOo...
Lunch was offered to Sirius again, and he smiled, enjoying the offering.
"I have some olives ready to be cured, they will be ready in a few days -"
Sirius shook his head, a smirk on his lips and Remus' mother stared at him.
"No? Perhaps…" she headed towards the kitchen, returning with a bowl of cleaned olives, and examined one. She popped it into her mouth.
"Hope, you can't eat it like that, it needs to be…" John trailed off at the look of delight on her face.
"These do not need anything. They are a blessing on our son from his God and are delicious!"
John and Remus reached for the bowl, but Remus quickly put the first olive onto the offering for Sirius. He reached in again, taking his own olive and tasting it.
Sirius enjoyed the look of delight on his face.
After lunch, the two men headed out to do the work. Sirius sat and watched the pair for the day, until they had finished. Once his father headed inside, Remus hobbled over to a patch of land close to the tree, testing the soil with his fingers. He opened the pouch, counting out the 14 seeds - one for each visit to the Temple, and began to work the ground.
He put every ounce of effort into planting the seeds, his knees giving way when he had finished. It took him a while to get off the ground, but there had not been one word of complaint about anything, only thanks for the gift that was bestowed on him.
...oOo...
Still, the next morning, Remus attended the Temple, though he moved slowly that day. Sirius knelt down, not letting Remus see his face, and Remus slowly shuffled past him, failing to be as silent as before.
Remus knelt down, only just managing to stop the groan of pain, and the prayers started.
The moment he had finished, Sirius got to his feet and walked over, offering Remus his hand to get up. Remus accepted, thanking him, before his eyes met Sirius'.
His eyes widened, but Sirius knew it wasn't out of recognition. He knew of his own beauty, but Remus seemed intent to just stare into his eyes.
"You sounded older," Remus mumbled.
"I'm older than I appear," Sirius said, with a smile. Though he looked to be of a similar age to the man before him, he was as old as the world. "Sirius can't seem to stop bestowing you with gifts."
"I said before, I'm not asking for anything," Remus said, looking at the Altar, which held more olives, and a vegetable his mother had given, after insisting that he stay home and rest. "Though I believe he's pleased with my prayers and offering, though they are few. I would still worship Sirius, if he gave me nothing."
"And even through all your pain, you still come?"
"As long as I can walk, I will be at this Temple. When I can't, I will worship at the shrine I have built at home, in his name."
"I believe you," Sirius said. "There is another gift that he offers."
"Are you an Oracle? A Seer?"
"I'm much more," Sirius whispered. "Will you accept his gift?"
After a nod from Remus, Sirius stepped closer, pressing his lips against Remus'.
Remus' eyes fluttered closed at the feeling of lips on his. Calmness and peace flowed through him, comforting him. He struggled for breath through the overwhelming sensations..
As quickly as the lips touched his, they were gone, and Remus' eyes opened quickly.
But like a ghost, the man had vanished, as had the pain that had taken a hold on Remus since just before his fifth birthday.
Remus looked around again, searching for the man, but there was no-one in sight. For the first time, he truly wondered who the man actually was.
After all, the man had relieved his pain. No mortal man could do that. Was he an oracle? A speaker for Sirius, perhaps?
All Remus knew was that the kiss had awoken feelings inside him that he had never known before. He needed to find him again, to kiss him again, to… he didn't know what else, just that in that one moment, the man had stolen his heart.
...oOo...
He almost ran home, striding into the house to the shock of his mother, who was expecting him to come limping home, barely able to move. The plate was offered at lunch-time, with the best selection from the food prepared for dinner and, once Hope had cleaned up after dinner, the plate was empty again.
Remus had no trouble with the fields, working harder than ever before, allowing them to finish a bit earlier than usual. Sirius began to walk through the fields, blessing the grounds that the Lupins owned, knowing that for many more lifetimes, the Lupin fields would produce the best of everything.
At dinner, he stopped his father before the offering to Orion could be made.
"The Olive tree, the new planting of seeds, the better soil. The fact that I can walk without being in agony today. Those were Sirius' doings."
"How do you know?" John asked. "They could have been Orion's!"
Remus just shook his head. "I met a… a man in the Temple, I believe he may have been a speaker for Sirius - his Oracle perhaps. All he did was… was touch me, and the pain vanished. It happened in the Temple, father."
John looked hesitantly at the shrine set up on the wall, rubbing the back of his neck. "Orion has always been our house God," he said, uncertainly.
"Then I'll offer my own to Sirius," Remus said, pushing his plate away slightly. "He has done more for us in the few months than anyone. I'm not asking you to follow the same God as me, but I do ask that you show him some respect. I've asked not a single thing from him, yet he's… I don't know why, but I've somehow pleased him enough."
Hope stood up and headed into the kitchen, fixing another plate of food.
"We won't give up on our house-God, but there is space around this table for both Orion and his son," she said, placing down another plate. "We can offer them each a meal."
Sirius slipped into the empty chair, grinning at Hope.
"Remus. The man you saw… did he have long black hair? Grey eyes?"
"Like the storm! Yes. Do you know who he is? Where I can find him?" There was clear desperation in her son's voice, and he looked like he was going to run from the room should she give a destination.
Hope turned her attention to her food. "And what kind of touch was it?" she asked.
"Uh… on my… mouth. With… with his mouth."
The conversation was quiet after that, with Remus heading out to tend the special seeds that Sirius had bestowed upon him. "You may be a God, Sirius, but if you string my son along, there will be Hades to pay," Hope threatened, leaving the plates for the Gods at the table as she went to wash the others.
"There already is," came a voice from next to him, and Sirius jumped when he realised that his father was sitting next to him at the table.
"Father?!" he exclaimed in a panic. "What are you…"
Orion looked down at the small plate of food. "I believe I was invited, though there isn't much here, is there?"
"They have given what they could and more," Sirius replied.
Orion stood from the chair, waving a hand so his meal would disappear. He walked towards the door of the house, Sirius behind.
The door opened as he approached, and Orion walked out, Sirius behind, and Hope behind them, though she ran to the tree, to her son's side.
"Mother? What…" he turned and looked to see the pair striding towards him, Sirius looking terrified.
Hope dropped to her knees, grabbing Remus' hand and pulling him down. "We invited them to dinner, did we not?" she hissed at him.
Remus' eyes widened, but he dropped down to his knees, as did his father.
"This is the reason that you haven't returned to Olympus?" Orion asked.
"It is," Sirius whispered.
"Well, if this mortal is a distraction, we shall rid -"
"No!" Sirius shouted, moving into Remus' way, blocking Remus from his father. "It's not his fault I'm here, don't hurt him."
"You dare shield a mortal from me?" Orion roared.
The sky turned grey, as Sirius backed away. "Yes. Yes I dare. I offer him… I offer this family my protection. I've already protected this household the first time I sat at that table for lunch, and I protect them now, even from you, Father."
"Why?"
"Because he's… he shines. He has some sort of light and I don't want to stay away, I can't even try to stay away. I've watched him at my Temple, I've spoken with him… I've visited this house many times over the months and watched. I've never met anyone as selfless. We're Gods, that's supposed to be what we're like, yet we demand and demand and rarely give back. Well, this is me giving back."
"Only to him and his family," Orion pointed out.
Sirius chuckled. "I said that he was selfless. I never said that I was. You are not to hurt him, Father."
"Then you can never return," Orion said, looking tired.
"No," Sirius said. "I won't lie to you - I would never be able to follow that rule. I would rather leave Olympus than leave Remus."
"Your mother suggested as much. She wanted you banished - cast away."
"Then do it. Banish me here, with the mortals," Sirius said. "Mother will be pleased that you listened to her, I will be able to stay with… stay in this world."
"He can stay with us," Hope said. "We would look after him, feed him, give him a home."
Orion looked between them, before placing a hand on Sirius' forehead. "You are banished from Olympus, exiled to the mortal world. I can't remove your powers, but they won't help you should you decide to return. You won't be able to walk in the shadows anymore, Sirius. No hiding from sight. You will age, and when this young man passes, you will too. If I feel you've learnt your… punishment, I will review your exile only then."
"Father… why are you being so lenient?" Sirius asked.
"Do you think this is the first time?" Orion asked. "I've exiled you many times because of your love for mortals. Though, what people don't realise is that it's the same soul that you find every time. When you pass, your memories of your time in the mortal world are forgotten, and years pass before it all happens again."
Sirius hugged his father. "Thank you," he whispered.
"I have many followers and worshippers. Regulus is becoming forgotten. I'm sure that there will be a family somewhere that will pray to him and offer to him in my place."
The sky brightened, and Orion was gone.
Sirius felt himself weaken as his body changed according to Orion's rule. He knew that he had been given some mortality himself, tying him to the mortal world, though he could still feel his power under his skin, showing him that he was still a God. He briefly wondered whether this was what Demi-Gods felt like.
He felt arms catch him as he swayed. "You've helped me so much, let me help you?"
It took a moment for him to feel steady, and he turned, looking into Remus' eyes.
"So… I feel a bit stupid. I thought you were another follower of Sirius, not the God himself," Remus said. "I'm not sure what to do now. Would you prefer I kneel? Bow my head? I'm at a loss in how you would prefer me to worship whilst you are here in person."
"Treating me like a normal person would be fine," Sirius replied with a soft smile, as he reached to touch Remus' cheek. "Though I am fond of the various nature you've brought to me. Perhaps one day we could search together…I would also like to stay here with you."
"I wouldn't mind at all," Remus said softly.
"Forever," Sirius pushed.
"Well, according to your father, you just find me time and time again, so I think forever sounds perfect."
Sirius grinned. "And, tomorrow, you will teach me how to farm!"
"It's not a farm, we haven't been able to afford animals," Remus admitted. "Just crops."
Sirius brought his other hand up to Remus' face. "Have I not looked after you so far?" he asked. "Have I not given you everything you need? Fruit on your tree, seeds for your farm, and the best soil to be found in all of Greece! I've restored your health and your father's arthritis is already fading as we speak. I have given up my life in Olympus for you, and I will be here until our lives end. This farm will thrive - there will be plenty of crops and there will be animals. I am still a God - your God."
"I'm not asking anything of you -" Remus began, leaning into Sirius' touch.
"Which makes me want to do this for you even more," Sirius said. "You've been worshipping me for months, Remus. Now it's my turn to worship you."
Lips shyly found his, and Remus could only tighten his embrace, letting the feelings wash through him again as he returned the kiss.
"I could do this forever," Remus whispered, when Sirius finally ended the kiss.
"Me too," Sirius replied. "And we will!"
Thanks to Lynn for betaing! :)
4711 words