DISCLAIMER: Don't own, don't sue.

A/N: I'm so sorry this chapter has taken so horribly long! I hope the content makes up for the long wait. Only a few more chapters to go! Thank you so much to all my readers, old and new! Enjoy!

WARNING: Oh lovely, lovely smut! This may actually be the most daring smut I've ever written, in fact. O.O!

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Ch 21.
The Compromises of a Werewolf

"Sirius?" Remus said quietly as he entered the room he shared with his lover. He looked around and saw Sirius sitting on the bed, his arms crossed and his back against the headboard.

Sirius sniffed as a response to Remus. He was fuming and throwing a fit as usual, Remus would say. Remus was going to leave him again, after he had promised he wouldn't. And the nerve he had, hugging Tonks so close, crying on her shoulder when it should be his shoulder that Remus cried on. Maybe he was just being childish and immature, but damn it, he had been through enough hell in his life! He was entitled to a little bit of selfishness for his troubles, right?

Remus sat down beside Sirius on the bed and sighed, frowning at the angry expression on Sirius' face. "Talk to me, Padfoot…" he said quietly, placing a hand gently on Sirius' leg.

Sirius yanked his leg out of Remus' reach. "You promised me, Remus," Sirius said in an angry and hurt tone. He wasn't looking at the werewolf, but staring at the wall opposite him instead.

Remus shook his head exasperatedly. "You're being ridiculous about this, Sirius. This isn't a dangerous mission, it's a job; a job helping a little girl who was bitten by a werewolf because I didn't do what I was supposed to. Don't you see why I need to do? It's my fault she's going through all of this and I have the opportunity to make up for my mistakes, at least a little bit," he explained, his voice a bit shaky near the end. He still felt guilty about the whole thing; it was essentially his fault in the end.

Sirius' angry mood slipped as he saw how guilt ridden Remus was. He uncrossed his arms and scooted forward, pulling the werewolf into his arms. "It's not your fault, Remus. You did everything you could. If you hadn't have told Dumbledore about the plan when you did, there would have been many other children hurt or killed. I'm sorry…I just don't like being left here alone and I want you to be here with me. But…If you really want to tutor this girl, do it. Don't let me stop you, Remus, I'm being selfish," Sirius said as he held his lover close.

Remus frowned as he cuddled close to Sirius, wishing he was still small and able to fight in Sirius' arms the way he used to be able to do at Hogwarts; now he was at least a foot and a half taller than the man. "I'm still thinking about it, Padfoot, but I really think I should…I'll sleep on it, eh? Let's just forget about it for now," Remus suggested as he snuggled closer to Sirius.

"Yeah, alright…" Sirius muttered as he frowned into the werewolf's hair, trying hard not to think about spending his days alone once more…

"I think I have a plan for Halloween, Mr. Prongs. Would you like to hear it?" Sirius said with a devilish smirk as he reached across the Gryffindor table for a plate of bacon.

James quirked up instantly, intent on hearing this plan from Sirius. "Oh, really? And what do you have in mind, Padfoot?" James asked curiously as he buttered his toast.

Sirius shoved a piece of bacon in his mouth as Remus sat down beside him. "Well I was thinking that we could get some of those wet start fireworks and- "

"Sirius, that owl is for you," Remus said as an owl landed next to the butter dish and stuck his foot out.

Sirius frowned and pulled the scroll out of the leather thong, jumping slightly as the owl immediately took off once more. He unrolled the scroll and scowled as he recognized his mother's handwriting. He turned instinctively towards the Slytherin table where Regulus was opening a similar scroll. He turned back to his own letter and began to read.

'Sirius,

Your father has been very ill for some time now. You would have known this if you would have stayed a part of our family. Regulus has been worried terribly about him the entire time like a proper son should be.

Your father died last night in his sleep. There will be a funeral tomorrow – you and Regulus already have permission to attend.

I hope you've learned something from this. Help your brother through this; you know how weak his is.

Walburga Black'

Sirius' bottom lip trembled as he lowered the scroll, crushing it in his fist. He closed his eyes as he heard the shocked exclamation and wail of despair from the Slytherin side of the Great Hall. He couldn't bear to open his eyes and see his friends confused and worried faces, or to turn and see Regulus' heartbroken expression.

"Sirius…? What's happened? Regulus is walking over here and he looks a mess," Remus said quietly as he squeezed Sirius' hand in his own under the table.

Sirius opened his eyes and looked up to see Regulus, tears streaming down his cheeks and looking distraught.

"Dad's dead…"

Sirius let out a shaky breath as he tried to hold back the tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. "I know…I'm sorry, Reg," Sirius whispered to his little brother.

Regulus sniffled and wiped the tears haphazardly from his cheeks. "He was your father too, Sirius, even if you didn't want him to be. We need to go pack; Mum said we're leaving tonight."

Sirius bit his lip as he turned to Remus, who looked shocked and sympathetic. "I…I don't know if I- "

Remus shook his head and squeezed Sirius' hand again. "No, Sirius, you need to go. You'll be fine, yeah? Go to your family…" Remus said quietly, wanting very much to just touch Sirius' face, but unable to do so in public.

"I want you there with me, Rem. I don't think I can do it without you…" Sirius muttered, blushing lightly under the gaze of his brother.

Regulus sniffed and let out a frustrated huff. "You can bring your sodding boyfriend, Sirius; do whatever the hell you want. Just be there…" Regulus turned and stomped out of the Great Hall, many eyes following him curiously as whispers broke out.

Remus blushed as the people around them who had heard turned to stare at them and whisper. Well, their cover was successfully blown. "Are you sure you want me to go? I don't want to cause trouble…" Remus asked tentatively. He wasn't sure how well he would be received by the Black family as their heir's gay werewolf lover.

Sirius nodded as he subconsciously scooted closer to his boyfriend, ignoring all the stares and whispers. "I'm sure, Remus. I think maybe I should go talk to Regulus, make sure he's ok," Sirius said with a deep frown.

Remus nodded and leaned in, kissing Sirius gently on the lips. The few cat calls and wolf whistles that followed made him blush even deeper, but he only had eyes for Sirius. "Ok, go on. I'll go talk to Dumbledore about accompanying you after breakfast is over."

Sirius smiled sadly at Remus and kissed him once more before getting up and walking quickly out of the Hall. It didn't take him very long to find Regulus, who was sitting at the bottom of the spiral staircase with his head in his hands. "Reg, are you alright?" Sirius asked quietly as he crouched down in front of his brother.

Regulus gave a mighty sniff and wiped his eyes as he looked up at Sirius. "I just wanted to say goodbye, Siri…I didn't get to say goodbye…" he choked, fresh tears sliding down his cheeks.

Sirius felt his heart ache and leaned forward, pulling Regulus into the first hug they'd shared since they were little. "I know, Reg…It's ok…" he whispered as he let his brother sob into his shoulder. He rubbed the smaller boy's back soothingly, letting a few tears of his own trickle down his cheeks.

That night he, Regulus, and Remus all traveled by floo to the Black Mansion in London. His mother had begrudgingly allowed Remus to accompany Sirius after much persuading from Dumbledore. His skin crawled as he gave the password to enter his room – "Slytherin sucks!" – and led Remus in.

"I hate this place…I never wanted to come back here," Sirius snapped as he plopped down on his abandoned bed. He smirked at all the pictures and posters that still clung to his walls; permanent sticking charms were wonderful things.

Remus sunk down onto the bed beside Sirius, smiling lightly at the extremely Gryffindor surroundings in a house that clearly screamed Slytherin. "We'll only be here one night, and then we're back at Hogwarts tomorrow night. You'll be fine, Sirius. Let's just sleep, ok?" Remus said as he wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's waist and pulled him close.

Sirius leaned over and kissed Remus gently on the lips, running a hand through the werewolf's golden locks as he deepened the kiss with his tongue. He slowly pushed Remus down onto the bed and crawled carefully on top of him. "I have a better idea in mind…"

"Clearly..." Remus breathed against Sirius' lips as he pulled the Animagus close to him, his semi-hard erection pushing lightly against Sirius' leg. "Should we be doing this here?" Remus asked as Sirius began to kiss his neck.

Sirius sat up long enough to pull his shirt off and coax Remus out of his own, gasping as the warm flesh of their chests touched. "Here's as good a place as any. Plus, I want to leave my bed with a parting gift," Sirius chuckled as he licked the curve of Remus' collar bone.

Remus bit his lip as he laughed at Sirius' reasoning. He ran his hands down the curve of the Animagus' spine, loving how his skin broke out in goose-bumps. "Put the wards up at least, Padfoot…" Remus muttered as Sirius moved further and further down his chest with soft kisses.

Sirius pulled away long enough to twirl his wand and mutter a few spells, then turned back to his boyfriend. He yanked the button open and pulled the zipper down on Remus' pants, impatiently tugging them off of the werewolf. He smirked at the large bulge in Remus' boxers as he rubbed the tender skin of his lover's thighs teasingly.

Remus squirmed as Sirius teased him, pushing his hips up to show his need. "Please, Sirius…" he whimpered, his whole body trembling as Sirius dipped his tongue to trace his navel.

Sirius looked up at Remus, his smirk becoming even more devilish as he saw how hot and bothered the werewolf was. He left a love bite on Remus' abs before sliding the silky red material of his boxers down his lover's hips. "Please what, Moony? Manners get you nowhere without a proper request," Sirius said silkily before blowing lightly on Remus' pulsing cock.

Remus bite his lip as a groan escaped him, his hips jerking up towards Sirius' smirking mouth. "Please stop teasing me and just fucking do it already!" Remus pleaded as his chest heaved with heavy pants.

Sirius felt his cock twitch at the raw sound of Remus' plea. He was feeling particularly kinky for some reason, and was enjoying this torture a little too much. "Mmm, I love it when you talk dirty, Moony." Sirius grasped his lover's cock and gave it a few strokes before leaning down and taking almost the whole length into his mouth. He flicked his tongue across the tip of Remus' cock, tasting the salty pre-cum that leaked from it.

Remus let out a long moan and his pushed his hips up to meet Sirius' warm mouth, clutching onto the bed sheets for support. He bit down so hard on his lip he started to taste blood. "Fuck…Sirius…" he panted, encouraging Sirius to speed up.

Sirius moved his hand on the base of Remus' cock in rhythm with his lips, sliding his tongue up and down the sensitive underside. He let Remus thrust into his mouth, taking him as far in as he could without upsetting his gag reflex. He felt Remus tense and let out a loud groan, his hands wove into Sirius' hair, and kept sucking, swallowing all of his lover's seed. Sirius pulled away and moved up on the bed, placing a gentle kiss on Remus' lips, his own erection pulsing almost painfully in the confine of his pants. "Think this is what we should be doing now?" Sirius asked teasingly as he traced the scars across Remus' chest with his fingers.

Remus chuckled and licked his lips, tasting his own tangy flavor there after Sirius' kiss. He felt himself getting hard once more as he saw the well-endowed tent in Sirius' trousers, aching to feel his lover inside him. "I'm positive; now fuck me," Remus said huskily as he pulled Sirius down and kissed him hard on the mouth. Using his extra allotted strength, he rolled Sirius over and straddled the Animagus' hips, grounding himself against Sirius' erection. Remus hastily undid Sirius' pants and pulled them as well as his boxers off, throwing them to the side to join all of the other abandoned clothing. He leaned down and kissed Sirius passionately, feeling a little more confident and wildly aroused than normal.

Sirius couldn't believe how bloody sexy Remus was when being aggressive. He felt a tingle run through his body as his hairs stood up, trembling lightly underneath the werewolf. "Mmm…Moony, I like this side of you," Sirius muttered against Remus lips, pushing his hips up to meet his lovers'.

Remus moved down to suck and nibble on Sirius' neck, his bites a bit more sharp than was usual. He groaned as Sirius' cock rubbed against his own, making him writhe against the raven haired teen. Remus grabbed his wand off of the sheets next to Sirius' head and performed the lubricating spell on Sirius and himself before grasping his lover's cock firmly and stroking it a few times. "I think I like it, too." Remus lifted himself up and placed Sirius' cock at his entrance, lowering himself slowly and gently onto the burning flesh. He moaned loudly as he was filled completely by the Animagus.

Sirius bit his lip and groaned loudly as Remus lowered himself onto his cock. This was definitely something new, and Sirius loved it so far. He'd never experienced Remus as a dominate bottom, but he sure wanted to experience it a lot more now. He placed his hands on Remus' hips, breathing heavily as the werewolf started to slide up and down, riding him slowly at first, then speeding up as that special spot was found and hit over and over again. Sirius could feel his climax building fast, though he never wanted this to stop. He began to thrust up to meet Remus, resulting in a loud moan from his lover that almost sent him over the edge. "Holy shit, Remus!"

Remus leaned over and attacked Sirius' mouth with his own, teeth clashing and tongues wrestling in a sloppy kiss as they thrust against each other. He gasped as Sirius grabbed his cock and began stroking it along in the fast rhythm they had created with their hips. He let out a loud, animalistic growl as he came spectacularly on Sirius' hand and stomach.

Sirius followed not long after, pounding himself into Remus as he reached his climax deep within his lover. Sirius caught Remus as he collapsed against his chest, both breathing as though they had just run a marathon and so limp it seemed like their bones had liquefied. "Fucking…hell…That was amazing," Sirius breathed against Remus' neck as his heart rate started to slow down.

Remus nodded lazily and snuggled against Sirius. "That was the best shag of my life…" Remus muttered against Sirius' sweaty flesh. He'd never been one for dominance when it came to sex, but after that, he was seriously reconsidering. "We should take a shower then get some sleep. We have to be up early for the fu – er…We have to be up early," Remus said, trying not to ruin the sated mood.

Sirius felt a slight twinge in his stomach as he remembered again where he was and why he was there. He's never been particularly close to his father, but he still felt a big sense of loss as he realized he would never see his father again; under any circumstances. He let out a heavy sigh and kissed the top of Remus' head. "Yeah…Let's take a shower."

Remus got up off of Sirius and used his wand to do a semi-clean up job before helping his lover up and pulling him close for a kiss. He brushed a lock of hair out of Sirius' saddened eyes and frowned at the Animagus, feeling horrible for his boyfriend's loss. "Are you all right, Sirius?" he asked quietly, gently caressing Sirius' cheek.

Sirius gulped down the knot in his throat, unable to make eye contact with Remus. The fact was he wasn't all right, and he didn't think he could hide it anymore. He shook his head very slowly, cursing the tears that stung at his eyes and began to spill over onto his cheeks. He turned his gray eyes towards Remus' blazing gold ones and saw sympathy, love, and care shining through. His bottom lip trembled as he let out a slow breath, the tears sliding down his cheeks and falling on his chest. "No…I'm not."

Remus kissed Sirius on the forehead before pulling his boyfriend close and wrapping his arms tightly around him. He caressed the warm flesh of Sirius' back and nuzzled his neck as Sirius cried into his shoulder. "It's ok, love…I'm here. I love you, Sirius…" Remus whispered to the Animagus.

Sirius let loose all the pent up tears of frustration at not being told that his father was ill, of anger at his mother for treating it as though it was some sort of punishment to him, of sadness for the loss of his father, and of sheer exhaustion and grief. He clung tightly to Remus as his body shook with sobs. It was going to be a long night…

"…and may his soul rest amongst the spirits of the many pure wizards who have gone before him."

Remus tightened his grip on Sirius' hand as the two men standing beside the casket began to lower it slowly into the freshly dug earth – using their wands of course. He was worried about Sirius' stony silence throughout the funeral, a bit surprised that he had yet to shed a tear since the night previous. He didn't even know the man, and yet he still felt immensely saddened by his death. Sympathy, some would call it – but Remus knew what it was like to lose a parent.

Sirius was staring across the casket at his mother, who was enveloped in Regulus' arms, sobbing into a handkerchief and draped in elaborate black lace. She looked the image of a mourning widow as she clung tightly to her son's robes. Sirius was smarter than that however; he knew his mother wasn't mourning the loss of her husband, but celebrating her new freedom. The Black family fortune belonged solely to her now, at least until she snuffed it too – then it would be his.

"…Sirius? Are you alright? It's over, we're going back for the reception at your house now- "

"No, we're not. I have no desire to be surrounded by members of my family for another bloody second, Remus. I want to go back to Hogwarts; I did my job, paid my respects. I'm done," Sirius said firmly as he frowned at his boyfriend.

Remus frowned back, a look of sadness overtaking his features as he struggled with himself not to try to dissuade Sirius. "Whatever you want, Sirius. But we still need to get our things from your house if we're going back to school. And perhaps you should let your mother know that we're leaving."

Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out two tiny, palm sized replicas of wooden Hogwarts trunks. "No need, I came prepared. She won't give a shite about me leaving. Let's just apparate to Hogsmeade and walk up to the school, ok?"

Remus was torn between exasperation at the Animagus' resourcefulness and deep sadness for the obvious discomfort his lover was experiencing. He had no right to force Sirius to face his family, and in all truthfulness, he had no desire to. "Ok. Let's at least tell Regulus so he can tell your mother if she asks, alright? Just Regulus," Remus pleaded as he gripped Sirius' arm in a comforting gesture.

Sirius let out a frustrated sigh and frowned at the werewolf, but nodded eventually. "Ok, just Regulus. I'll go find him, stay here." Sirius moved away into the crowd of mourning witches and wizards, looking for the slightly shorter, slightly darker version of himself that was his younger brother. He spotted the younger boy trying to peel himself away from a sobbing cousin. "Reg, come here. I need a word," Sirius said forcefully as he pried the distraught cousin away and began to drag Regulus along with him.

Regulus allowed himself to be drug away from the ridiculously sobbing girl and scowled slightly at his brother. "What is it? I need to find mum and help her apparate home, she can't do it alone," Regulus snapped as he glanced around for his mother.

Sirius frowned at his little brother and shook his head. "You're only fifteen, you don't have a license yet."

Regulus snorted and raised an eyebrow at Sirius. "Since when did you give a fuck about breaking the law? You've been apparating without a license since you were twelve. If you're so damn concerned you can side-along with mum," Regulus said in an annoyed voice.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I have a license now, little bro. I turned seventeen months ago. Anyways, you'll have to break the law to get dear old mother home; I'm going back to Hogwarts with Remus."

Regulus scoffed. "Now? You can't! I can't handle all these damn people by myself, Sirius! You know mum is just going to blubber around the house the whole time, and it's your responsibility to be the host as the eldest son!" he argued, poking Sirius roughly in the chest as if it was all his fault that Regulus was not the eldest instead.

Sirius smacked Regulus' hand away and glared at the shorter boy. "I seem to remember the last thing father ever said to me being something like 'You're no son of mine. Get out of my house and never darken my family's doorstep again.' So, Regulus, you're not only the eldest son, you're the only son. I'm leaving; tell mother I wish her many days and nights of tears." Sirius turned away from his brother and walked quickly back over to Remus, who was frowning deeply at him.

"Are you sure you want to go ba- "

"I'm sure, Remus! Let's go, now." Sirius took hold of Remus' hand and turned on the spot, sending his brother one last contemptuous look before the feeling of being sucked through a tight tube consumed them completely.

Remus was sitting on the ledge of the window, wearing nothing but pajama bottoms and holding a half smoked cigarette next to the cracked opening. The wind that blew in was icy and stung his bare skin, but he didn't mind; he liked the cold. The soft white snowflakes falling from the sky skirted the dead and barren yard down below and made the run-down neighborhood look like a pleasant winter wonderland; it was anything but. Remus put the cigarette to his lips and took a long drag, watching the flame burn bright then dim once more as he flick the ashes off and blew the smoke out slowly through his nose.

"Mmm, you're sexy when you're half naked and smoking. But since when did you smoke?" Sirius whispered in Remus' ear as he rested his chin on the werewolf's shoulder and hugged him from behind.

Remus jumped slightly, as he hadn't heard Sirius get up or walk over at all. He took the last drag of his cigarette then snubbed it out on the edge of the window and tossed the butt down to the icy sea of snow below. "Christ, Sirius…You scared me. I don't usually smoke, but I had the strongest craving for one after I read this," Remus said dryly as he held up a slightly crumbled scroll of parchment.

Sirius took the parchment and smoothed it out to read it. His eyes narrowed as he scanned down the paper and his scowl increased as he reached the end. "'A more suitable teacher'? Who's more suitable than you!? You're a bloody genius and a werewolf, just like their daughter! This is rubbish; you should confront Dumbledore about it right away. Without you, this girl has no chance of making it into second year," Sirius said firmly as he handed the re-crumpled letter back to his lover.

Remus looked surprised as he took the letter back and threw it unceremoniously on the ledge in front of him. "You seem so passionate about it, Padfoot. Wasn't it you who threw a fit and made me feel like shit for wanting to take the job in the first place?" Remus said shortly with an intense gaze.

Sirius frowned and sat down on the ledge across from Remus. "Yeah, well…I was wrong, alright? This girl has as much right to go to school as anyone else and she needs your help to do it. I was being selfish, Remus, and I'm sorry," Sirius said quietly as he pulled his knees up to his chest.

Remus sighed and shook his head slowly before leaning forward and kissing Sirius gently on the lips. "You're forgiven. No need to fret anymore, though. I just hope she gets in, no matter who teaches her. Have you heard back from Harry yet about coming to stay for Christmas?" Remus asked, trying to change the subject, as it made him want to smoke more.

Sirius looked sheepish as he shook his head. "Well, no…But that's because I haven't asked him yet," Sirius admitted as he picked up the pack of smokes by the window and took one for himself. He used the tip of his wand to light it before taking a long drag and blowing out perfectly round smoke rings.

Remus raised an eyebrow at the Animagus as he flapped his hands around to move the smoke away from himself. "Why not? You told me last week that you were going to ask him."

Sirius squirmed a bit and blew out some smoke, away from Remus this time. "Well I wanted to, but…what if he doesn't, you know…want to?" Sirius said slowly as though he was picking his words carefully.

Remus looked even more confused now as he took the cigarette from Sirius and took a drag before handing it back. "Why wouldn't he, Sirius?" he asked curiously.

Sirius sighed heavily as he put out the cigarette the same way Remus had and tossed the butt out. "Maybe he wouldn't want to stay here because of…well because of – us," Sirius said quietly as he avoided Remus' gaze and looked out at the steadily falling snow instead.

Remus cocked his head to the side like a curious dog and poked Sirius gently on the arm. "Do you think he's uncomfortable with us being lovers?" he asked knowingly as a small smile was forming at the corners of his mouth.

Sirius frowned even deeper as he caught sight of Remus' expression. "Is it such a ridiculous fear, Rem? Just because some people accept our life style doesn't mean everyone will. Maybe Harry was just putting up with it until he could get away from us. Maybe he really hates us for it…hates me," Sirius croaked, trying to hide his surge of emotion by conspicuously rubbing the wetness from his eyes.

"Oh Padfoot, you silly mutt. I guarantee you that Harry had figured us out long before you told him. He's James' and Lily's son, Sirius! He's very intelligent, and we weren't exactly shy during our original reunion. I could see it in their faces; all three of those children knew that was more than a friendly hug we shared in the Shrieking Shack. I know from experience with being Harry's teacher that he's is generally very straight forward, just like Lily was. If he had a problem with us being lovers, he would have told us. I'm sure he would like nothing more than to spend Christmas here with us instead of alone at school like he normally does. In fact, the whole Weasley family might even spend Christmas here!" Remus assured the Animagus with a wide smile and a nudge of his leg.

Sirius sighed as he thought it all over. It would make sense that the Weasley's might stay at Headquarters for Christmas instead of the Burrow; they had stayed for the summer holidays after all. Harry had seemed very happy when Sirius had spilled the beans about his relationship with Remus, and had even admitted that he had already suspected. Sirius suddenly realized that his fears were unfounded and downright stupid; Harry belonged with them for Christmas. Sirius stood up quickly and walked over to the desk beside their bed. "I'm going to write to Harry now and ask him to come for Christmas," he said excitedly as he dipped a quill in ink and started scratching away at a piece of parchment.

Remus beamed as he watched Sirius write, feeling his spirits rise for the first time since reading that letter…The letter he had written himself and purposely showed Sirius as an excuse not to leave him alone ever again.

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A/N: I hope that was worth the wait! Please review and let me know if it was worth it or not! THANKS!