Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The Harry Potter universe was created by JK Rowling and therefore belongs to her and her various publishers. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's note: No weird quotes, as far as I can see. And I suppose the M Rating is justified with this chapter. Many thanks to my two excellent beta readers! You rock!

chapter ten: happiness or something like it

Remus was woken by the patter of rain on the roof. It was the hour of dawn and the room was illuminated in a strange monochrome twilight. Remus blinked disorientated before his eyes grew wide in surprised understanding.

"Morning, Moony." Sirius' clear voice startled him. Unlike his friend, Remus wasn't a morning person.

"Morning," he mumbled back, turning around to look at Sirius. Absorbed in the twilight, Sirius was breathtakingly beautiful. Nobody should look so perfect before sunrise, thought Remus, still a little befuddled from sleep. Prominent features accentuated by shadowy stubble, grey eyes dark and moist, black hair preciously dishevelled, sensuous lips slightly open - Sirius was certainly too handsome for his own good. And then understanding dawned on Remus.

"Have you been watching me?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes." Sirius wasn't even faintly embarrassed.

"Why?" Instead of an answer, Sirius budged over to him and leaned in for a kiss. Stale breath didn't matter when kissing Sirius, realised Remus. It took all his willpower to pull away.

"S-Sirius, I have to go to work. I shouldn't have stayed overnight in the first place." Remus sighed and slid out of the bed, away from their shared warmth and comfort. He found his pants and pulled them on.

"Moony, you're a wizard, you can Apparate," replied Sirius indignantly.

"But not to work," said Remus without thinking. A second later he wanted to kick himself.

"Why not?" Sirius asked with curious concern, sitting up.

"Because it's a Muggle shop," mumbled Remus faintly. He didn't look at Sirius but focussed on donning his robes. He knew what was coming and he wasn't ready for an argument before he had had at least one cup of tea.

"You're working in a MUGGLE SHOP?" Remus flinched.

"Pads, can we discuss this later?" he asked weakly.

"No, no, we can't because this is later. You've spent an entire weekend with your friends without mentioning it. Merlin, Moony, what's wrong with you? Don't you trust us? Don't you trust me?" Sirius had gotten out of his bed and was closing the distance between them. Remus found it really unfair that he didn't bother to get dressed. A naked Sirius was distracting.

"I-I knew how you'd react," he defended himself. Gods, he needed some tea!

"So you just don't mention anything I might disagree with?" asked Sirius incredulously.

"That's not what I meant. Please, Sirius, I'm only half awake and I need to get to work."

"So where exactly do you work?" asked Sirius with hardly restrained anger.

"Why do you want to know? It's an antique shop. You're not interested in that kind of stuff."

"Why? You are seriously asking me why? Well, first of all you're my friend and I'm interested in your fucking life! Secondly, you might remember that we had it off together last night, which was bloody amazing, and I'm interested in spending some extra time with you.-" Remus blushed. "- And thirdly, Lupin, I'm sick of you sneaking away from me and closing me out at every opportunity." Sirius was irate and positively looming over Remus.

"I'm not sneaking off. Damn, Sirius, I haven't been swimming and sunbathing over the last month. I helped my mother. I was trying to get and, more importantly, keep a job. I had to find an affordable flat and while doing all that I had to fight off the people from the Beast Division-" snapped Remus.

"Beast Division?" asked Sirius bewildered.

"Yes, werewolf, remember? I cannot move wherever I want, I have to prove that it's safe for everyone around. I cannot start to work somewhere new without telling the wizard at the Werewolf Registry who is in charge of me," replied Remus wearily. Before he could go on, he felt Sirius' hand on his shoulder.

"Moony…"

"No, there are some things I have to go through alone, Sirius, because you cannot understand." Remus looked up to meet Sirius' eyes. The anger was gone and had been replaced by concern.

"Come on, I'll make you tea," said Sirius with a crooked smile. "And before you leave, you'll tell me where the hell you work. I haven't anything to do today so I'll pick you up after work. No, you can't keep me away. I'm a brash bugger, remember?" Sirius had obviously regained his cockiness.

Remus sighed in resignation. "Just do me a favour, okay?"

"What?"

"Get dressed! I really need that job." And with that he slapped Sirius' bottom, grinning roguishly, and Apparated into the kitchen.

Remus arrived at work just in time. The day crept by at a snail's pace and the rain kept most customers away. So, while piling books and dusting bookshelves he had enough time to think about Sirius' words. To say the truth, he didn't really think about the words but about what they had done the preceding evening. Whenever his thoughts trailed off to that particular part of the day, he couldn't help smiling. Sirius was right, it had been bloody brilliant. Remus avoided thinking about where sleeping together would leave them.

When he was almost finished the doorbell rang once more. Sighing, Remus went to greet the late customer and stopped dead when it turned out to be Sirius.

"What are you doing in here? I'm still working," he hissed but couldn't suppress a little smile at the sight of a very soaked Sirius Black. He strongly reminded him of a wet dog.

"Yeah, I can see that you're really busy," japed Sirius in return, tossing his hair around like he would have done in his Animagus form. "Honestly, Moony, it's as silent as a grave."

"That's because of the weather."

"Sure thing. This place is probably overrun when the sun is shining."

"Can't you just wait outside?" asked Remus, exasperated.

"Hell no!" Sirius explored the shop the way he did everything else. He touched almost everything, opened this and that book, dripping shamelessly on the floor. Remus watched him. Sirius wore Muggle clothes, something he did not often do. But unlike most pure-blood wizards including James Potter, he had a knack for fashion and always picked the right thing. So despite the fact that he was completely soaked he was incredibly attractive in his black jeans and dark red shirt.

"I'm bored," said Sirius into the silence, turning around to where Remus was standing and watching him amusedly. "What? You're bored, too."

"Keep it down, I really like having this job."

"Yeah, especially because you're surrounded by all these boring Muggle books. They don't talk to you, they don't curse you, nor do they sing or bite."

"That's not too bad actually," mumbled Remus.

"Mr Lupin, is that a customer?" sounded a tremulous voice from the rear.

"Yes, Mr Moth, sir. I'm taking care of him, sir." answered Remus quickly, shooting Sirius a warning glance.

"Good lad!" came the shaky response. Sirius snorted.

A quarter of an hour later Remus and Sirius hurried into a dirty and deserted cul-de-sac and Apparated, unseen by Muggles, next to The Leaky Cauldron.

"Merlin, I'm starving," complained Sirius.

"You always are," chuckled Remus. They went inside the pub, found an empty table and ordered Pumpkin juice, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

"So," mumbled Sirius between two bites. "Am I going to see your place tonight or will you come over to mine?"

Remus stared at him, pleasantly surprised. Apparently, Sirius really wanted to spend more time with him. But there was no way he was taking him to his flat.

"Moony, I take it you didn't believe me when I said I wanted to spend some extra time with you." Only Sirius could manage to chew in a way that screamed indignation. "What do you take me for?"

"Sirius Black?" suggested Remus dryly.

"Oh, come off it!" Sirius waved his hand dismissively. "It's going to be fun. If you haven't forgotten what fun is after one day in that cemetery of a shop?" Sirius looked up from his plate. "Pleeeeaaaase, Moony?" he whined, using the puppy look nobody was able to resist.

"Okay, I'm going to come over to your place." Remus found himself deliriously happy at the thought of spending another night with Sirius and the boy opposite of him smiled so happy and relieved a smile that Remus felt a curious warmth in his stomach.

"But no more jokes about my job. I'm serious!" Remus tried a stern look.

"Nah, that wouldn't be fun," grinned Sirius dirtily. "Besides, I plan on putting my mouth to a more enjoyable task."

"Padfoot!" Remus flushed.

"Have your thoughts in the gutter already, haven't you? Excellent, Mr Moony. Honestly, I'll cook something for us while you're getting your clothes for tomorrow."

"You're already eating dinner!" Remus rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, and woall knowow long that's gonnlast," munched Sirius. Remus chuckled.

Later, when he was again alone in his flat, Remus scolded himself for postponing the inevitable. Sirius had been nice enough not to insist on seeing Remus' flat, probably because he, too, wasn't keen on having another argument on the same day. But his friends would eventually find out where he lived and they would not be amused since all of them, especially Sirius and James, felt protective of him. Come to think of it, James would probably flail Sirius alive if he ever found out about their – whatever they had. But Remus was used to having secrets and James could be rather thick, so keeping it from him wouldn't be difficult at all. And he didn't expect Sirius to blab something out because he knew James even better than himself.

Remus summoned his razor and his toothbrush from the bathroom, determined to shower at Sirius' house. Clear water was always preferable to yellow and rusty water. It wasn't as if Sirius was taking advantage of him or that they were romantically involved. They were friends, who were by chance physically attracted to each other. Remus was resolved to enjoy this situation as long as possible. It had felt bloody amazing to let go and enjoy another body without feeling self-conscious all the time or being afraid of awkward questions about his scars. It was great to be looked at as if he was actually, well, handsome. His annoying voice of reason, which tried to interject that it being Sirius did actually matter a lot, was resolutely quieted. When he had finished packing, he Disapparated with a POP.

When Remus arrived in Sirius' kitchen a delicious smell hit him. Sirius had obviously been serious about actually cooking something. And apparently, his cooking skills weren't as bad as he always pretended. Sirius stood with his back to him and hadn't noticed his presence yet. He was still wearing Muggle clothes and Remus strongly approved of that since he could have a good look at the other boy's behind. He slowly sneaked up to Sirius and breathed deliberately at the back of his exposed neck before he whispered "Smells good, Pads."

Sirius scared up and let out a startled gasp before he turned around and barked his trademark laugh. "Moony, I swear you should be the one called Padfoot. You scared the shit out of me."

Remus grinned, pleased with himself. "Er, Pads, why do you play starving bachelor when you're apparently doing just fine?" He scanned through everything Sirius was preparing for their second dinner and couldn't help being impressed.

"Well, you haven't tried any of it yet, but you're right, it's going to be delicious. As to your most insolent question," Sirius smirked, "I just don't want to disappoint the ladies. They expect me to be starving and who am I to displease them? Think about it, what would women be doing if men were just fine without them?" Sirius waved his wand lazily and the potatoes in the pan were turned.

"Nah, it's better like that. Besides, I can't advertise my impressive talent, lest everyone had actual expectations I was supposed to meet. So, Moony, feel special! I don't cook for everyone." Sirius gave him a cocky smile.

"So this," Remus made an encompassing gesture, "this is for seduction?" He raised an eyebrow and looked sceptically at Sirius, who let out another bark of laughter before he turned around abruptly.

"Well, I could have done that," and with that he slid a hand over Remus' crotch. Remus, who hadn't expected anything like that, jumped back, which provoked another mischievous laugh from Sirius. "But I figured that you'd prefer having dinner." Remus glared at Sirius, only too aware of his body's reaction to Sirius' teasing. Sirius grinned dirtily and went back to cooking.

Remus took a deep breath. "So now that you've made your intentions clear, is your victim allowed to take a shower?" he asked dryly.

"I told you yesterday that you don't have to ask for a bloody shower." Sirius didn't turn around, so Remus decided it was time for revenge. With the nails of his right hand he scratched over Sirius' back, knowing exactly the effect it would have on him. He felt the other boy shiver and tense.

"Well, see you then," he grinned and ran out of the kitchen before Sirius could hex him.

It was dark outside when they had finished eating and doing the dishes, magically of course. They had gone on teasing each other with casual and not so casual touches, flirting remarks and sultry glances until Sirius was painfully aware of his persistent erection. But he had rarely spent a nicer evening and seeing Remus relaxed and at ease with the world, laughing and flirting, was worth it. When Remus was like this, he felt himself drawn to him like a moth to the flame.

"Padfoot?" he heard Remus calling him from his living room.

"I'll be there in a sec," called Sirius back, grabbing a bottle of Firewhiskey and two glasses. When he entered the living room his breath caught. Remus was sitting on the sofa, that Sirius had charmed so that it looked just like the one in Gryffindor Tower, his face illuminated by the fire and his eyes fixed on him. It was a predatory gaze and so fraught with heat and desire that Sirius felt instantly hot and dizzy.

"Can we skip the brotherly drinking part and move on to what you suggested earlier today?" asked Remus, smiling seductively. Sirius, who would never have thought that the sight of Remus' slender and sinewy arms, halfway covered by an ordinary shirt, could be so utterly erotic, swallowed hard.

"Sounds okay to me," replied Sirius, trembling slightly with anticipation. He swiftly crossed the distance between them, depositing the bottle and glasses on the table, and bent over Remus to give him a greedy kiss. Steadying him against the sofa, he slid one hand under Remus' shirt. It had only been last night that he had touched Remus but he shortly entertained the thought of ripping his clothes off to feel more of him. Remus drew him closer and Sirius came over and straddled him. He slipped off Remus' shirt in a flowing movement and gasped when he felt the other boy's nails on his back again.

"I take it you like this," teased Remus between kisses.

"Cheeky, aren't you," replied Sirius, fumbling with Remus' fly. He heard the other boy moan when he slipped down to his knees, trailing kisses over Remus' chest and sliding his tongue over well-known scars. Remus raised his hips for Sirius to pull his jeans and pants off and Sirius threw them aside. Kneeling in front of Remus, Sirius looked up at him. Remus' golden eyes were avid and needy and they grew wide when Sirius began to stroke him. Sirius smiled complacently before he trailed kisses up Remus' thighs.

"Sirius," he heard Remus gasp when he covered him with his mouth while continuing the rhythmic movement of his hand. Teasing him with his tongue and lips, he watched Remus gradually losing himself. Sirius felt Remus' fingers, entwined in his hair, clench and heard his breath grow erratic. Remus' little gasps and moans went straight to his own cock, which pressed painfully against the constraint of his jeans. Closing his eyes, Sirius concentrated on the task at hand.

"Gods... Sirius!" He felt Remus' loins tense and opened his eyes just in time to see Remus come undone. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Swallowing the searing gush against his throat, he drank in the sight of Remus on the edge of total bliss.

Sirius threw himself on the sofa next to Remus, who sank against him with a contented sigh and drew him into a deep and mind-blowing kiss.

"I take it you liked it then," grinned Sirius against Remus' mouth. He lost his smile and his grip on reality when Remus showed him how much he had liked it.

They had moved into the shower and from there into the bedroom in the course of the evening, exploring their bodies eagerly. When they finally fell back into the sheets, satiated and both beaming foolishly with happiness, it was well beyond midnight.

"We should have done that ages ago," smiled Sirius sleepily, drawing Remus closer. The other boy was snuggled against him, one leg spread over Sirius' legs and his head resting against Sirius' chest. This intimate felicity was new to Sirius but he revelled in the scent of Remus' damp hair and the pleasant weight of his body against his own.

"Hmm," murmured Remus. Sirius could feel his smile against his skin when he added "And now shut up, I want to sleep." Sirius grinned at that and listened to Remus' gradually deepening breath, lazily trailing little patterns with his fingers on Remus' back. Feeling sleepy himself, he closed his eyes but sleep didn't enter his head for a while, he felt too elated. Sirius wondered dozily why someone as unobtrusive as Remus could make him feel this way. After all, he had known him for years without feeling anything more than friendship. It didn't bother him that Remus was a bloke but he had certainly never wanted to shag James or Peter. Shrugging these thoughts off, he pulled a blanket over them and dozed off.

"You're late," remarked James when Sirius arrived breathlessly inside Gambol & Japes.

"Sorry, mate, I…I kind of overslept," answered Sirius. Remus and he had actually been up early but had got, well, distracted.

"Oh, you resumed your immoral lifestyle, why didn't you say so?" winked James. "Who's the flavour of the week?"

Sirius suppressed the desire to hex James for speaking of Moony as the flavour of the week, even unknowingly.

"Just shut it, Prongs," he snapped. Lying to James was unwonted but since there was no way his best friend would understand what he and Remus had, he accepted the necessity and brushed his feelings of guilt aside.

"Touchy, aren't we?" replied James, good-humoured. He looked conspicuously happy.

"Let's go to Gringotts first, I'm short of Galleons," said Sirius, feeling actually quite happy himself. They went to the Wizarding Bank and after Sirius had withdrawn a reasonable sum, they stopped at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Sirius enjoyed the mildly warm day and Fortescue's excellent ice cream.

"Lily and I had sex," blurted James out between spoons of strawberry ice cream.

"Er…congrats, mate? When?" asked Sirius, taken by surprise.

"Sunday night, after we left your place," beamed James. Through his glasses, his hazel eyes were glowing with happiness. "I really love her, Pads. I mean, I've known that since third year but when I held her in my arms Sunday night, I felt like the luckiest bloke in the world. It just felt right."

"I'm happy for you both," Sirius interrupted James' cheerful babbling. Something about James' words unsettled him.

A sudden high-pitched scream pierced through the peaceful atmosphere of Diagon Alley. James and Sirius jumped off their chair, drawing their wands. A loud crack reverberated through the street. Sirius and James nodded at each other and sprinted off to where they suspected the source of trouble.

They didn't have to run far. Several witches and wizards were running out of the building, which accommodated Obscurus Books. A regal looking middle-aged witch came backwards out of the building, fiercely shooting hexes back into the house. She was supported by two young men, whom Sirius recognised as Fabian and Gideon Prewett. One after the other, the attackers came into view. Six masked and hooded figures appeared. Sirius felt his anger rising and after renewed eye contact with James, they joined the battle. Fabian Prewett looked up in alarm when Sirius' Expelliarmus whooshed over him, disarming one tall Death Eater. After recognising Sirius and James, Fabian grimly continued his fight.

"Stupefy!" James shouted next to him and a skinny Death Eater was hit by the bolt of red light out of James' wand and fell to the ground.

"Good aim," the middle-aged witch complimented James between two hexes.

The battle went on for quite some time but although the Death Eaters outnumbered them by two, it became obvious that they were losing. Three of them were already put out of action and finally a female Death Eater ordered them to retreat. Sirius recognised the voice and bristled with anger.

"BELLA!" he shouted after the slowly retreating figure. The witch came to a sudden halt and although he couldn't see her face, Sirius knew that she was grinning her mad smile. She saluted him before she Disapparated with a loud POP. And then there was silence.

"You knew her?" asked James, frowning.

"Yeah, you do, too. It was my cousin Bellatrix," answered Sirius grimly. "Besides, you do remember why I left my family?"

"Oh, sorry, Pads, I didn't mean it to sound reproachful." James looked abashed.

"You two are a godsend!" exclaimed the regal looking witch. She had a bleeding cut at her brow and her robes were torn in several places.

"That's James Potter…and this is Sirius Black," Fabian introduced them. "Black, Potter, this is Marlene McKinnon."

"Sirius Black?" McKinnon shot him a scrutinising look but then she smiled. "The white sheep and disowned heir! Pleased to meet you!"

"Why were Death Eaters attacking a publishing house?" asked James after they had exchanged the usual courtesies.

"Easy! Obscurus Books has just published a new book by Marlene here. It's a political eye-opener and Voldemort doesn't like that at all," explained Gideon Prewett. Two soft Apparition POPs startled them up. They all had their wands at the ready but breathed a sigh of relief when the newcomers turned out to be Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody, the famous Auror.

"My team will be here any minute," snarled Moody, constantly checking the environment.

"It was lucky that the Prewett brothers were here, Albus," said McKinnon.

"And even more lucky that Potter and Black were here," added Gideon, whose right arm was burned. Dumbledore shot James and Sirius a curious glance.

"I should have foreseen this attack. Is anyone seriously injured?" asked Dumbledore gravely.

"Not too bad. Up in the second floor, where they attacked out of the blue, there are some broken limbs and a few burns and cuts, I reckon," said McKinnon matter-of-factly.

Half an hour later, when Healers scurried around, Aurors secured the building and reporters scribbled excitedly on their notepads, Dumbledore took James and Sirius aside.

"Well, James, your parents will be proud of you. And certainly of you too, Sirius," Dumbledore nodded appreciatively. "You've shown great bravery, today. But you have always been Gryffindors at heart," he winked. Sirius and James grinned at each other.

"I have an offer for you and your friends. As you are well aware, Voldemort is gaining power and spreading fear, terror and distrust. Ministry Aurors alone cannot master this situation. We're at war, gentlemen." Dumbledore heaved a sigh before he went on. "That's why I founded the Order of the Phoenix. You may have heard of it already. We are trying to prevent attacks or at least to be there as fast as possible, which is most of the time before the Aurors arrive. It's dangerous but we need young and competent witches and wizards. Can I count you in?" Dumbledore's deep blue eyes met Sirius' grey ones.

"You can count on me," Sirius said fiercely and without hesitation.

"And me," said James just as fierce.

"And Remus and Peter will be joining, too," Sirius added.

"Sirius, I don't doubt your loyalty and neither should you doubt the loyalty of your friends if one of them didn't want to risk his life in such a manner," said Dumbledore softly. Sirius blushed. Of course, Peter wasn't the bravest of them and Remus had enough troubles in keeping his job and surviving the full moon.

"Nevertheless, I'll send an owl to both of them and Ms Evans--" Dumbledore made a pacifying gesture with his hand at James' disapproving outcry. "--Yes, James, Ms Evans has every right to choose for herself, as have Mr Lupin and Mr Pettigrew. Within the next week you will receive an invitation to your first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. Till then, take care of yourselves and those you love."

…to be continued

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