Again, I can only apologise for the slow speed in which I am updating. Don't doubt that the story will be finished - in the Summer holidays at the latest, I expect, but at present, concentration is limited, as is free time. But yes. Enjoy :)
Remus sat, through the night; his legs stretched out on Sirius' bed; he had left the bed, as Sirius left the dormitory, before he went over to his bedside drawers, and pulled out his book. With a calm sigh, he perched on the side of his own bed, appraising the cover of the book.
"Where'd the others go?" Peter asked; Remus jumped slightly as he spotted the figure stood in the doorway.
"Search me," Remus replied with a shrug – he was trying not to bear too much thought in regards to Sirius and James' plan.
"They're always up to something..." Peter muttered, entering the room and going over to his bed in the far corner to collect his pyjamas.
"This is quite true..." Remus replied; distracted.
"Well...good night then," Peter said, louder.
With a small nod, Remus glanced at Peter; watching as the smaller boy drew his curtains and rest his head upon the pillow.
Moments later, he was snoring.
Remus, however, had barely moved from the edge of his bed. He looked around and found his eyes resting on Sirius' bed.
'If he returns, he will laugh...' Remus thought, 'or will he?' he commended, subconsciously finding his way off the covers of his own bed, and over to Sirius'. With a nervous glance in the direction of Peter's soft, patterned snores, Remus settled upon the covers of Sirius' bed.
Drawing the curtains half way around, Remus drew his knees to his chest, before deciding it wasn't comfortable, he then stretched them out.
With a calm, steady hand, Remus opened the cover of his book, and skimmed through the acknowledgements. Then, he turned the page once more, and assessed the artistic way in which, 'Chapter One,' had been written.
"In a distant part of a distant row..." he began, to himself.
10 'o' clock
Remus had read a good tenth of the book; he was so absorbed, he didn't notice the time passing by.
11 'o' clock
The book had reached its preliminary climax, with the main character, Rose, and her twin counterpart, facing a daunting task.
12 'o' clock
Remus' eyes began to drift shut, before he parted them again, and continued through the next few sentences. Struggling to concentrate; Peter's distant snores soon became attuned to the soft, shallow breathing of Remus.
1 'o' clock
Remus; resting his head upon Sirius' pillow, was asleep; his hand still clutching the book, as it lay atop his chest, raising slowly with his lungs.
2 'o' clock
A distant hoot of an owl awoke Remus from his light sleep, he looked around the room, and became aware of whose bed he was in, and what he was waiting for. He drew back his sleeve; consciousness slowly taking precedence, and checked the time. Had Sirius promised that he was going to return?
3 'o' clock
Remus, feeling the cold, drew his knees to his chest; hugging Sirius' pillow to him as he did so. He closed his book carefully, too tired to add a book mark, and set it down beside him as he curled up.
3:30 am
Remus was half conscious, when his thoughts dastardly began to play on his mind. Sirius wouldn't have got in any danger, would he? And James too, where was he? They'd be safe together, right?
'But what if,' his conscious aggravated him, 'what if they are working together – against Severus, perhaps it should be he, you are worrying about.'
4 'o' clock
Remus was afraid to sleep. How could he forgive himself if something happened and he hadn't stayed awake to prevent it?
4:20 am
It was harder for him to stay awake – he got to sleep easier on nights when it was the full moon, and that was saying something.
4:30 am
Remus was asleep once more; heavier than before. Within his sleep, he had somehow managed to pull Sirius' cover around him, so he was more or less inside the bed. The soft, warm scent of Sirius warmed him; helping him to sleep.
7 'o' clock
"Remus?" Peter called as he stood, looking at Remus' empty bed.
In Sirius' bed, Remus turned; his eyes sore from lack of sleep, as pain coursed through his body; a nightmare – shaken him awake.
"Sirius, where'd Rem go?" Peter said, mistaking Remus' movement to be that of Sirius.
"Did Sirius come back?" Remus asked; his voice croaky.
"What are you doing in his bed?" Peter asked, surprised.
"Sleeping," Remus asked – he wasn't aiming to be sarcastic; just far too tired to think of a reasonable response.
"Did you stay there all night?" Peter asked him; his tone seemingly amused.
"Did he return?" Remus repeated, ignoring Peter's question.
"Clearly not. James did, though," Peter said with a nod to the doorway to where James sat; after apparently falling asleep as he fastened his shoes...
"Oi," Remus said – not his usual self after such an atrocious night.
"Wh-what?" James said, startled as he awoke in a panic, "Is it all set, Sirius?" he asked, distorted.
"Not yet," Sirius voice came from nearby, and Remus opened the door to reveal Sirius.
"Where have you been, all night?" Remus asked softly; taking note of the fact that Sirius appeared to have had as little – if not less sleep, than Remus had had himself.
"Waiting for this one to return," Sirius said, softly tapping James' foot.
"I...uh...fell asleep," James replied; flushing.
Sirius rolled his eyes, "It needs to be re-" he stopped, looking around the room and seeing his covers crumpled.
"What?" the others asked, seeing Sirius' distraction.
"I swear, Peter, if you have been in my bed, I will c-"
"It was Remus," Peter interjected, afraid.
Remus flushed.
Sirius also flushed, and held back his apology in true Black spirit.
"Okay," he said with a secretive smile in Remus' direction, who returned it, despite his tiredness.
"You haven't slept, then?" Remus asked him.
Sirius shook his head, "Neither have you," he pointed out.
"Point," Remus replied, "I was..."
"Reading?" Sirius answered, taking note of the book on his bedside table, "Because you certainly wouldn't find me putting the Sonja and Lucian chronicles anywhere near my bed – unless it was a Christmas present for you," he added as an afterthought.
"Yeah," Remus answered with a soft chuckle, "But I fell asleep – sort of – worrying about your wear-a-bouts."
It was then that Remus and Sirius recalled the presence of the other two boys.
"Breakfast, then?" Peter asked; the only one foolish enough to break the romantic silence.
"Sure," James responded, picking himself up off the floor with the aid of Peter's unprepared arm.
"Come on g-" Peter began.
"No, you and I will go and wait downstairs," James replied with a pointed look at Peter, and tugged on the arm he had not yet released.
"Oh, I see," Peter answered, "See you soon," he added to the others as they rolled their eyes, before turning their attention back to one another as James and Peter vacated the premises.
"You'll find out what I was doing, soon," Sirius said to Remus; each of them avoiding one another's gaze, as he anticipated the question.
"Okay then," Remus said; his night-time excitement returning slightly. Eliminating a small amount of his fatigue.
"I am sorry for leaving you in the lurch, though," Sirius said to Remus, finally looking at him.
"Don't worry," Remus said with a small smile, overcome with relief.
"I'll make it up to you – it would have been ready today, but we cou-"
Remus cut off whatever Sirius was saying, by planting a small kiss on his lips.
"Breakfast," he said, taking Sirius' hand, "And then sleep."
Sensing resignation, Sirius nodded, and laced his fingers through Remus'.
A distant part of Remus' mind realised that he wouldn't be able to enjoy the affections of both boys forever, and that the time for him to choose, was coming thick and fast.
