Final chapter! I've enjoyed writing this so much, and I hope it's been fun to read as well! It'd mean the world if you left a review telling me what you think 3 Love you all!

Sirius and Remus had sat there together, quietly and in the dark, for a long, long time, until finally Sirius took his head off of Remus's shoulder.

Remus could not help but wonder instantly if he had done something wrong. Then he sat straight up. Of course he'd done something wrong. "Shit, Sirius," he said automatically.

"What?" Sirius turned to face him, eyes wide with concern.

"How could I have been so stupid? You know I can't be with you. You know what I am."

"Who you are, Remus, not what," Sirius corrected lightly.

Remus rolled his eyes, not allowing himself to be touched by how Sirius always knew the exact right thing to say, how Sirius loved him unconditionally, how Sirius had never, ever, seen him as a monster. Okay, fine. He was a little touched.

"I can't give you the life you deserve-"

"Listen," Sirius cut in, "I knew you would say this, and I'm sure you have a whole lecture you could give, but I actually prepared a speech of my own, so let's cut to the chase." To Remus's surprise and amusement, Sirius pulled several index cards from the pocket of his robes and strode confidently to the front of the classroom.

"Remus Lupin," he said. "When we were in third year, you told us you were a werewolf. Confessed, more like, seeing as James and I already knew-" he snickered to himself- "but that's besides the point. You were trembling. You thought we'd go to our parents, lobby to get you kicked out of school, but we didn't. We told you we didn't care. And you were so startled. You said, 'Sirius, you idiot, you should care, I'm a danger, I'll never be the friend you deserve.'

"But, Moony, you're so much more than the friend I deserve. And you have been for as long as I've known you. Around no one else do I feel as safe, as comfortable, as understood. When we became Animagi, that wasn't for you so much as our own peace of mind, because we missed you for those days you'd have to spend in the hospital wing after transforming, and we read that animals to hang out with would make you less likely to claw and shred at yourself- and it wasn't a sacrifice, either, don't you dare think that, because being able to turn into a dog is fucking awesome and I'd do it whether or not I knew you.

"I've loved you since before I knew what love was, and my life will be better with you in it than without it- you're just going to have to trust me on that. You're not a fucking burden. You're the most brilliant person I know, and your lycanthropy- that's what I've got written, sorry, it just feels weird to say, I'm gonna go with furry little problem- doesn't do shit to change that. It couldn't, okay?"

Remus could only nod. He could feel hot tears streaming down his face. Sirius came back to sit down next to him, putting his arm around Remus's shaking shoulders. "Point is, Moony, everyone deserves love, and I've been learning how to love you since the first day we met."

"I love you, too," Remus choked out. Then he leaned into this beautiful boy and shook with sobs, everything in front of him that he never, ever dared to imagine he could have.

And then, to his horror, he heard a knock on the door.

"Shit," whispered Sirius. "Get in the cupboard, come on-" the two shut themselves in quickly, Sirius whispering "Muffliato" anxiously.

"I know you twats are in here," said a voice. James, Remus thought, thank god. He cast a quick charm to make it look like he hadn't been crying, stepped out of the cupboard, dragging Sirius out with him.

"Interrupting something?" James asked, eyebrow raised, but he was smiling.

"Quite," said Sirius, with an easy grin. "Evans? What are you doing here?"

Remus wheeled around, seeing the pretty, redheaded witch standing shyly behind James. He felt embarrassed that he hadn't sensed her presence. Were his wolfishly sharp senses going- no, more than likely he just had a lot on his mind.

"Sorry," she said immediately, "it's just-"

"We saw Peter," James cut in, eyes flashing. "And thought we'd better come find you. But I couldn't leave my date, now could I?"

"Date?" asked Remus, grinning.

"Yes, unfortunately," Lily teased, but Remus could tell she was overjoyed about it.

"Congratulations!" he said immediately. "Especially to you, James, you've done pretty well for yourself, huh?"

Lily blushed. "Well, despite what Potter seems to think this really isn't about us. Are you guys okay? Peter told us what he had said-"

"Yeah, that was surprising," said Sirius, "but honestly, it's Pete. I'm not sure if he knows better. We can teach him."

"Yeah," Remus agreed. "He'll have to get used to it." Slowly, deliberately, ignoring the anxiety in his brain, he slid his hand into Sirius's, right in front of James and Lily.

"You two, two?" James asked, eyes practically bugging out of his head. At Sirius's confirmatory nod, he beamed, punching the air. "Yess!"

"Congratulations!" said Lily genuinely, moving in for a hug. James followed suit, and before Remus knew it the four of them were impossibly close, shaking with tears and laughter all at once, because the night had been so infinite. There was this sort of peace, he reflected, that came after everything had happened; after your life had been changed.

He squeezed Sirius's hand softly, letting one last tear of happiness drip down his nose.

He, Remus Lupin, was happy, and his life was full even while his arm was forever missing that chunk of flesh. He had never dreamt it could be possible.