"Moony, I'm bored." Sirius emphasized this point by nearly knocking a bookshelf on top of both of them he slammed himself into a seat so enthusiastically and it rocked dangerously.
"Padfoot, I'm busy," he said back in the exact same annoying little ringtone as he continued scratching along his parchment.
"Play with me," his boyfriend insisted anyways, scooting up practically onto whatever little space was available on his chair and resting his chin on his shoulder. "I want to have some fun!"
Remus reached over, still without looking up, and grabbed a crumpled bit of parchment he'd long since discarded and gave it a toss. "Fetch."
Sirius licked his ear, and he yelped in shock and finally glared at the asshole.
"You've officially won the debate," Sirius told him with a very pouty face, the dark cerulean eyeshadow made his eyes shine like diamonds. "You are the asshole of this relationship."
"I'll take that title over the little shit you are," he huffed as he rubbed the spit off his ear.
"We've nearly been back a fortnight!" Sirius rested his hand suggestively on him under the table, warmth already seeping through his pants he was pretending to deny. "Surely that assignment isn't due right this second."
"You've been getting spoiled all summer," he rolled his eyes and turned back, frowning all the more to see the streak of ink now across his scroll. "I'm busy right now, go fondle yourself until after dinner."
"Can't I just borrow you for ten minutes?" He ran his hand tantalizingly along, from his thigh in and back again as he spoke, the deep royal blue of his nails today flashing like neon. "Chelsea Magni doesn't believe me when I told her I was a full blown poof now, she laughed at me! I just barely shook her before coming in here, she was trying to reminisce with me, I kept your name out and everything Moony." He considered him for a moment when Remus just redipped his quill in and tried to finish his sentence before he lost the thought. "Maybe I should have let her keep going, you might have started snogging me green with envy."
"And your solution to this was to come find me and have me shag you in the middle of the library?" He scoffed, reaching for his tape measure.
"Maybe just a good snog," Sirius corrected, leaning back in and nosing along his neck. "If you'd like to keep going after that, you know I'd be happy to oblige."
"Damn, I still need four more inches," he grumbled, reaching around him back for his book and dislodging his boyfriend's fluttering lips. He deserved an Order of Merlin for keeping the smile off his face as if that were an innocent statement.
"I'll give you as many inches as you like," Sirius squeezed his hand to emphasize his point, as subtle as usual. He just chuckled and began flipping pages. "You're killing me here Moony," Sirius sighed. "I'll lend you mine and you can bloody copy my closer, then you'll be free to roam around my opener!"
"You don't even take History of Magic anymore," he rolled his eyes.
"Nobody does but you!" Sirius shot back as he finally looked at the headline. "You're an insanity problem who still does the homework for a class literally everyone but you dropped!"
"I'll be sure to tell Frank he's fallen into the category of a no one again according to you," he grinned. "You could always join me you know, you definitely haven't started on your Transfiguration yet."
Sirius huffed and made one last pouty little face with those awfully tantalizing lips, but finally gave him up as a bad job and just sighed, "I'll finish it before you're done and still be sitting around bored. I'll just see you at dinner."
"Find me some steak down the table tonight, would you?" He called cheerfully.
Finishing his assignment drug out horribly, but he still managed to get that and half of his own Transfiguration work done, deciding he would take Sirius up on his offer and just copy the rest of his to enjoy the evening. Padfoot would barely work on it for an hour and still get a better grade somehow anyways, the asshole. His asshole.
He smiled and rubbed his lip in anticipation the whole way down to the Great Hall, planning his own revenge of feeling up Sirius for half of dinner. It would take some finesse, working him up enough he'd be willing to leave his meal but not so much any of their friends would notice what they were doing under the table. Not that they didn't know, but he still wasn't much keen on being in anyone's face. James and Peter made enough lewd jokes about them sharing a bed no matter how many charms they put up so their roommates wouldn't hear a thing, they still always woke up together, more often than not unclothed and Remus blushing for the knowing smirks.
Padfoot had kept his promise remarkably well about not only keeping a filter on his filthy mouth when they were around others, but he'd been down right elusive about really touching him back at school now. They'd just been foreplaying and messing around in the library, and Sirius would have stopped the moment anyone else came around, he'd found out over the past two weeks.
Apparently having his way all summer by snogging him whenever he fancied at the Potters had dampened some of his enthusiasm to do it whenever he liked. Now back in the castle for their sixth year, he'd taken to just brushing at his neck or bangs, even occasionally leaning in and giving just the swiftest of kisses that could have almost been passed as a whisper in his ear to passersby under that long hair of his. Sirius still wanted to do more, Remus could tell in the way his hand lingered and bit his own lip, but he always looked around and pulled back. Remus's heart throbbed every single time, it was all he could do not to reach out and snog him on the spot for his consideration, but Sirius always turned away before he could work up the nerve.
He hoped Sirius was eating soup for dinner, a rare steak right beside him at the ready so he could quickly eat and dip it into his meal, even just sharing food would sometimes get that lust in his eyes- but Padfoot wasn't there.
He glanced carefully all up and down the table, spotted James, Peter, and Lily like usual, but no Sirius. He most definitely wasn't loitering in sight at any of the other house tables near their friends when all were also spotted. He practically walked over to his own backwards he kept watching the door to see him rush in, it was bizarre for him not to be first at a meal.
"Where's Sirius?" He asked hopefully as he slid in beside Peter.
"Hung back, was talking to someone," he shrugged without care as he helped himself to thirds already.
"Okay," he muttered in confusion. "Know them?"
"Um," Peter had to stop eating to really concentrate, James finally stopped chatting with Lily and turned to watch, looking around himself like he was just realizing the same problem. "Magni? That fifth year, been flirting with him for a fortnight. Idiot can't take a hint I guess," he finished with a snort and a very obvious look Moony was too distracted to blush at this time.
"When was this happening?" James asked in fascination, looking at the door himself now in confusion.
"Like you'd notice if he bloody strip teased in front of you," Lily scolded, but he'd been so engrossed listening to her share her newest experiment she was blushing instead.
"Right," Remus agreed, his stomach plummeting as he kept watching the door in heightened concern. Sirius wouldn't really take up some bird on that offer...
James reached over and plopped something on his plate, but he didn't even look. He'd lost his appetite.
He was being a paranoid git, he instantly scolded himself, picking up a fork and mindlessly stabbing it, but he didn't even taste whatever he was chewing as that old insecurity rose high once more. Maybe Sirius was just being petty, might not consider snogging full blown enough to be cheating considering there was very little doubt he'd get off with her, unless she was one of those girls who knew what Padfoot preferred-
He swallowed, it felt like sludge going down his throat as he scolded himself, again. Sirius wasn't going to start cheating on him the second he didn't want to sleep with him, and he knew that! He was being a self-pitying fool.
Something nudged his foot, and he snapped back to the loud room expecting Sirius to be slamming down beside him grinning, but it was James watching him in concern. "You're doing it mate."
He released his nose and took a ragged breath. "Right, sorry," he tried to smile. It felt painful.
"Just go find him and get it out of your system," Lily said fairly.
"Map's in my bag, he's probably already left the common room. You'll meet him halfway down here and you'll catch dessert," Peter added.
"I, that's not necessary," he insisted rolling his shoulders and forcing himself to really look at the food on his plate. It had a weird flickering quality that had nothing to do with the candles and everything to do with the fact he was still blinking and forcing himself to focus. It wasn't working. "Honestly, it'll just annoy him, I know it's nothing."
"Better him annoyed than you freaking out," James insisted, even shooing his knife at him. "Begone Moony!"
"Right," he breathed in relief and snatched up the Marauder's Map, blushing the whole way out. He knew better, honestly, deep down, but he'd spent so many years being jealous of seeing and hearing Sirius so casually being with others that it probably would take a few times watching Padfoot actively turn down his long line of suitors now that they were back at school for his anxiety to feel at peace.
It did not help that he activated the map, and did not find Sirius down any descending corridors, but still up in the common room, right next to Chelsea Magni. He frowned and sprinted up there, taking every shortcut he could as they began trailing up to the dorms, the two little dots stood out with the mass down at dinner.
Sirius was probably just, just...what? She was a year below them, so no classes could be up for discussion. Padfoot was not the kindhearted one who would offer to just show her any bauble or even just casually chat with someone he didn't consider a friend for any length of time. James was the sociable one, Sirius was just in it for the cheering crowd, and one girl was not enough to have him acting like a loon and putting on a show when the real gazes for attention would be down at dinner.
He found himself panting and not remembering a single step of the long run as he'd watched the slow progression of the two dots up the Gryffindor stairs, muscles burning like a full moon was within the hour, and holding his own wrist to stop himself plugging up his nose as he came to a stop in front of the Fat Lady, mind a blank mess as he scrambled desperately under her unimpressed gaze to remember the password while shoving the map in his pocket hard enough to rip it.
At the first crack of her swinging open, he flung her the rest of the way aside and went sprinting up the stairs two at a time, chanting in his head he was being paranoid and ridiculous and Sirius would laugh this off-
Sirius was snogging her. Hands on her shoulders, pressing her into their door for all the world to see.
The well of hurt that rose up in him caused a choking noise that wrenched painfully straight from his core and burst from his throat. Neither so much as glanced up. One trembling foot fumbled to take him back a step, but still his eyes were glued to the madness, searing it into his brain as he cupped her neck.
He should leave, before the anger kicked in, cling now to the less monstrous side of him that only wanted to run away from this sight as he sweetly moved his tongue inside her mouth, Remus kept catching little glimpses beneath his hair as she tipped herself closer and pressed one hand into the small of his back, the other twining into his long black locks. She twisted her nails into the thick strands and pulled and- and Sirius did nothing.
Pulling on his hair was a gamble, Remus well knew from experience. It was ridiculous, borderline catatonic for him to just stand here gaping and watch, but he knew Sirius. He loved it when you played with his hair, but anything more than a gentle stroke and the lightest of tugs; and you were either going to get him pushing into the most rough sex you've ever had in your life, a relentless merciless anger the likes of which he'd still dared not ask about, or ruin the mood altogether. Padfoot had left him blueballed twice over the summer with little explanation more than just, too much. She yanked again, slotting her leg between his now and pressing full into him, and still he had no reaction. Just kept, snogging, casually.
"S-Sirius?" He stuttered. He wondered if he actively sounded like he was dying or that was just in his head. The numbness was leaving, something else rising in place that felt even worse, like watching a horror movie in progress. He'd rather phase every night the rest of his life than keep feeling this deep pit plowing through his chest. Padfoot still didn't look up. Her hand left his back and started fumbling for the door handle, twisting her nails tighter in his hair. Sirius made an odd noise, not right, almost a whine of pain but kept kissing her with something almost like, boredom. "Sirius!"
He still didn't look up, but she finally did. Chelsea should have been a pretty little thing, soft brown hair and green eyes, but her frame was thin and gangly, she was rather flat chested and just slightly taller than Sirius by a few inches. He'd never wanted to hex someone so bad in his life, she'd be as noseless as Voldemort the rest of her life if he could move, but he was rigid and going to be sick if that door opened any further than the crack she managed before seeing him. Her lip curled up, clearly unimpressed at the interruption. Padfoot's mouth moved casually up and down her neck. "A mate, right? I'll put a tie up or something," she elbowed the wood the rest of the way open and guided his mouth back to hers by his hair and started backing into the dorm, right towards Remus's bed, the closest to the door.
Sirius grabbed her hips, stumbled, and made that noise again that had him surging forward on pure instinct to get between whatever was making him do that, grabbing his arm in desperation. "Padfoot!"
This finally earned him the casual, side eye look of dismissal he knew he should have expected as he unlatched his mouth from hers properly, but Sirius didn't tell him to piss off. He held his arm back, fingers trembling slightly on his shirt. "Remus," he had the stupidest, most dopey look on his face like he were drunk. Even his voice was a little high pitched, chirpy, like he was trying to mimic Chelsea's grating vocals. "Going for some fun?"
His eyes were glazed over, not even resting on him for the whole short question before drifting back to her, his hand was already falling off his arm and trailing back to her as she made a huffy noise, eyeing his hand on Sirius with shock. "Wow, really?" She sized Remus up with a full blown scowl now, hands tightening up a bit in frustration, his hair an actual knot around her fingers, strands catching in a broken hangnail. The other was resting on the door still as if she wished to slam it in his face. Moony's eyes stayed as keyed on his face as Padfoot's was on her, watching with his gut in knots as he made the softest little groan of pain without a change in expression.
His heart was thudding so loud in his ears by this point everything sounded distorted, her voice came from a long ways off.
She, apparently, thought it was something more akin to longing, as she gave him a syrupy smile of understanding before turning to him with an acidic, "It's Lupin right? Can you not be an adult for five minutes? If he's hooking up with you too, you can go later, I don't do threesomes." She tried to act on the movement of slamming the door shut.
He didn't release Sirius to stop it, the heavy oak slammed into his side and he didn't even flinch. Neither did Sirius. Remus raised up his other numb hand, put his fingers right next to his nose, and snapped. He didn't so much as blink, eyes trained on her. "You gave him a love potion," he hurt his own throat that came out so strangled.
She gave a pissy little sigh, finally released Sirius's hair, and put that hand on her hip as she tapped her fingers impatiently while her face scrunched up into something so despicable looking he didn't even think Umbridge could manage. Her other hand was still resting on the door like she wanted to slam it into him again, but for the first time she looked from Sirius just standing on the spot and at his Prefect badge with a bit of nerves as she snapped, "grow up would you, it's just for some fun, help him get in the mood. Do you mind?" Her nails went from her hip to gave Sirius's shirt a little tug exposing the skin around his waist, and waved her other hand imperiously back to the stairwell.
"Do I-" his mouth had gone dry, his hand tightened with bruising force onto Padfoot as he yanked him away when her hand tried to filch in, but he staggered and nearly fell to the floor with that same stupid look plastered across his face.
"Going to have some fun!" He repeated cheerfully in that horribly high voice, and if he didn't want to get Padfoot as far away from this cretin as he could he would have hexed her into a puddle just for that.
"Oi!" She'd yelped far to late to stop him, but Remus couldn't even look at her or he may do something unspeakable as he focused all of his fury on gently getting his arms under Sirius and back to his feet, trying to guide him out the door. "Seriously!" She stamped her foot and looked ready to go for her own wand. Sirius just tipped his head to watch her. His heart could have shattered right then for the lack of response from his boyfriend. "Possessive much? Like you're so special!" It was paramount he do not acknowledge her. Sirius though, paused on the first step and looked back, right through him, at Chelsea and held his hand out for her to come along. "What are you, the fiftieth person he's been with?" She even reached out for him again, "when this wears off he's just going to tell you it helped-"
Remus had her wrist in his hand before her nails could graze against him again. Just loosely, the skin against skin contact repulsed him to much to tighten down, she felt small, smooth, fragile against his rough palm. She yelped and tried to jerk back, her face suddenly white as she flinched away from meeting his gaze. He released her with an actual growl. It disturbed even him, and he propelled himself into Sirius, shoving him down five stairs so fast the world blurred for a moment, he was practically carrying him until Padfoot found his feet and Remus's guiding hands on his shoulders kept them in motion as he chanted in his head he would regret it later if he killed her, he absolutely would, it might not feel like it right now, but he wasn't some monster. Sirius had promised him he'd never be one and he wasn't going to let this petulant girl make him some creature who couldn't come back from-
Padfoot started fighting against him. Not hard, but enough he seemed to realize halfway down the stairs Chelsea was no longer in sight or talking and he whined, "I want to go back!" while twisting in his grasp to look over his shoulder for her.
"No, you don't," it still hurt to talk, he could feel how badly his throat was vibrating and he could barely stop. His boyfriend began actually shoving and pulling to get away, and he released him instinctively, realizing his mistake to late. Nobody told Sirius Black what he wanted.
There were only three steps left to the common room, he did not have the strength to go back up there a second time and watch Sirius try to fawn over her and not use an Unforgivable Curse; or worse she was already behind them to do what he could not stand to imagine right now. His mind seized as he jumped in front of him, he had one chance to do something about this and blabbed the first thing that came to mind, "Birthday Surprises! It's, um, it's her birthday Padfoot, can't go back without a present, right? She'd poison you." He could hear the desperation in his voice, he was still shaking. He longed for Sirius to smile properly and laugh with him about that awful chapter once more.
Sirius froze, that alien expression flickering for a few moments as he looked back up the stairs, before it settled into something even more exaggerated as he squealed. "Oh no! Is it? I swear I didn't know! Must go find something," and he took off himself now for the portrait hole.
Remus released a stuttering breath in relief and found himself chasing after him instead of plugging up his nose or drawing his wand or having a dead body at his feet, so he'd take the win for now.
"What am I going to get her?" Sirius was clearly talking to himself, or a passing portrait, or even an owl sitting on a window in the dying sun as he already ran down to the end of the corridor, Merlin but he was fast. "A new book? Nice new cardigan, no that's dumb she's got a dozen of those. Oh, I could take her into the Forest, we found a limax last time and I'll bet she'd love to just hang around and watch those-"
"Padfoot," he called desperately as he tried to keep up, but Sirius was already circling back around to the common room on the next turn, unconsciously he was sure, the draw of being back around her was already wearing off his ridiculous lie.
The nickname made him hesitate at least, turning back to him and still slightly swaying drunkenly on the spot. "Remus, have you seen Chelsea? It's her birthday, and we're going to have some fun!"
He only just caught the sleeve of his shirt as he turned away again. His voice came out breathless rather than infuriated, which was probably in his favor. "Present, remember Padfoot. I, ah I've got the perfect one, just follow me."
"Okay, and then we're going to have some fun!" If Sirius never said those words again he could die happy- or at least never used that awful voice he corrected himself quickly, a trick Sirius had taught him.
Lily, he forced his mind to concentrate on his potion whiz of a friend who he begged of the universe was still down in the Great Hall, sharing spoonful's of ice cream with Prongs in their recent sickening display of affection.
It took a lot of coaxing and patients on his part with no less than seventeen repetitions of reminding him of the false reason why he shouldn't go back yet, and Sirius was getting restless and irritable by the time they got to the last staircase with students flooding up and whined while looking through every one of them, "Where's Chelsea?" He had started having to repeat the birthday lie on the last corridor now just to even keep him hesitating.
"She's, um, she's down in remedial potions Padfoot," he begged, eyes scanning the throng desperately for that familiar color. "I thought you'd like to take it with her."
"Oh yes!" He tried to bound down the stairs and Remus gratefully went along now, kicking himself for not thinking up that one sooner!
It only occurred to him as they crossed the throng to pull the map back out and even check if they were nearby when he saw his three friends exiting, James giving her a kiss on the cheek as he turned to leave for the Quidditch pitch. "Guys!"
He dared not release Padfoot long enough to get them as his voice got lost in the hubbub, and Sirius was not hesitating on anymore steps as he practically jumped down each in anticipation. "Prongs!" He tried again, the wrong name slipping from his mouth as his mind pitched with every way this could still go wrong and he impulsively called out for the first person he'd always turn to if Padfoot needed help.
The sheer desperation in his shout caught all three of them and then some, thank Merlin. He waved his hand frantically for them to come over as Sirius kept pulling him along by his ever loosening grip, mindlessly shoving past Slytherin students now blocking his way, almost panting to get to the right room. If he could even find it before this lie wore off. Then there would be the problem of him realizing Remus had lied, or forgetting about him entirely again and go racing back up to the dorm!
Staggering to keep up with his relentless pace, Sirius finally shrugged out of him again to burst into the room, and his face dropped with such disappointment someone must have canceled his birthday for the rest of his life. He twirled around and didn't even look at Remus as he sang, "going to have some fun," while literally skipping back towards the stairs.
Grabbing his arm and nearly crying with exhaustion, he repeated, "it's her birthday, she needs a present Sirius-" and his boyfriend finally lost that famous temper as he hit him.
It was a sloppy punch, he threw his fist out more haphazardly and it connected with his nose by pure chance as he tried to look back for the others, the flair of pain would barely register on any regular day but was still enough for his hand to fall off and reach for the cartilage. Sirius was looking from the classroom back to him and told in his love sick haze, "Chelsea's not in there. Are you keeping her away from me Remus?" Then he just tried to walk off.
James swore and rushed forward as he took in the wrong angle of the scene, as surprised as he was concerned when Sirius just brushed right past him too, but Remus was already shaking off the weak hit, not even rubbing his nose as he pleaded, "Chelsea's on her way down Padfoot! Honestly, you'll have fun in there!"
The other three looked at him like he'd lost his mind, James still half shielding him and opening his mouth with extreme concern for what he'd walked in on, but Sirius mercifully hesitated again and got that stupid, dopey look back in place once more. "Okay," he chirped and went waltzing back in.
"Lily," he desperately explained before this new wave passed off. "Love potion, antidote, please!"
"Oh," she yelped, and instantly went pelting in behind Sirius, wand drawn to summon the supplies she needed without hesitation. Merlin he could kiss that woman if it wouldn't earn him a proper right hook from her, and then probably Prongs.
"Blimey, you okay Moony?" Peter asked as James touched his chest and looked even more terrified for his health.
"No," he admitted, he probably looked an actual wreck. "Merlin I don't even know what I am." Exhausted? Furious beyond words? Slightly hysterical? "I, I walked in on, and he, and she was, I had to," he waved pitifully to where Sirius was hopping impatiently in place by the nearest stool, eyes trained on the door expectantly and already starting to edge towards it again. He would not win round two of keeping him back without actually restraining him with magic.
Praise Lily Evans and her masterful skills, she was already done with the quick concoction and jumping into Sirius' view with a goblet and the most off hand, "breath mint Padfoot, for all that fun."
Sirius took it without even looking at her and knocked it down in one gulp, foot out the door, James drawing his wand with a deep look of regret as he prepared to stun him.
They watched with bated breath as the potion finally began to wear off, teetering in the doorway as the pupils in his eyes widened and then went back to normal. His boot sank back to the ground like it had an anchor on it, he now stood level on the floor as slowly but surely Sirius's face settled into a look of shocked disgust for where his mind had been at. "I'm going to kill her."
He said it with such pure sincerity, Remus had no choice but to double over laughing.
Padfoot was on him at once, he couldn't even see his face properly anymore as he curled into his side, for once finding this a pitiful thing to do as he still sounded furious and normal. "Merlin's holy socks, I can't believe I hit you, I'm going to curse that woman into a hundred pieces and only put ninety-nine back together if she's lucky!" Remus's shaking hands on his knees were finally starting to slow as he pressed his face farther into his chest.
"Whatever you do in retaliation," Lily sighed, he could mentally see with perfect clarity as she ran her fingers through her hair in trepidation, "I don't want to know boys."
Leaning into that warmth and that long hair tickling the back of his neck, he couldn't imagine a better feeling in the world as Sirius tightened his arms. "I missed you," Remus managed in-between unintelligible snickers.
"I say we love potion her back," James said with such tight lipped fury, he finally came crashing down to look up. "Find out who she's got a crush on and get her to embarrass her pathetic life in front of them." His arms were crossed over his chest, the Gryffindor Captain giving out orders.
"Or who she hates the most," Peter pipped in, eyes bouncing from Padfoot to Prongs with a sly smile at Moony to play along. "Maybe Snape, can't imagine anyone's in love with him."
"Why not both," Sirius agreed, his teeth flashing dangerously. "She screwed with both of us as far as I'm concerned." Padfoot's arms tightened around him harder, Remus wasn't sure he wanted to know how much he remembered.
"I just said I didn't want to know!" Lily snapped, but there was a look of defeat in place, she knew she couldn't stop them. A large part of her didn't want to as sickening images flew through her mind, her eyes lingering with nausea where Sirius's hair was tangled up and his shirt was untucked, and the Marauders would never let it even get that far before they snapped her out of it.
They would prove their point without sinking to her level...but, "I can't go within the same corridor as her without doing something irreversible," Remus sighed as he leaned into him. He deliberated painfully, but ultimately thought he could get away with them agreeing, "listen, let's just turn her into McGonagall. What she did is against the rules, and better than more detentions for us, yes?"
He was still angry, the first bit had been no joking statement, but he wrapped his arm tight around Sirius' waist and finally felt abated against severing her head as Sirius dropped his arms to rub one hand up and down his back. They were trying to be better and not ruthlessly retaliate, no matter how appealing revenge was.
James still looked hacked off enough to do it without them, but he looked between the two and raised his hands in surrender, a promising indication. His eyes caught sight of his watch, and he cussed in surprise. "We'll pick this up later-" then he paused and looked at Sirius.
"Quidditch practice," his head finally in the right state easily recalled. "Not going to make this one Prongs." His hand fisted into the back of Remus's shirt, the fury in his voice still just barely bridled.
He nodded and gave Lily a swift kiss before taking off with one last concerned glance for the pair. Peter and Lily exchanged an unspoken look and took the dismissal as well, waving and going uneasily back up the stairs. He hoped Lily would lose her temper on that girl, it would be more punishment than they could give anyways.
Sirius gently guided him back inside and closed the door firmly before releasing his clutch and reaching up to brush at his nose.
"Don't apologize," Remus said at once, he couldn't stop drinking in the tender expression on his face. "You weren't in the right state, I know you'd never Padfoot."
"Still," he shook his head and looked at his own fist in betrayal. "Is this how you feel all the time? Because I feel like shit, and I barely glanced you."
Remus brushed his knuckles gently, then turned his palm soothingly through Sirius' hair, and he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch just like always.