"How's he holding up?" Lily asked gently.

"About as well as you would expect," Remus sighed. "He's angry at Regulus for not coming to speak to him sooner, guilty about not feeling more upset about his mum...he thinks there's something wrong with him."

Remus sat cross-legged in front of the fire talking to Lily and James via firecall. Sirius had gone out for a walk to 'clear his head' and Remus took the opportunity to get their friends up to speed with what had happened the previous day. Lily had expressed her condolences and asked Remus to pass them on to Sirius, whereas James had been understandably less sorry to hear of the demise of Walburga Black.

"He's got nothing to feel guilty about!" James argued firmly. "His mother was an evil old hag, she doesn't deserve his tears or grief."

"James…" Lily scolded him gently but James persevered.

"Tell me I'm wrong, Remus. I remember all too well what it was like for Sirius during our school days," he muttered darkly. "His mum and dad both were evil. I'm sorrier that Sirius is suffering than that they're dead."

"As am I," Remus nodded solemnly. "But at the end of the day, she was still his mother. His head is all over the place at the moment. I think he's just going to need some time to process his feelings."

"Are you sure you don't want us to come over?" Lily implored. "Maybe seeing Harry will cheer him up?"

"Or we can ask Molly to watch him overnight if he'd rather it just be us," James offered but Remus declined.

"I think it's better just to leave him be for the moment. He'll put on big smiles and act the host if you come to visit," Remus explained.

"Okay," James sighed. "If you need us, please just give us a call. We'll be here at the cottage just in case."

Remus smiled sadly at them both. "Thank you. I'll be in touch if we need anything."

"Give Sirius our love," said Lily. Remus waved them off, watching as the emerald green flames flared and immediately extinguished, leaving the grate cold and empty. He sighed and slowly got to his feet, brushing ash from his trousers. He'd called Peter earlier in the morning and his reaction had been similar to James': more concerned for the well-being of his friend than sorry to hear what had happened. It was times like these that he felt fortunate to have the Marauders in his life; even if he didn't see James and Peter as often as he'd like to, they were always there for him and Sirius whenever they needed them. Which was more than could be said for Sirius' brother…

Remus stared out of the living room window, anxiety eating away at his nerves. It was snowing heavily now and there was still no sign of Sirius. He'd been gone for a couple of hours now and if he wasn't back home soon, Remus resolved to go and look for him. He hoped that he hadn't gone out, on the pretence of a walk, to see Regulus instead; he didn't think that would end well for either of them.

Just as Remus had decided to go out looking for Sirius, he saw a dark speck appear amongst the flurry of white blowing past the window atop the distant hill, gradually growing larger with each step. Remus let out a long sigh of relief. Well, wherever he'd gone, at least he'd come back in one piece.

When the door creaked open, Sirius kicked the snow off of his boots and brushed it out of his hair before slipping off his cloak. Remus stepped forward and took Sirius' cloak from him.

"Hey," said Remus gently, hanging it up on the coat stand. "How was your walk?"

Sirius shrugged. "Cold."

"You want a tea?" Remus offered. Sirius gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks."

Remus spent a few minutes prepping tea for himself and Sirius, wondering how he was going to broach the sensitive subject of his mother's funeral. He hated the thought of upsetting Sirius more than he already was, but knew that he had to ask what he planned on doing. When he reentered the living room he found Sirius staring blankly into the fireplace looking miserable. Remus handed him his cup and sat down on the couch next to him.

"Did your walk help?" asked Remus.

"Hmm?"

"Did your walk help?" he asked again. "You said you were going out to clear your head."

"Oh. Yes, I suppose it did," said Sirius, taking a sip from his tea. Remus took a protracted drink from his own cup before speaking again.

"So…" he said slowly. "The funeral."

"What about it?" asked Sirius stiffly.

"Do you know if Andromeda and Alphard are going?" he asked carefully.

"I popped over to Alphard's while I was out. He's going, but Andromeda isn't," he explained, staring into his cup. "And before you ask, I won't be going either."

"Right." Remus nodded. Well, that answered that question. "Still no word from Reg?"

"No."

The disappointment in Sirius' voice was palpable and it made Remus' heart ache for him. He didn't know what the hell Regulus was playing at, but he was having a hard time resisting visiting him through the floo network and finding out for himself. He looked up at Sirius and wished that he could take away his pain, but he didn't know how. Sirius always knew how to cheer Remus up when he was sad; he always knew how to distract him from his own intrusive thoughts.

A distraction , he thought to himself. Yes, that's what Sirius sorely needed.

"Right," said Remus heartily, slapping Sirius on the knee and rising to his feet. "I think it's about time we got ready."

Sirius frowned at him, "Ready? For what?"

"Dinner," Remus explained. "I'm taking you out. My treat."

"I'm not hungry," Sirius mumbled, staring into his mug again. Remus shrugged.

"Suit yourself," he said lightly. "I for one am going out for dinner, to the Savoy…"

Sirius looked up sharply at Remus then. "The Savoy?"

Remus nodded, a slight smile teasing the corners of his lips, "Suddenly found your appetite, Padfoot?"

"Maybe…" he replied slowly.

Remus held his hand out to Sirius. "Come on, then. We'll get dressed up in our Sunday best, eat and drink what we can't afford, and enjoy it immensely. What do you say?"

Sirius looked at the proffered hand for a moment before nodding and taking it into his own. Pulling himself to his feet, he smirked at Remus.

"When you say your Sunday best…" he began, but Remus cut in.

"You can dress up as Cindy if you like, but you'll have to keep your knickers on," Remus warned him lightly. "This is a classy establishment we're going to."

Sirius pouted, "In that case, I'll just go as myself this evening."

"I'd like that," Remus smiled. "You make for pleasant company, whether or not you're in a dress."

"You love me in a dress," said Sirius giving him a sultry wink. Remus chuckled and patted him the bum.

"You know I do," he agreed. "Let's get ready, I'm starving…"

Within the hour, Remus and Sirius were sat at the swankiest restaurant in London, arguably the whole country. Usually, they would have to book well in advance to get a seat, but a subtly used Confundus Charm made that unnecessary. Remus looked around their luxurious surroundings, admiring the highly decorated coffered ceiling and the dark wood panelling that covered the walls. A grand piano sat in the corner of the room playing soft music as London's elite sat at their dinner, speaking quietly amongst themselves and seemingly unaware of the excessive grandeur that surrounded them. It was a far cry from what he and Sirius were used to, although Sirius looked like he fitted in better here than Remus did. He looked great in his charcoal grey suit and a deep purple shirt, with his long black hair swept back, lounging in his chair like he was sitting on the couch at home. Remus couldn't help but feel a little underdressed next to him in his navy blue suit and brogues. They'd bought their suits at the same high street shop but Sirius always managed to make everything he wore look more expensive by comparison. Despite his reservations, Sirius had assured him he was a 'hot totty'; he supposed so long as Sirius liked how he looked it didn't matter what other people thought of his appearance.

"It's been a while since we were last here," Sirius noted, glancing up at Remus from his menu.

"Your birthday last year," Remus nodded, taking a sip from his glass of red wine. "That was a fun night."

"Oh, it certainly was," said Sirius silkily, a mischievous glint in his eye. "The meal was nice, but I thought the dessert was more memorable."

Remus chuckled, "Oh yes, sneaking into one of the function rooms for a quickie was definitely the highlight of the evening. It was a nice room too, with all the frescoes on the walls. What was the room called again?"

"Gondoliers," said Sirius, smiling fondly. "You fancy checking it out again after dinner?"

Remus smiled and pulled one of the sex cheques out of his breast pocket and slid it across the table to Sirius. He picked it up and grinned broadly as he read, 'This voucher is valid for one tryst in a public place'.

"Was this why you wanted to take me out tonight?" he asked, slipping the cheque into his trouser pocket.

"Not the only reason," he admitted. "I thought coming here would cheer you up. I just figured since we were here and if you were in the mood…"

"I'm always in the mood," said Sirius sensually.

"Gentlemen, are you ready to order?"

A polite voice interrupted their immoral plan-making as a well-dressed waiter appeared by their table, ready to take their order. Sirius lifted his menu and pointed out what he wanted.

"I'll have the seared wood pigeon breast with wild mushrooms for starters, and the lamb shank as the main, thank you."

The waiter nodded approvingly, "And for dessert?"

"We're still deciding that," he grinned, winking licentiously at Remus. Remus suppressed a smirk and opened his own menu.

"I'll have the…" he paused mid-sentence as he felt Sirius' foot slowly drift up the inside of his leg towards his crotch. He glanced up from his menu to his boyfriend who looked innocently back at him. Teasing bastard , he thought.

"Sir?"

Remus' head snapped towards the waiter, who stood waiting patiently for his order. He cleared his throat and tried to speak again, his voice a little strained as Sirius brushed against the growing bulge in his trousers with his toes.

"I'll uh— ahem, 'scuse me...I'll have the smoked haddock to start, and the—" Remus had to bite the inside of his cheek to stifle a groan as Sirius' foot caressed his erection. His speech stalled and a devilish grin spread across Sirius' face as the pleasure in his groin intensified and spread.

"And for your main, sir?" the waiter pressed.

"Steak," he replied hoarsely. "Blue."

"Very good, sir!" the waiter replied brusquely, snatching the menu from Remus' weak grip. As soon as the waiter was out of earshot Remus let out an audible groan and grabbed Sirius' foot, which was still firmly planted between his legs.

"You're a bad boy, Siri," he said quietly. Sirius' grin broadened.

"Are you going to punish me?" he asked in a low sensual voice, then squealed loudly as Remus tickled the bottom of his foot. A few heads turned in the direction of their table as Sirius laughed and squirmed in his seat. He pulled his foot free from Remus' grip and glared at him.

"Bastard," he hissed as Remus laughed. "I was being nice to you!"

"You were teasing me," he countered.

"A nice tease, though…" Sirius protested weakly and closed his mouth as the waiter reappeared to refill their wine glasses.

They didn't have to wait long for their first courses to arrive and the two tucked into the nicest meal they'd had in a long time, the chocolate cake from the previous night not included. Once they had finished their mains, they hastily paid for their meal and set out in search of the Gondoliers room.

"Do you remember where it is?" Remus asked, looking down the long corridor outside of the restaurant. Sirius took his hand and pulled him in the direction of the lift.

"Pretty sure it's back down on the ground floor," he said, pushing the button for the lift. After a few seconds the doors slid open and they stepped inside the gold mirrored interior. They were the only ones to enter and there was nobody else inside, and when the doors slid shut again, multiple images of their own reflections stared back at them. The lift shuddered and began its slow descent as they stood side by side, looking shiftily at one another.

"What do you want to do if the Gondoliers room is occupied?" asked Sirius. Remus thought for a moment then leant forward and punched the emergency stop button on the lift. It jerked to a stop and Sirius stumbled a little, looking alarmed. "What you playing at?"

Remus grabbed Sirius' belt buckle and pulled him towards him, a predatory glint in his eye. "I changed my mind about finding the Gondoliers room. I want to do it here…" he slid his hand between Sirius' legs and palmed his growing erection through the thin cotton trousers. He leant forward and pressed his lips to Sirius' ear, "Here you can watch me fuck you from every angle."

Sirius groaned at the thought and pressed their mouths together in a hungry kiss. Remus parted his soft lips and their tongues met, rolling and twisting together as they began pulling off their clothes. It wasn't long before they were naked and Remus pulled back to look at their many reflections in the mirror. He could see the many scars that covered his body, down his arms and legs and the ones down his back that he seldom saw in such sharp relief. Even after all these years, he had moments of self-doubt, especially next to Sirius, whose porcelain skin was unblemished; he was perfection and Remus was damaged, sometimes he felt unworthy of the love of the man before him. But the moment of uncertainty was quickly smothered when he saw the look in Sirius' eyes — he was looking at Remus' reflection, his dark grey eyes trailing along his body with a lustful expression that sent a fluttering sensation across his chest.

"God, you're so fucking sexy," he whispered, pulling Remus in for another kiss, his hands running over the contours of Remus' body, across his marked and scarred skin as though he were something precious to be coveted. Remus kissed back with equal enthusiasm, determined to make this evening their most memorable yet.

He spun Sirius around to face the mirrored wall and Sirius pressed the flat of his palms against the cool metal surface.

"Lean against the wall," Remus instructed him. "Bend forward slightly and spread your feet apart."

"Like you're going to frisk me?" Sirius teased, wiggling his hips. Remus rested his hands on Sirius' hips and nudged his cock at Sirius' entrance and he stilled.

"Exactly," he said quietly. "It'll make doing this a lot easier."

Remus sank to his knees in front of Sirius' arse and spread his cleft open, revealing Sirius' puckered ring. Sirius' legs began to quiver with anticipation and he couldn't help the needy moan that escaped his lips as Remus swiped his hole with the flat of his tongue. He shivered as Remus gently but deliberately blew on the sensitive area, cooling it with his breath before heating it again with his hot, wet tongue, tracing the tip of his tongue around the entrance and pressing in ever so slightly.

"Merlin, I could lick your hole all day," Remus sighed in a low, husky voice and leaned forward again, intermittently kissing and sucking Sirius' hole then running his tongue in a circular motion around the edge until Sirius' breathing got heavier and his arms began to tremble. When Sirius was good and wet, Remus climbed back onto his feet and lined his cock at Sirius' entrance.

"Ready for me to fuck you?" he asked casually, although he was feeling a little light-headed from arousal. Sirius lifted his hips up for Remus.

"Ready."

Remus took a deep breath and pushed his cock into Sirius' slick hole and Sirius let out a low, deep moan. Remus gritted his teeth and groaned, the incredible heat and tightness surrounding his cock almost enough to make him come already, but he took several steadying breaths before he withdrew, almost pulling out entirely before he snapped his hips forward again, knocking out a grunt from Sirius.

"Yesssss, fuck me like that," he whimpered. Remus complied, slowly pulling out before thrusting back in again, each time eliciting a grunt of pleasure from Sirius. The mirrors provided him with a great view of his own dick sliding in and out of Sirius' slick, tight hole. He could watch himself fucking Sirius in a fluid motion and watch the wanton expression on Sirius' face at the same time. He caught sight of his own reflection in the mirror, the muscles in this neck and jaw tense with concentration. There was something kinky about seeing himself get off and it only piqued his arousal as he watched intently while he fucked Sirius closer to orgasm.

"Fuck, Remy, I'm close," Sirius groaned.

Sirius had his head hung low as he panted heavily, moving his hips back to meet Remus' thrusts. Remus wanted to look into Sirius' eyes as he came, so he took a firm grip of Sirius' hair and pulled his head back until their eyes met in the mirrored wall.

"You like watching me fuck you?" asked Remus roughly, still pistoning his hips back and forth. "You like watching yourself get fucked?"

"Y-yes, fuck yes..." Sirius stuttered, his grey eyes growing wide and glazing over as he came, pulsing streaks of come across the mirrored wall. That was enough to push Remus, who had been teetering on the edge of orgasm for so long, over the edge and into sweet oblivion. The scorching tension in his belly snapped and he let out a low hoarse groan as he came, his cock pulsing inside of Sirius' body. He continued to thrust into Sirius, riding the crest of his orgasm until it was too sensitive to continue. His cock slipped out of Sirius' body and he wrapped his arms around Sirius' waist, resting his head on his back as he panted heavily, trying to get his breath back.

"We need to install some mirrors in the bedroom," Sirius suggested breathlessly, still bent over, his head hung low and breathing heavily. Remus huffed out a laugh and kissed Sirius' back.

"I'll see what I can do."

Sirius straightened his back and brushed his hair off of his damp face, still looking a little dazed.

"I like this better than the Gondoliers room."

Remus began pulling his clothes back on. "Yeah, it's not bad. You still want to see if the room's free?"

Sirius pulled up his trousers and barked out a laugh. "Fucking hell, Moony, your sexual appetite is insatiable!"

"It was only to have a look!" Remus protested, slipping his shoes back on. "Happy memories and all that."

"A likely story," said Sirius sarcastically, fixing his tie in the mirror's reflection. He ran his fingers through his hair and gave himself a once over before nodding in satisfaction. Remus smirked and shook his head. Only Sirius could look so composed immediately after being thoroughly shagged. Sirius caught his eye in the mirrored wall and smiled.

"Alright, let's go check it out," he said brightly. He turned and stepped towards Remus, fixing his hair and straightening his tie before smacking a kiss to his lips.

"There, you look great," he said warmly. His hand hovered over the emergency stop button. Giving Remus one last lecherous look-over, Sirius winked as he asked, "Ready?"

Remus straightened his cuffs and nodded with a grin plastered to his face. "Ready."