Hi!

Yes, this chapter is NOT what you were expecting -- that is definitely the next chapter (seriously!)... this is a short little bridge (hopefully not filler) to the action...

Warnings: Earning its M this chapter with a smidgeon of smut (tastefully done, I think)...

Disclaimer: Not my world -- it and all its colourful inhabitants (except my OC) belong to Ms. Rowling.

Chapter 10: Gold Lion

Remus was nervous. No, to say he was nervous was an understatement – he was positively nerve – wracked with anticipation and dread. It was early in the morning, almost two, and was not officially his birthday anymore, but since he hadn't slept since the night before, Eris had convinced him it was still within reason to celebrate.

"What shall we do?" he'd asked her, as they strolled back through the secret passage from Hogsmeade hand – in – hand.

"We'll think of something," she'd answered coyly.

They'd walked back from Hogsmeade in relative silence, Peter and Sirius singing drunkenly behind them while James and Lily tried to keep them in line. Remus' head was spinning from the suggestion of those four innocent words. He wanted her desperately, and he'd had her once, the day they'd gotten back together in January, but this was different. They had fumbled and groped in the pitch black of the tiny space of a cupboard in any empty classroom. The sex had been quick, desperate and clumsy and they'd both been so embarrassed they hadn't attempted it again. She was only vaguely aware of some of his scars, and had never asked him how he came to have them but if he slept with her tonight, she would surely see his scarred body more clearly. He was afraid of what she might think, might say, might do. You trust her, he told himself, pushing the thought of what Sirius had told him months ago from his mind. You love her. She loves you.

When they'd made it back to the castle, Remus had helped James deposit their inebriated mates into their respective four – posters and then headed up to meet Eris in the owlery under James' Invisibility cloak (without Lily's knowledge, of course), his bespectacled mate patting him hard on the back and flashing him a goofy smile. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he'd warned as Remus had slipped under the cloak and made his way down the dormitory stairs.

He'd walked up the long spiral staircase to find a spot just under the largest, round window which had been cleared of tiny animal bones, a tent – like canopy draped over the side so that when he and Eris climbed under it, it was as if they were outdoors, their view of the grounds and the sky unobstructed. It was almost as if they were sitting on the roof. Eris convinced him to sit on the plush purple sleeping bag that lay open on the hard stone floor, and they rested against the many throw cushions arranged haphazardly on one end. Eris lay her head on his shoulder, entwined her fingers in his, and together they peered up at the star – strewn sky in comfortable silence, the soft hooting of owls, the rustling of wings and the clicking of beaks filling the night air.

"Oh, look at the moon," she whispered excitedly as it peaked out from behind the clouds. The silvery orb, only three – quarters full, seemed to taunt him as it hid its face once more. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Hmmm," was his only response, then, the absurdity of the words not lost on him, he turned his face towards hers. "Not nearly as beautiful as you," he breathed, unable to resist a self – deprecating smile.

Eris smiled, leaned closer to him and kissed him deeply, longingly, her tongue tracing his lips as she pulled away. Apparently, she liked the cliché.

"I have something for you," she said suddenly, sitting up and reaching underneath a pillow.

Remus sat up at once. "I thought we agreed," he said a little embarassed, "no presents."

"No," she responded, pulling out a small wrapped box, "you suggested, I agreed to nothing." She held the box out to him and looked at him expectantly.

He sighed, defeated, and reached for it; secretly glad she hadn't listened to him. He, like most people, loved to open presents – but unlike most, it wasn't the gift that excited him, it was the anticipation. He began to gingerly tear at the seams, and then quickened his pace when she glared at him.

"Do you like it?" she asked as he opened the lid and peered in. His heart sank as he reached in and pulled out a small gold lion and set it in the palm of his hand. Despite its size, it was heavy; telling him it was solid gold. Its eyes, two tiny diamonds, glittered brilliantly under the stars as it stalked the length of his hand.

"It's too much," he said trying not to sound accusatory. He knew he would never be able to afford to give her anything near as lovely or expensive. Or special.

"I knew you'd say that," she said, "but I couldn't resist. When I saw it in the shop window in Diagon Alley, it just reminded me of you."

He looked up from the lion to her dark, hazy eyes. "Diagon Alley?" he repeated. The last time she could have been anywhere near Diagon Alley was the holidays, when they had already broken up.

She blushed. "I bought it because it reminded me of you," she explained, the colour on her cheeks deepening, "but now I have you back, so I want you to have it."

He couldn't help but smile at her confession. The truth was, when they were apart, everything he saw reminded him of her as well.

"The colour reminded me of your eyes," she went on nervously, "and obviously, the lion – "

He didn't let her finish. He pulled her close with his free hand and pressed his lips to hers. She seemed to melt into him and he was only vaguely aware of the lion falling to the cushions and scurrying beneath as he wrapped both arms around her waist and shifted, pulling her on top of him. Time and reality seemed to suspend themselves as they writhed against one another, kissing fervently until Eris broke away and pushed herself up to a sitting position. Remus felt a longing like he had never experienced. His head was swimming with the scent of her, his girlfriend, his love, and his ragged breathing matched hers.

"I have something else for you," she breathed. He looked up at her with anticipation. The dread had melted away. "Do you want it?"

"Yes," he managed to croak out, all doubt gone from his mind.

Say it," she teased.

"I – I want it." He watched as she stood over him, the darkened sky like an ominous halo around her head, her long, black hair waving in the breeze, as the stars flashed through wisps and strands. She reminded him suddenly of a story his mother had read to him as a child about a fallen angel. "I want you," he reiterated, pushing the strange thought out of his mind.

Her hands moved slowly down the front of her dress, fingers working at each delicate button. She smiled coyly and Remus had to resist the urge to lunge at her and throw her to the ground. Down, boy, he warned as the wolf stirred inside. Her buttons undone, she pushed the material off her shoulders, allowing her dress to drop to the ground. Remus moaned at the sight before him. Eris was standing in the moonlight naked save for a pair of knickers. His eyes roamed over her body, mesmerized, taking in every inch of her, from the jut of her hipbone to the soft pink hue of her nipples. He drank her in but didn't stir from where he lay. She watched him with lust in her eyes as she hooked a finger around each side of her knickers and pulled them down slowly. She let them drop to the ground and stepped out from the pool of clothes at her feet, pushed them aside and slowly lowered herself onto her knees and straddled his thighs.

"Touch me," she whispered boldly.

Remus, his eyes gazing deeply into hers, gulped down the large knot in his throat, and hands shaking slightly, breathe ragged and skin tingling, he reached out hesitantly, slowly, eagerly, longingly, and he did.

Sophie was glad to be eating this meal with her father on her birthday. It had been too long, or so it seemed, since she had gotten to have a real conversation with him. Seeing each other in the corridors, in classes, and when she had to get her dose of Wolfsbane potion, there was hardly any time for anything more than a casual greeting. And now, he'd opened up, told her what was weighing on his mind, and they were able to actually eat and talk freely. Of course, the truth was, Sophie also had something on her mind, and she would sooner die than tell her father.

Her birthday had started well enough, with presents on her night table when she awoke – books, candy, a trick wand and a hand – knit scarf from her mates – and little fuss from her friends, which she appreciated. She disliked celebrating this day, which reminded her of the last time she saw her mother. She'd gone to breakfast and eaten her toast and bacon (she didn't like eggs) then headed towards the front door with Angelina to meet up with Cedric for Hogsmeade. But before she'd even seen him, she was swept up in a crowd of Weasley twins, Lee Jordan, Katie and her mate Leanne (all with brooms in hand) and marched out towards the gates for a surprise. Angelina stayed behind long enough to let Cedric know she'd meet him in town and before she could guess where they were taking her, they'd flown (Sophie on the back of Katie's Comet) to the Three Broomsticks. The surprise turned out to be a rather good one, with her father smiling and beckoning them over to a large table he'd been holding in the increasingly – crowded pub.

They had a few rounds of butterbeer, and Sophie got to witness firsthand the respect and awe her father ignited. He was easy and open, telling a few rather tame tales of his days in Hogwarts, going on about some bloke or other who did something spectacularly naughty (like lighting all the Slytherin Quidditch players' brooms on fire – during a match) but never implicating himself (but Sophie knew better). And then his mood changed in an instant and he'd practically run from the pub, making her promise to stick with her mates and giving her the excuse she needed to force Cedric to change his plans for their day. They'd ended up wandering the shops in a group, Cedric feeling out of place in the group of mostly Gryffindor Quidditch players, some of whom (read: the Weasley twins) felt the need to point out he wasn't invited every chance they got.

They'd gotten back to the castle just in time for the feast, and Cedric, looking rather grumpy, had pulled her aside and asked her to meet him by the Hufflepuff corridor afterwards. She hadn't promised anything, making the excuse of dinner with her father in his private quarters but while usually stingy with words, he'd been insistent, and she'd agreed to try. The way he'd kissed her, pressing her up against the wall in a darkened niche by the main stairs, his hands on the small of her back, his arousal pressing against her thigh, left her with no doubt of his intentions. And she knew, in her heart as well as her mind, that she wasn't ready for that.

"Are you ready for dessert?"

She looked up from her plate to her father's smiling face. He was holding a golden plate of chocolate cake, cut up into perfect triangles, the chocolate shavings on top falling to the table as he placed a piece on a plate and pushed it towards her. Chocolate wasn't her favourite, it was his, but she ate it happily, feeling the sugar and cocoa rush through her system, clearing her mind and creating the lift her spirits needed. After they each had a second slice, they both sat back, satisfied. Her father sighed as he surveyed the table. She knew what he was thinking. A waste.

"Do you think we could owl it to Wilbur?" she asked, thinking of her pet pig and how she missed him. He chuckled and smiled.

"It won't go to waste," he said, tapping the plates with his wand. The plates vanished. "The house elves donate what isn't touched to needy families in neighbouring towns."

"I didn't know that," she said, surprised by the creatures' generousity.

"You would if you'd read Hogwarts, A History." She rolled her eyes. She was an avid reader, but to him she was a novice. He was always trying to get her to read more.

Her father stood up and walked to his desk, pulled out a small wrapped box and placed it in front of her. "I bet you were wondering when you were going to get this," he said, eyes twinkling with delight.

She hadn't been expecting a gift. Her last two birthdays, she'd gone without one and she hadn't minded (well, she'd minded a bit) but this was the first time in many years her father had a steady job, good pay and little expenses.

"Aren't you going to open it?" he asked, eyeing her curiously.

She tore the paper just enough to open the lid, an action which elicited laughter from her father. When she pulled it open, a small golden lion jumped out of the box and onto the table and began to prowl around the empty dishes. "Is it real?" she asked breathless, her eyes wide in wonder.

He laughed. "No, honey, it's a solid gold lion, it's not actually a –"

"That's not what I meant!" she interrupted. He was taking the piss and she hated when he did that. It usually meant he was avoiding something.

"I didn't buy it," he said, guessing that she was concerned over the expense of such an extravagant gift, "a friend gave it to me years ago and I thought you'd like to have it."

"You've had it all this time?" she asked. She'd never seen it before.

"In my vault at Gringott's" he answered, "among the piles of dust." He smiled a little too widely, the corners of his eyes crinkling and making him look like a little boy.

"It must be expensive," she said, picking the lion up by its head and examining its features. It swiped its golden paws at her hand futilely. Apparently, it didn't like that.

"I would think so," he said, his tone changing slightly. She looked at him and noticed the sad look on his face.

"Who gave it to you?" she asked, suddenly curious. It would have had to be someone who really liked him – a wealthy friend, a girlfriend, her mother? No, not her, she thought doubtfully. Could it?

Before he could answer, there was a sudden, insistent knock on the door.

"Remus!" came an urgent muffled voice from the other side. It sounded like Professor McGonagall.

Her father jumped up and in three long strides he reached the door. He pulled it open hastily, alarmed, like Sophie, by the tone, and was greeted by the panicked witch.

"What's wrong?" he asked hastily. Sophie could hear the hint of panic in his voice.

"Oh, Remus," she said, rushing in and looking flustered, "it's Sirius Black! He's here!"

(A bit cliffhanger - like, I know...)

Did you like? Did you not? Let me know -- a few words, a lot (a smiley face, a frown), it doesn't matter...

BTW, 'Gold Lion' is a Yeah Yeah Yeahs song which is so perfectly titled for a Gryffindor and is just raunchy enough to work in this scene...

The next chapter is coming soon! Stay tuned!