The snow sparkled magnificently under the morning sun, the bare, white-laden trees heavy and waving lazily with the cold winds. Remus sighed listlessly, having a peaceful sleep for the first time in several years; nearly fourteen, in fact. He welcomed it though; it had been a long while since his bed had been this warm. Sirius had been here for two weeks, and it proved to be a very comforting presence. Remus kept his eyes closed this morning, but he quietly opened one eye to look about, and found the charming face of one Sirius Black leaning against the dusty nightstand, obviously watching him as he slept and not noticing the solitary blue eye that was on him.
"Good morning," Remus said softly, his voice still haggard from the dregs of sleep. Sirius looked surprised and smiled away the reddish tint upon his face, then edged over to the side of the bed, still on his knees. Lupin chuckled a bit and sat up slightly, but Sirius beat him to getting up, and sat upon the bed next to him, drawing a perplexed expression from Remus. "Sirius?"
"Remus…I have to go today…I have to be back by the next full moon, after all…and that's Christmas Day. That gives me two weeks."
"What?" Lupin interjected, sitting straight up and running a hand through his messy brown hair. "Leaving? Why?"
"Well, I have to go get something important…if I can find it. I can't tell you what it is now; you will have to find out for yourself when I get back." He had that knowing and hopeful smile upon his face, and Remus nodded, shaking his head at how secretive he was being.
"I won't press the matter. Just…don't get yourself caught, alright?" Remus sighed and sat up, pulling his legs over the side of the bed. He sat next to Sirius, whose hopeful smile had faded to one more serious and threadbare. "The dementors are still looking for you, after all. They won't stop until you are killed, found, proclaimed innocent, or…Kissed. You know that as well as I do. Most likely even better."
"Getting Kissed by a dementor is not what I plan on…" Sirius paused, catching Remus' azure gaze with his own. A few silent moments passed by between the two former lovers, questions whirling in their minds. Sirius let his eyes take in his expression, the calm yet wary expression that suited Remus so well. The gleam in his icy blue eyes as his short, unkempt silver-flecked brown hair fell over the top of his ears and graced his eyelashes. How could someone be so young and yet appear so aged…Remus Lupin had seen much more than he should've in the short time he had lived; at the age of twelve he had lived with more pain than he should've. Sirius vowed to put a stop to that very agony with which Remus had lived with for so long. He reached out and ran a hand through the light brown and silvery mess, and smiled. "Not a kiss from a dementor…but from you."
Remus said nothing at first; he simply let those words hang in the air and regarded the devoted expression that fell upon Sirius Black's countenance. There was simply no denying it now; it was the very same expression he wore on the day he admitted his love, all those many distant years ago. Remus couldn't forget that, not if Hell's demons themselves tried to wrench the very memory from him. He smiled, a tired smile, yes, but it was accompanied with a soft and honest chuckle as he laid a hand upon Sirius'.
"Be wary…trust no one…"
"No one but you, Remus," Sirius answered sincerely, and before either one could get another word out, he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against Remus'. It was almost like a memory long forgotten; suddenly revived. For a brief moment, the old flame rekindled itself as their lips danced against each other. There was no surprise in the caress, but there was a sense of reluctant joy that accompanied the kiss, for both knew that this could honestly be the last time that they might see each other again. When Sirius finally pulled back and opened his eyes slowly, he let himself mentally remember this moment. The dementors had taken away every joyous memory he had; he wouldn't let that happen again.
"You know…" Sirius said softly, grasping Remus' hands and suddenly seeming quite vulnerable, "Azkaban may take away memories…but it can't take away the emotions that accompany that memory, no matter how far away it seems. Even in Azkaban…even now…I've never stopped loving you, Remus. Never."
Remus looked at him gently and leaned his forehead against his lover's, watching the exposed expression in Sirius' eyes. "I know…I tried to tell myself that I bore no love for you after you were captured…I almost convinced myself…" he paused, looking strangely calm. But then, he smiled. "I was wrong. Terribly wrong. I love you too…"
There was a brief moment of silence between the two, but then, Sirius stood, knowing the gravity of his self-appointed mission. "I'll be back soon…don't go anywhere; it was hard enough trying to find you as it is!" Sirius smiled genuinely, and didn't loosen his grasp on Remus' hand. "I'll be home for Christmas, I promise."
After he had transformed into the large black dog and bounded purposely out of the door, Remus sat down on the tattered couch and conjured a fire with a flick of his wand. Home…so Sirius Black had found his home…home with the very same person all those many years before.
~*Part Five Coming Soon!*~