You know the routine. Don't own it, wish I did, if I did there would
be much more sex in the books. Don't sue etc. etc. Sorry it's so short. I'm
still trying to come up with ideas for the next chapter.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Remus sat in the lone armchair. The living room of the apartment seemed strangely bare without Sirius' clutter. No pranks in the making, no dirty dishes, no exhausted Sirius sprawled on the couch. Remus ran a finger over the ring on his thumb, just to reassure that it was still there. Forever was a long time to be apart.
He remembered every prank, every wink, and every puppy look as the professors dolled out his punishment. Every move he made when dancing erratically to his favorite muggle music. The wail of his guitar while he was learning to play. Sirius had been full of life and movement. Never a dull moment when he had anything to stay about it.
Now he remembered the soft smiles and glances when Sirius thought he couldn't see. The awkward first kiss when they bumped noses. The look on his face when James whooped for joy when the came out to him. The look on every girls face when they walked into the dance arm in arm, and even gave a public kiss. Dumbledore had smiled knowingly, and applauded. So had the rest of the room. That kiss had lasted 3 minutes and 15 seconds. James had timed it. James always knew his stop-watch would come in handy.
The times that Sirius had spent in the shrieking shack, sometimes singing while Remus changed, to calm him. God he had terrible singing. But it was the though that counted. Sometimes he stayed after the change, despite the nips and scratches he picked up as Padfoot.
His heart had jumped when he heard Sirius had escaped from Azkaban. But the deeper thought had been "This is the man that killed Lily and James." But was it really? Remus could not imagine Sirius, the playful mischievous Sirius, hurting a fly, much less killing his best friend and his wife. That was beyond reason. Or so he hoped.
Remus rubbed the ring again, as tears stung his eyes. Forever. A long to wait. A long to be alone.
An hour later, when Remus got up to get a cup of tea, wiping the redness from his eyes; a dark shape darkened the window. As soon as he saw it, it was gone. Remus grabbed his wand and stepped out. He couldn't let something that might be magical roam this neighborhood, mostly composed of muggles. He circled to thee back, and then he saw it. A pathetically skinny black dog. Remus softened considerably. It reminded him of Padfoot. It whined as if corresponding with his thoughts. Remus held out his hand, and the dog came obediently and sniffed. Remus picked it up. Gads, its skinny but it still weighs a ton. He took it inside and set it on the rug in front of the wall heater.
"Don't worry, fella, I'll get you some water." Remus smiled kindly.
He dropped the water dish when he returned. As it smashed on the floor, the naked man with shaggy hair jumped up from the floor.
"S.Sirius?" Remus thought he must have been hallucinating, driven mad by the grief.
Sirius smiled and held out his arms. "I missed you."
Hallucination or not, Sirius' arms felt just as secure as they always. Remus began to cry in long sobs.
"Oh, no, don't cry." Sirius never did know how to deal with Remus crying.
After an eternity, Remus had Sirius in some clothing that was almost his size, and wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. When Sirius had taken a shower he had also borrowed Remus' razor and brush and now looked considerably less intimidating with his pony-tail.
"Sirius." Remus began, but Sirius cut him off.
"No. I don't want to talk about Azkaban. You know I didn't kill James or Lily." Suddenly Sirius' eyes were so filled with such grief and sorrow they made -Remus'- eyes water. Remus scooted into the blanket with him and wrapped his arms around him, face pressed into Sirius' shoulder. He began to weep again, though silently.
After a moment Sirius wrapped his arms around him. After a minute, Sirius lifted Remus' left hand and looked at the ring on his thumb.
"You kept it. After all they said about me you kept it." His voice broke on the last part.
"Of course I kept it. But forever is a long time to be alone." Remus squeezed tighter. "I never believed them. Never."
Sirius kissed his ear, and Remus gasped. "You're not alone anymore."
Remus grinned. "Third door on the second floor." Remus could feel Sirius grinning wolfishly as he picked Remus and the blankets up together and headed up the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Remus sat in the lone armchair. The living room of the apartment seemed strangely bare without Sirius' clutter. No pranks in the making, no dirty dishes, no exhausted Sirius sprawled on the couch. Remus ran a finger over the ring on his thumb, just to reassure that it was still there. Forever was a long time to be apart.
He remembered every prank, every wink, and every puppy look as the professors dolled out his punishment. Every move he made when dancing erratically to his favorite muggle music. The wail of his guitar while he was learning to play. Sirius had been full of life and movement. Never a dull moment when he had anything to stay about it.
Now he remembered the soft smiles and glances when Sirius thought he couldn't see. The awkward first kiss when they bumped noses. The look on his face when James whooped for joy when the came out to him. The look on every girls face when they walked into the dance arm in arm, and even gave a public kiss. Dumbledore had smiled knowingly, and applauded. So had the rest of the room. That kiss had lasted 3 minutes and 15 seconds. James had timed it. James always knew his stop-watch would come in handy.
The times that Sirius had spent in the shrieking shack, sometimes singing while Remus changed, to calm him. God he had terrible singing. But it was the though that counted. Sometimes he stayed after the change, despite the nips and scratches he picked up as Padfoot.
His heart had jumped when he heard Sirius had escaped from Azkaban. But the deeper thought had been "This is the man that killed Lily and James." But was it really? Remus could not imagine Sirius, the playful mischievous Sirius, hurting a fly, much less killing his best friend and his wife. That was beyond reason. Or so he hoped.
Remus rubbed the ring again, as tears stung his eyes. Forever. A long to wait. A long to be alone.
An hour later, when Remus got up to get a cup of tea, wiping the redness from his eyes; a dark shape darkened the window. As soon as he saw it, it was gone. Remus grabbed his wand and stepped out. He couldn't let something that might be magical roam this neighborhood, mostly composed of muggles. He circled to thee back, and then he saw it. A pathetically skinny black dog. Remus softened considerably. It reminded him of Padfoot. It whined as if corresponding with his thoughts. Remus held out his hand, and the dog came obediently and sniffed. Remus picked it up. Gads, its skinny but it still weighs a ton. He took it inside and set it on the rug in front of the wall heater.
"Don't worry, fella, I'll get you some water." Remus smiled kindly.
He dropped the water dish when he returned. As it smashed on the floor, the naked man with shaggy hair jumped up from the floor.
"S.Sirius?" Remus thought he must have been hallucinating, driven mad by the grief.
Sirius smiled and held out his arms. "I missed you."
Hallucination or not, Sirius' arms felt just as secure as they always. Remus began to cry in long sobs.
"Oh, no, don't cry." Sirius never did know how to deal with Remus crying.
After an eternity, Remus had Sirius in some clothing that was almost his size, and wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. When Sirius had taken a shower he had also borrowed Remus' razor and brush and now looked considerably less intimidating with his pony-tail.
"Sirius." Remus began, but Sirius cut him off.
"No. I don't want to talk about Azkaban. You know I didn't kill James or Lily." Suddenly Sirius' eyes were so filled with such grief and sorrow they made -Remus'- eyes water. Remus scooted into the blanket with him and wrapped his arms around him, face pressed into Sirius' shoulder. He began to weep again, though silently.
After a moment Sirius wrapped his arms around him. After a minute, Sirius lifted Remus' left hand and looked at the ring on his thumb.
"You kept it. After all they said about me you kept it." His voice broke on the last part.
"Of course I kept it. But forever is a long time to be alone." Remus squeezed tighter. "I never believed them. Never."
Sirius kissed his ear, and Remus gasped. "You're not alone anymore."
Remus grinned. "Third door on the second floor." Remus could feel Sirius grinning wolfishly as he picked Remus and the blankets up together and headed up the stairs.